Tag: Game Boy - Page 3
Hardware Review Hyperkin SmartBoy Turns Your Smartphone Into A Real Live Game Boy
Gaming on the go, revitalised
"Many a true word is spoken in jest." That age-old saying is very true of Hyperkin's SmartBoy device; originally pitched as an April Fool's prank it gradually evolved into something more tangible thanks to online reaction which keenly illustrated a demand in the marketplace for something that allowed you to play old...
Random How To Take Photos Of The Moon With The Game Boy Camera
2-bit moon
Just when you thought the humble Game Boy Camera couldn't get any cooler, someone comes along and takes detailed photos of the moon with it. Enter Alex, a Reddit user who connected a Game Boy Camera to an antique telescope in order to take grainy photos of the Moon and Jupiter. In his own words: The Game Boy Camera is a...
Video Home Movie Clips Reveal The Wildly Differing Fates Of The Game Boy And Virtual Boy
"Do you know what this WOULD have cost?"
iRetrogamer's Tyler Esposito has a wealth of home movie recordings made by his late father, who was gaming mad and got his son hooked on all kinds of interactive entertainment. His latest offering focuses on two Nintendo products with totally different fates - the Game Boy and the
News PQube Is Bringing The Hyperkin SmartBoy To Europe
Plays Game Boy cartridges on your Samsung phone
European publisher and retail group PQube has confirmed that it will be bringing the Hyperkin SmartBoy to Europe. The SmartBoy is a device which bolts onto your Android phone and allows you to play original Game Boy cartridges. It's been released as part of the Samsung Mobile Accessory Partnership...
News The LeSportsac X Nintendo Collection Introduces Some Neat Bags and Accessories
Sure, why not
In recent times Nintendo has been stepping up its efforts with merchandise and tie-ins, including Vans shoes and UNIQLO t-shirts. The latest collaboration is with LeSportsac, a company that makes fashionable bags and cases (or so we're told). LeSportsac and Nintendo have confirmed a new collection that's hitting Japan in July and...
News Hyperkin's SmartBoy Gains Official Samsung Licence, Coming To Retail Later This Year
Part of the Samsung Mobile Accessory Partnership Program
The Hyperkin SmartBoy may have started life as an April Fool's joke but later this year it will become reality when it hits retail in the U.S. and South Korea. Hyperkin has announced that the device - which is designed to function with Samsung phones which feature a USB-Type C connection,...
Exclusive Game Boy Specialist Crawfish Interactive Is Back From The Dead, Kind Of
Say hello to Chrawfish Interactive
Cameron Sheppard back in his Crawfish (no 'h') days If you're a seasoned Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance player then the name Crawfish Interactive will probably ring some bells. This UK-based studio created many licensed titles for Nintendo's portable line and was famous for its skill in getting the...
Video Rapper Mega Ran Enters A Spooky Game Boy World In His Latest Track
Take me to church
Mega Ran - friend of Nintendo Life and nerdcore rapper extraordinaire - is back with a new video for his song "Church" which we thought we'd share as it's been done with a 1989 Nintendo Game Boy style which even people who aren't fans of this genre of music should enjoy. You might also recognise the sample from Super Mario World in...
Random Some People Will Go To Great Lengths To Bring Pokémon Games Back From The Dead
Never give up
Like so many things in life, retro games often get better with age. However, if they're not properly cared for then they can fall into pretty bad shape physically - especially cartridges, which contain multiple components such as chips and back-up batteries. You might assume that when a cartridge reaches a certain state of disrepair...
News Escape 2042: The Truth Defenders Is A New Release For The Monochrome Game Boy
Also available on the Sega Genesis and Dreamcast
The original Game Boy was launched way back in 1989 but despite its advanced age it's still getting new software - albeit of the unofficial variety. OrionSoft has just released Escape 2042: The Truth Defenders for the monochrome console, a "futuristic fast-paced platformer game" which takes place in...
News Donkey Kong, Pokémon Red and Green Nominated for the World Video Game Hall of Fame
Games that started history
Shigeru Miyamoto's arcade hit, Donkey Kong, has been nominated for the 2017 addition to the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Additionally, The Pokémon Company International released a statement on its website announcing that Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, originally released in 1996 on the Nintendo Game Boy, have also...
Video Super Retro Boy Hands-On Reveals Neat Form Factor, Lack Of Rear Shoulder Buttons
A deal breaker?
A few days ago we reported on one of the surprise announcements of CES 2017, the Retro-Bit Super Retro Boy. This cute portable plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance software and offers features such as a rechargeable battery and backlit screen. CNET now has a more detailed hands-on video showing the console from all...
