Sold off my CIB Game Boy Collection to Fuel my Game Gear Collection
Over the past week I've been seling off my CIB Game Boy collection in order to fuel my most recent collecting hobby, the Sega Game Gear.
I've been very vocal of my love of Game Boy on this site, and when I decided to go for CIB games I was very happy. I did it for a long while and got a pretty rockin' set of old favourites CIB. However as I kept buying old favourites, I got frustrated at how little I was getting out of these expensive purchases. I've always been more interested in the actual games than the packaging, and while I like CIB games, I was getting annoyed with the lack of new titles I'd played.
The big problem with me and Game Boy is that I'm VERY familiar with the system's library, and so there's very little to discover any more. One thing that originally drew me to the Game Boy was how many unique, forgotten sequels to popular series were on it, and being able to play so many new series for the first time on one system was really appealing.
I started to get nostalgic for the Sega Genesis around this time as it was the system I was interested in before moving to Game Boy full force, but without a CRT TV and a lack of desire to own one ever again, I found myself frustrated even more.
That night I started to look up playthroughs of Sega Game Gear games, to see if the Game Gear ports of my favourite Genesis titles were the least bit faithful. Why not buy a Sega Nomad you ask? Well there were two factors here.
I wanted to play my old Genesis favourites again, but the main reason I stopped playing Genesis titles is that they were WAY too hard and stressful for me. I could eventually get good at the games, but some of my favourite titles on Genesis were kind of a bother to actually finish, such as Ecco the Dolphin, ToeJam and Earl, and Biohazard Battle. I could beat them quite consistently by the time I was done with the system, and each playthrough was a wild ride of tense moments that were hugely rewarding to battle through, but it was just a bit too much for me.
I was looking into the Game Gar ports to see if it was similar to the Game Boy where they'd tone things down for the portable crowd, and thankfully they did. The more of these ports I watched the more excited I got about the idea, until I bought a working Sega Game Gear and CIB Ecco the Dolphin on ebay that night.
Once it arrived I slowly picked up some cartridges, and I was having a surprisingly good time. I'm not in any way ready to say the Game Gear is better than the Game Boy, or should even be considered a good system at all, but I was having a blast with games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Colums, Ecco the Dolphin, and Shinobi.
Things starting falling into place very quickly, and I've been building my CIB Game Gear collection. With a system I'm mostly unfamiliar with, I've been having fun with gaming for the first time in a while, and learning all sorts of things about bizarre spin-offs and sequels to sega series on the Game Gear.
As for my CIB Game Boy collection, I decided to be rid of the damn things and finally move on to something else. I sold 27 CIB Game Boy titles and made some serious dollars to fund my new Game Gear hobby, and I've not regretted it for a moment. I'm having an absolute blast with the Game Gear, even if it isn't that great of a system.
I've been very vocal of my love of Game Boy on this site, and when I decided to go for CIB games I was very happy. I did it for a long while and got a pretty rockin' set of old favourites CIB. However as I kept buying old favourites, I got frustrated at how little I was getting out of these expensive purchases. I've always been more interested in the actual games than the packaging, and while I like CIB games, I was getting annoyed with the lack of new titles I'd played.
The big problem with me and Game Boy is that I'm VERY familiar with the system's library, and so there's very little to discover any more. One thing that originally drew me to the Game Boy was how many unique, forgotten sequels to popular series were on it, and being able to play so many new series for the first time on one system was really appealing.
I started to get nostalgic for the Sega Genesis around this time as it was the system I was interested in before moving to Game Boy full force, but without a CRT TV and a lack of desire to own one ever again, I found myself frustrated even more.
That night I started to look up playthroughs of Sega Game Gear games, to see if the Game Gear ports of my favourite Genesis titles were the least bit faithful. Why not buy a Sega Nomad you ask? Well there were two factors here.
I wanted to play my old Genesis favourites again, but the main reason I stopped playing Genesis titles is that they were WAY too hard and stressful for me. I could eventually get good at the games, but some of my favourite titles on Genesis were kind of a bother to actually finish, such as Ecco the Dolphin, ToeJam and Earl, and Biohazard Battle. I could beat them quite consistently by the time I was done with the system, and each playthrough was a wild ride of tense moments that were hugely rewarding to battle through, but it was just a bit too much for me.
