It's Another Deep Dive Into Game Boy's History in This Week's Retronauts

Featuring a look at Tetris' essential role in the system's success.

Column by Jeremy Parish, Contributor

Updated on 22 August 2016

My love for portable gaming and classic gaming has led me down a quixotic path to explore the Game Boy's library in its entirety, both good and bad games (and puzzle games! So, so many puzzle games), in a quest to fully understand how handheld games have evolved over the years.

Sometimes, though, it's nice to have an alternate perspective on things, and that's where fellow Game Boy enthusiast Bryan Ochalla comes in. Bryan joined me a few episodes back to look at the Game Boy's Japanese launch, and this time around we've looked at the system's next two releases... including the big Game Boy release, Bullet-Proof's Tetris.

As I said in our previous Game Boy-focused episode, I won't be completely replacing Micro episodes with Game Boy retrospectives, but I do enjoy talking about the system and getting alternate takes on my grueling solo journey through its history. I'll put together more Game Boy topics in the coming months, and someday Retronauts Micro will the the podcast for in-depth discussion of vintage 8-bit puzzle games. Just you wait.

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Episode Description

Bryan Ochalla joins in again for another in-depth dissection of the Game Boy library. This time we look at Nintendo's Tennis and the system's 800-lb. gorilla. Not, not Donkey Kong (DK's an ape, not a gorilla!) - I mean Tetris.

Bob will be back next week to talk about the Super NES's 25th anniversary, so that should be a nice break from all this handheld talk. Until then, keep lining up those blocks.