I played the original GameBoy for the first time ever!

[Anthony1]

Ok, before I get into it, let me give you a little bit of the backstory. You have to know where I'm coming from to understand it. I've been in Videogaming since the days of the Atari 2600. I really got more heavily into videogames about 1988. At the time I had a NES and a bunch of NES games, and was soon going to upgrade to both a TurboGrafx-16 and Sega Genesis. When the original GameBoy launched, I really had no interest. It mainly had to do with the dot matrix screen. I just couldn't imagine myself playing games on that screen. Also, I didn't really have much interest in a portable system. Didn't really think about it too much.

I was reading magazines and stuff when the original GameBoy first was released, so I knew about it's arrival, but I don't think I bothered to ever check it out in person, and I didn't know anybody that had one. So nobody showed it to me or anything. So it's kinda like I forgot all about it, except when I would see ads in magazines, or reviews or previews of GameBoy stuff in magazines. But I would quickly skip over any of that stuff and not pay it any mind.

Awhile after the Atari Lynx came out, I got a little more interested in getting a hand held. I actually saw the TurboExpress at a game store, and liked the idea of the TurboExpress, but definitely didn't have the huge money for that. When the Lynx first hit $99, I decided to try a Lynx. Can't remember which games I got, but ultimately, it didn't do much for me, and I either returned it, or ended up selling it or something. I probably only had my lynx for about a month or so. When the Game Gear came out, I checked that out, but thought the graphics were pretty crappy, and the screen pretty crappy, so I basically just totally ignored hand held gaming until the original GBA came out. When the original GBA came out, I bought a launch GBA and Tony Hawk.


Anyways, to make a long story short, I've never really been much into handhelds (until recently), and I never experienced the original GameBoy during it's lengthy run. It's pretty amazing to be honest, that I've never, ever, experienced the regular GameBoy first hand. You would think I would have run into it by accident, but I never did. Maybe I saw some kids playing one, but didn't pay it any mind, and didn't look at the thing in action. So this last Saturday, my wife came back from her Garage Sales, and she picked me up a original GameBoy, with like 10 gameboy carts. I've been playing around with it a little bit, and I can't believe I never experienced this back when it first hit! Man, if I really sat down and played this, I probably would have been really into it! It's kinda depressing that I didn't give the GameBoy a chance till now. Even when I first went retro (spring 2003), I didn't give the GameBoy a chance. I actually got a Lynx (still have it) and a Game Gear (not interested anymore), but never even thought about the original GameBoy. I have thought about the GameBoy Color, and if I found a GameBoy Color for like $5 or less, I would have bought one. (haven't found one for that cheap) But I just never really thought about the original GameBoy. And now, it's like a whole new world for me. It's Undiscovered Country for me.


I do have one major question. Of the various versions of the GameBoy, which one has the best screen for use with the original Dot Matrix type games? Did the GameBoy pocket have a different screen? What do the original GameBoy games look like on the GameBoy Color? Anything I should know? Sometimes when I put a game in, the Nintendo name that normally shows up is all garbled. Do I just need to clean the contacts or something? Or do I have a defective GameBoy? I need to find a old GameBoy with no scratches at all on the screen, one in really good cond.

[BocoDragon]

I do have one major question. Of the various versions of the GameBoy, which one has the best screen for use with the original Dot Matrix type games? Did the GameBoy pocket have a different screen? What do the original GameBoy games look like on the GameBoy Color? Anything I should know? Sometimes when I put a game in, the Nintendo name that normally shows up is all garbled. Do I just need to clean the contacts or something? Or do I have a defective GameBoy? I need to find a old GameBoy with no scratches at all on the screen, one in really good cond.

Unless you're looking for a retro "black and spinach color" experience, you really can't go wrong with a Game boy Advance... which you can buy right now at Wal-Mart. Normal Game Boy games look great on them. Since it has a slightly wider screen, it just darkens the sides of the screen for GB/GB Color games (or you can stretch the image), and it's the same LCD technology that they used back then, just with color capability.

