Game Boy Color: Difference between revisions
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{{Use American English|date=November 2020}} | {{Use American English|date=November 2020}} | ||
{{Infobox computing device | {{Infobox computing device | ||
| logo | | logo = Game Boy Color logo.svg | ||
| logo_upright | | logo_upright = 0.7 | ||
| image | | image = Nintendo-Game-Boy-Color-FL.png | ||
| caption | | caption = Game Boy Color with [[#Model colors|Atomic Purple]] case | ||
| developer = [[Nintendo Research & Engineering]] | |||
| developer | | manufacturer = [[Nintendo]] | ||
| manufacturer | | family = [[Game Boy family|Game Boy]] | ||
| family | | type = [[Handheld game console]] | ||
| type | | generation = [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|Fifth]] | ||
| generation | | release_date = {{Collapsible list | ||
| | | title={{nobold|October 21, 1998}} | ||
| {{Video game release | |||
| JP | October 21, 1998 | | JP | October 21, 1998 | ||
| NA | November 18, 1998 | | NA | November 18, 1998 | ||
| Line 19: | Line 20: | ||
| AU | November 27, 1998 | | AU | November 27, 1998 | ||
}} | }} | ||
}} | |||
| price | | price = {{USD|79.95|1998|round=-1}} | ||
| | | discontinued = {{End date |2003|03|31}} | ||
| media | | units_sold = 118.69 million (including all Game Boy variants) | ||
| | | media = [[Game Boy Color Game Pak]]<br />[[Game Boy Game Pak]] | ||
| cpu | | system_on_chip = Nintendo CPU CGB | ||
| | | cpu = Sharp SM83 | ||
| memory | | cpu_speed = 4.2 / 8.4 MHz | ||
| display | | memory = 32 KB [[Random-access memory|RAM]], 16 KB [[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|Video RAM]] | ||
| | | display = Reflective [[TFT LCD]] 160 × 144 [[pixels|px]], {{cvt|44|xx|40|mm}} | ||
| | | connectivity = [[Infrared]] | ||
| online_services = {{video game release|JP|[[Mobile System GB]]}} | |||
| top_game = [[Pokémon Gold and Silver|''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'']] (23 million) ([[List of best-selling Game Boy video games|list]]) | |||
| compatibility = [[Game Boy]] | | compatibility = [[Game Boy]] | ||
| predecessor = Game Boy<ref name="3ds asks">{{cite interview|last=Umezu|last2=Sugino|last3=Konno|interviewer=Satoru Iwata|title=Nintendo 3DS (Volume 2 – Nintendo 3DS Hardware Concept)|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0|type=Interview: Transcript|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=March 7, 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329190132/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0|archivedate=March 29, 2012}}</ref> | | predecessor = Game Boy<ref name="3ds asks">{{cite interview|last=Umezu|last2=Sugino|last3=Konno|interviewer=Satoru Iwata|title=Nintendo 3DS (Volume 2 – Nintendo 3DS Hardware Concept)|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0|type=Interview: Transcript|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=March 7, 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329190132/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0|archivedate=March 29, 2012}}</ref> | ||
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}} | }} | ||
The {{nihongo foot|'''Game Boy Color'''|ゲームボーイカラー|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}}<!-- Per [[WP:JFN]], this Japanese name is placed in a footnote unless it is crucial to understanding the topic --> (''' | The {{nihongo foot|'''Game Boy Color'''|ゲームボーイカラー|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}}<!-- Per [[WP:JFN]], this Japanese name is placed in a footnote unless it is crucial to understanding the topic --> (abbreviated as '''CGB''' or '''GBC'''{{citation needed|date=May 2026}}) is an 8-bit [[handheld game console]] developed by [[Nintendo]]. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and in international markets the following month. Compared with the original [[Game Boy]], the Game Boy Color features a color [[TFT screen]] instead of [[monochrome monitor|monochrome]], a [[Central processing unit|CPU]] running at up to twice the speed, and four times as much memory. It is [[backward compatibility|backward compatible]] with games developed for its predecessor. The Game Boy Color was released during the [[fifth generation of video game consoles]] and competed with [[Bandai]]'s Japan-only [[WonderSwan]], [[SNK]]'s [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]], and [[Sega]]'s North America-only [[Genesis Nomad]]. | ||
The handheld is slightly thicker, taller and has a smaller screen than its immediate predecessor, the [[Game Boy Pocket]], but is significantly smaller than the original Game Boy. As with its predecessors, the Game Boy Color has a custom [[8-bit]] processor made by [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]]. The [[American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or|American English spelling]] of the system's name, ''Game Boy Color'', remains consistent throughout the world. | The handheld is slightly thicker, taller and has a smaller screen than its immediate predecessor, the [[Game Boy Pocket]], but is significantly smaller than the original Game Boy. As with its predecessors, the Game Boy Color has a custom [[8-bit]] processor made by [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]]. The [[American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or|American English spelling]] of the system's name, ''Game Boy Color'', remains consistent throughout the world. | ||
