1989

January 5

• Nintendo countersues Atari Games, charging fraudulent inducement of their licensing agreement, and making and selling unauthorized cartridges. [124.252] [165.D13] [166.35]

January

• Capcom releases the Mega Man II game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [304.134] [420.68]

February 1

• Atari files a lawsuit against Nintendo for US$250 million in US District Court. Atari accuses Nintendo of violation of anti-trust laws, due to Nintendo's licensing agreements preventing licensees from releasing game titles on competing systems for two years. [124.257] [165.D13]

February 3

• Nintendo files an amendment to its January lawsuit against Atari Games, charging patent infringement. [166.35]

February

• US District Court in San Francisco grants an injunction against Nintendo, barring Nintendo from suing retailers who buy competitors' video game cartridges for the Nintendo Entertainment System. [174.D5]

(month unknown)

• Atari Games countersues Nintendo, accusing Nintendo of infringing on patents held by Atari Games. [124.256]

April

• In Japan, Nintendo introduces the Game Boy hand-held game system. It features 8-bit 1 MHz Z-80 microprocessor, 8 kB RAM, and displays games on a 2.5-inch LCD screen. Size is 3.5 x 5.75 x 1.25 inches; weight is 11.2 ounces. Included with the system is the Tetris video game cartridge. (200,000 sell in the first two weeks.) [124.294] [169.D6] [316.32] [361.47] [378.60] [474.50,92] [483.70]

(month unknown)

• In California, Superplay publishes the first issue of GamePro magazine. (In 2005, the magazine is still going strong, hitting its 200th issue.) [674.36] [1094.28]

May

• Taito releases the Operation Wolf video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [514.28]
• Tengen ships the Tetris video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. [124.336]

May 17

• In New York, Tengen holds a reception for retailers, trade representatives, and press for the launch of the Tetris game cartridge. [124.336]

May 23

• NEC Home Electronics announces it will begin selling a new home video game system in the fall, for about US$200. [168.D1]

June 4

• At the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, Nintendo introduces the Game Boy portable hand-held video game system, with monochrome display. Price is US$89.95, including the Tetris game cartridge. [169.D6] [543.9] [1159.88] (July [1095.28])
• At the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, Atari introduces the Portable Entertainment System hand-held video game system, with color display. Price is US$149.95, including one game cartridge. (It is later released under the name Lynx.) [169.D6]

June 15

• Federal District Judge Fern Smith grants Nintendo's request, and issues a preliminary injuction blocking Tengen from selling its Tetris game cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System, effective June 21. [124.338] [170.D4]

June

• US federal regulations require all toy guns to look like toy guns. Nintendo changes the NES Zapper Light Gun from gray to orange. [1161.78]
• (to May 1990) The American Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York, presents a retrospective exhibition of video games called Hot Circuits - A Video Arcade. Included are 46 playable arcade video games. [960.5] [1002.C11]
• Capcom releases the Mega Man 2 video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93] [1193.82]

June 16

• Columbia Pictures releases the film Ghostbusters II to theaters in the US. Someone asks "Do you want to play ... Super Mario Bros?". A Nintendo NES Advantage joystick is used. [900] [892]

(month unknown)

• LJN releases The Uncanny X-Men video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [626.93]
• Nintendo releases the Bomberman video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [420.70]
• Sega Enterprises introduces the Genesis home video game system in the US. It features 7.68 MHz 16-bit Motorola 68EC000 processor, 4 MHz Z80 sound coprocessor, 64 kB RAM, 512 colors in 320x224 resolution. 80 animated sprites are possible, with up to 16 colors per sprite. Included is the video game Altered Beast. Price is US$189. (Total North American sales in its lifetime: 14 million. Total world sales: 29 million.) [70] [124.352] [157.44] [176.C1] [317.68] [483.64] [1255.75]
• Sega introduces the MegaDrive modem in Japan. [810.119]
• NEC Home Entertainment introduces the TurboGrafx-16 home video game system in the USA. It features 16-bit graphics processor, 512 colors, 64 movable sprites, 16 colors per sprite, 256x212 graphics, stereo sound. Included is the video game Keith Courage in Alpha Zones. Price is US$199. (Less than 1 million units are shipped in its lifetime.) [124.350] [176.C1] [317.70] [1255.75]
• Sega releases the Phantasy Star II game for the Genesis. [304.132]
• SNK releases the Baseball Stars video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [304.126] [595.38]
• In Tokyo, a full orchestra performs the first two Final Fantasy soundtracks to an audience. [547.44]
• Mattel Electronics releases the PowerGlove for the Nintendo Entertainment System. (US$40 million worth sell in the first year.) [41.46]
• Konami releases the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade video game. [460.56]
• Steve Harris starts Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine. [553.56]
• Capcom releases the Duck Tales video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93]
• Capcom releases the Strider video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93]
• Capcom releases the Willow video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93]
• NEC releases the Super Grafx video game system in Japan. [1091.93]

