The Official Game Boy Thread

[airsoftmodels]

I can't remember if I posted this before...

[airsoftmodels]

I am thinking of getting one of these. The original DMG game boy was the first game boy that I owned around 1992. This screen looks amazing. Any thoughts?

 

[Tanooki]

I'd like one at times, but then I realize I'd rather leave my low use one cherry and pony up for a launch GBA with a 101 style screen thrown into it. That right there is the best solution. For old GB, just use the button combo at boot for black and white mode and it ends up being like a not blurry GB Pocket.

[+atari2600land]

Is there some sort of contraption that takes saved game files off Game Boy games and stores them on your computer? I just got this game at the store and someone beat it and I would like to save that save file on my computer. But who knows how much longer it will last, since Donkey Kong came out in 1994, and it's already been 23 years.

[dj_convoy]

I guess you could do it with a Retron 5 and an SD card. Might be a bit of an outlay for what you're talking about, tho'.

[Tanooki]

Well back around the late 90s/00 a company released a device called a DEXDRIVE for gameboy among other formats. It allowed you to toss games or memory cards into it and back them up with the software onto your Windows PC. I have no idea if it would still work in modern windows or if you could find the unit and software but it's a choice.

 

Some old copier devices for GB came with a DOCK too, and they could be used to read a save game off a legit game and dump it to the PC (I did this before so I know.)

 

The other would be as he said above, Retron5. Fire up system, pop in game, go to 2nd menu option down. Select CART->RETRON 5 and it moves the save to the console. Then just go do that with each game. I've never looked so I have no idea if you can then pull the save to the PC, but given it supposedly I believe copies it to the SD card I think it would be worth investigating.

[+atari2600land]

I'll see if any of the stores have a Retron 5. It looks like Wal-Mart might have one, since Googling it brought up various prices and Wal-Mart was on the list?

Edited February 21, 2017 by atari2600land

[+atari2600land]

I popped off the face plate to clean it and get all that icky specks off from under it. Is there a way to glue it back on? What kind of glue would I use?

[+atari2600land]

And last, but not least, I want to show my Game Boy love. I'm programming a game for it. It's called Oranges. It's a game where you dodge oranges. I'll make a website for it here pretty soon. Here's a screenshot from it.

 

[airsoftmodels]

does anyone here have the everdrive gba x5?

[Tanooki]

I wish I did, but missed out on the sale last year as I didn't have the $. :\ Sad thing is I'd end up mostly using it for emulators as I really have most of what I care about anyway on GBA.

[NE146]

does anyone here have the everdrive gba x5?

 

I do.. during the sale I also snagged the Ever GB Drive (for Gameboy). It's funny though.. because the GB Everdrive allows you to play Gameboy games on the old hardware. .e.g. GB/GBP/GBC "where it belongs", but then I end up shoving it on the GBA SP2 more often than not because damn, it's hard to go back to those blurry unlit screens. (yes, I know about the lighting options above.. just saying). And then of course at that point the Everdrive GBA X5 has the ability to play Gameboy games also (and NES) via emulation, so it (kind of) becomes redundant.

 

Ah well. I'm very happy with both of them to be honest. It's kind of a strange feeling today to be able to power on an original primitive Gameboy BRICK and realize you have every single commercial GB game on there numbering in the thousands. It's a way different feeling than PC or console emulation.

 

Edited February 25, 2017 by NE146

[Byron's Reviews]

Hey guys! I just uploaded a video to my YouTube channel in which I show off my GB, GBC and GBA collection! If you are interested in checking it out, click the link below!

 

Feedback is greatly appriciated and I hope you enjoy!

 

[airsoftmodels]

I just sold 2 GBA SP-101's, 12 GBA carts including Castlevania Doublepack, 19 GB carts, and an Everdrive GB for only $150!

[+atari2600land]

I have completed my Game Boy homebrew mentioned in post #134. Here is a link to it: http://www.atari2600land.com/gameboy/oranges.html

I also got Felix the Cat for the Game Boy earlier today.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Hello again guys and gals! Since the Game Boy series of systems are portable handheld consoles that most owners will want to take with them out and about, today I thought I'd take a few minutes to talk about what is likely the most important accessory every Game Boy aficionado needs to have in their collection: A carrying case. Before I get into the nitty gritty of what will be a short but rather picture heavy article I should preface it by saying that, long long ago in a state far far away before I got into retro gaming, one of the things I used to do for work was stress test military tactical gear. From vests to belts, pouches and packs, I put a wide variety of gear designed to hold everything from rifle magazines to cell phones and other fragile electronics through their paces to see what would and would not hold up to the kind of abuse that they would undergo in a real life combat situation. That said, I feel like I'm pretty well qualified to discuss today's topic; so let's get started!

