Nintendo has released several exclusive peripherals for its systems over the years, but some were canceled before its full launch, such as the WorkBoy. The peripheral was designed to be launched for the Game Boy in the 90s and would have transformed the laptop into a functional PDA. While the WorkBoy was canceled before mass production started, DidYouKnowGaming’s Liam Robertson was able to track down a prototype, which was provided by Frank Ballouz. Ballouz supervised the production of the WorkBoy for Fabtek and started to have the prototype for the keyboard. There was only one problem: a cartridge was needed to function, which Ballouz did not have.
However, luckily, a recent leak from Nintendo provided the Internet with a code for unreleased software and assets. The code for the WorkBoy software was part of the leak, and Robertson was able to put it in a cartridge to get the WorkBoy up and running! Robertson was then able to test the device and share his findings on YouTube! Robertson’s video on the peripheral can be found embedded below.
The WorkBoy would have been produced in a collaboration between Source Research and Development and Fabtek, and would have been officially licensed by Nintendo. The peripheral would have been launched when personal computers were much more expensive and long before cell phones appeared. The WorkBoy would sell for $ 79-89 dollars and feature several functions, such as a world clock, address book, currency conversion capabilities and more. Given that many of these features can be found easily on most modern cell phones, it seems that the WorkBoy was ahead of its time! Unfortunately, the peripheral was discarded after Nintendo revealed plans to cut the Game Boy price. That way, the WorkBoy would have been more expensive than the system itself, which would probably shut down potential buyers.
The video game industry has several stories, as does the WorkBoy. From completely finished games that ended up discarded without being released, to add-ons like the legendary “Nintendo Play Station”, the WorkBoy is in very good company. However, thanks to Robertson’s tireless efforts, Nintendo fans and video game enthusiasts can now catch a glimpse of what could have been!
What do you think of the WorkBoy? Do you think the peripheral would have been successful? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about games!