
We’re sure Nintendo is busy creating something new and exciting to release into the world, but we kind of wish this is what they were working on…
Munich-based designer Florian Renner has reimagined Nintendo’s iconic portable console, the Game Boy, as a machine fit for the 21st century, and we desperately wish it were real.
Renner’s “GAME BOY 1up” concept takes the iconic design of Nintendo’s 1989 portable and twists it into a device that any gamer would be proud to pull out of their backpack on a train.
▼ Game Boy becomes GAME BOY 1up
The most notable addition is of course the bigger, wider screen, allowing games to be experienced in—we’re assuming—beautiful 1080p. Renner’s concept also adds a couple of additional face buttons as well as the ‘L’ and ‘R’ shoulder buttons console gamers have come to expect.
It’s not all change, though; as well as mimicking its colour scheme, Renner’s design retains the original Game Boy’s speaker slats and single curved bottom-right corner, which is a really nice touch, although having nursed my left palm back into shape following many an extended session with the original Game Boy, I have a feeling today’s gamers might find themselves wishing the left corner were equally well contoured were this a real piece of gaming hardware.
▼ Same but different: Renner’s concept mixes things up with its buttons
▼ Sleek, stylish, and it uses physical media!
▼ This version appears to be something of a homage to the Famicom with its gold and burgundy colour scheme
While I very much doubt a portable console of its size, least not one from Nintendo—a company with a reputation for putting originality before processing power—could be capable of running such titles as Fallout 4, I can’t deny that I’d love to see Nintendo’s name on a piece of hardware this capable in the future. As much as I enjoy the novelty factor of Nintendo’s more recent consoles, I do occasionally find myself missing the days when Nintendo’s machines were not considered the quirky underdog in the console race. Still, who knows? Maybe Nintendo will surprise us all when it lifts the lid on its mysterious ‘NX’ console next year? I can dream, right?
Be sure to check out the rest of Renner’s work, which spans everything from 80s-style visions of the future to art for video games, over on his website. Fantastic work, sir. Be sure to hassle Nintendo about making this a reality!
Source & images: Florian Renner h/t The Next Web






Feel lame and old by watching kids react to a Nintendo Game Boy for the first time
Datel Japan reveals headphones with Game Boy-themed in-line mic, we reach for our Christmas list
Give your Game Boy a new lease of life with upcoming HDTV adaptor “hdmyboy”
Amazing Game Boy smartphone wallpaper brings out the Nintendo fanboy in us all
Is a Game Boy Classic Edition on the way? Alleged Nintendo trademark application sparks rumors
Studio Ghibli adds new Jiji’s baby plush toy to its anime merchandise range in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases new Kiki’s Delivery Service Jiji music box for anime fans
Over 1,400 cities in Japan see foreign population rise, total populations drop in new statistics
Starbucks Japan unveils new Kyoho grape drinks for a taste that’s quintessentially Japanese
7-Eleven Japan adds new doughnut-like tonkotsu ramen fried chicken to its hot food section
Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]
Stray cats almost became classified as an invasive species in Japan but the change was overturned
This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
This awesome Japanese arcade chain has crane game coaches to help you win prizes
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million
Kochia calling: Right now is a great off-season season to visit this beautiful Japanese park
7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store drinks with new Grilled Corn Chilled Soup Smoothie
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Is the New Nintendo 3DS worth the purchase? Early adopters in Japan share their thoughts
Sturdy enough to survive a bomb and 9 other facts about the Game Boy【Video】
Nintendo goes retro and patents awesome smartphone case that looks exactly like a Game Boy
Japan’s 10 best-selling video games this century so far
Nintendo announces new “2DS” portable, Wii U deluxe gets a price cut
The original Pokémon games are coming to Nintendo’s 3DS Virtual Console early next year!
Nintendo and Lego team up for an awesomely accurate the Lego Game Boy kit【Photos】
NVIDIA’s Shield portable console – Cool, sleek and technically illegal in Japan
New Nintendo 3DS ad flaunts the incoming console’s spiffy new features 【Video】
Hyperkin’s joke design for a Game Boy emulator for iPhones is now the real deal…maybe
Nintendo brightens the life of a Game Boy-loving 95-year-old Japanese grandmother
Nintendo to Host Game Design Seminar this Summer, Accepting Applications from May 13
Awesome retro faceplate turns your New Nintendo 3DS into an old-school Game & Watch
Retro game dream — A massive collection of 99.36 percent of every Game Boy game ever released