
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
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain Matsuya opens gourmet Premium Matsuya with Kobe beef…inside Matsuya
Fukushima City on edge as resourceful and violent bear still not found
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
What’s it like to join Tokyo’s walking-and-talking-with-strangers club for a day?
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Starbucks Japan unveils new Frappuccino showcasing “mottainai” culture
Osaka is hosting a “hentai” event, but it’s probably not what you think
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show
Tourists brave Typhoon Jangmi to queue at two famous sites in Tokyo
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Is the New Nintendo 3DS worth the purchase? Early adopters in Japan share their thoughts
Nintendo goes retro and patents awesome smartphone case that looks exactly like a Game Boy
Sturdy enough to survive a bomb and 9 other facts about the Game Boy【Video】
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