Posted by Super Turrican on Jul 20, 2010 20:37 (Jul 20, 2010 20:37)
The Gameboy has been a cultural phenomenon for over 15 years and has been as successful for Nintendo as the Walkman range has been for Sony. Throughout its colourful and interesting life, this amazing little handheld has gone through many technological upgrades and innovations ranging from the iconic monochrome original to the current colour dual screen marvel that is the DS. Unfortunately, one variation of this multi-million selling games system did not make it out of Japan...
Making Light of It
The limited edition Gameboy Light (see “Restricted Light” boxout) was released in 1997 and is powered by 2 ‘AA’ batteries that provide over 12 hours of playing time with the light activated and over 20 with it switched off - just a fraction more than the DS can manage nowadays with its rechargeable battery. It is the only Gameboy model that does not have a flat, flush back end because the protective battery lid is curved to allow room for the bigger power cells.
In terms of its size, it more closely resembles the Gameboy Color than the Pocket. The screen is the only real similarity between the two monochrome models, being 48mm x 44mm in size and providing a maximum resolution of 160 x 144 pixels. In line with the miniscule proportions of its lineage, the Gameboy Light is 132mm long, 79mm wide and 22mm deep - a featherweight 138g without batteries.
The technical specifications of the Light are similar to that of its monochrome brother, the Gameboy Pocket. The Z80 custom processor running at 4.19 Hz is capable of allowing up to 40 sprites on screen at any time.
The implementation of the built-in light could not be simpler. The traditional ON/OFF switch has one further setting called LIGHT. Move the switch one place to the right and the Gameboy boots up in normal ‘ON’ mode. Move the switch one click further and the backlight kicks in, lighting up the screen with a pale green glow. The Gameboy Light retains all the recognisable features that adorn its sister models including the NES-style D-Pad (co-incidentally Nintendo own the rights to this style of directional layout), A and B buttons, the select/start buttons, the mono speaker positioned in the lower right corner of the console and the power LED to the left of the screen.
What if?
The western world had seen backlit handheld gaming before in the guise of the Sega Game Gear and the Atari Lynx systems. Both systems were renowned for their ability to suck up more power than a pensioner’s kettle. The Gameboy Light’s illuminated display, however, allows lengthy spells of cost effective gaming without having to change the batteries every 2 hours; this would have been a welcome addition to the western world’s handheld collection back in the day.
To sum Up
Only 1,000 Gameboy Lights were ever made, thus ensuring that it remains one of the rarest and most sought after of Nintendo handhelds to-date. It may never be as fondly regarded as its presitigious parent, but it will be remembered as the first portable games machine to successfully integrate a cost-effective lighting system within its housing. Nintendo have since perfected this trait with the DS Lite, with its 4 brightness settings, shows just how far we have come in the last 15 years of handheld gaming. So, the next time you’re enjoying a session on one of Nintendo’s hand held wonders, remember the system that made it all possible.
Is there a source for the number 1,000 ever made? I haven't found this number anywhere. You were just making the number up? It may be rare, but not that rare.
The game boy light Pokemon limited edition alone had 5,000 units made. Also there are other rare limited edition game boy light of which there were 5,000 copies made.
Aug 3, 2010 15:11:46 (
Aug 3, 2010 14:11
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