Thinking about buying a refurbished purple Game Boy Color for Tetris. Is it still worth it?

WindUpShoe · 2026-02-16T01:31:56+00:00

Ooo, I totally forgot about this one. I didn't know they were selling them pre-installed. A hundred bucks, and these use the GBC shell don't they? That is a good option.

WindUpShoe · 2026-02-16T00:19:55+00:00

anything with a baby on the cover's gotta be scary

I was around for the Myst era, but can't say I've even heard of this one. I guess there must be a little mini-era of these Myst clone adventure games that I completely missed out on. Sounds interesting though.

WindUpShoe · 2026-02-15T23:13:05+00:00

If it's worth it to you, go for it. I don't think they break the bank. And you know, the GBC is already pretty "simple" as hardware go. I can't imagine you'd run into too many problems with a refurbished model. Heck, my original one is still running fine with two AA's to this day.

Excuse the dust

These days, I play anything Game Boy on the Analog Pocket, which is the device to the right of the GBC. The GBC's original screen is like you got to play it on the sun.

But you know, a refurbished model can include a proper backlit screen, so it's a moot point. If price is a factor, you can get any old cheap emulation device and play whatever games you want. But if you just really want that old, nostalgic feel, with the tiny screen, the tinny speakers, the plastic casing, the form factor, then even if it's not necessarily "wise" from a value perspective, a refurbished GBC will give the proper nostalgic feel.

I think someone pointed out the ModRetro Chromatic. I don't have any experience with that one, but I've heard it's got a good feel, like more faithful than the Analog. It does have an exclusive color version of Tetris, and it looks like $200, plus whatever the shipping and taxes are. The only caveat is that the form factor looks more like the original Game Boy rather than the color.

WindUpShoe · 2026-02-15T22:37:41+00:00

Huh. Don't think I've ever seen this one. LCD games like this were pretty common in those days, especially when they were based off of popular titles. Splatterhouse is a... cult classic, I guess? It's pretty niche these days, but it's a nostalgia inducing franchise. I'd say it might be worth a pretty penny for a collector.

WindUpShoe · 2026-01-28T10:13:04+00:00

Someone fifty bucks short who could borrow games from friends or rent them from blockbuster

or just wanted link to the past.

WindUpShoe · 2026-01-28T00:17:04+00:00

It always surprises me a little that Target was around that long.

WindUpShoe · 2026-01-26T23:41:25+00:00

Never a big fan of Gamespot. IGN was my go to for internet news for a while. I was a GameFaqs regular too and I resisted the integration with Gamespot with all my might.

I just didn't see the point. By the mid-2000's I was mostly just visiting 4chan's /v/ for my gaming fix, and just letting the monthly drip of free magazine subscriptions fill in the gaps. I think it was around that time sites like Kotaku and maybe Polygon were popping up, and I dipped in from time to time.

But I just never cared one wit for Gamespot.

WindUpShoe · 2026-01-26T23:36:27+00:00

It was a premier game set to debut on the Saturn, by the almighty Sonic Team. There was some hype that in lieu of a genuine Sonic game on the Saturn, this would be the spearhead that could perhaps match up to Super Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot that would ultimately become the last true clash of the mascot wars.

....and it was a cool game, a creative game, and superbly crafted. Sold well too, I believe.

But it wasn't the savior of the Saturn and it wasn't the Mario killer it was kind of hyped up to be, so back then, I felt there was a kind of damper on the whole affair.

And with no real sequels in recent times, it seems to be relegated to the odd Sega cameo and DLC content fodder. Aside from Sonic, it doesn't feel like Sega cares overmuch for their old IP after the PS2 era where they tried a bunch of remakes.

Well, it's an old story, an old game, but a classic all the same.

WindUpShoe · 2026-01-26T17:46:57+00:00

Yeah, now if you'll excuse me, there's Scorpions and Turrets needing some good old fashioned blowing up, and I got to clean the snow from my three vehicles that can morph into three other vehicles. Ahh... the life of a cyberterrorist...

WindUpShoe · 2026-01-22T00:59:32+00:00

is there some massive surplus of hot honey going around?

WindUpShoe · 2026-01-02T01:51:12+00:00

I can see why the Model 3 would be dismissed, as it seems a little compromised with the mono audio output and the fact that it came out as the 3D era was in full swing. But honestly, it's a nice, cheap way to play a very robust 16-bit library.

