This Is Why Nintendo's Game Boy Pocket Was A HUGE Deal!

[@RGT85]

Do YOU remember the Game Boy Pocket? Lemme know and enjoy the vid!

[@mr.rogersneighborhood9664]

So where I lived Flatbush Brooklyn their was a kid that would get a box of Gameboys.. No advertising I set my eyes on this thing and my mind was blown to smithereens and I begged my mom for it to buy it from him like he was the only thing I ever wanted...as a kid Nintendo couldn't have came in a better time!!

[@thecunninlynguist]

of course.

[@IM2GHETTO]

Bring the big boy back to life. Get some vinegar and a toothbrush and q-tip and clean off all the corrosion from the battery connection and it will work like new. I’ve done this with plenty devices from tv remotes, to handhelds, to wireless clippers and nose/ear hair trimmers.

[@fidelsolis6070]

I do as a kid. I take it with me in my pocket of my plans & it was a great hand held.

[@solonepeon5805]

Gameboy + SuperGameBoy equals the Switch Idea.

[@TimDespairBear11]

My first gameboy was the color, and I was dumb as a kid I thought it was called gameboy color because it came in different colors, not because the games were in color.

[@stonedmelodic7918]

1997. I got a blue game boy pocket with a copy of Pokémon blue. Changed my entire 6 year old life.

[@stephens9772]

If you measure a system just by sheer enjoyment while playing it, the original Game Boy was my all time favorite system.

[@michaelmay9728]

For me it was the NES/SNES, but did love the heck out of my Gameboy

[@TayTayKemp]

The game boy pocket was my first video game experience, absolutely wonderful

[@Nordlicht05]

I got the original one. The pocket was back than... Too similar... Even the color 😅. But I got a color much later.

[@travezripley]

Yep, it let us bring actual full games with us everywhere. Zelda, Tetris, Mario Etc.

[@solonepeon5805]

Exactly just like the Switch. I remember my 1st time with the Gameboy with Links awakening & always replaying that damn game. Then when we got the super gameboy everything just went overboard with not only just playing on the go but now we could continue our save data on the TV experience. Definitely wonderful time back then.

[@IM2GHETTO]

Get some vinegar and a toothbrush and q-tip and clean off all the corrosion from the battery connection and it will work like new. I’ve done this with plenty devices from tv remotes, to handhelds, to wireless clippers and nose/ear hair trimmers.

[@thecunninlynguist]

Never had a pocket, since I had the brick. My progression went from Brick > GBC > GBA > SP. But man the GBA/SP might have the GOAT level of Backwards compatibility and being region free. There might be like 10,000 games between the entire library and regions.

[@anustinnewsam13]

Super cool! Backwards compatible PS3s may be a close competitor too!

[@swissmrkc]

The analogue pocket is the New new Goat

[@PKInTheUniverse]

I’m in the same boat , I went from a standard gameboy, straight to the GBC ( I got the solid purple one ). I always wanted a Game Boy Pocket , but my parents didn’t think it was worth the upgrade . I never realized the screen was bigger . Great job on this video man ! It’s always nice to see you put the retro content out there .

[@josepholiva4260]

Same faty to a color parents didnt think this was worth it

[@NASA-Shill]

I remember in 2002 I worked in the back off of a bank with a clean room for its servers, and I would bring my soldering gun to work and install backlights in GBAs for folks. It was a solid business back in college.

[@billcook4768]

Nice of Nintendo to take a penny off the $70 MSRP so 25 years later you could make a quick joke.

[@corybirch-drummer6603]

I still have my black game boy pocket laying around... the good ol days of mega man, donkey kong land, metroid 2, link's awakening, and of course... the game boy camera

[@PickleRick-qi7wp]

The gameboy pocket was my first Gameboy I started my hand-held journey on game gear myself.

[@Bkuuzin]

My first Gameboy was the Gameboy Color, never had the other original Gameboys.

[@RyanTheEatingwarrior]

First game system I ever owned. A green Gameboy Pocket with a Poke'mon Red Version, got it Christmas of '98 if remember correctly!

