Let’s review. Nintendo released a Classic Mini NES. It released a Classic Mini SNES. And now, a new Japanese trademark for for the Game Boy has been filed in Japan. Hrm…
Update October 12-6:50am: An earlier version of this story stated that the filed trademark read “Classic Mini Game Boy.” That was incorrect.
Ninten-Switch.com reports that the trademark was recently discovered. It’s been tweeted out by a Japanese trademark bot.
[商願2017-123766]
商標:[画像] /
出願人:任天堂株式会社 /
出願日:2017年9月15日 /
区分:9(家庭用テレビゲーム機用プログラムほか),14(キーホルダーほか),18(かばん金具ほか),21(化粧用具ほか),25(被服ほか),28(家庭用テレビゲーム… pic.twitter.com/noRhof6vF1— 商標速報bot (@trademark_bot) October 6, 2017
The trademark was filed on September 15, and included this Game Boy image.
Here is how the trademark listing appears on website Japan Platform for Patent Information.
It doesn’t specific the name on the trademark, but it covers a variety of “home video game console” programs as well as “programs for smartphones,” “smartphone cases,” “smartphone covers,” as well as “key holders,” “necklaces,” and “watches.” Some of the trademarks could be to protect the “Nintendo Classic Mini Game Boy” brand or they could simply be to protect the Game Boy brand. Full stop.
Back in 2005, Nintendo released a smaller version of the Game Boy Advance called the Game Boy Micro.
Gizmodo Japan is one of many Japanese sites wondering if this means a Nintendo Classic Mini Game Boy is coming and pointed out (via US Gamer) that this past summer, Nintendo Europe also filed for a Nintendo 64 trademark. With the success of the NES Mini and the SNES Mini, it would be surprising if more Minis were not in the works.
Kotaku reached out to Nintendo prior to publication, but has yet to hear back.