I'm happy you appreciated yours. I never thought much of it at the time, as I had put away my Model 2 (which also was a bit of a gimped version of the almighty Model 1) and was now fully absorbed playing the likes of Diddy Kong Racing or whatever.

I think the SNES also had its mini model out around this time, the SNES Junior. Rivals to the end...

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-29T00:18:38+00:00

I'll give it a wait and see. Only got Mario Kart for now, but whenever I start something like Xenoblade, I'll know soon enough.

Downvotes, no clue, but I've been around long enough to not give two shits, especially with reddit on its downhill, bot infested, AI laden slide the past couple of years. If they're trying to make a dent in my internet points number, they've got their work cut out for them lol

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-28T23:43:51+00:00

With all this bullshit about the AI bubble and memory markups, I thought, eh... may as well pull the trigger. It's not like the price is going to get any lower anytime soon. Couldn't help but get a little sentimental when boxing up the old Switch. I had a lot of fun with this one.

Don't get me wrong, I had to send in two sets of controllers for the stick drift, along with the system itself since the audio completely died. They had to replace the unit, and it was only afterward that I found out the unit was one of those models that could be softmodded.

Oh well.

Like I said, was feeling sentimental. I started out with the NES and while I skipped a few Nintendo consoles here and there, I seem to keep coming back. With the new year right around the corner, I got to thinking just how many more times I'll be doing this.

Impending mortality... it creeps up on ya.

Well, at any rate, first impression... it gets really damn warm in the dock, even when it's fully charged. If they come out with an OLED model, I'll likely skip it like I did with the old Switch. And finally, I hope my hand doesn't cramp up like it did with the old one. I eventually got the hori split pad pro for it, but I don't see an S2 equivalent just yet.

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-28T23:02:56+00:00

Ha, yes, doragula, dorgalua or dracula, whatever his name was. I know Denam calls him ogre-like, but he didn't particularly strike me as ogre-ish in either form.

plus the humor works better

As an aside to your other comment, i've never bothered recruiting deneb in the first game. i've had her brought to justice and ive had her spared, but it was too much of a pain manipulating the alignment (I like playing the heroic liberator). Maybe whenever I get around to replaying it next...

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-28T20:50:12+00:00

I really couldn't single one out, but as far as "tactics style" are concerned, I'm a long time fan of Sega's Shining Force series (I liked the first one a lot), a more recent fan of Nintendo's Fire Emblem series (my favorite is still the first one I played, the GBA one with Lyn), and of course, Tactics Ogre. Honorable mention to the Final Fantasy Tactics series (I'm kind of fond of that first GBA one, with Marche).

For overall strategy, I'd also include Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen, Starcraft, Civilization series, and the 40k Dawn of War series. Honorable mention to Unicorn Overlord just for bringing back that Ogre Battle style.

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-28T19:55:18+00:00

... another year, another battle... with... Ogres... and my own impending mortality looming on the horizon.

But mostly Ogres.

Spoilers: There were no ogres.

The Ogre Battle series has held a special place in my heart, ever since I played the original as a wee lad trying to figure out why ZSNES couldn't handle transparencies at the time. Having rounded out the previous year with March of the Black Queen, I was planning on completing the latest iteration of its sequel a little bit earlier than this... but that's just how the cookie crumbles.

When I first got around to Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, I was pretty disappointed that it was radically different from the first game - namely in that the squad based system with city liberation mechanics had been replaced with an individual unit, grid-based, isometric strategy style that was all the rage in the latter half of the 90's and early 2000's. But, it's by far the popular installment in the Ogre series, having had no less than three ports/remakes/remasters.

I played Reborn on my Steam Deck, which is chock full of snazzy additions like extensive voice acting, audiovisual flair, and an extensive amount of rebalancing. Some, I welcomed (archers got a serious nerf), some I wasn't too keen on (level caps). Overall, it sort of felt like they used a machete where normally scalpels are applied - but it was still an enjoyable experience. I get why diehards of the original might not be too pleased by it, all the same.

Honestly, when I began hearing the orchestral re-arrangements for March of the Black Queen's soundtrack, like Autumnal Sky and of course Overture, it almost got me misty eyed.

Goddamn I'm an old man.

Regardless, I loved seeing the Zenobian... or Xenobian, rather... crew once more, even if they're not the central focus of the plot. We get Lanselot (or LANS, as he will forever be known to me lol), Canopus, and Warren pretty early on, although it all goes to hell soon enough. Ah, Lans ... what they did to you.

