Last updated: April 06, 1999 to include the Game Boy Light and Neo Geo Pocket Color.
Many of you fellow web cruisers have been asking me the same questions over and over again. In brief, you've been asking questions comparing one portable gaming system to another, or to compare them all. You keep asking things such as "which one is best", or "which one should I get?" I especially enjoy the question of "Should I buy (system)?", to which I usually answer, "I don't know, should you?" Sadly, there are no quick answers. Each one of you are unique and individual and therefore you need to have the information to make the right decision for yourself. This page will not make the decision for you, but it will help you to make the correct decision for you
It is also obvious that people are not reading my Nomad FAQ before asking questions. For Nomad specific questions, please see that file.
I'm going to try and present things in a non-biased format to the best of my abilities. There are going to be some areas that aren't as subjective as others. I will apologize in advance for any lack of organization. I will try and keep things as together as much as possible. I will warn you that sometimes I might go off on a tangent and then come back to what I was writing about.
This is going to be a long document, so you may want to print it out and read it. While this page is loading, you may want to go get yourself a drink and/or a snack. Done yet? Good. Let's continue.
System Comparison chart.
This document will compare the following systems to each other:
Sega Game Gear
Sega Genesis Nomad
Nintendo Game Boy
Nintendo Game Boy Pocket
Nintendo Game Boy Light
Nintendo Game Boy Color
Nintendo Virtual Boy
Atari Lynx
NEC TurboGrafx Express
Tiger Game.Com
SNK Neo Geo Pocket
SNK Neo Geo Pocket Color
Also, reviews will be limited to games I own, so please keep that in mind. I am not into RPG style games.
That's right, it all comes down to money. How much do these things cost? Usually I save this for the end, but if sticker price is a major concern, this may help you immediately narrow your options. For the most part, I'm not going to concern myself with used prices. Don't let me prevent you from buying used, it's just too difficult to properly keep track of that marketplace.
The Sega Genesis Nomad could have been purchased for anywhere from $170 to $129 when it was new. I believe there may be a 6-in-1 cartridge mail-in offer going on at one point to push sales. As of January 1998, that price appears to be plummetting to below $60 new.
The Sega Game Gear typically sells now for around $90 and includes a game. There are three variations: Original Black(works with TV tuner), newer black, which does not work with TV tuner, and blue, which is usually included in special edition packages. I purchased mine for $120 before the special bundles and the redesign, and it included Sonic2. I think all Game Gear sets come with one title these days. Assuming you can find a Game Gear available for retail sales, prices will now be much lower than stated previously. The above prices reflected costs when the system was supported.
I can no longer find the original and Play It Loud Nintendo Game Boy for sale on shelves. I remember back when they were going for $85 each. When I purchased my platinum one, it was $50 new. When I got my black "Play It Loud" series one, it was also $50. Now with the Game Boy Pocket out, that smaller item is also selling for $50. Less bulk for the same price, I guess.
Game Boy Pocket can be easily obtained retail for $50, the same price as an old-style Game Boy, assuming you can find them for sale these days. Now that the Game Boy Color is released, it is hard to find anything except Game Boy Color units. Game Boy Color can be purchased for anywhere from $59.99 to $79.99, depending on where and if it's on sale. The Game Boy Light is a Japanese import(well, if you don't live in Japan), so expect to pay a premium for that system. I have seen online stores range in price from $65 to $80, which I just noticed is the same for the Game Boy Color that is available in the United States. If you don't like the current domestic color choices of the Game Boy Color, there are Japanese versions in more colors. If you want to get one of these color Game Boy Color units, most likely any place that carries imports will be able to get one of these for you. Now that the Game Boy Color is now widely availble in the United States, you'll easily be able to get your choice of colors.
The new Game Boy Advance sells for various prices, but if you want to wait or can find the right importer, you can get this unit for the same price of $99.95 or so. Expect that price to stay fairly solid for at least a year or more.
Nintendo Virtual Boy: Try not to laugh. I paid $170. I'm kicking myself as I see these things sitting on store shelves as they are trying to blow them out for $30 and less. That price includes the Mario's Tennis game, same as when I purchased it. I paid top dollar for most of the titles, now if I had the insight to have waited, I could have gotten them all for less than $10 each. I will try to purchase a second Virtual Boy due to these prices. I don't see many accessories for it, namely the AC adapter set, which includes a SNES power supply and a battery pack replacement. As you can assume, this system flopped big time in the eyes of Nintendo. On a personal note, I do like this system.
Atari Lynx, if still available, should be relatively inexpensive and will most likely come with 4 games. I purchased a Lynx II bundled with 4 titles, and purchased an AC adapter for less than $94 over two years ago(back in late 1994). Chances of finding new bundles will be extremely hard. If you can find it, some places are offering a Lynx II package with 5 titles for $75.
NEC TurboGrafx Express has been rumored to run over $300 new. I have an original box of when I purchased mine used, and it has a price tag on it, so I'll go refer to that. When you consider when it came out and what it does, the price is almost justified. It wouldn't survive these days at those prices though. I regularly see these things being sold used on the internet and commanding prices of over $100.
Tiger's new Game.Com requires a lot of looking if you wish to obtain one of these but it shouldn't take a major effort. Apparently there was a tremendously good response to their advertising for the 1997 holiday season. Many places are out of stock on titles and units. New in the box, this system can be purchased for $50 or less, the same as a Game Boy or Game Boy Pocket. Then things took a turn when Tiger decided to abandon the Game.Complatform, blowing out prices. You could get a Game.Com Pocket Pro for under $35 now, assuming you would even want one.
SNK's Neo Geo Pocket currenly has a rather wide price range in comparison with the other currently available systems. The cheapest I have found(and what I paid) is $66.99 but I have seen prices as high as $75 just for the game system itself. You'll have to deal with specialty stores and stores that deal with import systems as this is not a commonly available item. It's more than a Game Boy, perhaps less than a Game Boy Color. If you want to be different or just have to have it, just consider your options. It's not unreasonably priced even at the high end. With the introduction of the Neo Geo Pocket Color, the Neo Geo Pocket prices are dropping to around the $50 range, while the Neo Geo Pocket Color is commanding prices from $89 to $100 at the moment. The system is now available domestically in the United States, therefore I'm positive prices have dropped. Despite North American domestic release, the system is hard to find due to it not being very popular here.
Bandai enters the portable gaming marketplace with their WonderSwan. This system is, compared to the other systems, both new and an import system. At this moment it is not clear if this system will be released in the United States. Not alll people who carry import systems are carrying this system yet. Availability is an issue. Price can be anywhere from $45 to $80 in any color available. If the system is released in North America, I would expect prices to halve that price.
Bandai's WonderSwan Color is strictly an import system from my perspective, and has a rather large price tag, ranging from $85 to $100 depending on the importer. Colors are limited and so are the numbers if importers willing to carry this product.
Before we go any further, there are some things I want you to be made aware of. I have touched on this already, but let me go into it in greater depth before this goes on too far.
There is no lock-down tab on the power switch to prevent you from removing a game from the Game Boy Pocket when the unit is turned on.
On the Game Boy, volume and Comm Port are on the right, while the contrast is on the left. This is reversed on the Game Boy Pocket
AC connections are different, as are power requirements. Their locations are difference as well. Game Boy Pocket is on the bottom next to the headphone jack. On the Game Boy, the headphone jack is still on the bottom, but the AC jack is slightly above the contrast controller.
Screens are the same size, but the screen appears larger on the Game Boy Pocket. In my observations, the screen is easier to read on the Game Boy Pocket.
Comm ports are different. You'll need to get adaptors to interconnect Game Boy to Game Boy Pocket.
No surprise that everything on the Game Boy Pocket is smaller. This includes the A, B, Start, Select and D-Pad.
The Game Boy Color uses all Game Boy games and takes advantage of Super Game Boy code. The Game Boy Color will also support newer titles that contain dual-code(meaning color for Game Boy Color and B&W for normal Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket) as well as Game Boy Color only titles. The Game Boy Color also has an LED communications port for exchanging game data. Other than lacking the contrast control, it is nearly identical to the Game Boy Pocket. There are the obvious differences such as better reflective color screen and slightly thicker where the batteries are, as well as a better overall design.