I don't even think "dot matrix" means anything, does it? Just means "uses rows of dots to make pictrues". Classic Game Boy uses similar LCD tech to the handhelds of today... it was just black and spinach. :)

[Julio III]

Well done! Its a fantastic peice of kit the ol'GameBoy brick. I don't think I've played one since back in the day and never owned one but spent many many hours with them.

Unless you're looking for a retro "black and spinach color" experience, you really can't go wrong with a Game boy Advance... which you can buy right now at Wal-Mart. Normal Game Boy games look great on them. Since it has a slightly wider screen, it just darkens the sides of the screen for GB/GB Color games (or you can stretch the image), and it's the same LCD technology that they used back then, just with color capability.[/quote]

Heh heh, I love the "black and spinach" colour - in fact, whenever i do play old GB games emulated on a GBMicro or DS I always turn the colour palette to green. Having it in that GB Pocket style black and white is just wrong and screenshots of that also look wrong. Pokemon, however, looks right on a GBColour.

[Pantechnicon]

Well, that's pretty amazing that you managed go without a Game Boy all this time. My gaming evolution took me directly from the Atari 2600 to the GB, but this was borne more out of necessity than anything else (i.e. - I was in the military. Couldn't rightfully carry a 2600 around with me x_x ).

The beauty of the GB system line, up until the DS and Micro, is backward compatibility. So as BocoDragon pointed out you can make do with a Game Boy Advance if you'd like to see some screen improvement. However, if you need to go cheaper than that then just pick up a used GB Color or even a Pocket. I'd go with the Color: It's probably easier to find than a Pocket plus it gives you the color option if you eventually want to go that way.

Black & White games on a Color or Pocket will look the same on either screen, and either one is a vast improvement over the original GB screen. I apologize to the purists in advance, but that green screen is one thing I cannot bring myself to go back to no matter how retro I'm feeling.

Additionally, GB Pocket and Color are both way better on batteries. IIRC original Gameboy averages 10 to 12 hours on 4 AA's. Pocket and Color average 20 hours on 2 AA's. That's a huge improvement.

Anyway, welcome to the best handheld ever and enjoy.

[neuropolitique]

/me crosses Anthony1 off the list

[jajaja]

Playing the original GB gives me a different feeling than playing GB games on a GBA. Maybe its because of the memories :)

[Anthony1]

I remember when the GameBoy Pocket first released, and seeing it in magazines and such. I thought that it was kinda cool that they were able to shrink it down like that. I almost actually had some interest in the GameBoy Pocket, but ultimately never got one or tried it. I kinda like the Brick, just because of the purity of the experience. You know, experiencing it just like the folks did back when it first hit the scenes.

Having said that, I'm sure the GameBoy Pocket would be more "convenient" for me. The battery factor is definitley an issue. So, in regards to the GameBoy Pocket, is the screen the same size as the original GB? Is the sound the same basically? Is the only difference in the form factor of the unit?


As for the Brick, I do like the nostalgia of the brick, but my screen is kinda scratched up. If I was to try to find a brick with a screen that isn't scratched up, what would be my best bet? And the "Nintendo" name being garbled sometimes, when you first turn it on, is that just a case of cleaning the contacts on the cart or the system itself? Is there a preferred way to clean the contacts of a brick?


The coolest thing to me about the GameBoy is the fact that it's a system that you can play in the bright sunlight. It's weird because sometimes it actually looks better in bright sunlight. There aren't too many video game things that look better in sunlight. Of course, the flip side of that, is that you can't play it in the dark without one of those light things. They got so many different goofy attatchments for the GB too.

I've seen the top 40 best GameBoy games threads, but that thread doesn't put them into any kind of order. For the GameBoy experts, which GB games should every first time GB user try out to see what the GB is really all about? Are there any good shmups? What's the best platformers? Thanks.

[dreamcaster]

I really couldn't stand the original GB back in the day, and I still can't today.

I was all about the Lynx and Game Gear back in the day. Sure, I spent more money on batteries than my friends, but the fact I could play backlit, in colour on a much bigger screen beat the pants off that ugly brick 'Boy anyday.

Then again, I've never been a big fan of Nintendo handhelds and only bought GBC and GBA because I loved handhelds and there (realistically) wasn't anything else available.

This all changed with the DS though - my favourite handheld since the Game Gear.

