Nintendo has filed a trademark for a design suggesting a new product that looks awfully like an old product. The trademarked image, caught by ANN, is clearly that of the classic Game Boy. The registry mentions potential uses like “Programs for household video game machines” and “Household video games” as well as “Key chains,” “Bag charms,” “Cosmetic tools,” and “Clothing.” These are all extraneous descriptors that have appeared on other Nintendo trademarks, like the Classics line. Hint hint.
It certainly looks like Nintendo is interested in pursuing a Game Boy Classic Edition. The NES and SNES Classics have both been referred to as “Mini” consoles, but we seriously doubt a Game Boy Classic would be any smaller than its original size. (They already made the Game Boy line as tiny as it could get with the Game Boy Micro, and that didn’t sell very well.)
But now the speculation can begin: How many games would be included in a Game Boy Classic? How many Game Boy games can be considered true classics, and how many have held up to the test of time? What kind of screen would it use? Would it include Pokemon? Would the Link Cable feature be possible? Would an actual cable be substituted for a wireless connection or would they go for authenticity? Would it include an HDMI plug and Super Game Boy features on the games that used it? Would it cover the entire Game Boy brand up to Advance, stop at Color, or just include games from the original brick?
Those questions will be lingering for a while. Nintendo trademarked an N64 design six months ago and an N64 Classic still hasn’t emerged. The SNES Classic, of course, just hit the market.