Nintendo is stating that it is possible that a few Game Boy titles might not work in the Game Boy Color. Nintendo is not stating which titles may have this problem. Be warned.
With the release of the Game Boy Advance, there is again the backwards compatibility features, which includes Game Boy Color, as well as new Game Boy Advance titles for the Game Boy Advance only. So, you've pretty much got 100% backwards compatibility and therefore a huge library of titles to choose from. Considering the Game Boy Advance has a higher price tag, the software library makes up for that in my opinion.
Both are 100% compatible, from a software, AC/power and ComLynx point of view. The main differences are:
The Lynx II is thicker, not as wide, includes a backlight on/off button, is reported to be louder, and cartridges are easier to take in and out of. Cartridge insert is very different on the original Lynx. The two also look very different but the similarities are obvious. The differences also regard other minor differences, such as a different Sun Shield accessory, as they are specific to the exact Lynx model.
Everyone wants to know about the screens, and they should. I can't quote you maximum colors, resolutions, pixels or bit depth, but can comment on the screens in more general terms as they may apply to you.
The Lynx uses a WIDE screen. It is also back lit. The screen is very bright and easy to see. When comparing to the other systems, which have more traditional square screens, the Lynx is wide. I don't think it is an active matrix, but I don't recall seeing any blurring. The Lynx II has a backlight button so you can turn off the backlighting. Of course, doing this renders the screen BLACK and unplayable. The purpose of this was to extend battery life assuming you used this while the game is PAUSE. Just an interesting idea.
The NEC TurboGrafx Express using a screen that is roughly the same physical size as the Game Boy screen, but it is an extremely sharp, back lit active matrix color display. I do not recall seeing blurring on this screen, even when running TV programming through it. I will get back to TV stuff later on. One must take into consideration that games for this system were designed for the NEC TurboGrafx console, which was meant to be hooked up to a TV. As such, some text-based games are hard to read, and in some cases and for some users, it may be impossible.
The Game Gear uses a back lit color LCD display, but I am positive it is not active. I have noticed that the screen doesn't light quite evenly, most noticably a horizontal band in the middle third of the screen. I notice a lot of blurring when Sonic gets going, but that is rare only because I don't play that game very often. On other titles I have, such as NBA JAM and NBA JAM TE, or Mortal Kombat or Mortal Kombat II, I don't really see such blurring. I suppose some of that is due to the game, and some may be the user's interpretation. Games for this system are not simply ports from the Genesis down to the Game Gear. Game Gear titles are designed specifically for the Game Gear, which is why they look very good for the system.
The Sega Genesis Nomad has a side lit screen which I find extremely easy on my eyes. It takes me a few minutes to get the contrast just right with the angle I am holding the system at. I have yet to notice any blurring with the games I have, although sometimes FIFA Soccer games are a tad hard to follow due to the ball size in fast play. Text can sometimes be hard to read, and again, this is game dependent. Basically, I'd say you get a full TV's worth of pixels in a tiny little screen. Of course, you can always bypass having to use the internal screen completely by using an AV or RF cable/adaptor for the Sega Genesis to use the TV.
The Game Boy usies a passive 4-color B&W display. The Game Boy Pocket does the same, but is appears to be brighter because the display isn't nested so far back in the unit. The Game Boy is not lit in any way, so you will require an external light source. Indirect lighting is not a good idea, but you'll quickly find usable light sources. You can get away with a little less light with the Game Boy Pocket.
The Game Boy Light is being given a paragraph of its very own for good reason. With a switchable indiglo-style green backlighting, this B&W portable offers a unique solution to a problem that Game Boy owners have had since the introduction of the Game Boy: The requirement of an outside light source. The Game Boy Light is essential a Game Boy Pocket(but with 2 AA batteries) with a backlight that can be switched on and off as needed/wanted. While still a passive display, you can now play in the dark should you want to.
The Game Boy Color uses a reflective display, but as the name of the system states, it is a true color display. You'll still need to use an external light source but the screen is so much more reflective than previous Game Boy releases that you'll need less light. I do recommend a good light source so you can see the colors better. Colors do tend to get a little washed out since the screen itself is not directly lit. Nintendo claims a maximum of 56 displayable simultaneous colors of a palatte of thousands. There appears to be no blurring of the screen based on games I own, not to say that games YOU may own may blur. This "blurring" is based on my observation, your eyes may vary.
Game Boy Advance uses a TFT reflective display and it is a true color display. You'll still need to use an external light source and I do recommend a very good light source so you can see the screen better. This screen seems to be dim and requires more lighting that previous Game Boy releases. The screen is also wider and sometimes getting adequate light and the right angle can be a little tricky so be patient.
The Virtual Boy is not lit in the same way as the other systems. The two screens(one for each eye) light the required pixels in a rather unconventional manner. Think more along the lines of a TV photon gun redrawing your screen 30 times a second, but only lighting the pixels required at the intensity needed. It's just different. The system works best in dark areas so outside light won't diffuse in. The display is red on black, and is extremely bright and sharp.
Tiger's Game.Com uses what I assume is a passive 4-color display. This display is not backlit in any way, so like the Game Boy, you are going to need a good source of lighting to be able to see the display. The display is larger than the Game Boy and even the Game Gear and Genesis Nomad, but my initial observations tell me that this is a VERY passive display, lots of action is blurred. This extreme blurring could also be the result of poor programming by developers. I find it rather difficult to get the contrast set just right, but I suppose some of this is due to the touch-sensitive screen used by Tiger.
The Game.Com Pocket Pro with Backlight appears to use the same screen technology as the original Game.Com. With the addition of the indiglo-style backlighting, you can play this system in the dark if you want to. However, the backlighting does not evenly light the screen. Except for the backlighting, any issues with th Game.Com screen would apply here as well.
The Game.Com Pocket Pro uses what appears to be the exact same screen technology as the original Game.Com, and therefore any strengths and weaknesses carry over.
The Neo Geo Pocket screen appears to use a similar technology as the Game Boy Pocket except with a larger and higher resolution black and white LCD display. The images are sharp and crisp and I have not noticed any blurring yet. I am having trouble finding the perfect contrast setting right now but when I get more used to this system, I won't have this problem. Again, like the Game Boy, you'll need an outside source of light, and the brighter the better. It is truly amazing to see the differences a few bucks in technology can make, especially when comparing the systems that have B&W displays.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color tells you what technology they are using on their screen. They come right out and say it on the HARDWARE itself. I found this sort of "in your face" honestly to be very amusing. However, the amusement stops there. For a non-lit color LCD screen, this is EXTREMELY bright and crisp, especially when you compare this with the original Neo Geo Pocket and even to the Game Boy Color. This system claims to be able to display 146 colors at once, as opposed to the 56 colors at once claimed by the Game Boy Color. Combine that with the higher resolution display of the Neo Geo Pocket Color and you can see why the picture quality is better. Then again, we have to consider that Neo Geo is packing quite a bit more horsepower into their 16-bit portable than Nintendo is cramming into their Game Boys. I believe this is also a large part of the reason why the Neo Geo Pocket Color is able to produce a much better image than the Game Boy Color. By being able to compare two non-lit color LCD systems, you can at least get a more useful comparison.
The Bandai WonderSwan appears to use a screen that is very similar to that of the NeoGeo Pocket. It is an 8-shade B&W display and looks very sharp and crisp. Currently, I only have one available title and it doesn't stress the display. Because the display isn't backlit, you need an external light source. The nature of the system is such that you probably don't need as much light to play this system as you would with a Game Boy Pocket or the NeoGeo Pocket. The screen is set fairly close to the surface of the system so you don't really get the "shadow" that is commonly found on one side when playing using an external light source. It will be nice when I get a title that places more demands on the screen to see how it performs.
