The Game Boy: 20 years old

**Valigarmander** · 08-03-2009, 03:38 AM

Hard to believe this magnificent piece of hardware is already two decades old, huh? Well, in Japan and North America, at least. The Game Boy was first released on April 21, 1989 in Japan, and made it's way to North America on July 31 that same year. It was eventually released in Europe on September 28, 1990 (lol).

So, what're your memories with this big, quadrochromatic brick? How many of you owned a Game Boy? What games did you play? I can remember having tons of fun with Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2. Ahh, memories.

Eagle Eye · 08-03-2009, 03:52 AM

SML (the actual good one) is the main gameboy game I remember. Aside from Pokemon and Mega Man.

Metal Man · 08-03-2009, 03:55 AM

All I played was SML (no, not the member) and Pokemon games, and Link's Awakening, with my old Game Boy Pocket.

I also had an old, crummy Star Wars game I never figured out.

Vgfian · 08-03-2009, 04:32 AM

Super Nintendo introduced me to video games.

Ps1 kept me going for a while.

Gameboy Color addicted me to video games, and was probably one of the most influential pieces of machinery in my life.
I actually got mine for free from a friend who had two.XD

Played a game that had a bunch of older games on it like a lot of the Game & watch series, as well as DK Jr.

Discovered Pokemon games about a year later, when my cousin lended me his Crystal version.

Loved them since.

First Pokemon game that I officially owned was gold.
Spent most of my time awake with my Gameboy on. XD

I've played quite a few games on it though. FFL2, LoZ LA, Wario Land, Pokemon Red, Kirby's Dreamland, Tetris 2, and Donkey Kong, to name a few.

But most of the time I was playing Pokemon, so it was sometimes hard to find time for other games.XD

**Loot** · 08-03-2009, 07:19 AM

From what I recall, the first Game Boy games I had were Tetris, F-1 Race, and Super Mario Land 2. Then I got into the Pokemon games and things kinda went ~~downhill~~ from there.

Oh, and a rare treat from Dr. Mario. Apparently it was my grandmother's copy.

Huge gray brick FTW

Oh, and my grandmother's Game Boy is still in good condition, aside from the screen shield falling off. Hell, the battery cover is still good condition.

***Cosmonautical*** · 08-03-2009, 08:18 AM

I've still got my original GB. It's hard to believe games had that much motion blur back then, but I remember playing it then and noticing, too. I've had quite a few games for the GB, and only learned to enjoy the majority of them more over time.

Notable titles fresh in my memory:

Super Mario Land 1+2
Wario Land
Mega Man series - esp. the entirely original 5
Final Fantasy Adventure
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Bonk's Adventure
Metroid II
Ninja Gaiden
Kirby's Dreamland
World Heroes Jet
Double Dragon 1+2
Tetris
Killer Instinct

Dr. Furball · 08-03-2009, 10:37 AM

I started off with a Game Boy Pocket back around '97 or '98. I got Super Mario Land 2 with it. Many happy hours were spent. I got the original Super Mario Land sometime later.

I got a GBC in '99, and a GBA in '01, as well as a GBA SP in '03.

And aside from my original GB Pocket, I still have them all. And I still play them. A year ago, my brother traded something with a kid at his school to get one of the original bricks (a red one) and gave it to me. I also recieved a Super Game Boy around the same time.

Ah, Game Boy...I should get back to collecting the games.

***Marilink*** · 08-03-2009, 11:08 AM

Tetris
Kirby's Dream Land
Dr. Mario
Link's Awakening
Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2
Pokemon Blue

Are just a few of the games that I have extremely fond memories of from the old GB. I loved that thing to death, I even played it after I got my GBC.

ZeldaGirl · 08-03-2009, 12:25 PM

I found my GB a few days ago, and have been playing Tetris like mad. That and Pokemon Red are the only games I've found so far, though.

Microphone_Kirby · 08-03-2009, 12:37 PM

I still play Golf (I'm fairly good at it

) and Wario Blast from time to time.

