• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

So why cant the DS play GameBoy games again?

Because it's lacking the Game Boy CPU (a Z80). Sort of dumb imo, as the ARM9 could easily emulate anything the Z80 did... but really, it probably doesn't matter much market wise. Also, this way Nintendo can get their fans to just rebuy all their GB/GBC games again on the "Virtual Handheld" once they release the DS micro.
 
The general public doesn't seem to mind.

For me though, I wish the DS Lite could play all GB and GBC games and have link up features for all the previous portables. It would be THE perfect handheld for me.
 
Also, extra circuitry required to run Game Boy carts at 5V instead of the 3.3V GBA runs at.

If it weren't for that, it may well have been relatively painless for the DS to emulate the GBC hardware.
 
Honestly, they could have just emulated the Game Boy games if they had wanted to. There are other reasons, such as original GB cartridges running at 5V as opposed to the GBA's 3.3V. The GBA had circuitry to accommodate this but apparently the DS (and GBm) does not. Probably just another cost-cutting measure.
 
Damn, jarrod beat me.

I used to be pissed that Nintendo didn't include GB/C compatibility, but honestly it just wouldn't be worth it. Those games are about 10 years old now, I doubt most people still play them regularly. Honestly, GB/C games will be most fit for downloading to the DS, perhaps by the virtual console. I've actually had an idea for a while on how Nintendo could allow us to transfer our virtual console games to the DS (dunno about N64, but GB/GBC/NES/SNES/other 2D consoles could most definitely work):

Nintendo could sell DS "memory cards" (basically an essentially blank DS game card) at retail for maybe 20$ or so - then, we just transfer our GBC/GB/NES/etc VC games to the card. I understand some games are bigger than others, so I believe these blank cards could have a limited amount of "blocks", similar to the GC memory cards. Each game would take up a certain amount of blocks, and once the DS card runs out of blocks, you buy a new blank DS card.

Just a theory. :)
 
yeah its too bad, there's quite a few awesome Gameboy/GBC games, that I might still like to bring with my DS:

Alleyway
Balloon Kid
Battle Unit Zeoth
Castlevania 2 - Belmont's Revenge
Castlevania Adventure
Castlevania Legends
Donkey Kong '94
Duck Tales
F-1 Race
Final Fantasy Adventure
Final Fantasy Legend
Final Fantasy Legend 2
Final Fantasy Legend 3
Game & Watch Gallery 1
Gargoyle's Quest
Kid Icarus: of Myths and Monsters
Kirby's Dreamland
Kirby's Dreamland 2
Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening
Metroid 2 - Return of Samus
Mole Mania
Ninja Gaiden: Shadow
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land

Bionic Commando: Elite Forces
Dragon Warrior 1 & 2
Dragon Warrior 3
Game & Watch Gallery 2
Game & Watch Gallery 3
Game & Watch Gallery 4
Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening DX
Legend of Zelda - Oracle of Ages
Legend of Zelda - Oracle of Seasons
Metal Gear Solid - Ghost of Babel
Shantae
Wario Land 2
Wario Land 3

yeah I don't find myself playing these much anymore but the option is always nice
 
If they wanted to save money on the hardware, they could've just put a GBC-on-GBA emulator into the firmware. That way you could use actual GB/GBC carts instead of being forced to go out and find a passme and a flashcart, and download some bootleg GB/GBC roms (and then get some bootleg GBA/DS roms, while you're already at it). It would've been more worthwhile than offline Pictochat, if you ask me.

But really, very few people care, so Nintendo knew they could get away without doing it.
 
No more annoying than when they were sticking out of the non-backlit GBA. It would literally be sticking out the same amount on the original DS (the one they had in mind when they made the decision), and a bit worse on the DS Lite (but the GBA carts sticking out would still be all anyone complained about).
 
Chris Michael said:
Damn, jarrod beat me.

I used to be pissed that Nintendo didn't include GB/C compatibility, but honestly it just wouldn't be worth it. Those games are about 10 years old now, I doubt most people still play them regularly. Honestly, GB/C games will be most fit for downloading to the DS, perhaps by the virtual console. I've actually had an idea for a while on how Nintendo could allow us to transfer our virtual console games to the DS (dunno about N64, but GB/GBC/NES/SNES/other 2D consoles could most definitely work):

Nintendo could sell DS "memory cards" (basically an essentially blank DS game card) at retail for maybe 20$ or so - then, we just transfer our GBC/GB/NES/etc VC games to the card. I understand some games are bigger than others, so I believe these blank cards could have a limited amount of "blocks", similar to the GC memory cards. Each game would take up a certain amount of blocks, and once the DS card runs out of blocks, you buy a new blank DS card.

Just a theory. :)
Click to expand...
You have seen 6 months into the future. Give yourself a pat on the back.
 
