Gamers and computing enthusiasts have a new piece of nostalgia to grab. Developer Ruben Retro made a clone of Windows 3.1 that is playable on the Game Boy Color.
GBS WINDOWS for Game Boy is not a port of Windows 3.1, or any version of Windows for that matter. It’s actually a piece of software made in GB Studio that’s made to look like some familiar elements of the old operating system.
The piece of software includes a replica of the BIOS screen and a command prompt you can use to launch the interface. Once you’ve loaded the core of the software, you’ll be able to open Paint, Minesweeper, and the media app.
What’s particularly interesting about GBS WINDOWS for Game Boy is that it comes on a physical cartridge that works on a Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance. If you have a Game Boy Printer lying around, you can even print creations you make in Paint.
Considering you need to use the D-Pad to navigate GBS WINDOWS for Game Boy, your creations in Paint will probably need to be pixel art. But I suppose that’s kind of the point when using a Game Boy to run a replica of an operating system from decades ago.
GBS WINDOWS for Game Boy costs €40 (just over $45). Unfortunately, the listing on Etsy says the item is sold out. You can sign up to be notified when more stock is available.
Nostalgia for the Game Boy is nothing new. We’ve seen several companies try to replicate the aura of the portable console.
But those efforts, such as the AYANEO Pocket DMG have centered around new pieces of hardware that try to create a modern take on the classic console. GBS WINDOWS for Game Boy takes a different approach by encasing a piece of software in a physical Game Boy cartridge.