I was looking into the Game Gar ports to see if it was similar to the Game Boy where they'd tone things down for the portable crowd, and thankfully they did. The more of these ports I watched the more excited I got about the idea, until I bought a working Sega Game Gear and CIB Ecco the Dolphin on ebay that night.
Once it arrived I slowly picked up some cartridges, and I was having a surprisingly good time. I'm not in any way ready to say the Game Gear is better than the Game Boy, or should even be considered a good system at all, but I was having a blast with games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Colums, Ecco the Dolphin, and Shinobi.
Things starting falling into place very quickly, and I've been building my CIB Game Gear collection. With a system I'm mostly unfamiliar with, I've been having fun with gaming for the first time in a while, and learning all sorts of things about bizarre spin-offs and sequels to sega series on the Game Gear.
As for my CIB Game Boy collection, I decided to be rid of the damn things and finally move on to something else. I sold 27 CIB Game Boy titles and made some serious dollars to fund my new Game Gear hobby, and I've not regretted it for a moment. I'm having an absolute blast with the Game Gear, even if it isn't that great of a system.
Comments
Seriously though, Game Gear is really fun. It was my first handheld that I got in '95 and I still have my games for it. I love Sonic and Sonic 2, almost as much as the Genesis versions. It seems Game Gear has some really nice screen mods that make the thing a lot more playable.
I love Sonic and Sonic 2, almost as much as the Genesis versions. It seems Game Gear has some really nice screen mods that make the thing a lot more playable.
I grew up with the original grey Game Boy, so a Game Gear screen is way more playable than that. Looks great to me. XD
Sonic 1 and 2 are great. I'll always prefer Sonic 1 over all the other games, be it the genesis or Game Gear version, as I think the original Sonic the Hedgehog has the best story of any classic gaming mascot.
Sonic has to stop an evil scientist from turning all his woodland friends into robots, and collect the six Chaos Emeralds to restore green to the forest. I love how they manage to make killing enemies a good thing. It all works so well. Sonic 2 on Genesis started to get a bit silly with Super Sonic, and Sonic 3 got stupid with the Death Egg/Death Star. The Game Gear version actually does a slightly better job at showing the Chaos Emeralds removing the pollution from the forest than the Genesis version, though in the Game Gear version we don't see animals pop out of baddies when you bop them. : (
though in the Game Gear version we don't see animals pop out of baddies when you bop them. : (
you lost me.
My parents got me a Game Boy for one birthday, then they returned it (against my will) and bought me a Game Gear. It's one of the defining negative experiences of my childhood. I'm happy to hear it's going better for you.
what? Why? That blows
There are some cool options I've seen out there. Have you replaced the caps or whatever in your GG? I've also seen folks who get them modded to output to their televisions and to have clearer screens. Anyway, just curious if you're going to have any of that done. I still have my brother's stock GG he had when we were growing up. Used to play it a bunch, but I haven't taken it out of the case in quite a while. I only have the handful of games from back then, too. I remember playing a lot of Jurassic Park and Sonic 1/2, ha.
My parents got me a Game Boy for one birthday, then they returned it (against my will) and bought me a Game Gear. It's one of the defining negative experiences of my childhood. I'm happy to hear it's going better for you.
what? Why? That blows
They saw Kirby's Dream Land was black and white and they said "Oh, the store had one in color!". Despite my "Stop, wait, you don't understand!" they thought I was just a dumb kid who wanted what was in my hand right now
I would like to collect a few game gear carts, and play them, but I don't like the original game gear form factor or screen...
There are some cool options I've seen out there. Have you replaced the caps or whatever in your GG? I've also seen folks who get them modded to output to their televisions and to have clearer screens. Anyway, just curious if you're going to have any of that done.
I'm going to wait as long as I can to send my Game Gear away to get the capacitors replaced. As for the other mods, I'm in general against modding old handheld systems in a way that messes with the actual hardware. Outer shell mods are cool, like that guy who turned a GBA into a Pokedex, but keep all the innards the same. I can see the Game Gear's screen perfectly fine.
though in the Game Gear version we don't see animals pop out of baddies when you bop them. : (
you lost me.
In the Sega Genesis version of Sonic the Hedgehog, little animals jump out of the badniks when you jump on them. Dr. Robotnik uses the animals of the forest to power his robots, so when you destroy the robot shell, the animal is set free. It makes the whole process of destroying enemies a heroic thing instead of killing living creatures like Goombas, Dodongos, Shriekbats, Specknose, or any other classic baddie you can think of.
