The Official Game Boy Thread

[Tanooki]

$5 for Gradius (Nemesis) is not bad at all.

 

I really want the sequel and it's driving me nuts, but I can not for the life of me track down Konami GB Collection #4 (EU) which has it on there in full GB Color. (Same with Castlevania 2 Belmonts Revenge.)

 

 

The DMG has a really great screen if you mod it with that whole bivert setup, stock though it's a bit of a problem not because of clarity or a stationary item or light problems, it's the crap refresh as it blurs like hell. When you do the modding on it and toss a light in with the panel it comes up so much nicer from all the evidence I've seen. I just don't feel comfortable doing it myself or I'd buy the kit as I'm using a spare DMG I got cheap. I have another, the first I got back around 2yr ago now almost but it was a stupid obscenely lucky find on a badly done ebay listing. 1989 unit that daddy buys for ingrate daughter who tosses it on the floor after a few uses and then ends up lost to the back of a closet until I got it with the link and earphone cables still sealed up. Listing only mentioned the GB only showed it on images 1-4 or so, but the last 3-4 showed papers, box contents, then a really sweet box --- for $40. I was afraid after buying it it wouldn't ship but it did. I have the box up high and the GB in a hobby plastic snap case (as is my NES SP too since I found a nice blue model earlier this year locally.) I got a GB Pocket much the same was as the original, the original release with no battery light and the plastic snap case.

 

I really want a GB Light, but they are very expensive and until you get around the $150 mark they're banged up with paint problems which is beyond reason in my book.

 

I doubt I'll ever bivert the thing but you never know. I have this GB Boy color unit and it's so bright and sharp, and better volume(with less natural static) than the real deal so I use that. I wouldn't mind modding one of the 2 GBA original models I have though with a 101 screen but I have not the tools to cut it right so the last time it didn't live long.

 

I follow and talk to via facebook bennvenn a bit on his posts, he does great work. I just don't see the elcheapo as practical for me but it's amazing. I'd love to get his done up GBC though but the price of $200 for a pre-done one seems a bit ridiculous and I don't think I could solder that well to do it myself. I have the Everdrive GB coming in the mail here within the weekend I hope or early next week, it's the existing model he's re-stickering as the X5 but it's the deluxe one from SAG -- second hand ebay pickup for a really good price with a full gb/gbc library preloaded 2GB card no less.

[Tanooki]

Pop'n Twinbee finally showed up from Slovenia and also MGS.

 

I almost thought Konami coded a turd. Seems the KongFeng GBC clone isn't 100% friendly to twinbee. It's not every time, but maybe 20% of the time if that, it will not like you doing a direction + shooting, you just stop moving. I kept getting my ass shot off on level one and was getting furious as I know this game from the Super Famicom. Stuffed it into my SP and it was fine. Not cool. :\

 

MGS arrived with 11 missions unlocked to replay on it so it must be on 12 of 13, not bad. I never got that far.

 

Oh and some years ago MGS GBC had a full spread peel out poster in some gaming magazine. I hate the fact I lost the only images I had of it from an ebay auction where it was sold, but it made it so easy to get around in the game without getting turned around. Anyone happen to maybe know which it was from?

[Tanooki]

Waking this up yet again, no one else care anymore?

 

Anyone here have any experience with Ultima Runes of Virtue and Great Greed? They look interesting but I wonder how nice they really are if someone has some experience with them.

[jce3000gt]

I played a bit of Great Greed and loved it. Don't remember much about it though.

[Tanooki]

How about Sword of Hope? I'm looking at pictures of that and Ultima in the original Nintendo Gameboy guide I have and while not complete it gives some clues about the game. Seems it could either be very interesting or a drag with a lot of confusing too old school to be much fun mechanics issues pictures hint at but could be wrong.

 

Great Greed isn't in that book, just saw some video/pics before and it comes off like a traditional JRPG with a lot of food/kitchen puns for names.

