The screen of the Game Boy flickers softly. It goes from bright green to dull gray in just a few seconds. I press buttons furiously, hoping it will turn back on, but the only thing that happens is more of its eerie silence. I look at the battery cover with frustration. Maybe if I pop out the batteries and put them back in, it will start up again. But when I do this, nothing changes. The Game Boy stays dark and cold in my hand.

I try turning it on one last time, just to be sure. I hold down A and B at the same time, press Start, then Reset. Still nothing. It’s like the machine has decided enough is enough and given up entirely. The game I was playing, Bubble Bobble, ends up never finishing its final level. The power-saving screen with the Game Boy logo stays on forever now.