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In 1989, Nintendo took the handheld market by storm with a Game Boy, rendering all single-game LCD handhelds (including their own Game 'n' Watch games) obsolete. Gamers were able to play games comparable to their favourite Nintendo Entertainment System games in the palms of their hands instead of on the tops of their TV stands.
The Game Boy, at the time of release, was the most modern piece of handheld machinery to be bought by the masses, even though to look back at it now, it could be considered as old-fashioned as the common house-brick. It is comparable in size to a brick, and the green screen isn't the clearest of screens to play your games on, despite the changeable contrast. The screen wasn't good for scrolling either, as Pokémon games Blue, Red and Yellow versions show, with extreme blurring.
Despite criticism that Nintendo never listen to the opinions of their most loyal fans, Nintendo have forever tried to improve upon their Game Boy, so as not to make the games unplayable on newer systems, but to keep the newer systems universal in order to keep the catalogue of games as large as possible.
In doing so, they produced the Super Game Boy, a cartrdige for the Super NES that allowed you to play all your current Game Boy games in four colours, or some of the more modern ones designed for the Super Game Boy in colours comparable with the original NES. That included some more modern titles like Pokémon and Dragon Warrior Monsters that featured bonuses such as special borders, some that even automatically changed during play of the game.
However, the Super Game Boy lacked the portability everyone initially bought the Game Boy for. And so, rumours were going round that Nintendo were going to use Super Game Boy technology in a new handheld. Nintendo decided that the world wasn't ready for full colour gaming in the palm of the hand, and so released a mini version of the Game Boy called the Game Boy Pocket. Although it answered some peoples concerns in respect to the blurriness in the scrolling and the size, it wasn't much of an improvement on the Game Boy itself. It was just a Game Boy, yet slightly smaller. After all, wasn't the Game Boy meant to fit in the pocket anyway?
So Nintendo eventually took people's moans and groans into consideration and released the Game Boy Color. Although it looked virtually the same as its 'pocket' predocessor, it was in full colour and could play all previous Game Boy games in four colours, just like the Super Game Boy. For those who weren't too sure about the colours that the unit defaulted to, there were also button combinations that allowed different colours to be initiated on boot up.
For the games that were initially designed for use on the Game Boy Color, there was the essence of forwards compatability which enabled gamers to play them on the older Game Boys, something that has never been matched by any other system. However, Nintendo, and other third parties, made games specifically for use on the Game Boy Color, and to stop confusion in the gamers, put them in slightly differently shaped cartridges, which were clear and had a bulge where the Nintendo logo is situated instead of an inverted logo.
But after ten years of being able to play games '24:7' anywhere and everywhere, there hadn't been much of a change in the Game Boy. It still looked pretty much the same, and the games being released on the system in the late 1990s seemed to be all Pokémon clones of some sort. After all, there is only so much you can do with an 8-bit gaming system.
So, as you already know, in the new millenium, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance, the handheld console of today. If you're a gamer, you'd be considered as a bit dull if you didn't know that it matches the power of the Playstation, only limited by the size of its screen and the fact it uses cartridges. The 'Game Gear' style of things make it more ergonomically suitable for handheld play and it's small size makes it a real pocket size gaming unit.
However, if you've experienced play with a Game Boy Advance, you'd know that it is extremely difficult to see some of the darker games, such as Castlevania and Doom in normal natural daylight, only seeing the screen in all its multi-coloured glory if you angle it towards the nearest flourescant lighting.
Third parties have tried with the external lights, and even one company has designed an internal light, which to Nintendo's dismay, has actually caught on! The only problem being the fact that it invalidates the warranty to get it installed. So, despite the probability that Nintendo would say that no one has ever complained to them about faulty Game Boys after the Afterburner has been fitted, I'm sure they've been inundated with complaints about faulty Game Boy Advances from those who didn't realise the risks involved.
Nintendo seem to have taken all this onboard though, as three days ago, Nintendo announced that they had finished designing a new version of the Game Boy Advance, called the GBA SP. As you're probably aware, it has a frontlit screen (lights at the front, instead of the back, obviously) and is shaped like a cross between Nintendo's original handhelds, Game 'n' Watch, and the Game Boy original version. It even has it's own internal battery that last three hours longer than standard AAs in a Game Boy Advance (when the light is off on the SP) and ten hours of continous play with the light on!
