The Game Boy, sometimes abbreviated as GB, was an 8-bit cartridge-based handheld console by Nintendo. Released in April 1989 and designed by Gunpei Yokoi, the original Game Boy, though often believed by fans to be first ever made handheld system, it is not actually such, as early failed attempts occurred in 1970s including the Mircovision, and Nintendo also created the Game & Watch series in 1980 (which would later inspire the Nintendo DS) that lasted until 1991. However, this console is the first of its kind as a portable system with interchangeable games like that of home consoles and can do multiplayer with a link cable, and therefore the first to be widely successful. It is technically Nintendo's second handheld, and the Game Boy itself is also the first of the Game Boy line, where several successors starting with the Game Boy Color in 1998 would follow on. It is also intended to be a handheld version of the Nintendo Entertainment System while retaining the black and white screen of the Game & Watch as well. Although primitive by today's standards, as the console requires 4 AA batteries to power on a monochrome, low-contrast, unlit dark green STN LCD screen, and only has mono audio (unless using headphones), it was revolutionary for its time. The Game Boy is widely known for marking the debut of three major franchises - Tetris (pack-in title, though already released in 1984), Kirby, and Pokémon.
Part of the 16-bit era alongside the Super NES, the original Game Boy competed with the Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and NEC TurboExpress. Although the least technologically advanced of its market, as all its rivals had color screens with backlights while the Game Boy is the exact opposite, it had the advantage for its lower price, durability, less-power consuming hardware, being capable of lasting many hours longer - up to between 15 to 35 hours (the Game Gear in comparison can only last up to 5 hours with 6 AAs), as well as having a massive library of games. Its launch titles, Tetris and Super Mario Land, were both a huge hit, and the Game Boy already sold over a million units within weeks after its release. Over its lifespan, most of its library were handheld versions of games released in arcades and the SNES, but certain groundbreaking titles such as Kirby's Dream Land, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and eventually Pokémon Red/Blue made the Game Boy by far the best-selling handheld console of its era. Later, it gained revisions such as Play It Loud! (original DMG-001 models with colored or clear shells) and the smaller but updated Game Boy Pocket and Japan-only Game Boy Light in 1996 and 1998, respectively.
Due to the design of its cartridges, virtually all Game Boy games are backwards compatible with the later systems among the Game Boy line including the Game Boy Player (an add-on for the GameCube), though rarely vice versa with the Game Boy Color.
The Game Boy alone sold over 64 million units by the release of the GBC. Combined with its successor, they ultimately sold more than 118 million, making Game Boy line one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
The Game Boy would eventually retire in 2003, enjoying a healthy 14-year long run in the market.
The Legend of Zelda games
Trivia
- The slogan of the Game Boy is "Now you're playing with power; PORTABLE POWER!", a modification of the NES'.
- The Game Boy's original retail price in 1989 was $89.99, which is equivalent to $228 as of 2024.
- Due to the handheld's remarkable durability, one particular Game Boy unit from an owner during the Gulf War in 1991 was known to have survived a bomb explosion and was still operational despite its front end being scorched black from the flames and only the screen needs replacement. It was on display in the Nintendo New York store for many years running a copy of Tetris until 2023 when it was sent back to Nintendo of America HQ, presumably to preserve it.
- The Game Boy's library consists of 1,043 games.
- Surprisingly, as found in recent years, in spite of its age, a good condition Game Boy's 30 hours of battery life surpasses all of Nintendo's future handhelds, including the Switch hybrid console and its own later revisions.
- Being a late 1980s handheld console, the original "pea soup" LCD screen of the Game Boy, although its internal hardware was a huge leap forward to the earlier Microvision and Game & Watch systems in comparison, due to the crude STN design and dark shade of green, is infamously known to be difficult to see, has major ghosting, and in some cases, can become defective prematurely, leading some fans claiming it do not age well today. For its Game Boy Pocket/Light and soon after Color revisions nearly a decade after its release, they use an updated FSTN screen to mostly eliminate the blurring effects and shows true black and white shading by removing the hue entirely. Despite this, however, all versions of the GB line until the Game Boy Advance SP, lack a backlight, requiring a third-party light adapter or through modifications to be able to play the consoles efficiently in low-light conditions.
- The Super NES is able to play Game Boy games in full color using an add-on cartridge called the Super Game Boy. This concept would later be reused for the Game Boy Player on the GameCube (though it plays like on the GBA).
- Link's Awakening is the 9th best-selling game on the Game Boy (13th when combined with the GBC), with 3.8 million sold. For comparison, its highest seller, Pokemon Red/Blue, sold a whopping 46 million.
- Despite its low-tech hardware, the Game Boy's 8-bit CPU, the Sharp SM83, interestingly, actually has a faster processing speed than the Super NES' Ricoh 5A22 CPU. The advanced 16-bit home console reads at 3.58MHz, while the handheld Game Boy is 4.19MHz.
- In 1995, Nintendo of America announced that 46% of Game Boy players are female, a large number compared to the SNES (14%) and NES (29%).
Gallery
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The logo of the Game Boy -
Link's Awakening, the Zelda game released on the Game Boy -
Screenshot of Link's Awakening in the Game Boy's original screen appearance -
A Game Boy bundle with Link's Awakening -
PAL Game Boy bundle with Link's Awakening and Tetris -
Game Boy cartridge of Link's Awakening -
A Japan-only special edition Game Boy Pocket, based on Sanrio's Hello Kitty franchise -
The Japan-only Game Boy Light model -
Artwork of Mario playing the Game Boy -
Artwork of Princess Peach playing the Game Boy -
Pokémon Red & Blue, a late breakthrough game for the Game Boy -
Link as he appears on the Game Boy -
The Shadow Nightmare in the form of Ganon as seen on the Game Boy -
The Bow as it appears on the Game Boy -
The Bomb as it appears on the Game Boy -
The Boomerang as it appears on the Game Boy -
The Mirror Shield as it appears on the Game Boy -
Mario as he appears on the Game Boy (F-1 Race cameo) -
Luigi as he appears on the Game Boy (F-1 Race cameo) -
Princess Peach as she appears on the Game Boy (F-1 Race cameo) -
Bowser as he appears on the Game Boy (F-1 Race cameo) -
Yoshi as he appears on the Game Boy, as the Yoshi Doll -
Link's cameo in F1 Race, on the Game Boy -
Kirby, the main character of the Kirby series, made his debut on the Game Boy -
Pikachu, the mascot of the Pokemon franchise, made its debut on the Game Boy
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