Fishing in video games seems to be having a bit of a moment in 2019 — Fire Emblem: Three Houses features a pretty fun fishing minigame, Three Houses’ character Flayn is all over the internet as a fish-loving meme, Dragon Quest Builders has an excellent fishing-based DLC pack, and the Link’s Awakening remake features a revamped and reward-filled minigame.
Looking back, it seems fishing has always been a staple in gaming — from Ocarina of Time to Animal Crossing, Nintendo is no stranger to the ways of the angler. Perhaps that’s the reason why, back in 1998, Nintendo of Japan officially licensed this strange Game Boy accessory that could be used to locate fish in a body of water. The video below, put together by GamingHistorian, goes over the features of the Game Boy Pocket Sonar, and even includes a demonstration of the Sonar being used to help catch a live fish.
The Game Boy Pocket Sonar utilizes a sonar-equipped Game Boy cartridge, and, as shown in the above video, contained more than just the sonar program. The Pocket Sonar cartridge also included a fish encyclopedia, detailing different types of fish that can be searched through with basic search features.
If there’s one thing I love, it’s weird Nintendo accessories, and the reason why is that unique accessories like this really push the boundaries of what Nintendo consoles can do. Innovation is never a bad thing, and who knows how many fishing minigames this weird little Game Boy Pocket Sonar helped inspire.
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Written by Jaxson Tapp
As a lover of gaming and the written word, Jaxson currently fills his time not only with playing games, but also writing about them. Ready for anything, Jaxson’s passion for puzzle games, JRPGs, tough platformers, and whimsical indies helps him bring a well-rounded opinion to Nintendo Wire’s reporting.
