The one where Mario goes mobile …

After years of video gaming being tied to TVs and bulky PCs, Nintendo changed everything. The release of the Game Boy gave gamers a way to play their favorites on the go, including Super Mario Land, Tetris, and Pokémon.

Just the thought of popping some fresh AA batteries and a prized Donkey Kong Land cartridge into my Game Boy still delivers a little hit of dopamine. Collecting bananas and beating boss levels was my favorite way to pass time on family road trips.

Game Boy’s ability to revolutionize gaming didn’t stop with the original. Later versions like Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance took the innovative design even further. Looking back, it’s an undeniable cultural icon of the ‘90s.

But did you know …

1. Long live the OG.

The Game Boy made its debut in 1989, and throughout the 1990s, it was one of the most popular gaming consoles. Even after the 2001 release of its successor, Game Boy Advance, the original was still selling. In fact, it wasn’t discontinued until 2003, giving it a full 14 years of life. Who knew Game Boy was as old as a teenager? 

2. 50 (minus 46) shades of gray

While the 8-bit Game Boy console may have seemed like an incredible piece of technology through our young eyes, it actually wasn’t that impressive back in the day. The green-tinted monochrome screen could only display games in four shades of “gray.” Competitors like Sega’s Game Gear were more technically advanced and looked sleeker than the Game Boy’s gray brick.

3. The Energizer Bunny of gaming

While its display may have been lacking, Game Boy made up for it in other ways, like a lower price point and better game selection. Most importantly, it had an impressive battery life, running for up to 30 hours of play on just four AA batteries. Due to its full-color display, Game Gear churned through AA batteries six at a time with replacements needed after only three to five hours of play.

4. Pimp my Game Boy.

If you wanted to trick out your Game Boy with cool accessories, there was no shortage of options. This handheld console had all kinds of great add-ons, including the popular Game Link Cable which could connect two devices for multiplayer gaming. If you wanted to get creative, you could mount a Game Boy Camera on top and print out your snapshots using the Game Boy Printer. 

There was even a Super Game Boy that fit in a Super Nintendo cartridge slot and allowed you to play Game Boy games on your TV. Some titles, like the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong, even went full-color when played with the Super Game Boy.

5. Too hot to handle

If you had a Game Boy, you know that the chunky brick design was actually pretty durable. But one user inadvertently put theirs through a trial by fire — literally. Stephan Scoggins was a registered nurse serving in the Gulf War when his tent burned down. No one was hurt, but many of his belongings were badly damaged, including a charred Game Boy which came out looking as crispy as an over-toasted marshmallow.

Hoping for a replacement, he wrote in to Nintendo Power magazine and explained the fiery fate of his Game Boy. They obliged after he sent in the damaged device. The magazine staff popped in a Tetris cartridge and, much to their surprise, found that the screen display and Start and Select buttons still worked.

6. Gotta catch ‘em all.

The obsession of a generation can be traced back to the Game Boy. The original Pokémon games were made for this handheld gaming console. They were released in Japan in 1996, followed by a 1998 release in the U.S. The first games — Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue — were smash hits from the start, selling a combined 200,000 copies in just the first two weeks to become the fastest-selling Game Boy titles ever.

The Pokémon franchise that spawned from the original Game Boy games is massive in scale, including trading cards, an anime series, manga series, and more video games. In fact, it’s estimated to be the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, beating out the likes of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Barbie, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Pikachu gotta be kidding me!

7. Earth to Game Boy

It wasn’t enough for Game Boy to just make its mark on Earth. It had to go to space, too! A Game Boy was actually the first gaming console to venture beyond our planet’s limits. The proud owner of the device was Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Serebrov, who packed his Game Boy for a 196-day trip to the Mir space station in 1993. Fittingly, he brought the game Tetris, which was developed in the Soviet Union.

Serebrov actually set a Guinness World Record for being the first person to play a video game in space. His space-traveling Game Boy later sold at auction for $1,220 in 2011.

8. Go fish!

Ever heard of the Game Boy Pocket Sonar? Probably not, as its 1998 release was limited to Japan. But this Game Boy accessory definitely made a splash in the history books. 

Noted as the “first sonar enabled peripheral for a gaming console” by Guinness World Records, the Pocket Sonar had an attachment that transmitted sonar waves underwater. The resulting sonar images showed fish in the immediate vicinity, making it easy to figure out where to plunk down your bait and wait for something to bite. 

To recap, this little gaming device can take and print pictures, survive a fire, and locate fish underwater. Seriously, what can’t the Game Boy do?!

9. The little console that could

Over 118 million Game Boy and Game Boy Color devices were sold worldwide during the 14-year production run, making it the fourth best-selling video game console of all time. It actually came in third until recently, when it was unseated by the Nintendo Switch. In case you’re curious, Nintendo DS comes in at number two, and PlayStation 2 holds the top spot.

10. He’s got a heart of gold.

If you’re wondering what Neil Young has to do with the Game Boy, prepare to be surprised. The legendary singer-songwriter actually used a photo captured by a Game Boy Camera as the cover art for his 2000 album, Silver & Gold. The image was apparently taken by his daughter, Amber. Just goes to show that even the biggest rock stars get schooled on new technology by their kids.

Before smartphones, Game Boys were a pocket-sized status symbol. Forward this to someone who remembers the original “ring tone.”

Editorial: Ashley
Illustration: Nick