The Bandai WonderSwan Color scren is of course in color, but it is very dark and dim and needs lots of bright direct light in order to adequately view what is going on. The screen does not appear to blur but my one color title does not really test the capabilities of this system. Once you get enough light, the system looks great. Otherwise, all the other issues of the original WonderSwan's screen as described above apply here.
So as far as displays go, there is no clear winner. I do have a preference for the Atari Lynx, the NEC TurboGrafx Express and the Sega Genesis/Nomad screens. Without a doubt, the Nomad is my personal favorite of all the systems overall. The TurboGrafx has an exceptionally crisp active display, so from a strictly technical standpoint, this screens wins. The Lynx has unlimited sprites and I have personally observed no blurring or ghosting, so from a software perspective, the Atari Lynx might be the winner. The Nomad provides an easily viewable screen at the same resolution as a TV, so for some folks the Nomad is the winner.
This is a question I can not properly answer. For the most part, my Game Boy units are on rechargeables, while the others are on AC power. You're probably thinking that I'm not quite clear on the concept of having a portable gaming system. Well, there's always power where I'm going, so I know what works best for me, thank you very much. Also, it is not convenient for me to have a console system set up all the time. A portable is for the most part self contained and is quicker to get going.
I'm no tree hugging, sandal wearing greenie, but I do like to save money. In the long run, batteries are more convenient, but will cost more. I'd prefer to spend more up front on AC adapters, car adapters, rechargeables and chargers than to waste money time and time again on alkalines that will eventually pollute the planet. Yes, I do use alkalines in my remote controls, my pagers, my USRobotics Pilot 5000 and a few other items. These don't compare, so don't pursue it.
The Game Boy uses 4 AA batteries. The system lasts a LONG time on alkalines. I am using Radio Shack Hi-Capacity rechargeables and I maybe drain a set once a month, more like 6 weeks. Of course, we're talking less than 30 minutes a day, every day. As such, this system is not only inexpensive, but very economical due to the extended battery life. Part of this long battery life is due to the fact that the display is not lit up. Both of my Game Boy units came with a full set of AA alkaline batteries.
The Game Boy Pocket uses 2 AAA batteries and is reported to last up to 10 hours on fresh alkalines. I'm currently using Rayovac Renewals in my Game Boy Pocket and am getting what I consider to be acceptable results. With 16 batteries at my disposal, I should be able to play for quite some time before being shut down. I would suspect that the Game Boy Pocket will work quite nicely with normal NiCad rechargable batteries. My Game Boy Pocket came with a set of AAA batteries.
The Game Boy Light uses 2 AA batteries. This is most likely a decision based on the higher power consumption as a result of using the backlighting. I would suspect that battery life with some usage of the backlighting would be similar to that of a Game Boy Pocket. When I purchased my Game Boy Light, Nintendo was packing in a set of AA batteries.
The Game Boy Color uses 2 AA batteries and is reported to last up to 7 hours. I'm hearing folks saying that closer to 10 hours on fresh alkalines is fairly typical. I'm using Rayovac Renewals and I'm happy with my battery life. I'm fairly sure that the Game Boy Color would work just fine with my NiCad rechargables. Game Boy Color comes with a set of AA batteries.
There are authorized batteries for the Game Boy devices, but it costs less to get some Radio Shack batteries. In my case, 8 AA hi-capacity rechargeables and their cheapest charger(charges 4 AA batteries at a time overnight) cost slightly more than a battery pack labeled as specifically for the Game Boy. To top it off, the Game Boy specific battery require the additional purchase of an AC adapter to charge the Game Boy battery through the Game Boy. Therefore, my purchase of rechargeables was cheaper. A note of importance is necessary in regards to AC adaptors: The Game Boy AC adaptor(or any AC adaptor for the Game Boy) will not work on the Game Boy Pocket or Game Boy Color. There are two reasons. The first reason is the voltage requirements are different. More important is the second reasons, which is that the Game Boy AC adaptor will not fit into the Game Boy Pocket or Game Boy Color system. Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color can use the same AC adaptor. Game Boy Advance uses yet a different AC Adaptor.
The Game Boy Advance also uses a pair of AA batteries and claims to offer 15 hours of game play. Nintendo is strongly advocating the usage of alkalines and is strongly discouraging the use of rechargables in their next generation portable system. Batteries are included. Once the original batteries wear out, I'll try my rechargables and see what happens although I would only expect reduced gaming time. A whole line of recharable battery packs are slated for release when the Game Boy Advance is released here.
The Game Gear has many options as well. There are the typical 6 AA battery requirements. Fresh alkalines are reported to last about 5 hours. You can see how this can get really expensive, really quick. Rechargeable AA batteries tend to last abut 3.5 hours. There are many rechargeable battery options available, many of which require an AC adapter to charge the battery. I have one with a built-in recharger. The Game Gear has a Sega battery that clamps onto the back, and there is also a belt-clip battery. Somebody also makes rechargeables that replace the battery compartment covers as well as extend into the compartment, making an overall clean appearance and perhaps a more comfortable grip for those with large hands. Batteries are not included with the purchase of a Game Gear.
The NEC TurboGrafx Express uses 6 AA alkaline batteries as well. Battery life is around 3 hours due to the backlit active matrix color display. I have no idea what life with rechargeables would be like. However, the battery life must be rather short in my opinion. I've always used AC or car power, so I can not give you even an educated guess. I've even read reports that average batter life with fresh alkalines is slightly over an hour at best, although I find this hard to believe. When I purchased my first TGE, the seller was kind enough to supply a full set of half-dead batteries, which was great for testing. Those batteries lasted at least 2 hours of casual gaming and TV viewing with the TurboVision tuner I also purchased. I have no idea if batteries are included
The Atari Lynx reports battery life of 5 hours, while the Lynx II claims 6 due to hardware and power consumption improvements. Also, the Lynx II can extend battery life by turning off the back lighting when in pause. Since you're using 6 AA alkalines, you may as well try and save as much power as you can. Again, I can't help you in regards to rechargeables because I use my Lynx and Lynx II on car or AC only. Batteries were not included when I purchased the system.
The Sega Genesis Nomad is a beast. It can drain 6 fresh AA alkaline batteries from its external battery pack in 4 hours, and you will enjoy every minute of it, except for those last 5 minutes or so where your screen dims. It's a monster with rechargeables, draining them in as few as 90 minutes.
You're probably asking about this external battery pack. The external battery pack holds 6 AA batteries. The pack is included with the Nomad. Sega also makes a NiMH rechargeable battery, but like others I have mentioned, you're going to need an AC adapter to charge it. The battery is expensive, but that's because it is a NiMH battery. Life of this rechargeable is reported to be roughly 3 hours.
On the plus side, the Nomad is 100% compatible with Game Gear power adapters, such as for car and AC. If you're like me and have both, this is a money saver. HOWEVER, I have one AC adaptor for each Game Gear(2) and one for my Nomad, so I guess I didn't save any money. It does however keep kids from crabbing about no power, or "not fair, he's using the color one.." crap. Batteries are NOT included.
The Nintendo Virtual Boy is a mystery. The Virtual Boy includes a battery holder that attaches to the controller for the 6 AA batteries it requires. Nintendo reports life using fresh alkalines to be 7 hours. I can not comment. I have only ever used AC power. I don't wish to go into the details of why I've only used AC power at this point. The battery pack clips onto the unique dual-grip controller. To use AC power, you need not only an AC power adapter, but a replacement for the battery holder. Nintendo sells this as a bundle, so get it if you can. I can't comment on car power, but if you find a solution that will work for a SNES, then it will work for the Virtual Boy. Perhaps a power inverter for the AC adapter? When you consider that when I purchased the Virtual Boy, this adaptor included an AC adaptor and the battery holder replacement and was a total of $12, so not enough to complain about. Batteries are not included in the purchase of this system.
