History repeats itself. This seems to be the trend in gaming these days.
First, we had the NES Classic Edition and then there are rumors that a mini SNES will follow suit. This time, another Nintendo icon is being brought back from the dead - the Game Boy.
The Game Boy handheld console and its revisions were discontinued back in 2003 after selling an estimated 118 million units worldwide since its release in 1989. But after almost 14 years, the beloved gaming console is coming out of retirement - sort of.
Nintendo is not reviving the console but another company is. Retro-Bit has come up with a new handheld device dubbed the Super Retro Boy that looks like the original Game Boy but has more updated features. As its name implies, its number one selling point is nostalgia.
Nintendo has already proven this formula with the unexpected popularity and corresponding high demand for the mini NES. Other companies have followed suit. Sega, the gaming company behind the iconic "Sonic, the Hedgehog" game, has reportedly started manufacturing the 16-bit console Genesis. Over at Japan, the locally popular FamiCom was brought back as the FamiCom Mini and like the NES Classic Edition, it has 30 pre-installed games and stocks are extremely limited.
Fans of the original Game Boy will be delighted to know that the old game cartridges, including Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advanced ones, can be played on the Super Retro Boy. But that's not the only good thing about the Game Boy rebirth. It now comes with a shatter-resistant TFT HD LED screen and a powerful 2,500 mAh rechargeable battery which lasts up to ten hours.
According to Gizmodo, the Game Boy clone got rid of the shoulder buttons that was on the Game Boy Advance. In their place are additional face buttons on the Retro Boy that offer the same functionality.
The Super Retro Boy was unveiled at the CES 2017 and will drop in stores in August with a $79.99 retail price.