[@wc7484]

It's best to remove the batteries whenever you're not going to use it. Thay way you can avoid the contacts from getting corroded

[@TheChrome2YourDome]

The game boy pocket was legit my first console. Green to be exact.

[@readyupwait6138]

I got handed a game boy pocket at the age of 5 with Pokémon Blue. Not only did I learn to read but this moment in time changed me forever lol. The switch is actually what every kid from that time wished for. Better than that actually 😂

[@silveredgrunion7196]

The gamestop sticker discovery followed by muttering "I'm sure this thing sold dirt cheap" was one of the best deliveries of any line ever in the series. I don't know if it was INTENDED shade at gamestops prices, but you got a road warrior pop from me brother

[@stevenm1832]

I still have my original gameboy and silver gameboy pocket which was my favourite too. Had a purple and then yellow gameboy colour but the pocket was my bring to work gameboy.

[@Juansolous]

I had one and it was awesome, just to put in your pocket take it places unlike the original Gameboy.

[@NightFlyStudio]

Holy crap. Retro Gaming Tube is actually covering Retro Gaming again!

[@cheerydownylox56]

I never knew that’s what RGT stands for 💀

[@thecunninlynguist]

@@cheerydownylox56 lmao me either. I'm a late comer and thought it might just be his initials or something

[@WatchDoggyDog]

omg I too was unaware, or if I was i forgor 💀💀💀

[@siredaruler6016]

The Gameboy was my favorite way to play games because I could travel with it.

[@joes3461]

I still had my og fat boy when that came out but by then I moved on to mainly snes gaming. The new camera is nice but the auto focus is a bit twitchy/touchy. No idea if that can be adjusted to be less twitchy or not.

[@tobiasbauer8882]

The GBP has a lot of ghosting. The Gameboy Color is the one with no ghosting.

[@slangyung]

I hope there’s a Switch Pocket one day.

[@ShutterSpeedGaming]

I use to play Killer instinct on the original gameboy. Good time.

[@SuperNicktendo]

I've got so many gameboys. I really like the clear ones so I got the Play it Loud clear, Pocket Clear and imported a clear Gameboy Color. Then I still have my original DMG that I had when I was a kid. I've also modded a DMG, Color, and Advance. They're fun systems.

[@CheddarBayBaby]

The analogy between Switch and Game Boy is a good one. Game Boy went from like 12 to 15 years depending on how you look at it. I think Switch will be the same.

[@savingstumps]

I would love a gameboy color in a original dmg shell. I played the heck out of my original dmg. I stopped using it when i got a pocket, then gave my pocket to my sister when the color came out.

[@cristobalc5425]

Too bad no back light. Cool compact video game system!

[@nolanperry8191]

I’ve semi-recently decided to start collecting gameboy games, as I loved my gameboy so much as a child. I only had a few games growing up (Zelda, Metroid, Kirby 1, Megaman 4, then the Pokémon games later on), but it always held such a special place in my heart. I love my atomic purple gameboy color, but I prefer to play classic gameboy games on my pocket for the authentic black and white look.

[@Agent-vj3ns]

Warioland/Super Mario 3/one of the best games made for og Gameboy

[@larson0014]

I love my original pocket with funny playing games upgraded screen, so playable now

[@sushijackson451]

Yeah I wasn't born till 97, so I didn't experience the Gameboy pocket

[@patrickmurphy9470]

I remember getting the pocket along with Mario land 2. The screen was bigger and less blurry than my original. Night and day difference. The screen is also bigger than the color.

[@terryring8697]

The Game Boy Pocket is smaller and lighter than its predecessor; and the GBP’s display measures 65mm diagonally, which is slightly smaller than the original Game Boy at (66mm or 2.6"), but larger than it’s successor- the Game Boy Color's display (~59mm or 2.32").

[@fireblood4699]

I had that silver bad boy. Got it for Christmas ‘98. Plenty of fun- but of course I got a Pokémon GBC for Christmas the next year 🥴

[@UndeadEggmiester]

Gameboy will always be one ofy favorite systemade. With that said I'm not sure if I owned a pocket version.