Dizzy · 08-03-2009, 01:03 PM

I actually started with a GBC, and 4 games (SMBDX, Mickey's Racing Adventure, Legend of the Lost Spatula, and Marble Madness).

Then I got my uncle's old Game Boy (the original, clunky, pea-soup-green version) with Super Mario Land 1-3, Super Star Wars, Paper Boy, Killer Instinct, and Kirby's Dream Land.

As for the GBA, well, that's just a long story.

Mikhail Gorbachev · 08-03-2009, 02:24 PM

The Game Boy was the first system I owned. Specifically, the Game Boy Pocket. And my first game was SML2, which was awesome. I also had Pokemon - Red, Blue, and even the godawful Yellow. Other than, I had maybe one or two more games; I couldn't afford much else.
I never owned GB Tetris (indeed, I never played any version of it till TDS) and, while I played Link's Awakening, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Wario Land II, and Super Mario Land, it was always using a friend's copy. The first three of those are probably all on the list of my ten favorite games ever, and, yet, I never owned them.

1-up Salesman · 08-03-2009, 08:50 PM

I used to have a Game Boy Color, though I played some original Game Boy games on it. I played Donkey Kong, Super Mario Land, and a Kirby game. Though now I only have Megaman II and Wario Land. Wario Land is awesome!

t3hDarkness · 08-04-2009, 03:35 AM

Never owned one until the GBA, but I was able to borrow one long enough to beat Pokemon and log many, many, many hours on Tetris.

I am nobody · 08-04-2009, 05:41 AM

I found a GBP with LA in a park when I was about 4. LA was really the only game I remember from it, since I got a GBC a year or two later. That system was used to beat Gold and Red a few dozen times as well as play some crappy licensed games I was too young to know better for.

***Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds*** · 08-04-2009, 09:07 AM

All of you who didn't have the original "Brick" GB, get out. The other versions all came much later and are not celebrating their anniversary here.

I got a special edition GB, that had a clear plastic case rather than the standard grey. It still works perfectly.

***Marilink*** · 08-04-2009, 10:20 AM

^I didn't know they had that. That's pretty sweet.

Does anybody remember Mole Mania? It was a really fun game that only I've played.

Vgfian · 08-04-2009, 10:25 AM

^^

I thought that this topic was or Gameboy in general...

**Loot** · 08-04-2009, 11:15 AM

^ Nope, get your own topic.

Man, I picked up the old GB for a nice little nostalgia trip. Those buttons make the loudest noise, and it's so sweet to the soul.

Vgfian · 08-04-2009, 11:19 AM

All the games I posted, save for crystal, were playable on the Gameboy tho.

08-03-2009, 03:38 AM	#1
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,700 Times in 2,580 Posts Blog Entries: 20	The Game Boy: 20 years old Hard to believe this magnificent piece of hardware is already two decades old, huh? Well, in Japan and North America, at least. The Game Boy was first released on April 21, 1989 in Japan, and made it's way to North America on July 31 that same year. It was eventually released in Europe on September 28, 1990 (lol). So, what're your memories with this big, quadrochromatic brick? How many of you owned a Game Boy? What games did you play? I can remember having tons of fun with Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2. Ahh, memories.

08-03-2009, 04:32 AM	#4
Vgfian Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Listening to Seeking 7 Seven and giving out free hugs. :) Gender: Posts: 6,862 Thanks: 2,433 Thanked 398 Times in 311 Posts	Super Nintendo introduced me to video games. Ps1 kept me going for a while. Gameboy Color addicted me to video games, and was probably one of the most influential pieces of machinery in my life. I actually got mine for free from a friend who had two.XD Played a game that had a bunch of older games on it like a lot of the Game & watch series, as well as DK Jr. Discovered Pokemon games about a year later, when my cousin lended me his Crystal version. Loved them since. First Pokemon game that I officially owned was gold. Spent most of my time awake with my Gameboy on. XD I've played quite a few games on it though. FFL2, LoZ LA, Wario Land, Pokemon Red, Kirby's Dreamland, Tetris 2, and Donkey Kong, to name a few. But most of the time I was playing Pokemon, so it was sometimes hard to find time for other games.XD Last edited by Vgfian; 08-03-2009 at 12:38 PM.

