Game Boy appreciation thread

[Drixxel]

The green-screened, toaster-like handheld that shambled onward against all reason. I'm sure many of us still love it, if not for the stellar invention of portable Tetris alone. It has of course been trounced by it's sleeker spawn, but the Game Boy was.. important.

For me, the Game Boy marked my financial entry into gaming hardware ownership.. the innocent age when $100 seemed like an outlandish amount of money. I'd been obsessed with the Game Boy for quite a while previous to finally saving up the money to buy one, and it was Link's Awakening that really inspired me to put aside the allowance. That game just looked incredible.. and it really didn't disappoint. I have some very fond memories of frolicking about on Koholint Island.

There are many other Game Boy games I absolutely love, and being able to play them on a handheld as fantastic as a GBA SP really is a pleasure.

Just off the top of the ol' head..

Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge ... hot damn, that's one slow Belmont trot, but what a fun game, and some of the best Game Boy music ever.
Daedalian Opus ... I liked this game so much that in school I used to draw out my own little Daedalian Opus puzzles and try to solve them. Whoohoo...
Donkey Kong ... there's so much game here it shocks me.
Elevator Action ... not a classic, but I seriously dug NES Elevator Action back in the day, and with the extra weapons of Game Boy Elevator Action, life is indeed good.
Final Fantasy Legend II ... one hell of an epic RPG quest. There's a lot of uniqueness to the character classes, and it's overall a finer package than the two other Legends.
Gargoyle's Quest ... Firebrand's one cool dude, and while Gargoyle's Quest 2 and especially Demon's Crest vastly improved upon this one, Gargoyle's Quest is still a very fun, if admittedly short, action-adventre romp.
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening ... I really dig the feel of this game, not to mention how smoothly the Zelda experience was translated to the Game Boy.
Metroid II: Return of Samus ... were this given the Zero Mission treatment, I think many more people would love it.
Qix ... the portableness makes it tops.
Quarth ... not the deepest of games, and in fact repetition and monotony will set in with extended game play, but as puzzle games go, it's unique.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins ... a fantastic, fairly enormous platformer.
Tetris ... obviously.

So what does, or did, the Game Boy mean to you? What are some games among its library that stand out in memory, be they fabulous examples of what can be done on a handheld, or abyssmal reminders of the horrors born of hardware limitations?

[j_factor]

I got a Game Boy in.. I think it was 1994, might have been '95. It was given to me by my uncle, who had owned it for a couple years and wasn't really playing it. It was my third portable system, my first having been Lynx and my second being Game Gear. When I got a Game Boy I was a fairly active Game Gear owner, and I was totally unimpressed by the GB. However, it did have a few unique games that I enjoyed anyway.

During the Saturn days I lost interest in portables, and, despite getting a GBC, NGPC, and GBA, I only now have an interest in portable gaming with the DS. Game Boy doesn't have the library that Game Gear has and it doesn't hold a place in my heart like Lynx, but it does have some games that are special to me:

Bad n' Rad - a skatboarding platformer that alternates between sidescrolling stages and forced-scroll vertical/top-down stages. Uh, what? Definitely unique, it's quite well designed and pretty damn fun.

Final Fantasy Legend II - by far the Game Boy's best RPG. Great battle system, interesting world, decent plot.

Gargoyle's Quest - I think this is way better than its sequel.

Kirby's Dreamland 2 - Game Boy's best platformer. Not too frustrating, not too hard, not too samey. Lots of stuff in here and the different worlds are nice.

Donkey Kong - absolutely brilliant way of updating the arcade classic.

Kirby's Pinball Land - really great pinball game.

Mario Picross - I dunno, I had a lot of fun with this one...

Defender / Joust - for some reason I really really liked the updated version of Joust.

[Obviously]

Squinting at the Game Boy is probably the reason I needed to get glasses... but it was worth it. These are the titles I spent most of my time with Metroid II, Tetris, and Dr. Mario.

I also have fond memories of blitzing through Super Mario Land and go ahead and laugh but I still believe the original Pokemon was a great RPG for the Gameboy. I remember not being able to put it down when it was first released.

I remember searching out all those damned shells in Zelda Link's Awakening which in my opinion it was nearly as good as the Super Nintendo Link to the Past was and every bit as fun. I'm still impressed with its graphics.

The Gameboy also held Megaman V which is perhaps one of the finest Megaman titles ever created.

[Fang]

I remember saving up to buy a gameboy for a road trip and It came with Links Awakening with it. Now that is a good bundle. Link's Awakening is definitely one of the best games on the system. I also liked Batman The Animated Series, it had real good music just like the cartoon. I have Donkey Kong too and that game is a lot of fun. Metroid 2 is good also. I need to buy me some more games to play on the super game boy. Long live the gameboy.

[GeckoYamori]

I've spent an unhealthy amount of time with Link's Awakening. Even discovered some glitch in the game. I think it took me to some type of debug room, which for instance allowed me to get the second power bracelet early. I can only recall it involved falling down the pit in the lair of the first boss, then immideately jumping when entering the following room.