[Video]

I liked runes of virtue, a lot like Zelda, but its been ages since I played. DMG game I play the most is donkey Kong.

[Tanooki]

I tried runes a bit in the afternoon yesterday and I guess I was doing ok, but I didn't get very far as it kind of go confusing how to go forward and other than the bail out to the castle magic looked like you could get stuck fairly easy if not careful.

 

Be perfectly honest I'd love nothing more than to get FF Legend 3 with the map and manual with it. I had it in the day but it's the only rebranded FF title on the old system I never really started let alone finished. FF1-2+Adventure were completed.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Tanooki

[Good_Times]

Did someone mention Gradius/Darius?

 

 

The finest GB shooter? Many believe so.

 

Check out this old fella....been with me for 25+ years, heh....

 

[Good_Times]

@Jin - Meant to include these goodies along with your printer.....ahh well, next time!

(Box is empty, but still an interesting piece for the GB connoisseur!)

 

 

[Tanooki]

You were going to send me that Sagaia game right? Pretty sure you were. Interesting you have the Chinese release as well. It's on a short list of a couple dozen games I'd still snap up for the thing despite owning an everdrive. ED or not the GB I still wish to support but for only stuff that makes a favored cut.

 

Game I'm researching right now to see if I really want it is Ninja Taro. I need to dig into it a bit. it gets expensive online but I know a place with one locally for $20, probably deal it down to $15.

Edited August 17, 2017 by Tanooki

[Good_Times]

You were going to send me that Sagaia game right? Pretty sure you were.

[+atari2600land]

I just got a copy of "The Simpsons Bart and the Beanstalk" in excellent shape for $17.

[Tanooki]

Today I got from Jin in the mail SWIV (EU) and Shadowgate Classic both GBC and GBC hybrid games. Most excellent. Days ago, Joe & Mac arrived. Man that game is far harder than the SNES title and not from bad design but legit challenge. Makes the NES game even more awful than it already was.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Bumpity bump!

[Tanooki]

That post from last year that How to Win at Gameboy Games I bet is a fun read. I found weeks ago a really nice copy of the Vol1 (updated) for the NES version of that with the red cover. They do make lousy guides in some ways, but they also do have a nice spread for almost a lame storybook format of how things progress along with some generally good manual like tips for those with loose games.

 

I didn't mention it but I did get for $50 shipped two months ago Kid Dracula (US) which I had been wanting for months and wouldn't touch at $70-90 at all. Great game, goofy fun but a decent challenge too.

[PFG 9000]

I really want the sequel and it's driving me nuts, but I can not for the life of me track down Konami GB Collection #4 (EU) which has it on there in full GB Color. (Same with Castlevania 2 Belmonts Revenge.)

 

I didn't realize those collections were in color. Now I need to pick up the first and third (Japanese) volumes too.

[NE146]

I just posted this elsewhere but I should add if you get a chance for a Super NT, it's pretty awesome-sauce paired with a Super Gameboy since it allows SGB Enhanced game functionality. Add in a optional GB Everdrive and you have all GB/GBC playable on a hi-def. Even worked with GB Space Invaders as it started up its SNES mode without issue

 

[high voltage]

 

got this cheap

[Tanooki]

That Galaga is a thing of beauty seeing that on the NT. I do have the Everdrive GB so that would add a huge amount of possibilities there. Not a game changer though as I have the HDMI update for my Gamecube and a GB Player too. The Super NT would just be for Super Gameboy proper use only for that stuff and SNES of course.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

So last week I got a lovely little bit of kit to expand my options for playing classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color games:

 

 

 

The EverDrive GB X7 is absolutely awesome and has played everything I've thrown at it flawlessly with no problems whatsoever, but there is one thing that's been bugging me. After doing all my handheld gaming on a New 3DS XL for the past 2 months it's been really jarring trying to go back to playing games on the Game Boy Color with it's non-backlit screen. The Nyko Worm Light helps a bit but it's still a recipe for eye strain, so I decided that if I'm really going to enjoy my latest EverDrive purchase I'm going to need a system with a backlit screen to use it on.

