The video game YouTuber and documentarian Liam Robertson (@Doctor_Cupcakes) has published a new video on his channel showcasing the functionality of the cancelled productivity-based Game Boy add-on, The WorkBoy.
The Washington-based company Fabtek was manufacturing the device for Nintendo back in the early 1990s based on a design from UK developer Source Research and Development. But, despite receiving positive coverage in Nintendo Power and Game Zone, it never saw the light of day and was presumed lost forever.
That was until an episode of Game History Secrets, uploaded in December 2020, revealed that Robertson had acquired a prototype of the device that Fabtek founder Frank Ballouz had lying around and that, together with some files from the Nintendo Gigaleak, they had managed to get it up and running again.
This new video, which was uploaded only a few days ago, demonstrates some of the device's software features, including its clock application, calculator, address book, and calendar. It also shows off the mini-translator, world map function, several conversion apps, and an in-built money management helper. The device could also be used to do something called "phreaking", which involves using third-party devices to autodial different numbers for free.