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[[File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Color-Motherboard-Bottom.jpg|thumb|The Game Boy Color motherboard<br />([[commons:File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Color-Motherboard-Bottom.jpg|annotated version]]) ]] | [[File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Color-Motherboard-Bottom.jpg|thumb|The Game Boy Color motherboard<br />([[commons:File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Color-Motherboard-Bottom.jpg|annotated version]]) ]] | ||
The Game Boy Color uses a custom [[system on a chip]] (SoC) | The Game Boy Color uses a custom [[system-on-a-chip]] (SoC) that integrates the CPU and other major components into a single package, designated the CPU CGB by Nintendo and manufactured by the [[Sharp Corporation]]. While the CPU CGB was a new design for the Game Boy Color, the technology was largely an evolution of the ten-year-old DMG-CPU SoC used in the original Game Boy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Copetti |first=Rodrigo |url=https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy/ |title=Game Boy / Color Architecture - A Practical Analysis |publication-date=February 21, 2019 |language=en |asin=B0B7KD7XZF}}</ref> | ||
Within the CPU CGB, the main processor is the same ''Sharp SM83'' | Within the CPU CGB, the main processor is the same ''Sharp SM83'' that powered the original Game Boy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Javanainen |first=Joonas |date=April 23, 2024 |title=Game Boy: Complete Technical Reference |url=https://gekkio.fi/files/gb-docs/gbctr.pdf |website=gekkio.fi}}</ref> Derived from two other [[8-bit computing|8-bit]] processors: the [[Intel 8080]] and the [[Zilog Z80]], the SM83 features the seven 8-bit [[Processor register|registers]] of the 8080—lacking the alternate registers of the Z80—but uses the Z80's programming syntax and additional [[bit manipulation]] instructions, along with new instructions optimized for operations specific to the hardware design.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2, 2013 |title=The Nintendo Game Boy, Part 1: The Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80. |url=https://realboyemulator.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-nintendo-game-boy-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510190547/https://realboyemulator.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-nintendo-game-boy-1/ |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |publisher=RealBoy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CPU Comparison with Z80 |url=https://gbdev.io/pandocs/CPU_Comparison_with_Z80 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=Pan Docs |language=en}}</ref> | ||
While in the original Game Boy, the SM83 operated at a [[clock rate]] of 4.194304 [[megahertz]] (MHz), games can command the processor in the Game Boy Color to operate in "dual-speed mode," doubling its frequency to 8.388608 MHz. This allowed developers to achieve twice the processing power when creating games exclusively for the Game Boy Color, while maintaining [[backward compatibility]] with existing games.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/GameBoyProgManVer1.1 |title=Game Boy Programming Manual |date=December 3, 1999 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |access-date=November 21, 2024 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{rp|12}} | |||
The | The CPU CGB incorporates the ''Picture Processing Unit'', a basic [[GPU]] that renders visuals using 16 [[kilobyte]]s (KB) of [[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|Video RAM]], twice as much as that of the original Game Boy.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|16}} Games developed specifically for the Game Boy Color could fully utilize this additional memory, enabling enhanced effects and displaying up to 56 colors simultaneously from a palette of 32,768 colors.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|49}} Programmers subsequently developed the "high color mode" technique, which involved rapidly switching color palettes to display over 2,000 colors at once. This feature was used in games such as ''[[The Fish Files]]'', ''[[The Addams Family (video game series)#The New Addams Family|The New Addams Family]]'' and ''[[Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare]]''.<ref name="IGN 2000">{{Cite web |date=August 4, 2000 |title=First Alone in the Dark Screenshots for Game Boy Color |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/05/first-alone-in-the-dark-screenshots-for-game-boy-color |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403134639/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/05/first-alone-in-the-dark-screenshots-for-game-boy-color |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |access-date=March 24, 2015 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref name="2kcolours">{{Cite web |date=October 19, 2001 |title=Graphic Adventures on Game Boy Color |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/10/19/graphic-adventures-on-game-boy-color |access-date=September 19, 2024 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> When a Game Pak compatible with the original Game Boy is inserted, the additional video RAM is disabled.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|49}} | ||
