Does anyone know what gameboy this is? Does it play regular gameboy games? Has anyone used one? Any other recommendations? Sorry if this is off topic
Analogue pocket, from the people who made the analog nt, snes etc.
Their stuff is fantastic but expensive
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Yes, analogue is pretty good at playing original cartridges (it uses fpga, so a really accurate low level emulation) but is really expensive for what it offers.
Consider also that, like in modern Japanese booster boxes lol, scarcity is a thing: they produce few units in batches, and so you’re gonna get yours in 2024 unless you pay the scalper fee on ebay.
Having said that, if you really really want to play original physical cartridge, a modded gameboy advance or color is cheaper, better and honestly way cooler.
I would choose it if I need to play RTC games (for example real time clock events in unmodded pokemon crystal), or gyroscope games like kirby for game boy.
If you want to play roms (emulation), anbernic or retroid handhelds are the best, awesome quality for little money. They can even run N64 or PS1 games.
But my favorite option is the Ds lite: 100% compatible with gba cartridge, and very good emulation of gb, gbc, snes and so on.
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How good are the modded game boys? I see them on eBay. Some have a back light which is cool
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Depends on the specific one, but usually pretty good. You can also mod your own, it’s really not that bad if you’re into that sort of thing. I modded a Gameboy Advance a while back. The main benefit is a significantly better screen that’s also backlit.
That said, I also have a Retroid Pocket 2+ and it’s fantastic. If you don’t care about using physical cartridges, then emulation is always going to be cheaper and easier. I also have a Steam Deck for emulation. Really just depends what you’re looking for.
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I agree with @jonbo, they’re usually pretty good if you buy them from reputable sellers. Nowadays the available screens are excellent: just don’t choose the frontlit ones, go with an IPS lcd or ITA screen (laminated if you can, they looks so nice). You can even get gameboys with the usb-c charger.
If you have some soldering skills or time to learn few stuff, you could always try to mod an unit on your own. It’s a bit like buying an already graded psa9 card vs grading yourself, it’s not super difficult (my dad was helping me), but I damaged the first one that I modded lol. All the modding kits are available from china or ebay, and YouTube is full of tutorials.
Also about the 15-20% of consoles bought as working online had some big corrosion problem or faulty capacitor. So keep in mind that if you choose this route.
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Echoing the previous post, trying to mod your own is the way to go. I modded my old Gameboy color with a new screen, casing, and speakers for a really reasonable price. I personally like the original form factor of the GB color or GB advance more than the analogue pocket.
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Id recommend you the Miyoo Mini Plus, such a great device to play old school games!
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That one looks really nice. I don’t think I can mod one myself as I just don’t have the time to dedicate to learning and doing it. Any recommendations when looking to buy a modded one?
What is everyone’s thoughts on eBay refurbished game boys with back light?
Ooh! I just looked it up! Can it play cartridges? Gameboy color? Gameboy advance?
You can download any ROM you want and play it. Save files work flawless, also cheats if you want to do it. It runs almost every single platform up to PSOne.
If you buy the miyoo make sure you buy a new micro sd because the default one is a cheap one that malfunctions a lot.
I’ll have to do some research. I’ve never used an emulator and I’m not great with tech
Not many recommendations, I would say
-reputable seller with many feedbacks that knows what is doing
-accept return/has warranty
-price around 150-190$ (didn’t check in a while, please double check this, covid had some impact on the modding scene too)
-backlight obviously
-IPS or ITA (from dsi donor) lcd screen
-glass lens or laminated display (trust me, cheap plastic lens are so easy to scratch)
-original shell if you mind that, or if you’re looking for some collector edition like the pokemon color or the zelda gameboy sp. Be aware of the aftermarket copies.
-gameboy sp doesn’t have an earphones jack unless it was modded accordingly
-gameboy advance/sp will run every cartridges (gb, gbc, gba), gameboy color both gb and gbc, Avoid the og DMG gameboy and the gameboy pocket
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Thank you! I’ll keep this list! At least I know what to look out for. I’m very new to the modded game boys so this info is great
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I would recommend a YouTube channel called my life in gaming or mlig, they’re the best for this kind of stuff. Give them a watch.
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A couple years ago I was torn between a preorder for the Analogue Pocket or grabbing a modded GBC/GBA (from Etsy or a reputable site).
I ended up going with the Pocket and don’t regret my decision, it’s a beautiful handheld and really shines for GBC games with the aspect ratio.
Sometimes I do feel the nostalgia for holding an actual OEM GBC shell but it usually dissipates once I boot a game up.
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So the pocket is worth it?
I myself recently bought a modded GBA to get back into playing old games. Takes me back to the days when I had the purple one.
It has 10 level brightness adjustment IPS screen, glass screen panel, rechargeable battery via Type-C and better speaker.
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In my opinion, yes. But I don’t think you could go wrong with either the Pocket or a modded GBC/GBA.