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A new feature of the podcast is that we remind one another of something from our past and see if the other remembers it. Now this first episode I brought the Game Boy Camera to the table. The cartridge was so cool at the time. Right there, in my little hands, I could take photos of my family and friends, then, edit them to make them look silly.
This got me thinking. I love the Game Boy. So here are some of my favourite little bits from my collection.
Upfront appology, at the time of writting this article, I have no way of capturing the video from my Game Boys directly, so I’m afraid we will all just have to endure my mobile phones camera providing the videos of them on a Game Boy Colour screen.
Game Boy Camera
Please read this section in the Old Man Pepperidge Farm voice…. In my day, we didn’t have mobile phone cameras, hell, we didnt have mobile phones! The idea of this tiny little hand held gaming console, with a funky extended cartridge, could not only take photos, but then let you edit and animate them into a game! Magic!
Pokémon Pinball
How cool is haptic feedback. I’ll tell you how cool. It’s thhhhiiiiiiiiissssss much cool! Just another thing that we take for granted in the first world wonders of modern gaming. With the mighty power of one single Tripple A battery, you too could feel the wonders and realism of a real pinball machine, but now, in the palm of your little sweaty hands.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Last Pokémon one, I promise! Pretty self explannitary here. This is the trading card game, but in less card more plastic, handheld gaming form. You get to run around a hub over world, find other card players and battle and collect all 228 of the original base cards that were available at the time. Brilliant fun, very addictive, and I can’t believe this cartridge still has my save file on it.
The Big Three
The big three, the big hitters, the go to of all my Game Boy games. These chaps were the original three games I got when my parents gifted me my first Game Boy. Tetris, Double Dragon 3, and the viciously evil Bart Simpsons: Escape From Camp Deadly. Now we all know Tetris, aim the little falling blocks (Tetromino as I just discovered) into their slots, make a line and ping! Clear the line and keep going.
Double Dragon 3 is a side scrolling beat um up, not disimilar to Streets of Rage or TMNT: Turtles in Time, just no way near as good, and bloody difficult.
Now Bart Simpson. To this day, I cannot finish the damn game. The most frustrating, unfair, annoying, cheating little arsehole of a game. That I just can’t stop playing. Just one more try before bed.
Revelations: The Demon Slayer
Ah yes, Revelations. This one was brought on a whim. When ever we would go on family holidays, I always liked having a bit of pocket money saved so I could peruse the shelves of Heathrows South terminal. HMV and Currys were my restaurants, and Game Boy games were my supper. Sifting through CDs and over priced headphones, I wandered over to the mediocre gaming area, and there she was. In all her beautiful blue cardboard splendor. One of the coolest box arts a preteen gaming nerd like myself could ever dream of. It has swords, wizards, cool looking monsters and even has a badarse name! Sold! Good job the game is wicked to!
Action Replay Professional
Gameshark codes! 8-12 digit codes used to manipulate the memory on your Game Boy cartridge to well, basically, cheat! Wether it be infinite health, make certain Pokémon spawn (oops sorry!) like MissingNo or skip levels. These little badboys were the must have for all us little hackers! Pop this monster into your Game Boy, attach your game onto this cartridges slot, enter your code and away you go! Just call me Dade from now on.
Light Magic
This device was a must have. Just as TJ said on episode 3 of the podcast when I revealed my item to him, What ever you remember of the clarity of the screen on the orignlal Game Boy, you remember incorrectly, it is terrible, especially to todays standards. As the screen isnt backlit, its impossible to play in the dark. And as the screen is so small, it can be quite hard to make out sometimes. But never fear! We have the answer! Bring forth, the Light Magic! Wow! Gasp! Did that person just swoon? Thats right folks, the Light Magic is a magnifiying glass, and a light, that can connect directly to your console! Now you can hide under your covers in the dead of night, with the sound off, and play tetris until dawn breaks. What a world!
We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and tell us your favourite Game Boy memories!
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