game boy
Latest
Adding some color to Game Boy emulation
Just as Technicolor added color to moving pictures, classic Game Boy gems await their colorized update. On the homebrew front, a new video from PSPHardwareHelp (after the cut) shows Super Mario Land running through an upcoming emulator for use on PSP. The notable difference between this and previous offerings is that this emulator converts black and white Game Boy classics into full color. It's certainly a remarkable achievement, one that Nintendo may want to capitalize on if they ever (wisely) bring Game Boy classics into the Wii Virtual Console.
DS Daily: The lost Color
Backwards compatibility has always been a mainstay for Nintendo's portable systems, with every single new iteration reaching back toward the past to play legacy content. Even the Nintendo DS, third cousin twice-removed of the original Game Boy line, has a convenient second slot to play GBA titles, but it's not perfect. The slot is unable to play original Game Boy or Game Boy Color games, and for us old-schoolers, that's a bit of a buzzkill.Does this even matter to you? Remember, the original Pokemon Red/Blue titles were original GB titles, as were classics such as Metroid II, Super Mario Land, and even the very first Tetris. We also miss out on the brilliant duo of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Zelda: Oracle of Seasons for the Game Boy Color, that system's final swan song. Do you still keep around a GBA (or older) system for playing these titles, or did you trade it in for store credit for your shiny new DS? Which game from the GB/GBC era was your favorite? And remember, if you answer ... we know you're old.
Complete PC gets shoved into a classic Gameboy
The game of PC modding leapfrog now has another formidable participant, as the PC-stuffed Gameboy sure gives the Compubeaver a real run for its money. Apparently, the zany modders at the helm grabbed Via's EPIA PX10000G motherboard, a few cutting tools, a couple of LEDs, and went at it. Quite simply, this classic Gameboy will probably never play a round of Mario ever again, but it shouldn't have any qualms firing up AIM, Folding@Home, or any other Windows XP application. The A and B buttons were carefully replaced with activity indicators, while both sides of the unit were gashed open to make room for a pair of USB ports, an Ethernet jack, and a VGA output as well. Atop the unit sits a 4GB CF card, which purportedly houses a fresh copy of the operating system, and while they did stop short of installing a high-resolution LCD to give users the ultimate mobile Windows experience, you've got to give cred where it's due. Click through for a few more snapshots.[Via PlasticBamboo]
PSP at the top of handheld evolution
We know that the PSP is powerful. But how powerful is it compared to handhelds before it? A lot more, as seen by Pocket Gamer's recent analysis of handheld systems. PSP's 333MHz of processing power knocks makes the rest of the chart seem miniscule in comparison.Pocket Gamer's feature is certainly an eye-opener. Of particular note is a fascinating diagram of screen sizes, overlaying each other. The PSP's wide screen LCD far exceeds the size of its nearest competitor, the Nomad. Even with such impressive statistics, the system remains one of the lightest handhelds created, and doesn't stand out as disproportionately larger than the others. This is a must-read feature for any PSP fan.
The Game Boy musical teaches addict a lesson
So long as there are fanboys roaming the streets (and electronics aisles), weird fetishes and unashamed overkill will still have their places, but it's not too often that a gaming addiction finds a home on Broadway. In The Game Boy, Matthew Gandolfo and Robin Rothstein's family-friendly musical, a well-taught lad dubbed Chase purportedly falls a bit too head over heels for his dear Game Boy, which presumably leads to all kinds of childhood development issues. According to the production notes, the kiddo is simply consumed in the pixelated universe, and strives to "always being the best," regardless of the real folks he ignores in the process. As predicted, this behavior eventually results in a life of loneliness and dread, probably forcing poor Chase to switch off the Nintendo handheld and seek out his long lost friends. Of course, his parents could have just shipped him over Amsterdam to remedy the issue, but if you're interested in seeing the outcome yourself, be sure to hit up the Vital Theater Company in New York City from now until April 22nd.
