Even though it’s Saturday (and I really shouldn’t be working), I couldn’t let September 28 go by without celebrating the 34th Australian birthday of my favorite console and bundle pack, GameBoy AND Tetris.
Nintendo certainly didn’t invent the handheld computer, but it did lay the groundwork for the real handheld gaming market with this bad boy. What’s more, they released the Don Bradman of handheld consoles – a consistently dominant competitor who was retiring unchallenged.
That being said, the Game Boy is just a piece of plastic and silicone without a cartridge – a gray brick that caught my attention in this “Wicked” Television advertisingthat’s it Player catalogand ended up costing my parents $149 ($349 in 2024 dollars). The successful debut of any cold product can make its creators some money, but to become a force of nature in the market for more than a decade, your invention needs an irresistible lineup, preferably led by a killer app…
Even the mighty Mario was forced to back down when Henk Rogers showed up at Nintendo’s door with something like this. He was selling a game called Tetris, a unique puzzle game from the Soviet Union that had already piqued the interest of some PC users.
You might have seen what happened next in the movie (sort of). Rogers and Nintendo had a hunch that a portable platform could transform a quirky hand-eye challenge into an easy-to-grasp but hard-to-master obsession.
Tetris didn’t have a huge name behind it or flashy graphics – on screen, it’s actually as underwhelming a showcase as you can get – but it was the kind of game that was firm to put down, and thanks to Nintendo’s up-to-date handheld, we didn’t have to.
I turned it on 34 years later “old times” for 2 minutes and then it played half an hour when my two sons took over and became addicted, apparently it still is. You still have the move, senior friend. The happiest of your birthdays.
This day in games 🎂
More Australian birthdays for notable games
– GameBoy premiere, 1990. eBay
– Tetris (GB) 1990. Reduction
– Kingdom of Hearts II (PS2) 2006. Reduction
– Melting of Mercury (PSP) 2006. eBay
– Mysterious Pokémon Dungeon: RT (DS) 2006. Get
– ESO: Oblivion (PC, X360) 2007. Get
By the way, if you’re feeling nostalgic and want a Game Boy-style experience today, there are certainly ways to do so. Nintendo Switch Online service currently includes over 28 original Game Boy titles, including our homme du jour, Tetris.
Moreover, these emulated characters come with newfangled conveniences such as on-screen filters, the ability to rewind in case bad blocks are dropped, and multiplayer support when applicable.
Plus, unlike a real Game Boy, you don’t have to sit directly under a lightweight source and chew through four AA batteries to be able to play. A infrequent win in newfangled games!
Adam Mathew is our Australian deal wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.