This is everything gamers have been asking for in a Game Boy, except for a higher resolution screen, a 3D processor and more adult orientated games - but lets not get too picky. Nintendo did try once with a backlight in the form of the Game Boy Pocket Light, but they were produced in minimal numbers due to a high amount of battery usage, which isn't good for gaming on the go.
The good thing is, Nintendo aren't dawdling. They're releasing the GBA SP virtually ASAP, which will most likely mean the end of Game Boy Advances as we know it, and the beginning of the replacement in the form of the flip-tops.
Nintendo are listening to their fans... finally!
The Game Boy, at the time of release, was the most modern piece of handheld machinery to be bought by the masses, even though to look back at it now, it could be considered as old-fashioned as the common house-brick. It is comparable in size to a brick, and the green screen isn't the clearest of screens to play your games on, despite the changeable contrast. The screen wasn't good for scrolling either, as Pokémon games Blue, Red and Yellow versions show, with extreme blurring.
Despite criticism that Nintendo never listen to the opinions of their most loyal fans, Nintendo have forever tried to improve upon their Game Boy, so as not to make the games unplayable on newer systems, but to keep the newer systems universal in order to keep the catalogue of games as large as possible.
In doing so, they produced the Super Game Boy, a cartrdige for the Super NES that allowed you to play all your current Game Boy games in four colours, or some of the more modern ones designed for the Super Game Boy in colours comparable with the original NES. That included some more modern titles like Pokémon and Dragon Warrior Monsters that featured bonuses such as special borders, some that even automatically changed during play of the game.
However, the Super Game Boy lacked the portability everyone initially bought the Game Boy for. And so, rumours were going round that Nintendo were going to use Super Game Boy technology in a new handheld. Nintendo decided that the world wasn't ready for full colour gaming in the palm of the hand, and so released a mini version of the Game Boy called the Game Boy Pocket. Although it answered some peoples concerns in respect to the blurriness in the scrolling and the size, it wasn't much of an improvement on the Game Boy itself. It was just a Game Boy, yet slightly smaller. After all, wasn't the Game Boy meant to fit in the pocket anyway?
So Nintendo eventually took people's moans and groans into consideration and released the Game Boy Color. Although it looked virtually the same as its 'pocket' predocessor, it was in full colour and could play all previous Game Boy games in four colours, just like the Super Game Boy. For those who weren't too sure about the colours that the unit defaulted to, there were also button combinations that allowed different colours to be initiated on boot up.
For the games that were initially designed for use on the Game Boy Color, there was the essence of forwards compatability which enabled gamers to play them on the older Game Boys, something that has never been matched by any other system. However, Nintendo, and other third parties, made games specifically for use on the Game Boy Color, and to stop confusion in the gamers, put them in slightly differently shaped cartridges, which were clear and had a bulge where the Nintendo logo is situated instead of an inverted logo.
But after ten years of being able to play games '24:7' anywhere and everywhere, there hadn't been much of a change in the Game Boy. It still looked pretty much the same, and the games being released on the system in the late 1990s seemed to be all Pokémon clones of some sort. After all, there is only so much you can do with an 8-bit gaming system.
So, as you already know, in the new millenium, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance, the handheld console of today. If you're a gamer, you'd be considered as a bit dull if you didn't know that it matches the power of the Playstation, only limited by the size of its screen and the fact it uses cartridges. The 'Game Gear' style of things make it more ergonomically suitable for handheld play and it's small size makes it a real pocket size gaming unit.
However, if you've experienced play with a Game Boy Advance, you'd know that it is extremely difficult to see some of the darker games, such as Castlevania and Doom in normal natural daylight, only seeing the screen in all its multi-coloured glory if you angle it towards the nearest flourescant lighting.
Third parties have tried with the external lights, and even one company has designed an internal light, which to Nintendo's dismay, has actually caught on! The only problem being the fact that it invalidates the warranty to get it installed. So, despite the probability that Nintendo would say that no one has ever complained to them about faulty Game Boys after the Afterburner has been fitted, I'm sure they've been inundated with complaints about faulty Game Boy Advances from those who didn't realise the risks involved.