SXSW: Game Perverts
At first glance that panel title sounds like a very special episode of Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator," but the subtitle makes it a bit clearer ... for some: "A Robot, a DS, and a dot-matrix printer menage a trois." This panel was all about hacking and homebrewing, and we saw some pretty cool stuff. Bob Sabiston's Nintendo DS animation project -- this is a homebrew kit that Bob began developing after sending Nintendo a letter explaining that he was a fairly decent programmer and engineer (he is - he wrote the rotoscoping software used for the animation in Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly) and they sent him a software development kit for the DS. His animation and painting program is one of the best apps we've ever seen on the DS, and even the artwork he's produced on it is very impressive. Rich LeGrand got into game robotics with the Game Boy Advance, because there is a fairly limitless supply of hardware available on eBay at around $20 a pop. He reverse-engineered a robotics tool for the GBA called the Xport, which he sells through his company Charmed Labs, that lets you program and build a robot around your handheld (most people use Lego for the robot exoskeleton). He has also very successfully not been sued by Nintendo. Paul Slocum took an old Epson LQ500 dot-matrix printer and reversed engineered a box that lets him program and play music through it by changing the speeds and strengths that the pins strike the paper. It really has to be heard to be believed (it's part of the song - former dot-matrix users will hear it right away). He also uses an Atari 2600 with a modified cartridge to generate drums and "bleep" sounds. Pretty impressive stuff. We lovingly retitled this panel "How to hack up your precious hardware," but now we're thinking about cracking something open and giving it a whirl. We just wish we'd kept those old dot-matrix printers.
MASSIVE clearance at Best Buy starts today
If you're near a Best Buy store, gather up your $2 bills and get going, because they're in the midst of an epic videogame clearance, and you'll want to get there before the unscrupulous speculator types grab all the stuff to sacrifice to the ravenous eBay. You've got to be wily to get to the goods before the FatWalleters and the CAGs!We've got a list of all the DS and GBA software on sale after the jump. Don't expect to find all of it-- most of it has been out of stock for months or years at most stores, and the price changed to clear out remaining copies. But we hope you do find what you're looking for in abundance. We wish we could go tomorrow and check it out ourselves. By the time we get there, there won't be anything but cobwebs and tumbleweeds, and those will probably be regular price.[Thanks, ali emamdjomeh!]
iPod + Game Boy = iBoy
Sure, you love your iPod, but we'll bet you wish there was a way you could replace that sleek, white case with a big, clunky grayish-white blob straight out of 1989. We hear ya. That's why we're happy to point you to this Flickr set that has detailed instructions for turning that beautiful iPod into a late-'80s eyesore. Apparently, the process isn't as simple as you might think. A 60GB iPod barely fits into the classic Game Boy's case, and there's a lots of cutting and soldering required to get everything working with the original portable's controls. It's all worth it, though, to be able to pretend you're playing some decades-old portable game when you're actually rocking out to the latest tunes. Yeah! [Via GameDrop]
Nintendo patent reveals cell phone gaming plans
Joystiq sister site Engadget recently unearthed a great Nintendo patent filed way back in 2001 for an "Electronic apparatus having game and telephone functions" -- that's right, plans for a gaming cell phone from Nintendo. Mock-up pictures of the device show a small, Game Boy-style D-pad and buttons atop a standard 12-button cell phone layout, along with sketches of a game of "Super Mario DX" being interrupted by an incoming call. While the failure of the N-Gage and the current success of the Nintendo DS make it somewhat unlikely we'll see any actual products created from this patent anytime soon, it's still interesting to note that Nintendo included cell phones in its mobile gaming plans, at least at some point.