 

 

 

 

Pictured above are the carrying cases that I've been using for my three Game Boy systems for the past few years. There's an official Nintendo brand shoulder bag for the original Game Boy, an official Nintendo brand shoulder bag for the Game Boy Pocket / Color, and a Pelican brand belt pouch for the Game Boy Advance SP. I've been quite pleased with the build quality and durability of the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance SP cases that I settled on, as both are constructed out of heavy duty nylon with double stitching on all the seams and ample padding all around to keep the systems safe from drops or just getting bumped around in a backpack. The Game Boy Pocket shoulder bag (which I should note is much better built than the variation that has "COLOR" stitched on the front) comfortably carries a Game Boy Pocket or Color system in the lower front pocket, 6 cartridges retained by elastic straps in the top front compartment, and has plenty of room in a pouch on the back to carry all sorts of accessories. The back pouch on mine holds a Nyko Worm Light, a plastic case containing 4 spare rechargeable AA batteries, a pair of earbuds, a CGB-003 link cable with DMG-14 adapter, and a small notepad and pencil to jot down passwords and high scores. I told you it was a spacious pouch! The Game Boy Advance SP pouch is a bit smaller and simpler, with just enough room for the system in the back pouch and a couple GBA or GB/GBC games along with with a pair of earbuds and a compact Intec brand GBA SP earphone adapter in the front pouch.

 

I've been totally happy with my Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance SP case selections, though I've always felt a little less confident in the protection offered by the official shoulder bag for the original Game Boy. While it does have just as much carrying space as the Game Boy Color shoulder bag it is constructed out of much lighter weight nylon with very little in the way of padding, and the velcro securing the flap the holds the system in the front pouch has never seemed very trustworthy. As far as I could tell it was the best carrying case option out there for the original Game Boy though, so I just accepted it for what it was and tried to handle the bag carefully when I wanted to bring my original Game Boy out and about. However, I recently discovered another option for carrying around an original Game Boy that I think is absolutely awesome and completely blows every other case out there out of the water in terms of build quality and functionality; and that's what I'd like to talk about today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I go any further let's just address the 800-pound gorilla in the room and get it out of the way: Yes, it's a fanny pack. You're welcome to call it a "hip pouch" or lengthen the waist strap and sling it over your shoulder if that makes you feel more secure in your masculinity, but there's no denying what it is. On the flip side, it's a fantastically well designed and constructed fanny pack that is quite possibly the best way to carry around an original Game Boy while out and about. Produced by the company InterAct, this case is without a doubt the most over-engineered amalgamation of nylon, padding, and zippers that I've ever seen for a handheld game system. Constructed entirely out of what appears to be 1000 Denier Cordura nylon (the stuff used to make the most heavy duty of military gear), every seam is heavily stitched, all the stress points are bar tacked, and the overall build quality is such that I would have zero apprehensions about literally taking this thing into a war zone.

 

 

 

 

 

Unzipping the front flap of the pouch you'll find a nice little compartment with loops to secure a set of spare batteries, and enough room alongside for a pair of earbuds; the latter being a necessity for gaming in public spaces.

 

 

 

 

 

Unbuckling and lifting up the front flap you'll encounter a zippered pouch sized just right to hold two Game Boy games in protective cases, or 4 loose games if you're not too concerned about keeping your cartridge labels protected and pretty.

