Retro Video Games

I'm a little unusual in that I like to play TETRIS instead of Call of Duty, but I am aware that I'm not as strange as all that as there are people out there who are also like me. That is what this forum is for, isn't it?

I grew up craving a Game Boy Advance and never had one. Now that I am 18 (more than 10 years later) I finally have one. Because of my interest in these games (and finding myself in the geeky areas of the internet) I have become aware of so much more. My first 'retro' console was a Game Boy colour so I could play Pokemon. I wouldn't even consider this to be 'retro' as I can vividly remember 1998 and I have Burger King toys of the handheld.

I'm not a home console type of person, so I don't own an NES or a Genesis/Megadrive (or anything else for that matter), but I am still fascinated by them and have always been tempted.

So? Anyone else on here play old games, either as a side effect of loving an old game or seeking them out like me as a hobby? If you're at all interested in playing old games and don't know where to start, then ask and someone is bound to reply.

Also, how does everyone else store their loose cartridges? I usually don't buy games with the box, so I put mine in cassette cases.

TFD

Me and my sisters grew up with Gameboys! I had the first one at about age three or four, which was a Gameboy Colour. We only ever had two games for it which were Pokémon Yellow and Street Fighter Alpha. I still have the latter to hand, but I haven't been able to find Pokémon Yellow since we moved house (I really hope we didn't leave it behind because it's a big childhood memory).

Then we all got Gameboy Advance SPs over the following years for birthdays and such and together we amassed a collection of quite a lot of games, including personal favourites such as some of the Power Rangers games, Crazy Frog: Racer, and the 2003 TMNT game.

Then this year I got back into playing Gameboy games and picked up some games I never had when I was younger, such as Super Mario Deluxe, Tetris, and the original Star Wars game. I love the retro cartridges and love much simpler games like these.

I grew up playing a ton of Playstation 2 games and I now have an Xbox 360, but I have a soft spot for these sort of games, too, and as everyone already knows I love anything with a sense of antiquity - I think the reason I enjoy '70s, '80s and '90s stuff like this so much is because a lot of it was part of my childhood despite being born in '97.

But yes, you're not alone, TFD!

I thought I wasn't. Surprised no one had made a topic for it. I would really recommend getting on of the original Pokemon games (I have Red). I really need to get a copy of Crystal, but the cartridges are pretty pricey. Not too bad, but one I would probably want as a present rather than to just buy.

If you get really into the original games, I'd recommend picking up a modded Game Boy Color. There are people on eBay (and other places) that put a front-light (from the SP 001 model) into the Color so that you don't have to be on the surface of the Sun to play a game (you can play at night under the duvet).

I find the original Star Wars game quite tricky. Have you ever played Batman Return of the Joker? One of my favourites besides Pokemon (and I still need a Mario game). I'd also pick up any Zelda game for any Game Boy. They are all SUPERB!

TFD

My sister got into Pokémon this year and has become a big fan of the anime, too. She has Pokémon Red and she let me play it for a few hours; I forgot how addictive and enjoyable Pokémon is! I struggled to give it back to her! I'd quite like to get my own copy eventually but cartridges that still have a working 'save' battery are quite pricey.

I find the original Star Wars game tricky, too, but decided to pick it up and give it a go anyway. I've still not completed it...

As for a back-lit GB Colour, I've seen quite a few videos of them on YouTube and it's a great idea. However, I'm happy with my back-lit Gameboy Advance SP which is what I play all my GB games on.

Replacing save batteries is not that hard. I believe they are CR2032 (not a weird cell at all, but I may be wrong about the type). If you get a battery (for about £4, but lasts ten years in a cartridge) and a Nintendo screwdriver (definitely available under £5), you can open the back of the cartridge. You can go the easy route and unpick the connecting metal strip, take out the dead battery and replace it (putting the strip back down and sellotaping it down). You can also buy the batteries in a little 'holder' for Game Boys to go the professional route and unsolder the old battery and replace it with the new one. There are people that also sell cartridges with new batteries too. There are tons of videos on YouTube that explain nicely how to replace batteries. I've never done it myself, but some videos are in real-time and it's not a difficult job. You'll need to check what type the battery is though.

TFD