Abstract
T-FAB is a smartphone case made for playing exclusively Tetris on your phone. It is thought for those nostalgic people who loved playing Tetris on their Gameboy, or for those who never got the chance to have one.
Interface and interaction modality
The case is made basically from two main pieces of wood. The bottom part, milled with the CNC machine, has an exclusive pocket where you can put your phone, the top part is where the interface appears. The top part is made out of plywood, and it is entirely cut and engraved with the laser machine. It has a display window, an audio output, and five holes for the main buttons: left, right, down, “A” and Start button. Connected by magnets the top and the bottom are very easy to combine. The buttons are made with the 3D printer and are connected to the top with bi-adhesive tape. Copper tape and screws are used to make contact with the smartphone.
User experience
The case is very similar to the original one and tries to mimic it. The interface is simplified by taking out not needed buttons. To play the game you need to have a Gameboy emulator installed on your smartphone.
Research and development context
The Gameboy was known for having a general interface for many games, in this case the main idea was to have multiple interfaces for different games. For further development a “pocket” can be added to store the diverse interfaces. It could become a “built it by yourself” artifact.
References
Gameboy, Gunpei Yokoi, 1989
