gameshark gb modem

[grayrobertos]

anyone have 1 of these, i bought 1 a few years ago, just found it in a draw. apslutely useless to me came with US phone connectors. Anyone get any use from this? Suposidly you use it to email.

[chicnstu]

You got any pictures of it?

[grayrobertos]

just found this link about it

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004U1U0/002-7861296-9396055

Ive never used it anyone else had ago?

[chicnstu]

That's kind of neat. It sucks that you cant use it anymore though.

[Dangerboy]

Funny little secret.

Actually, a funny, embarrasing, shameful secret.

I'm Pokedude.

Seriously.

Back when I used to work for Interact/GameShark, I got called into my editor's office the day these were launched, and I was informed that I had been selected to be the head honcho for the e-mail letters section as well as the Pokemon mailing list. This mailing list was run by POKEDUDE, the "Ultimate Pokemon Master" and friend to you and me.

"Um, Benn..., " I stammered, "I've never even turned on a Pokemon game..."

That didn't work, and in 24 hours I had every Pokemon Game available at the time, both strategy guides, every code GS had hacked, and several editor's personal play notes, all ready to tackle the onslaught of the email this little device was to provide. The first weekend came, and there I was, on the floor underneath my co-workers desk tapped into the phoneline, downloading e-mail.

All 3 of them. And every last one of them asked for codes I had already emailed them in the newsletter. :roll: This pattern would continue with an occasional actual e-mail that required me to read the guide book for abotu an hour since I had to decipher questions like "Yo where is het barry tree that's got the ultomate froot." and such.

It never really got past that, though to it's credit the PDA functions were pretty decent at the time, but looked NOTHING like the pictures on the box. The game boy did not allow proper word wrap, so unless I typed out the emails specifically as the template required, all you got was a big block of text. Also, the celebrity emails never came.

I have one in box I think, as well as the *very* lavish press kit GameShark sent out to magazines to promote it, which involved a custom metal lunch box, a GBC, the Shark MX, napkin, Shark Fruit Chews, etc. If I can dig it out of my game dungeon, I'll post pics.

God I miss that job.

Jason

**EDIT**
Oh yeah, the Amazon review titled "Shark MX:the best accessory for the Game Boy yet!!, November 8, 2000
Reviewer: A gamer"

Was written by the Gameshark head honcho, because he thought he was cool and coy like that.

[SoulBlazer]

I remember seeing this in my local EB back in the day.

Sounds like a nice idea in theory -- sorry to hear it did'nt work as well as it could have. Still, I'd like to see a device made for the GBA SP or the DS. With a small keyboard and mouse to plug into the unit, you can really turn it into a full web device.

[Ed Oscuro]

Sweet info, Dangerboy! :D

[grayrobertos]

lol that really is a nice story thanks :)

[Dangerboy]

Here we go:

The Promotional Lunch Box
http://www.game-rave.com/sharkmx.jpg
I can't even fathom how much they spent on the Game Boy Colors alone...

And screens from the SharkMX via my GBA Player

http://www.game-rave.com/sharkmx1.jpg
Taking the photos, I had completely forgotten my biggest damn peeve about the SHarkMX: despite the keyboard being as small as it wasm the screen would auto-scroll you left and right as you reach the other half of the keyboad (it wasn't completely on the screen), giving you a sense of freaking vertigo as you wonder why your screen keeps shaking trying to type the H,J,K,F buttons. :roll:

An yes, those "Shark" Chews are still sealed....and still slightly squeezable after 4 years. LOL

If any collector's would like the individual photos for web-site/research/collector's guide purposes, let me know and I'll post a downloadable zip file with them all in there.

Enjoy :)
Jason

[GobopopRevisited]

Got one when it came out, it was either Shark MX or Cybiko... I chose Shark MX. Hooked it up to the phone line and called Interact through the number they had on the trial card that came with the device. Set it up, tried emailing a friend... "not in service"!!!! X_x took it back to best buy and got my money back.

...Now I wonder, did they ever make the version for the N64? I think it was called the Shark Wire. was in an old issue of Tips and Tricks. Transparent Blue Device with a Keyboard. Looked pretty neat!

[Dangerboy]

Yes they did. SHarkwire was actually how I got my job at Interact.

Through an affilaite that I used for codes during Game-Rave;s fanzine days, I got an email asking if we'd like to donate reviews and stuff to the service. Sure I said, why not.

Turns out we were dishing out more stuff to GameShark then Tips and Tricks and EGM combined. O_O

Months later, I was being interviewed for a Editor position on GameShark.com.

The Sharkwire died for two reasons:
1. It was like, a 14.4 modem
2. It was only one site, the Shark-Wire Site. No outside surfing. And the site itself was practically all text based.

I actually held the PSX Version prototype in my hands.

Jason

[SkiDragon]

What would be a much better idea is some sort of device that hooks to your computer to enable playing Game Boy link cable games over the internet.

[grayrobertos]

yeh like the gamecube warpipe tunneling program