[[image:090514_gameboyspirit.jpg:Better late than never, right?:right:0]]If you read GameSpite, chances are you’re just as hot and bothered about the approaching release of GameSpite Quarterly #1 as I am. A few weeks ago, articles for the upcoming publication were pouring in and a veritable boatload of awesome Game Boy games were being covered in loving detail. Sadly (perhaps even tragically) I never owned an original GameBoy, so I missed out on most of these treasures. But when I bought a Game Boy Advance a year or so after its launch, I had the good sense to snatch up The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX, along with the Oracles duology. I lost Ages and Seasons somewhere along the line over the past half-decade, and who knows where that old Game Boy Advance is now. Somehow, though, I managed to hold onto Link’s Awakening, and the Quarterly hubub had me itching for some old school Zelda goodness.
Too bad the DS Lite can’t play Game Boy Color games. Yeah, I tried putting the cartridge in facing both ways before coming to my senses and realizing I was staring into the ugly face of limited backwards compatibility. But I was determined to play Link’s Awakening. After grappling over what system to buy, I ended up going for the classic Color — an SP would’ve certainly been easier on the eyes, but harder on the wallet. I’m already afraid I may have opened the floodgates — now that I own a Game Boy Color, it’s hard to resist scouring the web for all the portable gems I never played. I may have to discover firsthand what’s so great about Donkey Kong ’94. And I never did give Wario his due… man, what have I gotten myself into?
Donkey Kong ’94 is in my all-time Top 10 and I just went through Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2 to get in the mode for Wario Land. I’m right there with you!
All the retronauts coverage of the Game Boy had me ready to collect some of the classics. That is until I saw how much secondhand Game Boy Advance sp’s cost.
Anyone planning to buy Game Boy games might want to do it now. Game Spite Quarterly #1 is going to drive up the prices.
Man, the other day I was looking for a Gameboy Light (Lite?) to get some classic Game Boy action going (largely inspired by Game Spite’s upcoming mag). But I’d miss out on things like Zelda or Mario DX and all the fun GBC games. I think I’m just going to shell out for an SP and call it a day. I mean, I’d be all into a bunch of GBA games too.
Gah. The money I’ll spend. . .
Donkey Kong 94 and all three Wario GB games are musts.
You won’t regret spending the money.
you might want to invest in some kind of light now and save yourself some eye strain. I’d recommend the ridiculous looking Worm Light by Nyko.
You’ve gotten yourself into an expensive cave of wonders. Just don’t touch the big red gem.
I saw a GBC for $10 at Play N Trade last time I was there. Simply amazing considering I had my grandmother shell out full price back in the day for mine.
I, too, have gotten caught up in the Game Boy hysteria. I have ordered three classics I amazingly never played during their heyday. For some reason, I took a strange path with my Game Boy gaming where I bought Sneaky Snakes and Penguin Wars over Super Mario Land and Zelda. I think it was some sort of rudimentary gaming antiestablishmentarianism that a young me completely screwed up.
I still have my GB Color, my Advance, and my SP somewhere in storage. All of this GameBoy buzz is going to force a journey into the depths of the storage building to retrieve those most wonderful artifacts. And eBay would be the venture after, I suppose. Donkey Kong 94, you say? Hmmm.
A few years back I had the brilliant idea of picking up a GBA SP Graphite for my GB and GBC needs. I only spent $50 on it and it’s the GBA model that is actually Backlit rather than frontlit, and I love the sucker. Though I do have a fondness for the GameBoy Color, I can’t go back to a non backlit screen now.
I’ll probably regret not buying a backlit SP if I buy many old Game Boy games; I’d forgotten how truly awful the screens were back then. For now, I’ll just be playing under a lamp at all times.
I’ve been playing Game Boy games on TV via the Gamecube’s Game Boy Player. With the Hori Digital Controller, they feel pretty great!
Hellz yeah! Welcome to the Gameboy train!
I have my old brick here in my cubical with Mario Land, Wario Land, Tetris, and Donkey Kong ’94…
Gotta love it.
I, uh, never played most of the Wario Land games. I really should track those down.
I dug out my old brick and gave Wario Land a go.. when I got tired of eye strain I dusted off the SNES, the Super Game Boy and donkey Kong ’94. Did you know that when Pauline screams, there’s actually a sampled voice screaming “HELP!” rather than the trill you get on a Game Boy? The things you learn…