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‘Final Fantasy Adventure’ was everything I hoped for 25 years later
25 years after its release, Final Fantasy Adventure (the first game in the Secret of Mana series) is still an effective RPG.
Share your favorite memories of the original Game Boy
Write your own review of Nintendo's original Game Boy!
The Atari Lynx’s 30th birthday gift is a bunch of new games
1989 was a year of revolutions. The Berlin wall fell, protesters rallied in Tiananmen Square and Neneh Cherry was taking a Buffalo Stance. This was also the year that portable gaming had its own revolution. The Game Boy launched in the spring, and, 30 years ago this weekend, we were introduced to the world's first true color hand-held console -- the Atari Lynx.
'Tetris' turns 35 this week. It's still the best puzzle game of all time.
At Engadget, we spend every day looking at how technology will shape the future. But it's also important to look back at how far we've come. That's what This Week in Tech History does. Join us every weekend for a recap of historical tech news, anniversaries and advances from the recent and not-so-recent past. This week, we're wishing Tetris a happy 35th birthday!
GB Studio lets anyone create a Game Boy game
Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of the Game Boy's release in Japan. If you're like our editors, that brings back all kinds of nostalgic memories. We've certainly come a long way since then -- so far, in fact, that you can now create your own Game Boy games. Last week, developer Chris Maltby released the code for GB Studio, a free tool for building real Game Boy ROMs.
Nintendo Game Boy at 30: As fun as it ever was
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Game Boy's release in Japan. Three decades ago, the portable gaming landscape would change forever. Whether you owned a Game Boy or not, it's likely something you're familiar with. The legacy reaches far beyond a retro gaming handheld. Three Engadget editors share their personal favorite version, and why it matters to them.
ICYMI: Auto-transcribing Moleskines, meta-Rembrandts and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-955376{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-955376, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-955376{width:100%;display:block;} #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-721661{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-721661, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-721661{width:100%;display:block;} #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-712710{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-712710, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-712710{width:100%;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-712710").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Moleskine debuted its new Smart Writing Set which automatically digitizes anything that you physically write or draw. A team of art historians taught a computer to perfectly match Rembrandt's artistic style then had it 3D print a brand new work using ultraviolet ink. And a modder managed to not only cram a bunch of extra buttons onto a Game Boy chassis, he also installed a ROM reader so he can play virtually any classic Nintendo title with it. Good form.
Mega Man channels Cut Man to deal with Virtual Console prices
Capcom kicked off a sale on games in its Mega Man series through the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops today. The sale coincides with the 27th anniversary of the iconic blue hero as well as the debut of another game on Nintendo's Virtual Console: Mega Man Zero. The Game Boy Advance classic is now available on the Wii U eShop for $7.99. The "Mega Manniversary" sale hacks 50 percent off the price of six Mega Man games until Monday, December 22 at 11:59 a.m. ET (8:59 a.m. PT). On sale are the Game Boy versions of Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3 and Mega Man 4 for 3DS, each down to $1.49. As for Wii U, players can download NES games Mega Man 5 and Mega Man 6 for $2.49 each as well as Mega Man 7 for $3.99. Of course, kids these days may have troubles with these difficult retro platformers. [Image: Capcom]
The top tech gifts of holidays past
Remember the mad rush to secure a Teddy Ruxpin under the tree? Or how about how badly you begged your parents for the Nintendo DS as a year-end treat? As we head into another hectic, yet hopeful holiday season, we look back at some of the geeky gadgets and technological toys that stormed the charts (and stole young hearts) over the years.