[Drixxel]

Game Boy doesn't have the library that Game Gear has and it doesn't hold a place in my heart like Lynx, but it does have some games that are special to me

There's something so very cool about the Atari Lynx. The first model may have been a bulky mother, but it's always struck me as such a stylish design. I've only come across two of them in my travels through the physical realm, and only one of them was for sale (I would have bought that used model 2 if not for the fact that I was 10 at the time and probably had in my possession that many dollars). Still, I've played pretty much the entire Lynx library through emulation, and I'll definately pick one up at some point. There are a number of Lynx games I rather dig.. especially among those Battlewheels, Blue Lightning, California Games, Road Blasters, Rygar, Warbirds and Xenophobe.
Do you have much of a Lynx collection, j_factor?

...and it's great to hear the abundance of Link's Awakening love. That one's a prime example of what really could be achieved with the Game Boy, and damn it's fun.


I've spent an unhealthy amount of time with Link's Awakening. Even discovered some glitch in the game. I think it took me to some type of debug room, which for instance allowed me to get the second power bracelet early. I can only recall it involved falling down the pit in the lair of the first boss, then immideately jumping when entering the following room.

That's one random discovery. Have you ever been able to repeat it?

[j_factor]

Game Boy doesn't have the library that Game Gear has and it doesn't hold a place in my heart like Lynx, but it does have some games that are special to me

There's something so very cool about the Atari Lynx. The first model may have been a bulky mother, but it's always struck me as such a stylish design. I've only come across two of them in my travels through the physical realm, and only one of them was for sale (I would have bought that used model 2 if not for the fact that I was 10 at the time and probably had in my possession that many dollars). Still, I've played pretty much the entire Lynx library through emulation, and I'll definately pick one up at some point. There are a number of Lynx games I rather dig.. especially among those Battlewheels, Blue Lightning, California Games, Road Blasters, Rygar, Warbirds and Xenophobe.
Do you have much of a Lynx collection, j_factor?

Regrettably, I do not currently own a Lynx. I sold my Lynx in early '93 to get a Game Gear in its place, mainly because Lynx releases had dried up but also because I really wanted a Game Gear for some of its games. I have yet to re-acquire it like I did most of my old systems... I'll probably get one this year.

I think the Lynx game I played most back in the day was Klax (it was the 90s and all). While the other 95% of portable gamers were enthralled with either Tetris or Columns, I dug Klax to no end. If there hadn't been a Game Gear version of Klax, I may never have parted with my Lynx. (Although the Game Gear version wasn't nearly as nice).

[ary incorparated]

I dont like lynx anymore,I got it some games looked great played fun and then it was over and i was searching for new games and ended up with fearly shitty games for the system,come on how ugly does Tod slime world looks.Gamegear looked better to me,overall best of the 3,when i played mortal combat 2 i was amazed also while playing lion king,sonic triple trouble,sonic drift.Ive never played master system before i played gamegear,And then i heard there also was a tv tuner for the console,pretty damn fine for its time,gamegear was the only handheld that was ahead of its time then,Tv tuner radio etc.Only the Batterie lastabillity was worse,Altough a buyed a accu pack and some kind of gamegear batteries that dure longer.Well the only gameboy that is inovative is the ds,Nintendo wasnt revolutioner while making gameboys,they just catched the hype,Atary lynx came out in 1989 Was color,Gamvoy monochrome.1 piont minus,Gamegear came out in 1991,also in 1997 there already was a 32 bit monochrome handheld,nintendo came up with a worse idea but since they got the hype they maked a more portable monochrome gameboy,Gamegear was still ahead of nintendo gamegear in quality,Also in 1998 neo geo pocket came out,portable monochrome catched a smaller audience but had 16 bit.okay 1998 gameboy color hmmm finally weve seen color on a gameboy,most of the kids saw this the first time,and some people didnt know of the gamegear its existance,because nintendo stealed the hype with monochrome but hey now its finally color,but gameboy color wasnt imppresive at all,showing the same stuff that weve already seen on nes and some looked a bit better,But still gamegear holds its own in the graphic and sound department and did the GBC had anything new,no only color and a gameboy camera that was monochrome.


Then aggain gameboy advanced,showing some ugly 3d effects trying to be 32 bit in 2001, hey the first 32 bit console came out in 93 and nintendo doesnt know how to improve it in 2001,8 years after that.I dont like GBA that much also,some games are good.Ds is the first solid and super fine handheld.Gamegear was ahead of its time for shure,sega was trying to be ahead of it all the time but didnt succeed every time.Gamegear wins and gameboy sucks.a few titles intrest me for the gameboy but not more then that.

[Drixxel]

^ Ehh, I'd say the Game Boy was definately an innovator in handhelds.. the Lynx and Game Gear clearly beat it in hardware strength, but the classic Game Boy further proved for damn near ten years that gameplay can exist without stellar graphics. It was also arguably the most portable of its competitors, with the best battery life and most convenient design. Sure, the original Game Boy is seen as bulky now, but compared to its contemporaries Lynx and Game Gear, it was rather svelte. It also carried a less-weighty price tag.

The Game Boy introduced many people to affordable and convenient handheld gaming. It dominated the handheld market for a reason.. for what it set out to do (gaming on the go), its design was more accomodating than either the Game Gear or Lynx. Nintendo definately low-balled the hardware strength of the Game Boy compared to the approach Epyx and Sega took with their handhelds, but it turned out that people weren't particularly concerned with flashy graphics in a handheld. Nintendo recognized and capitalized on that, and saved themselves a shit load of money in production costs by doing so.

