It’s been a while since I’ve dug around the U.S. Patents database for anything retrogaming-related, so what the heck, let’s check some of these interesting little curios out:

Image-display game system and information storage medium used therefore by Nintendo is pretty lengthy but the gist of it covers how they transfer data between multiple devices using different methods of transmission, primarily serial cable and infra-red. This is all about the technology used in Pokémon Gold & Silver, where not only did you transfer Pokémon over Game Boy link cable, but you also used the Game Boy Color’s IR port to communicate with other players using Game Boy Color – and the Pokémon Pikachu pedometer game!

I still have one of those Pokémon Pikachu things, but don’t really remember walking around with it much. That’s probably because I was inside my house, rocking myself in a fetal position trying to forget all about Pokémon.

I do like the images they attached to the patent though:

Remember kids, Kanami in Girl Scout Challenges Me. Words to live by.

Just what is the sweet smell of opponent Venusaur! Now I’m mad at Nintendo for not making a scratch ‘n’ sniff Game Boy.

Next up is the Video game having calendar dependent functionality patent. You know how some games display special messages if it’s Christmas or whatever, or even games that unlock items / creatures depending on what time of the day you’re playing it? This is the patent for that, and it was created by Chris Stamper and the team at Rare back when Rare where gods to us all. There aren’t many interesting pictures to go along with it, but I thought it was a good read nonetheless. It talks about a “Around The World In 80 Days” game a lot, which as far as I know never came out, and a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde type scenario which I think was covered in Knight Lore a few years prior.

Another patent by the Stamper / Rare team is Video Display System which sounds pretty ordinary, and even reading it takes a while to reveal what it’s about. Remember in Pinbot on the NES where the screen would split and always show you the flippers on the bottom and where the ball was on the top of the screen? It turns out that was actually the basis of a patent! I find that kinda cool.

Finally here’s this blast from the past – Obstacle Game by Mattel – covering those Football and Racing LED games from the late ’70s! Everyone had these things, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure them out. I like to think I was just too young for them, and not just too stupid.

OK that’s it for this round of video game-related patents – let me know what you think!