Entry updated · Sources & corrections policy
1989 - 2003
Game Boy
“Low battery. Just one more level.”
- Birth year
- 1989
- Shutdown year
- 2003
- Lifespan
- 14 years
- Peak era
- 1989-1998
- Company
- Nintendo
- Category
- Devices
0 people remember this
Log in to leave a flower
On Video
The original 1989 Game Boy and Tetris TV advert
Plays from YouTube when you press play. Views, length and date from YouTube, October 2026.
About This Video
- From:
- Betamax King
- Added:
- July 26, 2016
- Length:
- 0:30
More Videos4 videos
What Was It?
The Game Boy was a grey brick with a green-tinted screen that put real video games in a pocket. Released in Japan in April 1989 and in North America that July, it chose affordability and battery life over colour, and won.
Bundled with Tetris in the West, it reached far beyond the usual audience for games. A link cable let two players connect, which mattered enormously when Pokémon Red and Blue arrived and trading became a playground activity. Together with the Game Boy Color, it sold more than 118 million units.
Nintendo discontinued the Game Boy line in March 2003, by which time the Game Boy Advance had taken over.
Things You Probably Forgot
- Tetris on long car journeys
- Trading Pokémon with a link cable
- Hunting for light to see the screen
- Blowing into cartridges
The Story
- 1989 The Game Boy launched in Japan on April 21 and in North America on July 31.
- 1996 Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan.
- 1998 The Game Boy Color arrived.
- 2003 Nintendo discontinued the Game Boy line.
How It Died
Nintendo discontinued the original Game Boy line on March 31, 2003, with the Game Boy Advance as its successor.
What Replaced It?
Memories
Log in to add a comment and share your memory.
Loading comments…