[NE146]

Well if you think about it... the Gameboy IS STILL HERE AND SUPPORTED. The GBA-SP2 (with brighter screen) was just released what.. this year? last year?

Anyway, of course it's fully compatible with every single Gameboy game released since 1988. So what you're playing is really still around and being sold in stores.

It's just evolved. :)

[Anthony1]

I was all about the Lynx and Game Gear back in the day. Sure, I spent more money on batteries than my friends, but the fact I could play backlit, in colour on a much bigger screen beat the pants off that ugly brick 'Boy anyday.




You know, I was kinda the same way. When I went retro, I thought about getting all the old handhelds that I never had, or only had for a very brief period of time, and I got the Lynx and Game Gear. The Lynx and Game Gear might be in color, but they actually have pretty crappy screens if you ask me. It's color alright, but you have to look at them at just the perfect angle, and you have to have the brightness and such just perfect, and even then it seems like they are kinda blurry and washed out.


Maybe it's just the old units that I've run into. Now, regarding the TurboExpress, I remember seeing that back in the day, and even though the screen was super tiny, it was exceptionally clear and bright. And being able to play your real hu cards is a huge bonus. I would love to run into a TurboExpress at a thrift store or flea market, but I'm not so into it that I'd pay Ebay prices or anything like that.

But getting back to the Lynx and Game Gear, the screens are in color, but I'm not sure that it's the night and day improvement that most would expect. Sure the GameBoy is very primitive from a tech standpoint, but at least the screen is relatively clear, even though it's just shades of green and gray.

[neuropolitique]

So, in regards to the GameBoy Pocket, is the screen the same size as the original GB? Is the sound the same basically? Is the only difference in the form factor of the unit?

Yes, the screen is the same size. It has just been updated. Less blur, less green.


As for the Brick, I do like the nostalgia of the brick, but my screen is kinda scratched up. If I was to try to find a brick with a screen that isn't scratched up, what would be my best bet?

Best bet is to get a replacement screen. They are very easy to replace, and you are left with a very clean looking Game Boy. Oddly enough, I could not find one in Nintendo's store. They can be had on eBay, though, for only a few bucks. Worth it imo.


And the "Nintendo" name being garbled sometimes, when you first turn it on, is that just a case of cleaning the contacts on the cart or the system itself? Is there a preferred way to clean the contacts of a brick?

Again, eBay is your friend. Brand new cleaning kits are available for only a few bucks. That's the easiest way to clean em for me. Otherwise, the same methods for cleaning other contacts can be used. Q-tips and such.


I've seen the top 40 best GameBoy games threads, but that thread doesn't put them into any kind of order. For the GameBoy experts, which GB games should every first time GB user try out to see what the GB is really all about? Are there any good shmups? What's the best platformers? Thanks.

Shmups are few and far between for the Game Boy. The best is Nemesis, which is really good. Platformers? This is a Nintendo machine. Mario! Mario Land 2 is pretty good, as is Mario Land 3 which features Wario for the first time. Another must is The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. There's also this little game called Tetris that I've heard good things about.

BTW, not to be a stick in the mud, but, it's Game Boy, not Gameboy. :D

Have fun! You got yerself the best.

[NE146]

So, in regards to the GameBoy Pocket, is the screen the same size as the original GB? Is the sound the same basically? Is the only difference in the form factor of the unit?

Yes, the screen is the same size. It has just been updated. Less blur, less green.

You sure about that? Man I have like 2 or 3 Game Boy pockets and I could swear the screen looked bigger than the original. Or maybe it just "felt" that way... :hmm:

[Jorpho]

I had the impression that the "Gameboy" spelling used to be more common in Europe back in the day.

Anyway, there was that recent thread (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=90546) about Super Mario Land. I am still quite fond of Warioland 2, the biggest B&W Game Boy game ever released, size-wise, and one of the last ones released, too. Technically, Blaster Master: Enemy Below also has completely separate B&W code inside the cartridge along with GBC code.

Everyone loves Donkey Kong '94, of course.

Other shmups that come to mind aside from Nemesis are SolarStriker , CosmoTank, and R-Type, though I never played them myself.