[@WatchDoggyDog]

when life gives you systems, make systemade 😉

[@NASA-Shill]

I remember in 5th grade being so jealous that my two best friends had a GameBoy and I didn't.

[@MusaEllison]

My older siblings had the Gameboy and we all shared it, then I got my own gameboy pocket (in green), my own Gameboy color in red, Gameboy advance in glacier, Gameboy advance SP in Flame, Nintendo DS in grey, Nintendo DS Lite in White, The 3DS in Flame, and the 2DS XL in Turquoise and Black….Game Boy was such a moment in my life.

[@MusaEllison]

*3ds xl

[@airjoshy]

I think because I’m old enough to remember the gameboy(color) I really appreciate the switch even tho it doesn’t play games in 4K.

[@mikeuk666]

Retro games don't need 4k

[@gerardohara7685]

The pocket was the goat. Recently picked up the colour and advance again but the price of them these days are wild

[@sherekhangamedev]

My problem with Pocket was the battery life compared with the DMG first model. Still is a cool system.

[@PatrickM-dm6sf]

So blowing in the cartridge fixed the issue or simply removing and reinserting the game resolved the issue….

[@wastelander138]

You've been doing modern gaming reporting for so long that I forgot that the reason I started watching you was for retro gaming stuff 🤣

[@sonicexereaper6814]

There’s one thing you forgot to mention about the Gameboy. There’s no backlight included, even GBA started having that moment till SP came along to include a backlight. Just something modern gamers needs to know about Gameboy, Gameboy Pocket, and Gameboy Color.

[@Mmmmmk247]

NESand original Gameboy guy here. That was my intro to video games

[@wwjoshdew]

I hit like and subscribe because of 5:48! Lmao

[@EternalDarknessAboveTheBlueSky]

Was Game Gear still successful when Gameboy Pocket launched? Or did Nintendo wait until the competition failed before finally upgrading the Gameboy?

[@MedalionDS9]

I had an OG Game Boy back in the day when it came out, and is a very nostalgic thing but I knew even back then... the thing was lacking due to the color limitations and it was a less powerful NES in your hands. Still.. the amount of games on the go was perfect when I used to travel a lot more with my family and I got bored very very easily

[@JGr2000]

The game boy pocket seems pretty cool. I was a 2000s kid and my first handheld was the Game Boy Advance. Never got to experience the Game Boy, GBC, or Game Boy Pocket. I have played some Game Boy Games on the 3DS virtual console. Outside of Super Mario Land 1 and 2 (because I’ve already played them), I’d love some recommendations of virtual games I should get since the 3DS eshop is closing down

[@ianhowe338]

So, Christmas Eve 1989… Literally, one of my top 10 memories. Most of my positive memories involve the acquisition of material goods. I was 7; so, old enough to manufacture the very handheld device I was about to receive. My big brother got one also. Good times. We stayed up until like 3AM playing Tetris and Mario Land

[@7GSC251]

I never had one as a child but I always wanted a gameboy advance sp during the ds era. I have all the old systems and I renew them now.

[@BrianTBooher]

I still have my original Game Boy that must have been a model 1 because it has regular Phillips screws and the Ice Blue Game Boy Pocket. My original one had the missing lines on the screen, but I then found a video on how to restore the connections by taking a soldering iron and running it over the bottom of the screen where it attaches to the motherboard to remelt the soldered connections and now it works like normal. I have replaced the windows on both units with glass windows so they won't scratch. I may do a retrobright process on my original to get the yellow color out due to aging.

[@lucasstephens5003]

Yep, still got mine. I even have a Micro!

[@RRolon999]

5:48 LoL 😂

[@JObergfell]

It was a test run for game boy color. Everything that originally had, but size and bat lvl of color. Worthy value. I respected. I went from gb to gbc to gba as well. Never touched gb pocket.

[@JM-pm1yb]

Missed out dude….that screen was loads better than the OG GameBoy. I actually preferred it to the GB Color.

[@hardkoregamer1981]

I use to play lot of donkey Kong country games, killer instinct & kof 95 on mine.

[@humanbeingfromearth]

Can you use dielectric grease

[@snuzum06]

I received a green Gameboy Pocket for Christmas when they came out and I loved it. I played it all the time and I still have it with the original box and paperwork.

