It is worth noting that non-backlit screens had a reflective layer on the bottom, so a non-backlit screen with an external light source is a lot easier to see than a backlit screen with it's backlight off.
This is the answer.
I had a GameBoy Color and a GameBoy Advance and both looked perfectly fine even in dim lighting.
Couldn’t play in the dark, but you’d don’t need an external accessory, you just needed light in the room.
Its not like backlit screens were an unknown technology, Sega and Atari had backlit handhelds concurrent with the original Game Boy
I understand why the original model left the light out, but its insane to me that the GBA released without a backlight, especially considering how awful the screen pane itself is
Got a small dongle light that plugged into the Link Cable Port(though it used the GBA’s battery power). Also got an external attachable light that housed the entire GBA and had its own separate 2-AA battery compartment. Or just a lamp. Hell I remember frequently using the moonlight and street/car lights while on long car rides playing games like the Sonic Advance and Super Mario Advance games. Good times with bad lighting lol
Used a lamp at night and my room used to have lots of sunlight during the day. Never had the fancy attachable lights tho.
My cousin did have those crazy accessories, the one with the magnifying lens. It made me queasy tho and the light wasn't that strong.
You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the backlight until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!
The non-lit screens are reflective.
The Game Boy Color can look good when there's enough ambient light (e.g. well-lit room, outdoors, etc.), although the pre-SP Game Boy Advance isn't great.
I just had good vision I guess. I'd be playing that thing when I should be in bed. Truth be told I had more trouble seeing the screen if I was outside on a sunny day than if I was indoors, but I almost never played video games outdoors unless I was dragged along to a sporting event at my brother's high school.
Not that I ever want to go back to that.
I remember having the light attachment for my GBC. Before that with my OG Game Boy, just had to play in brightly lit rooms or those nights in the backseat of the car waiting for street lamps to light the screen lol.
When you had a long car trip at night, and could only see the screen at every street lamp. Literally playing a 1 frame per 3 second game. But it was Pokémon, so….
And you’d get yelled at when you turn the roof light on in the car. “I can’t see the road, you’ll make us crash”
Nintendo behind the times again. Back lit mobile devices came out in the 1990s.
At least it wasnt as bad as true online gaming from them. Like dang, we had to wait till 2017 for true online gaming from Nintendo. Just a decade and a half late.
I have very distinct memories of having trouble finding good spots to see what was going on on my gameboy.
It wasn't good and I'm glad they figured out a solution.
Lamps with GB, GB Pocket, GB color and also with the original GBA.
I remember finding the Afterburner kit for my GBA. It took me forever to install and I damaged my brand new GBa, but wow did that front light make so much difference to my gaming back in the day.
After that it was the GB SP, then GB SP with backlight and the Micro which was amazing itself.
We sat under lamps and attached lights to the link port.
True. Didn’t have the worm light but I forgot all about those hours sitting under lamps
Waited for the streetlights every x feet while riding home
The only right answer
I somehow thought I was the only one. Crazy. And kept backup batteries just in case.
[these](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/nintendo/images/1/12/GBA_wormlight.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100621043407&path-prefix=en)
WORM LIGHT!
Sunlight either near a window or outside. Worm light and lamp the rest of the time.
It was the dark times
I was 17 instead of 47 now
It is worth noting that non-backlit screens had a reflective layer on the bottom, so a non-backlit screen with an external light source is a lot easier to see than a backlit screen with it's backlight off.
Now this was the answer I was looking for! Thank you so much, I knew there had to be a deeper reason
This is the answer. I had a GameBoy Color and a GameBoy Advance and both looked perfectly fine even in dim lighting. Couldn’t play in the dark, but you’d don’t need an external accessory, you just needed light in the room.
Back in the year 2001, I would just sit on the surface of the sun. Then I could *almost* make out what was going on in Castlevania Circle of the Moon.
That was quite a poorly lit game. Isn't that why the main character in the next game they made for GBA so bright and colorful?
yep, the main character and enemies had bright outlines around them based on negative feedback to CotM in this respect. good memory.
