Nintendo Gameboy Turns 30
In 1989, video games became mobile. The Nintendo Gameboy was not the first hand held device but it was the first to use interchangeable cartridges like the home system. A long battery life on 4 AAA batteries, the system was a huge success for Nintendo.
When first introduced in the United States 30 years ago, Nintendo’s new concept took the gaming community by storm. Game Boy sold 1 million units in this country in a few short weeks (total sales would reach nearly 120 million worldwide in all iterations by the time its run ended 16 years later).
Nintendo decided to include Tetris, an imported game from the Soviet Union that was more used in arcades and computers, as one of the game cartridges sold with the Game Boy system. Suddenly, everyone was playing—or wanted to play—Tetris. It became one of the most popular video games ever, eventually selling some 35 million units with the Game Boy.
Loved my Nintendo Game Boy. It was the best Christmas present I received in 1989.
More From ESPN 104.1 FM and 1170AM