The Game Gear can't handle a lot of moving objects on screen at one time, so to prevent slowdown we don't actually see the little animal hop out of the badnik when you destroy them. It makes the game feel slightly more sinister than the Genesis version, as the animals don't actually come back once robotosized. : O
What is the best way to play actual game gear cartridges without using an original game gear? Is there an adaptor for the genesis or master system that can play them? Is there perhaps a 3rd party solution that is either handheld or plugs into the tv?
I would like to collect a few game gear carts, and play them, but I don't like the original game gear form factor or screen...
I think the Retron 5 has an adaptor, but at that point you might as well just emulate. There's really no great way to play Game Gear if you don't like the feel of an original Game Gear. Honestly, most people in the world just emulate it, and I'd argue they're doing the right thing with how tempermental these systems are to get running these days.
Depending on the games you're looking for, there are certainly alternatives.
- Several popular titles are available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop.
- Many of the most notworthy games were also available in physical form as Master System games, such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Chaos, Streets of Rage, Castle of Illusion, Land of Illusion, Legend of Illusion (all starring Mickey Mouse!) Outrun, Ecco the Dolphin, Ecco the Tides of Time, Virtua Fighter The Animation, and a handful of other less noteworthy titles.
- If you're an RPG nut, you can purchase Shining Force CD for Sega CD which is an enhanced remake of Shining Force Gaiden and Shining Force Gaiden II for Game Gear. Shining Force Gaiden 1 was never released in the US, but Shining Force Gaiden II was, so if you can't read japanese and want to play these games, you're better off playing Shining Force CD.
- The ultimate alternative though is to just buy a Sega Genesis and get most of these same games in a better format.
The only decent exclusives you're missing by not owning a Game Gear are the two Shinobi games, and Chicago Syndicate. (Which is an interesting, yet mediocre spinoff of Eternal Champions starring Larcen)What is the best way to play actual game gear cartridges without using an original game gear? Is there an adaptor for the genesis or master system that can play them? Is there perhaps a 3rd party solution that is either handheld or plugs into the tv?
I would like to collect a few game gear carts, and play them, but I don't like the original game gear form factor or screen...
pretty sure there's an av mod if you want to play on a tv. Still has to be a game gear though
Since were discussing it, I do have a few questions if anyone around here might know the answers.
1. Were CJ Elephant Fugitive, Cosmic Spacehead, and Fantastic Dizzy for SURE released stateside? I haven't really seen a scan of a box with an american UPC or anything and all the cartridges I see for sale come from the UK and these games are listed for US but I just haven't seen any definitive proof that these were relased in the US.
2. Was Pete Sampras Tennis released in the US? This is another one that I only see for sale from the UK and I simply can not find a copy here in the states, or any proof that it was released here. But it shows up on US lists.
3. Is the US release version of Popils the one with Japanese writing all over the cart? It's fairly confusing. The cart that looks like it'd be the US release seems like it is the PAL version and the cart that is apparently the US release looks like a Japanese title.
Thanks to anyone with this information!
1. Were CJ Elephant Fugitive, Cosmic Spacehead, and Fantastic Dizzy for SURE released stateside? I haven't really seen a scan of a box with an american UPC or anything and all the cartridges I see for sale come from the UK and these games are listed for US but I just haven't seen any definitive proof that these were relased in the US.
Back when I was chasing the set, on two different occasions I found Cosmic Spacehead at thrift stores in MD, alongside other "normal" titles. Granted, that's no indication of where they actually came from, but I mention it because this wasn't a game store, etc, where you'd expect that imports become part of the inventory.
Feels like a mistake to me, but whatever makes you happy and if the GB got boring and it didn't so goes things. I used to have a Sega collection but in more recent years I got rid of every bit of it because it felt far more stale and limited and I even went to the point of having the GG modded with an LED light source and a total recap so it would hold out better and last longer on battery. GG to me felt like a lesser experience compared to the Genesis which went after it as they felt like poor knockoffs of console games. GB never gave me that feeling as it stood well on its own.
Doesn't feel like a mistake to me. : )
Even though I didn't grow up with Sega, the more and more I play of their systems, the more and more I adore them. Sega systems are limited for sure, but to me Sega's an interesting company that was on top of the world for a while and a force to be reckoned with. While they didn't outsell the SNES, Sega and the Genesis sure put up an amazing fight in a market previously completely dominated by Nintendo. If Sega hadn't made so many bizarre choices, they might still be making consoles today. Yet it's those bizarre choices that gave us these oddball systems with such a mysique around them like the Game Gear, Sega CD, 32x, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast. There's something extremely novel about Sega's systems despite their limitations and overall lacking libraries that still feel "cool" today.