[neuropolitique]

So, in regards to the GameBoy Pocket, is the screen the same size as the original GB? Is the sound the same basically? Is the only difference in the form factor of the unit?

Yes, the screen is the same size. It has just been updated. Less blur, less green.

You sure about that? Man I have like 2 or 3 Game Boy pockets and I could swear the screen looked bigger than the original. Or maybe it just "felt" that way... :hmm:

Well, technically, the Pocket screen is about 1/16th of an inch larger in both dimensions. I'm fairly certain, though, that the portion used is the same. In either case, the difference is too small to be noticed by the average user. The screen does look much larger, but that is probably due to it being larger relative to the size of the Pocket.

[exit]

I remember bringing my brick Gameboy to school near the end of the year in 10th grade, mainly because that was during finals and the teachers could care less about what we were doing. Of course the only game I'd have most of the time was Tetris and people would always bother me to play it, about two years later the GBA was released.

[CosmicMonkey]

I've always had a GB, until recently.

I got an original brick on Japanese import for my Birthday. I somehow missed out on the Pocket, but I got an Advance on release and an SP on release along with Zelda.

Never had a Lynx, but I did love my GameGear.

But I don't have that much time now. NeoGeo Pocket all the way now. I'm more than happy with all those hand-held fighters, and Sonic.

[Satac]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the GameBoy Light. It is the only "classic" GB with a backlight and it has the best screen. If you've played it, you don't want to go back to the normal GBs.
The system was released in Japan only and it is a little bit hard to find and costs more than a normal GB, but it is worth it.

[BocoDragon]

Well if you think about it... the Gameboy IS STILL HERE AND SUPPORTED. The GBA-SP2 (with brighter screen) was just released what.. this year? last year?

Anyway, of course it's fully compatible with every single Gameboy game released since 1988. So what you're playing is really still around and being sold in stores.

It's just evolved. :)

Yes, that is pretty cool. It's pretty crazy that the Game Boy games that I played in grade 2 on the tarmac at school can still be played on hardware I can buy at the age of 21.

This thread's got me nostalgic.... I think I'll collect the old GB hardware, just for fun... just a brick, pocket and color :)

[Sylentwulf]

Heheh, black and spinach.
Someone should do a gameroom color scheme with that.

[PentiumMMX]

The old Game Boy wasn't too bad. I just hated it's insanely blurry screen. Gimme a GBASP2 anyday, since with it, I can play everything from the origenal Tetris to what-ever-the-latest-GBA-release-is.

BTW, Have you ever tried Pokémon? If you like RPGS, but don't mind it being a little easy, then give PKMN a try. Otherwise, get Zelda: Link's Awakening, because it's the best GB game IMO.

[§ Gideon §]

Tetris
Super Mario Land
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Each one is an undeniably great hit. The percentage of people who would disagree is so minute, they could die tomorrow and nobody would notice.

[dreamcaster]

I was all about the Lynx and Game Gear back in the day. Sure, I spent more money on batteries than my friends, but the fact I could play backlit, in colour on a much bigger screen beat the pants off that ugly brick 'Boy anyday.




You know, I was kinda the same way. When I went retro, I thought about getting all the old handhelds that I never had, or only had for a very brief period of time, and I got the Lynx and Game Gear. The Lynx and Game Gear might be in color, but they actually have pretty crappy screens if you ask me. It's color alright, but you have to look at them at just the perfect angle, and you have to have the brightness and such just perfect, and even then it seems like they are kinda blurry and washed out.


Maybe it's just the old units that I've run into. Now, regarding the TurboExpress, I remember seeing that back in the day, and even though the screen was super tiny, it was exceptionally clear and bright. And being able to play your real hu cards is a huge bonus. I would love to run into a TurboExpress at a thrift store or flea market, but I'm not so into it that I'd pay Ebay prices or anything like that.

But getting back to the Lynx and Game Gear, the screens are in color, but I'm not sure that it's the night and day improvement that most would expect. Sure the GameBoy is very primitive from a tech standpoint, but at least the screen is relatively clear, even though it's just shades of green and gray.
I found the original GB's screen to be just as blurry, a fact made even worse by the fact that there was no colour. I remember trying to play Mega Man on it, kept hitting enemies I couldn't see - and the Lynx and Game Gear's you played probably had dying screens. When they're new, the screens are really crisp and clear (well, more so than the GB anyway).

