Nintendo Game Boy PocketFrom real comments

Name: Nintendo Game Boy Pocket
Rating: 5 (8 reviews)

Verdict distilled from 8 mentions across 1 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment100%

PROS 100%

Rank based on 8 mentions across 1 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

You want the sharpest, least-ghosted screen for playing original monochrome Game Boy games
You value a genuinely pocket-sized, lightweight retro handheld
You're nostalgic for launch-era games like Pokemon Red/Blue or Super Mario Land

What users love

Sharper, clearer screenKey factor0 mentions

Strongly positive

Skip this if...

You need long battery life without frequent AAA replacements
You want built-in backlighting without modding
You prefer the larger color palette and screen size of the Game Boy Color

What users complain about

No cons data available.

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Based on user comments

Best choiceBest value

1Budget

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Affordable priceExtremely durable buildComfortable ergonomicsNo 3D functionalityNon-foldable slab designSingle speaker only

Nintendo 2DS

Affordable price

Extremely durable build

Comfortable ergonomics

No 3D functionality

Non-foldable slab design

Single speaker only

2Mid

Nintendo 3DS

StreetPass and social featuresCustomization and personalityHuge legacy game libraryScarcity and rising pricesBattery aging and data riskConfusing naming and missing features

Nintendo 3DS

StreetPass and social features

Customization and personality

Huge legacy game library

Scarcity and rising prices

Battery aging and data risk

Confusing naming and missing features

3Mid

Sony PSP

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Huge, beloved game library

Console-quality graphics

Strong homebrew and emulation scene

PSP Go ergonomics and dock scarcity

Dead pixel issues

Later slim models had inferior build/finish

4Budget

Nintendo Game Boy Color

Strong nostalgia and emotional attachmentClever hardware engineeringColorization of original Game Boy gamesMuted, dim screenInconsistent early third-party graphicsShort console lifespan

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Strong nostalgia and emotional attachment

Clever hardware engineering

Colorization of original Game Boy games

Muted, dim screen

Inconsistent early third-party graphics

Short console lifespan

5Mid

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP

Deep nostalgia factorStrong game library tie-inDesirable special editionsFragile under rough useHard to find and pricey nowAccessory and game scarcity for rare shells

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Deep nostalgia factor

Strong game library tie-in

Desirable special editions

Fragile under rough use

Hard to find and pricey now

Accessory and game scarcity for rare shells

Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Exceptional game libraryStrong nostalgic valueImpressive pseudo-3D and graphics capabilityPoor screen visibilityDifficult sound chipPerceived shortage of good games at launch

Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Exceptional game library

Strong nostalgic value

Impressive pseudo-3D and graphics capability

Poor screen visibility

Difficult sound chip

Perceived shortage of good games at launch

7Budget

Nintendo DSi

Flipnote Studio creative legacyEasy to mod/hackBeloved DSiWare libraryNo GBA slotGBA emulation still buggyDSiWare transfer data loss

Nintendo DSi

Flipnote Studio creative legacy

Easy to mod/hack

Beloved DSiWare library

No GBA slot

GBA emulation still buggy

DSiWare transfer data loss

You are here

8Budget

Nintendo Game Boy Pocket

Sharper, clearer screen

Nintendo Game Boy Pocket

Sharper, clearer screen

9Mid

Anbernic RG503

Vibrant OLED screen

Anbernic RG503

Vibrant OLED screen

10Mid

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SteamOS Experience

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SteamOS Experience

Nostalgic
1. Nintendo Game Boy Colorarrow_upward20
2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance SParrow_upward15
3. Nintendo Game Boy Advancearrow_upward10
Durable
1. Nintendo 2DSarrow_upward10
2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance SParrow_upward3

Overall Impression

The screen upgrade over the original Game Boy is the Pocket's defining strength. Commenters repeatedly single out the higher-contrast black-and-white screen as a massive leap over the original DMG's blurry, ghosting-prone green display. Several say they can barely play the original Game Boy anymore after using the Pocket, calling the clarity a 'night and day difference.' Some still note minor ghosting remains, but far less severe, making it their preferred way to experience classic monochrome Game Boy titles even today.

Its small size and battery setup are a mixed bag. Many appreciated the reduced footprint and how much easier it was to carry than the bulky original, with one calling it their designated 'bring to work' unit. However, others found it barely pocketable in front pockets and disliked that it switched to two AAA batteries, which some households didn't stock, leading to complaints about noticeably shorter play sessions compared to the original's four-AA setup lasting far longer.

It holds deep nostalgic and collector value decades later. Numerous commenters describe the Pocket as their first-ever game console, tied to vivid memories of receiving it as a birthday or Christmas gift alongside Pokemon or Mario Land. Many report their original units, some over 20 years old, still function today. Collectors also prize variant colors and Hong Kong or Japanese regional releases, while modders add IPS or backlit screens to further improve the experience.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?

visibilitySharper, clearer screenKey factor

8 mentions

Strongly positive

Commenters consistently praise the Pocket's improved black-and-white screen for eliminating much of the ghosting and blur that plagued the original Game Boy. Many say games became genuinely easier to see, calling it a night-and-day improvement.

@BlueTrane2028

When the original game boy came out, alkaline batteries were not yet a thing. So you needed 4 AAs to get similar play time to the pocket's 2 alkaline AAAs. DMGs now last FOREVER on alkaline AAs.\r\n\r\nI have a pocket, but it doesn't really \"do it\" for me. Feels too small but the screen really is nicer. Probably because I played so much on the original DMG as a kid and didn't get a pocket, or even a color until I was in my 30s. I am also a bit turned off by the red shell mine lives in. I know, first world issues for sure, but we humans are a crazy lot. The clear you have is so much nicer and would match my clear DMG in my collection...\r\n\r\nI've finally got myself an IPS screen in a DMG, and it's been quite a revelation. Battery life is definitely reduced though, so doing such a swap to a pocket or even a color may not work out quite as well.\r\n\r\nThe real big deal of the pocket for Nintendo was a per unit cost reduction that came along with the spec bump for the screen.\r\n\r\nThe interesting thing about the pocket is they were debating dropping the link cable. Lucky for them they didn't, because Pokemon came out right after the pocket and kids were trading their monsters like crazy over the link cables.\r\n\r\nIf they had killed the link, Pokemon may not have taken off so well.

smart_display

May 18, 2023

@Rip_The_Jacker6

I love my Pocket. Imo it's the definitive way to play OG Gameboy games. The Color was nice, but the screen was significantly smaller, and it would force a color palette on GB games that wasn't really meant to be. There's a tiny bit of ghosting with the pocket, but the grey scale monochrome of the pocket was so much better than the greenscale on the DMG. The Pocket is also easier to play in lowlight conditions than both the DMG and GBC.

smart_display

March 27, 2023

@baronhausenpheffer

Back when this first came out, I was really impressed with the Game Boy Pocket, partially because of its small size, but even more for the quality-boost to the screen. The OG Game Boy had horrendous ghosting, and it was often hard to see what you were doing even in full light. On this one, a more \"black and white\" contrast versus \"green and dark green\" made games so much easier to see. Like you said, if anyone wants the original Game Boy experience, this is the way to go.

smart_display

August 5, 2022

@patrickmurphy9470

I remember getting the pocket along with Mario land 2. The screen was bigger and less blurry than my original.\nNight and day difference. The screen is also bigger than the color.

smart_display

April 4, 2022

Nintendo Game Boy Pocketchat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

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Nostalgic

Durable

auto_awesomeOverall Impression

Nintendo Game Boy PocketFrom real comments

Buy this if...

What users love

Skip this if...

What users complain about

Overall Impression