Tiger's Game.Com also uses what I am assuming is a passive display. Like the Game Boy, it requires 4 AA batteries. I would not expect the same battery life from a Game.Com as compared to the Game Boy, but I would suspect you'll be playing games for quite a while. I'm not sure if this makes a difference, but I've been using rechargables in my Game.Com and they don't seem to last too long; I play a few games, come back a week later and the batteries are dead. I've had the same rechargables in a Game Boy for 6 months of light gaming and never had a problem until the batteries were drained. The Game.Com also uses a pre-installed CR-2032 battery, but this is for internal memory only and is not used for powering the system in any way. Tiger makes an AC adaptor, but if you've already got a Radio Shack AC adaptor that can use multiple tips and can output 9vDC at 300mA, then you'll do just fine. Works with the same AC adaptor and plug that I use with my Atari Lynx and Game Boy. Batteries are not included except for the pre-installed CR-2032.
With the re-engineering of the Tiger's Game.Com to make the Game.Com Pocket Pro, Tiger also reduced the battery requirement from 4 AA batteries to a more miserly 2 AA batteries. I would suspect battery life from a fresh set of AA batteries to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10 hours. The Game.Com Pocket Pro suffers from the same annoyance that I discovered with the Game.Com: After extended periods of not being on but with batteries, it will prompt you in regards to the saved date. This is a minor annoyance at best. The Pocket Pro is compatible with the original Game.Com AC adaptor for playing at home or on mobile power. As with the original Game.Com, batteries are not included except for the CD-2032 memory battery that is pre-installed with the system.
The Neo Geo Pocket uses two AAA batteries and gets a reported 20 hours of life out of a fresh set of alkalines. It also uses a CR-2032 battery, and like the Game.Com, this is not used to power the system, but unlike the Game.Com you will have to install the battery yourself. Hmm, I've only had mine a whopping 5 hours as of the time of this writing and I'm fairly sure I'll never accurately keep track of how many hours I use mine on a set of batteries. 20 hours is a long time, so this must be a really miserly game system. If this is true, I'd be pleasantly surprised since you have to consider the screen takes up most of the front of the unit. This system also takes AC adaptors. Unfortunately for me, none of my available adaptor tips for my Radio Shack adaptors will fit. I am assuming that perhaps if I were to get the Game Boy Pocket/Game Boy Color AC adaptor, it might work since the power requirements are the same and the plugs appear to be the same size. I'll keep this file up to date should I ever take that plunge. The adaptor is only $18 or so, not like it's going to break me. A full set of batteries are included: the 2 AAA batteries required for gaming and the CD-2032 memory and clock battery.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color uses two AA batteries. As a result, the system is thicker than the original Neo Geo Pocket. I would assume battery life is comparable to the Game Boy Pocket vs. the Game Boy Color. I have barely used my Neo Geo Pocket Color, so I can't even begin to speculate. This unit also uses the CR-2032 battery for keeping the internal clock and other settings that you'll need to install. Power requirements in all other ways (such as for AC adaptors) appear to be identical. Like the Neo Geo Pocket, a full set of batteries are included: 2 AA batteries for gaming and the CR-2032 for memory and clock.
The WonderSwan by Bandai is perhaps a winner in the battery department. Using a SINGLE fresh AA alkaline battery, Bandai boasts 30 hours of gaming time. WOW! If true, that's a tremendous amount of gaming from a battery. If you're cheap, this might be the way to go. I'd say batteries are included, but I can't. A single AA batteries is included, so this system is ready to play right out of the box. Because the system is so slim, the battery fits into a holder that partially bulges from the back of the system. The rechargable battery fits flush with the system, making for a slimmer profile to an already thin system. The WonderSwan does not work with an AC adaptor because there is no port for an AC adaptor. However, with 30 hours of gaming per battery claimed, I don't think batteries are going to be much of an issue.
If you want to talk battery life alone, the original Game Boy wins by a long shot. Nobody can come close with the possible exception of the WonderSwan if the reported battery life is true. I place the Game Boy above the WonderSwan due to the larger gaming library despite the WonderSwan only using one battery. Then again with the exceptions of the Game.Com, Game Boy systems and Neo Geo Pocket, all of the others you can play in the dark if you want to. While my gaming situation is rather unique, some of you may want to seriously consider convenience of batteries verses the economic impact that buying batteries can cause. Don't let battery life alone make your decision. While the Nomad is my favorite system, I travel with the Game Boys only because of their battery life. If the rumors are true about the Neo Geo Pocket, then this may give the Game Boy a serious run for my attention when I travel. Then again, Xenophone on the Atari Lynx is probably my all-time favorite game.
Let's talk briefly about portability/lugability. This is very important on many levels. I'm sure some or all of these will pertain to you in one way or another. What's the point in having a portable system if you can't take it with you?
The Game Boy was the only portable that will actually fit into a pocket. I say "was" because of the introduction of the Neo Geo Pocket systems, Bandai's WonderSwan and the new Game.Com Pocket Pro systems. The Game Boy Pocket was designed for enhanced portability, as well as smaller hands and therefore smaller pockets. The Game Boy Color and Game Boy Light are slightly bulkier than the Game Boy Pocket, but only where the batteries go. Most of the others are still very portable despite their relative size to the Game Boy.
When they said "Neo Geo Pocket", they weren't fooling around. This was by far the smallest of my portable game systems. Although I haven't held it up to the Game Boy Pocket yet, it is still a really small system. This is a truly pocket sized portable, and the only pocket sized wide format system I am aware of. The games aren't too large either so you should be able to stick a few games in your pocket too. The dimensions of the Neo Geo Pocket Color are slightly larger than the original Neo Geo Pocket. The main difference is the thickness due to the color version using 2 AA batteries. This system should fit into a pocket although it will have less room to spare. I do not recommend putting any gaming system in your pocket though.
The Game Boy Advance brought about quite a few changes to the Game Boy platform, including better barrery life, better microprocessor and better screen. In addition to those changes, the layout also changed from the traditional Game Boy layout to a more Game Gear style layout. The unit is rather small, very light and very portable and you should have no problem stuffing one of these into a pocket.
The Nomad, Game Gear, Lynx/Lynx II, Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket Color, WonderSwan family, Game Boy Advance and Game.Com family are all set up the same. I like to call this format the "wide" or "landscape" format. You have a controller D-pad on one side, screen in center, buttons on the other side. Also, these units are all roughly the same size. This is very convenient. To make portability that much easier, many companies make soft cases that will hold these systems and games. None are directly labeled for the Nomad, but they will still work. These cases will also hold an NEC TurboGrafx Express, and a Game Boy too, although the Game Boy will move around quite a bit. I would expect these cases would hold a Game.Com fairly well.
There is an important fact about that Atari Lynx that may appeal to a limited audience. When you look at the Lynx, you'll notice a duplication of buttons. There is a very good reason for this. The Atari Lynx is the only portable that caters to "lefties". Yes, that's right, by using a well documented key sequence, the whole system will allow you to use your LEFT thumb to use the buttons and your right thumb to use the D-pad. Another interesting note is that not all of the games are intended for the "wide" screen of the Lynx. Some titles prefer a TALL layout, causing you to play games in a different orientation. This sort of flexibility is not found on any other system.
Back to the Lynx, Game Gear, Nomad and Game.Com, I strongly recommend against the sleeve style cases. Get a case that will hold your system, maybe accessories, but definitely games. It makes everything nice and organized and protected. Plus, if you have more than one system, like I do, this case can be used for the system that you think you'll be in the mood to play. I like to make things such as cases be as multi-functional as possible. In fact, I strongly recommend against sleeve-style cases for any system as you do run the risk of scratching your screen. I deliberately left the Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket, Tiger Game.Com Pocket Pro and Bandia WonderSwan out of the bulk of this paragraph because of their small size. I would recommend a Game Boy Pocket case for these systems because of their size.
Tiger's Game.Com Pocket Pro, Game.Com Pocket Pro with Backlight and Bandai's WonderSwan are definately "pocket" system as well. The decrease in size of the Game.Com Pocket Pro from the original Game.Com is fairly dramatic. The WonderSwan and Wonderswan Color are just plain tiny, perhaps currently the smallest portable systems to date.
The Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Light and the NEC TurboGrafx Express are what I like to call the "tall" or "portrait" format. Screen on top, D-pad and buttons down below. The TurboGrafx Express is wider than the Game Boy in order to hold the 6 AA batteries is\t needs. The TurboGrafx Express is also thicker. Other potential options make it less luggable than the Game Boy. One of those reasons could be "why are you sticking something that expensive in your pocket?" The TurboGrafx Express is also taller than the Game Boy. When the TurboGrafx Express is not connected to the TurboVision, it is nearly as portable as the original Game Boy units. When the TurboVision is attached to the right side of the TurboGrafx Express, portability is cut down a bit because of how the TurboVision sticks out from the main unit.
Regardless of what system you decide to go with, I really recommend you get a carry case for it. The Nintendo "Play it Loud" Game Boy series came in these clear plastic cases, which have served my Game Boy quite nicely. The case has ample room for a spare set of batteries, manuals and 5 titles in their proctective plastic cases. The Game Boy Pocket also comes in a clear plastic case that can hold a set of spare batteries and a single title. I don't have cases for any of my others, but I also take extremely good care of them. That's not an excuse though. If you plan to lug it, please protect it. The few extra dollars you spend on even a cheap case can add years of life to your system.
Another portability issue if you are short on space, or don't have a carry case. I think this is an important issue, but certainly should not be a decision killer by itself. Game Boy titles come with a protective plastic case, however it seems recently(year 2001)that Nintendo is no longer selling games with the cases, and Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance titles do not appear to include cases. Even though Nintendo has made this change, you can easily purchase cases new from most larger retail stores that carry video games. Game Gear games also come with cases. The Neo Geo Pocket appears to be inspired by the Game Gear, and the games for this system also come with cases. These cases help keep dust and other unwanted elements out of the cartridge when not in use. The WonderSwan has perhaps the largest cartridge to system size ratio, but titles do include a plastic sleeve/case that should do quite a good job of protecting the cartridge when not in use. Lynx games are thin boards and the contacts are exposed. Because of this, special care must be taken to keep the contacts clean. TurboGrafx uses what they call TurboChips or HuCards, which are basically about as thick as two credit cards, but not quite as thick as a PCMCIA card. I have some PCMCIA cards to compare with, so I speak from first-hand experience. Also the contacts are exposed. While the TurboChip is generally stored in its CD-sized case with its tough silicon rubber sleeve, that's not very portable and the relatively fragile nature of these TurboChips require that precautions are taken to prevent damaging the games or getting the exposed contacts dirty. Genesis titles are extremely large in comparison to the other systems, being almost the size of a Game Boy Pocket. Because the PC board is exposed at the bottom of the cartridge, it is not a good idea just to toss the titles loose into a bag, but placing them in their VHS-sized boxes is not convenient to carry them around. The Game.Com can hold TWO cartridges at once, but the tiny cartridges do have exposed contacts so you don't want to just throw them in a bag or stick them in your pocket for obvious reasons. The Game.Com Pocket Pro only holds one cartridge at a time. Virtual Boy titles come with dust-caps that go over their PCMCIA style connectors.
This is where I'd like to get the Virtual Boy out of this comparison. It will be discussed from time to time, but this is a rather important issue.
The Virtual Boy is marketed as a portable because it does not require a TV or external monitor to play. This is truly what I call a "Type 1" system. This means: you're the only one who is going to see what is going on. Any other systems I consider "Type 2" which I define as the possibility for others to watch what you do, be it gathered around a TV, or watching you play your Game Boy over your shoulder. I classify console systems(the kind you have to hook to a TV) as "Type 3" since an external monitor is required to use the system. You can't do this with a Virtual Boy because this thing called YOUR HEAD is blocking the eye displays. Tossing that aside, the system has a stand, and it is intended to be played while sitting at a table. No offense, but I have yet to find a table/chair combination that didn't give me a back ache. I prefer to put the stand on the system, lay flat on my back on my bed, and place the Virtual Boy on my face, with the stand on my chest providing stability. Not real portable, is it? Also, unlike the other portables, the Virtual Boy has no on-board controls, all controls are in a unique dual-grip controller that connects to the Virtual Boy via a cable. Not to cloud that subject, but power is also sent via this same cable as power attaches to the controller. This comes out to at least 3 separate parts:
Virtual Boy itself
Stand
Controller with battery holder
Potential extras:
Cloth light guard and attachment assembly/holder(normally on Virtual Boy)
AC adapter(which replaces the battery holder) holder plus AC adapter.
Blockbuster was selling rental units with hard cases for $50. Nice idea, but in my opinion, too much effort to lug around and too much to lug around.
To top it all off, Nintendo recommends that this unit not be used in a moving vehicle. Well, DUH! More importantly, the health precautions. I don't recommend the Virtual Boy to ANYONE unless they have played it first. I can not use mine when I'm tired or stressed because I'll get eyestrain and a headache that lasts for two days. All other times, I can play it all day and suffer no bad side effects other than a slight re-adjustment when I take my face out of the unit and let my eyes adjust to the surrounding lighting conditions.
This is a very critical issue. It doesn't matter if you have the most awesome hardware known to man because if the software is horrible, the system will be killed. Case and point: Virtual Boy. Of course, the system is truly amazing, but both lack of developer support and lack of quality titles both contributed to the demise of this system. I'm currently trying to get the Japanese titles to have all of the games. Sure, there are some really neat Virtual Boy games, but not enough in my opinion.
Back on the subject of games. All the other systems have been around a while, with the exception of the Virtual Boy, Game.Com and Neo Geo Pocket and Wonderswan. The Game Boy has over 700 titles, the Game Gear has well over 300. The Nomad is essentially a Genesis that can travel and has a huge library of over 500+ titles. The Atari Lynx has over 70 titles, and I have no clue how many the TurboGrafx Express has. Like the Nomad, the TurboGrafx Express is basically the portable version of its console parent, in this case, the TurboGrafx 16 console system. As such, the TurboGrafx Express uses the HuCard TurboGrafx library of titles. Since the Virtual Boy is officially a dead system, no more games will be made for it. This means I've got to try and get the Japanese games while I can.
Having the system is one thing. What about the availability of titles? Game Gear, Game Boy and the Sega Genesis are well established products. Games are widely available. The Nomad is special in the fact if some place carries Genesis titles, they will work in a Nomad. You'll be able to find new games relatively easy. Also, there are a lot of places that do game swapping and/or trade/sell used games. That's a rather booming side-industry, so why not try that route? Also, because of the newer 32 and 64 bit consoles, stores are moving away from the portables as the market is in the newer consoles. You win in two ways. First, your hardware costs are coming down, and second, software titles are being blown out to make way for the newer stuff.
Game prices are going to vary, depending on the exact store and your region and how desperate they are to get rid of that old stuff. Genesis games will peak at about $70, although that is rare. Game Boy titles can be as low as $8, so there's a big range in there. Average Game Boy title appears to be $20, Game Gear is around $25-$35, while Genesis titles tend to stick around the $50 mark. Check the bargain bins as there are savings to be had. Remember, I'm mainly quoting new and fairly recent titles. It makes me angry to think that I paid $64 for Primal Rage for Genesis, and two months later I could have gotten it for $20 at the same store. Of course, any game that can utilize a bodily function or secretion into the game, I make sure I pick that one up. If anything, the shock factor is good at parties!
The original Game.Com was competitively priced with the Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket. I am assuming that Tiger was doing this to try and grab some marketshare in the portable gaming market. Cartridge prices ranged from $19.95 to $29.95, so even the price of titles was competitive with the Game Boy. In a move to try to save the platform, Tiger redesigned the Game.Com, making it smaller and with a backlight and stripping the dial-cartridge feature. Then to save money and production costs, the backlight was dropped as was the price to around $30. With Tiger giving up the ghost on the Game.Com series, prices are going to drop for Game.Com titles. The system is now officially dead so even price drops were not able to salvage the platform..