For me, handheld gaming has never been about the graphics, at least compared to the current console generation. The two exist on different planes, and they should be judged with different standards. Functionality of design is far more important to a handheld than graphical strength, thus... the Game Boy's success.

[j_factor]

It dominated the handheld market for a reason.. for what it set out to do (gaming on the go), its design was more accomodating than either the Game Gear or Lynx.

While that was certainly a factor, I think the bigger reason was Tetris. Its popularity, especially on Game Boy, is often understated or taken for granted these days.

[Drixxel]

Yeah, Tetris was a big deal. I was yammering on in that other message about hardware design alone rather than software, but most definately Tetris on the Game Boy is the reason handheld gaming took off as a distinct pillar of gaming.

[Vorty]

Squinting at your Gameboy, trying to actually see what was going on until your eyes burned out.

Yup, that's why I still play my Game Gear.

[Drixxel]

Ehh, I could make an equally bitter statement about the disorienting qualities of heinous Game Gear motion blur.

[Obviously]

It's a true testament to the staying power of the Gameboy considering how many technically superior handhelds it crushed in its strangehold of the market.

[MrMatthews]

BUMP!!!

I've always been a big fan of the handheld systems, and there was a time when my Gameboy was my most prized possession. My dad bought it for me when it first came out and I kept it in immaculate condition until my senior year in high school. I'm sorry to say that I pawned my whole GB collection for $75, which I instantly blew on my girlfriend and cigarettes.

Here are my favorite games for the system.

Gargoyle's Quest
Metroid II
Mega Man III
Mega Man IV
Bionic Commando
Super Mario Land
TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan
Link's Awakening
Tetris

Honorable mentions: Faceball 2000; Gremlins 2; Bad 'n Rad; Kirby's in Dreamland

Some afterthoughts:

For some reason, I didn't care for Mega Man V at all. I thought the original bosses were lame and the music sucked.

I thought Super Mario Land 2's controls were too floaty and it tried to hard to be Super Mario World, but fell short of virtually everything that made SMW awesome.

I never even knew Donkey Kong existed on the Gameboy until a few years ago.

[Kogen]

While I do enjoy games like Wario Land and Kirby, I do not think the system is very good at all. The black and white was really pushing into "what the shite is this?" questioning. My Atari 2600 has colour.

I only really started to enjoy portables a lot with NGPC/GBA, but never got to the point of buying one until DS (PSP seems redundant with a PS2).

[Mr. Ksoft]

I got a Game Boy Pocket around when I was 5 and a half, I think. It was my first dedicated game system (only other things I'd used before then were a Macintosh computer and a MS-DOS PC)

It lasted me several years on just Super Mario Land and Tetris Plus. I love both those games.

I got an original Game Boy at a garage sale over the summer and wow the screen is awful. Can't figure out how the Game Boy survived with that. The Pocket was at least usable during fast movement, but the original is pretty useless except for RPGs. I can play Pokemon Yellow comfortably on it, but not much else. I guess Tetris was just that important.

I just wish I had a really good way to play Game Boy games on the TV. The Super Game Boy works pretty well, but it plays the sound about a quarter-step too high and that bugs me because every song I remember sounds wrong. Plus it has no Game Boy Color support. And I have a Game Boy Player, but the Gamecube controller is awful for playing things. I wonder if it's possible to mod a Game Boy Color (I have one with a dead speaker but working headphone port that I'd be ok with taking apart) to give it TV outputs.

[MrMatthews]

Although I had zero complaints when I originally had the Gameboy, when I recently picked one up and tried to play it I couldn't fathom how I managed back in the day. Fortunately, my GBA SP plays all those original GB games perfectly.

[johnnyb]

... so no pokemon then aye?;)

[MrMatthews]

... so no pokemon then aye?;)
I'm not going to lie . . . so I'm not going to answer that.

Just kidding. I bought a used copy of Pokemon Blue right around the time they were releasing the versions on the GBA. I was surprised at how fun and addictive it was, but after I beat it I never played through any of the others (nor had much interest to, for some reason).

[InternalPrimate]

I owned one of the old "paperback book" Game Boys back in the day, lost it, and then bought a blue Game Boy pocket a couple years later. I got into a fight with my brother that year, and actually threw my Game Boy at him. The screen broke on his knee. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried for days.

I didn't get a new Game Boy until the Advance launched, never got the Game Boy color craze. I'm more of an SP and DS Lite fan now.

[johnnyb]

I'm not going to lie . . . so I'm not going to answer that.

Just kidding. I bought a used copy of Pokemon Blue right around the time they were releasing the versions on the GBA. I was surprised at how fun and addictive it was, but after I beat it I never played through any of the others (nor had much interest to, for some reason).

That`s the only experience I have had with a gameboy, and yea it was extremely addictive!

[MrMatthews]

My last act in the game after beating it was to trade one of my rock guys so it would evolve into a really big rock guy. After that, I never picked it up again.

I tried again with Pokemon Silver and got about halfway through. It was as addictive as I remembered, but I saw that it was pretty much just more of the same, and I didn't want to go through it all again.

