Gameboy DMG Games with Enormous Impact [Archive]

Great Hierophant

11-06-2009, 11:43 PM

I find it interesting that the Gameboy was the real genesis of not one, but two genuine pop-culture phenomenons. First, there is Tetris, which although had been released in the arcade and on the personal computers of its day, really emerged as a phenomenon with its release for the Gameboy. Not only did the game almost single-handedly ensure the survival of the Gameboy and the viability of handheld gaming, it also got people who never played a videogame before to try them. Many, many console and handheld versions followed, but this simple pack-in was almost certainly the wisest pack-in Nintendo did since the original Super Mario Bros. with the NES.

Towards the end of the Gameboy's (monochrome's) life, the Pokemon games were released for the system, giving it a new lease on life. Pokemon, unlike Tetris, actually started its life as a pair Gameboy games. Unlike Tetris, Pokemon was able to cross over from videogames into a highly successful anime series and collectible card game. It is a staple of toy lines. Its immediate sequels helped ensure the Gameboy Color's success.

Most consoles would be happy if they could establish one marketing juggernaut, a game that truly stands out and transcends the medium. The Gameboy had more than most, not bad for the little monochrome system.

Agressivadue

11-06-2009, 11:48 PM

So are you writing an essay or presentation? I wrote a short speech about about Nintendo's handhelds for a public speaking class. I think I got an A or B, it was a few years ago. I'd say you're on your way to a good grade!

Arkhan

11-06-2009, 11:55 PM

yeah, my grandpa is now officially addicted to Tetris, Dr. Mario and Yoshis cookie thanks to gameboy.

whats the DMG stand for in the thread title? O_o

Ryaan1234

11-07-2009, 12:34 AM

whats the DMG stand for in the thread title? O_o

DMG stands for Dot Matrix Game. It refers to original black and white Gameboy games. Why the poster didn't just say "Original Gameboy Games with Enormous Impact" is beyond me, since not everyone knows what DMG means.

Hierophant, don't forget that the original Gameboy also had Kirby's Dreamland, which started the ever-popular Kirby video game series.

Arkhan

11-07-2009, 01:04 AM

Oh. yeah ive never heard the phrase DMG before....

but, yeah the original gameboy kicked ass. Daedalian Opus man! that game is still awesome to this day.

Archangel

11-07-2009, 01:17 AM

It makes me glad that I was able to find my original gameboy recently after thinking that I lost it in the move..

It truly is a great handheld...

Arkhan

11-07-2009, 01:20 AM

It makes me glad that I was able to find my original gameboy recently after thinking that I lost it in the move..

It truly is a great handheld...

i always wondered, the faceplates on all my friends fell off

mine never did.

did anyone elses faceplates fall off?

kedawa

11-07-2009, 01:23 AM

Given how long the GB was on the market, I'm really not all that impressed by its game library. I do have a lot of nostalgia for it, though, and I really miss playing GB Tetris in system link mode.

Archangel

11-07-2009, 01:26 AM

i always wondered, the faceplates on all my friends fell off

mine never did.

did anyone elses faceplates fall off?
Not at all, I even was able to find the original box for it as well as some gameboy game manuals, the gameboy system manual, and some previews of games that were coming out..

Also I have to say, its the clear case version...

Arkhan

11-07-2009, 01:27 AM

Given how long the GB was on the market, I'm really not all that impressed by its game library. I do have a lot of nostalgia for it, though, and I really miss playing GB Tetris in system link mode.

what about the game library doesnt impress? Just wondering really.

the selection, or the quality?

kedawa

11-07-2009, 11:13 AM

jcalder8

11-07-2009, 12:13 PM

Weren't all the Gameboy games DMG?

vivaeljason

11-07-2009, 12:21 PM

Aside from pokemon, I can't think of any series that began on GB and really took off. Hmmm, maybe Wario?
The better games tended to be 'junior' versions of existing console games, rather than original stuff. Maybe that's an unfair criticism since that's what most gamers at the time wanted anyway, but in retrospect I just see the GB library as being a mile wide and an inch deep.

