The Life & Times Of Nintendo’s Game Boy

There was an old store where I grew up which had this Game&Watch on display. I sooooo wanted it but at the time couldn't afford it.

Last time I went there, I had the means to get them but sadly the store burned down just a month before. Or was burned down to make way to a new F*&^# mall.

I wanted that Game&Watch so bad.

i like the deadpan "it fails" descriptions

ithyphallus

The Game Boy SP didn't have black lighting.

It had front lighting.

dirtface

The Game Boy is truly worthy of a timeline, to be made into a poster, and hung on the wall for nonstop nostalgia.

mmm, nostalgia

Atomsk88

That image made me sad for the Game Gear - man I had fun with GG Shinobi.

Also it's weird to think that the GBA actually only had a short lifespan of 3-4 years before the DS came out considering it had quite a few decent games.

From the comments on Gizmodo:

*GBA was a "mythical" console

*GBA Micro was the best version

*Gamegear was a failure, even though it had a lifespan of 7 years.

*Ignoring the Wonderswan, NeoGeo Pocket, and most other handhelds.

*The DS was an instant success.

SO MANY WRONG THINGS.

So, uh, what he said.

I miss the old Game Boy line.

I still pull out my old Game Boy Color from time to time. ^^;

My monochrome GB is long since dead (an unfortunate victim to a time I had some anger issues...) But I do have a Game Boy Pocket that once belonged to my little brother. He long since got more advanced systems, so it just ended up in my possession.

Either way, the DS may be a successor to the Game Boy, but it's just not the same. Don't get me wrong, I love the DS, but the classic-style Game Boy was the best. Of course, GBA was also great, but I can just remember the good old days where having Link's Awakening and an entire afternoon was pretty much the best thing ever. ^^

Takara_Kitsune

I'm pretty sure Japan was at war long before attacking Pearl Harbor. But I suppose it's typical of Americans to think WW2 didn't exist until the US entered it...

Hypernetic

@PatrickF**kingStar: you know, you can comment on gizmodo with this account c.c

ithyphallus

@dirtface: *back

dirtface

@Hypernetic: Haha, not really. Prior to the attack on the United States, Imperial Japan had not gotten involved with the West beyond money. It was involved in South East Asian campaigns separate from the Axis. They never stepped foot on European soil. Hell, the Pacific Front is largely ignored save three events due to the fact that it was primarily an American war alongside the Aussies and Canadians up until the Russians started hauling ass after the fall of Berlin.

Black-Dog-Howls

The DS shouldn't be considered part of the Gameboy line.

1. It's not called a Gameboy at all.

2. It's not even backwards compatible with GBA games anymore much less regular and GB color cartridges.

Voltar

Still have my OG gameboy. That thing truly is a freaking tank.

I remember feeling bad for the people that sprung for a GB pocket and then they release the GB color a year later.

Sparkdog

They just changed the saturation on those Play It Loud! Game Boys. Also, there was orange. Newbies.

Good work though. Maximum Pope of Gaming, haha.

Cavefish

@Hypernetic:

In america, it didn't exist till we entered it.

Unlike our wars. We make sure everyone is involved.

@PatrickF**kingStar: Wow, I like how the timeline says about the Game Gear "It couldn't compete with the Game Boy", and then says "It died seven years later."

Lasting seven years is considering not competing? I dunno about you guys, but a system that lasts seven years is a success in my book.

@Hypernetic: ?

ariete

Where's the Neo Geo Pocket Colour, Wonderswan, Lynx II, Gizmondo, TapWave, PSP?

Nothing has ever overtaken Nintendo's dominance but like others have said, the Game Gear certainly gave it the best shot of any rival company handheld so far.

The Lynx officially died in 1994 so that had a five year life span. Currently where the PSP is at in its life too.

@Hypernetic: You should take it up with Mr. Diaz if he's too American for you. And to Japan's credit, it wasn't really at war so much as simply beating the shit out of everyone until it took on the US.

spannu

@ithyphallus: Wait, seriously?

