The Reviewing Scale

For Games

     Sorry for the lateness of my third post, life can get a little crazy at times! Anyway today's post is going to cover a very important section of this site before I get down to reviewing games. How I will be reviewing and scoring games. There will be five categories, all will be based on the classic 1-10 grading scale. The total score then will be devised from combining all five sections and dividing by five. Simple enough right?? So here are the categories:

• Graphics: Many of the games I review will be older games so I won't deduct points based on how they stand up to games of today. They will instead be judged based on how the would look for a handheld in, say, 1993. I myself am not a "graphics whore" I personally care more about all three sections below more than I care for graphical content. 
• Gameplay/Story: This section I've decided to combine because of old games, again. Last time I played Tetris I don't quite recall the epic romance saga played out in Mode A. No, nothing like that, all games will have their gameplay judged, no game will get an unfair advantage if it has a story, I could easily give Tetris and Chrono Trigger  DS 10/10 in this category, and last I checked Chrono Trigger has one of the best stories in video gaming history Tetris...well....see above. 
• Longevity: A very key aspect in a review (my own personal opinion), this will judge how likely you are going to come back and play the game over and over again. It will depend on the category of the game, but many games do have fantastic replay value.  
• Controls: Ah, how could I almost forget!!!!!!!!!! Controls! Very, very important in video gaming in general. This section will just be looking at how the controls work for their respect handhelds no DS VS. GBC. 

     Alright so there are the categories, simple and straight to the point. The scale is quite simple too; 1 being the lowest of the low, 10 being a masterpiece anything below 5 okayish to awful, everything 6 up ranges from mediocre to masterpeice. So to show how I'll do my math this is where an 8/10 would lie on my scale, 36-40, would be an 8 combining all five categories so...lets say I gave a game an 8/10, 8/10, 7/10, 9/10, 8/10 that would all combine together for a perfect 8/10!!!!!

     There is the review scale, hope you guys will like and feel free to suggest changes, I totally open to new ideas. I'm right now picking which game I'll review first...probably a Gameboy game. I will hopefully have that up in the next week!!!!!! Right now though my next entry will be up much sooner, a handheld system review...that should be up within a few days!

Handheld Guru ^_^       

Gameboy/GBC Collection

All my 'Boys

      For my first real blog entry we are going to focus on one of my favorite little collections, the Gameboy Original and Gameboy Color Collection. Totaling in at 33 carts the GB/GBC collection by and far the largest of my pre-2000 handheld collections. This collection grows at the alarming rate of aboutone new cart per week (I may have a problem...) and ever since I got my Gameboy Pocket in May with eight games total the thirst for more Gameboy games has grown...
      Now I was going to do a brief look at all the games you know what...that might take a while so for now we will focus on what I think are best out my collection today with a short little sentence or two. I'll be starting at the top clear GBC carts and working all the way down to the bottom. Also for your connivence I'll be providing a rough estimate of what the carts are worth (usually around what I paid for them so please feel free too correct me if I'm way off!) so with out any further ado lets get rolling!