Other than Pokemon, Kirby, and technically Dr. Mario, there really weren't a ton of franchises launched on the Game Boy, that is true, but I think that the Game Boy was designed for more casual gamers. That might have impacted the creation of more full franchises.

Also, a Game Boy recollection: I remember that there was a period in the early mid 90s (say 92-94) where there was very little made for the GB. I remember reading Game Players from back then and the writer said something to the effect of the system being dead. Man, hindsight is funny.

Archangel

11-07-2009, 12:31 PM

Weren't all the Gameboy games DMG?
DMG was the model name for the original gameboy system.

MGB was the model name for Gameboy light/poket

CGB means Gameboy Color

You can find all of them here: http://maru-chang.com/hard/gb/english.htm

Ryaan1234

11-07-2009, 04:05 PM

Aside from pokemon, I can't think of any series that began on GB and really took off. Hmmm, maybe Wario?

Ahem...

...don't forget that the original Gameboy also had Kirby's Dreamland, which started the ever-popular Kirby video game series.

Aside from Kirby, Gargoyle's Quest also started on the Gameboy and then had an NES sequel. This is the only instance that I know of where a Gameboy game had a direct sequel on a console. We got only the Gameboy and NES Gargoyle's Quest games here in the U.S., so perhaps the series continued onto other consoles in Japan. I'm not sure.

Arkhan

11-07-2009, 04:09 PM

Gargoyles Quest was excellent, and the contra games.

Castlevania had some good gameboy stuff....

I think the thing overall did a kickass job of being a portable gamething.

Also.... I always referred to gameboy color as GBC, and GBA for advance, etc. etc.

Didn't know there were weird acronyms.

mobiusclimber

11-07-2009, 08:52 PM

Ed Oscuro

11-08-2009, 11:47 AM

The GB had lots of great titles, actually. The only bad Castlevania on it is Legends (which I'm not sure is a DMG title) - Adventure can be boring, and the speed is inconsistent, but I've still had fun with it. Then there's the Nemesis games - good and great - Operation C, Bionic Commando (I've liked it thus far, anyway), Ninja Gaiden Shadow (plays like Kage on FC / Shadow of the Ninja), volumes #1 and 3 of the Konami GB Collection, and more. Kid Dracula is okay. I'm not a great fan of all the Nintendo games , but there's good stuff there too. I've picked up Kid Icarus and Metroid II a couple times and put it back down shortly after, but SM World and LoZ Link's Awakening are great.

I've always felt the square screen and B&W setup set the GB apart from other conventional game systems - not in a bad way either.

Didn't the Wario games start life as an original GB franchise?

vivaeljason

11-08-2009, 02:01 PM

Speaking of Mario, Super Mario Land 2 is one of my favorite Mario games for any system; and yes, it features the debut of Wario. While he's not the most important character in the Nintendo pantheon, he's up there as an important character -- his debut game has to be one with a pretty big impact.

Arkhan

11-08-2009, 03:00 PM

I'm also not that impressed with the library of games for the gameboy. Seems like a ton of shovelware, even in established series like Castlevania (good god, Castlevania...). Zelda, Kirby, Gargoyle's Quest, those were great. There were a handful of really great games. But for how long the system was out, I'd expect more than just a handful. Part of that is probably just due to my weird tastes, but even if I look at it objectively, it just doesn't seem like a really impressive amount of quality titles compared to, say, the NES (which had tons of shovelware as well but also tons of great quality titles).

bah you hate every game. :dance: lol

i think there were alot of hidden gems noone ever saw, like sword of hope, those Final fantasy games for GB, Lufia, and a ton of other crap that just didn't get the spotlight it shoulda.