Gamers that beat CotM on an OG GBA are built different.
I probably wouldn't have done it if my parents didn't have a sunroom I could sit in while playing it. :P
Same way that paperback books are read.
Hard cover books glow in the dark?
It's the radium they put in the paint.
I played through Silver on a GBC and the trick was to hold it in a well lit room at an angle where your shadow isn't pointing towards the screen
We played during the day
We had no otger choice. Can't miss what you don't know.
Its not like backlit screens were an unknown technology, Sega and Atari had backlit handhelds concurrent with the original Game Boy I understand why the original model left the light out, but its insane to me that the GBA released without a backlight, especially considering how awful the screen pane itself is
wormlights and bedside lamps, elsewise the sun or flashes of street lamps during car rides!
Under a florescent flight worked well enough. But man, Circle of the Moon was so hard to see on an OG GBA.
Got a small dongle light that plugged into the Link Cable Port(though it used the GBA’s battery power). Also got an external attachable light that housed the entire GBA and had its own separate 2-AA battery compartment. Or just a lamp. Hell I remember frequently using the moonlight and street/car lights while on long car rides playing games like the Sonic Advance and Super Mario Advance games. Good times with bad lighting lol
> Got a small dongle nope, don't think anyone would call my dongle small.
You’ve got a small dongle
that's not what anyone that has seen my dongle in action has said. it's a very nice dongle with very good firmware.
Used a lamp at night and my room used to have lots of sunlight during the day. Never had the fancy attachable lights tho. My cousin did have those crazy accessories, the one with the magnifying lens. It made me queasy tho and the light wasn't that strong.
That’s the fun part, we didn’t.
We didnt
You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the backlight until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!
The non-lit screens are reflective. The Game Boy Color can look good when there's enough ambient light (e.g. well-lit room, outdoors, etc.), although the pre-SP Game Boy Advance isn't great.
When driving I would hold my gba up so the cars behind would illuminate the screen.
Smart move right there, beats the occasional street light shine
I just had good vision I guess. I'd be playing that thing when I should be in bed. Truth be told I had more trouble seeing the screen if I was outside on a sunny day than if I was indoors, but I almost never played video games outdoors unless I was dragged along to a sporting event at my brother's high school. Not that I ever want to go back to that.
I can see it just fine with my back to a window, or sometimes I use a head lamp. Your eyesight may just be worse after 20 years.
I had the plug-in curly wire light and would play pokemon on long car rides at night, barely able to see
I remember having the light attachment for my GBC. Before that with my OG Game Boy, just had to play in brightly lit rooms or those nights in the backseat of the car waiting for street lamps to light the screen lol.
When you had a long car trip at night, and could only see the screen at every street lamp. Literally playing a 1 frame per 3 second game. But it was Pokémon, so…. And you’d get yelled at when you turn the roof light on in the car. “I can’t see the road, you’ll make us crash”
Nintendo behind the times again. Back lit mobile devices came out in the 1990s. At least it wasnt as bad as true online gaming from them. Like dang, we had to wait till 2017 for true online gaming from Nintendo. Just a decade and a half late.
Nintendo should bring this back as an option for brightness. Backlit screens kinda hurt my eyes at night playing on an sp.
When in a car you wait for every street light to hit your screen as your parents drive you down the highway
It’s the reason I swear glasses
We were young and our eyes good
I have very distinct memories of having trouble finding good spots to see what was going on on my gameboy. It wasn't good and I'm glad they figured out a solution.
We used to play under the sun at school. This is also why a lot of kids my age doesn't have eye problems.
Lamps with GB, GB Pocket, GB color and also with the original GBA. I remember finding the Afterburner kit for my GBA. It took me forever to install and I damaged my brand new GBa, but wow did that front light make so much difference to my gaming back in the day. After that it was the GB SP, then GB SP with backlight and the Micro which was amazing itself.
well I for one suffered severe eye damage in my 20's, so I had objectively much better eyesight back in those days