Nintendo's Game Boy turns 20
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted April 23rd 2009 12:22PM
posted April 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.
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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!!!