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Nifty Nostalgia: Super Game Boy

Posted by Amber Ahlborn

I have a Gamecube connected to my TV. It sits right next to my Wii. Why have the Gamecube, since the Wii plays GC games you ask? To play GB/GBA games of course! As much as I enjoy the games released for my portable systems, I have never liked the portables themselves. I don't like the tiny screens or the cramped way I have to hold them (and I have small hands). So really, it's no wonder I thought the Super Game Boy was The Best Thing Ever back in the SNES days.

The Super Game Boy, in all its chunky glory, kept an entire library of portable games from ever occupying my neglected Game Boy. Aside from allowing me to play GB games on my TV, there was one other neat little thing that I loved about the Super Game Boy, indeed, something that absolutely fascinated me when I discovered it: the animated borders.

When the SGB displayed games on the TV, it always placed a frame around them. There were a variety to choose, and Nintendo being Nintendo, they went the extra mile to actually hide clever little animations in these frames. If you left the system idle long enough, something special was bound to happen. Check out some videos of my favorites after the jump.

This is the border that I first saw animate.

As much as I love my GBA Player, it does disappoint in that its borders lack the clever animations that its predecessors had.

Hat tip to GoNintendo.com for reminding me these things existed.

Related Links:

Games We Will Never Get to Play: Mega Man Mania AKA Game Boy Anniversary Collection

This Functional Game Boy Costume Will Show Us the Way

Nostalgia and Game Association

+ DIGG

+ DEL.ICIO.US

+ REDDIT

Posted Feb 09 2009, 10:30 PM

Filed under: nintendo, game boy, snes, gamecube, amber ahlborn, nostalgia

Comments

LBD "Nytetrayn" said:

I remember these. I also remember having the Super Game Boy, which I glady got as my dad refused to let me have a Game Boy. He still never got the appeal, but anyway.

It was better than the Game Boy Player, too, since it would colorize some old games and use those borders. I loved Donkey Kong's, but was disappointed it had no animation. I do with the Game Boy Player would have used the SGB features on the older games, though.

February 10, 2009 11:16 PM

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About Amber Ahlborn

Artist, writer, gamer and DigiPen survivor, she maintains a day job as a graphic artist. By night Amber moonlights as a professional Metroid Fanatic and keeps a metal suit in the closet just in case. Has lived in the state of Washington and insists that it really doesn't rain as much as everyone says it does.

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Amber Ahlborn - artist, writer, gamer and DigiPen survivor, she maintains a day job as a graphic artist. By night Amber moonlights as a professional Metroid Fanatic and keeps a metal suit in the closet just in case. Has lived in the state of Washington and insists that it really doesn't rain as much as everyone says it does.

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