Game Boy modded for less Tetris, more iPod
An NES controller-enhanced iPod is one thing, but to really put that tried-and-true old school Nintendo industrial design to some blasphemous new uses you'll have to do what Flickr user "sirljohns" did, gutting an original Game Boy to make quite possibly the most badass iPod case ever. Sadly, the only Tetris you'll be playing on the Game Boy once you're done with it is the iPod's own pale imitation, but at least you'll still be able to make use of the Game Boy's well-worn buttons, as they're wired up to an internal dock connector to allow for full control without requiring you to slice open the iPod itself. The less technically proficient among us may want to click down a bit further in sirljohns Flickr photostream, where you'll find details on modifying a vintage Sony WM-F10 Walkman for a less functional but only slightly less stylin' iPod case.[Via MAKE:Blog]
Square Enix surprise: its a PSP port of a GBA port of NES games
It looks like EGM's Rumor Mill is starting to develop into truth. "Square Enix is whipping up a wild lineup for PSP this year ... These guys are serious too! I'm talking new games, remakes of old classics, and an all-new, unexpected Final Fantasy spinoff that will make the fanboys flip."Well, we can check off "remakes of old classics" off the list: Square Enix just announced their "20th Anniversary Series," which will be heading to PSP. First two games on the table? Final Fantasy Anniversary Edition and Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition. Both games will feature the enhancements of the Nintendo-published Final Fantasy I & II Advance: Dawn of Souls, and also include new CG movies and "further enhancements."While these aren't the games we've been clamoring for, I guess it's a step in the right direction. Any support from Square Enix is better than none, right? As it stands now, I'd much rather wait for Crisis Core than these remakes of remakes. Hopefully, we'll see the rest of the "wild lineup" that EGM hinted at.[Thanks, zaki! Via The Magic Box][Update 1: Scans are available at Jeux-France.]
Play GBA games (badly) on the Wii
While Nintendo is quick to tout the Wii's extensive backward-compatibility with all GameCube software, the sleek white system is a pretty bad fit for the Cube's Game Boy Player hardware add-on. Rather than leaving that clunky old Cube out in the entertainment center, Wii News recommends the Datel Advance Game Port, a sleek-looking accessory that plugs into the GameCube/Wii memory card slot and lets you play Game Boy Advance games on the big screen. What Wii News doesn't tell you is that the Datel Advance Game Port is a buggy mess. In our reviews of the discontinued hardware, games ran with inconsistent slowdown, laggy controls and audio problems. What's more, the port only plays Game Boy Advance games, unlike the official Game Boy Player, which works with games dating all the way back to the black-and-white classic portable. If you're really desperate for Game Boy games on your TV, spring for the Nintendo-approved solution and not this third-party knock-off. Or just sit around and wait for the oft-rumored addition of Game Boy support for the Virtual Console.
DS releases for the week of January 8th
Excellent -- the rest of us actually have a few games hitting shelves this week, and Japan doesn't have quite the flood they've enjoyed lately, so things are reaching equilibrium. Now let's hope for an upcoming deluge of goodness for everyone. Starting next week, there are some interesting titles heading out into the world ... so let's see what we have to tide us over.First up, the US:DS releases Arthur and the Invisibles GBA releases Arthur and the Invisibles For more on global releases, check after the jump.
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Nintendo responds to Game Boy accident that killed UK boy
Nintendo of Europe has offered its condolences to the family of Connor O'Keefe, the seven-year-old UK boy who was electrocuted and tragically killed last Saturday when unplugging his Game Boy power supply. Connor was vacationing with his family in Thailand when the fatal accident occurred. The UK (230V/50Hz) and Thailand (220V/50Hz) use similar voltage standards.Nintendo did not issue any further comments, claiming that details of the incident were still unclear. Police have declared the tragedy an accident. "No blame has been attached," said Lt. Colonel Sopol Borirok.
