2005 – 2008retired
Game Boy Micro
“Small screen, big legacy: the last Game Boy went out tiny, tidy, and dignified.”
“It scanned the cards, saved the data, and left us wanting a sixth game.”
The HyperScan was Mattel's 2006 attempt at a home video game console, built around a clever twist: a 13.56 MHz RFID scanner that read and wrote to IntelliCards, letting players enhance characters and save game data with a tap. Marketed to tweens, it leaned on beloved superhero franchises like Marvel Comics and Ben 10. Launch price was $69.99 for the console and $19.99 per game.
Critics panned it for outdated 2D graphics, a thin library, and the sheer cost of collecting enough IntelliCards to finish a set. Only five games ever shipped before two more were canceled, and prices cratered to $9.99 for the console and $1.99 for games. Mattel discontinued the HyperScan in 2007, canceling all upcoming releases — but for a brief moment, scanning a card felt like magic.
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“Small screen, big legacy: the last Game Boy went out tiny, tidy, and dignified.”
“Small, purple, and only interested in games — and all the better for it.”
“It had no main model to build — so you built everything.”