[@whunt5533]

My GB pocket came with the gb manual I was like wtf my second one came with the pocket manual from what I understand they just used the originals for the first waves

[@narpassword0]

I had to check and the Pocket does have different documentation inside, but it's not a booklet, just a bunch of different papers folded to look like booklets. The pocket was my first Game Boy. Got it for $30 brand new in '99, and got a $25 mail-in rebate on it when purchased with Pokemon Red or Blue. So I basically got it brand new for $5 towards the end of it's life cycle. Loved that thing and put it through its paces. Didn't upgrade until the Advance released.

[@JustSumGuy01]

I went from the OG Gameboy to the color. Never got the pocket. I STILL have my Gameboy Color even today. It's charming to turn it back on. I MAY mod it with a backlight

[@kingd8210]

The game boy Pocket change my way of playing game boy in 1998 with Pokemon Red with the awesome battery life it had on a side note super punch patrol for switch on sale in the eShop for $2.49 it's a great beat em up same gameplay as Streets of Rage

[@susanfit47]

I didn't have a Game Boy Pocket growing up. I could've, since I had the brick Game Boy. And my progressions went from Brick > GBC > GBA. The Game Boy Pocket plays all Game Boy games. There were different variants when it comes to colors. Now they did do this with the standard Game Boy with things like the "Play It Loud!" series. My plan one day is I want to create a Game Boy family line, and purchase the original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, and the Game Boy Advance SP, along with the Game Boy Advance, which I still own.

[@ryanmckenzie7149]

"See all that stuff in there Homer? That's why your robot didn't work."

[@Ziggy7800Pro]

Love to see retro gaming videos on your channel!!! Great Video! Though I tried what not and it is not for me.

[@MikeS-el6vd]

People forget the first handheld with interchangeable carts. Microvision by Milton Bradley was released in 1979.

[@star_boy84]

That thumbnail face! 😂😂 *pause ⏸*

[@ben31uk]

Never had a gameboy pocket any only gameboy I didn’t want

[@dane_with_swag]

GBP was my first gaming system, and I had an amazing time with it! I still remember the first game I got (not the name though) which was basically a rock-paper-scissor game as a platformer. I played it all the time untill Pokemon Yellow was released. I got it for my birthday together with a GBC, but the time with my GBP will never be forgotten

[@xCoOlGuYx]

I absolutely remember the Game Boy Pocket! It was my first handheld (not counting some Tiger Electronics systems lol). I had the exact same clear one you have in this video. Got mine with Super Mario Land and Mortal Kombat II. I took it on family trips and doctor visits mostly. It wasn’t until I got Pokémon Blue that I got hooked on it! Good times!

[@nickvarley8365]

I'd argue everything changed with the color. The pocket was just a stepping stone like the Wii U

[@Dezeberbro]

Man RGT this is honestly the kind of content I enjoy most from your channel

[@EirkenElite]

Got a green GBC in the bathroom with Tetris.....my favorite screen to play on

[@Gnik4144]

I still remember bringing home a 100% on a test and me and my father walked to “Toys R Us” and I got a ice blue pocket game boy!! I still have it and it still works!

[@nerdworld8211]

Gameboy advanced was my first time sink adventure with Pokemon Red, Green. To this day I still love the Pokemon games/stories. Friendship can solve any problem.

[@lyianx]

I mean yeah, blowing in them does get moister in them and will (eventually) cause the contacts to build up corrosion. Opening up the cartridge and cleaning the contact properly lasts longer. I use an eraser to clean mine. Works very well and is much longer lasting.

[@derekley9181]

I was born I'm 89 so my first Gameboy was the pocket then went to gb advance.. great video RGT!

[@CaptAwesumNo1Zone]

I got the Clear see through Gameboy Pocket with Pokemon Blue version on my 11th Birthday and that was one of my favorite birthday gifts ever, that was a cool handheld, that screen was great

[@Jester56701]

Played a lot of “Special Pikachu edition” on that exact same pocket “color”, ah the memories.. thanks man!