[Phantar]

I agree with those who say that Tetris was the breakthrough moment for handhelds in General and the Game Boy in particular. Heck, we were regularly FORCED to buy a second Game Boy because my parents kept hogging the handheld playing Tetris although they had originally bought it for us kids! (And later, we needed to buy a third one because the down-direction on the d-pad had worn out! :p )

Personally I think that the Game Boy saw the best Mega Man Games ever, particularly MM IV and V!

[Alianger]

I love the Game Boy, still is one of my favs and one of the consoles I've the most nostalgia for. A big reason is of course the portability.. Wherever the family went on holidays it went too, so it got a lot of playtime. And a lot of wear and tear, my original console is barely functional today.

But of course it wouldn't have if not for some quality games. The best ones are to me comparable or even better than the top games for either the nes or the master system.

Top 10:
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - I still think it's the best 2D Zelda.
Donkey Kong '94 - Excellent update to the original.
Wario Land 1 - I thought more people would mention this, it had a faster pace than Mario Land 2 and the treasure hunting gave it some good replay value. Also loved the soundtrack, but I guess it's an acquired taste.
Castlevania II - Big improvement on the first game.
Bionic Commando - A more polished version of the original with excellent music.
Mega Man V - They finally made a unique game instead of harder versions of the nes games.. almost on par with MM3.
Kwirk - Challenging puzzler, and one of the first games I got for the console.
Gargoyle's Quest - I'd say it's a bit better than the sequel. It had less slowdown, bigger bosses and better music. Demon's Crest might be a better game in many ways, but it has a different feel to it.
The sequel was actually released for the GB but only in Japan, not sure if it plays better or not.
Mole Mania - Pretty innovative and long puzzle game with some great music.
Pinball: Revenge of the Gator - I usually don't like pinball games but they managed to make this fun by incorporating some video game aspects like boss fights, and the table is quite big.

[The Jackal]

Gragoyle's Quest, Pokemon Gold/Silver, Pokemon Red/Blue, Tetris, Link's Awakening and R-Type DX are the only games worth getting for the GB.

[MrMatthews]

I'm glad I bumped this thread. :)

Even though it became much more streamlined with the Gameboy Pocket and Gameboy Color, I think there's still a lot of charm in the original grey brick model. I'd probably never play it because the screen is so crappy (by today's standards, I mean), but I wish I still had one.

Speaking of the GBC, I think the best game to come out for it is Super Mario Deluxe.

[InternalPrimate]

Speaking of the GBC, I think the best game to come out for it is Super Mario Deluxe.

My little brother owned a Game Boy Color (we live on opposite ends of California), and I remember playing the HELL out of Super Mario Delux. Amazing that such an old game could be so relevant. I think I recall racing a ghost mario and trying to get high scores. It was an altogether different take on the the game that started it all. I loved it.

[tomaitheous]

I loved that little green and white pixeled of a mini screen bastard! Lots of good memories. The music was awesome too. Much better than the GG's music <_<;

I don't know what you guys are on about with the GG screen. I have two GG's and the screens suck ass. Too washed out, more touchy on the angle than the GB, and still has blurry issues for movement.

[zetastrike]

To me, the Game Boy Pocket was the best handheld ever. It took the b/w GB and really improved the display so it was really b/w and not green. It blurred less, too. I still use mine a lot.

Top 5:
1) Donkey Kong Land
2) Mario Land 1
3) Tetris
4) Castlevania 2
5) Donkey Kong Land 3

[Jesse813]

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this video might help you remember the great fun you had w/ your gameboys

[MrMatthews]

That's right . . . I did have a lot of fun with my GameBoy!

The Game Gear? Sorry, not so much. :(

Flashy colors and a backlit screen don't do much good on a portable device if you're tethered to a wall socket b/c you only have an hour's worth of gameplay on six goddam batteries!

Not trying to start shit, though. I was all about the Game Gear for a while until I got turned off by it's limitations.

[Jesse813]

yes I also like the Gameboy as it had plenty of good games, I just also like the the old Sega Commercials.

[MrMatthews]

Yeah, me too.

[Anthall]

I think the Gameboy is the greatest handheld ever made. It has a strong nostalgic power over me.

I remember when I was a kid when I used to play the gameboy none stop, using up all the batteries every two days.

Anyway me favorites were:

Donkey Kong GB - Combines two of my favorite genres in one cartridge, puzzlers and platformers.

Donkey Kong Land - I remember how difficult this game was, and how hard it was to see.

Pokemon Red/Blue- One of the few largely complex gameboy games, I remember I used to drain all my batteries on this game.

Super Mario Land 2 - It's classic Mario. Need I say more?

Super Mario Land - Look at above line

R-Type - Another one of my favorite genres. I also used to play this for hours.

[KnightWarrior]

I got all the Game Boy's

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/MarioMania/GB%20Collection/P1010332.jpg

[Duallies]

I loved the original Game Boy. I only had a few games, but I logged in countless hours on them. I remember playing Tetris, Super Mario Land, Motocross Maniacs, and Batman. :D

[vintagegamecrazy]

I'm not huge on the old grayscale screen but I love the nostalgia from it.

I won't list the classics though I love Castlevania II but I'll list a few sleeper games that I had some fun with.

Kingdom Crusade

Smurfs

Sneaky Snakes (a Snake Rattle n Roll sequel)

[gamevet]

I had a banana yellow Gameboy Color at one time, but I was so disappointed with the screen, that I didn't play it much.

