Nintendo's Game Boy turns 20
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Apr 23rd 2009 12:22PM
posted Apr 23rd 2009 12:22PM
In case you hadn't heard, Nintendo's trend-setting handheld, the Game Boy, just had its 20th birthday -- and that's no small thing for a game console. We won't bore you with stories from our childhood about wasted time and missed opportunities spent chasing the dragon that was Tetris, but we will entertain the hell out of you with this vintage ad touting the system's launch from way back in the totally excellent year of 1989. We know what you're thinking: does the robot create the kid or just warp him there? And if he does create him, does that mean he's some kind of metallic god? And does that mean that the kid kills god? And... why is the robot dancing? Hey -- now you're playing with power.
Best commercial I've seen in 20 years. Hands down.
But what's up with the kid?!
I mean, the robot gave him life and a gameboy, yet he kills him! D:
(And yeah, old commercials rule)
He owned his power by beating him, resulting in using it and killing him. Now you're playing with power!
The past looks so cheesy.
Unfair advantage... that knight/robot guy must have a hell of a time with dexterity & tactile sense with those metal fingers. Look at the way he's holding that thing (00:14). Like a fat lady with 4" acrylic nails...
This is obviously an alternate reality where robot creates a "hu-man" opponent with which to play games. The human becomes too good (and perhaps even self aware) and thus, the humanopcalypse descends upon robot kind. A pity.
Agreed! I remember that one!
I had to work for a week painting as a kid to save up for my gameboy, first big thing I ever got.. prob the best system Ive ever had as far as play hours go... think of the awesome games!!
puzzle games like Tetris and Dr Mario and Yoshi were great, the super mario land series was great... remember F1 Race with the 4 player adapter??!! Ballin ... final fantasy legend was good, final fantasy legend was better... PENGUIN WARS.. awesome... and piles more
Ive been a sucker for Nintendo ever since.. own every portable (including a virtual boy which isn't getting enough props really.. its a "boy" too) but the original gameboy brings back the best memories..
i loved my grey brick!
The humans (and game boy) were created by robot. They rebelled. They evolved.
I STILL love my grey brick in all its Tetris-playing, battery-sucking glory!
I remember getting my hands on a GameBoy long before they were even available in the US. Having attended a military academy in the late 80's one of the pleabs (newboy) in my platoon was from Japan. He brought with him to the US a GameBoy and several games all in Japanese. I can remember playing Super Mario Bros on it for hours on end. The hard part was having him walk me through the Japanese menus so I could actually get the games started. As long as there were fresh batteries in the unit I think that little guy passed just about every inspection we ever had with flying colors.
I'm writing a paper about the history of handhelds right now... interesting.
"Outrageous new game Tetris" lol
Sure I loved tetris.... but Mortal Kombat 2 was THE gameboy game for me...
and Super Mario, of course.
Dr. Mario FTW
1v1 Tetris any1?
Jean jackets FTW!!!
I remember the day that my dad bought both my brother and I a gameboy each along with two games. He spent like $600 and said we better not ask for anything else for the rest of ours. I got Super Mario Land and Tennis and would get about an hour and a half to 3 hours of game play. My mom wondered why everything looked like spinach and why it was that nasty leprosy colored grey. To this day I still have and I'm still playing with power.
Game gear failed because it was too expensive, too big, too power thirsty. It's a perfect example of why you shouldn't make a console more powerful than then price/power restrictions, just because you can.... There's an article about them on wikipedia...
"Although its color backlit screen and ergonomic design made it arguably superior to the Game Boy, the Game Gear managed just a small share of the market. This can be blamed partly on the perception that it was too bulky, and on its somewhat low battery performance: the device required six AA batteries, and the backlit screen consumed these in approximately five hours (six on the later versions), compared to 10–14 hours of four-AA battery lifespan for the Game Boy (though still better than the Atari Lynx and TurboExpress). External and rechargeable battery packs were sold to extend the devices' battery life. However, Sega's biggest problem was that it failed to enlist as many key software developers as Nintendo, so the Game Gear was perceived as lacking as many games. Although it was a decent success, the Game Gear did not manage to achieve the commercial success that Game Boy did, in that when it went off the market it was not replaced by an immediate successor."
But yeah I used to dream of having one instead of my gameboy (unaware that the gameboy's game library was a lot bigger)...
it also didnt help that the killer feature, the tv tuner was more expensive than the device itself.
Dot Matrix all the way!
Dot, DOT MATRIX!
My parents always asked me why I had such a hard time seeing the blackboard when it was so easy for me to see a tiny black and yellow screen.
What ever happened to Game Gear? I guess that just goes to show that color and new fangled top of the line graphics aren't everything when it comes to video games. Nintendo knew it then, and they still know it now.
Happy birthday you loveable brick you.