Nintendo seem to have taken all this onboard though, as three days ago, Nintendo announced that they had finished designing a new version of the Game Boy Advance, called the GBA SP. As you're probably aware, it has a frontlit screen (lights at the front, instead of the back, obviously) and is shaped like a cross between Nintendo's original handhelds, Game 'n' Watch, and the Game Boy original version. It even has it's own internal battery that last three hours longer than standard AAs in a Game Boy Advance (when the light is off on the SP) and ten hours of continous play with the light on!
This is everything gamers have been asking for in a Game Boy, except for a higher resolution screen, a 3D processor and more adult orientated games - but lets not get too picky. Nintendo did try once with a backlight in the form of the Game Boy Pocket Light, but they were produced in minimal numbers due to a high amount of battery usage, which isn't good for gaming on the go.
The good thing is, Nintendo aren't dawdling. They're releasing the GBA SP virtually ASAP, which will most likely mean the end of Game Boy Advances as we know it, and the beginning of the replacement in the form of the flip-tops.
Nintendo are listening to their fans... finally!
I haven't had a Gamboy since the first ones - the grey bricls.
But something about the SP really got me, and I'm gonna get one. It'll be quite a shock, I think, to see the differences between my old one (which I still occasionally play) and the new one.
Ooohhh, silver.
Then, of course, I'll need a GC just to get the most out of it. Any offers? I only need about Ł100 now.
But something about the SP really got me, and I'm gonna get one. It'll be quite a shock, I think, to see the differences between my old one (which I still occasionally play) and the new one.
Ooohhh, silver.
Then, of course, I'll need a GC just to get the most out of it. Any offers? I only need about Ł100 now.
I liked that.
The thing with Gameboy's is that no matter how fanatic you may be about a particular console or company, they will always catch your interest not just because their handhelds that allow you to play games on the go, but also because of their good variety in games. But, yes gameboys and gameboy colours are now old news.
But their replacement is well worth being in the spotlight! I'm definitely getting the new GBA (hopefully if SR has it in stock) not just because it will be the latest handheld in the market, but also because it will be the greatest. Its capabilities sound very impressive and I'm sure Nintendo will have something else up their sleeves with this little beauty.
I'm impressed with Nintendo's progression in the industry and surely their new handheld will start a trend all the competition will want to attempt to surpass themselves. This is certainly good news for gamers.
Good post Edgy
The thing with Gameboy's is that no matter how fanatic you may be about a particular console or company, they will always catch your interest not just because their handhelds that allow you to play games on the go, but also because of their good variety in games. But, yes gameboys and gameboy colours are now old news.
But their replacement is well worth being in the spotlight! I'm definitely getting the new GBA (hopefully if SR has it in stock) not just because it will be the latest handheld in the market, but also because it will be the greatest. Its capabilities sound very impressive and I'm sure Nintendo will have something else up their sleeves with this little beauty.
I'm impressed with Nintendo's progression in the industry and surely their new handheld will start a trend all the competition will want to attempt to surpass themselves. This is certainly good news for gamers.
Good post Edgy
In 1989, Nintendo took the handheld market by storm with a Game Boy, rendering all single-game LCD handhelds (including their own Game 'n' Watch games) obsolete. Gamers were able to play games comparable to their favourite Nintendo Entertainment System games in the palms of their hands instead of on the tops of their TV stands.
The Game Boy, at the time of release, was the most modern piece of handheld machinery to be bought by the masses, even though to look back at it now, it could be considered as old-fashioned as the common house-brick. It is comparable in size to a brick, and the green screen isn't the clearest of screens to play your games on, despite the changeable contrast. The screen wasn't good for scrolling either, as Pokémon games Blue, Red and Yellow versions show, with extreme blurring.
Despite criticism that Nintendo never listen to the opinions of their most loyal fans, Nintendo have forever tried to improve upon their Game Boy, so as not to make the games unplayable on newer systems, but to keep the newer systems universal in order to keep the catalogue of games as large as possible.
In doing so, they produced the Super Game Boy, a cartrdige for the Super NES that allowed you to play all your current Game Boy games in four colours, or some of the more modern ones designed for the Super Game Boy in colours comparable with the original NES. That included some more modern titles like Pokémon and Dragon Warrior Monsters that featured bonuses such as special borders, some that even automatically changed during play of the game.
