The Nintendo Game Boy wasn't just a) a classic handheld gaming console, or b) home to a series of actually fantastic games that proved that detailed, coloured graphics weren't essential for immersion into wonderful virtual worlds. It was also c) a system with an absolute stack of wild and weird accessories.
Such is the dazzling array of unusual add-ons for the Game Boy, that we made a video documenting some of its most out-there accessories in 2019, to mark the console's 30th anniversary. From sonar software to aid fishermen to FM radio tuners via a camera and printer, and of course countless screen magnifiers and speaker amplifiers, there was no shortage of crap to clip onto Nintendo's all-conquering pocket-sized product.
But while we'd all assumed that the Game Boy's portfolio of plug-in attachments was complete, what with it being three decades (and change) old now, turns out that we were wrong. YouTube channel Did You Know Gaming has uncovered something all new (to us, at least - and the gaming public at large). A plug-in keyboard accessory called the WorkBoy, originally made 28 years ago.
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DYKG's Liam Robertson speaks in the video to the founder of Fabtek Inc., the American company that produced the WorkBoy (its design came from a UK company, Source Research and Development), but ultimately never brought it to the market. Not that it wasn't close to being a legitimate, commercially released product, having been trademarked by Nintendo in 1992 and making an appearance at the same year's CES convention.
Said founder, Frank Ballouz, still owns one of only two known prototypes of the WorkBoy - and what's more, as revealed by Robertson in the video, it still functions. But, what is it, exactly?
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Well, as the keyboard attachment kind of makes obvious, this is a peripheral that sort of transforms the Game Boy into a PDA, or a personal digital assistant. It included several apps, covering a diary, addresses and phone numbers, and a list of appointments - useful for anyone who often did their business on the go.
The WorkBoy's designer, Eddie Gill, never saw his creation manufactured properly - its planned release for late 1992 or 1993 never materialised. But he took his experience into a later product, which was subsequently licensed by Nokia.
A cool piece of history, then, for a classic console that will always hold a place in gamers' hearts around the world. Wanna know more? Check out our history of Nintendo's famous handheld.
Featured Image Credit: NintendoTopics: Retro Gaming, YouTube