No, I did not invent the Game Boy (but I thought that I did for a moment)

The original Nintendo Game Boy, which I did not invent.
The original Nintendo Game Boy, which I did not invent.

When I was a child, I had an idea that I thought was so revolutionary that it had to happen.

As a Nintendo addict, I wanted to play my video games all day, even when I was at school.  Or at least during recess.  Until then, my issues of Nintendo Power (and later Electronic Gaming Monthly) just had to do.

The idea was, you guessed it, a portable video game console, kinda like the little arcade machine replicas, where you can play Pac-Man or Donkey Kong or something.  Except, this machine was a Nintendo Entertainment System, and can play NES cartidges.

My inspiration for a portable video game console.  The actual Game Boy was nothing like this.
My inspiration for a portable video game console. The actual Game Boy was nothing like this.

With my “brilliant” idea, I wrote a letter to Nintendo asking that they can make it.  To my surprise, I got a letter back stating thanking me for my suggestions and that they are considering making a portable system.

I thought that I invented the Game Boy!  I bragged all about it through my elementary school, with all of the details of my idea.  I thought that this major company listened to this little 7 or 8 or 9 year old kid!

Of course, it wasn’t meant to be.  When Nintendo announced the Game Boy, with a very different design that played its own, smaller cartridges, I was disappointment, but still thought that I, Ian Michael Isanberg was the inventor of the Game Boy.  I thought that I deserved compensation, if not money then a Game Boy for myself!

That lead to my second letter to Nintendo.  Once again, they responded saying that many people sent them letters and requests to make a portable system and that it was not just my idea for it.  Back then I was upset but as time went on, I accepted it as the funny story that it was.

In the end, I never owned a Game Boy, but I had a Game Gear, my only Sega product, with a color screen!

Raspberry Pi Mini Arcade Cabinet
Raspberry Pi Mini Arcade Cabinet

Fast forward to today, and anyone can build a mini-arcade system like the one I wanted as a kid using a Raspberry Pi.  I’m not itching to do it myself but it would be a nice birthday present.