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly, the rear zippered compartment of the carrying case is an extremely well padded and soft sided pouch sized to hold an original Game Boy system. When I say "extremely well" I mean that it's padded enough that I would have no concerns about the safety of the system if I accidentally slipped and fell right on top of it with all my weight. While I wouldn't want to put it to the test I'm fairly certain that it could stand up to an actual bomb blast, and I think that's about the best endorsement I could give this carrying case. If you're in the market for a an exceptionally well built case to carry around an original Game Boy and the related essentials for an afternoon of gaming and you can live with the fashion faux pas that is wearing a fanny pack in 2017 then I give the InterAct hip pouch my highest recommendation.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Jin

[Tanooki]

Probably not the most popular of choices but between systems for Nintendo handhelds I have a GBColor sittinginside of a Final Fantasy III DS case, the DMG is inside a Club Nintendo Zelda green pouch, the GBC sits in another Club Nintendo one the suede/cloth reversable red/gray pouch, and the GB Micro is in a no-name blue thing with a black trim and metal belt clip meant clearly for like a nokia brick phone sized device. The oddball that's infuriating me I can't find an image of anywhere online is what I have the SP NES Edition in. It's licensed/official, black leather with military trade nylon trim around the edges and then shiny red thread embroidered (nintendo) on the flap. Inside has a small back space netting for a few games (1 GB+2GBA or 4 GBA), and the main area all soft i there has the SP folded over. It's really meant for a GBP/C sized device but it's so utterly tightly snug in there I prefer it. Plus since it is only half height I can fit an added game or two up top without fear of rubbing paint off the device.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Recently someone asked me what I thought the best way to play Game Boy Color games was, and the very same subject came up on another forum not long ago as well, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to share my thoughts on the matter.

 

I do own a backlit original Game Boy as well as an AGS-101 model GBA SP and a Game Boy Player for my GameCube, so you might think that I'd be inclined to pick one of those more modern solutions, but in actuality the Game Boy Color is still my go-to machine whenever I want to play original Game Boy or Game Boy Color games. The reason I don't care for the backlit original Game Boy most of the time is the amount of motion blur the screen has even when backlit, and I don't really use my AGS-101 model GBA SP for original Game Boy or Color games because I don't like the smaller screen size or how over saturated the colors in a lot of Game Boy Color games look when played on a backlit display. I'm not too fond of the ergonomics of the SP or original Game Boy Advance systems either, as they both cramp up my hands something fierce.

 

So I stick with the classic Game Boy Color for most of my Game Boy needs and I generally find the screen quality to be quite good and easy to see, though every now and then I have wanted some screen illumination for the GBC when playing at night or early in the morning when the lights in my apartment are dimmed. For those situations I have checked out a variety of GBC screen lighting solutions, including front lit displays using AGS-001 front light panels and pre-manufactured front light kits both with and without LOCA glue; but they all caused more problems than they solved.

 

The visual quality and color definition of the screen goes way down with all of them and the front light panels seem to draw in dust particles out of nowhere no matter how obsessively you spray them down with compressed air. Even if they're spotlessly clean when installed they still seem to draw in dust particles from outside due to the static charge they generate, and dust inside my screen just drives me nuts. Then there's the lines of glare on the screen that make you have to tilt the system or crane your neck at funny angles to see anything, so all in all I've found the front light options for the Game Boy Color to all create more problems than they solve.

 

 

That said, there has been one lighting solution for the GBC that I did end up being happy with and it's about as simple and basic as they get: The Nyko Worm Light. When used properly it illuminates the entire screen with a clean bright white light that doesn't cause any reduction in visual quality or color definition, and there's no lines of glare or any other funky issues to deal with either. Now when I say "used properly" here's what I mean: Once you've got the Worm Light plugged into the link cable port and you're holding the GBC in the position you'll be playing in, bend the Worm Light so that the bright spot from it is focused on the left side of the screen protector's bezel just below the power indicator LED like so.

 

 

 

Once you've got the Worm Light positioned correctly it should light up the entire screen quite well without being distracting since the only spot producing glare is on the screen protector's bezel. I'm sure there are some people who will think it silly to still use a Worm Light on a Game Boy Color in this day and age, especially when I do own an AGS-101 GBA SP and a GameCube with a Game Boy Player, but for me personally this is the best way to play original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games in dimly lit environments. Good screen size, proper color definition, comfy ergonomics, and no dust or glare issues to contend with.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Jin

[high voltage]

Finally got this game cheap(ish), yay.

[Schizophretard]

Good advice on the placement of the Worm Light.

[Tanooki]

Silly nothing! That's my solution too for GBC and has been for years. I kept researching the whole GBC thing with the backlight. I even trusted this so called amazing ebay seller who ended up being a blame shifting dunce across 2 poorly made duds and still went back to OG solutions -- Worm Light.

