Game Boy

The Game Boy is the definitive proof that portability, battery life, and software library beat raw hardware power every time. Nintendo's Gunpei Yokoi designed the Game Boy with a philosophy he called 'lateral thinking with withered technology' — using cheap, proven components rather than cutting-edge specs. The result was a device that ran for 10 hours on four AA batteries and cost far less than its competitors. The Sega Game Gear and Atari Lynx were technically superior in every measurable way, yet the Game Boy outsold both combined many times over. Tetris as the pack-in game was a masterstroke — a perfect portable game for all ages and demographics. When Pokémon Red and Blue launched in 1998, they single-handedly extended the Game Boy's commercial life by years and fundamentally changed how games and merchandise could intersect. The Game Boy line, including the Color, sold over 118 million units.