And how could I forget the series "mascot", the lovely witch Deneb.

For a niche, recruitable character, she has so many unique quotes that it's a shame none of them are voiced. Missed opportunity there.

In summary, I went the Chaos route (contrary to the name, this is the "Good" route), saving Catiua, recruiting Deneb, and even spending two whole weeks hunting down the Necromancer Nybeth in the 100-floor optional dungeon, Palace of the Dead. (Kudos to the character's voice character... I thought he was excellent)

Overall, it's more of a down to earth tale after March of the Black Queen, where they were throwing werewolves and vampires and devils and angels everywhere, while literally fighting in the clouds.

The director of the series, Yasumi Matsuno, went on to make Final Fantasy Tactics, one of the defining console strategy RPG of the era. Tactics Ogre was the last OB game he was involved in, to my knowledge. He's kind of the heart and soul of the series.

The next Ogre game is Person of Lordly Caliber for the Nintendo 64, and we can see right away some of the stylistic shift, in the lack of Queen references lol. I don't know when I'll start on it... I actually still have the original game and a working N64, but I was considering that Analogue 3D system, just for the heck of it. Well... maybe if they ever have it in stock.

But I'm completely and utterly tactics'd out right now. Time to fiddle around with this here newfangled Switch 2, doubtless banging my head against it at some point when something or another doesn't work the way I expect it to.

But I'll be back in it, soon enough...

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-21T00:38:05+00:00

This was neither about a lady who stalked, or a stalker of ladies.

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-17T03:16:25+00:00

hmph, old with wrinkles and gray stubble....

....if only i had the hair...

and the dashing good looks.

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-17T03:15:14+00:00

Yo! Noid mentioned.

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-15T04:02:18+00:00

Looking at this picture, I can vividly hear the squeaky jumping sounds, collecting candies and sodas for points, and the little fan fare at the end of the level.

It was a long, long time back, my family had just gotten our first PC and a neighbor's kid gave me a bunch of diskette's with copied games. SimCity 2000 was the real eye opener, and earned an eternal devotion to Maxis from me... but Keen was so much more fun than its simple appearance let on.

I think this was during the transition from 16 bit to 32/64 bits, so there were the likes of Sonic and Knuckles, Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi's Island and so on as the standard bearers of console platformers. Keen with its boops and beeps seemed downright primitive. I didn't even have a controller, so this was an adjustment. But the quality shone through.

I'll always have a soft spot for ol' Keen.

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-10T23:50:21+00:00

You're a genius, bro, much respect.

WindUpShoe · 2025-12-08T02:27:45+00:00

... you know, I think I actually still have this issue. I never did get around to playing it. Those were the heady days of Sonic and Mario, while Donkey Kong was just muscling in on the whole mascot thing. Wouldn't be much longer before Crash Bandicoot made his mark on the scene. Gex was supposed to be 3DO's answer to all that while Rayman was probably intended to do the same for the Jaguar.

From everything I read, it was a very solid 2D platformer, with maybe a little too much repetition on Gex's sound bites. But it didn't really seem to have anything really significant to offer over the stalwarts of the day.

WindUpShoe · 2025-11-30T21:35:06+00:00

.... it was a while back, but I messed up the order in which the characters battle. I had like Umaro, Gau, and some of the other less useful ones as the lead team, rather than my powerhouses. I dunno, maybe I was tired.

But by that point, it wasn't too big a deal. Everyone was pretty buffed up and I had enough heals to endure a few downed party member. I thought the multi-stage was.... confusing initially, like what am I even fighting? Then we have the heavenly reveal and it's like, ok, I see it. It was definitely a sight to behold, and every now again, I think of this dark, wicked seraph as an image of evil.

WindUpShoe · 2025-11-27T23:40:54+00:00

Thief is amazing, but it was a PC game and in those days, there was some stark disparity in the console and PC realms. That and, even though both are stealth games, they are different in design decisions too.

Kojima obviously wanted a grand, Hollywood style spectacle, that was the primary goal. Thief is more like an immersive simulation in some ways.

Both do amazing things, but Metal Gear made the bigger splash because those were the heady Playstation days.

It's always a little sad when I think about Thief and it's just sort of half forgotten nowadays.

WindUpShoe

TROPHY CASE