Play original Game Boy games via HDMI with hdmyboy
A few Game Boy games still stand as enjoyable classics, but hunching over the original handheld can get uncomfortable. Sure, additional options exist in the Super Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, back-lit GBA SP or the GameCube's Game Boy Player, but the draw of using the original Game Boy can be a fun novelty. Brothers Zane Amiralis and Joshua de Haan plan to expand on that with hdmyboy, a piece of hardware that outputs 1080p (or 720p) HDMI visuals when sandwiched between a Game Boy's top and bottom halves. The hdmyboy is removable and doesn't irreversibly alter a Game Boy, but when it's installed, users can either play using the handheld's buttons or a modified NES controller. The project's Kickstarter page notes that "lots of colour palettes" will be offered, so you won't have to see the world through a green-tinted screen if you don't want to. This project is focused on the original Game Boy however – any variant from the Game Boy family other than the 1989 DMG-01 model is not compatible with hdmyboy. Should the project reach its €65,000 funding goal, the final version will be available in 2015. If you already have a Game Boy, early purchases of the hdmyboy can be made by backing the project for €115 ($143), or €125 ($156) if you'd also like an NES replica controller. Those that contribute €350 ($436) will receive a Game Boy and a pre-installed prototype hdmyboy right away in addition to the eventual final build, but whichever funding tier you choose, worldwide shipping is available. [Image: Zane Amiralis/Joshua de Haan]
This guy wants $164,000 for his gigantic video game collection
Do you have $164,000 handy? If so, you can snag nearly every retro console game since the beginning of the NES era. Ebay seller "reel.big.fish," also known as Nintendo Twizer, is selling a positively massive collection of games and consoles, spanning everything from the NES to Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Game Boy and much more. He claims to have complete sets of every single game for Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Virtual Boy, 32X, Sega Master System, Game Gear and NES (except for Stadium Events), in addition to several incomplete sets for other consoles, notably a hefty Sega Genesis collection. On top of all the games, there are also multiple variants of various consoles, including every single N64 color. There's far too much to list here – almost 6,000 games – so you may as well watch the video above, and you can also peruse the master list of every single game in the collection. The catch is that it's all being sold as a single lot, with a $164,000 asking price. That's pretty steep, to be sure, but before you scoff at the price, don't forget the crown jewel of the collection, a framed copy of "No One Wants to Play Sega with Harrison Ford," signed by artist Brandon Bird.
Watch nearly 3 hours of Game Boy start screens (for reasons)
We admit, we've not watched all 2 hours and 42 minutes of this compilation of almost every Game Boy start screen. But that's where you come in, Joystiq reader! You know what you have to do. Also, bonus points and virtual high-fives for watching NicksplosionFX's previous, similar-length start screen vids for the NES and SNES (OK the SNES one's more like 9 hours...). [Image: Nintendo]
Ba-Ding! Game Boy stage joins the Super Smash Bros. 3DS fight
Super Smash Bros. on the 3DS will feature a stage inspired by Nintendo's famous handheld, the Game Boy - AKA that "old DS" where you have to actually press buttons. Game director Masahiro Sakurai posted a picture of the stage to Miiverse earlier this week, noting that, "If you turn on the 3D effect, it really looks like there's a Game Boy inside the screen." It's hard to tell exactly how the stage will function, but if we were to make a guess, we'd say it might behave similar to Flat Zone from Super Smash Bros. Melee. In that level - which is inspired by Game & Watch devices - players would have to battle one another as backgrounds changed to various Game & Watch games. Similar to the newly-unveiled Game Boy stage, Flat Zone featured walls around the stage designed to look like the edges of a handheld device. Hopefully the experience doesn't get too authentic, or we'll find ourselves unable to play unless we have a bright light shining on our 3DS systems. Guess we'll find out on October 3. [Image: Nintendo]
Build your own Game Boy with a Raspberry Pi, SNES pad and 3D printer
What's a maker to do when they don't have access to a classic Game Boy, but happen to have a 3D printer and a few other parts lying around? Craft their own, no Legos required, of course. With some patience, you too can build a copy of Nintendo's 25-year-old handheld using a Raspberry Pi, Super NES controller (for its buttons and circuit board) and a few other bits and bobs. Adafruit has print files for the iconic portable's case as well as step-by-step instructions for how it all goes together, but, as 3DPrint points out, it likely won't be easy and the project requires a decent grasp on soldering and circuitry. Emulated games run off of an SD card, and the DIY-Game Boy can even play any classic Nintendo ROMs you might find online too. We'll leave wading through the legalities of that whole process up to you, though.
Feel old by watching kids not know what a Game Boy is
Kids today with their fancy touchscreens and their 1080p! Why, back in our day, we took our non-backlit 160 × 144 pixel screens and we liked it! Rabble! Rabble rabble rabble rabble! If you owned an original Game Boy and would like to feel like an old fogey yelling at people to get off your lawn, be sure to check out the newest "Kids React" video from YouTubers TheFineBros, where kids between the age of 6 and 13 show their knowledge (or lack thereof) about Nintendo's iconic handheld. Ah well. If nothing else, we can take solace thinking that one day these children will probably shake their heads when the next generation expresses bewilderment at an iPad. [Image: TheFineBros]
Joystiq Streams: Metroid 2 and Another Metroid 2 Remake [Update: Relive the stream!]