July

• SNK releases the Baseball Stars video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the USA. [1159.100] [1219.80]

August

• Nintendo ships the Game Boy portable video game system in the US. (40,000 sell on the first day of sale.) [124.294] [253.D5] [453.40] (September [1151.46])
• Nintendo releases the Super Mario Land video game for the Game Boy in the US. (Total sales: 18.06 million.) [410.9] [412.24] (14 million [1147.30])
• Nintendo releases the Dragon Warrior video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. The game had been previously released in Japan for the Famicom as Dragon Quest. It is not be released as Dragon Quest because TSR holds a trade mark on that name in the US. [298.48] [1161.78]

September 12

• NEC Home Electronics introduces a coin-operated version of the TurboGrafx-16 video game system. [171.D5]

September

• Capcom releases the DuckTales video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [982.82]

November

• Universal Studios releases the film The Wizard to theaters. The film is about video game playing, with a promotion of the upcoming Nintendo game Super Mario Bros. 3. [124.191]

November 21

• Atari introduces the Lynx hand-held video game system. It features a 4.0 MHz 65C02 processor, 16-bit graphics processor, 6 sound channels, 3.5-inch color LCD screen, 16 colors out of 4096 palette. Weight is under one pound. Price is US$150-200, with the Galifornia Games video game cartridge. (This is the first color hand-held video game system in the US.) [172.D3] [316.32] [327.94] [545.22] [685.133] [1093.60]

November 22

• MCA/Universal Pictures releases the film Back to the Future Part II to theaters in the USA.
  • A Jaws video game cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System appears in an antique store window.
  • An arcade game Wild Gunman appears, based on the game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
  [935]

December 7

• U.S. Congressman Dennis Eckart announces at a large news conference that he is recommending an investigation of Nintendo by the Justice Department. [124.265]

December

• Acclaim releases the IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the USA. [1197.74]
• Seika releases the Shadowgate video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the USA. [177.S3.10] [1159.98]
• NEC releases the NEC PC Engine CD-ROM2 for the PC Engine in Japan. This is the first console to use CD-ROM data. The system allows the first streaming soundtracks, and first full-motion video sequences on a home console. [1255.74]

December 21

• Hudson releases the Ys I & II video game for the PC Engine in Japan. [1255.81]

December 31

• Unit sales to date of Nintendo Entertainment System game systems: about 20 million. [189.35]

Year

• Unit sales of the Sega Genesis game system during the year: 400,000. [176.C1]
• Unit sales of Nintendo Entertainment System game systems during the year: 9.2 million. [177.S3.10] [181.35] [189.36]
• Unit sales of Nintendo Entertainment System game cartridges during the year: 53 million. [181.35]
• Sales of Nintendo game systems and cartridges in the US during the year: US$2.7 billion. [183.D4]
• Unit sales of the TurboGrafx-16 game system during the year: 300,000. [176.C1] [177.S3.10]
• Unit sales of the Game Boy game system during the year: 1 million. [177.S3.10] [181.35]
• Market share of US video game industry: Nintendo 80%, Sega 5%. [174.D5] [175.C1] [314.106] (Nintendo 90% [349.35])
• Sales of video game systems and cartridges in the US during the year: US$3.4 billion. [174.D5] [175.C1] [314.106]