Press_Start

11-08-2009, 04:06 PM

I'm also not that impressed with the library of games for the gameboy. Seems like a ton of shovelware, even in established series like Castlevania (good god, Castlevania...). Zelda, Kirby, Gargoyle's Quest, those were great. There were a handful of really great games. But for how long the system was out, I'd expect more than just a handful. Part of that is probably just due to my weird tastes, but even if I look at it objectively, it just doesn't seem like a really impressive amount of quality titles compared to, say, the NES (which had tons of shovelware as well but also tons of great quality titles).

The ol' shovelware test...apply that to all systems and EVERYONE of them will FAIL except Turbo Grafx and Neo Geo Pocket Color. Face it, every library has it's a large share of "crapfest", a handful of well-known titles and amazing selection of underrated gems. GB and NES are even footing with one another and stating one is better than the other is more personal preference than objectivity.

Jorpho

11-08-2009, 04:34 PM

Someone posted a link a while back to an interesting article/video on Argonaut software, and how the relationship that spawned Star Fox and the like began with X for the DMG - but that was only released in Japan.

We got only the Gameboy and NES Gargoyle's Quest games here in the U.S., so perhaps the series continued onto other consoles in Japan. I'm not sure.You are severly uninformed.
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/gng/gng4.htm

sebastiankirchoff

11-08-2009, 06:12 PM

I got a Game Boy a couple of years ago, and I was very impressed with several games on it. Pokemon is a great game (and my first GB game), Tetris is fun but I can't stand Super Mario Land. While there may be plenty of crapola on the Game Boy, you could also say that for most successful consoles (there will always be bad games, it doesn't matter what system it is). I am hoping on getting a copy of Final Fantasy on the Game Boy soon, since it looks like a good game.

Ryaan1234

11-08-2009, 06:41 PM

You are severly uninformed.
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/gng/gng4.htm
Wha? I should've remembered Demon's Crest. I had no idea that it was a spinoff of Ghost 'n Goblins. Both Gargoyle's Quest and Ghost 'n Goblins have such different gameplay styles that they should be considered to be entirely different. Nevertheless, the Gargoyle's Quest series of games did start on the gameboy.

I'm also not that impressed with the library of games for the gameboy. Seems like a ton of shovelware, even in established series like Castlevania (good god, Castlevania...). Zelda, Kirby, Gargoyle's Quest, those were great. There were a handful of really great games. But for how long the system was out, I'd expect more than just a handful. Part of that is probably just due to my weird tastes, but even if I look at it objectively, it just doesn't seem like a really impressive amount of quality titles compared to, say, the NES (which had tons of shovelware as well but also tons of great quality titles).
Au Contraire. Let me list some more great gameboy games. Super Mario Land, Game & Watch Gallery, Yoshi, Tetris, Hatris, Balloon Kid, Qix, Harvest Moon, Gameboy Camera, Rolan's Curse, and Mercenary Force. In fact, I'd say that the original Gameboy and the GBC have the lowest amounts of shovelware in comparasion to the DS and the GBA. Many original (and Color) Gameboy games were original creations, ports or movie liscenses. I think that a typical Gameboy game shows more quality than Horsez or some crap like that.

calistarwind

11-08-2009, 07:35 PM

I was a big fan of Balloon Kid. I would take my brothers Gameboy and play on my grandparents patio instead of running around in the hot sun all day. Enjoy the memories if you have them and if you had none, well time took care of that.

Baloo

11-08-2009, 08:09 PM

The ol' shovelware test...apply that to all systems and EVERYONE of them will FAIL except Turbo Grafx and Neo Geo Pocket Color. Face it, every library has it's a large share of "crapfest", a handful of well-known titles and amazing selection of underrated gems. GB and NES are even footing with one another and stating one is better than the other is more personal preference than objectivity.

Turbographx fails that too.

