Unreleased Classic GameBoy Advance and Touchscreen GameBoy Color shown by Nintendo DSi architect

27 March 2009

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Posted by:Josh

Prototype Game Boy Advance and Game Boy’s were shown off at the Game Developers Conference 2009 where the project leader of the DSi, Masato Kuwahara, gave fans in the audience a special treat during his GDC panel appearance.

The first device he showed off was a prototype successor to the Game Boy Color that was in development at Nintendo between 1995 and 1996 and based on a 32-bit ARM RISC processor. This is most likely the mysterious “Atlantis” project that was mentioned as being in development during that time. The system was eventually scrapped due to poor graphics performance according to Kuwahara.

The second prototype shown was a touch-screen enhanced Game Boy Advance SP in development during 1998. Interestingly enough, the touch-screen wasn’t built in but rather fit over the system’s flip-up display. The inside of the system meanwhile was actually from a Game Boy Color. He stated that the prototype was not well received by Nintendo management, due to it not being backlit and being even darker because of the touch-screen overlay.

But as we all know, the touch initiative was not lost on Nintendo, who’s Shigeru Miyamoto accepted the general touchscreen concept and most likely used it as an influence in developing what would become the Nintendo DS. Or at least, Kuwahara likes to believe that he had some influence on the eventual adaptation of touch-screen technology for the DS, which he kick started with his touch-screen enabled GBA SP.

Via Joystiq