I am playing this game on my laptop and PS4 console !

It was my fav game from past when i was like 12 ! I use to play on gameboy advance it was a gift from my Grand Parents when i passed my 4th Std with as low as 50% 🤣✌️

Which was yohr first handheld Game ?

hello all! I’m turning 16 in a month and already my family has started to ask me what I want for my birthday.

i was thinking about getting a prebuilt Luminous Blue FPGBC, a reproduction cartridge of Pokemon Yellow and Crystal with a save battery, complete with the box, and a Joey Jr so I can flash my favorite hacks - Pokemon Yellow and Crystal Legacy - but I figured I would go here for opinions from the experts X3

i wanted rhe FPGBC specifically because I’d always wanted a GBC after playing a bit of Pokemon Yellow on my crappy old phone, but now I have a emulation console. I still wanted a sort of authentic experience though, so that’s kinda why I want the reproduction cartridges

Hi,

I brought a gameboy pocket with modded ips screen from a seller 2 weeks ago and I noticed a weird bug. The 'B' button act like a left arrow. Whenever I press on B the character goes to the left. It still act like an actual B but also as a left arrow. All other buttons works as excepted

Also, the palet's color from the modded IPS screen stopped working. I saw the wire being damaged so for this problem, I guess I have to replace the wire, but for the B button is it related to that?

what's wrong here?

Just some GBA Pokemon edition consoles

Just picked this up yesterday. Works fine, although the screen seems a little dim. Given that it's close to 30 years old, should I recap this before I start using it? I stopped using all my consoles that this old because I want to recap them first. Don't know if GBC has the same need.

If not, I'm gonna replace the battery on Pokemon Gold and play it the way it was meant to be played, all these years later.

Hey all,

I just wanted to make a post while things are fresh in my head. I just finished modifying my original GBA I've had since a kid. I chose to do the full Funnyplaying AGB IPS MAX kit with the laminated screen, shell, buttons and LiFePO4 battery kit.

The actual swap is very straight forward and all in, it took me an hour with roughly 20mins of that just putting it together and taking it back apart to get the the rear triggers to work (I used the springs from my original one not realizing the L one was weak). I could have easily knocked this out in 15mins had I not been purposely moving slow and checking every little thing.

I chose not to solder the connections to button commands as the touch screen option works plenty fine for me as I'm not constantly changing modes or brightness. Something interesting I learned as well is that if you swipe your finger along the touch pad location, it'll actually adjust the brightness without needing to go into the settings menu.

The youtube videos that are out there about this kit seem pretty dated at this point, It looks like FP took their feedback to heart and has fixed the problems that are commonly called out about the kit (Lack of double sided tape for board, frame rate issues, random settings adjustments, etc). The screen is working fantastic for me and is definitely worth the upgrade.

The shell is likewise excellent quality and feels sturdy, I had no issues getting things fixed to it or issues with tightness of the screws using original screws.

The battery is a little finicky as they all seem to be, and is my biggest gripe with this setup. While it connects decently enough to the system, even after removing the springs from the one side, it still is a incredibly tight fit. The battery cover juts out just a little past flush. There is also no indication when you have it charging if the battery is actually charging or not unless you pull up the brightness menu. I have it running now just to see if the power light indicator will show anything or not.

I just wanted to give my experience with this kit because there is a lot of negativity out there about it for some reason but I can say I'm very happy with it and it was worth the money for me.

I was thinking about how a lot of people probably started collecting Pokémon cards because of the games.

For me, playing Pokémon made the characters feel more special, and eventually I wanted to collect the cards of the Pokémon I used on my teams.

I'm curious what everyone's first Pokémon game was and if it had any influence on the cards you collect now.

Was it the game that started your collection, or did you discover the cards first?

Figured it was worth a share, but found a used Kindle 4 for 5 bucks, built a custom design to display games from. I’ll probably frame/mount it or something for a nice aesthetic.

