Don't want a Game Boy? Here are some alternative portable systems!
Mar 13 '02
The Bottom Line If you want an alternative to the Nintendo Game Boy Color or Advance, classic portables may be worth checking out.
There won't be anything terribly comprehensive here. However, there are some classic consoles that are very good alternatives to the Nintendo Game Boy.
Now, the Game Boy is a fine little machine. Indeed, it's hard to argue against the technical specs of the Game Boy Advance, a 32-bit system that still plays the entire line of software for the Nintendo portable.That's right. Even the carts that were released for that old black and white Game Boy when it first appeared in 1989 will run just fine on the Advance.
The Advance is cheap, boasts decent battery life and there's a ton of software available for it. The color screen is pretty good, too, and larger than earlier editions of the Game Boy. Indeed, it's hard to go wrong with an advance.
However, the fact remains that Nintendo absolutely dominates the portable market. The Game Boy Advance is, in many ways, the only game in town. While that system has a good number of fans (and deservedly so), having some choice is always good.
Fear not! There are some choices available for people who'd like a portable console, but don't want a Game Boy. There are enough classic systems, indeed, that have enough high quality games to keep folks happy, and those are fairly easy to find. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Atari Lynx -- This is a fantastic little portable. It appeared in 1989 when the Game Boy black and white was released and trumped it in many, many ways. While the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color were both 8-bit machines, the Lynx had two main CPU's under the hood -- an 8-bit main processing unit and a 16-bit graphics engine. The result was a machine that could splash a lot of action on the screen and was a very powerful system.
And, the Lynx was in color! The screen is larger than that of the original Game Boy and even featured backlighting (I still wish Nintendo would incorporate that feature in its portable units).
So, what happened to the Lynx? First of all, the thing is pretty large and absolutely sucks power (6 "AA" batteries last around four hours). Also, Atari cut support for the Lynx in favor of the Atari Jaguar. At that point, it was goodbye Lynx.
The advantages of this unit have to do with some great titles available (everything from arcade translations to great puzzle games). And, the games are dirt cheap. And, a Lynx unit can be found for a decent price at eBay.
These systems can be hooked together (hence the term "Lynx") for extra dandy fun. However, good luck finding someone else with a Lynx to take advantage of that feature.
2. Sega Nomad -- This 1995 release is nothing short of fantastic. It was released as the Sega Genesis was fading into history, but sports the ability to run all of those great Genesis carts and can be hooked up to a television set and used as a console. It can even take an extra controller, thus enabling the thing to truly act as a portable Genesis at times and a stationary console at others.
The screen delivered vibrant color graphics, is well lit and, of course, the system is 16-bit. However, Sega never really supported this one very well and it was released at a time when Nintendo had an absolute lock on the portable market. This is another large, power-sucking device (less than two hours on those batteries), as well.
If you can find one of these for a decent price, pick it up. Sadly, these are hard to find are a bit on the expensive side (expect to pay $100 or so on eBay). Genesis games are cheap, available and fantastic. And, those games are even more fun when taken on the road.
3. Sega Game Gear -- Another Sega unit that got beaten to pieces by the Game Boy. The Game Gear, which is essentially a scaled-down Sega Master System, is an eight-bit system which is dirt cheap and has a good lineup of software available.
Indeed, Game Gear's sell new down at the local Toys 'R' Us for $29.95, and most games can be picked up for less than $15. The Sonic titles for this system are great, and the technical specs of this put the original Game Boy to shame and even rival the Game Boy Color (comes nowehere close to the Game Boy Advance, of course).
Once again, however, this 1991 release was too damn big to satisfy most folks and sucked battery power like crazy. The screen is pretty large and well-lit. This one is a great portable choice.
A darn cool TV tuner is available for this, allowing the happy owner to watch television on the Game Gear. Also, a conversion kit that enables the Game Gear to play Master System carts is also available. Both the tuner and converter are rare and expensive, however.
4. Game Axe -- These are darn cool and I've seen them at the local Game Xchange for $120. Evidently, they are still being manufactured by a company called Redant.
Why's this nifty? It has a very good, four-inch screen and plays Nintendo Entertainment System carts. Size and battery power, of course, are issues with this one.
Now, I know there are more portable systems out there (the SNK Neo Geo Pocket, for example), but I don't know a darn thing about any of them except the ones I've listed.
The point is, there are some pretty good alternatives to the Game Boy Advance is you search around a bit and look for them. All of the systems I've listed can be found on eBay or other spots on the Internet easily, and some are even at retail outlets. The games are cheap, too, and I'd argue that I have as much fun with my Lynx as I would with a Game Boy Advance, anyway.
I haven't bothered with the tons of "home brew" projects out there (such as a portable Atari 2600) as those aren't exactly mass-produced, commercial releases that can be bought easily.
At any rate, have fun, and remember that Nintendo isn't the only place to look if you want a portable gaming system.
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