 

I did used to own a customized AGS-101 model Game Boy Advance SP, but that system got sold to a friend last year and I didn't particularly fancy getting another one due to the low profile clicky d-pad on the SP models not getting on to well with the carpal tunnel in my left hand and the whole rechargeable battery issue being a pain to deal with. Finding new production batteries for the GBA SP that hold a decent charge is a challenge, and it's only going to get more difficult as the years go on I imagine. On the flip side of things, I didn't really want to build a backlit original Game Boy Advance system either. Sourcing an original GBA in good condition, an AGS-101 model SP to take the screen out of, and then modding the original GBA shell to fit the AGS-101 all sounded like more of a pain in the backside than I wanted to deal with; and a pretty expensive pain at that.

 

With those factors in mind I decided to roll the dice and take my chances on a backlit original Game Boy Advance from the Etsy seller TheGodOfGaming, since it would save me the trouble of building one myself and would actually be a little less expensive than it would have cost me to build one myself. All the YouTube and Reddit reviews I read of the seller's backlit GBA systems were positive and the only complaints I could find were that the battery door didn't fit quite as tightly as those on Nintendo's GBA shells and that the D-pad contacts were a little stiff initially but broke in nicely after a few days of use, so I felt comfortable giving it a GBA from him a try.

 

I settled on this classic Indigo colored model (I've always had a thing for purple handhelds) and contacted the seller before ordering to see if I could get it with some custom colored buttons if I offered to pay a little more for it. The shop owner, Shaun Najimi, replied a couple hours later and said to just let him know what colors of buttons I wanted in the Notes box during checkout and that there wouldn't be any extra fee for color customization. I ended up ordering the Indigo GBA with a black D-Pad and red A & B buttons two days ago, and at this point I'm just waiting for the order to ship.

 

I'll be really curious to see how the system turns out when it arrives in the mail, especially considering that there's no way I could have built a backlit GBA with an authentic AGS-101 screen, glass screen lens, and some custom colored buttons for the $104.90 shipped that I paid for my system from TheGodOfGaming. Once the system arrives in the mail and I've had a chance to test it out I will be doing a full tear down and review of it to see whether or not it lives up the seller's assertion that it will contain an authentic Nintendo AGS-101 screen with the necessary soldering done to make it run on the highest brightness setting rather than one of the modern Chinese reproduction screens, as well as checking to make sure that the motherboard is an authentic Nintendo GBA one and not a reproduction.

 

It'll be interesting to see how it goes, but at this point I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. I'm not sure how exactly TheGodofGaming can build and sell these systems so cheaply but I'm definitely looking forward to having a backlit GBA to use my EverDrive GB X7 on, and if I end up being happy with my system I'll go ahead and order an EverDrive GBA X5 from Krikzz next month to really get the most out of it. For now though keep your eyes peeled for my review of the system coming in the next week or so.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Jin

[Tanooki]

TheGodofGaming is incomptent when it comes to GBC mods, beware.

 

I could have sworn I told you about that clown before but he is your true blame culture millennial type who does minimal effort yet demands so much. I bought a GBC off him a couple years back and it arrived with LOCA problems where it spidered around the edges. He tried to blame the post office to warm weather over it but was willing begrudgingly to replace it. When that one arrived, same problem plus the LOCA wasn't ample enough so it was hazy on top of spidered. Dude got all bitchy and I just had to demand a refund and ship it back at his cost for his incomptent work.

 

I hope for your sake he grew up and learned to do it right, otherwise return it. The first one also had a slight mis-fit to the cheap chinese shell he used so it was a little off and uncomfortable to use cutting into the hand a bit on the back/front seam.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

TheGodofGaming is incomptent when it comes to GBC mods, beware.