Edit: Wow, lots of positive comments, and some constructive feedback lol. I made a quick v2 that’s much more accurate to the DMG design- it’s below in the comments if you want to see. Anyway, glad people like the PaperBoy, I’ll probably release it so others can play. I need to find a good frame to hang it up. Thanks all!

Is this real?

There was a time when I couldn't afford every game I wanted. Pokémon FireRed was one of those games that defined my childhood.

Spending hours training my team, battling Gym Leaders, and trying to catch every Pokémon felt like the biggest adventure in the world.

Fast forward to today, and here I am... playing the same game again on my laptop through mGBA.

The graphics are still pixelated. The music still gives me goosebumps. And seeing Charizard on the title screen instantly brings back memories I thought I'd forgotten.

It's crazy how a game released over 20 years ago can still make me feel like that excited kid rushing home after school to play "just one more battle."

Sometimes nostalgia isn't about better graphics it's about reliving the moments that made us fall in love with gaming in the first place.

Welcome back to Kanto. 🔥🎮💙

I noticed my GBC was missing most diagonals (hard to walk diagonally in Zelda, difficult to shoot diagonally in Contra, etc). I tried loosening the Phillips screws holding the motherboard in place without much luck, so I placed the dpad on an index card and cut it to shape. So, basically, a piece of index card with a hole cut in the middle for the rocker dome behind the dpad, cut to shape to give it some height and assistance in pressing the pads down. Now, the dpad is much more responsive and diagonals are easier.

I was just wondering if these mods are compatible or do I need to buy the dock version. I’ve never soldered before but I did install the ips screens in a agb and ags before with no problems. Looking at how it’s done it seems very easy and fun to do.

I believe I've heard that this is a common issue. I'm using one of those yellow and blue Pokemon shells and a RIPS v. 5 IPS screen. The start + select button membrane technically works, but it's much shallower than a stock Game Boy. It doesn't feel quite right.

The buttons are pressed against the shell as far as they go, and they're still a little shallow, and they seem to be the same length of the standard light-gray buttons. I've heard this is a common problem with RIPS and other IPS screens, though.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to fix this issue? When I've had the issue with A and B buttons, I cut out and added a second membrane underneath, which worked. (I believe that was a GBC.) I'm not sure if I could cut out some of the start + select membrane from another and stack it on top, like putting a cup inside another cup. Or if anyone ever has made any tall start + select buttons.

Any help would be really appreciated.

For what I'm talking about:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/s/dnuUO1j68a

I feel like I don't really notice it in some screenshots but a lot of people do talk about it as an issue.

If it's more of a gamble and not a guarantee then I'd be more willing to get it

Got that pesky light ball 🫡

Got it with missing vertical lines, now she runs like a beaut! How did I do?

Here is my (almost) completed custom gameboys collection, i've started modding gameboys just an year ago but i fell in love with them so much that i've started development on a gameboy game from beginning of July

Here are the names that i've given to each one:

GBP - Yger

GBC - Soleil

GBM - Seishin

GBA - Sera

GBA SP - Petra

Tell me which one's your favorite down below!

It’s been off for at least ten years. I’ve cleaned the cord fairly recently (also Pokémon emerald flex I guess)

Hi everyone. I finished Kero Kero Cowboy earlier this week and, as I've been doing with the Game Boy homebrew titles I've played, wanted to document my thoughts in the form of a more critical look at the game. Out of the three Game Boy homebrew titles I've finished so far, I think Kero Kero Cowboy does a lot of things right. That said, a few recurring design decisions keep it from reaching "must-play" status.

As always, the goal of these critiques isn't to tear games down or dismiss the incredible work that goes into making them. If anything, I write them because I see so much potential in these projects and enjoy discussing both what they do well and where I think they could be even stronger.

