The Classic Game Boy Is Now 30 Years Old In North America

On this day 30 years ago, Nintendo’s most famous handheld system made its debut in North America.

Some time back, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the classic Game Boy in Japan. As many older Nintendo fans will know, however, it didn’t take long for the fantastic system to make it to western shores as well.

The original Game Boy first launched in North America on 31 July 1989. According to the Guinness World Records, it’s third-bestselling videogames system in human history – with more than 118 million systems sold!

Much of the Game Boy’s worldwide success can be easily traced back to its amazing library titles at the time. Games such as Pokemon Red/Blue, Super Mario Land, Tetris, and Doctor Mario completely dominated the minds of young gamers. The Game Boy’s success would only lay the ground work for Nintendo’s robust track record with more handheld systems later on – such as the even more successful Nintendo DS.

What are your fondest memories of the original Game Boy? Which games or hidden gems were your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!