The GBA never emulated the GB and GBC games, the processor was built in. Putting that in the DS and DSL would have took up some space. Plus, it just opens the games up for re-selling.
 
TheGreatDave said:
The GBA never emulated the GB and GBC games, the processor was built in. Putting that in the DS and DSL would have took up some space.
Click to expand...
Yes it did, just not thanks to Nintendo. Even though the GBC chipset was fully available on the GBA, the people writing emulators were feeling a little goofy so they ported GBC emulators to the GBA chipset, even though that seemed pointless at the time. Now it means you can play GBC games on the DS, even though Nintendo said it's impossible.

Plus, it just opens the games up for re-selling.
Click to expand...
Why should Nintendo care what people do with their old carts? And because Nintendo said "playing them" isn't one of the things we should do, they just opened up the door for "ethical piracy".
 
ruby_onix said:
If they wanted to save money on the hardware, they could've just put a GBC-on-GBA emulator into the firmware.
Click to expand...

Except it would never work because of the voltage difference. As I said earlier in this thread. Were it not for that, then yes, an onboard GBC emulator might be able to work, with a little trickery.
 
I really hate it that I can't plat GBC games (zelda oracles, seasons, dx) on my Gameboy Micro.
If there is a way, I would love to know.
 
I still have my GBA, so I have no problems not being able to play GB on my DS. What annoys ME is that I can't use my DS for connectivity. I'd much rather play FFCC with the DS Lite. The SP dpad hurts my thumb. :(
 
I wouldn't mind GB compatability either, as I have a cart of Nobunaga's Ambition which was THE portrable strategy for me in grade school. I must have spent over 100 hours playing that game. I want to revisit DQ III on my DSlite, but bleh.

If there is a Virtual Hanheld I doubt Nobunaga's Ambition would be on the list as it is quite old and I'm not even sure if the GBC version came out in NA.
 
zigg said:
Except it would never work because of the voltage difference. As I said earlier in this thread. Were it not for that, then yes, an onboard GBC emulator might be able to work, with a little trickery.
Click to expand...
Ah, when I read it I wasn't paying enough attention, and read it as meaning that the GBC's Z80 needed more juice than the GBA's ARM7. But you need more power to read the older GBC carts than you do the GBA carts (or GBA flashcarts with GBC roms on them). Got it now.

I still think it would probably have been no effort for Nintendo. And they already manage power levels for the screen brightness.
 
I found it strange that we couldn't play the old gameboy games when I got my DS cause every portable before it was backwards compatible but I'm over it now. It makes me wonder what they'll do for there next handheld as far as backwards compatiblility is concerned.


PolyGone said:
yeah its too bad, there's quite a few awesome Gameboy/GBC games, that I might still like to bring with my DS:

list
list
list
Shantae
list
list


yeah I don't find myself playing these much anymore but the option is always nice
Click to expand...

I use to think that I was the only person to like this game but it seems a few people at gaf have to mention it any chance they get, that makes me happy. Wasn't there supposed to be a Shantae advanced what ever happened to that?
 
ruby_onix said:
Ah, when I read it I wasn't paying enough attention, and read it as meaning that the GBC's Z80 needed more juice than the GBA's ARM7. But you need more power to read the older GBC carts than you do the GBA carts (or GBA flashcarts with GBC roms on them). Got it now.

I still think it would probably have been no effort for Nintendo. And they already manage power levels for the screen brightness.
Click to expand...

Well, I think (and I'm getting a little out of my element here, but I know some) that addressing the ROM on a GB cart also takes entirely different hardware--compare pins on the GB slot with pins on the GBA slot--things are wired up differently in addition to the higher voltage. That little switch inside the GBA's cart slot flips not just the voltage but routes the pins differently.

So basically, it seems that it was a matter of dropping hardware because Nintendo decided that GBC compatibility wouldn't really do anything to sell the hardware. By time DS hit, the GBA library looked impressive enough. Same idea behind the micro.
 
I am more bumbed that it didn't have GC connectivity. Now I have an extra handheld that can't be used for four swords/CC. My GBAsp isn't going anywhere (ever) so the lack of GB GBC BC isn't that big of a deal to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Its stupid that I cant play my Xbox games on PlayStation
2 3
100
2K
coffinbirth replied
[Laura Fryer] The Devs Did It Right, So Why Are Mixtape’s Reviews So Broken?
2 3
141
330
yurinka replied
RTTP Spiderman 2: Why are the Graphics So Bad?
Opinion 
32
153
Fake replied
The DS is the definitive way to play Chrono Trigger
49
1K
dgproject replied
[Gameranx] Why a SUPERMAN Video Game Is So Hard To Make
2
69
798
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt replied
Top Bottom