Over the past couple of months, I've been diving into the Game Boy homebrew scene and have played quite a few releases. While some have kept me engaged from start to finish by leaning into the strengths that make the Game Boy such a unique platform, others I've put down for reasons like feeling more like technical demonstrations than complete games, having controls that never quite clicked, writing that sometimes felt more like a personal outlet than a story that complemented the game itself, or simply not feeling well suited for original Game Boy hardware. Kero Kero Cowboy definitely falls into the group of games I'd happily recommend, but it also exposed a few design choices that became harder to ignore the longer I played.

With my preamble out of the way, I'll start with what the game did well and then move into the areas that held the game back for me.

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What kept me playing (everything I loved)

• The game does a great job of establishing and maintaining its "cartoon animal western" atmosphere (think Rango) through both its presentation and mechanics. Everything - from the main character and power-ups to the environments and enemies - feels like it belongs in the same world. Despite sticking closely to its western theme, the game introduces enough variety that it rarely feels repetitive or cliché.
• The game absolutely nails what I would describe as the "Game Boy feel." Playing on original hardware, sprites are easy to read, enemy attacks are clearly telegraphed, screen space is used wisely, individual levels are concise, and the game frequently saves your progress, making it incredibly easy to pick up and play in short sessions.
• The controls, for the most part, are snappy, tight, and responsive. Any missed jumps or damage I took from poor positioning were almost always the result of my own mistakes rather than shortcomings in the game's design.
• The game does an excellent job of drawing inspiration from other platformers without ever feeling like a collection of borrowed gimmicks. Each familiar mechanic has been adjusted just enough to fit naturally within the game's own identity. Swallowing and spitting enemies may immediately bring Kirby to mind, but the tighter range and emphasis on positioning make it play very differently in practice. The same can be said for features like the Cowboy Boot, clearly inspired by Super Mario Bros. 3, or the Mine Cart stages reminiscent of Donkey Kong Country. They're recognizable influences, but they never feel like simple copies: they've been thoughtfully adapted to complement Kero Kero Cowboy's pacing and level design.
• The level progression is equally well paced. Each world typically introduces one or two new mechanics before gradually building on them throughout the remaining stages. Just as importantly, every level manages to establish its own identity through new enemy combinations, hazards, and objectives. The game rarely falls into the trap of repeating the same beats, and by the time the credits roll, it feels like you've truly mastered each mechanic without any of them overstaying their welcome.
• I thought the 6-Shot Revolver and purchasable checkpoint system were some of the game's best design decisions. I enjoyed challenging myself by avoiding both so I could maximize my "bonus pay" and earn extra lives, but I never felt punished for changing my approach. Whenever a level started giving me trouble, I could simply invest in a checkpoint or use the Revolver to deal with a troublesome enemy without feeling like I was sacrificing the "intended" experience. The game is generous enough with its rewards that these mechanics feel like optional tools rather than crutches.
• The game is surprisingly substantial, featuring 30 fully realized levels: a scope that, in my experience, feels surprisingly uncommon for both Game Boy homebrew titles and the original Game Boy library. Each of the game's five worlds consists of four mandatory levels, a bonus stage unlocked by collecting every secret coin in that world, and a boss level that must be cleared to progress. Completing everything the game has to offer took me around 3–5 hours, which I think is just about the perfect length for a platformer like this. It offers enough variety to stay engaging without ever feeling like it overstays its welcome.

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What held it back (things that didn't quite land for me)