Gamegear was awesome, but it was huge as hell, and needed 6 aa batteries and only lasted about 3-4 hours. You had to be near a wall plugged to an ac in order to play a game for at least one sitting lol.
My buddy had the TV tuner for Game Gear! Awesome.
I'm surprised no one mentioned the Passive Matrix screen on the game Gear. This made every moving object leave rainbow trails as it moved across the screen. Ok for Shmups or match-3 puzzle games, but any platformer where the screen was constantly in motion turned into an unidentifiable soup of vomited pixels.
Oh yeah! the gameboy! They are even used to remap my scooter's ECU!!
They're awesome!
WOW what a sweet video.
That was an awesome commercial for '89.
If only the GB didn't lead to one of Mario's worst adventures...
Hey, it also gave rise to pokemon. I, personally, liked Link's Awakening too.
And what game was that?
"Super Mario Adventures in the State Penitentiary System"
Oh no! You dropped the soap!! Here come the Hammer Bros!
I hope your not on about Super Mario Land (v1)
That game was so epic. When I reached and beat the first boss and then realised the princess was a fake I was like "Wth?!"
I boot it up now and then on various systems (emulators).
My mum has taken it with my SP and Yakuman now though :(
Music and the final boss were classics. Level design was very varied even for a portable Mario.
And finding and knowing where the Secret Hearts, damn that was a good feeling.
Wow! I can't believe it's been 20 years.
the old grey brick was the only gameboy i ever had...use to rock some Turok on that thing. It was awesome.
Thanks Engadget....now I feel old.
I'm gonna go cry in a corner....with my Game Gear :-D
and im playing pokemon on my dsi right now...
...............damn we've come a long way
Haha, I'm doing the same thing. Gotta love the classics though, I am the proud owner of almost every Game Boy up to this day.
I'm turning 20 too:'(
totally remember being broke a$$ 8th grader watching all rich kids ,.
In 1989 it was just a dream to own one. Now I buy 2 dsi at a time life is good.
Woah, major déjà vu. I REMEMBER that tag line. Scariest part is I was /born/ in that year...
I FUCKING LOVE THREE MUSKETEERS!
what he said
I had one when I was in 4th grade in 1989. At recess all the kids used to crowd around to watch me play Tetris and Teenage Mutant Ninja Tutles. Those were the days. Playing Tetris head to head with the cable was awesome.
Brings back memory's i was 5 and now i have tetris on my iphone
I remember when my mom bought me one. We went to Sears because at that time in Puerto Rico it was the only place to get it. Good old times.
Damn I loved that thing. I'm pretty sure mine still works actually, might have to dig it out next time I'm at my folk's house.
those were the days. i remember always wanting one of those... but my parents never did get me one... boo hoo..
Tha was such an awsome commercial!!! Brings me back to the good ol days when I was 10 lol.
(cliche comment about fun times with gameboy and the fleeting nature of youth)
Low ranked reply
That old grey brick was one of the best built portable systems ever released. You could drop it, bang it, kick it and the thing just kept on trucking along. That is also another huge reason for the gameboy's success versus all the rivals that tried to kill it, the thing was a durable brick. The fact it had an army of games and didn't care about being the best in graphics, but gameplay variables, is something Nintendo has taken, refined and continued to run with when you look at the DS.
SaGa 2 (rebranded as FF Legend 2) and Links Awakening were my best buys.
Yeah.. I still remember the first time I saw that commercial when I got home from school one day. Even though I was the kid at school who always knew all the latest about games- I didn't know the Gameboy existed until I saw that commercial. I REALLY wanted one after that.
I keep mine near the PC for a quick Tetris game fix.
The original GameBoy was a beast. Mine was 6 feet under during hurricane Katrina and it still works! Though there's some kinda dirt on the screen. =/
I've got every gameboy game ever made on my wii through homebrew channel and one of the gameboy emulators available. woot.
My Game Gear was awesome (purchased out of jealousy and one-upmanship of my brother's game boy). I played uncountable hours of Sonic. Plus, I got the tv tuner, and figured out how to hook it up to cable (unbeknownst to my parent's, whose no-tv-for-a-week groundings were surprisingly ineffective).
Revolutionary VideoLink...priceless!!!
this vintage ad touting the system's launch from way back in the totally excellent year of 1989.
It was a excellent system, but there's no doubt that it had a triumphant video.
[air guitar solo]
Dear lord, it's hard to believe people actually used to talk like that. :P
Fanboys hate to admit it but the PSP took out the GameBoy. Nintendo put the brand to rest and has since focused on their DS which by the way they said was not a competitor to the PSP. Just saying. I love the GameBoy, Pocket, Lite, Color, Advanced, SP, and Micro.
and then the DS promptly took out the PSP and continues to easily outsell it month after month.
Took out? LOL, hardly. The PSP is alive and kicking.