When the GBA SP came out, I jumped at the chance to play the older Gameboy games, along with the newer games made for the GBA. I now have about 25 GBA games including: Pinball of the Dead, Advance Wars 1&2, Golden Sun 1&2, Zelda: The Munish Cap, Namco's Greatest hits, Gunstar Super Heroes, Metroid: Zero Mission, Castlevania: Circle of the moon, F-Zero and Fire Emblem.

The GBA is the greatest handheld ever, even surpassing the excellent Gameboy library. It's like a SNES in the palm of your hand and the library may even be better than that of the SNES console.

[MrMatthews]

I don't know why, but I was never terribly impressed with the GBA library, despite the fact that a countless number of people (like Gamevet up there) have touted its excellency. Maybe my opinion will change once the system is more than a generation old, but I definitely prefer the DS library (outside of a few errant titles, like the two Metroid games and maybe Mario vs DK)

[QuickSciFi]

I agree. The GBA SP is a great handheld. I do love my Onyx version. :D

[Knuckle Duster]

I don't know why, but I was never terribly impressed with the GBA library, despite the fact that a countless number of people (like Gamevet up there) have touted its excellency. Maybe my opinion will change once the system is more than a generation old, but I definitely prefer the DS library (outside of a few errant titles, like the two Metroid games and maybe Mario vs DK)

An opinion I share myself, I was never big on handhelds, having only a handful of games per generation, then the Onyx GBA SP came out, I bought one.

The library wasn't impressive at all, & it was my first 'real' taste of 'fanboy idiocy' when I looked at all the top recommendations being punted around various websites.

Golden Sun's are overrated, The Metroidvanias weren't awesome, Fire Emblem is still like new, mint in the box here on my shelf, Shining Soul too, what a crappy dungeon crawler. Pokemon need to go extinct.

There are a few awesome games, but not enough.

DS library has more of everything, and more fundamentally different genres.

[MrMatthews]

Eh, I enjoyed Circle of the Moon and Aria of Sorrow more than Dawn of Sorrow.

[Baloo]

I like the Game Boy, but prefer the Game Gear. The titles were more solid, and Mortal Kombat is much better on Game Gear than it is on Game Boy.

But I love Tetris, Super Mario Land 1 and 2, Darkwing Duck, and Ducktales 1 and 2, and a couple other games on there.

Alleyway sucks though.

[MitsuruX]

Rememebr all of th crazy attachement for the "Origianl" gameboy... such as (but not limited to)

Gameboy Magnifyer
Gameboy Light
Rechagable battery pack (With belt clip)
etc.

and then later... the Worm Light... (besti perephiral ever for the Gameboy line? possibly)

[Knuckle Duster]

Rememebr all of th crazy attachement for the "Origianl" gameboy... such as (but not limited to)

Gameboy Magnifyer
Gameboy Light
Rechagable battery pack (With belt clip)
etc.

and then later... the Worm Light... (besti perephiral ever for the Gameboy line? possibly)

I got a free copy of F1 Race w/4 player adaptor (hub with 1 cord that takes 3 link cables)

The game was awesome, the adaptor...is a paperweight I've yet to toss out.

[Collision Cat]

Hell yeah, Game Boy rocks!
...when you play it on a nice, bright GBASP. :p
I had a Game Boy Pocket when I was a kitten, no idea how I saw the screen. I played games like Mario Land 1 & 2, Pokémon, Dr Mario, the Jungle Book (never got past that first pit), Race Days and Taz-Mania. :)

[hydroMorphoneMat]

I remeber taking my dads clunker gameboy when he wasnt playing it and play final fantasy and get my assed whooped. And that heinki alien (sp?) game, where you dig the holes to get rid of the aliens then bury them alive. And kirby pinball land.
Then I personally got the gameboy pocket? not sure if thats what it was called, the smallest gameboy. took that everywhere, played it at recess all the time in like 4th grade. then color. And then GBA. Then when advanced sp came out I didnt know what to get my mom for xmas, so I bought her that knowing she would never play it, just make me look sweet. I was a bastard that year.

[jerry coeurl]

Link's Awakening is still the best Zelda game, as far as I'm concerned.

[Honey the Cat]

That's right . . . I did have a lot of fun with my GameBoy!

The Game Gear? Sorry, not so much. :(

Flashy colors and a backlit screen don't do much good on a portable device if you're tethered to a wall socket b/c you only have an hour's worth of gameplay on six goddam batteries!

Not trying to start shit, though. I was all about the Game Gear for a while until I got turned off by it's limitations.

You could always try a car adapter or something.

[Karakasa-Obake]

Oh man...I have so many memories with the Gameboy. It doesn't even seem like it has been 20 years. Hmmm......I think the first GB game I played was probably Super Mario Land or Metroid II. I remember saving up for a bedside lamp so I could see the games better. That light never did crap for me. It would always cut off part of the picture and whatnot.

[gamevet]

An opinion I share myself, I was never big on handhelds, having only a handful of games per generation, then the Onyx GBA SP came out, I bought one.

The library wasn't impressive at all, & it was my first 'real' taste of 'fanboy idiocy' when I looked at all the top recommendations being punted around various websites.

Golden Sun's are overrated, The Metroidvanias weren't awesome, Fire Emblem is still like new, mint in the box here on my shelf, Shining Soul too, what a crappy dungeon crawler. Pokemon need to go extinct.

