Jeremy Parish checks out Alleyway & Tennis in Game Boy Works Vol.2 004

This video comprises the last of the U.S. launch titles for Game Boy, as well as—somewhat surprisingly—about 85% of all Game Boy releases in America for the remainder of 1989. A bit of a slow start compared to the 20 or so games that showed up in 1989 for Japan, but that’s localization gaps for ya.

Not that either of these games required any localization whatsoever. They’re simple, accessible titles that you can have a ball with (get it, like pinball/tennis ball??) regardless of your preferred language. Or even if you have not developed human language yet and exist in a crude, nonverbal state. You don’t need to understand the basic grammar of “Me Tarzan” to grok “avoid missing ball for high score.”

Anyway, not precisely amazing games by modern standards. But these blew away any comparable portable experiences at the time. Like the man said: “That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.”