Nintendo just filed a fresh “Nintendo GAME BOY” trademark in Brazil, and on its own, that’s probably just boring legal housekeeping, but the timing has people (me) speculating anyway.
Trademark renewals like this are usually about locking down branding so nobody else can slap “Game Boy” on clone hardware or merch, but the wrinkle is that it’s landing right as Pokémon Day and the series’ 30th anniversary hit, with FireRed and LeafGreen headed to Switch as paid standalone ports.
The fandom’s speculation is simple: if Nintendo is already reselling GBA Pokémon and refreshing the Game Boy mark, could they be gearing up for some kind of dedicated throwback hardware or reprint campaign for the original Game Boy titles? Given that legit carts of Red/Blue/Yellow now routinely hit triple‑digit prices, an official rerun would absolutely nuke part of the reseller market overnight.
Realistically, big platform holders file and renew trademarks constantly that never turn into products; it’s not even clear this one is tied to any specific project. The safest read is Nintendo tightening its grip on a valuable logo right before it spends a year bathing in Pokémon nostalgia.
Then there’s the other context: Nintendo has a long history of releasing celebratory versions of old hardware, like the Famicom Mini or the Game & Watch. They just relaunched Virtual Boy games via Nintendo Switch Online, complete with a new plastic viewer that basically resurrects the 90s machine as a modern accessory.
So while this Game Boy trademark is almost certainly a lawyer doing lawyer things, you can see why people are connecting dots. If Nintendo is willing to resurrect something as toxic‑brand‑wise as Virtual Boy with new hardware, a Game Boy‑branded device, whether that’s a micro‑console, a special‑edition Switch‑style shell, or even just a fancy Joy‑Con dock, suddenly feels less unlikely.
For now, though, it’s paperwork. Anyone hoping this filing means surprise Game Boy re-releases on February 27 is probably setting themselves up for disappointment, but as a longer‑term hint that Nintendo hasn’t forgotten the name? That’s a lot easier to believe.
Source: Necrolipe on X via GamingBible