There are a few awesome games, but not enough.

DS library has more of everything, and more fundamentally different genres.

I played Golden Sun through emulation. It was the game that peaked my interest in the GBA, and Advance Wars, since I was a Military Madness fan.

Metroid Zero is an excellent remake of the NES original and Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls is a nice update to the original Final Fantasy games from the NES as well. SNES hits like Final Fantasy III, F-Zero and Super Mario World are nice to have on the road. Plus, there's a nice collection of Arcade classics from Namco and Konami.

It doesn't hurt that the GBA SP can play all of the back catalog of Gameboy games either.

[shinobimusashi]

been playing alot of castlevania 2(i whonder if they called it castlevania 2 to make up for the nes 2 being so terrible) what a great game!!! some bad ass boss battles and beutifull level designs, the game caught me off gaurd because i thought the 4 levels that you could choose from were the only ones in the game, however after i beat the 4th i was pleasantly supprised when the actuall castle came up out of the water and it seems like the crushing arcade difficulty is finaly present, i thought the 4 levels were a little too easy for a castlevania game but this castle seems to be for the seasoned castlevania player

[MrMatthews]

BUMP

So, somewhere on this site someone mentioned how to play the original Gameboy games on the GBA in plain old black & white instead of the default faux-color greenscale. Something about holding certain buttons down during start-up.

Um... what was it again? Anyone?

[Karakasa-Obake]

BUMP

So, somewhere on this site someone mentioned how to play the original Gameboy games on the GBA in plain old black & white instead of the default faux-color greenscale. Something about holding certain buttons down during start-up.

Um... what was it again? Anyone?

You can even do it on the GBC with older GB titles. When the GameBoy logo pops up, press the dipad in different directions to select a color. You can hold down A or B to get more colors, too.
I was originally going to say you had to enter the Konami Code 5 times fast before the logo fades out, but I'm not that kinda guy;)

[17daysolderthannes]

Hell yeah, Game Boy rocks!
...when you play it on a nice, bright GBASP. :p
I had a Game Boy Pocket when I was a kitten, no idea how I saw the screen. I played games like Mario Land 1 & 2, Pokémon, Dr Mario, the Jungle Book (never got past that first pit), Race Days and Taz-Mania. :)

aaaaaand another furry joins the forums.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3527116774_7c2c319b21.jpg

(facepalm)

[WarmSignal]

The Gameboy/Color/Advance were the reason I hated handhelds for so long. I have no appreciation for them. The DS on the other hand, is one of my favorites among all consoles.

[AlecRob]

I'll proudly say i own every type of gameboy, even a gameboy light (the gameboy light and gamboy advance sp are my favourite models)

[InternalPrimate]

Link's Awakening is still the best Zelda game, as far as I'm concerned.

Big old +1 for that post.

[SEGA.GENESIS1989]

The one game I really enjoyed playing on the orignal Game Boy was Final Fantasy Tactics. It may not be highly regarded among RPG fans but there is no denying that it is quite engrossing. The other two games I enjoyed playing on the original Game Boy was Batman and Solar Striker.

[jerry coeurl]

The one game I really enjoyed playing on the orignal Game Boy was Final Fantasy Tactics. It may not be highly regarded among RPG fans but there is no denying that it is quite engrossing. The other two games I enjoyed playing on the original Game Boy was Batman and Solar Striker.

There is no Final Fantasy Tactics on the "original" Game Boy, however there were 4 games re-branded as FF titles when they were released in America. SaGa 1 - 3 (re-titled "Final Fantasy Legend 1 - 3") and Seiken Densetsu (aka the first Mana game, re-titled "Final Fantasy Adventure").

I am a huge fan of the Final Fantasy Legend games, at least the first two. The third game feels very different as it was made by a completely different team (the team who went on to make Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, as a matter of fact).

Anyway, yeah, I appreciate the hell out of the Game Boy! I'd say it has my favorite 8-bit library for sure.



Big old +1 for that post.

Thanks! I still stand by that opinion. I don't think it'll ever change!

[SEGA.GENESIS1989]

There is no Final Fantasy Tactics on the "original" Game Boy, however there were 4 games re-branded as FF titles when they were released in America. SaGa 1 - 3 (re-titled "Final Fantasy Legend 1 - 3") and Seiken Densetsu (aka the first Mana game, re-titled "Final Fantasy Adventure").

I am a huge fan of the Final Fantasy Legend games, at least the first two. The third game feels very different as it was made by a completely different team (the team who went on to make Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, as a matter of fact).

Anyway, yeah, I appreciate the hell out of the Game Boy! I'd say it has my favorite 8-bit library for sure.

Thanks! I still stand by that opinion. I don't think it'll ever change!

Jerry, you're right. I had to go downstairs and verify what game I actually was referring to: It is Final Fantasy Legend. I recently found the manual, game cartridge, box and map of the game in a box of old documents. Surprisingly everything is in good condition. There is one problem though: I still haven't found the cartridge! I think I remember getting the game pretty cheap and I certainly got value for my money. Since I enjoyed the first game so much, I've recently considered seeking out the sequels however good or bad they may be.

[Zoltor]

FF Legend 2, Link's awakening, and Castlevania oh my.

