In 2026, it can be hard to imagine the 'lads mag' culture of the '90s. It was a time where it seemed like anything could make it into print, as long as it contained bawdy humour, football references and/or casual misogyny. Hell, even the ads for children's' portable games consoles were edgy.
Yes, Nintendo's Game Boy ads from the '90s are, well, not the kind of thing we'd associate with Nintendo today. There are cuddly Pokemon or family-friendly moustachioed plumbers here. Instead, the brand seemed to be taking a leaf out of Sony's book, with a bunch of edgy ads that might as well be advertising a PlayStation.
