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GB/GBC/GBA Collecting Thread
- Thread starter tiggerkiddo
- Start date
Agent Unknown
Member
I bought it pre-modded, it's the non-tabao cable mod so as mentioned, brightness is in between the default and "brighter" settings of the SP 101 so it should be the ribbon + solder as non-solder mod had a brightness that was really dim like the SP's default setting IIRC. Here is a picture of the cable you can see through the back of the unit:
Here is a comparison pic I just snapped of Peagle's mod with the tabao/multi level brightness cable on the left and on the right is the non-tabao cable unit I'm selling. Bit of glare from my phone:
How is the Peagles mod kit different from the other ones out there? And is it any more complicated to install than the alternatives?
The mod I did for Agent Unknown gives 5 levels of brightness which you change using button presses. It also goes brighter than a regular mod, even when the wire is soldered to the brightest known point. It's not particularly complicated, but it does require a specially made (and expensive) ribbon cable which needs 3 wires soldered between it and various points on the motherboard.
I bought it pre-modded, it's the non-tabao cable mod so as mentioned, brightness is in between the default and "brighter" settings of the SP 101 so it should be the ribbon + solder as non-solder mod had a brightness that was really dim like the SP's default setting IIRC. Here is a picture of the cable you can see through the back of the unit:
Here is a conparison pic I just snapped of Peagle's mod with the tabao/multi level brightness cable on the left and on the right is the non-tabao cable unit I'm selling. Bit of glare from my phone:
IrishNinja
Member
got an email from Retro Quest Games (i believe i bought their Mother 3 fan translation repro a while back) about some new repros they'd have in short order, thought you guys might be interested:
Agent Unknown
Member
Nice, love those covers.
Cheers, I'm tempted to pick a few of these, namely Fire Emblem and Oriental Blue. However, wasn't Invader already officially localised? Not to mention Super Robot Taisen J doesn't appear on the site.
There's a button at the bottom of the page to go to the next page. It's hard to see. It blends in with the background.
So I went against my better financial sense and ordered a set of the GB/GBC/GBA cases from customgamecases.com and I am super happy with them. Between their cases and printouts from the cover project, I can finally display my gameboy collection without having half of them be loose carts. Here are some photos of my Mario collection (because it includes GB, GBC and GBA games). All covers are from the cover project, printed and trimmed at my house by me. I think they turned out pretty damn good for all at home work. Would've probably preferred the original box art for Super Mario Advance, but this was the only one they had for DS case size, I may go back and make my own later.
Don't get cheap rechargeables, insist on either Sanyo Eneloops or Rayovac Hybrids (both are very similar). You can also get Duracell Pre-Charged if you can find those for cheaper, but they're literally rebadged Sanyo and Rayovac batteries.
These batteries are "low self-discharge NiMH". Regular NiMH was way more powerful than the NiCad rechargables that were commonly available in the GBA era (and 9.6 volt Tyco RC racers), but they were expensive so they were only used for high-drain devices like digital cameras. Also, regular NiMH completely depletes itself if you ignore it for more than a week. Low self-discharge NiMH can keep it's full charge for years, which is why Duracell sells them as "Pre-Charged".
Custom Lithium Ion battery packs were hot stuff when Nintendo put them in the GBA SP, but since Sanyo and Rayovac figured out low self-discharge NiMH, the original GBA debatably has a battery solution that's superior to even the 3DS or PS Vita. And they're not even very expensive.
So, do fake cartridges for original Gameboy games exist?
I just received my copy of Batman: Return of the Joker and it's like it's bloated or something. It doesn't slide elegantly into my GBA SP, I have to apply some real force. The label is accurate enough, a bit blurry, though.
What do you guys think?
I just received my copy of Batman: Return of the Joker and it's like it's bloated or something. It doesn't slide elegantly into my GBA SP, I have to apply some real force. The label is accurate enough, a bit blurry, though.
What do you guys think?
Probably a fake (they do exist I think, fake GBC games definitely do since I own a couple). Tried opening it up and having a look at the board?
sixteen-bit
Member
Can you post pics of it?
Took a shot of both front and back. I had a hard time getting it to focus right but at least you can see some details now.
Front, Back
The screw, I think, is legitimate so I'm not sure how I would go about opening it. What seems suspicious to me: Cartridge a bit thicker, label slightly blurry and cut off at the top (?).
Front, Back
The screw, I think, is legitimate so I'm not sure how I would go about opening it. What seems suspicious to me: Cartridge a bit thicker, label slightly blurry and cut off at the top (?).
PumpkinSpice
Banned
It could have just been left in the sun / a hot car and warped a bit under the heat.
Hm, I suppose that's possible. So, not a fake?
It is pretty much too hard to tell fake or real without opening the game. You can unscrew that screw without the actual tool required (plenty of random ways, and guides online) but a lot of old games have so much crust around the screw that it is annoying to get it open.
