Why is GBC underappreciated?

[fcgamer | 4,737]

I wonder which more people are familar with, GBC or Crystal Pepsi?

[CMR | 521]

They seem to get a lot of love on the Gameboy subreddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

On 3/7/2023 at 2:14 PM, RH said:

I wonder if this will be said about the Switch in 25 years?

Eh, the Switch has many thousands of games. I think it escapes that kind of labeling just by the sheer volume as the vast majority isn’t ports from those machines…I think

[BitsAndGlory | 15]

I was thinking about this the other day actually. I was super into the Game Boy, despite only have a... Super Game Boy as a kid. But I didn't really dip into GBC much at all. It's been a library that I've been meaning to look into a bit more in the future.

[cartman | 195]

2 hours ago, BitsAndGlory said:

I was thinking about this the other day actually. I was super into the Game Boy, despite only have a... Super Game Boy as a kid. But I didn't really dip into GBC much at all. It's been a library that I've been meaning to look into a bit more in the future.

Yes that's interesting aswell, but a slightly broader topic: all the different ways in wich you could have a Game Boy experience. When GBC came along it perfected how GB was played because everything prior to it had issues with shitty visibility. The displays aren't clear to begin with and motions cause blurring so that you can't see what's going on.

But i think nobody cared back then that it perfected GB gameplay. I don't even think Nintendo themselves ever marketed this point.

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by cartman

[Tulpa | 3,525]

1 hour ago, cartman said:

But i think nobody cared back then that it perfected GB gameplay. I don't even think Nintendo themselves ever marketed this point.

Nintendo didn't even release the GBC until almost ten years after the original came out. In fact, all of the GB's major competitors (Lynx, Game Gear, TurboExpress) had color, and none really came close to challenging the GB's dominance. Heck, all three combined were less than a quarter of the black and white GB's sales.

Edited March 13, 2023 by Tulpa

[cartman | 195]

44 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

Nintendo didn't even release the GBC until almost ten years after the original came out. In fact, all of the GB's major competitors (Lynx, Game Gear, TurboExpress) had color, and none really came close to challenging the GB's dominance. Heck, all three combined were less than a quarter of the black and white GB's sales.

Yeah but they released the Super Game Boy adapter in 1994 (and also the "Play it Loud" lineup in 1995). GBC came 1998 so it could've still been relevant to pitch how it wasn't just backwards compatible but actually improved the GB gameplay drastically. 

Unless those +3 years had made it obsolete to mention.

 

 

[Tulpa | 3,525]

54 minutes ago, cartman said:

Yeah but they released the Super Game Boy adapter in 1994 (and also the "Play it Loud" lineup in 1995). GBC came 1998 so it could've still been relevant to pitch how it wasn't just backwards compatible but actually improved the GB gameplay drastically. 

Unless those +3 years had made it obsolete to mention.

Maybe. The Super Game Boy was interesting, but hardly widespread, and the Play It Loud series was just cosmetic shells, no real gameplay improvement.

I think Nintendo just introduced the GBC to bolster flagging GB sales. Nintendo doesn't seem to respond to much of anything except their own sales numbers. Their competitors can release any number of innovations, but until it hits Nintendo's pocketbook, they're content to stick with what they have out there. 

[cartman | 195]

9 hours ago, Tulpa said:

Maybe. The Super Game Boy was interesting, but hardly widespread, and the Play It Loud series was just cosmetic shells, no real gameplay improvement.

I think Nintendo just introduced the GBC to bolster flagging GB sales. Nintendo doesn't seem to respond to much of anything except their own sales numbers. Their competitors can release any number of innovations, but until it hits Nintendo's pocketbook, they're content to stick with what they have out there. 

I'm talking about the fact that Nintendo still were into keeping GB relevant.

If it was to bolster GB sales they should've highlighted how it improved the gameplay. That just reinforces that they should've. 

 

[Sumez | 2,970]

The Game Boy was super relevant by the time GBC came out, but that's almost exclusively thanks to Pokemon.

It was still a nearly 10 year old system at that point, however, and definitely felt a lot more antiquated in 1998 than it did in 1991.