I love those games so much :)

[jerry coeurl]

Jerry, you're right. I had to go downstairs and verify what game I actually was referring to: It is Final Fantasy Legend. I recently found the manual, game cartridge, box and map of the game in a box of old documents. Surprisingly everything is in good condition. There is one problem though: I still haven't found the cartridge! I think I remember getting the game pretty cheap and I certainly got value for my money. Since I enjoyed the first game so much, I've recently considered seeking out the sequels however good or bad they may be.


That's a real shame, man! Although I do prefer the sequel, the original SaGa/Final Fantasy Legend is certainly no slouch! I think those two titles are amongst the best 8-bit RPGs, period. Really fun and a ton of replay value!

The SaGa series isn't for everyone, but I am definitely a fan of the games. If you want to check out the later installments, SaGa Frontier comes highly recommended. It basically plays like a 32-bit update of Final Fantasy Legend 2, right down to featuring the same 4 playable character races (humans, mystics/mutants, monsters & robots). But it's got 7 different scenarios, each with a different main character, and multiple endings and all that jazz. Everyone hated it so it's pretty much the least expensive of the PSX Squaresoft games to get these days. It's definitely rushed and not completely finished in some areas (namely the story), but the music is awesome and the battle system is really fun. I spent like 150+ hours doing everything in this game, but never because I felt like I had to. I just really enjoyed the gameplay.

[Guntz]

I appreciate me some Game Boy too, I've some very fond memories of playing the classics (Super Mario Land 1 - 3, Kirby series) and some not-so-classics across the Game Boy hardware series. Definitely a great handheld with some great exclusives and easily available TV play options. :D

[Zoltor]

I appreciate me some Game Boy too, I've some very fond memories of playing the classics (Super Mario Land 1 - 3, Kirby series) and some not-so-classics across the Game Boy hardware series. Definitely a great handheld with some great exclusives and "easily available TV play options". :D

Yea, the Super gameboy is the greatest thing ever made(plays most GBC games as well btw). I use it all the time to play FF Legend 2, and the DWM games.

[The Jackal]

Yea, the Super gameboy is the greatest thing ever made(plays most GBC games as well btw).

This does that and GBA games as well:

http://www.childtoysstore.com/images/Game%20Boy%20Player.jpg

[Zoltor]

This does that and GBA games as well:

http://www.childtoysstore.com/images/Game%20Boy%20Player.jpg

One big problem though, you need a GC, one of the worst systems in history, with one of the worst libraries to go with it(no crappy system should be without a crappy library to go with it).

Sigh It's ashame to, because GBA is awesome, so it would've been great to play the games on the TV.

[The Jackal]

There's a few good games on the system, granted not a lot, but some worth getting it for. And what with the Wii being able to play GC games, an actual GameCube can be picked up for peanuts.

No excuse not to own one.

[Zoltor]

There's a few good games on the system, granted not a lot, but some worth getting it for. And what with the Wii being able to play GC games, an actual GameCube can be picked up for peanuts.

No excuse not to own one.

Yea I suppose.

[InternalPrimate]

There's a few good games on the system, granted not a lot, but some worth getting it for. And what with the Wii being able to play GC games, an actual GameCube can be picked up for peanuts.

No excuse not to own one.

+1

[Guntz]

Man you guys are crazy, I have a very nice row of kick ass GameCube games and a pile of systems. It's so inexpensive, there's no reason to not own one.

[MrMatthews]

One big problem though, you need a GC, one of the worst systems in history, with one of the worst libraries to go with it(no crappy system should be without a crappy library to go with it).

Sigh It's ashame to, because GBA is awesome, so it would've been great to play the games on the TV.

This post is chock-ful of fail.

The GameCube's library is just as good as the N64's library, IMO. In fact, I think it's even better because it doesn't have any loathsomely-overrated Rare games.

Plus, regardless of how you feel about GC games, the idea that you're unwilling to buy one for the GBA (despite the fact that you ever so wish to play GBA games on the TV... sigh...) because you don't approve of the console's core library just makes you look like a raging tool.

Edit: Back on topic, here's how much I love the GameBoy.
http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr29/joeproduct/gameboylove.jpg

[GohanX]

Mr Matthews: VERY nice!

I played the Gameboy all the time back in the day, but I didn't get a chance to play much of the library, being poor and only having one friend who had a GB (as opposed to everyone having an NES and lending games.) I did pick up a ton of games last year after I repaired and modded my old brick.

Question, I only played Final Fantasy Legend 1 for a little bit (it was a friend's game) and I never played the other GB games. Nostalgia aside, since I have none, are they still worth tracking down and playing today?

[j_factor]

Question, I only played Final Fantasy Legend 1 for a little bit (it was a friend's game) and I never played the other GB games. Nostalgia aside, since I have none, are they still worth tracking down and playing today?

Legend 2 is very much worth it. I have played through it quite a few times, just because the battle system is so good.

[QuickSciFi]

MrMatt makes a good point. Even I, who deem the GC as ultimately irrelevant in history (only because the Wii is pretty much a supped-up GC) would agree that it does have some great titles (and exclusives at that).

P.S.> Just about the only thing that ever prompts me to hate on the Gamecube is the insurmountable number of straight-up ports we see between the Gamecube and Wii (and, unfortunately, it goes either way). The fact that you can play a perfectly good Wii game on the Gamecube has to make at least one of the two systems unnecessarily moot. And, yet, we got to have them both just because it was time for a fucking new console. Yaaaaay.