Darkwing Duck and Talespin anyone?

mobiusclimber

11-09-2009, 12:08 AM

I know most consoles have tons of shovelware, I meant as a ratio of crap to good, the GB fails. But again, it could be my weird taste. I loved the Sword of Hope games, Final Fantasy Adventure, but most of the RPGs for it I thought were awful. And if a system doesn't have enough good RPGs, it's already failed me. There are plenty of great non-RPG titles for the GB, but so many others I thought were going to be great or at least good turned out to be pretty poor. I've played two Mario games for it, for instance, that I thought were awful. Same w/ the Castlevania games (I know, other people like at least one or two of the three, but I'm not one of em). And... I really don't care for most puzzle games. I can play a few minutes of Tetris before getting seriously bored and turning it off. (I'm more of a Puyo Puyo kinda guy, tho I prefer human to CPU opponents, I can't get very far in any of the games I've played.)

Press_Start

11-09-2009, 12:24 AM

Turbographx fails that too.

Darkwing Duck and Talespin anyone?

No, at least half the Turbo games are good, unlike other systems where the good-to-bad ratio is usually 1:6-10. But that's besides the point.

Point is the perception in judging a system on its merits of crap is faulty. That's like someone saying the 360/PS3 is bad cause they got Wall-E, Up or (insert not-so-good license title here).

Ed Oscuro

11-09-2009, 12:42 AM

i think there were alot of hidden gems noone ever saw, like sword of hope, those Final fantasy games for GB, Lufia, and a ton of other crap that just didn't get the spotlight it shoulda.
One of the Final Fantasy games on GB is actually a Seiken Densetsu series member, I've heard. Maybe that's where that little series started!

Arkhan

11-09-2009, 03:31 AM

Yes, Final Fantasy Adventure

it came out again later as Sword of Mana on GBA

funny enough, the Final Fantasy Adventure version was more fun than Sword of Mana. Sword of Mana was such a fucking disasterfuck.

RASK1904

11-09-2009, 04:39 AM

There are a ton of good games on the Original Gameboy. Some of the lesser ones that I've always liked are Motocross Maniacs and Mario's Picross. Both are very fun games.

GrandAmChandler

11-09-2009, 01:59 PM

Game Boy is the best portable video game system of all time, no other portable comes close to the long-lasting effect that Game Boy has. There are so many different types of games for the system, there is something for everyone. Yes, every system has it's crap, but there are tons of good titles for the system, I encourage everyone to try some out you have never heard of before.

Also. Gbdb.org.

That is all.

-GAC-

Arkhan

11-09-2009, 04:22 PM

I think the Gameboy as an independent from console handheld kicked everything elses ass in terms of games.

but when all is said and done, the Turbo Express really kicked everythings ass. You didn't need to get a new library of games! They played the home ones!

its a shame they made NES carts so fucking huge, a portable built around the FC cartridge size might have had the same kind of product come out of it back then.

backlit, homegames on the go, maaaan that would've been cool.

BetaWolf47

11-09-2009, 04:29 PM

It annoys me what they did with NES carts. They just put Famicom games in a shell with a converter at first. Then, when they actually did what they should have done in the first place, the games ended up only using half of the shell. We ended up with oversized carts that wasted a ton of plastic.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/3346804961_9e60799769.jpg

Arkhan

11-09-2009, 05:09 PM

yep, it is pretty idiotic if you really compare

its the only system to do that I think.

a handheld that accepted FC carts would have been killer, even if it had a B&W display!

Jorpho

11-09-2009, 07:07 PM

its a shame they made NES carts so fucking huge, a portable built around the FC cartridge size might have had the same kind of product come out of it back then.A portable of that nature would probably have failed for the same reasons that the Nomad and Turbo Express did, namely terrible battery life.

a handheld that accepted FC carts would have been killer, even if it had a B&W display!A B&W LCD display capable of displaying enough shades of grey to make anything watchable probably wouldn't have been too much cheaper than a color display.