However, the Super Game Boy lacked the portability everyone initially bought the Game Boy for. And so, rumours were going round that Nintendo were going to use Super Game Boy technology in a new handheld. Nintendo decided that the world wasn't ready for full colour gaming in the palm of the hand, and so released a mini version of the Game Boy called the Game Boy Pocket. Although it answered some peoples concerns in respect to the blurriness in the scrolling and the size, it wasn't much of an improvement on the Game Boy itself. It was just a Game Boy, yet slightly smaller. After all, wasn't the Game Boy meant to fit in the pocket anyway?
So Nintendo eventually took people's moans and groans into consideration and released the Game Boy Color. Although it looked virtually the same as its 'pocket' predocessor, it was in full colour and could play all previous Game Boy games in four colours, just like the Super Game Boy. For those who weren't too sure about the colours that the unit defaulted to, there were also button combinations that allowed different colours to be initiated on boot up.
For the games that were initially designed for use on the Game Boy Color, there was the essence of forwards compatability which enabled gamers to play them on the older Game Boys, something that has never been matched by any other system. However, Nintendo, and other third parties, made games specifically for use on the Game Boy Color, and to stop confusion in the gamers, put them in slightly differently shaped cartridges, which were clear and had a bulge where the Nintendo logo is situated instead of an inverted logo.
But after ten years of being able to play games '24:7' anywhere and everywhere, there hadn't been much of a change in the Game Boy. It still looked pretty much the same, and the games being released on the system in the late 1990s seemed to be all Pokémon clones of some sort. After all, there is only so much you can do with an 8-bit gaming system.
So, as you already know, in the new millenium, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance, the handheld console of today. If you're a gamer, you'd be considered as a bit dull if you didn't know that it matches the power of the Playstation, only limited by the size of its screen and the fact it uses cartridges. The 'Game Gear' style of things make it more ergonomically suitable for handheld play and it's small size makes it a real pocket size gaming unit.
However, if you've experienced play with a Game Boy Advance, you'd know that it is extremely difficult to see some of the darker games, such as Castlevania and Doom in normal natural daylight, only seeing the screen in all its multi-coloured glory if you angle it towards the nearest flourescant lighting.
Third parties have tried with the external lights, and even one company has designed an internal light, which to Nintendo's dismay, has actually caught on! The only problem being the fact that it invalidates the warranty to get it installed. So, despite the probability that Nintendo would say that no one has ever complained to them about faulty Game Boys after the Afterburner has been fitted, I'm sure they've been inundated with complaints about faulty Game Boy Advances from those who didn't realise the risks involved.
Nintendo seem to have taken all this onboard though, as three days ago, Nintendo announced that they had finished designing a new version of the Game Boy Advance, called the GBA SP. As you're probably aware, it has a frontlit screen (lights at the front, instead of the back, obviously) and is shaped like a cross between Nintendo's original handhelds, Game 'n' Watch, and the Game Boy original version. It even has it's own internal battery that last three hours longer than standard AAs in a Game Boy Advance (when the light is off on the SP) and ten hours of continous play with the light on!
This is everything gamers have been asking for in a Game Boy, except for a higher resolution screen, a 3D processor and more adult orientated games - but lets not get too picky. Nintendo did try once with a backlight in the form of the Game Boy Pocket Light, but they were produced in minimal numbers due to a high amount of battery usage, which isn't good for gaming on the go.
The good thing is, Nintendo aren't dawdling. They're releasing the GBA SP virtually ASAP, which will most likely mean the end of Game Boy Advances as we know it, and the beginning of the replacement in the form of the flip-tops.
Nintendo are listening to their fans... finally!
The Game Boy, at the time of release, was the most modern piece of handheld machinery to be bought by the masses, even though to look back at it now, it could be considered as old-fashioned as the common house-brick. It is comparable in size to a brick, and the green screen isn't the clearest of screens to play your games on, despite the changeable contrast. The screen wasn't good for scrolling either, as Pokémon games Blue, Red and Yellow versions show, with extreme blurring.