The screen is a 2.3-inch (diagonal) [[thin-film transistor]] (TFT) color [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD), measuring {{Convert|44|mm|sp=us}} wide by {{Convert|40|mm|sp=us}} high. The screen [[aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]] and resolution remain identical to the original Game Boy at 160 [[pixel]]s wide by 144 pixels high in a 10:9 format. Like the original Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket before it and the Game Boy Advance after it, the screen is passively reflective, with a surface behind it that reflects ambient light back through the liquid crystal elements toward the viewer. Because there is no [[backlight]], the device can be hard to use in dark environments.<ref name="Total Games Guide" /><ref name="Pavlacka 1998" /> | |||
The Game Boy Color features a [[D-pad]] (directional pad), four action buttons ('A,' ' | Additionally, the SoC contains a 2 KB "bootstrap" ROM which is used to start up the device,<ref>{{Cite web |last=GameBoy Development Wiki |date=November 12, 2009 |title=Gameboy Bootstrap ROM |url=http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/index.php?title=Gameboy_Bootstrap_ROM&oldid=192 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818180456/http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/index.php?title=Gameboy_Bootstrap_ROM&oldid=192 |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |access-date=October 24, 2010}}</ref> 127 B of high RAM that can be accessed faster (similar to a [[CPU cache]]), and the ''Audio Processing Unit'', a [[programmable sound generator]] with four channels: a [[pulse wave]] generation channel with frequency and volume variation, a second pulse wave generation channel with only volume variation, a wave channel that can reproduce a [[waveform]], and a [[white noise]] channel with volume variation.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|79}}<ref name="GBA Service Manual">{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Advance Service Manual |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IpKe2BRdcZLUURvhrvxnleMZf3MEI6tc/view?usp=embed_facebook |access-date=May 27, 2024 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |page=3 |language=en |edition=2nd}}</ref><!-- The Game Boy Advance manual explains the operation of Game Boy-compatible audio. --> The motherboard of the Game Boy Color contains a 32 KB "work" [[Random-access memory|RAM]] chip, four times more than the original Game Boy.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|16}} | ||
The Game Boy Color features a [[D-pad]] (directional pad), four action buttons ('A', 'B', 'START', and 'SELECT'), and a sliding on–off switch on the right side of the device. Volume is adjusted by a [[potentiometer]] dial on the left side of the device. The left side also has a [[Game Link Cable]] port for connecting up to four Game Boy devices for multiplayer games or data transfer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Masuyama |first=Meguro |title=''Game On'' |title-link=Game On (exhibition) |publisher=Universe Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=0-7893-0778-2 |editor-last=Lucien King |location=[[New York City|New York, NY]] |page=39 |chapter=Pokémon as Japanese Culture? |quote=''Pokémon'' allowed more than metaphorical communication; it made use of a system that created actual communication — a network game.}}</ref> The port used on the Game Boy Color is of a smaller design first introduced on the Game Boy Pocket and requires an adapter to link with the original Game Boy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Link Cable Adapter |url=https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Accessories/Link-cable-adapter/Link-cable-adapter-619614.html |access-date=May 11, 2024 |website=Nintendo of Europe |language=en-GB}}</ref> The Game Boy Color also included a "high-speed" mode that allowed data to be transmitted up to 64 times faster over the Game Link Cable than on the original Game Boy.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|28}} The Game Boy Color included an infrared communications port for wireless data transfer, but it was only supported by a small number of games and consequently was not included on the later [[Game Boy Advance]] line.<ref name="GBA Service Manual" /> | |||
=== Technical specifications === | === Technical specifications === | ||
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! Power | ! Power | ||
| {{Unbulleted list | | {{Unbulleted list | ||
|'''Consumption:''' 70–80 [[ | |'''Consumption:''' 70–80 [[Ampere|mA]] | ||
| '''Internal:''' 2 × [[AA batteries]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=May 1998 |title=Adding Color to Game Boy |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=26 |issue=106}}</ref> | | '''Internal:''' 2 × [[AA batteries]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=May 1998 |title=Adding Color to Game Boy |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=26 |issue=106}}</ref> | ||
| '''External:''' 0.6 W at 3 V DC from 2.35 mm × 0.75 mm [[coaxial power connector|coaxial connector]] | | '''External:''' 0.6 W at 3 V DC from 2.35 mm × 0.75 mm [[coaxial power connector|coaxial connector]] | ||
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|- | |- | ||
! Battery life | ! Battery life | ||
| Up to 10 hours | | Up to 10 hours<ref name=EGM107>{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo Adds Color |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=107|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=June 1998|page=26}}</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Sound | ! Sound | ||
