Game on
Sweden –
Like many my age, I spent a lot of time in my youth huddled around a (NES) Nintendo Entertainment System with my friends. Collectively, we all know the smallest details and proportions of certain shapes. Is it because we researched it on our phones? No. It’s because our clear, young brains absorbed data from our hands. Never underestimate the longevity of memories formed by touch. Erman Malak knows this principal. His dynamic renderings are highly detailed and charged with nostalgia.
Game Boy Advance Cartridge Model
This series of video posts on Erman’s Twitter captured our attention. Not only for its detail and creativity, but also its progression. It is interesting to observe the various stages and gives you some insight into this talented 3D designer’s process. Who knew that geometry could be so engaging.
Ready Player One
Erman Malak – the process:
My process for creating this cartridge is pretty straightforward, but it does involve a lot of digging around for references. Since I don’t actually own any of these things anymore (even though I definitely had them as a kid), I have to do some detective work first.
Making progress on my GBA cartridge #b3d pic.twitter.com/Bj528CWgPl
— Erman Malak (@ermanmalak) August 11, 2025
The trickiest part is making sure I’m looking at authentic stuff, because there are tons of knockoffs and reproductions out there. I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting the real deal though. My go-to sources are
YouTube teardown videos – People love taking these things apart on camera, which is perfect for me.
Reddit threads – Retro gaming communities are goldmines for high-res photos and measurements
eBay listings – This one might sound weird, but sellers often post really detailed photos from every angle
Finished this Game Boy Advance cartridge model I started last weekend.
— Erman Malak (@ermanmalak) August 18, 2025
Started texturing and lighting the scene today and it's looking pretty good.
Definitely going in the portfolio.
Will be posting renders of it this week once I nail the final lighting setup.
Meanwhile,… pic.twitter.com/9qpfOsao5S
I usually spend a few hours just collecting images and getting all my references organized in one place. Since these are old objects, there’s never just one perfect reference photo, so I end up piecing things together from multiple sources.
Back to obsessing over tiny details with this Game Boy Advance cartridge. Part of my nostalgia series.
— Erman Malak (@ermanmalak) August 19, 2025
I love nerding out about all the little elements most people never notice. Here's a backlit transparent render showing all the internals.
Gonna turn this model into a proper… pic.twitter.com/rTkUj28513
Once I’ve got my reference library sorted, I jump into the modeling. It’s honestly pretty messy. I’m constantly flipping between my 3D software and reference images. Sometimes I’ll be halfway through modeling a section and realize I don’t have a good enough view of some detail, so back to Google I go. If I really can’t find good references for certain parts, I just wing it. I actually kind of enjoy those moments because it gives me a chance to add my own little spin on things. At the end of the day, these are just for fun, so they don’t need to be museum-quality replicas, though it would be cool if they were.
Final Level
Designing a beautiful and well articulated 3D object is a human art form. Erman got the textures and lighting just right for this final rendering of a Pokemon Red Game Boy Cartridge. In the age of AI Art, it is important to call out digital creators who infuse objects with humanity. This 3D cartridge seems forged with memories of countless games and digital characters. Those moments matter as do the details used to evoke them. I feel like I could pick this up and hold it in my hand. Makes me want to blow the dust off of my Son’s Game Boy and go a few rounds with Pikachu. Nice work.
Game Boy ✱ Pokémon Red pic.twitter.com/hq1j0HLabO
— Erman Malak (@ermanmalak) January 29, 2025
Available for Project Work
Please visit Erman’s website and reach out for assistance with your next 3D project. This case study above is a prime example of his quality and attention to detail.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also appreciate the vector typography of BleachFX:
Interesting insight into how this talented digital creator works. New fan of his work. Nice guy.