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Hello everyone. We are moving to a new, bigger premises so website ordering will be closed for the next month while we move everything to our new building, reorganise and do a full stock take. We will not be taking any orders or able to reply to any messages during this time. We will be open again at the start of December. Many thanks. Console Passion

Nintendo Gameboy

The Nintendo Gameboy was released in by Nintendo Japan in early 1989. It was the latest brainchild from Gunpei Yokoi, the genius behind Nintendo Game & Watch games. Gunpei also had several game writing credits to his CV at the time, the most notable was co-writing Donkey Kong, and the Nintendo CEO at the time was confident Gunpei would repeat his previous successes with the Gameboy.

The game came packaged with a simple, yet addictive puzzle game called Tetris. Consisting of different shaped bricks falling down the screen, the bricks had to be manipulated and moved by the player to create rows along the bottom of the game area. Once a row was completed it would disappear, freeing up space for more bricks to fall into.

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The now 'infamous' game was designed by by Alexey Pajitnov and written by Alexy & Dmitry Pavlovsky, two Russian Computer Science Engineers. Although the game is one of the most successful selling games of all time, both authors would have seen very little of the money from the Gameboy release as they lived in the Communist Soviet Union at the time, and any royalties would have gone straight to the Government (or allegedly the KGB).

The Gameboy was an instant hit, largely due to the Tetris game, but also because Nintendo promised ports of their best selling Donkey Kong, Zelda & Metroid games onto the new system. As with the Nintendo NES, Nintendo had no shortage of software developers waiting to make games for the new console. In its first year more than 100,000 consoles were sold in Japan alone, and it has gone on to be the biggest selling console of all time, racking up an amazing 168 million units worldwide.

However, these 168 million were not all the original incarnation of the Gameboy. Over the years, the console has experienced several transformations. Firstly to the Gameboy Pocket was released in 1996. This was essentially the same as the original Gameboy and had the same hardware inside, but it was smaller, sleeker and with a slightly clearer screen.

Next came the Gameboy Colour in 1998. This was the same layout, size and shape as the previous two Gameboys', but sported a colour screen, and a palette of 32,000 colours to choose from. Original Gameboy games were compatible with the Gameboy Colour, some even featuring enhancements, but Gameboy Colour games were not compatible with the original Gameboy.

2001 saw the release of the Gameboy Advance, a completely redesigned console with much more power & better graphics & sound. The most recent Gameboy Advance SP features (finally) a back-lit screen amongst its improvements.

Indeed, it was the lack of several features such as back lighting and colour that lead Sega to believe its handheld console, the Game Gear, would become more popular than the Gameboy. While the Game Gear was technically superior, had a more ergonomically pleasing shape and a larger colour screen, it lacked the game catalogue that the Gameboy had accumulated. That and the fact that its battery life was 1/5 of the Nintendo Gameboy saw its sad demise in 1997.

Several other consoles also attempted to Steal the Gameboys' crown as king of handhelds, but all fell short. The Neo Geo Pocket, Atari Lynx, Bandai Wonderswan and GP32 consoles have all failed to outsell the Gameboy. However, Sony have recently announced the imminent release of the PSP, which is almost as powerful as the PS2. Could this be the handheld to finally topple the Gameboy? Only time will tell.

As with any console, there are a number of add-ons you can buy. Not only did the Gameboy have link cables, magnifiers, back lighters, in car packs etc, but if you felt the need you could buy mini cameras, and tiny printers for your machine! Aside from the obvious with Tetris, notable games for me are Donkey Kong Land, Super Mario Land games, Zelda & the Pokemon games.

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Legend of Zelda - Links Awakening

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£45.00
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£45.00

Nintendo's fantasy adventure hero, Link of Hyrule, returns in this new epic quest. Link's Awakening. Link's newest challenge is set on the mysterious Koholint Island, a place where dreams and reality collide. As a castaway, Link must find a way to escape from the island and return to his beloved homeland of Hyrule.

Worms

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Explore the sinister side of nature as you control a troop of armed-up, never-say-die Worms in an arcade strategy extravaganza. Use Shotguns, Bazookas, Homing missiles and Banana Bombs in your bid for survival and the ultimate accolade.Victory!

Wave Race

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Jump aboard your Personal Water Craft and hit the waves! Pick one of three versatile PWCs - the nimble 550cc, the speedy 650cc, or the high-powered 800cc National Class racer. Splash your way through 8 tracks in the racing circuit. Or complete in 8 different breakneck slalom courses. Watch the spray fly as you leave your opponents swamped in your wake!

Wario Land 2

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What kind of no good ruffians would break into my castle and steal my treasures? it's that rotten Captain Syrup and that Black Sugar Gang! I'm looking out for bad guys and scavenging for coins as I track down my treasures. If I don't get them all the first time, that's ok. I can go back again and again until I find them all. Captain Syrup doesn't stand a chance against me!

Wario Land

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Hey! things are really cookin on Kitchen Island! Wario's got a scheme to steal the pirates' treasure so he can have his very own castle! You help Wario get the treasure by smashing into the magic pots! Each pot changes him into Dragon Wario, Bull Wario, or Jet Wario! With each change comes new powers!

Wario Blast

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Oh no! Wario has stumbled upon the secret gateway into Bomberland! Now the greedy war monger wants to claim the land, its inhabitants, and treasures as his own. Entering the underground labyrinth, he meets the resistance of the Mad bombers.

Tetris Blast

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Have a blast! The favourite puzzle sensation explodes back onto the Gameboy scene! Test your dexterity at the highest level yet! With rapid moves align blocks containing explosive bombs and clear away the screen. Ka-Blaam!! In fight mode build a mega bomb and take out menacing enemies that threaten your progress, Boom! You've never experienced Tetris like this before - it's dynamite!

Top Ranking Tennis

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£10.00
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Play the baseline or rush the net for an aggressive overhead smash! Volley, slice, lob or rip a top-spin forehand past your opponent! Master your stroke and serve on a hard court, clay or grass. Go head-to-head in singles or opt for doubles. Challenge the top players in a world class circuit and grab the top ranking. Up to four players can compete in realistic tennis action!

Tetris 2

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The mesmerizing fun of Tetris returns - and the challenge escalates to new heights! Test your dexterity, tease your brain and rack up points with Tetris 2. Your split second decisions lead you to a new dimension in puzzle solving action!

Tetris

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Beams, boxes, zig-zags and L-Shaped blocks drop down a narrow passage. Feel your pulse quicken as you spin, shift and align the shapes for a perfect fit. It's challenging and demands split second decision! Start at new heights for a tougher contest. Pick the music and set your pace from 20 progressive skill levels.

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