Nintendo Game Boy Pocket
1996
A major revision to the Game Boy came in 1996 with the introduction of the Game Boy Pocket, a slimmed-down unit that required just two smaller AAA batteries, albeit at the expense of providing just 10 hours of gameplay. The other major change was that the screen was changed to a much-improved film compensated super-twisted nematic (FSTN) LCD with a larger viewable area. The screen's visibility and pixel response-time had been improved, mostly eliminating ghosting. Additionally, the film compensation layer produced a true black-and-white display, rather than the green hues of the original Game Boy. The Pocket also has a smaller Game Link Cable port, which requires an adapter to link with the original Game Boy. This smaller port design would be used on all subsequent Game Boy models. Internally, the Game Boy Pocket had a new SoC, the CPU MGB, which moved the Video RAM from the motherboard to the SoC.
The Game Boy Pocket launched in Japan on July 20, 1996, and in North America on September 2, 1996, for US$69.99 (equivalent to $140 in 2024). The Game Boy Pocket helped to revitalize hardware sales and its release was ultimately well-timed as it coincided with the massively successful launch of Pokémon, which further fueled Game Boy sales. Reviewers praised the device's compact size and improved display, though some critics dismissed it as a minor upgrade with the Los Angeles Times remarking that Nintendo was, "repacking the same old black-and-white stuff and selling it as new". The device also faced criticism for its relatively short 10-hour battery life and the absence of a power LED, which had been used in previous models to indicate battery strength.
In early 1997, a revision was released featuring the return of the power LED, a broader range of case colors (red, green, yellow, black, gold metal, clear, and blue, in addition to the launch silver), and a price drop to US$54.95 (equivalent to $108 in 2024). By mid-1998, just before the launch of the Game Boy Color, the price had dropped further to US$49.95 (equivalent to $96 in 2024).
