Pokemon cartridge vending machine is a Game Boy fan’s dream

Brianna Reeves
pokemon cartridge vending machine

A Reddit user recently stumbled across a Game Boy cartridge vending machine in a mall, one filled with Pokemon game cartridges.

Developer Game Freak produced ten Pokemon games for the Game Boy consoles, debuting internationally with the release of Pokemon Red and Blue in 1998 on the Game Boy.

Nintendo and Game Freak continued to support the Game Boy handhelds with new Pokemon experiences well into the mid-2000s. And, of course, most Nintendo faithful have a favorite installment.

Oddly enough, some of those favorites may currently be encased inside a mall’s vending machine in Orange County, California.

California mall houses a Pokemon cartridge vending machine

Reddit user ItzGonnaBeMei recently wowed the gaming subreddit with a photo of a vending machine filled with Game Boy cartridges.

According to the Redditor, the machine is located in the Westminister Mall in Orange County, California. A closer look at the photo reveals that games such as Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby versions count among the many titles on sale. And, apparently, each cartridge only costs $10 a pop.

But perhaps Pokemon fans shouldn’t click their heels in excitement too soon. A number of Redditors in the thread chimed in to note that many of the games on display look like fake, unofficial Nintendo releases. One person said the “entire third row” looks fishy.

Some argued a cartridge from the Pokemon vending machine may still work as intended. However, others questioned their reliability, saying players would likely be “better off buying a GBA Flash cart” – flash cartridges that run homebrew versions of games.

Regardless of the games’ authenticity, a vending machine packed with Pokemon titles is quite the sight to behold.