The long-forgotten Nintendo hardware Page Boy has been Rediscovered

Image Nintendo PageBoy

The long-forgotten Nintendo lost Game Boy hardware Page Boy has been rediscovered.

Nintendo was preparing to introduce the Page Boy, an addition to the Game Boy Color that would have allowed users to send an email, browse the internet, snap photos, and more. Liam Robertson, a video game researcher, and historian has uncovered the device, despite the fact that facts about it have never been made public.

The device dubbed the 'Page Boy,' would have used radio transmission to connect Game Boy Color owners to a multitude of information, including weather forecasts, sports headlines, and even live television - as well as to one another. It was also suggested that the gadget may be used in conjunction with the Game Boy Camera to allow users to send photo messages to one another, years before the term "selfie" became popular. It would be powered by two AA batteries and would have its own cartridge slot, allowing it to play all Game Boy games and accessories.

Wizard, a company that asked Nintendo about cooperation in 1999, created the device. During the next three years, the two companies would work together on the peripheral.

The Game Boy Color could have used this device to send messages, images, and emails. Video game magazines, weather forecasts, and leaderboards were available to players. They were even able to watch television. All of this would have been accomplished through radio. Wizard decided to brand this device the Page Boy because pagers used the same technology.

Page Boy was supposed to be a "Game Boy Color add-on that would allow users to connect with one another across vast distances," according to Robertson. "They may send messages, images, or emails to each other." They would be able to access the internet or receive news updates from practically anyplace on the planet." It "didn't require a personal Wi-Fi connection in order to work, either," he adds. Radio waves were used to communicate, at the same frequency as most two-way pagers at the time."

Nintendo as a brand would have been accepted by the accessories. "One potential feature of its system," according to Robertson, "imagined making a version of the officially licensed magazine Nintendo Power available for customers to read." Owners of the Page Boy would have been able to keep up with the latest game news and reviews on the go." Robertson also mentions Game Boy TV, a "very ambitious feature." This was supposed to be a feature of the software that could receive a live feed from Nintendo, displaying exclusive information about new items in real-time. It was envisioned as a way for the corporation to immediately promote new games to customers whenever they wished." In other words, the Nintendo Direct would have been introduced through the peripheral.

Robertson spoke with people close to the project and was able to unearth mocked-up displays that indicate how the device would have functioned; the concept was to make Mario the main emphasis of the interface, with him even speaking and singing tunes as content loaded up.

Other features included the ability to have the device vibrate when messages were received and a clip on the back that allowed the user to attach the Game Boy Color and Page Boy to their belt buckle, which seemed rather advanced for 1999. While the technology was primitive by today's standards, it's simple to discern Wizard's intent with this device; it's not dissimilar to a modern smartphone.

The Page Boy drew Nintendo's imagination, but the project suffered a major failure after several years of development. While the corporation intended players to be able to communicate with one another regardless of where they were, the Page Boy would only have permitted communication inside a few nations.

Unfortunately, the Page Boy was never released, as Nintendo's enthusiasm waned when it was determined that the technology used would only work in North America and would not be able to be rolled out in other critical regions such as Japan and Europe. The project was eventually shelved before any workable physical prototypes or software could be created. All that's left are a few pitch documents and screenshots; it's unclear what happened to the non-working units that were supposed to be shown to Nintendo.

The project was abandoned by Nintendo in 2002. The Page Boy's fantasy, on the other hand, was never fully forgotten. The Wii, 3DS, and Switch all have some of the forward after.