News Say Hello To The Super Retro Boy, An All-In-One Game Boy Solution
UPDATE: Scoops CES 2017 award, gets shown off in video
UPDATE: Retro-Bit has published video of the Super Retro Boy in action via its Twitter account, and has reported that it has scooped a gaming award at CES 2017: ORIGINAL STORY: Retro-Bit has lifted the lid on its previously-announced Game Boy clone, the Super Retro Boy.
News Retro-Bit Bringing Capcom-Themed Controllers And Jaleco Multi-Carts To Market This Year
What's old is new again
In addition to the Super Retro Boy - an all-in-one Game Boy clone - Retro-Bit has revealed at CES 2017 that it is bringing a range of retro controllers and multi-carts to market later this year. The controllers - for NES, SNES and Mega Drive / Genesis - all feature Capcom artwork and retail for $19.99. They're expected to...
News The Game Boy Was Nearly a Cheap, Short-Term Project
You can thank Satoru Okada for what it turned out to be
The Game Boy was a pivotal moment in Nintendo's history, establishing near-complete dominance over the portable gaming market that still persists to this day somewhat. Part of the appeal of the Game Boy was offering a largely console-esque game experience on the go, and its usually attributed...
Video Let's Learn More About The Super Game Boy
The Gaming Historian has you covered
Typical. You wait years for someone to do a decent, in-depth video guide to the Super Game Boy and two come along at once. A few weeks ago we reported on Pug Hoof Gaming's excellent three-part series on the popular peripheral, and now our old chum Norm "The Gaming Historian" is back with his increasingly...
A minimalist trip down memory lane
We've seen lots of attractive coffee table art books aimed at retro gaming fans in recent times, which is no bad thing. Joining the ranks is a publication simply titled 8-Bit Art Book - by Ear Books - which pays homage to the visual quality of classic games spanning from 1975 to the early '90s. The author Stephan...
News Footage Of Unreleased Akira Game Boy Title Hits The Web
Plus Heavy Weight Hockey on NES and Mall Rats on Mega Drive
Remember back in October when someone found four prototype copies of Akira for the Game Boy? Well that someone - Patrick Scott Patterson - has recently released gameplay video of one of the prototype Akira carts being played on the Super Game Boy. The game looks promising despite its...
Video Get The Most Out Of Your Game Boy With This Exhaustive Guide
The chaps at My Life in Gaming strike again
While the brand name has been put out to pasture these days, the Game Boy line of consoles is legendary with gamers of a certain age. From the bulky monochrome original to the super-sleek Game Boy Micro, this line of portables defined mobile gaming for an entire generation of players, offering amazing...
Video Everything You Wanted To Know About The Super Game Boy, But Were Afraid To Ask
Don't matter if you're black or white
The Super Game Boy accessory might seem a little pointless to modern gamers who are used to playing retro titles in a wide range of ways on various systems, but back in the early '90s it was a wise investment for the typical Nintendo fan. On the surface, the selling point was simple - you can play your portable...
Video Learn How to Make a Tiny and Functional Game Boy for Your Keychain
And play The Witcher 3 on it, sure
We've often shared our admiration for the technical wizardry that's often applied to console mods and creations, as talented gamers see how far they can push readily available tools for unique results. Now there's what is possibly the smallest Game Boy in the world doing the rounds, and it works. A keynote from...
Random Pokémon Red Glitch Used to Beat Another Game Boy Title With a 'Credits Warp'
Nope, it's not Missingno
Twenty years after being released into the wild, it's amazing that people are still able to find new glitches in the original Pokémon. Here YouTuber MrCheeze shows that by performing a number of actions in Pokémon Red, followed by quickly switching out the cartridge to Magi-Nation, you can access the credits screen faster...
News Nanoloop Mono Turns Your Old Game Boy Into A Synthesiser
For all your old-school bleep and bloop needs
It is not news the Game Boy is the weapon of choice for many chiptune artists, nor that nanoloop is one of the most recognized names for software that makes the Game Boy "sing" to your desires. But now the company is taking things a step further and is releasing a cartridge that turns your old DMG model...
News Pirate Pop Plus Developer Would Love To Bring It To The Original Game Boy
"If I did it, [it] would be proper cartridges"
Pirate Pop Plus recently launched on the 3DS and Wii U eShops, and the game received a hearty recommendation from us. Produced by dadako, this bubble-popping action title uses Game Boy-style visuals and audio to create a unique "faux-retro" experience which has predictably enraptured players old enough...
News Game Boy-Inspired Puzzler Warlock's Tower Coming To 3DS eShop Next Year
Every step you take
Indie studio Midipixel is bringing its Game Boy-inspired puzzle title Warlock's Tower to the 3DS in 2017. Boasting more than 100 rooms packed with zombies, flying eyes and slimes, Warlock's Tower has a unique twist. Every step you take costs you a life, and the need to constantly restock is a key part of the gameplay. It also...
