Which Game Boy Should You Buy? Original, Color, Advance and SP Compared
The Game Boy line ran long enough that "a Game Boy" can mean six quite different machines. They vary in screen quality, whether the screen is lit at all, what powers them, and — most importantly — which cartridges they will accept. None of them is the correct answer for everyone. The right one depends on what you want to play and where you want to play it. Here is a plain comparison of the handhelds, plus what to check before you buy a used one.
Game Boy (DMG) and Game Boy Pocket
The original grey brick has an unlit reflective LCD with the well-known green tint. It runs on four AA batteries, has a contrast dial, a volume wheel and a headphone jack, and a large speaker that many people prefer to the later models. It is the biggest and heaviest handheld in the family, and because the screen has no lighting of its own, you need a bright lamp or daylight to see it properly.
The Game Boy Pocket is a slimmer redesign with a black-and-white screen that has noticeably better contrast and less ghosting than the original. It runs on two AAA batteries and uses a smaller link cable port, so link cables and some accessories are not interchangeable with the original without an adapter. It is still unlit.
Buy either of these only if you specifically want the original hardware feel. Both play Game Boy games and nothing else.
Game Boy Color
The Game Boy Color plays the entire original Game Boy library plus colour titles, which makes it a big step up in usefulness. It takes two AA batteries and has an infrared port on the top edge used by a small number of games. The screen is colour but still unlit and reflective, so the same lighting caveat applies: in a dim room it is hard to read.
Cartridges come in two kinds. Black-shelled carts are dual-mode and work in both a Game Boy and a Game Boy Color. Clear-shelled carts are Color-exclusive and will not run on the older models. If you are browsing Game Boy Color games, that shell colour is the quickest way to tell which machine you need.
Game Boy Advance
The original Advance is the landscape-shaped model with shoulder buttons. It runs on two AA batteries, has a headphone jack, and plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Advance cartridges — the widest compatibility of any model in the range. Its weakness is the screen, which is unlit and fairly dim. Many people find it the hardest of all the models to see comfortably indoors.
Game Boy Advance SP
The SP is the clamshell model and the one most people should consider first. It folds shut to protect the screen, charges from a mains adapter with an internal rechargeable battery, and keeps full backwards compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges.
There are two versions, and the difference matters. The AGS-001 has a front-lit screen: a light shines across the surface, which works but looks washed out and uneven. The AGS-101 has a proper backlit screen and is much brighter and more even. You can tell them apart by holding the power button — on an AGS-001 the light toggles on and off, while the AGS-101 cycles between two brightness levels. The model number is also printed inside the battery compartment.
The SP has no headphone jack; headphones require an adapter that plugs into the charging port. If you want a large Game Boy Advance games library on a lit screen with no battery shopping, this is the model to get.
Game Boy Micro
The Micro is tiny, has a bright backlit screen and interchangeable faceplates, and charges internally. The trade-off is significant: it plays Advance cartridges only. No Game Boy or Game Boy Color support at all, and the screen is small enough that some text-heavy games become a strain. It is a niche pick rather than a first Game Boy.
Batteries and power
The AA and AAA models are simple, but corroded battery terminals are extremely common on units that were stored with cells left inside. Always remove batteries before putting a handheld away. Light surface corrosion on the terminals can be cleaned with a cotton swab lightly dampened with white vinegar, dried thoroughly, then wiped with 99% isopropyl alcohol. If corrosion has spread past the terminals into the board, that is a repair job that means opening the console, and it is beyond a basic clean.
The SP and Micro use internal lithium-ion packs. After this many years, an original pack may hold very little charge, and replacement packs are available. If a battery looks swollen or has deformed the shell, stop using it and dispose of it at a proper battery recycling point rather than in household waste.
Checking a used unit and cleaning it safely
Before anything else: do not blow into cartridges. The moisture in your breath settles on the contacts and accelerates corrosion, which is the opposite of what you want. Clean cartridge contacts instead with a cotton swab and 99% isopropyl alcohol, working along the pins until the swab comes away clean, and let the cart dry fully before inserting it.
When looking over a used handheld, check:
- Vertical or horizontal missing lines on the screen. These come from the ribbon connection degrading and require opening the unit to fix, so treat them as a repair, not a clean.
- Dead pixels, screen scratches and cracks in the plastic lens.
- All buttons, including L and R on Advance models, which wear out from use.
- On an SP, the hinge — a loose or crunchy hinge often means a stressed display cable.
- Speaker and, where fitted, the headphone jack.
Clean shells with a barely damp soft cloth. Keep liquid away from the cartridge slot and speaker grille, and do not use ammonia-based glass cleaner on the screen lens.
Playing on a television
Original Game Boy cartridges can be played on a SNES through the Super Game Boy adapter. Game Boy, Color and Advance cartridges can all be played on a GameCube using the Game Boy Player attachment with its boot disc. Both are worth knowing about if you would rather sit in front of a TV than squint at a small panel.
The short answer
For most people, a backlit Game Boy Advance SP covers the widest library on the most usable screen. Pick a Game Boy Color if you want something pocketable and simple for the older library, and pick an original DMG only if the specific look and sound of that machine is the point. Whichever you choose, take the batteries out when you store it, and keep the isopropyl handy instead of your breath.
