Nintendo has invented a playable Game Boy phone case — but there might be a disappointing reason why

NINTENDO has filed a patent that could turn your smartphone into a retro Game Boy but nostalgic gamers have their concerns.

NINTENDO has filed a patent for a playable Game Boy smartphone case.

The patent hasn’t been granted yet, but it outlines a case featuring buttons that can be pressed down onto a smartphone’s touchscreen in order to play mobile games that evoke those nostalgic classics of the past.

The patent describes a phone case that lets you transform your smartphone into a Game Boy lookalike, although the case doesn’t run games itself.

Instead, it enables the user to press the phone’s touchscreen at points that mirror those of the classic 1989 Game Boy button layout, while there’s also a square hole that reproduces the look of the portable console’s screen.

However, some video game fans suspect that Nintendo has filed the patent simply to prevent other companies from coming out with similar cases, rather than to prepare the way for the launch of an official Game Boy smartphone case.

“They are probably patenting it so no one else can make one,” said one Reddit user. “Probably have no plans to actually make this.”

Here’s the patent for a Nintendo Game Boy phone case filed with the United States patent and trademark office.

This possibility has raised fears that similar devices already on the market — such as the Hyperkin SmartBoy device and the Wanle Gamers Console — may be targeted by Nintendo’s legal team.

“Yep and now that (Nintendo) has the patent they can send a cease and desist order to Hyperkin,” another Reddit user said.

But while Nintendo has a long history of jealously guarding its brands and intellectual property, the application itself would suggest that such devices as the Hyperkin SmartBoy won’t be affected by the patent.

That’s because the patent solely describes the mechanics of using the buttons of a smartphone case to operate the touchscreen below, rather than the more abstract idea of playing “Game Boy games on a smartphone”.

Who doesn’t miss their old Game Boy?

By contrast, gadgets like the SmartBoy and the Wanle Gamers Console work differently, containing built-in electronics and even games.

Also, the application hasn’t been accepted yet, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s website classifying its status as “Docketed New Case — Ready for Examination”.

And while there’s no specific reason to think Nintendo’s application won’t be successful, only around 55 per cent of patent applications are granted, so there’s no guarantee of anything yet.

Nintendo’s application for a Game Boy smartphone case comes hot on the heels of the growing popularity of retro video games.

The mini-NES and -SNES consoles (both from Nintendo) were massive hits over the past couple of years, while Sony jumped into the fray recently with its announcement of the PlayStation Classic.

And given that Nintendo’s patent application appears to have no direct bearing on such devices as the Wanle Gamers Console, it just may be that it’s the first step in Nintendo actually producing a nostalgic Game Boy-style extension for smartphones.

We can only hope.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Nintendo has invented a playable Game Boy phone case — but there might be a disappointing reason why