The GB Pocket fixed that problem and it has one of clearest, crispest screens I've seen on a handheld.

[Nesmaster]

You might want to look into the Megaman games on the original gameboy, as well as Operation C if you're a contra fan.

[Sam]

If you want something to test the old grey matter - I really do reccomend Mighty Max, it's absolutly fantastic. It's a bit like Solstice for the NES, you go through rooms and solve the puzzles to get to the end, backtracking to swap items. The puzzles are often very evil indeed!

Wario Land is IMO the best platformer for the system and still easily the best Wario game ever made - it just has so much character and cheecky music.

Kirby's Dreamland is extreamly easy - no challange at all, but somehow it still manages to be fun to pull out and beat in one sitting time and time again - absolutly timeless! The sequel isn't bad either - I just love the simplicity of the original.

And yeah Pokemon actually is a solid RPG. ;)

[c0ldb33r]

My favorite Game Boy game has always been Donkey Kong. It is an absolutely fantastic game. It's got thinking, action, great graphics, great control and catchy music. It really is the total package.

Unfortunately I don't really care for the GBA version :(

[MarioMania]

I have like 3 Game Boy Pocket's.. Clear, Black & Ice Blue

2 Bricks Original & Clear..I want to get the Classic Game Boy Pocket

I also have a Gold Game Boy Light

[PingvinBlueJeans]

Congrats on finally jumping on the bandwagon, Anthony1. :) It's funny, because I never see anybody playing an original Game Boy anymore (which is not surprising). I got one back in 1990 or '91 when it first came out. I eventually moved on to the Game Boy Color and later the Game Boy Advance. Though since I jumped ship and bought a DS Lite, the old GB doesn't get as much playtime these days. It's still great though. Balloon Kid and Donkey Kong were my favorites.

Funny story...I used to work in an amusement park, sometimes as the parking attendant. I would usually bring something with me in case it was a slow day - a book, a Game & Watch, or my original Game Boy. I remember one day I had my GB sitting on the counter when some kids came by, and being young, they didn't even know what it was. I heard one of the kids remark to his friend: "What is that thing? It looks like a Game Boy, but it's nothing like ours. It's weird. It must be an imitation." LOL

[MrRoboto19XX]

If you want a few intresting adventure/semi puzzle games for the GB Classic as I like to call it, Id go with the following games:

Altered Space - Pretty obscure, uses an isometric perspective and involves a lot of jumping and thinking. Ive never been able to beat it though.

Shadowgate classic - The strong point that this game has going for it is the fact that it goes for $2.99 at your local EB/Gamestop. Its a GBC game thats backwards compatible, and is good to play through once. You may have played it for the pc or mac a few 15 years ago.

Speaking of EB/Gamestop, I wonder how long it will be until they stop accepting GB/GBC games for trade in. I say this because of how the micro and DS dont accept the classics. Of course we still have the SP (The finest incarnation of the GB, IMO) so who knows.

Major props to Nintendo if they make the next Game Boy incarnation fully backwards compatible.

[bangtango]

I remember when the GameBoy Pocket first released, and seeing it in magazines and such. I thought that it was kinda cool that they were able to shrink it down like that. I almost actually had some interest in the GameBoy Pocket, but ultimately never got one or tried it. I kinda like the Brick, just because of the purity of the experience. You know, experiencing it just like the folks did back when it first hit the scenes.

Having said that, I'm sure the GameBoy Pocket would be more "convenient" for me. The battery factor is definitley an issue. So, in regards to the GameBoy Pocket, is the screen the same size as the original GB? Is the sound the same basically? Is the only difference in the form factor of the unit?


As for the Brick, I do like the nostalgia of the brick, but my screen is kinda scratched up. If I was to try to find a brick with a screen that isn't scratched up, what would be my best bet? And the "Nintendo" name being garbled sometimes, when you first turn it on, is that just a case of cleaning the contacts on the cart or the system itself? Is there a preferred way to clean the contacts of a brick?


