The Nintendo Game Boy Turns 30

This week marks an important birthday in the video gaming world – the 30th anniversary of the original Nintendo Game Boy.

The Game Boy was the first major handheld video game console when it was released in 1989. It would sell nearly 120 million units over the next ten years.

Nintendo made two key decisions when designing the Game Boy. The first was choosing a black-and-white screen instead of color, which was done to preserve battery life. The other was including Tetris, which would become a massive hit and one of the most popular video games of all time.

Did you own a Game Boy? What was your favorite game? Would mobile gaming be as popular today if the Game Boy never existed?