Anybody who grew up in the 90s will remember the Game Boy and its counterpart, the Game Boy Color. Both were iconic consoles released by Nintendo that helped to shape the landscape of the gaming world and launched several titles.
However, that was over 20 years ago now, and the current generation has never seen a Game Boy Colour sold on the shelves. For many, it’s a charmingly retro part of gaming history, but these amazing titles that launched on the console - from Tetris to Pokemon Gold and Silver - are getting digital and physical recreations through homebrew and indie developers. Plus, there are even a few original creations to pick up.
The Power of Digital Releases
Old fans love rereleases of old games. It’s an easy market to tap into - just ask Nintendo themselves.
From the release of older games on the WiiU to the Virtual Console releases of Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver and Crystal on the 3DS, the company has recognised the demand for old games and responded accordingly.
However, there are also dozens of titles which aren’t available as re-releases which the fans love. The original Tetris, for example, is an elusive beast. That’s where a lot of homebrew and indie developers come into the equation.
New Titles, Old Art
For many creative minds, the 8/16 bit era and chiptune soundtracks are more akin to a home than a full orchestral score and 4K graphics.
These people find that the best way to do things is to create new titles or release copies of older titles based on the existing art style and direction.
These kinds of titles have surged in popularity in recent years because they take us back to a time when gaming was much more simple. Before you needed an Internet connection and two hours of updates to go and play a game, you could just snap it into the console and start. There are lots of people who yearn for that original way of doing things, and these kinds of games are often great as a result.
These types of games often have gorgeous packaging and faithful recreations of the original artwork that used to come on those iconic boxes. Considering it’s easy to now print and create your own boxes, the authentic experience is there, and it’s been faithfully recreated for a modern audience.
Final Thoughts
It’s really nice to see a rise in the number of Game Boy and Game Boy Colour consoles and games that have been released recently. It’s kind of a renaissance for the era, as these older games are now becoming the passion of new developers. These amazing offerings are here and look fantastic, and it’s not difficult to see why they are so popular among younger audiences who are just discovering these consoles for themselves. There’s something comforting about seeing our childhood games pass to a brand new generation - whether they’re passion projects or games we grew up playing ourselves.
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