Nintendo Game Boy®
No video-game platform did more to put gamers “on the go” than Nintendo Game Boy. And go they did—bringing their gaming experience to school, to summer camp, and to the back seat of the family automobile. Over the past two decades, Game Boy has become synonymous with portable gaming fun.
Following the enormous success of their NES home console, Nintendo launched Game Boy in 1989 and the system became an instant hit. The secret to Game Boy’s success was not driven by advanced graphics or processing power, but rather by simple and efficient design, head-to-head connectivity, and scores of intriguing games. Game Boy’s Game Link cable allowed simultaneous multiplayer gaming—a first for a portable system. The classic puzzle game Tetris came bundled with Game Boy and it appealed to a diverse audience, ranging from children to grandparents. Additional launch titles included Super Mario Land, which featured Nintendo’s already-iconic character Mario. The hit titles kept coming as the system evolved.
Gaming technology advances quickly and Game Boy remained relevant through a series of smaller, more powerful versions with enhanced gameplay features. These advanced platforms incorporated backward compatibility, wireless communication, and unique peripherals devices. From its original configuration through to the tiny Game Boy Micro, the Game Boy line of video-game platforms popularized portable handheld gaming.