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{{See also|List of Game Boy Color games|List of Game Boy games|List of cancelled Game Boy Color games}} | {{See also|List of Game Boy Color games|List of Game Boy games|List of cancelled Game Boy Color games}} | ||
The Game Boy Color launched with an extensive game library, thanks to its ability to play original Game Boy titles. At launch, it featured three exclusive games: ''[[Pocket Bomberman]]'', ''[[Tetris DX]]'' and ''[[Wario Land II]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duncan |first=Andrew |date=April 21, 2019 |title=Game Boy Launch Titles |url=https://www.gamegrin.com/articles/game-boy-launch-titles/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=GameGrin |language=en}}</ref> Over time, the system amassed more than 900 titles, in addition to the original Game Boy's catalog of over 1,000 games | The Game Boy Color launched with an extensive game library, thanks to its ability to play original Game Boy titles. At launch, it featured three exclusive games: ''[[Pocket Bomberman]]'', ''[[Tetris DX]]'' and ''[[Wario Land II]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duncan |first=Andrew |date=April 21, 2019 |title=Game Boy Launch Titles |url=https://www.gamegrin.com/articles/game-boy-launch-titles/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=GameGrin |language=en}}</ref> Over time, the system amassed more than 900 titles, in addition to the original Game Boy's catalog of over 1,000 games.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23628266/ |access-date=2026-04-17 |website=www.imdb.com}}</ref> In a promotional list of 296 Game Boy Color games, 100 were compatible with the original Game Boy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2001 |title=Game List – Released Titles |url=http://www.gameboy.com:80/gamelist.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010119180900/http://www.gameboy.com/gamelist.html |archive-date=January 19, 2001 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |website=GameBoy.com |publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> | ||
Nintendo prohibited simple "colorized" re-releases of monochrome Game Boy titles, requiring developers to implement meaningful gameplay enhancements. These additions included new levels, characters, items, or mechanics that leveraged the system's color capabilities. To ensure these enhancements were significant, Nintendo mandated that they be easily recognizable to players familiar with the monochrome version.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{Rp|page=6}} Many of these enhanced versions, often called "Deluxe" or "DX", became some of the Game Boy Color's most popular titles, including ''Tetris DX'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX]]''. | Nintendo prohibited simple "colorized" re-releases of monochrome Game Boy titles, requiring developers to implement meaningful gameplay enhancements. These additions included new levels, characters, items, or mechanics that leveraged the system's color capabilities. To ensure these enhancements were significant, Nintendo mandated that they be easily recognizable to players familiar with the monochrome version.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{Rp|page=6}} Many of these enhanced versions, often called "Deluxe" or "DX", became some of the Game Boy Color's most popular titles, including ''Tetris DX'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX]]''. | ||
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The Game Boy Color's improved display and enhanced processing power also enabled more faithful ports of NES games, in contrast to the heavily modified versions created for the original Game Boy due to its monochrome display limitations. One of the most notable examples is ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'', which showcased the Game Boy Color's ability to deliver an authentic port of the NES classic.<ref name="GSpot">{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Cameron |date=January 28, 2000 |title=Super Mario DX Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/super-mario-dx-review/1900-2536190/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118181620/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/super-mario-dx-review/1900-2536190/ |archive-date=January 18, 2024 |access-date=March 18, 2024 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> | The Game Boy Color's improved display and enhanced processing power also enabled more faithful ports of NES games, in contrast to the heavily modified versions created for the original Game Boy due to its monochrome display limitations. One of the most notable examples is ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'', which showcased the Game Boy Color's ability to deliver an authentic port of the NES classic.<ref name="GSpot">{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Cameron |date=January 28, 2000 |title=Super Mario DX Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/super-mario-dx-review/1900-2536190/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118181620/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/super-mario-dx-review/1900-2536190/ |archive-date=January 18, 2024 |access-date=March 18, 2024 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> | ||
