Not so long ago, mobile gaming was hard work. You had to press buttons, insert cartridges, blow into said cartridges when they stopped working and (gasp!) change batteries. It was exhausting, or at least the kids of today think so in a new video capturing their reactions to the now-archaic Game Boy.
As part of their "Kids React" series, Youtube channel TheFineBros records the reactions of boys and girls years 6-13 to various things, occasionally to pieces of technology both old and new. This week kids reacted to the original Game Boy, and it is sure to make you feel old.
Released in 1989, the Game Boy from Nintendo made mobile gaming mainstream, even if it was way too big to practically fit in your pocket. Some of the most popular games on the system included Zelda, Mario and Tetris titles, all brilliantly realized with wonderful pixelation and various shades of green and black all on a tiny screen.
Most of the kids are unfamiliar with the handheld gaming console, but a few know what they are holding. Sort of. One kid remarks he once saw an iPhone case that looked similar before going on to say, "Oh, it's like an old DS or something." Almost every kid initially struggles to power on the device and to put in the "Tetris" cartridge provided to them, and most comment on how heavy and bulky the device is.
The real shocker to the kids is the Game Boy's need for batteries. Spoiled on simply plugging electronics into the wall to recharge, kids called changing batteries regularly a "struggle." As one boy puts it, "I feel sorry for the people in the past." Yup, people sure did have it rough back in the day.
One boy in particular is not impressed, commenting on the Game Boy's lack of ability to "sense his skin" and his need to press buttons. When asked whether or not he would play the Game Boy if he received it as a gift along a number of games, the kid without hesitation replied "I would throw this in the trash and go back to my iPad." Ouch.
Still, there is some hope. Most of the kids realize the Game Boy was the first of its kind, paving the way for mobile gaming devices like the DS and even the iPad, and even said they would play it in varying amounts if they received one as a gift. Just don't expect them to give up their iPads any time soon.