Pancakes R Us
Member
Thanks for this tip, will look out for Eneloops as I've heard of them before. Is there any danger of these exploding or anything if you leave them unused in a device for a while? I left some standard Duracells in a Wii remote once and it leaked.
Yeah, any batteries can leak, especially when they start to get really old. I've seen plenty of disposable Alkaline batteries fail. If you quickly use them and toss them, they're fine, but if you put them in a low-power device like a TV remote and rarely use it, they can last a long time, so they can risk leaking before you're even finished with them. It's good to have a low-cost battery last forever, but then you're not paying attention by the time it fails.
I got a bunch of rechargable NiCad AA's a long time ago, and they were great for about a decade, until they stopped holding a charge for very long, and started swelling and discoloring. Time to replace.
Anecdotally, I've been using Eneloops for several years with no problems, but I'm sure they'll die sooner or later.
If you're getting Eneloops for your GBA, ideally you should get four AA's and a basic charger. Put two batteries in your GBA, and keep two spares in your carrying case. If you ever notice that your GBA is gathering dust, take the batteries out of your GBA, inspect them, and if you expect the unit to gather even more dust, put all four batteries into a ziplock lunch bag before putting them back in your carrying case. If you're using the unit somewhat regularly, you'll be changing the batteries occasionally, and shouldn't need to worry about leaks sneaking up on you.
Oh and, after using Eneloops and a basic charger for a few years, you might start to notice that the batteries get worn out and lose their effectiveness. Don't throw them away at this point. Now it's time to invest in a "smart charger". The smart charger has a small LCD screen and can tell you detailed info about your battery performance, and it has a "refresh" feature. If you use that, it'll perform some sort of exercise routine on the battery, and the battery will come out working good as new. I'm not sure if that prevents leaks or just keeps your batteries living long enough to experience leaks, but it's just nice to have good batteries.
Once a year or so, as part of spring cleaning, it's generally a good idea to wander around your home and visually inspect all the batteries hiding in things like remote controls, flashlights, and wall clocks. And of course, handheld consoles and wireless controllers.
PumpkinSpice
Banned
RE. Eneloops in GBA:
Is there a reliable way to tell their charge? The red warning light is tuned to 20% of an alkalyne, but because it's measuring the voltage curve and rechargeable batteries run at a lower voltage with very little curve, I've had eneloops come fresh off the charger with red on my GBA.
Is there a reliable way to tell their charge? The red warning light is tuned to 20% of an alkalyne, but because it's measuring the voltage curve and rechargeable batteries run at a lower voltage with very little curve, I've had eneloops come fresh off the charger with red on my GBA.
I don't see how there would be. The rechargeables I use makes the light flash between green and red non-stop and it's pretty annoying so I bought a big pack of AAs just so I wouldn't have to put up with it.
Just had this little beauty show up
Ahh brings back so many memories. My grandma got me this exact gameboy pocket in this exact box as a gift for my birthday as a kid. If I remember right the box even has a space to hold a cartridge inside? I still have mine at home somewhere, but my GB Pocket has been long since lost. I played so much Super Mario Land and Pokemon Red on it.
I always wanted one when I was a kid, but my parents had already bought me the OG DMG-01 and weren't about to buy me another GB. By the time I buttered them up enough for a new Game Boy, the GBC's had just come out, haha, so this was finally a dream come true.
Yeah there's a spot for a game in the back and the case is just sexy. You should try to track yours down one day! I think at this point, the case is the hardest part to find (and find not all cracked and broken).
Agent Unknown
Member
Just had this little beauty show up
WOW. Also didn't realize the GB Pocket came in such an ace, hard shell case.
putermcgee
Junior Member
That casing is awesome. I remember getting my green Game Boy Pocket, and it was my favorite way to game until the GBA came out. This also reminds me of how much I didn't like the GBC.Just had this little beauty show up
My mom had the amazing foresight to take away all of my boxes and manuals from my video games and pack them away when I was a kid. This turns out to have been a life saver because child me would have lost every manual and destroyed every box, but adult me couldn't be happier that I have a collection of pristine GB game boxes and manuals. That GB Pocket hard case is still in perfect condition with the paper cutout inside and everything.
Thanks for looking out mom!
Agent Unknown
Member
I'm using Duracell HR6/DX1500 NiMH 1.2V/2000 mAh rechargeables (the green label ones that come "precharged" when you buy them, if there's something better/safer I should be using let me know, battery gurus). Maybe it's because they're a few years old but in my Wiimotes they still hold a long, 4 bar charge. But on both my first backlight unit (the one I'm selling) and the unit Peagles modded for me, it doesn't take long before the light starts alternating between green and red even after taking them off a full charge. Then when I put them back in my Wiimote they still show a full charge. The red/green light doesn't bother me much though but I might get a bunch of regular AAs just for my GBA needs at some point.
sixteen-bit
Member
Just had this little beauty show up
I always liked this packaging.
