This weeks retro gaming continues the focus on Gameboy. Specifically the Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP games and accessories.
Pokemon
A while back I read a story about the best way to introduce kids to Pokemon. It was by handing them a Gameboy Color and copy of Pokemon red or blue. I thought this was a great idea and a nice way to let kids learn to appreciate great gameplay rather than just super realistic graphics and guns. So I set out to find a Game boy color for my son.
Gameboy Quest
On my searches I came across a great deal on a Game Boy bundle. Including a Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP. Along with a load of games and accessories too! Being near Christmas, I decided to ask for it as a gift.
What an amazing gift it was…
Game Boy Color
The Gameboy Color was the successor the Original Game Boy DMG-01. As the name suggest, color (colour for us Brits) was finally added to the Game Boy screen.
The Game Boy Color stuck with an 8 bit processor meaning it was backwards compatible. Even providing the ability play original Game Boy games with some colour.
Game Boy Advance
The Gameboy Advance is a 32 bit handheld console developed by Nintendo. The Game Boy Advance is the successor to the Gameboy Color and introduced the Game Boy Family to a whole new generation of video games and capabilities.
With the Game Boy Advance release date of 2001, Nintendo changed the long standing form factor of the original Game Boy to a landscape shape. Similar to the Sega Game Gear and Neo Geo Pocket.
The Game Boy Advance completed with the likes of the Neo Geo Pocket Color, WonderSwan, GP32, Tapwave Zodiac and the mobile phone gaming console N-Gage.
Once again Nintendo was able to hold of strong competition to be the most successful handheld console of its generation.
Game Boy Advance SP
The Game Boy Advance SP was released two years after the original Game Boy Advance. It is an upgraded version of the GBA.
The GBA SP introduced the clamshell form factor to the Gameboy range, similar to the Game & Watch series of handhelds. The clamshell form factor also aided in protecting the screen from damage as well as reducing the handhelds size to just over half that of the GBA when closed.
Continuing the trend of the Gameboy Color, the GBA and GBA SP are backwards compatible with all retro Game Boy console games.
Retro Gaming Tips
Retro game collecting has greatly increased in popularity over the years. As a result it is getting increasingly difficult to find decent prices on retro games and consoles.
Prices on eBay can be some of the highest around. However as I found with this Game Boy collection, it is till possible to find a great deal if you look hard enough. I think the trick is to not look for individual items but to look for bundles.
When it comes to individual item most of the time sellers will do their research. Finding average prices on retro games is really easy to do. Therefore a seller can easily price individual retro items as high as they are worth.
When it comes to retro gaming bundles, quite often it’s people wanting to get rid of stuff from around the house. Or make a bit of extra money. In these scenarios sellers are much more likely to go for a ball park figure. Meaning you can find some fantastic retro gaming deals.
Retro Gaming
This latest addition to the retro collection is a great one and has already provided me with hour of retro gaming fun. However the gaming room is starting to struggle for space. Luckily my wife was able to help me find some shelves that are perfect for the Game Boy collection.
They are actually an old set from her bedroom as a kid. What better than some retro shelves for the retro games! The Game Boys found a nice home in the gaming room.
However it won’t be long before I need to make some bigger changes to room layout as more retro goodies find their way into the collection.
This video was shot last year and has already appeared on my channel. However due to a mess up on my part I accidentally deleted all my retro gaming videos. So this is the third of 14 retro-retro gaming videos.
For more retro gaming chat and video game chat in general in the Chronik Spartan Discord https://discord.gg/XPU6x5R.