Website Temporary Closed

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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Donkey Kong Land

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£16.00
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£16.00

Donkey Kong teams up with his sidekick, Diddy Kong, for new adventures and gorilla antics. Facing high-flying pigs, deadly Zingers, and reptilian Kremlings our due swing back into action! Challenged by incredible perils they clamber their way through the mysterious pirate ship, perils in the snow, an unbelievable aquatic temple, and crazy capers in the sky. Grab a vine and join the thrills in the Land of Kong!

Desert Strike

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£10.00
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£10.00

Pilot your AH-64 Apache helicopter on a covert strike against a ruthless military dictator. There are twenty-seven in-depth missions in which you can take out tanks, SCUDs and nuclear reactors and rescue POWs and hostages used as human shields!

Choplifter 2

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£0.00
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£0.00

Take on a dangerous rescue mission in a world on the brink of an all-out global war. Hostages must be saved from a sly and sinister enemy in order to avert total chaos. Only your skill can save us now.

Chessmaster

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£14.00
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£14.00

Introducing The Chessmaster, the most powerful chess program in the world today - and the friendliest! The Chessmaster is the perfect chess companion, adversary and instructor for any player, beginner to expert.

Caesars Palace

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£12.00
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£12.00

At the heart of Las Vegas strip, Caesars Palace beckons you into a land of fantasy with bustling capabilities, jingling coins and dazzling lights. Now you can experience the pulse-quickening excitement of casino gaming anywhere you can go with Caesars Palace for the Game Boy.

Chase HQ

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£0.00
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When H.Q. radios you the bad guys stats, you don't just follow that car you bash it. Or smash it. Or do anything it takes to rid the road of thugs. So stomp on the gas and feel the heat waves rise. This hot arcade hit gives you five missions and hundreds of miles of screaming, twisting LA highways to master.

Burai Fighter Deluxe

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£14.00
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£14.00

For thousands of years, the Burai have but one objective: the conquest of the universe! They have created huge armies of robo-mutants - half robot and half living flesh. With capabilities to produce thousands of robo-mutants each day, the Burai armies will soon overrun the galaxy - unless you can stop them!

Bust A Move 3 DX

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£14.00
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£14.00

One day, Bubble Worlds magical master of mischeif, Dunk, cast a mysterious spell. And with a sudden flash of light, eight characters from eight other game worlds found themselves suddenly transported to Bubble World. It's up to you to send them home!!.

Boulder Dash

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£12.00
Manual: 
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£12.00

This fast paced strategy game will test your wit and skill and you fiercely quest your way through mazes filled with challenges. As Rockford you will travel through 80 stages of the game to collect priceless diamonds. You will have to be alert and quick to master the enchanted walls, transform butterflies into jewels, find the mysterious escape tunnel and get away from the growing amoeba before it engulfs you. Four different magical worlds of adventure dare your strategy skills in Boulder Dash.

Bubble Ghost

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£12.00
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£12.00

Take a deep breath and enter a topsy-turvy world where one of your greatest enemies is. an electric fan? Control the cute ghost who loves to blow a bubble through a wacky haunted house. His gentle breath can move it, but a fragile bubble doesn't stand a ghost of a chance against a candle flame or the breeze from a fan. If the bubble bursts, pop goes the puzzle!

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