When a PSP and a Game Boy make love
This very-obviously fake design is a loving homage to gaming's past. The Game Boy is the first handheld gaming system I've ever owned, and it's incredible to see how tech has evolved since then. ModSoul, the designer of this clever creation, also enhanced this baby with something PSP owners have been clamoring for a long time: dual analog sticks.[Via Kotaku]
Boy arrested for opening Game Boy early
Filed under both tough love and weird news -- a 12 year old boy who couldn't bear to wait for Christmas to open his shiny new Game Boy got to endure a visit to the pokey after mom called the cops. Ouch! The boy was charged with petty larceny, and his mother said she hopes this will calm him down a little, both in school and at home.While we understand the unbearable excitement of knowing there's Ninty gear under the tree, we encourage children everywhere not to lift the flaps on those gifts until instructed to do so ... after all, that ink from fingerprinting is hell to wash off. [Via Digg]
DS releases for the week of December 4th
Oh no! Kirby: Squeak Squad and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. What's a DS owner to do? The obvious answer, of course, is to forgo buying any holiday gifts this year so that you can instead be assured of enough cash to buy both these games for the really important person here -- yourself. Your friends and family will totally understand. And hey, if they kick you out, at least you can take the DS with you!Back in the real world (oh, fantasy world, we love you so), Gamasutra reports that Kirby: Squeak Squad is the most preordered game across all platforms right now. Everybody loves Kirby!DS releases: Cartoon Network Racing Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Kirby: Squeak Squad Lionel Trains: On Track GBA releases:None!
[E]mulate seven consoles in one homebrew application
Sorry for the lack of updates. Joystiq & engadget hit the scene at NYC's Wii launch party (coverage continues throughout the next few days). At the after-party at my place, we were horrified to see how pathetic the selection of Virtual Console games were (Where the heck is my Gunstar Heroes? When do Mario RPG and Super Metroid come out?). I'm glad to pay my hard-earned dollar on retro games, but damn it--I can't do that if they're not being offered right now!Interestingly, if I so chose to embrace the Dark Side, I could use [e]mulator, from homebrew developer "e". This application includes emulators for a wide variety of systems: Wonderswan, Lynx, PC Engine, Neo Geo Pocket, Game Gear, Game Boy, and Famicom (NES). If one is so inclined, they can visit the site, download the file, and use a program like WinRAR to extract the files. Don't worry, there's a very Engrish read-me that should theoretically walk you through the process.[Via PSP-Vault]
Nintendo wants to pimp your ride [update 1]
Nintendo isn't content to sit back and take over your living room (Wii, GameCube) or your pocket (DS, Game Boy) ... now they want your car too. Macsimum News (an Apple news site) covers the patent Nintendo filed in August to bring an in-car gaming system via installed hardware and a "Car Area Network" that can supposedly beam game information from the server to the game console. Although they say the wireless network could be between your game server (in the trunk) and the game console (in your backseat), they do mention that the system could possibly download new games and updates wirelessly. The controller looks a lot like the Virtual Console Controller, which in turn resembles the generic crapware that you find in hotels and on airplanes which play the absolute worst games imaginable. Seriously, if you're stuck on an international flight for something like 21 hours, you'll have more fun playing "count the seat threads" than you will using the in-flight game systems. If you're thinking about pimping out your ride, pick up a cheap GameCube, PS2, or Xbox and stick that in your car rather than waiting on this car game system to hit the market.Next up: Nintendo in your bathroom (no Wii jokes, please).[Thanks, metalliska][Update: we meant PS2, not PS3. If indeed there were cheap PS3s to be had, we'd be letting you know. Thanks, Back_lit]
The possibilities of PS3-PSP connectivity [Update 1]
The PS3 and PSP are going to be great friends. Sure, they won't be able to play with each other when the PLAYSTATION 3 comes out, but they will in the future, and the possibilities are exciting. chubgians, IGN's ultimate PSP fanboy, recently wrote a massive essay on how PS3-PSP connecitivty can succeed where GCN-GBA has failed. Some of the key points to note: The two systems were made to work with each other: look at the XMB. Also, there's no extra cables to buy: just use the PSP's wi-fi connection, or the USB cable that's connected to the controller. Even without any software, you can access content on the PS3 from your PSP. With the Gamecube, your GBA cables were useless unless you had a game that supported it... and those were quite few in number. Accessing the Friends feature of the PS3 from the PSP will be incredible: imagine, a universal play experience on your PS3 and PSP. It's starting with games like Cash Money Chaos. You can read the rest of chubigan's lengthy postulations on his IGN blog.See also:The "PS3" tag on PSP Fanboy.[Update 1: IGN has been playing with their retail unit of the system and revealed one tidbit we didn't know about before: when using Remote Play, your PS3 is forced into non-HD 480p mode. Boo!]
