8 Video Game Revolutions We Don't Need Anymore
7. Link Cables
There’s a similar story to tell with handheld gaming.
The Link Cable was a stable part of Nintendo’s handheld systems. Releasing for the original GameBoy, the Pocket, the Micro, the Advance and so on due to their different hardware, there were even plans for the doomed Virtual Boy to get one. And why not? It was the only way for these kinds of consoles to connect.
The humble Link Cable allowed players to play the likes of Tetris together but really exploded when GameFreak came a-knocking with their new franchise that changed gaming forever. When most people visualise the Link Cable, they almost certainly see it with Pocket Monsters moving from one end to the other. Pokémon Red and Blue were built around the accessory, with “catching ‘em all' ' necessitating a Link Cable and a friend with the opposite game.
Later into the GameBoy Advance’s life Nintendo did experiment with wireless tech in its infancy but it was finicky even if it did open the possibilities up to a possible 16 players.
However, this was vastly improved by the time of the Nintendo DS. Around this time, of course, WiFi became the standard source for connection so the console dabbled in both. As with many things, the advent of the internet made the Link Cable irrelevant.