The 90s weren't exactly a great time for fashion or pop culture. In a world of popper pants and Oasis vs Blur, I would say that I was probably one of the best things I know to come out of it, but then again, I am biased. You see, I was born in the very first week of the '90s, so as much as I want to say I was an '80s kid rocking out legitimately to Motley Crue instead of being a complete pretender, I can't deny my '90s past.
I did, however, get to grow up in one of the most exciting decades for home computing. While the Game Boy predates me by 1 year, many of my favourite games dropped in the 90s, as well as my favourite console of all time, the N64. Windows 3.1 released in 1992, and while I wasn't exactly logging on to check out my files and playing Minesweeper at 2 years old, I experienced the system a few years later when I started messing around with the computers at my primary school. And while it might look ancient to any of our younger readers who spend more time worrying about ping on Rocket League instead of doing their homework, it was a major release in the PC world and a pivotal stepping stone in Microsoft's road to glory.
No one knows this better than Ruben Retro, the creator of GBS Windows. He's created a unique and fun tribute to this glorious period in home computing that works on the Game Boy Color, Analogue Pocket, and ModRetro Chromatic, allowing you to take the magic of the 90s with you wherever you go. Ruben was kind enough to send me a copy after I wrote a news article on his work, especially since a lot of the comments on socials arrived to the effect of 'this can't be real?' Well, it is very much real, and I've been putting it through its paces today in my latest review!
GBS Windows is a project created by Ruben Retro and designed in GB Studio which takes you through a literal window back into the 90s, to a time when Windows 3.1 reigned supreme. It's truly an indie creation and one that pays homage to the golden era of computing, and while it won't revolutionise your everyday gaming experience, it is an impressive project that has some nostalgic and creative applications that have definitely put a smile on my face
- Price: €40.00
- Compatible With: Game Boy (partially), Game Boy Color, Analogue Pocket, ModRetro
- Available From: Etsy
Travel Back To 'The Future' Of Home Computing With GBS Windows
Yes, to all of those commenters who said that it wasn't real, here is GBS Windows in the flesh, on my desk, and in my Analogue Pocket. For a retro gamer like me who has grown up seeing the evolution of Windows his entire life, it's more than just a project put together by a GB Studio enthusiast - it's a nice reminder of how far we have come and a chance for me to sit and revel in 'the good old days' like an old man scaring kids off his lawn.
Ruben Retro has done an incredible job at packaging this game up like a proper version of Microsoft Windows 3.1, as though it were made for the Game Boy. The game box, the text, the subtle nod to the 90s windows logo colours; the whole thing looks the part, as does the cartridge itself, giving shades of a floppy disk which sadly is something that most of you probably won't remember using (I really should stop writing about stuff that makes me feel old...).
What's In The Box?
GBS Windows comes with a box and a cartridge in a protective dust case. Would I have loved an instruction booklet in the box for the full Nintendo Game Boy experience? Of course I would, it's all I bang on about when I'm writing articles about Game Boy games and the titles coming out of ModRetro HQ like Dragonyhm and Hermano. Still, all the main operating instructions are on the cartridge itself, with the additional advice of making sure you have batteries inside your device for good measure.
The start-up process is incredibly pleasing, with all of the same beeps that you would have heard back in the 90s and the AMD logo popping up on the screen as the program boots up. Typing 'CD Windows' and 'Win' is as simple as pressing your A button until you get to the GBS Windows loading screen, but it's still a nice little touch that makes you feel like you're having some effect on getting things rolling. You can also press start too if you don't have the patience.
As you can see from the back of the box, this game is designed for the GBC with other handheld consoles also being compatible. The Game Boy DMG is partially compatible as I mentioned in the bullet points at the top of this article, but again, I'll get onto that in due course. I'll warn you now that I don't have the patience to draw Wario using my D-pad either, so I went with a smiley face to show you how the Paint program works. Speaking of which, let's take a look at what is available to mess around with on this portable nostalgic workstation.
