Welcome friend! This is the GB/GBC/GBA-GAF community game-along!
In here we play old video games of the Game Boy variety together and talk about them. The idea for this arose from my desire to have more game talk in the retro threads instead of merely conversing about matters pertaining to collecting, modding or just hardware talk in general.
While we will try to generally keep it cas', we are pursuing two (simple) goals with this: to discover lesser known titles of the Game Boy family library, whether it is for the first time in an in-depth fashion or for the first time, period - as well as having a place to talk about them.
I shall keep it brief and quote myself here:
So yeah, the primary focus of our venture is to just play the games and post our thoughts about them. If you don't have the means to play along on original hardware, do not feel excluded! While this can't always be accounted for, availability of games outside of, you know, cartridges (think 3DS VC) can and will play a role in picking the games up for voting.
Holding a poll about which game to play next underscores the community aspect and (hopefully) ensures a diverse and fresh selection of games to vote for. Therefore, feel free to send in suggestions for future polls via PM or Twitter (@daydreamGAF). I feel it's appropriate to spend some time with original Game Boy games first before moving on to Colour and eventually Advance!
VOTE FOR THE SIXTH GAME HERE: (Quote to see)
An early vote allows people to seek out a physical copy of the game if they so desire. Remember, JP copies are very viable options with games that aren't particulary text-heavy!
Title: Bomberman Quest
Release Date: [JP] December 24, 1998; [US/EU] 1998
Platform: Game Boy Colour
Developer: Hudson Soft
Publisher: Hudson Soft; Electro Brain [US]
It's no surprise that Bomberman Quest won the poll as our next game, as people have been clamouring for more Bomberman since Hudson's death. In Bomberman Quest, the titular hero visits four zones that he has to rid of monsters with, well, his trusty bombs to return to Planet Bomber. The game foreshadows later Bomberman titles that tossed a level-based structure aside for a more involved game featuring an overworld, story and RPG elements. A lot of these elements are prefigured or at least hinted at in Quest, with Peace Town acting as a place to fall back to, allowing you to check your progress, save the game, upgrade your arsenal, and more. It's a great opportunity to revisit this fantastic series which may be gone (for all intents and purposes) but is certainly not forgotten.
This is our first game with Super Game Boy, granting you a nice borders (one pictured below). Also, heads-up: There are two endings to the game so if you wanna go for the real one, you can go look up how to do that. You can find more info on the game along with the manuals here.
The game will run us till January 11. Don't forget to vote for the next game which will be the third GBC title, rounding out the group before our first GBA title!
Game #1 said:
Title: Kid Dracula [US/EU]; Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun [JP]
Release Date: [JP] January 3, 1993; [US]] March 1993; [EU] 1993
Platform: Game Boy
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Konami was all about weird and off-beat self-referentiality back in the day (see also: Wai Wai World for Famicom). In this quirky take on the Akumajō Dracula/Castlevania series, simultaneously a quasi-sequel to the Famicom-only game with the same name, Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun (1990), the titular hero Kid Dracula tries to reclaim the demon throne by beating his challenger, Galamoth. I couldn't find an English version of the manual online so if you're just picking up the cartridge but still want to get a taste of the manual art, the (wildly differing) Italian and Japanese booklets can be found here.
What with E3 going on and all the hubbub surrounding that, my suggestion would be to play this till July 5. And with that, have at it, GAF!
Game #2 said:
Title: Batman [EU/JP]; Batman: The Video Game [US]
Release Date: [JP] April 13,1990; [US]] June 1990; [EU] 1990
Platform: Game Boy
Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Sunsoft
I consider Sunsoft to be sort of like the Platinum of their time. Granted, Treasure might be the more apt point of comparison in the gameplay department, but in the way Sunsoft chose their projects - a lot of them licenced and others highly original -, I think there is something to the parallel.
Thus, our second game is Batman on the Game Boy. It released shortly after the NES version and can definitely still be considered as part of the early GB era, just about one year into the system's life cycle. You play as the titular bat trying to take down who else but The Joker.
This is the instruction booklet I found online for the game. And with that, we are off! You got till August 3 to save Gotham during their 200th anniversary! And don't forget to vote for the next game under 'Voting'!
Game #3 said:
Title: James Bond 007 [EU/US]
Release Date: [EU] January 29, 1998; [US] February 9, 1998
Platform: Game Boy
Developer: Saffire
Publisher: Nintendo
Now here's a developer name you don't hear often: Saffire. A relatively active Utah-based developer and port house, Saffire put out quite a few games till the end of 2000 when they underwent a name change until they finally went under in 2004. While I can't say I'm particularly familiar with their library - Nester's Funky Bowling for VB and the N64 version of Rainbow Six appear to be stand-outs in their portfolio - it becomes quickly apparent that they've dabbled in a lot of licenced games which means there's a definite hidden gem potential here!
And so we come to James Bond 007, our third Game Boy Club game! More Zelda-like than anything else, this title promises to be an interesting ride. Following the global adventures of England's #1 secret agent, you are tasked with locating your colleague, 008, who is missing in action, with all the Bond tropes that go hand-in-hand with that.
I couldn't find a manual for this one, if you come across one, do let me know! And don't forget to vote for the next game under 'Voting'! Next up will be our first GBC game.
Game #4 said:
Title: Metal Gear: Ghost Babel [JP]; Metal Gear Solid [US/EU]
Release Date: [JP] April 27, 2000; [US/EU] May 5, 2000
Platform: Game Boy Colour
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Publisher: Konami
Perhaps a surprising choice for our next game, considering the popularity of the series, but few people have actually played Ghost Babel, this very late entry into the Game Boy library. Considered by many as the best 2D game in the series (others omit the '2D' from that verdict), Ghost Babel revives the MSX days of the series while containing an amount of story beats, often delivered in Ninja Gaiden-esque cutscenes, that is more reminiscent of the Solid series. Aside from the main story, the game features 180 VR missions - a lot of them taken from Solid on the Playstation and recreated for the Game Boy - and a two player mode requiring the link cable. You can find a manual for the game here.
With games coming out and Ghost Babel being pretty meaty, we won't start a new game until November 9. Don't forget to vote for said game, our second GBC title!
Thanks to NormalFish for providing the banners!
