Nintendo has recently found tremendous success through the re-release of classic consoles in a new format. Both the NES Classic and the SNES Classic have been sellout hits upon launch, and it may well be that the company is looking to further delve into the retro device market after a new Game Boy trademark was filed.

The trademark in question, which was filed on September 15, does not include any specifics on the product in question, but it covers a wide array of different programs, such as  'home video game console', 'programs for smartphones', and 'programs for portable electronic game machines', so it could be that Nintendo is planning something behind the scenes.

The trademark was discovered courtesy of a Twitter bot that publishes newly filed trademarks. Those interested can check out the listing below.

Releasing a Game Boy Classic would make a lot of sense for Nintendo, given the popularity of the NES Classic and the SNES classic. After all, the system is one of the best-selling consoles of all time, revolutionized the handheld gaming market upon release, and launched alongside such staples of gaming as the hugely popular (if hard to develop) Tetris. It would also be interesting to see how Nintendo would launch such a device, whether as another handheld or as a home console akin to using the old Super Game Boy SNES add-on.

Of course, it's fair to say that this might also cause some problems for Nintendo, as it might make the launch of such a device less of a shoe-in on the market as its pure home console variants. After all, the system's monochromatic display might not go down as well with gamers, and so Nintendo may well need to expand beyond the content of the SNES Classic library to make it an enticing option for fans.

That said, there's no denying the pull of Nintendo's old consoles, and there are bound to be enough fond memories of the original handheld to bring in the numbers. If this trademark does prove to be for a Game Boy Classic, here's hoping that Nintendo does more to expand production, given the difficulties getting hold of a SNES Classic or NES Classic upon release.

Source: Ninten-Switch