Despite criticism that Nintendo never listen to the opinions of their most loyal fans, Nintendo have forever tried to improve upon their Game Boy, so as not to make the games unplayable on newer systems, but to keep the newer systems universal in order to keep the catalogue of games as large as possible.
In doing so, they produced the Super Game Boy, a cartrdige for the Super NES that allowed you to play all your current Game Boy games in four colours, or some of the more modern ones designed for the Super Game Boy in colours comparable with the original NES. That included some more modern titles like Pokémon and Dragon Warrior Monsters that featured bonuses such as special borders, some that even automatically changed during play of the game.
However, the Super Game Boy lacked the portability everyone initially bought the Game Boy for. And so, rumours were going round that Nintendo were going to use Super Game Boy technology in a new handheld. Nintendo decided that the world wasn't ready for full colour gaming in the palm of the hand, and so released a mini version of the Game Boy called the Game Boy Pocket. Although it answered some peoples concerns in respect to the blurriness in the scrolling and the size, it wasn't much of an improvement on the Game Boy itself. It was just a Game Boy, yet slightly smaller. After all, wasn't the Game Boy meant to fit in the pocket anyway?
So Nintendo eventually took people's moans and groans into consideration and released the Game Boy Color. Although it looked virtually the same as its 'pocket' predocessor, it was in full colour and could play all previous Game Boy games in four colours, just like the Super Game Boy. For those who weren't too sure about the colours that the unit defaulted to, there were also button combinations that allowed different colours to be initiated on boot up.
For the games that were initially designed for use on the Game Boy Color, there was the essence of forwards compatability which enabled gamers to play them on the older Game Boys, something that has never been matched by any other system. However, Nintendo, and other third parties, made games specifically for use on the Game Boy Color, and to stop confusion in the gamers, put them in slightly differently shaped cartridges, which were clear and had a bulge where the Nintendo logo is situated instead of an inverted logo.
But after ten years of being able to play games '24:7' anywhere and everywhere, there hadn't been much of a change in the Game Boy. It still looked pretty much the same, and the games being released on the system in the late 1990s seemed to be all Pokémon clones of some sort. After all, there is only so much you can do with an 8-bit gaming system.
So, as you already know, in the new millenium, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance, the handheld console of today. If you're a gamer, you'd be considered as a bit dull if you didn't know that it matches the power of the Playstation, only limited by the size of its screen and the fact it uses cartridges. The 'Game Gear' style of things make it more ergonomically suitable for handheld play and it's small size makes it a real pocket size gaming unit.
However, if you've experienced play with a Game Boy Advance, you'd know that it is extremely difficult to see some of the darker games, such as Castlevania and Doom in normal natural daylight, only seeing the screen in all its multi-coloured glory if you angle it towards the nearest flourescant lighting.
Third parties have tried with the external lights, and even one company has designed an internal light, which to Nintendo's dismay, has actually caught on! The only problem being the fact that it invalidates the warranty to get it installed. So, despite the probability that Nintendo would say that no one has ever complained to them about faulty Game Boys after the Afterburner has been fitted, I'm sure they've been inundated with complaints about faulty Game Boy Advances from those who didn't realise the risks involved.
Nintendo seem to have taken all this onboard though, as three days ago, Nintendo announced that they had finished designing a new version of the Game Boy Advance, called the GBA SP. As you're probably aware, it has a frontlit screen (lights at the front, instead of the back, obviously) and is shaped like a cross between Nintendo's original handhelds, Game 'n' Watch, and the Game Boy original version. It even has it's own internal battery that last three hours longer than standard AAs in a Game Boy Advance (when the light is off on the SP) and ten hours of continous play with the light on!
This is everything gamers have been asking for in a Game Boy, except for a higher resolution screen, a 3D processor and more adult orientated games - but lets not get too picky. Nintendo did try once with a backlight in the form of the Game Boy Pocket Light, but they were produced in minimal numbers due to a high amount of battery usage, which isn't good for gaming on the go.
The good thing is, Nintendo aren't dawdling. They're releasing the GBA SP virtually ASAP, which will most likely mean the end of Game Boy Advances as we know it, and the beginning of the replacement in the form of the flip-tops.
Nintendo are listening to their fans... finally!