Kids today have it easy. Thanks to the power of the internet, today's gamer doesn't even need to drive to the store to buy new games. And yet those entitled little brats still complain about everything. Back in my day, we had real problems. To prove my point, I would like to take you on a trip back to the 20th century. Don't cry to me about optional DLC and $15 games that are too expensive, because we had real problems. Here's an example ...


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In a world full of smart phone and compact technology, most portable devices are small enough to go just about anywhere. Assuming you're not wearing the world's tightest pair of skinny jeans, both the Nintendo 3DS and Sony's PS Vita should fit comfortably in your pockets. This was certainly not the case in the 20th century. Back then we needed a video game purse to pack around all eight of those bits.

I don't care if you bought a Nintendo Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx or NEC TurboExpress, none of them were going to fit in your pants pocket. Oh sure, you could probably stuff it in an extra baggy pair of slacks, but you'd have a giant handheld device sticking out. With large cartridges and a place for AA batteries, it was often difficult to carry the system's around.

People often forget just how bulky these old devices were. Measuring in at just under 11 inches, the original Lynx model is around a third larger than a standard Xbox One/PlayStation 4 box. The Game Boy and Game Gear were certainly smaller, but neither were designed to fit inside a kid's pocket.


With the addition of accessories (such as the Light Boy) and physical cartridges, having a carrying case was a must. In that sense, the Game Boy was certainly more portable than hauling the Nintendo Entertainment System from place to place. However, lugging around 8-bit handhelds was a real pain.