37 Years Ago, Nintendo Released Tetris on Game Boy, Changing Gaming Forever
Debates over the best Nintendo games ever released typically focus on a short list of Zelda and Mario titles that are undeniable classics. However, what is often forgotten is that the company played a pivotal role in helping an iconic title cement its place in pop culture history. When Nintendo released its legendary Game Boy version of Tetris 37 years ago today, the 'best video game of all time' changed the history of the industry forever.
Nintendo Brought 'Tetris' to Millions 37 Years Ago Today
As a Forbes article noted, Nintendo released Tetris on the Game Boy in Japan on June 14, 1989. The game later became available in North America on July 31, 1989, and in Europe on September 28, 1990. After it became available to millions of people in Japan 37 years ago today and then worldwide in the months that followed, the game became a massive hit.
On June 18, 2013, Tetris for the Game Boy was awarded a Guinness World Record for being the best-selling puzzle video game of all time. Guinness World Records confirmed that 30,260,000 units of the iconic title had been sold specifically for the Game Boy. It also noted that at that time, it was the overall sixth-best-selling video game ever.
Who Named 'Tetris' the 'Best Video Game of All Time'
In August 2016, Time published its list of the "50 Best Video Games of All Time," which can still be read today via the Wayback Machine. The outlet listed Tetris at No. 1 on its ranking, which it also revealed in a separate Time article that remains on the website.
Time's ranking wasn't limited to the 1989 Nintendo Game Boy version of the title. However, the widely respected publication noted that Tetris made the Game Boy successful. "In 1989, Nintendo put the legendary tile-matching puzzler on the NES and Game Boy, where it catapulted the latter to meteoric success."
While describing why it ranked Tetris as the best video game ever, Time stated it has been "a global phenomenon since its arrival in 1984." Additionally, it mused on the "meditative" qualities that people can feel when they get into the zone while playing the game. Finally, it described what Tetris teaches people about life in general. "If Tetris has taught me anything, it's that errors pile up, and accomplishments disappear."
If Tetris didn't make the Game Boy a massive success, as Time credited it with doing, that could have had a profound effect on Nintendo and the industry. After all, plenty of video game companies have gone under after having a system flop, and Nintendo has played a pivotal role in helping the industry be taken seriously.
The Top 10: Time's "Best Video Games of All Time"
- No. 10 World of Warcraft
- No. 9 The Oregon Trail
- No. 8 Super Mario Bros.
- No. 7 The Legend of Zelda
- No. 6 Minecraft
- No. 5 Ms. Pac-Man
- No. 4 Doom
- No. 3 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- No. 2 Super Mario 64
- No. 1 Tetris
Next: 2018 Fighting Title Voted 'Best Nintendo Game of All Time' by Fans
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 7:15 AM.