"Anthony is on vacation," Xav screamed to Reviews Content Director, Richard Mitchell. "Are we responsible for today's Joystiq Streams?" "I think so. What should we do?" Richard shot back, holding a pair of large novelty sunglasses he earned as a reward in improv class. "Let's stream Metroid 2: Return of Samus on Game Boy." "That probably won't go over well," he scoffed, attempting to put the glasses in his non-novelty pants. "How about we stream Another Metroid 2 Remake, that complete Super Metroid-style remake of the game that has been in development for, like, a decade," Xav asked, swiping the glasses away from Richard like an annoyed parent. "Forget Anthony! Can we stream the original game, too?" Richard asked, pulling a second, somehow larger, pair of glasses out of seemingly nowhere. "I have a Game Boy Player hooked up to my GameCube and the original game. It's rough, but that might be fun," Xav replied. "Where are you getting these glasses?" "We're not supposed to reveal our secrets," Richard smirked. "That's magicians, you dumb-dumb." Join Richard and Xav for Joystiq Streams: Metroid 2 and Another Metroid 2 Remake today at 4PM ET! Nintendo may have forgotten the franchise exists, since no new game in the series has been released since 2010, but we haven't! We're playing both Another Metroid 2 Remake and the original Game Boy Metroid 2: Return of Samus at 4PM EST on the Joystiq Twitch channel. Joystiq Streams broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST.
Happy 30th birthday, Tetris
It's been 30 years since Alexey Pajitnov crafted the world's most popular game of all time, while as an employee of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in Moscow. Tetris spent the next 10 years bouncing onto every computer and arcade machine, including selling 33 million copies on the Game Boy alone. Pajitnov, however, saw almost none of the success of his creation, since the rights to his game wouldn't revert back to him until 1996. But by that point, Tetris' place in world history was secure, and the title has since gone on to sell 100 million copies, not to mention popping up in some rather unexpected places. Hop on over to the forums to share your favorite Tetris memories.
Did You Know Gaming looks back at the Game Boy
The video game historians at Did You Know Gaming have returned with a look back at the history of Nintendo's wildly successful, beloved Game Boy handheld. From the classic, green-screen LCD brick to the Game Boy Advance, Did You Know Gaming explores the strange, often baffling plans surrounding Nintendo's handheld. For instance, did you know that Nintendo planned a peripheral for the Game Boy Advance which would monitor a user's blood glucose levels? Or a headset that would help to sedate children prior to medical procedures? As the Game Boy ruled the handheld market for more than a decade, a single video just isn't enough to cover every iota of trivia surrounding the gadget. Instead, Did You Know Gaming offers two clips, the one above, and one more which you can find below the break.
Capcom schedules month of Mega Man on Virtual Console
Mega Man fans voted and Capcom has planned accordingly - the schedule for the eShop's month-long marathon of portable Mega Man games has been revealed. Priority in the release order was granted according to the number of votes received from fans, with the most anticipated games arriving first. Beyond the exception of next week's double dose of Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3, a new title will be released on the eShop each week in the month of May. If you're ready to see more of the Blue Bomber on your 3DS, Mega Man Xtreme already kicked the event off this week. Xtreme is priced at $4.99, with the incoming slew of numerical Mega Man entries expected to run for $3.99 each. [Image: Capcom, Nintendo]
Feedback Loop: phone prices, mobile Chrome extensions, television shows and more!
Welcome to Feedback Loop, a weekly roundup of the most interesting discussions happening within the Engadget community. There's so much technology to talk about and so little time to enjoy it, but you have a lot of great ideas and opinions that need to be shared! Join us every Saturday as we highlight some of the most interesting discussions that happened during the past week. This week, we talk about the ridiculous pricing structure of cellphones, discuss the possibility of extensions in a mobile browser, share thoughts on HBO's Silicon Valley and fondly recall our memories of the Game Boy. Do you have something to say? Head past the break to join the conversation!
