Today, Gulf War veterans have lost another teammate, especially veterans who were once gamers. The Nintendo Store in New York City has shut down the iconic Game Boy that survived an explosion during the war.
Tanoki joeTwitter user behind the account @VideoGameArt&Tidbits. when its exhibition is absent for a while. They said that during a recent visit to the store, an employee confirmed that it was because it was returned to Nintendo of America’s headquarters in Washington State.
“Gulf War Game Boy has officially been discontinued on @NintendoNYC,” they said. “After not seeing it on display for a while, I asked one of the workers about it. He told me it had been returned to Nintendo’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington.”
Gulf War Game Boy has been officially discontinued @NintendoNYC
After not seeing it on display for a while, I asked one of the workers about it. He told me it was returned to Nintendo’s headquarters in Redmond Washington. pic.twitter.com/wCPJDa3vlp
— VideoGameArt&Tidbits (@VGArtAndTidbits) June 29, 2023
In 1991, the original Game Boy was nearly destroyed in a Gulf War barracks bombing. Its plastic case was scorched in the fire, the motherboard was exposed, the A and B buttons melted along with the D-pad buttons — all of these damages rendered the toy useless. Based on Mr., Stephan Scoggins, the medical officer who kept the handheld console in the barracks, sent the damaged Game Boy to Nintendo for repair with a note that read: “Fortunately, this Game Boy, some Game Pak and other sundry personal items were the only damage claimed by a fire.” When Nintendo technicians check jigsaw puzzle cartridges included, they were shocked to find out that the Game Boy was still working.
While we don’t know what Nintendo of America’s retirement plans are for the burnt Game Boy, the fact that it survived the Gulf War and lived to tell the story from inside the Nintendo Store near Rockefeller Center is indeed a no-brainer. a miracle. It’s part of the game history that belongs in the museum.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