Sega's systems to me give off this feeling of a retired war hero showing home movies to his grandkids. I like to imagine when I sit down with an old Sega system, the bigwigs are sitting next to me pointing stuff out and being all like "check this out! These are the toys of our glory days!"
Maybe a bit heavy handed, but that's how I feel when I play on Sega's systems. They're the underdog that didn't make it, but they went out swinging and left a lot of cool history, even if that history was, and still is met with mixed reception.
Since you change your mind and sell so much, have you not just considered emulating everything and not collecting anything? You tend to take a step forward then 3 back evety year or 2 when you switch. You dont really seem like a collector type.
I'd argue me building and eventually selling a collection is far less concerning than a lot of other things people on this site do. If you want to worry about somebody on this site, please worry about someone else. I'm perfectly happy the way I collect, even if it doesn't make sense to you.
Some people are just weird.
Quest4NES, I appreciate your concern, but your lectures grow tiresome, especially when it comes to obsolete children's toys er, I mean historically significant museum pieces... that people continuously mutilate I MEAN "customize."
I'd argue me building and eventually selling a collection is far less concerning than a lot of other things people on this site do. If you want to worry about somebody on this site, please worry about someone else. I'm perfectly happy the way I collect, even if it doesn't make sense to you.
Some people are just weird.
You sure are. However, you are completely right, people on here need to stop worrying about how others spend their money. If I just so happen to be in the mood to throw $500 into a bonfire, it is well within my right to do so, despite what the law may have to say about that. Just have fun with it! I feel as though many individuals forget that part of collecting, and then they proceed to advise others against doing things that "they" don't think is wise, and or smart.
It's just nice to see someone enjoying themselves, so do what you like! You don't need me to tell you that though.
Quest4NES, I appreciate your concern, but your lectures grow tiresome, especially when it comes to obsolete children's toys er, I mean historically significant museum pieces... that people continuously mutilate I MEAN "customize."
I'd argue me building and eventually selling a collection is far less concerning than a lot of other things people on this site do. If you want to worry about somebody on this site, please worry about someone else. I'm perfectly happy the way I collect, even if it doesn't make sense to you.
Some people are just weird.
Good for you, the Game Gear was an amazing console at the time and still has a ton of awesome games that continually get overlooked. If you're into RPGs do yourself a favor and pick up Defenders of Oasis, Shining Force, and Crystal Warriors.
Just pace yourself and you'll have a ton of fun with the system.
Quest4NES, I appreciate your concern, but your lectures grow tiresome, especially when it comes to obsolete children's toys er, I mean historically significant museum pieces... that people continuously mutilate I MEAN "customize."
I'd argue me building and eventually selling a collection is far less concerning than a lot of other things people on this site do. If you want to worry about somebody on this site, please worry about someone else. I'm perfectly happy the way I collect, even if it doesn't make sense to you.
Some people are just weird.
You sure are. However, you are completely right, people on here need to stop worrying about how others spend their money. If I just so happen to be in the mood to throw $500 into a bonfire, it is well within my right to do so, despite what the law may have to say about that. Just have fun with it! I feel as though many individuals forget that part of collecting, and then they proceed to advise others against doing things that "they" don't think is wise, and or smart.
It's just nice to see someone enjoying themselves, so do what you like! You don't need me to tell you that though.
If you threw 500 in a bonfire its your right. But if you came to the forum to tell us all about it, Im sure people would criticize you for it. Why do people continuously confuse a comment of criticism as trying to tell people what they can or cant do. People are allowed to voice their opinion.
I think people confuse responding to "caring" . Pekotas can do whatever the hell he wants. But when you bring your decisions to the forum in a "hey look what im doing". We can question and criticize all we want. Hes flip flopped once a year for like 3 years and imo he doesnt make the smartest decisions.
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And peko.. Thats not a lecture. Its a comment. You tell us how you have some new love of your life in collecting and how gameboy is your true passion. Then a year later sold it all off for some common as dirt game gear titles. I mean do what you want, no one can stop you. Waste your money for all I care, but dont get your underwear in a bunch when someone expresses their logical opinion on it.
No different than people telling that one dude that storm chasing isnt a good idea