5. It Can Administer Anesthesia: Please don't watch that video. It's full of screaming, frightened children. The point of it is that in 2009 a company patented something called the PediSedate, which in no way sounds like it involves an unmarked van. The device connects to a music player or a Game Boy (Which was discontinued from production in 1999 by the way), and can be used to engage kids in play as a headset administers nitrous oxide. The goal is to make anesthetic less frightening, but considering their website appears to be down and no one has mentioned it since this video was released it's fair to say the idea didn't catch on.
4. You Could Get It Blinged Out: Well, not any more, but in 2006 Aspreys of London offered a limited edition 18k gold plated Game Boy with diamonds all around the screen. The piece was priced at $25,000 and weighed more than six times what a not pimped out Game Boy weighed.
3: You Can Sew With It: Singer released a sewing machine called the Isek in 2000. It was a bit on the small side, and perfect for younger users. This was doubly true because it game with a custom Game Boy game with 80 patterns. Just plug your system into the machine and watch it go! You can design and customize with the game, and it even lets you do simple embroidery. These are now very, very expensive on eBay.
2. They Were Ridiculously Tough: Having personally sent a DS cartridge through a washing machine and have it come out working perfectly, I can attest to the craftsmanship that Nintendo adheres to. This Game Boy was in an American barracks in the First Gulf War when it was damaged in a bomb attack. Damaged, but not destroyed. It's now on display in the Nintendo World Store in New York City where it continuously plays Tetris.
1. It Was the First System in Space: Aleksandr A. Serebrov visited the MIR space station in 1993, and like anyone else on a long trip he wanted to take his Game Boy. Anyone that knows space travel knows that weight is very, very important when launching people past the atmosphere, so Serebrov was limited to one game. Appropriately for the Russian, he chose Tetris. All told, the system was in orbit for 196 days, and later sold at auction .
Bizarre Nintendo history is something of a passion hear at Art Attack. Check out the Top 5 Nintendo Controllers You've Never Heard Of and its sequel to delve into some peripheral weirdness.
Jef With One F is a recovering rock star taking it one day at a time. You can read about his adventures in The Bible Spelled Backwards or connect with him on Facebook.