[Tulpa | 3,525]

6 hours ago, cartman said:

I'm talking about the fact that Nintendo still were into keeping GB relevant.

If it was to bolster GB sales they should've highlighted how it improved the gameplay. That just reinforces that they should've. 

 

I don't think they needed to. Nintendo's main selling point is the games themselves. No one buys a Nintendo system for the "awesome hardware!" Their offerings typically lag behind competitors in terms of overall power and they rarely respond to that right away (again, sales.)

What sells for Nintendo is Mario, Zelda, and as Sumez said, Pokemon. And he has a good point. GBC's launch roughly coincided with the release of Pokemon Red/Blue in North America.

[AirVillain | 490]

On 3/7/2023 at 4:04 AM, Sumez said:

I'd say because it didn't even manage to exist for three years before it was replaced entirely by the GBA. I'm not sure I have ever even seen a GBC myself.

The answer to this question has to be exactly this. 

The GBC was cool, but it the quality wasn't awesome enough to buy INSTEAD of the Gameboy I don't think.

Then the Gameboy Advance comes along.... 

 

On 3/11/2023 at 11:01 AM, phart010 said:

I think they had to roll with purple because it was like the only color they hadn’t already done with the play it loud series or the gameboy pockets. It would not stand out if they re-used a color.

 

On 3/11/2023 at 9:55 AM, fcgamer said:

I owned a GBC, though my brother didn't. I find it astonishing that some here never even saw one before.

Edit: that purple color as a launch was ugh though.

I was thinking of the first purple Gameboy Advance. Now THAT is hideous. The WORST Gameboy design/colour? I think so... 

[RH | 4,932]

I've been thinking about this and I was about to make a post similar o @AirVillain's.

I think the "problem" with the GBC was literally the success of the GB.  The GB was an undefeated juggernaut of handheld gaming.  The fact that it remained relevant for so long is remarkable considering the nature of the device.

However, that hurt the GBC because even though it added color, that just wasn't enough of an improvement to warrant an upgrade for most people (I was not one of them, btw.)

If you were a target demographic, you probably had a GB.  And if you liked your GB, it's was probably good enough.  Pair that with the fact that very shortly after the GBCs release, leaks were well known that the "GBA" was in the works/ Why would you buy basically the exact same thing as GB but with color when a beefier, better unit would be out some time soon.  It wasn't worth it.

Also keep in mind that Nintendo released the Pocket line up.  Up until the GBC came out, if you wanted a GB, you'd get a Pocket and that was a pretty nice unit too, with even better battery life, so people were definitely playing Game Boy.  From what I recall, the kids that had GBCs were the younger kids getting their first device to play, around launch.  The kids that were around 4-6 in the late-90s.  These were the kids that first experienced the GB via GBC.

For everyone else, the GBC was something you probably didn't experience until you got that GBA upgrade.  By then, few people would pick up a GBC title for a new device like that, unless it was a classic rerelease of a game you already love like Dragon Quest, Tetris or Link's Awakening.

As I mentioned, I got one of these GBCs.  I got an Atomic Purple and even if it's the most common, it was the awesomest color and if you disagree, you're wrong.   Regardless, I can only think of one exclusive GBC game I owned-- Super Mario Bros DX.  Yup, it was almost a wasted purchase but I did enjoy creating color pallets for the many GB games I owned.  I think my experience shows why this system gets no love--you either loved your GB just fine or you grew up with the GBA.  That middle period of nostalgia is a rather young age bracket.

[phart010 | 1,708]

8 hours ago, AirVillain said:

I was thinking of the first purple Gameboy Advance. Now THAT is hideous. The WORST Gameboy design/colour? I think so... 

Wasn’t the purple Gameboy Advance just the same as Gamecube purple ?

[RH | 4,932]

I can't agree with this purple hate.  Purple is the best color, whether a game system or not. 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,014]

The GBC was clearly to maintain dominance in the space. As someone who loves Gameboy games and consoles, the GBA wasn't a mind blowing leap from the GBC. The DS wasn't much of a mind blowing leap from the GBA either. Nintendo learned early on, immediately maybe, that there was one thing that trumped all else in the handheld space.