The Workspace Of The Past
GBS Windows comes with 5 programs: 3 in the 'accessories' category, and 2 in the 'games' section. They are Paint, Piano, Media, Sweeper, and Cannon. I'm going to start with the most obvious of all of those names, Sweeper, which is an homage to Minesweeper, the game that we all played on the computers at school at some point in our educational lives.
I honestly never really understood how to play Minesweeper back in the day; I just sort of messed around until I got a win or, more often than not, caught by the teacher. In my adult life, the practice of guessing which squares have mines by referring to the associated numbers has been much easier to navigate, and while it might look like a simple (or simply boring) game to some of you, this is how we used to get our kicks back in the day. Having it on the Analogue Pocket is a nice little reminder of what computing used to be like, and while I won't be playing it for hours on end, it certainly beats picking up the Sudoku book.
What's This Partially Compatible With The Game Boy Business All About?
Putting the GBS Windows cartridge into a Game Boy DMG brings up a message stating that the game is designed to be paired with a Game Boy Color, but that you can still play a classic game on it. After a few seconds of intense waiting, Sweeper loads up for some nostalgic gaming brilliance. Yes, it's insanely hard to see on my old DMG and it's the only part of the project that works on my trusty handheld, but that's the 'partially compatible' aspect explained for you at least!
What About The Other Programs?
Well, I told you that I wasn't going to be able to replicate Wario from the back cover, and I meant it. Paint is a nice, simple version of the iteration of Microsoft Paint that you might have messed around with in the 90s. Holding down the A button and moving the D-pad allows you to draw continuous lines, and you can assign a different shade of green to your A and B Buttons when creating pictures. If you have a GB Printer, then you can print out your drawings too, though I don't think anyone is going to be wanting my smiley face in a hurry.
One thing I will say before I go on is that I like how you can minimize the windows with your little pointer just like you would on the original program. Seeing a pointer up on a Game Boy or Analogue Pocket feels a little weird at first, but it's easy to get to grips with.
The piano segment is a bit of fun - I spent a couple of minutes working on a sort of 8-bit version of Uptown Funk as it might have sounded in Bowser's Lair. It's a little limited unless you know how to play the piano, but you can mess around and come up with cool tunes on it.
Cannon Defense is probably one of my favourite games to play on this cartridge, a Space Invaders-esque game where you use your D-pad to move a pointer to fire at falling objects. Obviously, you have to take into account the fact that the objects are falling, so you'll need to fire at where the object is going to be, not where it currently is. It scratched my brain in the right way, as did the tunes on the Media Player.
It only comes with 4 tunes on it, but seeing that little Media Player window and listening to Dr Mario while writing this article put a smile on my face. I won't tell you which other tracks it comes with - you'll have to grab a copy from Ruben Retro to discover that.
Final Thoughts
- Nostalgic nod to an influential time in home computing.
- A quirky, indie project that helps to document the '90s.
- Fun games and features, especially if you have a Game Boy Printer.
- Comes with a physical cartridge and box bearing homages to the original design.
- GBS Windows isn't something you'll put 30+ hours into, but rather a pick-up-and-play cartridge and one you'll show to friends.
- Only 5 programs on the home screen.
Some of you are going to be thinking, 'What's the point in this?' Well, just like I said when I reviewed the Orange FM Game Boy cartridge, sometimes there doesn't need to be a point other than 'it's fun'. Just like Orange FM, GBS Windows is a project that shows how the Game Boy Color can be used to host so many different applications. Does it need to be an FM Radio or a platform that hosts a tribute to Windows 3.1? Probably not, but the fact that people like Ruben have created homages to the technology of the past like this makes me very happy and helps to keep the achievements of yesteryear alive for more people to witness.
Realistically, how many of us have a machine that will run Windows 3.1 kicking about? This little cartridge is much easier than buying a whole new retro rig, that's for sure, and while it won't bring you hours of immersive fun like all of your favourite GBC games, it is a fun project that champions all things Indie and Retro just like us, and I'm very glad I've had the chance to add it to my games collection.
