The Gulf War Game Boy Says Goodbye to Nintendo New York Store

The iconic Game Boy console that survived a bombing during the Gulf War is removed and no longer on display at the Nintendo New York store. Twitter user VideoGameArt&Tidbits shared this information online after asking a Nintendo NYC Store staff member about the console. It is unclear whether the scorched Game Boy unit will return to the store or not. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

When asked about the console, a staff member from the Nintendo NYC store informed Twitter user VideoGameArt&Tidbits that the burnt Game Boy was no longer at the store, as it had been returned to the Nintendo US headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

You can check out the original tweet by VideoGameArt&Tidbits (@VGArtAndTidbits on Twitter) here:

The Gulf War Game Boy has officially been retired from @NintendoNYC

After not seeing it on display for a while, I asked one of the workers about it. He told me it was returned to Nintendo’s headquarters in Redmond Washington. pic.twitter.com/wCPJDa3vlp

— VideoGameArt&Tidbits (@VGArtAndTidbits) June 29, 2023

The console originally belonged to Dr. Stephan Scoggins, a medic that was deployed during Operation Desert Storm in 1990–1991. While the front of the Game Boy was completely burnt during the Gulf War, it could still turn on. After returning from the war, the Game Boy unit was displayed at the Nintendo NYC store as a testament of the system’s durability. Nintendo gave Dr. Scoggins a replacement Game Boy “as a special ‘Desert Storm’ courtesy.”

The Game Boy console remained turned on at the Nintendo NYC store for over 30 years, after only receiving a screen replacement and new batteries when needed. The game that the console played was Tetris.

While the iconic Game Boy console might be removed, users of the Nintendo Switch Online service can play a selection of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, as well as Game Boy Advance games for users of the NSO Expansion Pack.