The Lynx and TurboGrafx Express are what are considered dead systems with no vendor support. Don't lose hope. There are plenty of avenues available via the internet. Many Lynx and TurboGrafx games can be had for less than $10 to $15, and in some cases, NEW at those prices. Your chances of finding new stuff are rare, so avoid the mainstream retailers. Flea Markets, swap meets and those places that trade, sell and buy used video games may be good places to start your search as well. If you are determined, you will find something. Lynx owners do have some small amounts of hope because there are some die-hard Lynx enthusiasts who are making NEW titles.
The Neo Geo Pocket offers some serious comeptition for the Game Boy. Since it is a 16-bit system, the prices are going to be higher than most of the other portables. Game prices will range anywhere from $33.99 to $50 depending on the title and who is selling it. I'm sure prices will come down in time. Remember, this is a new system and an import so dealers are not going to hvae the same margins they will have with domestic titles. Now that the system is available in North America, system and title prices have dropped, but are competitive to Game Boy title prices. Prices for titles now seem to bottom out in the low $20 range.
The Game Boy Color has remained strong with a huge library of games. Even with the evolution of this platform, sales have remained strong and developer support continues to grow. With the release of the Game Boy Color and its backwards compatibility with the black and white Game Boy titles, the Game Boy Color entered the market with a huge library of games. Even Game Boy Color only titles and dual-mode titles are reasonably priced at the same price as regular Game Boy titles. With the Game Boy Advance, there is once again the backwards compatibility with the older Game Boy, Game Boy Color and dual-mode games in addition to the new Game Boy Advance titles being priced at under $40 at the high end. Despite the higher price of the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance units, the large library and backwards compatibility more than make up for it.
Bandai's WonderSwan is the current new kid. Being an import and being new means high prices. With a small library, that also keeps prices high. Game prices right now seem range from around $45 to $60 which is rather high compared to other systems. Being an import and new, the small library and high title prices is going to probably keep out a lot of North American buyers. Should the system be released in North America, I would expect prices to be cut in half. However, this is probably not going to happen and now the Wonderswan Color has been released, with games still in the $60 range and only available via importers.
Since the Virtual Boy is being treated like a lethal virus, prices are being blown out. I paid $6.99 each for 5 titles. Sure, they were used, but they had manuals(except for one)
This is a touchy area that I think needs to be mentioned. All of the systems were designed with portability in mind. The Nomad is designed to be portable, but is different. Keep reading. When you place a cartridge into all of the other systems, the game is surrounded by lots of plastic, protecting the cartridge. The Nomad packs a lot of electronics into a portable package. Again, for more Nomad specific information, see the Nomad FAQ. As such, to make it compact, certain compromises had to be made. One compromise what the external battery pack. Another one is the relatively large cartridge size of Genesis titles. To be honest, Genesis cartridges don't have to be so large, but it's a little late for that discussion. As a result, the Genesis cartridges stick out of the top of the Nomad, fairly exposed although securely in the Nomad. I will admit that until I had the Nomad, I never had a problem with a game crashing. Please be forewarned that excessive jarring and movement of the Nomad during game play could result in unpredictable results, ranging from the game locking up, to the screen blanking or lines appearing and the game freezing. Don't panic, nothing should be damaged, just power reset the Nomad and start again.
Smallest? Hands down the Lynx. These little cartridges look more like pieces of plastic with gold contacts. They do have a curved top to allow easy removal from the Lynx. 3 titles can fit into a single Game Boy cartridge case. On the bad side, there is no secure way of transporting Lynx cartridges. You many want to invest in an inexpensive card holder and place the cartridges in that during transport. You need to remember to protect those contacts.
Smallest? Well, the Game.Com cartridges are certainly tiny. They are actually smaller than Lynx titles, but are not quite as flat. The Game.Com is unique in the fact that it can hold two cartridges at one time.I would estimate the cartridge sizes to be 1.5 inches long, 1.5 inches wide and one-half inch thick. Don't forget that the Game.Com can hold two cartridges at once, a feat no other system can claim.
The TurboGrafx HuCards are roughly the size of a PCMCIA card, but are slightly thinner. The contacts are exposed. The titles come in CD-style cases and they also include a little protective sleeve for the cartridge. For carrying a bunch of titles, a business card holder might be a good idea as well. If you have a spare Norelco case(you know, for audio cassettes), you could knock out the posts if you wanted a cheap and easy case.
WonderSwan titles are a little bit thicker than a PCMCIA card, but are roughly the same size in regards to width and height. There is a lot of exposed circuit board on WonderSwan cartridges so I strongly emphasize that titles be returned to their protective casing when not in us. Compared to the overall size of the WonderSwan, cartridges are quite large. Color and original black and white cartridges are the same size.
The Game Boy and Game Gear are nice because they include a plastic case with each game, which makes taking care of the games that much easier. The WonderSwan uses a sort of hybrid rigid plastic case/sleeve to protect the cartridges. It is amazing how many people just let the cartridges sit around loose and gather dust. This doesn't have to happen; simply place the cartridge into the case when done playing. Neo Geo Pocket titles also include plastic cases. Neo Geo Pocket games also include a rugged outer packaging case but that is not needed once you get the stuff home. I'm not suggesting discarding these cases, you just won't need them very much. These outer Neo Geo Pocket cases remind me of cases used for audio books for the blind. It now seems that Game Boy titles no longer come with these protective cases, so you'll want to pick up some from a large retail store that carries video games.
The Virtual Boy uses a connection that reminds me of a true PCMCIA card. They do not include a protective case, but they do come with a dust cap for the connector. While not a perfect solution, it is effective and adequate. The Virtual Boy itself even has a holder on the top of the unit for holding the dust cap for the game currently being played.
Because the Game Gear, Game Boy, Virtual Boy, WonderSwan and Neo Geo Pocket include easy methods of protecting the cartridge, the games can go safely in a pocket or even loose in a travel case. I do not recommend Lynx or TurboGrafx HuCards be in a pocket or loose for transport. Regardless, I don't recommend putting cartridges in a pocket or left loose.
By taking a few seconds to protect your games, you add years of game playing to both the games and the system.
The Sega Genesis traditionally sells titles for it in VHS-style boxes. I try and get the hard-case ones whenever possible, although sometimes you don't get a choice. It is suggested and implied that when you are done, you return the cartridge to it's original package to keep it safe and clean. Compare that with the large cartridge size, and that's a lot of travel case real estate. Maybe if you have some small zip-lock style bags, you could slip cartridges in those during transport. Personally, I'd rather take the cases with me. Nintendo was wise to include covers for the bottom of the cartridge for their SNES titles, and sleeve for their NES titles. End-user convenience is always appreciated. I'm not complaining about the logic behind Genesis cartridges being sold this way because I tend to like it.
So, in regards to cartridge size, the Atari Lynx can't be beat. The TurboGrafx HuCards come in a distant second due to their slim size. Despite my comments on cartridge size of the Game.Com, those come third in my option. In regards to cartridge size to system size, the WonderSwan has a very large cartridge compared to the size of the system.
If you're talking cartridge protection, the Game Gear, Game Boy and Neo Geo Pocket win with their included cases. The Virtual Boy comes in second because of the connector cover. The Genesis Nomad comes in third due to the large size of both the cartridge and the protection for the cartridge.
A special note should be made in regards to both the Sega Genesis Nomad and the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. In the Nomad, cartridges extend to well outside the physical dimensions of the gaming unit. This means that for practical purposes, when transporting this unit, the cartridge should be removed first. In the case of the Game Boy Advance, the cartridges are physically half the size in height as regular Game Boy and Game Boy color cartridges. Although the cartridges for the Game Boy Advance are mechanically compatible with the older Game Boy units, the cartridges are electrically incompatible, so while it would fit, just don't do it. When playing older Game Boy and Game Boy color titles on the Game Boy Advance, the cartridges extend above the back of the unit. Cartidges should probably be removed before you move the system around. This is just information you should keep in the back of your mind.