[@neftalegorman2450]

This is the exact Gameboy Pocket model that I grew up with! This really brings me back!!

[@HindsightWithHustle]

The overhead camera 🎥 view is cool.

[@r_apt_ure]

I love the old Nintendo commercials, there are some crazy ones out there. Did you do an old Nintendo commercial video

[@alchemist1588]

The gameboy pocket was my first gameboy. I still have it and still works well. I brought it everywhere, even school. Playing pokemon red on the bus in the morning made going to school not seem as bad.

[@deltatango-six7941]

I love my Pocket. Imo it's the definitive way to play OG Gameboy games. The Color was nice, but the screen was significantly smaller, and it would force a color palette on GB games that wasn't really meant to be. There's a tiny bit of ghosting with the pocket, but the grey scale monochrome of the pocket was so much better than the greenscale on the DMG. The Pocket is also easier to play in lowlight conditions than both the DMG and GBC.

[@shawnwhite3662]

I had the gold GBP and my sister had the silver. I always wondered why the silver doesn't't have the battery indicator

[@gavinbest8438]

If it’s the battery connectors that aren’t working, then get some kitchen foil and place between the battery and connectors, it should work if it is that.

[@KonKaji]

I also went from original gameboy to gameboy color but my sister had the pocket. It was so nice and slim.

[@Twinflameascending]

I love looking at this stuff- retro games and I’ll be honest with u rtg, ur the retro gamer I look to for this and ty so much for showing us this and I love it, what’s the best gameboy to get and also could gameboy or gameboy advance come to switch?

[@Brylant1980]

You just persuaded me to take my nintendo 3ds out of the wardrobe and play on it in bed before going to sleep XD thanks

[@MrJvchef]

Links Awakening changed my life forever.

[@fasih_rehman]

I recently got a Pocket, installed an IPS screen, and use a EZ Flash cart totally amazing. I am going to restore my original DMG soon too. Had that one since 93/94.

[@RumbleH0rny]

I still have my original Gameboy Color in black and still works wonders! It still is the only Gameboy I ever owned.

[@DetectiveClem]

Great video! First rule of Game Boy Fight Club, never blow the cartridge! Haha!

[@WatchDoggyDog]

very cool, I loved my gameboy pocket. I had most of the gameboys: thicc, pocket, color, and the advance sp. no wide advance or micro though.

[@James-ky6pt]

The pocket was my very first handheld back in the day. My parents bought me and my brother each our own pocket for a road trip. A lot of my first video game memories are on this handheld. We had mega man, Kirby’s dream land, Pokémon, Links awakening and of course Tetris

[@ZEKESPILLEDINKMUSIC]

I still have my Game Boy Pocket from 1997, and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 was my first game.

[@roberthornibrook6344]

I would love to see RGT fix his gameboy!

[@dankforest]

I do remember the first time i slipped kirby 2 into my pocket and saw that blueish screen. That was it the pocket was for me.

[@ALKATRAZZ]

I used to bring my black gameboy pocket to school so I could play WWF Wrestlemania 2000. I know its not good but I needed my WWF fix back then. Oh I was only in 11th grade at the time.

[@susanfit47]

Here it is--the re-release of the famous handheld system that is doing surprisingly well in an age of 32-and 64-Bit systems. How can this be happening? Isn’t the Game Boy dead? No Way! Considering that over 400 games have been released since the Game Boy came out back in 1989, and since that time, over 45 million people have bought the Game Boy around the world (close to 20 million in the U.S.). The Game Boy Pocket has been released 7 years later. Since both the original Game Boy and the new Game Boy Pocket use the same little game paks cartridges, that means all of those games are available across the board. The Game Boy Pocket is 30% smaller than the original system, and as games can tell by the pictures shown, the Game Boy Pocket lives up to its name. Any good games out for that system. Besides the Nintendo games (including the Donkey Kong Land 2 and Tetris Attack) there are other companies bringing out a slew of games. THQ, the 2nd largest producer of game for the Game Boy at that time (2nd only to Nintendo according to THQ) has titles like Urban Strike and FIFA ’97 as well as plenty of already released titles (like Pinocchio and Toy Story).