Battery life.

Nintendo's bread and butter was undoubtedly the handheld market. They didn't release a objectively poor selling handheld. They sold a 3DS in the face of the god damned iphone ffs. Their home consoles were hit and miss but the handhelds were always bangers with killer absolute must play titles and the GBC was no different.

Nintendo recognized that people would sacrifice graphics, colors, and backlit screens for battery life and they rode that horse into the sunset. And when they combined all those things into a claim shell design it became the second best selling console of all time just shy of 5M units to over take the PS2.

Ultimately the GBC was just another set in the direction for Nintendo to corner the handheld market space and they absolutely crushed it, namely with Pokemon.

[Tanooki | 4,943]

I just wasn't that normal by that one long story up there on why people ignored the GBC unless it was their first unit.  I always chased the Gameboy upgrade.  DMG was fine but even earlier on with like Gradius seeing all the bullets was a bitch, so the SuperGB was welcome for at home, and when the Pocket dropped it was a godsend as the blur was mostly negated yet it was so crisp you didn't miss such little things thrown at you.  When in NP and early internet knew the Color was a thing, I was on board as i liked the colors the SGB did in the games where did more than a 4 tone + border halfass job for the emblem on the box.   GBC didn't disappoint other than it seemed it worked just a tad bit less nice with indirect light since it like to suck in what it could.  My guess was the multiple colors just made it harder to see than just rendering basically ON OFF and a few shades of semi-on(grays) in between.  Due to that I was all about that Worm Light, and problem solved.

I went with the grape (purple one), really wasn't into the see through thing, yet then when I imported a GBA 3mo before it hit the US I got glacier, go figure, just as my currently only GBC is an atomic purple with an IPS panel I put into it.

 

GBC was positioned as no replacement, but the next step by Nintendo in print, in print ads, in tv spots too.  They rolled with it just like they did with the Pocket.  Look at this new screen, look at these colors, look at the colors you can default to old games too.  Eventually the ads would show games that only ran on the hardware and it was clearly a jump up too.  It never was meant as a replacement or Gameboy 3.0 (if Pocket is 2.0), just lengthening of the beasts life a bit longer until something more radical could come.  For all utter BS and lies out of Exaggeration Gaming Monthly did about Atlantis, they got enough right by default as it was obvious.  Nintendo would have to go with new hardware, better hardware, more colors and audio, more buttons even to survive.  And you know R&D had stuff figured out a year or few in advance and sit on it to never do it, or until the price works for a budget, and that was GBA.  And GBA was a pain without GOOD lighting, but budget...and when a frontlight was cheap enough we got the SP, and then the SP 101 when superior backlighting was price effective.

[Link | 2,715]

49 minutes ago, RegularGuyGamer said:

As someone who loves Gameboy games and consoles... the handhelds were always bangers with killer absolute must play titles and the GBC was no different.

What are the top GB/C/A games you would recommend for someone who isn't into Pokemon? I have a few that I like on GB. But I never had my own GB (until the last few years) nor access to a GBC.

I had a GBA for a little bit (that a gf got me, ages ago), and didn't find much for it. By that time I was pretty disconnected from any gaming media or other source of information. 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,014]

6 minutes ago, Link said:

What are the top GB/C/A games you would recommend for someone who isn't into Pokemon? I have a few that I like on GB. But I never had my own GB (until the last few years) nor access to a GBC.

I had a GBA for a little bit (that a gf got me, ages ago), and didn't find much for it. By that time I was pretty disconnected from any gaming media or other source of information. 

Like all good games right now, the prices are up there and CIB on a lot of these are for deep pockets

Legend of the river king 1&2

Dragon Warrior games

Wario Land series

Shantae

Mario golf & tennis are surprisingly good

Metal gear

Resident Evil

Zelda oracle & seasons

The GTA games are similar to the consoles releases, mostly driving and shooting

Street fighter alpha - if you like fighters

Holy magic century - it's quest 64 but different 

R-type DX & Tetris DX

Survival kids - never played but I heard a lot of good things. 