@the7k: Yeah, right. And I bet you think the PS2 isn't a failure either even though it's selling so much worse than the Wii.

spannu

@Voltar: Neither should Game & Watch, Game Gear, Lynx, Virtual Boy, Microvision, Pearl Harbor, Donkey Kong, etc.

Oh wait, this time line just evolves around the Game Boy. Whoa.

Cavefish

@Hypernetic: No where on there does it say WW2 didn't exist before Pearl Harbor.

Please read before you post.

Paul_Is_Drunk

One month? More like 5 days, sweetie.

Vidunder

@ithyphallus: it's all part of the omnipresent gawker media overlords which will consume all media and turn it into witty comments and naked pictures from fleshbot. no one is safe!

ithyphallus

@PatrickF**kingStar: yes, go try it now. go to gizmodo, login with kotaku info and tell them how stupid they are.

ithyphallus

@spannu:
150 million units versus 50 million?

Okay...

Strife Fox †

@nick_gc: They will be in the Neo Geo Pocket Colour, Wonderswan, Lynx II, Gizmondo, TapWave, PSP timelines if anyone will give a damn about them in 20 years time. Jeez man, think before you post.

aeonzero

@PatrickF**kingStar:
-the GBA brought back 16-bit mentality and several series were able to release titles that would have only made sense in 2D, giving new life to the golden age of gaming so, yeah, that's quite mythical to me.
-the Micro is technically the most advanced GB.
-GG WAS a failure in the general sense. Some people claims the DC is still alive as games are still being released for it by some crazy devs, GREAT SUCCESS then.
-it's a GB timeline, so who cares for WS, NGP etc?
-the DS WAS an instant success, just not the incredibly total success the Lite was for example.

See, just turn your brain on when you wake up tomorrow and all will be clearer and make sense all of a sudden. Also, might stop you from posting every fart that comes up in your mind just for the sake of it.

aeonzero

Hitler kills himself, then Japan surrenders unconditionally

Wonder what happened in-between. Must not be important though, as it wasn't included on their WWII timeline.

@the7k: It's a Sega console. In the general public's eye... any Sega system that wasn't the Genesis is a failure.

@[anchan.an.ohost.de]

@aeonzero:

The GBA had about 20 good games and an ocean of shovelware.

The Micro couldn't play GBC/GB games.

The Dreamcast got one new game in 2005 or so, that's it. The platform itself was discontinued in 2001. There were no new systems made since then. GG was in production for 7 years, much longer than most consoles nowadays.

The list mentions other Gameboy competitors, why not the ones that gave it a good run for it's money, like the PSP or Wonderswan?

And I must be the only guy who remember the terrible launch of the DS/PSP.

See, just turn your brain on when you wake up tomorrow and all will be clearer and make sense all of a sudden. Also, might stop you from posting every fart that comes up in your mind just for the sake of it.

@aeonzero: Well, it's been 20 years since the Lynx, and he seems to care. So there you go.

Dangeresque, Eliminating Targets

@PatrickF**kingStar: Is your argument about the micro not being the most technically advanced system because it couldn't play gameboy games?

@PatrickF**kingStar: So there were 20 good games and in the list you link there are nearly 100? And 20 good games would anyway be more than most consoles can boast (PSP, MS, Lynx, WS, NGP, DC, PS3, XB etc)

'the best version' doesn't mean in any language 'the most retro-compatible'

Sega 'dropped support' for the GG after 7 years, console production probably stopped much earlier. As an example, Nintendo stopped support for the NES some months ago.

That's a very weak point I won't waste time discussing.

The DS launch was a bit weak compared to other consoles due to lack of decent games. Still, it sold relatively well. The PSP, on the other side, sold pretty well from the start, even though it had the same problem. So yeah, that's just you.