News Get Some Nostalgia Feels From These Super Game Boy Borders
Bordering on the amazing
It might seem cute now, but back in the '90s the Super Game Boy was a big deal. It allowed you to play your beloved Game Boy and Game Boy Color games on your TV via your SNES, and offered a wide range of bonuses - such as adding minimal colour to certain titles as well as an attractive border around the edge of the screen...
News Someone Has Found Prototypes Of The Game Boy Version Of THQ's Akira
Four copies, to be exact
Akira is recognised as one of the breakthrough hits which really pushed anime in the west during the early '90s, and it perhaps surprising that it didn't get more video game adaptations at the time. That's not to say there weren't any planned, of course; a Famicom version never saw the light of day outside of Japan, and...
News Tetris World Record Holder Talks About His Experiences with the Game
Striving for perfection
Tetris is one of those games that feels like it's always been there, but that's likely because it's been ported to virtually every electronic device over the last thirty years and has sold close to half a billion copies over its total run. One would think that by this point, somebody would've come along that's managed to max...
Random Game Boy Compatibility Warning Screens Are The Best
Because forwards compatibility isn't always a thing
When the Game Boy Color launched you could practically hear the sighs of relief emanating from parents worldwide when they realised that all of the monochrome Game Boy games they had slaved to purchase for their offspring would still work with the shiny new handheld. Backwards compatibility was a...
Random You Can Now Fly A Drone Using Your Game Boy, If You So Wish
Pocket power
Not so long ago we reported that one industrious individual had turned the Nintendo Power Glove into a device which could control a drone. Now, Gautier Hattenberger has gone one better by turning his dusty old Game Boy into a remote control for his Parrot AR.Drone 2.0. Hattenberger - who is Assistant Professor of Flight Mechanics and...
Video These Five Mario Games Were Never Really Mario Games
A Link to the Farce
Companies will often use a mascot to sell a mostly unrelated product, whether it be a tin of SpaghettiOs or otherwise, it's an expected move by big brands. Video games are no exception to the rule, and more times than we'd like we've been tantalised by the Mario name only for the portly plumber of Nintendo fame to not be the...
Video Hyperkin's Upcoming SmartBoy Lets You Catch Pokémon On Your Phone The Old-Fashioned Way
No data connection or walking required
As the world is gripped by Pokémon GO fever, you can't blame peripheral maker Hyperkin from leaping on the bandwagon in order to promote its forthcoming SmartBoy accessory. The device connects to Android phones and allows you to load up original Game Boy cartridges and play them via emulation. Hyperkin's...
Video Here's The Ultimate Game Boy Cartridge Storage Solution
Hanging loose
If you're a discerning retro collector then the issue of how to properly display loose cartridges will probably keep you up at night. If you're unable to get any shut-eye due to this troubling problem, then YouTube channel My Life in Gaming - along with the equally brilliant Game Dave - is here to help. They've pooled their collective...
Video Welcome To The Hellish Glitch That Allows Speedrunners To Beat Super Mario Land 2 In Minutes
Stepping into the Mario Matrix
Speedrunners are obsessed with finishing games in the fastest time possible, but they don't always play fair - any glitches in a game which allow the player to complete it in a faster time are considered by many to be perfectly legit, although they are usually classified differently to "normal" speed runs. Even so,...
News Hyperkin Seeking Developers To Help Bring The Smartboy To Retail
"WE built the Smartboy. YOU can make it great"
Hyperkin's Smartboy began life as a joke but has been quietly bubbling under in the company's R&D labs for the past year. The company has now opened preorders for the peripheral, which attaches to Android phones and allows users to run Game Boy cartridges with the benefit of proper physical...
E3 2016 Hyperkin's "April Fools" Game Boy Phone Attachment Is Alive And Well
Now only confirmed for Android phones, though
Remember the Smart Boy? It began life as a 2015 April Fools' Day joke by hardware maker Hyperkin, but the company later admitted it was making the thing for real. We've heard little since then, but the Smart Boy is still very much alive and well - it has even been spotted on the show floor at E3. The...
Hardware Classics Game Boy Pocket
A refreshed icon
It would be fair to say that the Game Boy's longevity surprised everyone, including Nintendo. Originally released in 1989, it was still going strong by the middle of the following decade and experienced a notable boost thanks to the timely introduction of the first Pokémon titles, Red & Blue. The momentum provided by these...
News This Freshly Translated Interview Sheds New Light on the Development of Super Mario Land 2
Bring back the Magic Carrot!