Bionic commando 

[Tanooki | 4,943]

@Link I'd add some more to his list there on the GBC side of things.  I will mark them though with a * if they're black hybrid carts though.

Wendy Every Witch Way, Blaster Master Enemy Below*, 1942, Ghosts n Goblins*, Duke Nukem, Warlocked, Dragon's Lair, Pokemon Pinball and Pokemon Puzzle Challenge(tetris attack basically), Micro Machines 1+2 Twin Turbo, Project S-11, Revelations the Demon Slayer*(aka: Last Bible, a Shin Megami Tensei title), 3D Ultra Pinball Thrillride, Super Mario Bros Deluxe(SMB1+2 FDS), Shadowgate Classic*, Top Gear Pocket 2, and finally out of the EU/UK only the 4 Volume set of Konami GB Collection*.

Beware though two of the Konami GB Collection carts get expensive, one at toxic levels loose (over $100.)  Each has 4 games from their B&W era in good colorized format, and in a few cases these Japanese titles have english translations we never got like for a Goemon game.  Vol4 has the sequels to Castlvania and Gradius which should explain the price.  Vol 3 has that Mystical Ninja translation with Popn Twinbee.   Vol 2 is the weakest with just Parodius being a stand out, and Vol 1 has the original Castlevania Contra(Probotector), and Gradius games.

--GnG is the original on NES, but has a ruthless password that saves status/remaining lives, so no free rides and 1942 is parroting the arcade not the NES version so the grating err music isn't there.

[Tulpa | 3,525]

47 minutes ago, Link said:

What are the top GB/C/A games you would recommend for someone who isn't into Pokemon?

If you're interested in arcadey stuff, I have always liked Burgertime Deluxe. 

Donkey Kong '94 is good, too. 

TMNT Fall of the Foot Clan is short and sweet. Solid Turtles game.

 

[Link | 2,715]

3 hours ago, Tulpa said:

Donkey Kong '94 is good, too. 

TMNT Fall of the Foot Clan is short and sweet. Solid Turtles game.

I do have those. I'll check out Burger Time Deluxe. I like the arcade/NES game.

[phart010 | 1,708]

4 hours ago, Link said:

What are the top GB/C/A games you would recommend for someone who isn't into Pokemon? I have a few that I like on GB. But I never had my own GB (until the last few years) nor access to a GBC.

I had a GBA for a little bit (that a gf got me, ages ago), and didn't find much for it. By that time I was pretty disconnected from any gaming media or other source of information. 

In addition to games already mentioned:

There’s two Zelda Oracle games. One is not a replacement for the other. Each game is its own adventure.

Two Megaman X games.

Azure Dreams DX
Bomberman Quest
Crystalis
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Land 3 in color (Japanese)
Two Dragon Quest Monsters games (3 actually)
Dragon Quest 1+2
Dragon Quest 3
Harvest Moon games in color
Little Mermaid pinball
Lufia
Magical Chase
Mario Land DX (color hack)
Mario Land 2 DX (color hack)
Mario Tennis
Pokémon Pinball (not really a Pokémon game)
Return of the Ninja
R-Type DX 
Snoopy Tennis 
Survival Kids (also a Japanese sequel)
Warioland 2 and 3
 

Edited March 15, 2023 by phart010

[Link | 2,715]

8 minutes ago, phart010 said:

There’s two Zelda Oracle games.

For some reason I have never been able to get into a portable Zelda game. I'm not sure why. I've briefly played Link's Awakening and Minish Cap on emulators and I think they stumped me pretty quick and I didn't care I really like A Link Between Worlds though, that was awesome. 

[phart010 | 1,708]

11 minutes ago, Link said:

For some reason I have never been able to get into a portable Zelda game. I'm not sure why. I've briefly played Link's Awakening and Minish Cap on emulators and I think they stumped me pretty quick and I didn't care I really like A Link Between Worlds though, that was awesome. 

For GBA check out page 3 of this thread. There’s a nice list about halfway down the page:

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by phart010