PixlBit

Well it looks like Nintendo's handheld systems are ending. With the announcement of the Switch Lite and no new games for the 3DS, I'm afraid that we are nearing the end of an era. So, I have decided to take a look back and see what made them so great, pick out my favorite games for each system, and pay some respects to all the great memories I have had with them.

Origins - Game Boy

Little do people know, but the GB wasn't Nintendo's first handheld console. The first was the Game & Watch series of handhelds. After achieving success with that line, they wanted to continue in the portable market, which Gunpei Yokoi basically created. Released in 1989, it is actually considered part of the fourth generation of consoles, lumped in with the SNES and Genesis. The console was released with pack in games of either Super Mario Land or Tetris. SML was great, and got gamers from the NES on board with the system. Tetris was also huge. It got people into games that had never played before, and was a big fad.

Revisions - Pocket and Color

The GB Pocket was released in 1996, and was a smaller version of the Game Boy with a greyscale display instead of a green one. It came in several different colors, and took 2 AAA batteries instead of 4 AA's.

The GB Color was released 2 years later and also came in several different colors. It was compatible with almost all the original GB games and took 2 AA batteries. The games released for it came in clear cartridges instead of grey. Also, color! With the upgraded hardware, games were faster and better looking, not to mention having a color palette that was bigger than the NES. GB Color games that were able be played in the original GB and GB Pocket came in black cartridges, but all original GB games could be played on it.

The Games

All together, the GB and GB Color released 1,709 games. That's almost as many as the SNES, their highest selling games system [for physical media]. While I only have 31 games, I'd like to think that I have the best ones. I would like to highlight the series of games that brought me enjoyment.

Super Mario Land series: When I was a kid, I used to fall asleep listening to the ending theme of the original. They even have the powerball powerup in Super Mario Maker 2 as an homage to the original game. I also enjoyed the second game, because it was like a miniature Super Mario World. I never got into the Wario Land series, but I heard it was good.

Zelda: Link's Awakening was awesome. I remember it being so humorous. And that ending blew my mind back in the day. The DX version is just the original that's compatible with the GB Color. I never played Oracle of Seasons/ Ages, but I have the games and will add them to my bucket list.

Game & Watch Gallery 1-4: If you ever wanted to experience the original G&W, but don't want to pay those prices, then these are perfect. They have the original and modern versions on the cartridges, and are very fun pick up and play games.

Mega Man I - V/ Xtreme 1&2: These days, it's easy to play the originals on the virtual console for 3DS, which you should do, because the original cartridges are overpriced. The only one really worth playing is MM V, because the others are rehashes. Still, they are fun games. In the same vein, Duck Tales 1 & 2 are competent ports of their NES counterparts.

Final Fantasy Legend I - III, Adventure: They were fun back in the day, but something always seemed off. Turns out, the Legend series was actually the SaGa games in disguise! Similarly, Adventure was the first game of the Secret of Mana series. They have a direct port of it on the Mana Collection for Switch.

Dragon Warrior I & II, III: These were actually GB Color games, and I wasted more time on them than I'd like to admit!

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe: A GB Color game which is actually a remake of the original SMB. They kept the same graphics and added in a bunch of bonus content. I used to love this game.

Pokemon games: I admit it, I never really played through any of the Pokemon games. But I acknowledge that they so very influential to the generation of gamers after mine. I have the Yellow Version. Maybe one day I'll find out what all the fuss was about.

Donkey Kong: You should play this, because it's a really good puzzle platformer. I had a lot of fun with it. The first 4 levels are remakes of the original arcade game.

Crystalis: An incredibly competent port of the original NES game, it plays like a cross between Secret of Mana and Zelda.

Kirby's Dreamland 1 & 2: The start of a great platformer series. Even the Pinball Land game was good.

Metal Gear Solid: This GB Color game is very underrated. Taking place in the same universe of the parent namesake, this sidestory plays like the original Metal Gear.

Super Game Boy: Technically not a game, but this odd little peripheral allowed you to play GB games on the SNES. I still have one somewhere, and it was really cool to play your games on your TV.

*Play It Loud! series of Game Boy

Last Thoughts

These days, if you want to start collecting, your best shot is to just start buying from secondhand video game stores. All of the models are still in circulation there, as well as the games. Just don't pay more than $90 unless it's a special edition, because that's how much it originally retailed for. The influence of the original Game Boy is still felt today. It was pretty much a phenomenon until 2002, when the last game was released and it was discontinued the next year. From the classic look and feel, I see the GB series as next in line to get the retro treatment. There are already a number of Chinese made emulator knockoffs out there.

Next time, I'll be tackling the Game Boy Advance series. Have a great day, everyone.