And try and come up with your own lines when you turn your brain on, yeah?

aeonzero

@aeonzero:

But they've invluded the Game Gear and Atari Lynx 1 in the time line. Last time I checked these weren't made by Nintendo.

"Hitler kills himself and then gets burned without ever having played Gameboy"

Should we now feel sorry for him... and why is this even on the timeline?!

If you lock yourself with a Link to the Past for one month you won't have much to do after your first day...

Last time I played through it I found everything without saving and dying in one day.

And Four Swords is only playable with 2 people or more...

That dual screen game and watch is blowing my fucking mind. A visionary design 20 years too early.

@Black-Dog-Howls:

My point was, and still is, that the rest of the world was already at war prior to the attack on pearl harbor.

The invasion of a little country named China, might have been a significant part of WWII. World War 2 wasn't defined by the fighting in Europe, I'm not sure where you got that idea.

However, some lands invaded by the Empire of Japan were European controlled including French Indo-China (Vietnam) The Soviets were indeed fighting with Japan many years prior to Pearl Harbor as well. They signed a neutrality pact shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor, but they had been fighting.

Japan signed the Tripartite Pact nearly a year before Pearl Harbor as well. This pact was essentially the formation of the "Axis of Evil". So you see, Japan entered the Axis before the attack on Pearl Harbor and the world was at war before this as well.

Hypernetic

@nick_gc: I guess he only wanted to include the consoles that came out at the time the GB was out and were competitors of the original console, and included the various DSs for sake of completion. Comparing every other handeld would have been outside of the scope of the timeline.

aeonzero

@Dangeresque, Eliminating Targets: Well let's wait for him to make a timeline then :D

aeonzero

@PatrickF**kingStar: No love for Kingdom Hearts: CoM then

Madhotdog

@aeonzero:

Most of those games were just re-releases, remakes, or multiple versions of the same game. Also, saying the DC, PSP, and PS3 have less than 20 good games only shows how little you know, sad to say.

The Micro could do less than it's predecessors. It was a downgrade.

The GG had a good supply of games coming out for it until 1996, where it slowed down.

My point still stands. They mention the likes of the Lynx and GameGear, but leave others out.

Betamax sold well at first, too. New technology often does.

And try and come up with your own lines when you turn your brain on, yeah?

"In North America in September 2005, around the time of the Game Boy Micro's release, Nintendo released an improved version of the Game Boy Advance SP featuring a backlight instead of the previous version's frontlight."

HenryPhoenix

@dirtface: You're right, the original SP's didn't have back lighting. They eventually upgraded the later ones with back lights.

The one listed in the picture above is one of the later models. So he had the right machine, but his time line would need an adjustment.

@Takara_Kitsune:

Does anyone else remember when details about the DS first began to leak out, that Nintendo maintained that it wasn't a replacement for the Game Boy, but merely a new line of touch sensitive handhelds to run alongside the Game Boy line?

I'm sure I didn't imagine that, but it seems to have been long forgotten.

dd528

Japan started it expansion policies shortly before they bomb Pearl Harbor. One of the reason they now give for the bombing, a general in Japan thought that would keep the US from interfering with their taking over the Philpians. (Sorry can't spell)

@Cavefish: Remember when Nintendo said the DS was going to be a different line than the Gameboy?

I doubt that is still the case.

OW-Holmes, the housekeeper.

To the first poster, it's "Game Boy micro," not "GBA Micro." There's no Advance and micro is not capitalized, but you're forgiven since that was a quote.

The GBm was definitely the best version. The only thing I could say against it was the fact that you needed an adapter for link cables. It had the best screen, the best buttons, the best layout, and it sure as heck was the best looking.

Too bad everybody had a DS by the time it came out.

QuagsireQing

Because of this, I just bought a new 20th Anniversary Edition GameBoy Micro. Now I might actually finish the final boss fight of LoZ: Minish Cap.

armchairnixon

@dd528: yea, we were talking about that in my game history class the other day, not sure what happened to that whole plan though. I think Nintendo just forgot.