''[[Tetris (Game Boy)|Tetris]]'' for the original Game Boy is the best-selling game compatible with Game Boy Color,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saltzman |first=Marc |date=June 12, 2009 |title='Tetris' by the numbers |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/06/68024593/1 |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=June 1, 2009 |title=After 25 years, Tetris has sold 125 million copies |url=https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621144138/https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |access-date=June 21, 2023 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref> [[Pokémon Gold and Silver|''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'']] are the best-selling games developed primarily for it, and | ''[[Tetris (Game Boy)|Tetris]]'' for the original Game Boy is the best-selling game compatible with Game Boy Color,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saltzman |first=Marc |date=June 12, 2009 |title='Tetris' by the numbers |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/06/68024593/1 |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=June 1, 2009 |title=After 25 years, Tetris has sold 125 million copies |url=https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621144138/https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |access-date=June 21, 2023 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref> [[Pokémon Gold and Silver|''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'']] are the best-selling games developed primarily for it, and ''[[Pokémon Crystal]]'' was the best-selling Game Boy Color exclusive title.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 19, 2017 |title='Pokken Tournament' and Pokemon's $1.5 Billion Brand |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gobankingratebuls/pokken-tournament-and-pok_b_9501260.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218180223/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pokken-tournament-and-pok_b_9501260 |archive-date=February 18, 2020 |access-date=April 25, 2017 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |publisher=[[AOL]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clement |first=Jessica |date=May 2024 |title=All-time best-selling Pokémon games 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1072224/pokemon-unit-sales-worldwide/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> | ||
The last Game Boy Color game ever released is the Japanese exclusive ''[[List of Doraemon video games|Doraemon no Study Boy: Kanji Yomikaki Master]]'', on July 18, 2003. The last game released in North America is ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' on November 15, 2002,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buday |first=John |date=January 9, 2023 |title=The Last Game Boy Color Game Released In North America Was Tied To A Blockbuster Film |url=https://www.svg.com/1160776/the-last-game-boy-color-game-released-in-north-america-was-tied-to-a-blockbuster-film/ |access-date=May 27, 2024 |website=SVG |language=en-US}}</ref> while Europe's was ''[[Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!]]'' released on January 10, 2003.<ref name="Day 2016" /> | The last Game Boy Color game ever released is the Japanese exclusive ''[[List of Doraemon video games|Doraemon no Study Boy: Kanji Yomikaki Master]]'', on July 18, 2003. The last game released in North America is ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' on November 15, 2002,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buday |first=John |date=January 9, 2023 |title=The Last Game Boy Color Game Released In North America Was Tied To A Blockbuster Film |url=https://www.svg.com/1160776/the-last-game-boy-color-game-released-in-north-america-was-tied-to-a-blockbuster-film/ |access-date=May 27, 2024 |website=SVG |language=en-US}}</ref> while Europe's was ''[[Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!]]'' released on January 10, 2003.<ref name="Day 2016" /> | ||
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| caption3 = Game Boy Color Game Pak | | caption3 = Game Boy Color Game Pak | ||
}} | }} | ||
[[file:GBC keypad palettes.png|thumb|Samples of the color palettes and the key combinations to select them on an original Game Pak]] | [[file:GBC keypad palettes.png|thumb|Samples of the color palettes and the key combinations to select them on an original Game Pak]] | ||
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Nintendo released several add-ons for the Game Boy Color, including: | Nintendo released several add-ons for the Game Boy Color, including: | ||
* [[Game Boy Camera]]: A cartridge-based [[digital camera]] that captures low-resolution black-and-white images and includes built-in minigames where players use their faces as avatars. | * [[Game Boy Camera]]: A cartridge-based [[digital camera]] that captures low-resolution black-and-white images and includes built-in minigames where players use their faces as avatars.<ref name=EGM107/> | ||
* [[Game Boy Printer]]: A [[Thermal printing|thermal printer]] that produces hard copies of Game Boy Camera images and supports printing content from games such as ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', and ''[[Pokémon]]'' ''versions [[Pokémon Yellow|Yellow]], [[Pokémon Gold and Silver|Gold, Silver]], and [[Pokémon Crystal|Crystal]]''. Connects via a Game Link Cable. | * [[Game Boy Printer]]: A [[Thermal printing|thermal printer]] that produces hard copies of Game Boy Camera images and supports printing content from games such as ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', and ''[[Pokémon]]'' ''versions [[Pokémon Yellow|Yellow]], [[Pokémon Gold and Silver|Gold, Silver]], and [[Pokémon Crystal|Crystal]]''. Connects via a Game Link Cable. | ||
