While the Nintendo Entertainment System and SEGA Dreamcast recently made it into Good Housekeeping's "Best Toys of All Time" list, the NES's little brother, the Game Boy, may have received a more prestigious honor.

The National Toy Hall of Fame has announced that Portable Power is joining their ranks as they revealed the Game Boy in a ceremony yesterday, where it will join fellow 2009 inductees the ball and Big Wheel.

From the press release:

Admitted into the hall because of its role as a major industry innovator, Nintendo Game Boy® transformed the electronic-games market by popularizing handheld gaming. No video-game platform did more to put gamers ―on the go‖ than this invention. And go they did—bringing their gaming experience to school, to summer camp, and to the back seat of the family automobile. Over the past two decades, Game Boy has become synonymous with hand-held gaming fun. Its portability and efficient design, ability to allow simultaneous multiplayer gaming, and scores of intriguing games (like Tetris and Super Mario Land, featuring Nintendos' already-iconic character Mario) make it a true innovator.

The National Toy Hall of Fame® at Strong National Museum of Play recognizes toys that have engaged and delighted multiple generations, inspiring them to learn, create, and discover through play. Criteria for induction include: Icon-status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered); Longevity (the toy is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over multiple generations); Discovery (the toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play); and Innovation (the toy profoundly changed play or toy design).

The Game Boy makes the second video game system to join the National Toy Hall of Fame, following the Atari 2600's induction two years ago.

You can find the full press release in .pdf form here, the history of this year's three inductees here (also in .pdf), and images, ads, and the induction of the Game Boy with Mario (or a modest facsimile) here.

In all, what better way could there be to round off the 20th anniversary of the platform?