This might put a smile on the face of nostalgic gamers: Nintendo has patented a cover that turns smartphones into an updated take on its classic ’90s-era Gameboy game console.
The filing, posted on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s website last week, shows the cover will mask part of a device’s screen with a Gameboy overlay. The cover’s buttons will be recognizable by the phone’s touchscreen sensors, allowing users to game like a real Gameboy is in their hands. Part of the screen would remain uncovered to display games.
While the example in Nintendo’s filing looks like an iPhone, the patent leaves open the possibility the cover “may be attached to other electronic equipment such as a tablet terminal that does not have a telephone function.” You can read the full 22-page filing here if you’re interested in the technical breakdown.
The cover could potentially be a boon to Nintendo’s bottom line if its accompanied by a slate of games for users to buy from the App Store. Launched in 1989, the Gameboy was wildly popular from the outset, with Nintendo selling 18 million copies of Super Mario Land, according to The Atlantic. Several Gameboy revamps came during the ’90s and early 2000s.