{"id":92336,"date":"2019-04-21T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-21T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2019\/04\/feature_keeping_the_game_boy_retail_dream_alive_30_years_after_launch"},"modified":"2019-04-21T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-04-21T17:00:00","slug":"feature-keeping-the-game-boy-retail-dream-alive-30-years-after-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/04\/21\/feature-keeping-the-game-boy-retail-dream-alive-30-years-after-launch\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature: Keeping The Game Boy Retail Dream Alive, 30 Years After Launch"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Nintendo Game Boy turns 30<\/a> this Sunday, and to celebrate this amazing occasion we’ll be running a series of related features this week, right up to the big day.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Game Boy may be 30 years old this week, but that doesn\u2019t mean the system is dead and gone from a retail perspective; over the past few years we\u2019ve seen an explosion of interest in Gunpei Yokoi\u2019s masterpiece, with people buying up old units and modding them to make them even better than before. Out of this community, we\u2019ve also seen a number of retailers emerge, with one of the most notable \u2013 in the UK, at least \u2013 being Gameboy Shack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Operated by Richard Tewkesbury from his base in the UK\u2019s heartland, Gameboy Shack is a business which focuses mainly on reconnecting players with the handheld games of their youth. If you\u2019ve attended one of the many big shows in the UK over the past few years, then there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ve spotted Richard manning his stand, which is always packed with Game Boy consoles, games and other associated merchandise.<\/p>\n

Seeing as he\u2019s just down the road from Nintendo Life HQ, we thought it was only right that we pay him a visit to celebrate the Game Boy\u2019s 30th \u2013 and to buy a load of games from him, of course. Below is a transcript of the waffle we had. Enjoy<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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What was your first exposure to the Game Boy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Probably back when it first came out, around 1989. We used to go to Leicester on the bus, me and my friend, every Saturday. We\u2019d go to Dixons [defunct UK high street electronics retailer], and basically play the Nintendo display stand, as well as the Atari Lynx, pretty much until the guy in Dixons kicked us out. Back then, we didn\u2019t have any money, so it was the only way we could play the Game Boy. I must have been about 12 or so years old. My parents wouldn\u2019t buy me a Game Boy, so I had to wash pots and hustle to make that money to buy one. I got really good at washing pots.<\/p>\n

What do you think made the Game Boy the market leader, despite the fact that there were more technically advanced machines, like the Lynx?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There were more games out there, which played a big part. It was the most popular system by far when we were at school. Battery power came into as well I think. I was whipping through batteries left, right and centre, so you probably needed \u00a35 or \u00a310 worth of batteries a week \u2013 if you\u2019re rocking out an Atari Lynx, you\u2019d need even more! There was only one kid at school who had a Lynx, and only a couple that had the Sega Game Gear. Everyone mainly had Game Boy; so there was the obvious desire to be part of that club so you could share games.<\/p>\n