 

Those jacked up lit GBCs I got was from ebayer godofgaming who charges too much for his work (was on special) and the image where it wasn't jacked was faded, hazy, colors washed far worse than a real SP does, and that dunce didn't cure the LOCA right, twice, causing spider cracks in the gel and haze on #2. He tried to blame me and said it was the heat outside, the mail, etc. How about being an idiot and admitting it?

 

I went and found a worm light after that experiment in wasted time and it is crisp, sharp, colors are vivid as Nintendo wanted them to be without going hunched under a lamp. The LED itself really brings it out so even the small details are not lost. I too usually will rely on a GBC for anything 8bit, but I will admit I don't mind the smaller or stretched screen view of the GBA either so I'll do both.

 

 

I'd like to get a NGPC worm light, seems collectards make them $50+ painful to get which is insane. The screen on that is the same style panel GBC uses and when lit up looks magnificent.

[koifish]

And last, but not least, I want to show my Game Boy love. I'm programming a game for it. It's called Oranges. It's a game where you dodge oranges. I'll make a website for it here pretty soon. Here's a screenshot from it.

 

 

Cool man! Always good to see someone putting some love into the classics.

 

Is there some sort of contraption that takes saved game files off Game Boy games and stores them on your computer? I just got this game at the store and someone beat it and I would like to save that save file on my computer. But who knows how much longer it will last, since Donkey Kong came out in 1994, and it's already been 23 years.

 

There is, actually. I've not used it, but I know that there's an N64 homebrew that you can run off of an Everdrive 64, and it lets you back up save data from Game Boy games, via the Transfer Pak accessory. That would be cheaper than a Retron, I'm pretty sure. Unless you don't own an N64, controller, transfer pak, etc.

 

 

Silly nothing! That's my solution too for GBC and has been for years. I kept researching the whole GBC thing with the backlight. I even trusted this so called amazing ebay seller who ended up being a blame shifting dunce across 2 poorly made duds and still went back to OG solutions -- Worm Light.

 

Those jacked up lit GBCs I got was from ebayer godofgaming who charges too much for his work (was on special) and the image where it wasn't jacked was faded, hazy, colors washed far worse than a real SP does, and that dunce didn't cure the LOCA right, twice, causing spider cracks in the gel and haze on #2. He tried to blame me and said it was the heat outside, the mail, etc. How about being an idiot and admitting it?

 

I went and found a worm light after that experiment in wasted time and it is crisp, sharp, colors are vivid as Nintendo wanted them to be without going hunched under a lamp. The LED itself really brings it out so even the small details are not lost. I too usually will rely on a GBC for anything 8bit, but I will admit I don't mind the smaller or stretched screen view of the GBA either so I'll do both.

 

 

I'd like to get a NGPC worm light, seems collectards make them $50+ painful to get which is insane. The screen on that is the same style panel GBC uses and when lit up looks magnificent.

 

Sheesh, talk about a lot of trouble.

 

The wormlight for NGPC just sounds to me like the headphone adapter for Wonderswan, despite all of the stuff floating along on ebay, that adapter I've only ever seen on Japanese auction sites, and at 10k yen minimum to boot. Talk about things you should have bought when they were new!

 

On the opposite side of things, I was pretty happy today. Popped into my local game store and got an SP2 (in black) for only 30 bucks! It's rather dirty, but still works and plays fine. Also grabbed final fantasy legend 2 since there was a deal going on. Will be fun playing a solid RPG on the go as I break from wonderswan japanese lessons.

[high voltage]

see it here

http://www.digitpress.com/room-of-doom/cm/thumbnails.php?album=19&page=1

 

used to be more, but slowly I'm re-collecting GB family

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I finally bought a copy of a game I've been wanting for years today!

 

 

 

Now I just have to wait for it to arrive in the mail from Germany. With Pop'n TwinBee in my collection I'll own every vertical shmup for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color except for the two Japanese exclusives Vattle Giuce and Chikyū Kaihō Gun ZAS.

[SiberianSpForces]

Once I did the DMG back-lit/bivert MOD, I went and picked up a few games. Then ended up with the Everdrive. I also just got an AGS-101 pink SP off of Craigslist. I swapped internals with my NES SP.

Edited July 17, 2017 by SiberianSpForces