08-03-2009, 08:18 AM	#6
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	I've still got my original GB. It's hard to believe games had that much motion blur back then, but I remember playing it then and noticing, too. I've had quite a few games for the GB, and only learned to enjoy the majority of them more over time. Notable titles fresh in my memory: Super Mario Land 1+2 Wario Land Mega Man series - esp. the entirely original 5 Final Fantasy Adventure The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Bonk's Adventure Metroid II Ninja Gaiden Kirby's Dreamland World Heroes Jet Double Dragon 1+2 Tetris Killer Instinct Last edited by Cosmonautical; 08-03-2009 at 08:39 AM.

08-03-2009, 03:52 AM	#2
Eagle Eye Diddy bops Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Birmingham, AL Gender: Posts: 15,014 Thanks: 1,616 Thanked 1,084 Times in 597 Posts	SML (the actual good one) is the main gameboy game I remember. Aside from Pokemon and Mega Man.

08-03-2009, 03:55 AM	#3
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	All I played was SML (no, not the member) and Pokemon games, and Link's Awakening, with my old Game Boy Pocket. I also had an old, crummy Star Wars game I never figured out.

08-03-2009, 07:19 AM	#5
Loot Apparently I'm a mod? Join Date: May 2001 Location: LEGITIMATE BUSINESS Gender: Posts: 13,208 Thanks: 236 Thanked 1,237 Times in 659 Posts	From what I recall, the first Game Boy games I had were Tetris, F-1 Race, and Super Mario Land 2. Then I got into the Pokemon games and things kinda went ~~downhill~~ from there. Oh, and a rare treat from Dr. Mario. Apparently it was my grandmother's copy. Huge gray brick FTW Oh, and my grandmother's Game Boy is still in good condition, aside from the screen shield falling off. Hell, the battery cover is still good condition.

08-03-2009, 10:37 AM	#7
Dr. Furball Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Mad Science Academy, 12th Floor Gender: Posts: 1,125 Thanks: 185 Thanked 97 Times in 60 Posts	I started off with a Game Boy Pocket back around '97 or '98. I got Super Mario Land 2 with it. Many happy hours were spent. I got the original Super Mario Land sometime later. I got a GBC in '99, and a GBA in '01, as well as a GBA SP in '03. And aside from my original GB Pocket, I still have them all. And I still play them. A year ago, my brother traded something with a kid at his school to get one of the original bricks (a red one) and gave it to me. I also recieved a Super Game Boy around the same time. Ah, Game Boy...I should get back to collecting the games.

08-03-2009, 11:08 AM	#8
*Marilink* Gotta catch 'em all! Supermod! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Location, Location. Gender: Posts: 29,118 Thanks: 2,535 Thanked 1,822 Times in 1,007 Posts	Tetris Kirby's Dream Land Dr. Mario Link's Awakening Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2 Pokemon Blue Are just a few of the games that I have extremely fond memories of from the old GB. I loved that thing to death, I even played it after I got my GBC.

08-03-2009, 12:25 PM	#9
ZeldaGirl Awesome member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Why do YOU want to know...? Gender: Posts: 15,896 Thanks: 1,130 Thanked 1,919 Times in 1,046 Posts	I found my GB a few days ago, and have been playing Tetris like mad. That and Pokemon Red are the only games I've found so far, though.

08-03-2009, 12:37 PM	#10
Microphone_Kirby Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: None of your business. Gender: Posts: 7,155 Thanks: 559 Thanked 225 Times in 181 Posts Blog Entries: 6	I still play Golf (I'm fairly good at it ) and Wario Blast from time to time.