1. Dragon Warrior III--GBC Only--2001: First up is one of my favorite non-Pokémon RPGs on the GBC, Dragon Warrior III. A port of the NES title with some of the elements from the Super Famicom remake thrown in for good measure. A brilliant little JRPG and one of Enix's best. Price runs today north of $20.
2. Toki Tori--GBC Only--2001: A very late GBC release by the excellent minds at Two Tribes. An excellent little puzzle game and the definition of a hidden gem. Also available on the 3DS eShop for $4, cart runs around $10.
3. Mario Golf--GBC Only--1999: A very, very good golf title with RPG elements blended in, an Eagle for sure ;) Also available on the 3DS eShop for $5, cart can run north of $10-$15.
4.  Xtreme Sports--GBC Only--2000: Last GBC only game for now, a hidden gem made by Wayforward (Shantae, ring a bell now???) one of their earlier works a very fun little game that is totally Xtreme!!!!!!! Also on the 3DS eShop for $5 and the cart also runs about $5
5. Pokemon Pinball--Black Cart (enhanced on the GBC)--1999: It's Pokémon and pinball with a rumble feature built in!!!! What more do you need? Still while the physics are a little off, it is still a great pinball and Pokémon game. Price runs about $10 on up
6. Pokémon Special Yellow Version--Pokémon Cart (AKA Black Cart)--1999: easily the best Gen. I Pokémon title, Yellow follows a storyline closer to that of the anime, while adding more improvements to make the definitive Gen. I Pokémon game. Price runs north of $25
7. Pokémon Gold--Pokémon Cart--2000: Ah Gen. II, Gold here is my latest addition to my collection, I just picked it up yesterday. My only experiences of Gen. II thus come from SoulSilver the Gen. IV remakes of Gold and Silver. Still from the little I've played on my GBC today, wowza. Might be a new favorite Gameboy game!!!!!!! Price usually is at $25 to $35
8. Tetris--Gray Cart--1989: The original Tetris. A simple yet brilliant game that propelled the Gameboy towards success. Due to a vast amount of carts sold prices are usually $5, as well as only $4 on the 3DS eShop.
9. Revenge of the Gator--Gray Cart--1989: I love RotG!!!! Developed by HAL Laboratory, Revenge of the Gator is a pinball game with a Gator twist. It plays smoothly and quality shines through the whole package, one of my personal favorite. Also on the eShop for $4 and cart prices are usually right around $5 to $6
10. Kirby's Dreamland--Gray Cart--1991: Ugh there are sooooooooooooo many games I'd love to talk about, but for now I can't; one day though hopefully all these games will be reviewed. Ahem. Anyway Kirby's Dreamland is another HAL developed game and it is full of charm and cuteness overload. Another fave. Also on the eShop for $4, cart is a little higher right around $8 to $13
11. Catrap--Gray Cart--1990: As we wind down here I want point out another criminally unrated Gameboy game, Catrap. Catrap is very forward thinking for its time with a rewind and fast foreword features and 100 levels of puzzle mania its up there as one of the best hidden gems on the Gameboy. It has since gained more attention due to a 3DS eShop release at $3(!!!!!) the cart runs itself now above $20
12. King of Fighters '95--Gray Cart (the weird looking one near the bottom)--1997: If you think pleasant thoughts about the original Gameboy and fighting games clearly you've never played one (shudders). However while most Gameboy fighting games are pretty bad, KoF is simply amazing. Graphically it looks great, large roster, and above all solid controls. A great little fighter. I got mine for $5, however the price appears to run closer to $15
13. Track and Field--Gray Cart--1992: Another interesting little Gameboy to conclude things with. Track and Field is a very, very popular arcade game from Konami, the NES version is the most well know. However it did get a Gameboy port just in time for the 1992 Summer Olympics and you know what? It is really, really addictive. I for one am liking a lot more than I thought I would. At just under $5 it is well worth taking the plunge 

Woah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There we are ladies and gents wow and to think I though of doing all 33??? Well there is a small sample of what to expect from this little blog, you'll be seeing a lot of Gameboy and Gameboy Color as I keep this page rolling. Don't think thats all though!!! I got a pile of Genesis (Sega Nomad :), Atari Lynx and Neo Geo Pocket games I'll be showing off and let me tell you there's a lot more where that comes from

Handheld Guru ^_^                     

Welcome to my Blog!

          Hello and welcome to the blog of Handheld Guru!!!!!!!!!! I suppose introductions are in order; though all you really need to know is that I am a collector and a gamer of just about all things handheld video game relatedness. I got my first handheld 10 years ago on my 7th birthday, a Gameboy Advance SP. Quite honestly I wasn't into handhelds or video games in general until two things happened; Pokemon Diamond in 2007 and the DSi in 2009. Pokemon Diamond was my first Pokémon game, I received it a year after I got a DS Lite on my 10th birthday (now thats destiny!). Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon in general got me into handhelds and gaming all at once, the DSi however thats when I knew there would be know turning back. I purchased a DSi within a week of its North American launch back in 2009. As looked and discovered new information about the then new DSiWare Shop Channel I found out more and more about the greatness of the Nintendo DS and video games in general. A few short months later I decided I wanted a Gameboy Color, (mostly for Pokémon Silver XD) while that dream wouldn't become a reality until late 2011, it was the idea and early foundation for my future collection. 

          Now in late 2014 I own roughly (AKA I'm to lazy to keep counting it!!!!) 20ish handhelds and I love video games. I decided to start this little blog for a few reasons; to show off my collections, flex my reviewing muscle and to share my passion with other gamers. Handhelds are often relegated to 2nd class citizens compared to the big bad consoles, sure they may not be as powerful as you 1080what-ever-the-heck, but handhelds are still so much fun and I'd argue...better. If you share a similar radical thinking this blog is for you and all other handheld gamers everywhere.

          So once more welcome to the blog, pull up a chair and stay a while! Hopefully I'll be able to keep this place up a bit better than my Youtube :P I do hope you'll all enjoy. Now if you'll excuse me I got go take a few pictures for my next little feature, stayed tuned!

Handheld Guru ^_^