Game Boy Camera

The Game Boy Camera was Nintendo at their weirdest and most wonderful. Released in 1998, this chunky cartridge with a rotating camera lens turned the Game Boy into a crude digital camera capable of capturing 128x112 pixel images in four shades of grey. It even held the Guinness World Record for the smallest digital camera at the time. The built-in photo editing tools, stamps, and mini-games made it feel like a toy from the future.

The Game Boy Camera is collectible because it is genuinely one of a kind in gaming history. Nothing else like it existed before or since — a camera peripheral for a handheld console that created its own lo-fi aesthetic. That pixelated, dithered look has become an art form in itself, embraced by photographers and artists worldwide. It came in multiple colors (yellow, blue, red, green, and clear/purple), with some colors being harder to find than others.

When buying, test the camera function first — the rotating lens mechanism can wear out or jam. Make sure saved photos are visible and that the cartridge saves properly (the internal battery may need replacing after 25+ years). The lens should rotate smoothly through its full range. Cosmetically, check for label damage and shell cracks. A Game Boy Camera paired with the Game Boy Printer and a roll of thermal paper is the ultimate collector setup, so keep an eye out for bundles.