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Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 20th, 2019, 10:12 pm
by VideoGameCritic
Lately I've been in the process of reviewing a lot of Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles (the reviews are coming). I like to review them on my Game Boy Player (GameCube) but I find the controls a bit laggy. Often I end up playing them on my Game Boy SP, which is a pretty great system.

Still, part of me wants an original Game Boy which I've never owned - to play the games as originally intended! I was checking the ebay listings and the prices aren't too bad. I noticed a few of them are refurbished with new screens. Is that something I should pay attention to? Do the screens wear out? Should I even bother? Any advice would be appreciated.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 21st, 2019, 2:08 am
by Stalvern
You have every other system under the sun, so why not? I've never heard of a Game Boy screen wearing out; I assume that the ones with replaced screens suffered some kind of direct damage.

I think that the controls might also be less laggy on the Super Game Boy than on the Game Boy Player, but I don't have firsthand experience with either.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 22nd, 2019, 10:11 pm
by ThePixelatedGenocide
Only get an original Gameboy if you want to know how much worse things used to be. Pixel soup fog was common in action games, and lighting was hard to come by.

I'd argue it might still be worth it for the historical context, but you no longer live in the world where these games were the best mobile option around. To really get the feel for what they brought to the table, you'd need to endure some quality time with Tiger's LCD handhelds.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 22nd, 2019, 10:30 pm
by Gentlegamer
If you're really going for authentic, sure. But if you get an original screen be prepared for the blurry green pixel soup mentioned.

I personally play GB games on my GBA with AGS 101 screen mod using Everdrive GBA and the Goomba Color emulator that enables Super GB color palettes.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 23rd, 2019, 12:40 pm
by Alucard1191
I use my super gameboy to play gameboy games. It doesn't play gbc games, which is a bummer, but original gb games work fine.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 24th, 2019, 8:50 am
by MSR1701
The trick is to try the unit out before buying. My original unit's screen had massive dead spots on the screen, and a later one I had the screen cover was not holding.

Still fun to play and get the real feeling, especially with games like Wario Land and Zelda.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 24th, 2019, 8:56 am
by CharlieR
I don't think my gamecube (with GBA player attached) works anymore. I was using that to play the games on tv. I have a backlit GBA sp and ds lite that I use for GBA games.

I also have something called a GB boy colour. It's pretty good for a Chinese knockoff. The screen is just a little less vertical thn the original, so images are a tiny bit scrunched. Also, it says it has 180 games built in, when it is the same 60 games repeated three times.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 24th, 2019, 9:39 am
by pacman000
I've heard some screens have dead pixels, but I've not seen it myself. I need to get my old Game Boy out, to see if it's developed any problems.

I would recommend getting one for historical context, tho you will need to adjust the screen contrast knob for some games.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 25th, 2019, 8:53 am
by Retro STrife
I like the idea of you getting a handheld Game Boy, because I feel like playing it with the GB Player on a TV screen isn't a fully authentic experience. It's fine for gaming, but gets a little dicier when using it for reviews. You're using a different controller and much larger screen than originally intended, so it might impact the reviews, even if only subconsciously.

I have an original Game Boy for completion's sake, but I've never bothered playing it. For GB and GBC games, I use either my Game Boy Color or my Game Boy Advance. Buying the original is fine, but I think buying a GB Pocket or GB Color would be just as good - similar experience, but an improved screen and smaller package. And I assume that the Pocket or Color might be a little cheaper than the original GB.

Re: Should I buy an original Game Boy?

Posted: June 25th, 2019, 9:12 am
by fod
Personally, I love the green dot matrix screen. It's also the only way I've been playing the Game Boy games that are included in some Switch collection games (Castlevania, Contra, Mana).