1993 · Mega · Hong Kong · handheld
Mega Duck
A Game Boy clone that changed its name from country to country.
A curiosity Trivial to run ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
Image: Evan-Amos · Public domain
An early-1990s Game Boy clone sold under a shifting set of names — Mega Duck in Europe, Cougar Boy in others — with a small library of unlicensed games and little to distinguish it from the shelf of imitators around it.
Its cartridges were the usual clone fare: falling-block puzzles and simple platformers, none of which anyone set out to preserve.
What it cost
a rounding error against a month’s pay in 1993 · about $130 today
| Retail price (~$60 USD / DM 129 in Germany) |
$60 (1993)
Creatronic / Timlex 8-bit handheld using Z80-derivative processor. |
|---|---|
| Typical street price | — No verified mass-market street price recorded yet. |
| Units sold | ≈100,000 estimate Estimated 100,000 units sold. |
Why it mattered
Another of the anonymous Game Boy clones, the Mega Duck is interesting only as evidence of how thoroughly Nintendo's handheld defined the market others rushed to copy.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | SameBoy (Mega Duck mode), MAME |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Trivial to run (0 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | A standard modern controller covers the ordinary controls, though unusual accessories may need custom mapping. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
The emulator names above are starting points, not a promise that every title or accessory behaves identically. Computer platforms usually add model selection, disk handling and keyboard setup even when CPU emulation itself is mature.
Firmware
This system needs no firmware file. Install an emulator, open a game, and it runs.
How many files you need: none to go and find. No separate firmware file is needed for an ordinary setup.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see Libretro documentation for the current list.
Where the software is
Preservation catalogues describe verified dumps; they do not grant permission to download commercial software. A curated, correctly matched set is easier to use than an undifferentiated archive.
Copyright: Commercial software remains copyrighted unless its owner explicitly released or relicensed it. Homebrew, public-domain programs and current reissues should be treated separately from abandoned commercial titles.
This site names preservation projects and explains what they are. It does not link to ROM downloads.
Where to start
- Puzzle Block 1993 puzzle
- Magic Tower 1993 platformer
The verdict
A curiosity for clone collectors; nothing on it is worth seeking out.
Play a Game Boy instead — this is a name, or several names, attached to filler.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about obscure handhelds and willing to learn how the original machine worked.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants a large, instantly accessible library and no model, firmware or control decisions.
Scored 2/5 for fun today and 3/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
Read more & watch
This page is 50% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.