08-03-2009, 01:03 PM	#11
Dizzy Podiaphobe Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Posts: 19,359 Thanks: 1,764 Thanked 1,161 Times in 804 Posts Blog Entries: 116	I actually started with a GBC, and 4 games (SMBDX, Mickey's Racing Adventure, Legend of the Lost Spatula, and Marble Madness). Then I got my uncle's old Game Boy (the original, clunky, pea-soup-green version) with Super Mario Land 1-3, Super Star Wars, Paper Boy, Killer Instinct, and Kirby's Dream Land. As for the GBA, well, that's just a long story.

08-03-2009, 02:24 PM	#12
Mikhail Gorbachev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Gender: Posts: 9,659 Thanks: 31 Thanked 89 Times in 71 Posts	The Game Boy was the first system I owned. Specifically, the Game Boy Pocket. And my first game was SML2, which was awesome. I also had Pokemon - Red, Blue, and even the godawful Yellow. Other than, I had maybe one or two more games; I couldn't afford much else. I never owned GB Tetris (indeed, I never played any version of it till TDS) and, while I played Link's Awakening, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Wario Land II, and Super Mario Land, it was always using a friend's copy. The first three of those are probably all on the list of my ten favorite games ever, and, yet, I never owned them.

08-03-2009, 08:50 PM	#13
1-up Salesman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Letting you guys know that I'm planning on continuing Attack of the Spammers soon. Gender: Posts: 4,095 Thanks: 2,162 Thanked 250 Times in 194 Posts Blog Entries: 9	I used to have a Game Boy Color, though I played some original Game Boy games on it. I played Donkey Kong, Super Mario Land, and a Kirby game. Though now I only have Megaman II and Wario Land. Wario Land is awesome!

08-04-2009, 03:35 AM	#14
t3hDarkness Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: I weep oily black tears of joy. Gender: Posts: 7,590 Thanks: 119 Thanked 418 Times in 306 Posts Blog Entries: 5	Never owned one until the GBA, but I was able to borrow one long enough to beat Pokemon and log many, many, many hours on Tetris.

08-04-2009, 05:41 AM	#15
I am nobody Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Over there. Gender: Posts: 5,515 Thanks: 309 Thanked 365 Times in 242 Posts Blog Entries: 7	I found a GBP with LA in a park when I was about 4. LA was really the only game I remember from it, since I got a GBC a year or two later. That system was used to beat Gold and Red a few dozen times as well as play some crappy licensed games I was too young to know better for.

08-04-2009, 09:07 AM	#16
*Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds* Admin "mine.. not yours. NO. MINE." Epic Ladynerd Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Forteresse de Valois Gender: Posts: 28,504 Thanks: 1,658 Thanked 1,820 Times in 1,042 Posts	All of you who didn't have the original "Brick" GB, get out. The other versions all came much later and are not celebrating their anniversary here. I got a special edition GB, that had a clear plastic case rather than the standard grey. It still works perfectly.

08-04-2009, 10:20 AM	#17
*Marilink* Gotta catch 'em all! Supermod! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Location, Location. Gender: Posts: 29,118 Thanks: 2,535 Thanked 1,822 Times in 1,007 Posts	^I didn't know they had that. That's pretty sweet. Does anybody remember Mole Mania? It was a really fun game that only I've played.

08-04-2009, 10:25 AM	#18
Vgfian Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Listening to Seeking 7 Seven and giving out free hugs. :) Gender: Posts: 6,862 Thanks: 2,433 Thanked 398 Times in 311 Posts	^^ I thought that this topic was or Gameboy in general...

08-04-2009, 11:15 AM	#19
Loot Apparently I'm a mod? Join Date: May 2001 Location: LEGITIMATE BUSINESS Gender: Posts: 13,208 Thanks: 236 Thanked 1,237 Times in 659 Posts	^ Nope, get your own topic. Man, I picked up the old GB for a nice little nostalgia trip. Those buttons make the loudest noise, and it's so sweet to the soul.

08-04-2009, 11:19 AM	#20
Vgfian Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Listening to Seeking 7 Seven and giving out free hugs. :) Gender: Posts: 6,862 Thanks: 2,433 Thanked 398 Times in 311 Posts	All the games I posted, save for crystal, were playable on the Gameboy tho.