The PSP was struggling until very recently. It was more popular as a homebrew platform than as a console. The DS killed the Gameboy. They didnt really need two handhelds and they kept gameboy back compatibility for a surprisingly long time.
Struggling? Again no, the PSP is wildly popular and has a superabundance of critically acclaimed games.
You sound like some Sony comercial, how's that UMD and memory stick working out btw?
The DS is trouncing the PSP in every way possible, unless you just can't get enough of the PS2 ports.
Both UMD and MemoryStick Pro Duo are doing very well. 8GB for less than $20 is nice. Better than the tiny minuscule capacity proprietary Nintendo DS cards.
Yes, the PSP killed the Game Boy. It had nothing to do with Nintendo wanting to retire a 15+ year old product line.
Logic fail.
The GameBoy is STILL more fun than a poke in the eye. Yet, nothing beat my Milton Bradley MicroVision! 1979 beotches!
I wanted to see the 3 Muskateers commerical! LOL
But Seriously..... That commercial brings back so many memories. I loved my Gameboy, Gameboy Color, & Gameboy SP..... Also loved my Gamegear. Now I love my PSP!!!!!!!!!
If the gameboy is 20, I don't want to even think about how old I am....
Wow, I feel 9 years old again. thanks Engadet! :D
I believe this was right around the time you could also subscribe to nintendo power magazine and receive a free copy of dragons lair....now thats playing with power.
Lol. I actually remember that one... acid washed jeans too :)
Damn! Where did the time go?
I remember playing my Gameboy with Castlevania and Super Mario Land. Nemesis, Zelda Link's Awakening, TMNT, Tetris were some of my other favorites.
One of the best parts about the Gameboy was it's ability to play games in direct sunlight. The black LCD worked well in the sun and I didn't mind travelling with it. Just the opposite with the DS and PSP :(
Wow... that commercial + all you guys are really bringing back some memories. Anyone remember those teenaged mutant ninja turtles pies with the green filling? Or how about that crossword scam in all the video game magazines where the answer was "POWER"?
On another note, I just thought of an awesome video game idea... Captain N the Gamemaster! With a Wiimote belt accessory! Haha I'm so lame. But yeah, happy birthday Gameboy!
Quick question... doesn't the Gameboy need to be "alive" to have a 20th "birthday"? I believe they stopped being sold in 98.
well technically, the DS is a Gameboy...It's part of the gameboy line and it plays Gameboy (advance) Games
The DS is not a GameBoy. Nintendo has been very clear about that.
Yea they say it's not, but it's kinda like when people ask for a Kleenex, it's really a tissue...
maybe a bad example... I would better use the Playstation moniker: the PS3 is an evolution of PS2 which is an evolution of PSX
There does that help?
i love how they showed game play for 3 seconds. nintendo still does this today. you never really see a lot of game play for wii or ds. i remember seeing this when i was i guess 8. man was i an idiot for thinking it was great graphics haha. ah the art of marketing.
I believe the robot does in fact create the kid, which makes the kid a sort've Nietzsche-esque character. Interestingly enough, Nietzsche is famous for the phrase "Now you're playing with power, portable power" which he shouted before jumping off a roof top into the crowded streets of Berlin.
...Sorry, I missed out on April Fool's fun :)
What was this revolutionary VIDEO LINK? It says nothing about what it does just "blow your opponents away!"
20 years? I feel old. Remember when Game Boy came with Tetris?
And it's still in my Gameboy today. :D
Almost as old as me. :/
I have a clear gameboy, I thought it was the coolest thing!
then I got a clear Gameboy Pocket
Again, Amazing!
Then I got a Gameboy Color (the weird purple color) Crazy!
Then I got Gameboy Advanced (The Sexy SNES White and Gray Version) YES!
Then I got a Gameboy Micro (Famicom Edition) Ok...Don't really see the point
Then I got DS Lite (Black) Shit I need to Stop!
I only own the clear gameboy (which I hear is quite rare) the clear pocket and the micro
money well spent
I wish I had a Micro. I have the rest of the lineage. Someday.
I feel so stupid! I sold my fat old clear gameboy at a garage sale about 7 years ago for $20.
yea the micro is sick
I play sf2 turbo revival on the shitter all the time.
I still kinda wish I kept all those other systems (sold or gave to cousins) I hate to admit it but I traded in my gameboy advance for a measly 30 bucks :(
Awesome! I still have that Game Boy somewhere!
Best quote from this
"And it comes with the outrageously new game 'Tetris'"
My mates Dad used to go to Hong Kong on business, (so 80's), and would bring back all these crazy games, including 100-in-1 carts. I never got one of those :(
(less known) Highlight games for me:
-F1
-Gargoyles Quest
-Navy Blue
-Hunchback of Notre Dame
-Burai Fighter Deluxe
-Simpsons - Camp Deadly
-Zoids
-Double Dragon!!!