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Excuse me while I get nostalgic for a moment. I miss my Atari 2600 and 5200. I have to get myself these again. Anyhow, I am reminded mainly of the Atari 2600 cartridges because I remember there were some mechanical parts that moved in the cartridge that kept the cartridge contacts protected from the elements when not being used. This was a great idea and I wish more companies would do this. Oh well. Just a passing thought.
The Game Gear, provided the Game Gear you have is compatible, has a TV tuner option available for it That's right, stuff this into the cartridge slot and you have a full-color TV, with UHF and VHF. It's cable compatible, and can work with an external antenna via the antenna input. It can also act as monitor for your other consoles or even a VCR via the mono AV input. AV and Antenna input will require adapters and/or specialty cables. This depends on your ingenuity and willingness to "adapt". You also get a TINT adjust to go with the CONTRAST on the Game Gear. I also have it on reliable sources that NTSC, PAL and SECAM versions were made of the TV Tuner. Since I can not confirm this myself, don't take this as "etched in stone fact" stuff.
The TurboGrafx Express has a dedicated port for the TurboVision TV tuner. It too is also cable compatible and can accept an external antenna. It also has AV input. Basically, you could use the same cables for cable and AV intput with the Game Gear TV Tuner and the TurboVision tuner. You also get a TINT and COLOR control. There is also an ON/OFF switch, which I will go into later.
There are some things you should be aware of. I am going to relay personal experiences, so your experiences could vary slightly, greatly, or be pretty close to the same as mine.
First, we have to answer a basis question. Why do we have cable TV? Answer: crappy reception.
With that out of the way, you now know I have crappy TV reception in my area. This limits the channels I can watch, but that's OK, since the channel I watch the most is the one I'm able to bring in reliably anyways. I am very lucky in those regards.
In my comparing the two, the TurboVision seemed to pull in the stations better. It could just be because of the higher resolution of the screen as far as I know. To me, it looked better. The TurboVision also seemed to be able to pull in more channels. I'm not saying the Game GearTV Tuner is bad, I'm going purely off experience. I have used both as "critical monitors" as I did some low end video work, mainly SMTPE sync to MIDI, and both were adequate unless I needed an exact SMTPE location. I have a real TV now, so it does make life easier. NO, I'm not selling my Game GearTV Tuner or the TurboGrafx ExpressTurboVision so don't bother asking.
A few paragraphs back, I mentioned the TurboVision having an On/Off switch. Let me explain that. Since the TurboGrafx Express has a dedicated port for the TurboVision, that means it does not require the Game Slot. You may leave a game in the system and watch TV. The ON/OFF switch on the TurboGrafx Express turns the system on and off, while the On/Off switch on the TurboVision enables/disables the tuner. You can only play a game or watch TV. Turning the tuner ON turns the game off. Also, there is no memory, so as soon a you remove the TurboVision tuner, the system acts as if nothing had happened. So, if you last left the TurboVision On, that setting makes no difference when the unit is removed from the TurboGrafx Express.
The Game Gear's tuner resides in the cartridge slot in order to be used, meaning you can only watch TV or have a game in there. You have to pick one or the other. I don't find this to be really important, but I do think it is interesting.
Believe it or not, a bunch of people will go out and buy matching systems and games so they can play against each other. I'm more of a "leave it to chance" person, so I always bring a couple of multi-player games and a communications cable when I travel, allowing opportunity to take its course. When I travel, I play games to help pass time. I'm more of a casual gamer, although my investment tells others I'm a collector. I'm sort of both, but I'm getting off the topic now.
On the Virtual Boy: a miracle. No communications cable was released, nor were any 2-player titles. I can think of at least 4 titles that could have been two player. I could probably think of more if I was actually paying attention. Not to rant, but I think it was just plain stupid for Nintendo to not use the existing Game Boy communications port and cables for the Virtual Boy. I guess they didn't want to risk someone hooking their Game Boy up to their Virtual Boy and damaging something. I am a big fan of re-using existing technology whenever possible. I must mention that I maintain a philosophy with computers that is perhaps unique: as long as the machine works, I'll keep it in production and find something useful for it to do. I have both old and new computers online and fully functional, and many of these computers have seen several video game console generations come and go.
You must both have the same system and the same title, plus the proper communications cable. It should go without saying, but the Game Boy, Game.Com, Neo Geo Pocket, Wonderswan and Game Gear are incompatible with each other, each requiring platform specific cables. Multi-player gaming requires duplication. This is expensive. The Game Boy does have a 4-way adaptor, but to the best of my knowledge, only one title uses it, and that title is F-1 Race. There's an amusing little story I'd like to share with you on this one. When I purchased F-1 Race, it included the 4-way adaptor. The 4-way adaptor is basically a little box with a permanmently attached cable to go to a Game Boy Comm port, leaving 3 available ports for users who have their own cables. The amusing part is that sold sepparately, the 4-player adaptor cost $19.95, but when sold WITH F-1 Race, you get the game AND the adaptor for $17.95. Odd. The Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light and Game Boy Color use the new smaller connector, and to be compatible with the original Game Boy, you must purchase plug adaptors or you can get a cable from Nintendo for around $10 that has at one end the new connector and at the other end it has both the older larger connector and the newer smaller connector. The is the best solution for this problem is the cable. It also appears that Neo Geo Pocket and Neo Geo Pocket COLOR titles are compatible via their link cable.
The Lynx and TurboGrafx Express are no better as the same rules apply, but if pressed, you can make an appropriate communications cable out of widely available and inexpensive parts.
The Atari Lynx has an interesting twist that may be considered an advantage over the other portables when it comes to multi-player caming. The Atari Lynx comm cable has a "pass-through" attachment, meaning that if the game supports it, up to 8 players can play at once. Like the other systems, it requires the duplication of hardware and titles. Maximum players is determined by the game title, so don't expect to link up 4 people and expect to battle it out if the title only supports 2 players. It is important to note that not all Lynx titles properly state the maximum number of players, so you may be able to sneak on an extra player or two. Don't force the issue, the game will ultimately determine what the true maximum is. You can always spot the big Lynx enthusiasts who collect not only the games, but the MAXIMUM number of titles of those multi-player titles so they can have Lynx-parties. While this may sound very geek-like, I think it's rather courteous to ensure their friends are covered. Many of these folks also own multiple Lynx units, or have a lot of friends with Lynx units. Like the TurboGrafx Express, if pressed you can build your own multi-player cable.
The Game Boy Advance brings a great new concept to portable gaming that is obviously inspired by consoles. This is a radical new concept that really leaves the other portable systems in the dust and helps remove the element of chance, leaving the only thing to chance being the other player having a Game Boy Advance. When multi-player gaming using the Game Boy Advance units only, one one cartridge is needed for up to four players to play as well as the Game Boy Advance mutli-player connectors, so now only matching hardware is required, not software as well. The other issue is that the Game Boy Advance title must be compatible wiht this method of game play. While the Game Boy Advance is compatible with the older Game Boy and Game Boy Color systems, an adaptor is required for the communications port and of course all systems must have matching software. Of course, when multi-player gaming with a mixed platform of Game Boy Advance and the older Game Boy units, most likely the maximum players will be limited to 2 since the 4-way adaptor has very limited support because it was not a popular item.
In regards to the Nomad, I again refer you to the FAQ for more details. For everyone else who wants a crash course:
For two player gaming, you will need:
One 6-button controller or joystick to be fair. You can use a 3-button controller.
TV connection cable appropriate for your situation.
Wow! That sounds a lot cheaper. In the long run it is. I recommend the TV connection because it's hard to have two people playing against each other on an LCD display.
If you want to get fancy, add the following:
Portable color TV, hand-held or otherwise
This crazy idea:
It has come to my attention that a lot of people enjoy import games. For some people this is such an important issue that they spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on either import systems, modifications, external conversion hardware, and of course games. This is all a relatively new topic for me. In light of my new discoveries, I feel this is a topic worthy of a few words.
