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Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:43 pm
by Gunstar Green
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:46 pm
by fastbilly1
Gunstar Green wrote:I can't find the link to the Japanese site that made it (out of a canibalized Game Gear of course) but I would buy the heck out of this consolized Game Gear.
The Master Gear:
I have seen a couple people do it with just a Gamegear body. They modded the hell out of it and added a DB9 for SMS controllers. They are just ugly, unlike that sexy Master Gear.
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 1:06 pm
by ExedExes
That's most of my collection. GBA is underrated.
(which is a good thing because most games can be had for under $30 so SHHHH!)
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 1:23 pm
by Sarge
Yeah, hopefully prices will stay down for a while.
Really, the one game I want that's super-expensive is
Ninja Five-O. And it's awesome stuff, but I can't pay what they're asking for it... well, I could, but I'm not.
I've got a pretty significant GBA collection. Don't remember the raw numbers, but probably over 50, and it's the good stuff.
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 1:45 pm
by Snatch1414
For me it's two things:
1) I really don't know where to begin. Seems like there's a billion Game Boy games across time and it's not talked about like the NES for instance, where just by hanging out on forums you get a really good sense of what's what even though there are a lot of titles.
2) The stores around here don't really organize their Game Boy games. I have to get an employee to open the case and stand there watching me rummage through boxes each containing 30-50 loose carts.
Notice neither of those are knocks against the system. I have no doubt there are a lot of good, unique games on it. I just don't know what they are.
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 1:51 pm
by retrosportsgamer
That Master Gear is awesome - but yeah, $170ish is a lot (but I'm sure the work is worth it).
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 2:30 pm
by BoneSnapDeez
My local retro game store also has the GB "bucket." Many games as low as $2. I love it.
As far as popularity goes... I was playing a lot of Nintendo back in the 90s: the NES / SNES / Game Boy era... To myself, and everyone else it seems, the Game Boy was the back-up and travel system. No one played it at home. They played it in a car, bus, hotel, whatever. With AA batteries and no backlight it just wasn't convenient to play regularly and it was pretty much understood that the home consoles had "better" games anyway.
Later on there was the Pokémon explosion on GB / GBC. This, combined with Pikachu Virtual Pets and Tamagotchi, made handhelds look like kiddie stuff.
Now we've reached a point where, I believe, the handhelds have actually surpassed home systems in terms of overall game quality and variety. If I want to play a modern game I gravitate towards the DS / PSP / 3DS / Vita over anything else. And the tech is now solid too - lit screens and rechargeable batteries.
Looking back at the original Game Boy from here in 2015... It's a great system. Tons of hidden gems. Even some intriguing imports. But I think some of the old stigma remains. I see "regular" folks locally still buying NES / SNES / Genesis games, but the GB carts remain on shelves. More for me I suppose.
Nintendork666 wrote:After all you can play these games anywhere, even on your television.
The layperson or very casual retro gamer might not even be aware of this (or the backwards compatibility of later systems, for that matter).
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 4:32 pm
by wclem
My wife loves the Gameboy and Advance games. She has probably 500 or so across the systems. One day I need to dig through and play some myself. She pays 1-3 dollars for them consistently, so yeah let them keep flying under the radar.
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 5:25 pm
by irixith
I have no idea why there's not a more prominent scene.
I've got a regular model GBA but with the screen swapped for an AGS-101 screen. (Also known as the perfect Game Boy.) It's the right form factor, the right size, and I consider the AA batteries to be a huge pro, because I'm not tied to needing a wall plug on the go -- though it's an option for when I'm home, which is great!
An EZ-Flash IV and an Everdrive GB Deluxe lets me play whatever I want. I'm long past bothering with the cartridge collection/hunt. I probably play the GBA more than any other console/handheld, including the SNES, so that's saying something. So many Game Boy games are the perfect length/complexity, and so fun to replay. There's a great representation from different genres, quality third-party stuff in addition to the standard Nintendo fare...and some of my favourite games of all time. (Link's Awakening, For the Frog the Bell Tolls, Mario's Picross, etc, etc, etc, etc). To say nothing of the incredible GBA library, and even stand-outs from the GBC library.
It's an epic system, everyone should own one.
Re: Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 5:35 pm
by Gunstar Green
Snatch1414 wrote:For me it's two things:
1) I really don't know where to begin. Seems like there's a billion Game Boy games across time and it's not talked about like the NES for instance, where just by hanging out on forums you get a really good sense of what's what even though there are a lot of titles.
2) The stores around here don't really organize their Game Boy games. I have to get an employee to open the case and stand there watching me rummage through boxes each containing 30-50 loose carts.
Notice neither of those are knocks against the system. I have no doubt there are a lot of good, unique games on it. I just don't know what they are.
If you can look past it's 4chan origins, this list is a pretty good start:
http://vsrecommendedgames.wikia.com/wiki/Game_BoyIt includes an "e" icon if it's available in Nintendo's Eshop.
