Zack

The Game Boy Color was the first foray into portable gaming for many. Its simple, pocketable form and sturdy build made it the perfect entertainment device for kids. Its vast library of games made it the perfect companion for long car rides, birthday parties, a trip to grandmas, or Saturday mornings lounging on the couch. It was a major step up from its predecessors, the Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket, boasting improved processing speed and a glorious color display. However, the lack of a lit screen meant playing at night was a hassle, requiring you to sit directly under a light source or utilize one of the many available accessories, such as the infamous "worm light".

With back-lit screens coming standard with all modern portables, this first-world problem is a thing of the past, but there's something special about going back and playing the old classics. Sure, many can be downloaded on the 3DS virtual console or emulated on one of the many obscure handhelds being produced, but it just doesn't feel quite the same. And while the Game Boy Advance SP is wonderfully designed, there's no denying how great a Game Boy Color feels in the hands, not to mention the nostalgia it brings.

There were many copycats clambering to cash in on Nintendo's success, releasing all manner of knockoffs, many of which were nothing more than simple one-game machines with a shell made to resemble a Game Boy. However, there were a handful of respectable clones that played the original software, and a Chinese company by the name of Kong Feng were one such producer, cloning the Game Boy Pocket (GB Boy) and then the Game By Color (GB Boy Colour). They later came out with a GBA SP model, but it's just the GB Boy Colour with a different shell.

The GB Boy Colour, in addition to playing original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, supports multiplayer via link-cable, has a headphone jack, and can be powered via AC adapter. It does have an infrared lens, but there don't appear to be any infrared LEDs inside. Physically, it's practically identical to the real thing, though it is slightly bigger, and has a rectangular screen which distorts the graphics ever so slightly. The buttons don't quite live up to Nintendo standards, but clones never do. They're less mushy and more firm (which makes quickly rocking the D-Pad a little more difficult), but they're not terrible by any means and are quite comfortable. Unlike a lot of knockoff handhelds, this one is surprisingly well built. It's got some weight to it and doesn't feel like it'll crumble under the force of your thumbs. The battery life is excellent, giving enough playtime even on store-brand batteries to play through the majority of Link's Awakening, and the speaker is significantly louder than that on the original GBC. When they're almost out of juice, the system will repeatedly reset to the boot screen.