I have the Famicom Game Boy Micro, and it's great. Due to its size, it's hard to play some games that require frequent use of the L and R buttons, but games that don't use them as much are great. Plus, it really turns heads when you play it around other people.

NecrosTerminus

And there are still people out there who are shocked N would release a slightly upgraded version of an already existing product just to milk more money out of their fanbase? *sigh*

StriderShinryu

@Voltar: In that case most of the timeline is pointless since a lot of it is non-GameBoy. It should've been called a Nintendo Handheld Time Line, but whatever.

omyard

@dd528: That seemed strange since it was including GBA capabilities. I think it was more of a fail safe. So if the DS line failed you could still play GBA games.

They had 2 handheld lines and which ever was more successful would be the one they went with in the future.

omyard

@aeonzero: "it's a GB timeline, so who cares for WS, NGP etc?"

Well they included other non-Nintendo handhelds and the Wonderswan was created by Gunpei Yokoi. If any handheld should be mentioned it should be the Wonderswan.

They also fail to mention the PSP, which is easily the most successful non-Nintendo handheld.

omyard

@spannu: HAHAHA you just compared a 5th gen console to a 6th gen one, if that's not success I don't know what is. If a console can compete with the next generation it not only won but it's spanking the competition.

TylDurden

The gameboy pocket and DS lite ftw www.

@TylDurden: Actually, I'm pretty sure I compared two last gen consoles!

spannu

Funny... I own most of those handhelds shown. I actually used my game gear way more than my gameboy later on in its life. Yes the battery life was a pain but I had the adapter.

Another big problem I have though, is the mention of the DS being a huge success. Wasn't it getting its ass handed to it by the PSP until the lite re-design??

@Sparkdog: GB Pocket owns. I've still got mine. And I skipped the Color and got the GBA later instead.

It's a little surreal seeing the founding of Nintendo and World War II on the same chart.

PatMan33

Heeehee. I remember the GBMicro.

Never got one..and I don't regret it either actually ^^;...

@Voltar: The DS name was so obvious of a fallback in case it failed. How can you not see that?

@Hypernetic: Gameboy would not exist without America. But what would the rest of the world know about our history? Theyre so ignorant.

I've been yearning for a 20th Anniversary GameBoy Micro for so long. They are truly a thing of beauty. ;_;
The only problem is they still cost way too much.

I've been yearning for a 20th Anniversary GameBoy Micro for so long. They are truly a thing of beauty. ;_;
The only problem is they still cost way too much.

Sexy timeline is sexy.

@the7k:

"It couldn't compete with the Game Boy's price and battery life."

@OW-Holmes, the housekeeper.: I don't think they'll bring back the Game Boy brand to compete with the Dual Screens either.

But I do think, at some point down the line, when they again need to go in a whole new direction, like a unit with one big touch screen, or holographic display, or whatnot, that they might bring back the name Game Boy.

The brand is pretty established like Walkman. I don't think it's entirely unlikely.
But now? Nope, not a chance.

Cavefish

@PatrickF**kingStar:
Wait...can't a Gameboy Micro play Golden Sun AND Mother 3?
ARGUMENT DESTROYED.

@dd528: To reply wayyy after the fact... yeah, I remember that as well. That was back when I used to read Nintendo Power...

I believe they did lose their way a bit. It was actually a promise they probably didn't intend to keep anyway. But they definitely said it. In truth, though, at that time I was a complete skeptic of the DS. I figured it was a stupid idea. I didn't say it for long, though. The second they announced Advance Wars Dual Strike, I was pretty much like, "I NEED THE DS". That game was so worth it. :3

Either way, though... as it happens, DS is, was, and has replaced the Game Boy. So much that they've even removed it from the picture... save for the fact that there are some people (mostly parents who know nothing of games) that call it a Gameboy DS.

Takara_Kitsune

The first gaming device I got was the Game Boy Color.
I spent many hours playing pokemon on it