Why Isn't There a More Prominent Game Boy Scene?

[Nintendork666]

Aside from the latest Wii U title, the only video game I buy is an occasional GB/GBC/GBA cart. Game Boy games are still shockingly cheap, and the binder storage method keeps my horde neatly compact. Even the rare titles really are affordable when compared to other consoles. I'm so proud to own Kid Dracula and Snow Bros for the GB, and I really didn't spend all that much when I bought them in early 2014.

At my local haunts, I've yet to experience a single person browsing through the Game Boy section along with me. The NES/SNES areas see enough traffic, so why not more love for the less costly, comparable Game Boy family? After all you can play these games anywhere, even on your television.

Most titles are $6 or less, and I know of two stores that sell them at a $2 flat rate - aside from the Mario/Zelda/Metroid/Final Fantasy/etc. displayed under the counter. These two stores don't even bother including the other titles in their inventory systems. I asked to see "the cardboard box with all the Game Boy games in it" last night and one of the two clerks uttered, "I didn't even know we had that," to his co-worker. I couldn't help but laugh.

Whenever I play my GBA SP in between classes, the only question I ever hear is, "Is that Pokemon!?!?" I don't mind the question, as I understand people are just trying to be friendly. It's just surprising to never hear anything else - even with a fat grey cartridge sticking out of the bottom.

Jeremy Parish has Game Boy World, and then there's Tiny Cartridge (which is more current-handheld related), and of course noiseredux's Game Boy Player blog. For a library with decades-worth of games, sites like these shouldn't be such anomalies.

Better yet, where's all the love for the non-Nintendo retro handhelds? Why don't modern mobile games inspire more collectors to explore their nostalgia for portable games? I'm especially concerned with the GB/GBC/GBA library though. What other console legally plays Mario, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, Banjo Kazooie, Spyro, Bonk, Klonoa, Conker, and even Aero the Acrobat games?

[dogman91]

Probably because the Game Boy has a tiny screen + low resolution, and a lot of the games on it have remakes and ports. Nobody really hypes them up either like games on the SNES/NES.

I use the Super Game Boy on SNES, personally, to play Game Boy games.

[MrEco]

I think part of it has to do with the fact that it's a handheld. Even nowadays handhelds like the Vita or 3DS always take back seat to their big console brothers. It doesn't make much sense, but it seems like there's a sort of stigma revolving around handhelds. They're cheaper, the games on them are less graphically/technically powerful, and the screens are smaller, leading people to associate them with not having as many good games or having lower quality games in general compared to consoles.

Countless psychology studies have shown that people will very often assume that a cheaper product must be lower quality, even when it's not the case.

[J T]

Countless psychology studies have shown that people will very often assume that a cheaper product must be lower quality, even when it's not the case.

People need to remember this. I have played so many cheap or free games over the years that were better than games that cost a lot more. Check out my free games threads for plenty of great examples.

[Ack]

It's because noiseredux is no longer doing it.

[alienjesus]

It's because noiseredux is no longer doing it.

Dammit, I came here to post this but you beat me to it

Personally I love the Game Boy, and even recently I've been picking up some of the bigger name games for GB or GBC.

Recent(ish) pick-ups include:
Kirby's Dream Land 2
Stranded Kids (aka Survival Kids)
X (Japanese import)
Money Idol Exchanger (Japanese import)
For the Frog the Bell Tolls (Japanese import)

I've also just paid to have some save batteries replaced in some of my old Pokémon games (shout out to Hobie-Wan!) and got the capacitors replaced on my Game Gear so I can enjoy that again.

Then again, I'm also hoping to one day have a full library for the Pokémon Mini, so for handheld gaming I'm perhaps not your average case.

[Gunstar Green]

I'm a pretty big fan of handhelds (and because of that I'm glad they're still relatively cheap).

Building my Game Boy collection has actually been a priority for me in recent years due to the affordability and quality. It's really cool when you come across a Game Boy game that's better than its NES sibling like Elevator Action.

Game Gear games would probably be more popular if there was a better way to play them that wasn't the Game Gear (a blurry mess). A lot of the issue with Game Boy's competitors was battery life or not being terribly portable.

[ninjainspandex]

shame there isn't a good LCD screen replacement mod for the Game Gear like the Nomad

[fastbilly1]

shame there isn't a good LCD screen replacement mod for the Game Gear like the Nomad

Or a Gamegear to Genesis adapter like the Super Gameboy

[SNESdrunk]

I've found so many quality GB games the past few months. Avenging Spirit (complete with hilariously misleading cover art), the stunningly great Mega Man V, Sagaia, Mr. Chin's Gourmet Paradise, Ninja Gaiden Shadow, Hammering Harry... I had no idea a lot of these games existed.