Who remembers the old-fashioned Game Boy from Nintendo? The handheld console was released in 1989, and it instantly became an adored gaming device. Together with its successor, Game Boy Color, it sold almost 120 million units around the world. When it came to the US, 1 million units were sold in a matter of weeks. Considering that those were different times, and that the internet was not that advanced like now, the revealed amount was colossal. Games like Metal Gear Solid, Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong were Game Boy classics.
Right now, a creator of video game peripherals called Hyperkin has declared that they want to launch Smart Boy, an accessory you can use together with your iPhone 6 to play Game Boy.
Introducing Smart Boy from Hyperkin
Hyperkin’s Smart Boy is a case for your iPhone 6 Plus that allows you to enjoy your favorite Game Boy games right on your iOS device. However, for the games to become fully playable, you must own the cartridges. This means you already have Game Boy games at hand. You can always find some on eBay, or at a local thrift store.
Hyperkin revealed the release of the smartphone case on April 1. Initially, everyone thought it was a joke. The “prank” was made on Hyperkin’s official Facebook page by releasing a Smart Boy teaser. The post gauged a lot of attention, and a lot of fans seemed hyped by the idea. Most tech gurus didn’t believe that this was possible. Apparently, there already was an interest in such a device, so Hyperkin knew exactly what they were going for. The Smart Boy device works on iPhone 6 Plus, and will make your device a fully functional Game Boy.
Hyperkin’s official statement on the Smart Boy
Hyperkin explained that when they released the teaser on March 31st, everyone thought it was a really good April Fools’ Joke. That was until they confirmed that Smart Boy will actually exist, and that it will be manufactured and produced by Hyperkin. They used the date to leak the device, but at the same time create a buzz and make fans doubt whether they were serious or not. And it worked! Hyperkin got a lot of recognition, and a lot of Game Boy fans wanted to know if the device was real or not. A Hyperkin official went even further and declared that Smart Boy is currently under development.
Features available on the new Smart Boy
While the new Smart Boy will initially be available only on iPhone 6 Plus, the developers did mention that they will develop cases for other types of smartphones too. Initially, Hyperkin announced that Smart Boy will also feature a D-pad, start/select buttons, as well as 2 action buttons. It will have a battery that can easily be charged using the smartphone, and it should be able to last about 5 hours.
Hyperkin admitted that they tried to gain exposure with their joke turned into the real deal. They sort of knew that people, and mostly game fanatics, thrived for such a device. Let’s face it – even if we can play Legend of Zelda on other devices, some of us still prefer the old-fashioned Game Boy version. With this principle in mind Hyperkin started hustling; and it worked as their prank convinced the company to actually start manufacturing a Smart Boy.
There’s one tricky part to all this – it could take a while before Nintendo agrees to the making of Game Boy for iPhone 6 Plus. At the end of the day, they’re the initial manufacturers so Hyperkin will require their approval too.
This is the guest post by Jason Phillips and Make Up Games 365!
The post Smart Boy – your iPhone 6 Plus turns into a fully functional Game Boy appeared first on MLOB.
from MLOB http://monalisaofblogging.com/smart-boy-your-iphone-6-plus-turns-into-a-fully-functional-game-boy/
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