It all started in 1989 with the gray brick-shaped Gameboy that boosted the popularity of Nintendo even more. The Gameboy has gone through many makeovers, evolving into such versions as Gameboy Color, Gameboy Light and Gameboy Advance. The reason for the success of the Gameboy is the quality of its games and the significant improvements from version to version.

The Gameboy got a makeover after the initial model, boasting a longer battery life, along with a bigger software library with many popular games that are still going strong today. In addition, the Gameboy handheld portables were also relatively cheaper than its competition, providing customers with a quality product that’s affordable. This helped the Gameboy win over its rivals, like the Sega Game Gear, even if the Sega Game Gear was displayed in full color and had a relatively larger screen than the Gameboy. The Gameboy simply was more fun to play for kids, teens, and adults, making the handheld portable last for so long.

Nintendo supported the Gameboy with increasingly exceptional software year after year, helping to constantly refine the reputation of the Gameboy. Arguably the most popular of the video games on Gameboy is theLegend of Zelda. Four years after its birth, the Gameboy was finally in color in 1996, and the Pokemon series started as well. The Pokemon series made perfect use of the system’s link-up cable, improving on multiplayer gaming and content sharing, setting the bar higher. This concept of sharing and having amulti-playeroption grew into a gaming normative that’s used today.

There’s a new handheld Nintendo product in town called the Wii U, but we all know it started with the original 1989 Gameboy. Let’s take a look back, before we take a look forward at the latest Nintendo product.

Gameboy (1989)

This gray brick-like handheld portable gaming system, now iconically known as the Gameboy, boosted the reputation of Nintendo. The Gameboy’s small grayscale screen was powered by AA batteries that went the distance in duration of play. The Gameboy became the best-selling handheld of all time. There have been quite a few updates for the Gameboy, like Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance, before Nintendo took it to the next level with higher technology.

The Gameboy color was accompanied by one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises: the Pokemon series.

Wii U (2012)

The Wii U is being released, as it has been in development for three years. The Wii U gives the Wii a portable handheld component that looks like a relative of the Gameboy. This second screen serves as a tablet device with the trademark Gameboy d-pad and buttons. With this new product, Nintendo is looking to once again surpass all other game-makers in sales.

The Gameboy was the start, and now we have the Wii U. The Nintendo team is making absolutely sure that the Wii U has a healthy launch line-up. Nintendo can only hope that the Wii U can continue the success of its products, as it started way back when with the Gameboy and NES.

Most of the time if you see someone with a Gameboy, the person is more than likely playing one of Nintendo’s many classic games. If you’re Max Dolensky, the Gameboy is more than a tool for nostalgic video games. Dolensky actually uses his Gameboy to make music.

Dolensky is a sophomore in college, majoring in management information systems, and he started young making music in general. The road to using the Gameboy as a medium for music started with his passion for music. His interests in the Gameboy and his music eventually met in an interesting way, making him a unique individual.

“I first got into electronic music when I was in middle school – I was really keen on playing NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) and Sega games that I never had as a young child, and it coincided with my interest in band,” Dolensky said. “From there, I got into electronic remixes, then the process of repurposing the actual game consoles to create new music.”

Users can purchase software called Little Sound DJ for their Gameboy, allowing them to make music on the Gameboy handheld gaming system. Dolensky is part of Chipmusic, a place to create music with vintage gaming systems like Gameboy.

To Dolensky, the Gameboy is a musical instrument of choice. He has made the Gameboy not only a system of entertainment, but a tool to create art. So the next time you see your Gameboy lying around, know that it can be more than what you think.