The coolest thing to me about the GameBoy is the fact that it's a system that you can play in the bright sunlight. It's weird because sometimes it actually looks better in bright sunlight. There aren't too many video game things that look better in sunlight. Of course, the flip side of that, is that you can't play it in the dark without one of those light things. They got so many different goofy attatchments for the GB too.

I've seen the top 40 best GameBoy games threads, but that thread doesn't put them into any kind of order. For the GameBoy experts, which GB games should every first time GB user try out to see what the GB is really all about? Are there any good shmups? What's the best platformers? Thanks.

From what I remember, the original Game Boy did have two Gradius games, two Contra games, a version of Space Invaders, a version of R-Type, a version of Asteroids, a version of Centipede (and Millipede) and Yars Revenge. I reviewed Nemesis for this web site a year or two back.

Come to think of it, Yars Revenge may have been Game Boy Color only, but I am pretty sure all the rest of these were on the black-and-white Game Boy.

[Jorpho]

From what I remember, the original Game Boy did have two Gradius games, two Contra games, a version of Space Invaders, a version of R-Type, a version of Asteroids, a version of Centipede (and Millipede) and Yars Revenge. I reviewed Nemesis for this web site a year or two back.

Come to think of it, Yars Revenge may have been Game Boy Color only, but I am pretty sure all the rest of these were on the black-and-white Game Boy.

There were indeed two Contra games, but while Operation C was "original", the other game was a port of Contra III.

There were at least two versions of Space Invaders (the second one had extra special support for the Super Game Boy), and I think Centipede/Millipede might have been released separately once and then on a double-pack version.

And I think there were only Nemesis games, not Gradius, but I'm not completely sure about that. (The online rarity guide just isn't working right now, is it?)

[bangtango]

From what I remember, the original Game Boy did have two Gradius games, two Contra games, a version of Space Invaders, a version of R-Type, a version of Asteroids, a version of Centipede (and Millipede) and Yars Revenge. I reviewed Nemesis for this web site a year or two back.

Come to think of it, Yars Revenge may have been Game Boy Color only, but I am pretty sure all the rest of these were on the black-and-white Game Boy.

There were indeed two Contra games, but while Operation C was "original", the other game was a port of Contra III.

There were at least two versions of Space Invaders (the second one had extra special support for the Super Game Boy), and I think Centipede/Millipede might have been released separately once and then on a double-pack version.

And I think there were only Nemesis games, not Gradius, but I'm not completely sure about that. (The online rarity guide just isn't working right now, is it?)

Let's see. There was Nemesis and Gradius: Interstellar Assault (that one came a year after Nemesis and had better graphics). Only one version of Space Invaders got released, if memory serves. Two were announced but the initial version was pulled, cancelled or delayed (and became the second game). I am pretty sure that EGM reviewed it twice, though, a year or two apart. Someone may want to clear that up, though. I remember the first one was planned for release early in the GB life cycle and the one that actually came out was around the same time as the Super Game Boy.

[zektor]

Nice to hear someone *just* discovering the GB. I was an original purchaser of of good ol' brick...and man did I have some fun times with it.

I remember playing Tetris with my best friend as that time via the link cable. And Tennis. Portable gameplay was never so much fun. Actually...at that time..it was never much of anything before the GB.

I could not believe that I had the ability to play NES quality titles on the road. Sure, the system was not in color or had a backlight...but we weren't even thinking anything like that. It was just amazing, and I remember thinking that this was the wave of the future. In many ways, I was right!

I no longer have my classic GB or carts, but I do play GB games all the time through the emulator "Goomba" on my NDS. They look the same, sound the same, and play the same. Only thing I am missing is my good friend who used to enjoy these games with me :(

There are many excellent titles for the machine (hundreds!), but some original titles come to mind. First released games that I still play today, such as Super Mario Land, Alleyway, Tennis. I really like Bonk on the system too. Heck, I like about 100+ more games. This is one system that I wish I started collecting from the start.

Enjoy it man, you have discovered a goldmine!

BTW, on a side note. You mentioned the screen is scratched. That is the cover, and IS replaceable. Search ebay, I see new covers sold all of the time.