 

I could have sworn I told you about that clown before but he is your true blame culture millennial type who does minimal effort yet demands so much. I bought a GBC off him a couple years back and it arrived with LOCA problems where it spidered around the edges. He tried to blame the post office to warm weather over it but was willing begrudgingly to replace it. When that one arrived, same problem plus the LOCA wasn't ample enough so it was hazy on top of spidered. Dude got all bitchy and I just had to demand a refund and ship it back at his cost for his incomptent work.

 

I hope for your sake he grew up and learned to do it right, otherwise return it. The first one also had a slight mis-fit to the cheap chinese shell he used so it was a little off and uncomfortable to use cutting into the hand a bit on the back/front seam.

 

 

I'm not surprised to hear that your front light modded Game Boy Color turned out poorly, frankly I've never seen one that I would consider acceptable. I don't think it really matters who does it or what their skill level, it's just a very error prone mod that fails more often than not. If the LOCA glue doesn't spider then there will be some dust trapped under the glass or some other issue with it, and the picture will always be kinda washed out and hazy. I wouldn't even trust myself to do a GBC front light mod properly, and I've done half a dozen backlight mods on original Game Boy systems.

 

Still, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with this seller. Fingers crossed that mine will go better, though I'm not too worried since backlighting a GBA is a lot less error prone than front lighting a GBC.

[NE146]

Yeah it's hard to play the old GB screens.. the GB Pocket, GBC, and even the original DS when you get used to the newer screens. I prefer using a GBA-SP2 (brighter screen) to play Gameboy stuff directly, but you already said you don't want to deal with the battery issues.

 

Might want to consider getting a GBA Everdrive and play GB games on that via emulation on a DS-Lite or GBA micro or something which seem to have less charging issues than the GBA-SP. The GBA Everdrive of course supports GBA games directly, but then also does GB/GBC/NES/SMS/GG etc. via emulation and does a fine enough job. You lose the ability to stretch the screen out, and also the carts stick out, but whatever.

 

The left is a GBA-SP 101 playing the GB Everdrive directly, and the right is a DS-Lite with a GBA Everdrive playing the same game via emulation. To me the emu'd one is fully adequate vs. the real deal.. heck the emulation even gives you a bit of the snes background.

 

 

And yes I'm still considering your offer re: the Gameboy.. I'm very slow moving. Things are looking up this week where she may be able to come home from the hospital within the next 2 weeks, which should free up some time.

Edited February 24, 2018 by NE146

[zetastrike]

I just want to share what I tried out today. I've been hankering to play my GB games on my Trinitron, but I sold my Super Famicom and Super Gameboy 2 last year. I've recently gotten an Everdrive GB X3 and have been using it in my vanilla DMG, Backlit DMG, vanilla Pocket, Backlit Pocket, and Backlit GBA, but I missed having it on the big screen. I went to my local game store (that specializes in imports) today and saw that they had a Japanese Super Gameboy 1 for $15. I've been seeing more and more posts about peoples SNES consoles suffering fatal graphical problems lately, so it's put me off buying a real SNES. I asked if they had any Retron 2 or Retro Duo systems and they had the Retron 2. I did a quick google search and it seemed to be compatible with the Super Gameboy. I got the system and SGB for $40 and sure enough, it works. I have to say that in some games, the sound is quite distorted, but in others it's hardly noticeable. The quality of the S-Video signal is pretty good, it looks nice on my Trinitron. Honestly for what I paid and the fact that it isn't 25+ years old, I'm happy with it. I'm happy to have GB games on the big screen with boarders and color again.

[Tanooki]

Have to agree. I put my SNES up back in its box and got the Super NT. Obviously not as cheap as a retron, but same effect without the distortion you got. it's so nice having all that back up on the screen with those neat borders, very clean though with the HDMI in my space here. It's not just the borders and the (when not being lazy) cool selection of changing colors, but also the implemented special recorded audio effects and voices as they really stand out.