I'd like to move away from portable systems for a moment. As of this writing, the Sega Saturn is a dead system as far as North America, but the system is thriving based on Japanese import games. While I'm no Saturn owner, it is nice to see a system continue despite lack of support from the manufacturor. There are a wide variety of adaptors to allow Nintendo console systems to play import games, mostly allowing North American systems to play Japanese titles, and vice versa. With the Playstation and Saturn, people are having their systems modified to play import games. On a negative point, people are also having sepparate modifications done to these CD-based systems to play illegal copies of games, but I won't go into that. We do have to realize that there is more than one TV standard. The two most popular are PAL and NTSC, with PAL being the most prevailant format in Europe. There is also a third standard; SECAM. I must admit a degree of ignorance on the exact differences between standards, but there are external boxes that can convert a video signal of one type to another type. As I have learned, video game companies actually develop sepparate hardware for the different video formats. My point, in case you missed it, is that a LOT of money is being spent by people who want to play games not released in their country. I can't understand why they don't release all games everywhere, but that's why I run a stupid little video game site and they make video games.
In comparison, portable systems are generally stand-alone systems, completely independent of a television. The exceptions are the Sega Genesis Nomad and the NEC TurboGrafx Express. Remember, these are portable versions of their console counterparts. If we take the GameBoy for example, it doesn't matter WHERE you purchase a GameBoy title, be it Europe, Japan, or even the United States, it will work in a GameBoy unit, even if you bought the GameBoy in yet a different country. As I understand it, the same holds true for the Game Gear, Virtual Boy, and Lynx. A while pack, the NeoGeo Pocket was an import system. Now that the Neo Geo Pocket is available in North America, people are asking if their Japanese titles are compatible: the answer is yes. I would expect the WonderSwan to fall into a similar category if it becomes available in North America. Because portable systems are their own stand-alone platform and completely independent of an outside source of hardware, I strongly suspect that ANY titles for a specific system would be compatible on that platform world-wide.
With the Sega Genesis Nomad, please bear in mind this is the the NTSC version of the Sega Genesis. I have heard fairly consistent reports from people that the Nomad can play MegaDrive games. The MegaDrive is the European version of the Genesis. With the TurboGrafx and TurboGrafx Express, there is an add-on device called the PC Engine that will at least allow American/North American systems to play Japanese titles. I'm assuming there is some sort of regional lock-out that this device gets around.
Since I am on the topic of imports, that leads to being able to play games on a system different than the game was designed for. I think you need some clarification. Heck, now even I need clarification after that last lame statement I made. In the case of the Game Boy, there is the Super Game Boy that allows the Super Nintendo(SNES) to play Game Boy titles. The Super Game Boy can also do a little bit more, but I don't need to get into that. For the Game Gear, there is the Master System Converter, which allows the Game Gear to play Sega Master System titles. I hear there's even an adaptor for the Playstation and a sepparate one for the N64 that can allow you to play Game Boy games on the Playstation or N64.
That's enough on imports and adaption. I felt it was worth mentioning. With the exceptions of the TurboGrafx Express and Nomad, the rest of the portable systems are stand-alone units, which means the games are designed for the specific game system, and not for some video signal and/or broadcast standard. Should you have enough motivation to persue it, you can greatly extend your choice of games. Since not all games are released in all regions or countries or even continents, don't let that stop you from getting those games.
This is a somewhat important section that needs to be addressed due to the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance's release, the Neo Geo Pocket Color's release and Bandia's Wonder Swan Color. While backwards compatibility has been assured, going forward needs to be addressed. This may be a potention area that could play a factor in any decision you may choose to make. This section will only address the Game Boy/Game Boy Color issue and the Neo Geo Pocket/Neo Geo Pocket issue.
We should all know by now that the Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Light are all black and white systems. If you don't know this, you've probably been hiding under a rock or are totally ignorant of portable video gaming or perhaps video games in general. So, you now know and we'll assume you know this. There is also a product called the Super Game Boy, and this allows the Super Nintendo system to be able to play Game Boy titles. There are many unique features to this particular product. Since the Game Boy image does not fill up the entire screen, there are side-bars on the left and right. I think that user-definable graphics(from the Super Game Boy ROM) can be placed in those side bars. In addition, a limited selection of color palattes can be assigned to the game itself, replacing shades of grey with shades of difference colors. Some Game Boy titles were released as "Super Game Boy" titles. This "Super Game Boy" merely meant that the game contained extra code for use with the Super Game Boy, but was otherwise 100% Game Boy compatible. Such extra code included, but was not limited to, custom and animated side-bars and color schemes. Many games not explicitly stating "Super Game Boy" may contain Super Game Boy code, as I have discovered. To the best of my knowledge, no games were released as being ONLY for the Super Game Boy adaptor. If you had a Super Nintendo and a Game Boy, you could play Game Boy games on your TV and not drain your Game Boy batteries. Some people even stated that some games were better on the Super Game Boy because of the lack of blurring that can occur on the passive Game Boy LCD display. I personally have no first-hand experience with the Super Game Boy. This was a first-step in colorizing a popular B&W system.
Because of the release of the Game Boy Color, a new level of gaming was created for this platform. There has been some minor confusion that does need to be addressed. It does appear that the Game Boy Color can take limited advantage of Super Game Boy coding. By "limited", I mean it can't process the side bar information because there are no side-bars actually used on the Game Boy itself. For older non-Super Game Boy titles, and even Super Game Boy titles, the Game Boy Color allows the user to select one of 12 palettes. A palette selection over-rides any Super Game Boy coding. Then there are dual-mode games. Dual-mode games mean they can play in B&W on the Game Boy, but when played on the Game Boy Color, the additional color coding can be taken advantage of. This additional color coding is NOT usable on the Super Game Boy, so the game will play as if it was a B&W Game Boy title, or perhaps Super Game Boy. Lastly, there are COLOR ONLY games, which means they will not play on a Game Boy or Super Game Boy; they can only be used in a Game Boy Color. If a game is not labelled as for Game Boy Color only, then you can safely assume it will work anywhere.
The Game Boy Advance truly takes the Game Boy platform to the next level. As the title suggests, it is a Game Boy at its heart, fully capable of playing Game Boy and Game Boy color specific titles. It also can play Game Boy Advance titles. There are similar backwards compatibility issues with the Game Boy Advance as with the Game Boy Color. The Game Boy Advance adds an extra level of fall-back by being backwards compatible with the Game Boy Color. Due the the extremely large library of games for the Game Boy platform, this makes the Game Boy Advance a very cost effective platform. Also similar with the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Color only titles, Game Boy Advance titles are only compatible with Game Boy Advance.
The Neo Geo Pocket is a crisp black and white system. What I find stupid was the introduction of the Neo Geo Pocket, only to release a color version a few months later. Unlike the Game Boy that has enjoyed a long and popular life as a B&W system and was then re-engineered for color, it doesn't make sense to design a B&W system only to shortly replace it with a color system. That's marketing for you and any of you who work in a technology-driven industry know exactly what I'm talking about. Since the Neo Geo Pocket series is new, there are a lot fewer complications. Neo Geo Pocket Color claims it can play all the Neo Geo Pocket titles, which at this point in time is no big deal because of the lack of titles. The Neo Geo Pocket Color can play the COLOR titles in color. It so far appears that the B&W system can play the color games as well, except in B&W. This could change in time as some games could come out that are for the color system only. No word yet if the color and matching B&W game are compatible for multi-player gaming as I haven't tested that out yet.
Bandai did a similar idea with their Wonderswan by first releasing a black and white system, and then less than a a year later releases a color version. The Wonderswan is also a very new system so backwards compatibility will not be a major issue because of the small user base and lack of titles. Both systems are compatible from a communications port point of view.
As you can see, there is no "best" system. You have a lot to think about before you run out and buy a system. Each system has their own strengths and weaknesses. In the end, you have to decide what is the best system for you. Since I know nothing about you and hope things stay that way, you can see how I am uniquely not qualified to tell you which system to get.
I hope this answers your questions. If not, I can't help you. I've put down everything I've said from the last 500 times I've had to answer that loaded question. You are now on your own.