Game Boy Color

Game Boy Color
Manufacturer	Nintendo
Release Date	October 21, 1998 November 18, 1998 November 23, 1998 February 3, 1999
Console Generation	Fifth generation
Processor	Custom, Zilog Z80-alike
Media	Game Boy cartridges
Shipped	118.69 million (includes Game Boy)
Bestseller	Pokémon Gold and Silver

The Game Boy Color is the successor of the Game Boy Pocket. Slightly larger than the Pocket, but significantly smaller than the original Game Boy, its defining feature was a color screen able to display 56 colors simultaneously, which was a huge improvement from the first Game Boy, which only had two colors. In addition it possessed more powerful hardware than the Pocket, with a processor of twice the speed and quadruple the memory. A large number of new games were released to exploit the capabilities of this new console, which was also backwards compatible with every previous Game Boy game with only a handful of exceptions.

A unique feature of the Game Boy Color was its infra-red wireless link-up port. Seldom used by any software, it was consequently dropped for future Game Boy iterations and the Nintendo DS line of handhelds. It was however reintroduced with the new 3DS.

Some were surprised that Nintendo released such an apparently underpowered system, as the Game Boy Color was not even as powerful as the GameGear, which was released way back in 1990. However, the Color, as with its predecessors, was notably more portable, more affordable and had a greater library of games than any of its competitors, as well as many years of carefully-built brand recognition behind it. As such it dominated the market, and destroyed all competition.

Top Ten Best Selling Games

• Pokémon Gold and Silver
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
• Pokémon Crystal
• Pokémon Trading Card Game
• Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories
• Pokémon Pinball

See also

• List of Game Boy Color games