Are you thinking of purchasing a Game Boy but aren’t sure if it’s still fun? Well, we’ve got your back because in this article, we will talk about if game boy is good anymore and whether you should avoid it, shortlist it, or just go right ahead and buy it.
Here’s what we’ll be covering:
- Why Are Game Boy Consoles So Expensive?
- How Many Different Game Boy Consoles Are There?
- FAQs – Is Game Boy Worth It?
- Summary
Ready? Let’s get started.
Why Are Game Boy Consoles So Expensive?
First off, if you’re in the market looking for any retro console, then you may have noticed that their prices are going up daily. So, let’s first talk about why the Game Boy is going north of $100 a piece these days.
The Legacy
Game Boy has witnessed over 32 years of evolutionary gaming history. It is Nintendo’s one of the most legendary and best-selling handheld consoles of all time. Released in 1989, Game Boy holds the record for being the 3rd best selling console ever. It paved the way for how mobile gaming works today.
It brought “portable gaming” to the world, before it was even a thing. You could game anywhere outside your home on a pocket sized device, and this was a game-changer. This feature gave Nintendo victory over victory with each new Game Boy and later on other handheld consoles like DS also followed the same strategy.
The originality and innovation of Game Boy is unparalleled. Consoles released today are very similar to each other, and that’s what makes Game Boy so legendary, it brought something so new that every present day console has some elements inspired from it.
Combining the sales of every Game Boy version, the handheld has sold over 200 million units collectively, which makes it the best selling console series in history.
Increasing Rarity
People love their Nintendos and prefer to latch on to them for a long long time either as a collectible or for the occasional nostalgia trip. The last Game Boy version, the Game Boy Micro was discontinued in 2008. So 14 years later, the quantity of Game Boys in circulation is limited, and it is going down day by day increasing its rarity.
Collectible Craze
It’s human nature to develop a bond with our things. Most of us grew up exploring the old stuff our parents and grandparents kept around. It was an event where everyone shared their memories with each other. Well, it is the same scenario with Game Boys, many of us spent our childhood playing Tetris and Pokemon, and we want to collect them so we can tell our kids how amazing our childhood was.
As the Game Boys get rare, the craze of collecting them at huge prices increases. Especially some of the limited edition Game Boys, like the Kirby Pinball edition that had only 25 units produced. One of them was recently on sale for more than $18,000.
But it’s not just the super rare editions that are being sold as collectibles, unused, box sealed, or even slightly used original Game Boys are also considered as collectibles because of their increasing rarity.
Nostalgic Factor
One of the biggest reasons for the demand for Game Boys being up is the nostalgic factor.
Game Boy was very popular among kids, and many Millennial kids also purchased it after its release. It was the first gaming console for most of them. So it holds a special place in their hearts.
Many people grew up with Game Boy, they spent their entire childhood playing and loving Super Mario. Now they are grown ups and Game Boy is like a nostalgic comfort food for them. They are purchasing it to relive their childhood memories. This is one of the reasons for the ever-increasing demand of the Game Boy.
The Lockdown Effect
The COVID-19 Pandemic and lockdown acted as a catalyst in bringing people back to retro gaming. People had so much time, energy and money on their hands, and there wasn’t much they could do to spend it. So they quickly got bored of everything and started going back to retro gaming. So the already increasing demand for Game Boys saw a sudden hike.
On top of that, when people started talking about Game Boys on social media during the lockdown, then more people got interested in purchasing them, this created a snowball effect in the increasing rarity of Game Boys, and now they are more expensive than ever.
How Many Different Game Boy Consoles Are There?
Apart from the high prices, you may have also noticed that there are a few Game Boy versions out there, all priced differently. So up next we are going to talk about which Game Boy version gives you the most value for money in 2022.
Original Game Boy
The original Game Boy had a green, monochrome display. It ran on 4 AA batteries, and didn’t offer much in terms of colors. It is among the kings of portable gaming.
Game Boy Color
To take over the original Game Boy’s popularity, came the Game Boy Colour. As the name suggests, it featured a colour screen and ran on 2 AA batteries. It was available in 6 colours: Atomic purple, indigo, red, green, yellow and teal. It came with backwards compatibility so you can play all original Game Boy games on GMC.
Game Boy Advance
2001 saw the greatest leap in Game Boy technology with the release of Game Boy Advance. It had huge power gains in terms of RAM and CPU power, it was also backwards compatible so you can play original titles on it. It was the first Game Model that came in a landscape format featuring a much higher quality display. Additionally, it could also give 15 hours of play time on 2 AA batteries.
Game Boy Advance SP
Then came the Game Boy Advance SP, it was basically a Game Boy Advance with a few improvements, it came with a clamshell design, an LCD, and a rechargeable battery for the first time. It omitted the headphone jack and is known for having a rather poor display. However, this display problem was solved with the AGS-101 version of the Advance SP, it featured a back-lit LCD instead of front-lit and it made all the difference in the World. It was also the last handheld to support original GB and GBC games.
There were also other Game Boy versions like Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Micro, Game Boy Light etc but if you’re buying a Game Boy in 2022, then you should take the above four into consideration.
Prices
Today, you can pick up the original Game Boy for $100, Game Boy Colour for $130, Game Boy Advance and Advance SP for $120 each.
The games are available at this price on our website Retro vGames. You can go to our website to purchase any retro console for reasonable prices.
Value For Money
So far we have discussed why Game Boys are so expensive, how many Game Boys are there and what differences do they have. But if you’re looking to purchase a Game Boy just to experience the nostalgia and play your childhood games, then which Game Boy is best for you?
It is without a doubt Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101), you can play the original GB and GBC games on it, and it features a backlit LCD display with a rechargeable battery. It is guaranteed to provide a smooth gaming experience for just $120 being the best bang for the buck.
FAQs – Is Game Boy Worth It?
Let’s answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Game Boy.
The massive demand for game boys and the lack of availability has greeted a gap in the market. People who are willing to sell their old consoles are doing so at unreasonable prices. Being gamers’ favorite, the AGS-101 SP has especially seen a drastic rise in prices.
The Original Game Boy didn’t have a backlit display, so playing that in the dark wasn’t possible. However, the GBA SP is playable in the dark.
Game Boy Advance SP can last up to 15 hours easily before needing a recharge.
Summary
So coming back to the original question, is Game Boy worth it? And should you purchase it in 2022? Well it all comes down to personal preference, but if you’re skeptical about buying one then you should know that Game Boy is still a very good retro console to play on. You can play original Game Boy titles on a GBA SP and it’ll give you the time of your life.