Arkhan

11-09-2009, 07:23 PM

everything back then had worthless battery life. i didnt think the turbo express was that bad. the GAMEGEAR on the other hand, was awful.

I wonder though if a B&W display mighta run cheaper and been less power hungry than a color one.

Those portables that accept NES carts , etc, are popping up all over now. They're pretty great actually.

Ed Oscuro

11-09-2009, 07:32 PM

The NES carts are hard to lose, at least, and you can fix a sandwich on them (improv cutting board). The high pin count is the biggest issue I think really - the good old days of parallel connectors, instead of serial...heh.

Arkhan

11-09-2009, 07:57 PM

lol. kitchenware made out of NES carts. that would be good stuff

Jorpho

11-09-2009, 11:48 PM

everything back then had worthless battery life....Except for the Game Boy, of course!
I wonder though if a B&W display mighta run cheaper and been less power hungry than a color one.If it was going to be cost-effective and usable, I doubt it.

Arkhan

11-10-2009, 12:21 AM

the gameboy had the one flaw of not being useful in the dark, direct sunlight, not optimal lighting.......

thats the ONLY problem Ive ever had with it is trying to get comfortable with it.

Jorpho

11-10-2009, 01:09 AM

the gameboy had the one flaw of not being useful in the dark, direct sunlight, not optimal lighting.......Yes, and that's part of why it had reasonable battery life compared to those other systems. :hmm:

Ryaan1234

11-10-2009, 12:39 PM

Yes, and that's part of why it had reasonable battery life compared to those other systems. :hmm:

Exactly. LED/Backlighting technology was just starting to become viable, but it was still so primitive that it basically sucked power. There's someone on the Benheck forums that replaced the lighting on his Game Gear with modern LEDs and he more than doubled it's battery life.

BetaWolf47

11-10-2009, 02:23 PM

Exactly. LED/Backlighting technology was just starting to become viable, but it was still so primitive that it basically sucked power. There's someone on the Benheck forums that replaced the lighting on his Game Gear with modern LEDs and he more than doubled it's battery life.

That's because old backlights aren't' LEDs. They're florescent lights. That sounds pretty cool though... a Game Gear with a 2.5 hour battery life!

Arkhan

11-10-2009, 03:26 PM

Yes, and that's part of why it had reasonable battery life compared to those other systems. :hmm:

yep, thats why no handheld before the SP was really the perfect piece of hardware.

Ryaan1234

11-10-2009, 04:03 PM

That's because old backlights aren't' LEDs. They're florescent lights. That sounds pretty cool though... a Game Gear with a 2.5 hour battery life!
Lol, sorry, that's what I meant! Older portable LCD TVs, like the Casio EV-### series and the TV-### series use these lights too. They have to have this little transformer inside that ups the voltage to an enourmous amount to power the light! That's why when you make a game system portable, like a Gamecube or NES for example, you sometimes have to replace the original backlighting from the screen that you want to use. lol @ the battery life joke. I think the guy upped his battery life to something like 10-12 hours. I'll have to check on that though.

Baloo

11-10-2009, 04:51 PM

In all reality, the Game Gear lasts about six hours. And unless you play the thing six hours straight, you can make it last for a bit longer than that.

The Nomad is the one that has terrible battery life at about 1 hour. But even that can be stretched.

Personally, I don't find the Game Gear's battery life to be extremely problematic.

Arkhan

11-10-2009, 04:53 PM

none of them really had AWFUL battery life. My turbo express lasts pretty good and you know its getting close to battery time when the screen starts to get really white

tom

11-10-2009, 04:58 PM

I love Castlevania Legends, but for me, any game were you play as a girl, rocks.

http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=250014&g2_serialNumber=1

Also excellent on GB: Snow Bros Jr, Mickey Mouse, Popeye 2, Catrap, Mario's Picross, and that weird potato game.

Also love :
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=289903&g2_serialNumber=1