For the most part, the
Bone Light does exactly what it sets out to do. There are a few minor glitches, however, that keep the
Light from perfection. In the end, though, it's as solid of a solution to the problem as any, and certainly a lot cheaper on batteries than most. Combined with a rechargeable battery unit, the
Bone Light turns your Gameboy Color into a truly portable gaming station.
After plugging the Bone Light into the GameLink port on your GBC, you'll have to adjust it for the game. You may have a problem with getting it at the right angle -- this is solvable by simply popping the 'bones' out of socket and adjusting them to wherever you need them to go. I'm not entirely sure that this is what you're supposed to do, but I couldn't get the Light into the angle I wanted without doing so. It's both a feature and a drawback, as I'd imagine you definitely do not want to leave this around a small kid. The bones could be popped out easily and swallowed, and that would be a Bad Thing.
The light itself is bright. Almost too bright, in fact. You'll see a big bright spot on the screen where the light is, and much of the art of using the Bone Light is maneuvering that spot into a location that doesn't affect the game you're playing. Of course, moving the light too far away keeps the screen from being lit, so oftentimes you have to make some sort of compromise. This has been a problem with every light source I've ever used on a Gameboy. It may be possible to make some sort of diffuse light filter to keep it from happening, but I'm not so sure. It's a drawback, for sure, but one that all the other similar devices have as well.
And in the end, MadCatz's Bone Light is good for the job it does. You'll be able to play your GBC on the road, in the dark, which is a nice feature for those late night Tetris marathons. The glow-in-the-dark bit is gimmicky . . . as if the whole skull-and-bones thing isn't?
