Happy 20th Birthday, Game Boy!
Friends,
Today we raise our glasses in celebration of a very special occasion. On this day exactly 20 years ago, our lives were suddenly illuminated by the birth of a friend both loyal and dear. I am speaking of course about my best friend in the whole wide world: The DMG-01, whom you might know as the Game Boy.
From an early age, Game Boy has proven itself time and again to be a faithful and powerful companion. Along with Nintendo, he helped pioneer portable gaming into what it is today. Many have tried to copy him, but in the long run, no one could really stand up to the 8-bit wunderkind and his special little brand of pocket-sized magic. With its enormous game library, excellent sound chip and sturdy build, Game Boy quickly became a role model for future generations of pocket systems.
The Game Boy below was used by a soldier in the Gulf War, and was burnt by flaming shrapnel from exploding grenades. It still works! It’s currently on display at the Ninendo World store in NYC - Truly a testament to the extremely robust nature of the Game Boy’s design:
In celebration of the occasion, here is a picture of my Game Boy family. Not pictured are Game Boy Color & GBA - they were left at my parents’ house, but they are both alive and well:
I’d also like to take this opportunity to pour one out for one of my lost comrades:
With the recent release of the DSi and the increasingly large DIY Circuitbending & Chip Music movement, it’s easy to see that the Game Boy lives on in the year 2009.
Raise ‘em high, Internet! Let’s hear it for the best gosh-darn game system the world has ever seen!
VIVA LA GAME BOY!