P.S.S.> I wonder what that says about the Wii-U...:?

[Zoltor]

Mr Matthews: VERY nice!

I played the Gameboy all the time back in the day, but I didn't get a chance to play much of the library, being poor and only having one friend who had a GB (as opposed to everyone having an NES and lending games.) I did pick up a ton of games last year after I repaired and modded my old brick.

Question, I only played Final Fantasy Legend 1 for a little bit (it was a friend's game) and I never played the other GB games. Nostalgia aside, since I have none, are they still worth tracking down and playing today?

FF Legend 2 is not only far better then any other one in the series, but It's arguably the best game on the original GB, so yes It's very well worth getting FF Legend 2 even at this point in time.

[Baloo]

Used to love playing my Game Boy as a kid. This definitely was my favorite game on the system:

2oAl94bC5Cs

What other game can you fly Mario around in a plane? Probably also the only other Mario game that was really similar to the original (Not including SMB: Lost Levels, which was little more than a level hack)

[MrMatthews]

MrMatt makes a good point. Even I, who deem the GC as ultimately irrelevant in history (only because the Wii is pretty much a supped-up GC) would agree that it does have some great titles (and exclusives at that).

P.S.> Just about the only thing that ever prompts me to hate on the Gamecube is the insurmountable number of straight-up ports we see between the Gamecube and Wii (and, unfortunately, it goes either way). The fact that you can play a perfectly good Wii game on the Gamecube has to make at least one of the two systems unnecessarily moot. And, yet, we got to have them both just because it was time for a fucking new console. Yaaaaay.

P.S.S.> I wonder what that says about the Wii-U...:?

The only thing I really hold against the GameCube is that it had a pretty uneventful, "safe" library.

[Curryman123]

Super Mario Land series is so awesome.

[eddiespruce]

One big problem though, you need a GC, one of the worst systems in history, with one of the worst libraries to go with it(no crappy system should be without a crappy library to go with it).

Sigh It's ashame to, because GBA is awesome, so it would've been great to play the games on the TV.

Well, if you don't like the Gamecube, you can use it primarily to play GB/GBC/GBA games. I'll agree, the Gamecube doesn't have a very memorable library of games, however I recommend you check out "Tales of Symphonia", as it's easily the best RPG on the system. However, most of the other games for the Gamecube are not my cup of tea, and get boring very fast. I only own 9 Gamecube games, and 3 of them are still factory sealed because I have no interest in playing them.

But seeing as you can get a Gamecube for peanuts these days, I recommend picking one up just for playing GB/GBC/GBA games, and Tales of Symphonia.

[NeoZeedeater]

I don't like playing GB games on GC much. The graphics have that nasty vaseline filter even when set to "sharp". GBC games look especially bad on it. And some games seem to run slightly choppier. A couple days ago I picked up Ninja Gaiden Shadow and I noticed it runs smoother on GBA than on the GB Player. I don't think it's just the screen size difference.

[old man]

Used to love playing my Game Boy as a kid. This definitely was my favorite game on the system:

2oAl94bC5Cs

What other game can you fly Mario around in a plane? Probably also the only other Mario game that was really similar to the original (Not including SMB: Lost Levels, which was little more than a level hack)

I agree SML was one of the wildest, hardest, most tripped out mind fuck of a Mario game ever made. It's a shame that it didn't get a proper sequel, but got a watered down SMW style game instead (SML2 is still awesome too though). Incidentally this is also the first mario game made without Miyamoto. It was produced by Gunpei Yokoi and his team at R&D1. I think the world has forgotten just how awesome Gunpei Yokoi was. He helped create the gameboy, and tons of other gadgets, but he could do games as well. He produced a bunch of games like this one, and even showed a young Miyamoto the ropes on game design. As good as Miyamoto is I always had a slight preference for the design sensibilities of other Nintendo teams like R&D1 and Intelligent Systems.

[Guntz]

The only thing I really hold against the GameCube is that it had a pretty uneventful, "safe" library.

Except for Eternal Darkness, but that's not worth remembering amirite?

http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/graemlins/ohno.gif

[Baloo]

I agree SML was one of the wildest, hardest, most tripped out mind fuck of a Mario game ever made. It's a shame that it didn't get a proper sequel, but got a watered down SMW style game instead (SML2 is still awesome too though). Incidentally this is also the first mario game made without Miyamoto. It was produced by Gunpei Yokoi and his team at R&D1. I think the world has forgotten just how awesome Gunpei Yokoi was. He helped create the gameboy, and tons of other gadgets, but he could do games as well. He produced a bunch of games like this one, and even showed a young Miyamoto the ropes on game design. As good as Miyamoto is I always had a slight preference for the design sensibilities of other Nintendo teams like R&D1 and Intelligent Systems.

Gunpei Yokoi was awesome, he was the father of the Game Boy. I'll agree on SML2 being not as interesting as the first game, though quite solid in it's own right.

[MrMatthews]

Except for Eternal Darkness, but that's not worth remembering amirite?

http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/graemlins/ohno.gif

I have no idea how I'm supposed to interpret this post, so I'll leave it alone until you clarify whether your "burn" was directed at me or towards Eternal Darkness.