What Console Succeeded the Game Boy Line Entirely

The Nintendo DS is the handheld console that succeeded the Game Boy line entirely, marking the end of an era that began in 1989. While the Game Boy Advance served as the final device to carry the iconic branding, the release of the DS introduced a new dual-screen identity that replaced the Game Boy family. This article details the transition from the Game Boy Advance to the Nintendo DS and explains the historical significance of this shift in Nintendo’s handheld strategy.

The Game Boy lineage is one of the most recognizable in video game history, spanning fifteen years of dominance in the portable market. The original Game Boy launched in 1989, followed by the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, and the color-capable Game Boy Color. The final iteration of this specific brand was the Game Boy Advance, released in 2001. Although the Advance offered significant hardware improvements, it retained the horizontal form factor and branding that consumers had associated with Nintendo handhelds for over a decade.

In 2004, Nintendo launched the Nintendo DS, which stood for Dual Screen. This device was positioned as the successor to the Game Boy Advance, though initially, Nintendo marketed it as a third pillar alongside their home consoles and the Game Boy line. However, the market quickly responded to the DS’s innovative touch screen and wireless capabilities, rendering the Game Boy Advance obsolete. The DS maintained backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance cartridges, allowing for a smooth transition for players, but it did not support original Game Boy or Game Boy Color games without specific hardware revisions.

The distinction of the DS as the true successor was solidified with the release of the Nintendo DS Lite and later the DSi. These models refined the design and eventually removed the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot entirely, severing the last physical link to the previous generation. By discontinuing the Game Boy name, Nintendo signaled a fresh start for their portable division, focusing on new interfaces and broader demographics rather than iterating on the legacy hardware.

Ultimately, the Nintendo DS became the best-selling handheld console of all time, surpassing the combined sales of the entire Game Boy family. It proved that the innovation offered by the dual screens was the future of portable gaming for Nintendo. The lineage continued subsequently with the Nintendo 3DS, but it was the DS that officially closed the chapter on the Game Boy brand, establishing itself as the definitive successor to the line.