Tetris and the Game Boy

What happened

The Soviet mathematician Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris, an addictive falling-block puzzle, in 1984. It reached the West in 1987, and when Nintendo bundled it with the launch of the handheld Game Boy in 1989, it became a worldwide hit.

Why it matters

Tetris proved the appeal of simple, elegant puzzle games, and paired with the Game Boy it helped make portable gaming a mass phenomenon.

Sources

• The Strong National Museum of Play. Tetris · Reputable source