There were already some celebrations for the Game Boy's 35th anniversary earlier this year in April, but this week technically marks 35 years since the western release of Nintendo's popular handheld.
Yes, this classic system - packed with experiences like Super Mario Land, Tetris, and the Pokémon series originally arrived in North America on 31st July 1989. To remember this very special milestone in its history, Nintendo has shared a post on social media asking fans how old they were when the Game Boy was originally released in this region.
If you would like to relive this handheld generation, Nintendo's Switch Online Game Boy library plays host to many of the classic games from this handheld generation including titles like Metroid II: Return of Samus, Kirby's Dream Land, and even Game Boy Color releases such as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX and Wario Land 3.
For a quick history lesson about the original brick, you can check out the anniversary post on Time Extension, marking 35 years of the Game Boy in Japan.
Do you have any fond memories of the original Game Boy? Do you still have your own unit? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 21
This was the first game system I ever owned... back in 1989... when I was 4. 🥲
@LadyCharlie It's almost humbling, being able to talk about these games like they're old memories, explaining old stories of great old games to younger generations. We must be the same age, and I'll say, we've got a lot of time to look at the old games, enjoy and share them, but also play new stuff and really appreciate how far we've come, or even just how solid the old games were. Here's to many more years of portable gaming!
@LadyCharlie Right there with you. We had a NES as our first system, but I was 3 when the GameBoy came out. I remember getting a gray one, and my sister got a green one.
I used to sneak my Gameboy into church and play Paperboy during the boring sermons.
I don't play GameBoy games since i didn't grow up by GameBoy games, but i only have two GBA games so far.
K-1 Pocket Grand Prix 1 & 2
Old enough to get one for my birthday and never look back.
And only 3 1/2 months until the DS is 20.
35 years man I remember my Gameboy color and my first two Gameboy games were Pokemon red, and Super mario bros. Deluxe. Now if you excuse me I'll get my cane.
@LadyCharlie Wanna bet that we'll be getting some GB/GBC games added to NSO tomorrow in celebration?
Ah yes, the Gameboy. I remember playing Super Mario Land a lot on there. And Battletoads, I had a Battletoads game. I couldn’t get pass the 2nd stage. 😂
Got my first gameboy for my 13th birthday in 92. It came with mario land 2 six golden coins! I'm 45 now so thanks for making me feel ancient.
My first experience with gameboy was actually while living in a group home for boys a few years earlier. Long story, I had a messed up childhood okay. Anyway a guy working at the home i lived at had a Gameboy and he let me play it once in a while if my grades in school were good. Cool thing was he happened to be one of the guys who was in Desert storm and he took his gameboy with him to play during his downtime.
Cool guy! He kept me sane during a bad time in my life.
I just remember playing Super Mario land, Zelda and Tetris constantly as a kid then moved on to the Pokemons after that. What a classic era to to be alive. Im so glad i got to live the 80s and 90s and wasnt born in to todays society. Good memories, great times.
I thought I had it earlier, but I got the DK Land Pack in one (Yellow) which must have been about 1995. Pokemon Blue , Harvest Moon, and Wario Land will always be my favourite of that era.
I was bit late to the GameBoy-game, I got mine for my 11th birthday.. 1995. Been loving Nintendo games ever since (and no reason to stop). I never owned a console until the GameCube.
Happy anniversary Game Boy, I missed the original model since I'm six years younger than it (and my parents didn't get one for my older brother), but my older sister and I got a Color as our first Nintendo handheld so I luckily got to experience several GB (and GBC) games even back in the day other than getting to later play the ones I unfortunately missed on emulator first and later thanks to official rereleases, too!
I never owned a Game Boy myself but both of my younger sisters had one each and they always offered to let me play. I spent most of my free time playing on my NES.
I remember the two games that my sisters had on their Game Boys (that I would play the most) were ‘The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle’ and ‘Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins’.
Still have the original Gameboy at my parents house l, but sadly I gave my games to a nephew. Got the system, rechargeable battery pack, Super Mario Land and Castlevania that Christmas. Link’s Awakening is still one of my favorites along with Donkey Kong and Super Mario Land 2
I didn't have the original Game Boy as I was too young during its heyday, but I did have the Game Boy Color. A lot of the games I had were original GB games though... stuff like Super Mario Land 1 and 2, Donkey Kong '94, Game & Watch Gallery, and Pokemon Red. So that's cool at least. I don't have my GBC anymore though, I lost it years ago.
I was around before the NES was on shelves, and I was a 4 when the GB came out. I had a sizable library, though because of my vision, I played on a SGB, and then I eventually got a GBC for a birthday, which I still have today, and it works. I even still have a few games
I really hope Nintendo adds full SGB emulation support to the NSO GB library.
I was 5 years old when GameBoy came out. My parents gifted one to me 3 years later when I had my tonsils removed. I took it with me everywhere I went and logged many, many hours on that giant brick. I still have that Gameboy in a shoebox under my bed.
I was 12 in 89, 2 player tetris with the cable in the school yard was awesome
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