The gaming industry is going digital. Cries of ‘it’s easy’, ‘use less plastic’ and ‘it’s cheaper… sometimes’ fill the streets and, after dark, the enticing sales on the eShop let out their siren song to lure every weary traveler after a copy in a box with cute invitations ” Oooh, ahh, up to 80% off”.
Times may be changing, but within this (potentially) download-only future sits a brave group of managers who want a simpler time. A time when games came in boxes and were bought in stores. A time when all those boxes contained a cartridge and that cartridge had a full game on it. A time when those liners were made of brightly colored plastic and looked even more edible than they do now.
Note: Do not eat your game cartridges. I pray.
“We used to be a real country,” cry the boxed brigade as they wait another year after the acclaimed indie’s launch before getting their hands on the promised physical release. The cases are still decorated with beautiful artwork. Some special editions even come with game manuals (ask your dad). But the cart itself is dull and gray. What happened to us?
We’re approaching the 20th anniversary of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, two titles that were by no means the first to get the colorful cart treatment, but they’re sure to be the stars of the lineup.
The Game Boy Advance’s cardboard boxes weren’t the sturdiest storage method on the market, so for many of us the cart itself rattled around in a shoebox, small bag, or dedicated purse. In large collections, you’d be rummaging around for minutes to find your copy of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow or Metroid: Zero Mission, flipping gray rectangles like a professional domino player. But not with FireRed and LeafGreen, their colorful casing jumps out at you as if to say, “You’re looking for me! I’m here!”
And it wasn’t just the odd GBA / Game Boy release. For as long as Nintendo has been making cartridges, there have been some fancy color variations. Gold editions of various Zelda titles (NES original, Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask on N64), pink Famicom copy of Kirby’s Adventure, yellow Donkey Kong 64. Not everything got the toned treatment, but at least the offer was there.
And then we have a transparent stroller. The best cream. Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and a whole host of games only for the Game Boy Color. Most of us have no idea how a game cartridge works. Put it in your GBA, turn it on, turn it off, take it out, blow into the bottom, put it back in, turn it back on, and play. But these beauties made the whole event a bit technical. No, we’re not kids kicking up dust with just the power of our breath, we’re computer engineers, testing a motherboard before putting it to the test by grabbing a Pidgey and calling it “Boom”.
If these were ‘simpler times’, why have things become so bland today? The DS ushered in an era of gray cartridges that Nintendo has not been able to shake off. Yes, the 3DS opted for a lighter gray, but there was still no variation. Of course we do could just look at the unique stickers that adorn each of these cartridges, but where’s the fun in that? Let’s not pretend we wouldn’t smack a shiny red or blue Pokémon X / Y square if given the chance.
For the past seven years, the Switch has continued this trend. Of course, the tanks themselves are now smaller than they’ve ever been, with the decal and fittings taking up most of the paint space. But who says little stars can’t shine bright? Okay, maybe astrophysicists, but who else says yes? If there’s room for Micro SD cards to have paint splotches, could our game containers do the same?
The answer could be right around the corner. All signs point to new hardware in the coming year, and most of the time it comes with a new cart design (even if it’s just a little 3DS accessory added to prevent us from displaying ‘Switch 2’ games on our old consoles). What if for special occasions the colorful pram is back?
We see this happening now with vinyl. Why would you take a boring black copy Barbie
As we look to the future of the company and the possibility of more ‘deluxe’, ‘ultimate’, ‘plus’ and ‘super duper editions,’ doesn’t it make sense for these to stand out from the crowd like Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen once did?
It’s not about dropping the M&M magic with every upcoming title, but a gold Breath of the Wild ‘Remastered’ cart? The Pokémon Company continues the dark days of Gen IX with little a little sparkle? It sure sounds delicious.
But what do you think? Would you like to see colored Switch cartridges return to Nintendo’s next console, or do you think this variation is a thing of the past? You can fill out the following poll with your thoughts, then tell us some of your favorite Color Stroller memories in the comments.