Label sets off my spidey sense (the Nintendo capsule is off, the borders on the left and right sides are not uniform/symetric) but it's not unheard of printers getting slightly misaligned. The cart looks real. Could be a case of a re-printed label. You need to open it up to really look at the cart.
Yeah, I might do it to satisfy my curiosity but at this point, I'm just considering getting another copy which would save me the hassle. I don't really fancy the bloated cartridge, either, and the game's dirt cheap, anyway.
Yeah man! I remember going to Walmart and just drooling all over the security case staring at those things. The original Game Boy came in one too (my next target) when Nintendo did the whole "Play it Loud" thing. I wish they had continued this with the GBC, GBA and DS lines!
Haha, yeah, I wasn't too fond of the GBC either. I basically used it to continue playing my old GB games in a smaller, slimmer package that kind of displayed them in color.
Oh man! You're lucky! I've actually been meaning to call my mom and see if all of boxes are still in my closet. I kept all of my documents, manuals, trays, plastic, etc from all of my consoles and games in immaculate condition. I really hope my parents didn't purge that stuff after I moved out...
Same here! Easily my favorite Nintendo packaging of all time, although the NES 3DS XL has be drooling too (it's a shame that particular 3DS XL model is so tacky looking though)
sixteen-bit
Member
Does the label have a number stamped into it?
Alex_Mexico
Member
Is "Perfect Dark" for GBC any good? I love to bits the N64 original and this game looks a lot like the excellent MGS: GB but I remember PD for GBC not getting the same great reviews.
Agent Unknown
Member
I'm glad my Gameboy Light uses the same basic design/screen/chassis as the GB Pocket, that was the way to go. Also agree that the GBC was an ugly system.
Hard to say. I think there's a stamp on top of the seal of quality but I can't really make out the numbers. I always thought the stamp was above the seal, though?
sixteen-bit
Member
Why do I only remember seeing Game Boy Pockets in these boxes in stores?
Where'd that awesome box come from?
Only the original North American GBP (mirrored bezel) was packaged like that.
Haha, that's funny because I always remembered them coming in the clear hard cases. I didn't start really looking for that specific Game Boy until like a year ago and I remember thinking to myself "When the hell did Game Boy Pockets come in cardboard boxes??" when I first started sifting through the sea of old Game Boys.
Seeing those cases in the stores is definitely in my top 3 most vivid gaming related memories though.
theSlacker
Member
Had about the same experience when I tried searching for the GBpocket on ebay a few years ago, trying to get one with the hard case. All the results had the cardboard and I thought I searched wrong or something.
Cloggerdude
Member
Alright, so here's a question for you guys. I've been working on collecting all of the GB/GBC/GBA Pokemon games, complete in box. I've got all of them except Crystal now, but that has been pretty hard to track down. All the ones that I have found are either in horrible condition, or insanely expensive.
I get a message on Reddit the other day from a guy who has one for trade. Box is in pretty good condition, no big complaints, and everything is included. However, he wants the following in trade:
1) Summon Night Swordcraft Story - CiB
2) Summon Night Swordcraft Story 2 - CiB
3) Marvel vs Capcom 2 - CiB
4) DQ9 - CiB
Now, I don't mind getting rid of 3 and 4 at all, but I'm kind of attached to the Summon Night games. I'm not really sure why, but I have just always liked the game play and characters. They seem fairly rare too, as I usually don't see many of them selling on eBay or anywhere.
So yeah, what do you guys think? Go for it and complete my collection? Or wait for another deal?
I get a message on Reddit the other day from a guy who has one for trade. Box is in pretty good condition, no big complaints, and everything is included. However, he wants the following in trade:
1) Summon Night Swordcraft Story - CiB
2) Summon Night Swordcraft Story 2 - CiB
3) Marvel vs Capcom 2 - CiB
4) DQ9 - CiB
Now, I don't mind getting rid of 3 and 4 at all, but I'm kind of attached to the Summon Night games. I'm not really sure why, but I have just always liked the game play and characters. They seem fairly rare too, as I usually don't see many of them selling on eBay or anywhere.
So yeah, what do you guys think? Go for it and complete my collection? Or wait for another deal?
PumpkinSpice
Banned
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Pokemon-Crys...7437?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item4d23e4036d
If you're being thick you could sell just the summon night games and pick that up.
Edit: Nevermind that box is in pretty bad condition. Still, you're basically getting ripped off if you go for that.
Don't do it. You're getting ripped off. Also which subreddit?
Yeah, not a good deal at all. Those Summon Night games aren't that easy to come by these days.
Cloggerdude
Member
Yeah, that box looks like it was left out in the rain, haha. I appreciate you checking though.
I knew it was a lopsided trade, but, in his defense, I did say that I was willing to do a somewhat lopsided trade. It's something I've been trying to find for quite a while now. I'm not entirely sure which subreddit it's on exactly, but I think it was either /r/Gameswap or /r/RetroGameswap.
I think I agree with you guys. I really want the Crystal, but it's getting harder and harder to find the Summon Night games. I think I'll just hold onto them for now.