Today, the Nintendo Game Boy turns 30 years old
In 1989, Japan saw the launch of a piece of technology that would take the world by storm. Exactly 30 years ago to this day, the original Game Boy released, on April 21, 1989. Looking somewhat like a grey brick with a small screen inside of it, the Nintendo Game Boy was portable, meaning you could take your games on the go, wherever you went, provided that you had enough AA batteries. It was a magical device at the time, with launch title classics such as Super Mario Land and the always beloved Tetris. Though competitors in the form of the SEGA Game Gear and Atari Lynx would quickly try to join in on the fledgling portable gaming market, the Game Boy would win out, despite its inferior graphics and lack of a lit screen, thanks in part to its long battery life and incredibly fun games, which lead to the Game Boy becoming a absolute titan in the industry.
Sales were so popular that Nintendo would create multiple revisions later on, like the smaller and more elegant Game Boy Pocket, or to the chagrin of any and all westerners, the Japan-only Game Boy Light. To this day, over 118 million Game Boy (and Color) units have been sold, placing it as the third most popular piece of gaming hardware of all time. So, take a moment to either grab your old Game Boy (don't forget a worm light!), launch a GB virtual console title on your 3DS, or fire up your emulator, and remember an integral part of gaming history today.