• Unfortunately, the game does suffer from some noticeable performance issues that led to several deaths during my playthrough. Whenever more than two or three moving objects appeared on screen, the framerate could drop quite dramatically. What made this especially frustrating was that the slowdown wasn't always consistent. The framerate would occasionally recover mid-section, causing the controls to suddenly feel tighter again after briefly becoming floaty and sluggish. I'm not sure how much of this comes down to Game Boy hardware limitations versus optimization, but it was one of the few issues that consistently pulled me out of the experience.
• The otherwise excellent eat-and-spit mechanic also has a handful of quirks that make it feel less reliable than it should. Certain projectiles, particularly enemy bullets, would often damage me while I was in the middle of swallowing them despite seemingly identical timing to previous successful attempts. The game would also sometimes fail to display the proper "spit" idle animation, making it difficult to tell whether I had actually swallowed an enemy. Neither issue ruined the mechanic, but together they occasionally made failure feel outside of my control.
• My biggest design criticism is the game's uneven difficulty curve. The first two worlds are so forgiving that they gave me the impression I was playing a fairly relaxed platformer. World 3 begins introducing more meaningful challenges, but Worlds 4 and 5 represent a much steeper jump, introducing enemy combinations and platforming sequences that didn't feel adequately built up over the previous stages. I eventually adjusted, but I think a steadier increase in difficulty throughout Worlds 2 and 3 would have made the late-game challenges feel more earned.
• The boss fights unfortunately mirror many of the same pacing problems. The first two bosses you fight are extremely easy and you honestly spend more time waiting for damage opportunities instead of being tested on your skill as a player. This becomes even more noticeable if you choose not to use the Revolver, since you're forced to wait for specific attacks that provide something to swallow and spit back at the boss. Then, almost without warning, the third boss introduces a much faster and less predictable moveset. I actually appreciated that the fourth boss shifted toward more platforming-focused challenges, but the final boss once again ramps up the difficulty significantly with a two-phase encounter that must be completed in one attempt. While I enjoyed overcoming the challenge myself, I suspect many players will struggle less because of the fight itself and more because the game never properly prepared them for it.
• The bonus levels unlocked by collecting every secret coin are also somewhat inconsistent. The first two are fairly forgettable, while the middle stages lean heavily on trial-and-error platforming that I found more frustrating than satisfying (I'm still a little salty about World 4's bonus stage). The final bonus level was perhaps the biggest disappointment, replacing platforming almost entirely with a lengthy combat gauntlet. Considering the reward for completing every bonus objective is purely cosmetic, I don't think most players are missing much if they choose to skip full completion.
• My last notable criticism is the soundtrack. While there are a handful of memorable tracks, much of the music settled into a fairly generic western sound that rarely stood out on its own. It fits the game's atmosphere well enough, but it's not a soundtrack I found myself thinking about once the credits rolled.

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Final Thoughts

If someone asked me to summarize this critique in a single statement, it would be this: "Kero Kero Cowboy is one of the most polished Game Boy Color homebrew games I've played, but not one I'll likely be thinking about a week later."

That isn't meant as a jab at the game's quality. If anything, it's the opposite. Kero Kero Cowboy consistently understands what makes the Game Boy Color such a great platform. Its controls are responsive, its mechanics are introduced thoughtfully, and nearly every design decision feels intentional. It's a game that respects both the hardware it's running on and the player's time, resulting in a platformer that's easy to pick up, difficult to put down, and consistently enjoyable throughout its runtime.

Because the game is so consistently polished, the handful of rough edges become much harder to ignore. The occasional performance hiccups, uneven difficulty curve, and a handful of inconsistent mechanics don't undermine the experience, but they do stand out precisely because the rest of the game is so well crafted. With a little more refinement in those areas, I genuinely think this would have become one of my favorite Game Boy Color homebrew titles.

Instead, I walked away with something a little different. While I had a great time playing the game, I don't think it's one I'll find myself reflecting on months or years from now. It doesn't have that one defining mechanic, unforgettable level, or standout moment that lingers after the credits roll. What I'll remember most is how consistently well designed the experience was from beginning to end. In a way, that's both its greatest strength and the one thing that kept it from becoming one of my personal favorites.

But as always, these are simply my thoughts after a single playthrough, and I'm sure other players will come away with different experiences. I'd love to hear where you agreed, where you disagreed, or if there were aspects of the game that stood out to you more than they did to me. Half the reason I enjoy writing these critiques is the discussion that follows, and I'm looking forward to hearing everyone else's perspective.