* [[Game Link Cable]]: Enables multiplayer gaming and data transfers between Game Boy systems, notably used in the ''Pokémon'' series | * [[Game Link Cable]]: Enables multiplayer gaming and data transfers between Game Boy systems, notably used in the ''Pokémon'' series | ||
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Commentary on the legacy of the Game Boy Color has been shaped by the perception that the handheld was as an incremental and transitional upgrade of the Game Boy rather than a completely new device.<ref name="Fahs 2009">{{Cite web |last=Fahs |first=Travis |date=July 27, 2009 |title=IGN Presents the History of Game Boy |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/27/ign-presents-the-history-of-game-boy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528083411/http://retro.ign.com/articles/100/1007864p3.html |archive-date=May 28, 2010 |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Carroll 2018" /> Author Jeff Ryan noted the Game Boy Color had a reputation as a "legacy machine" that found success mostly due to its backward compatibility, as "few wanted to lose all the ''[[Dr. Mario]]'' and ''[[Pokémon]]'' cartridges they had amassed over the years."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Jeff |title=Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America |date=September 25, 2012 |publisher=Penguin Random House |isbn=978-1-59184-563-8 |pages=208}}</ref> Quoted in ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', [[Blitz Games Studios]] developer Bob Pape acknowledged that although "backwards compatibility more or less defined (the) Game Boy Color", the handheld "ticked all the right boxes with regards to size, battery life, reliability and most importantly backwards compatibility".<ref name="Carroll 2018">{{Cite magazine |last=Carroll |first=Martyn |date=December 2018 |title=Game Boy Color |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |pages=50–55 |issue=187}}</ref> | Commentary on the legacy of the Game Boy Color has been shaped by the perception that the handheld was as an incremental and transitional upgrade of the Game Boy rather than a completely new device.<ref name="Fahs 2009">{{Cite web |last=Fahs |first=Travis |date=July 27, 2009 |title=IGN Presents the History of Game Boy |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/27/ign-presents-the-history-of-game-boy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528083411/http://retro.ign.com/articles/100/1007864p3.html |archive-date=May 28, 2010 |access-date=August 6, 2022 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Carroll 2018" /> Author Jeff Ryan noted the Game Boy Color had a reputation as a "legacy machine" that found success mostly due to its backward compatibility, as "few wanted to lose all the ''[[Dr. Mario]]'' and ''[[Pokémon]]'' cartridges they had amassed over the years."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Jeff |title=Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America |date=September 25, 2012 |publisher=Penguin Random House |isbn=978-1-59184-563-8 |pages=208}}</ref> Quoted in ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', [[Blitz Games Studios]] developer Bob Pape acknowledged that although "backwards compatibility more or less defined (the) Game Boy Color", the handheld "ticked all the right boxes with regards to size, battery life, reliability and most importantly backwards compatibility".<ref name="Carroll 2018">{{Cite magazine |last=Carroll |first=Martyn |date=December 2018 |title=Game Boy Color |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |pages=50–55 |issue=187}}</ref> | ||
Positive assessments of the legacy of the Game Boy Color have focused on the merits of its game library, particularly for its third-party and import titles. Travis Fahs of ''[[IGN]]'' noted while "the Game Boy Color's life was relatively brief", it "built up a small library of excellent games", including ''[[Wario Land 3]]'' and ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]'', and a "unique" and "previously unheard of" line of successful third-party games, including ''[[Dragon Warrior Monsters]]'', ''[[Metal Gear | Positive assessments of the legacy of the Game Boy Color have focused on the merits of its game library, particularly for its third-party and import titles. Travis Fahs of ''[[IGN]]'' noted while "the Game Boy Color's life was relatively brief", it "built up a small library of excellent games", including ''[[Wario Land 3]]'' and ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]'', and a "unique" and "previously unheard of" line of successful third-party games, including ''[[Dragon Warrior Monsters]]'', ''[[Metal Gear: Ghost Babel|Metal Gear Solid]]'' and ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories]]''.<ref name="Fahs 2009" /> Ashley Day of ''Retro Gamer'' noted that the handheld had an "overlooked" status, stating "the Game Boy Color (has) an unfair reputation as the one Nintendo handheld with few worthwhile titles, but this simply isn't the case...returning to the Game Boy Color now reveals a wealth of great games that you never knew existed, especially those available on import."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Day |first=Ashley |date=May 2006 |title=Game Boy Color |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |pages=41–43 |issue=24}}</ref> | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||