The Super Mario Land games on the GameBoy were always something of black sheep among the rest if the Super Mario canon. The games experimented with different themes and felt very weird for lack of a better word, but nonetheless were solid games within their own right. While the first game was a decidedly simple affair,...
Video Learn How The Game Boy Made Clever Use of Memory Mapping
Find a comfortable seat
A couple of months ago we shared a video by JackTech, which explored in some detail how the Game Boy CPU works. It was part one in a 'hardware autopsy' series that aims to unpick and explain how the iconic portable device operates, providing some insight into how humble technology was used in clever ways. The second part has...
Video Re-Live your School Years with these Five Nintendo Lies We All Believed
My dad worked for Nintendo
Thanks to the internet the storm of misinformation that swirled throughout friendship groups and magazines are largely a thing of the past, with a few exceptions. There was something strangely appealing about all the whispers you'd hear on the breeze about how you could unlock various unbelievable content in various games,...
News New Handheld Channels The Spirit Of The Game Boy And Can Run Virtual Boy Games
All for $49
Those of you who follow the homebrew coding scene might already be aware of CHIP, a self-contained computer which costs just $9. This super-cheap piece of hardware is now being put inside a portable shell to host "Fantasy Console" platform PICO-8, and the end result is looking fantastic. Created by Next Thing and dubbed PocketCHIP, this...
Rumour Nintendo Once Worked On A Game Boy Successor That Promised N64 Power In Your Pocket
Lifting the lid on Project Atlantis
The Game Boy was a stunning success for Nintendo. Released at a time when rival hardware was packing backlit colour screens, the monochrome handheld proved that sometimes having the most powerful tech doesn't always ensure commercial triumph. The Game Boy sold millions and established Nintendo's dominance of the...
Random This Game Boy Zero Uses a Raspberry Pi for Lovely Retro Gaming
The Boy ate all the Pi
We've mentioned the Raspberry Pi before, a budget micro-computer that's gone through multiple iterations - its low price (typically $50 or under) means it's a wonderful educational tool or, alternatively, a side-project for enthusiasts. The Game Boy Zero is an example of the latter. As the name suggests this is a Game Boy...
Weirdness Minor League Baseball Team Is Making Its Players Wear Game Boy Jerseys
Knocking it out of the park
Minor league baseball team Frisco Roughriders has something of a habit of getting its players to wear unique shirts based on pop culture icons, and this year the team is harnessing the power of Gunpei Yokoi's finest creation, the Nintendo Game Boy. The Roughriders - who play at the amusingly-named Dr Pepper Ballpark -...
News Takashi Tezuka Began Development On Zelda: Link's Awakening Without Nintendo's Permission
Director wanted to "defy Zelda conventions" with Game Boy outing
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening might seem like the pint-sized sibling of the sublime Link to the Past, but many regard it as the superior release, despite the cruder visuals and sound. The 1993 Game Boy release was one of the first titles for the handheld which showed it could...
Video Here's What A DJ Battle On Game Boys Looks (And Sounds) Like
Live from the Niche Nights ChipBattles event
Game Boy modder and chiptune master Joe Heaton is here to give us an official on-the-floor report from an amazing musical event - enjoy! On February 12th 2016, Niche Nights hosted the first ever ChipBattles event at Fab Cafe in Manchester. This is a brand new event within the scene of "Chiptune" music,...
Video It's Fun To Learn About The Game Boy's CPU
'70s tech powering '90s dreams
The Nintendo Game Boy is without a doubt one of the most iconic gaming systems of all time, having shifted millions of units and turned countless individuals into Tetris addicts and prolific portable players. However, the console itself was actually seen as something of a weakling, even by the standards of the late...
Weirdness Conceptual Artist Attempts Tetris World Record as a Metaphor of Capitalism
"Eventually they fall so fast that you can’t keep up and you die"
Conceptual and performance artists find meaning - or try to - in the unlikeliest of places, often taking mundane or obsessive aspects of life and applying an artistic different vision. One artist doing this is Rutherford Chang, who's based in New York and has previous works that...
News Let's Debunk Some Of Pokémon's Biggest Myths Ahead Of This Year's Virtual Console Resurrection
No, you can't capture Pikablu
Nintendo is finally launching the first-gen Pokémon games on the 3DS Virtual Console, and this event has gotten the peeps over at Red Bull thinking about all of the classic myths which grew up around the games back in the late '90s - before the internet came along and made it easy to debunk such nonsense. No, you...
Art If Nintendo Did Resurrect The Game Boy, We'd Want It To Look Like This
Past and present
The Game Boy line may be effectively retired in Nintendo's eyes, but the name itself still carries a lot of weight with gamers all over the world - including German designer Florian Renner, who has put together a cool concept which resurrects the classic brand for the modern era. The Game Boy 1up is of course nothing more than a fe
