Review of the Nintendo Game Boy by Protomario
28A brick...
The Game Boy has five operation buttons labeled "A", "B", "SELECT", and "START", as well as a directional pad.[8] There is a volume control dial on the right side of the console and a similar knob on the left side to adjust the contrast.[9] At the top of the Game Boy, a sliding on-off switch and the slot for the Game Boy cartridges are located.[10] Nintendo recommends users to leave a cartridge in the slot to prevent dust and dirt from entering the system.[11]
The Game Boy also contains optional input and/or output connectors. On the left side of the system is an external power supply jack that allows users to use an external rechargeable battery pack or AC adapter (sold separately) instead of four AA batteries.[12] The Game Boy requires 6 V DC of at least 150 mA.[13] A 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack is located on the bottom side of the console which allows users to listen to the audio with headphones or speakers.[14]
On the right side is a port that allows a user to connect to another Game Boy system via a link cable, provided both users are playing the same game.[15] The port can also be used to connect a Game Boy Printer. The link cable was originally designed for players to play head-to-head two-player games such as in Tetris. However, game developer Satoshi Tajiri would later use the link cable technology as a method of communication and networking in the popular Pokémon video game series.[16]
The Game Boy and Game Boy Color combined have sold 118.69 million units worldwide, with 32.47 million units in Japan, 44.06 million in the Americas, and 42.16 million in other regions. By Japanese fiscal year 1997, before Game Boy Color's release in late-1998, the Game Boy alone had sold 64.42 million units worldwide.[17][18]
At the time of its release in 1989, the Atari Lynx was also just being introduced to the market. This system featured color graphics, a backlit screen, and networking capabilities.[19] However, its release price of $189.95 and substantial requirement of 6 AA batteries that would provide roughly only four or five hours of gameplay (compared to 10--12 hours on 4 AA batteries and a release price of $89.99 for the Game Boy) doomed it to a second-rate status.[20] Nintendo also experienced heavy competition from Sega's Game Gear. To promote its new color console, Sega aired a number of negative ad campaigns in the United States that mocked the Game Boy's monochrome display compared to Game Gear's full color display. Like the Lynx, it too required six AA batteries that only lasted about 4--6 hours and was much more expensive than the Game Boy.[21] The Game Gear had the advantage of being fully compatible (with an adapter) with all Sega Master System games and, while not as successful as the Game Boy, it sold from 1991 until early 1997,[22] and sold around 11 million units in total.
In 2009, the Game Boy was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, 20 years after its introduction.[23]
As of June 6, 2011, Game Boy and Game Boy Color games are available on the Virtual Console service on the Nintendo 3DS's Nintendo eShop.
Reference-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy