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{{Quote|Get into it.|The Game Boy Color's slogan.}}
 
{{Hardware
 
{{Hardware
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|image = [[File:Game_Boy_Color_Logo.png|200 px|center]]
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|image = [[File:Game_Boy_Color_Logo.png|220px|center]]<br>[[Image:Gameboycolor.jpg|230 px|center]]
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[[Image:Gameboycolor.jpg|230 px|center]]
  
 
|manufacturer = [[Nintendo]]
  
|manufacturer = [[Nintendo]]
 
|release = [[Image:Japan.gif|15 px]] October 21, [[1998]]<br>[[Image:America.gif|15 px]] November 18, [[1998]]<br>[[Image:Europe.gif|15 px]] November 23, [[1998]]<br>[[Image:Australia.gif|15 px]] February 3, [[1999]]
  
|release = [[Image:Japan.gif|15 px]] October 21, [[1998]]<br>[[Image:America.gif|15 px]] November 18, [[1998]]<br>[[Image:Europe.gif|15 px]] November 23, [[1998]]<br>[[Image:Australia.gif|15 px]] February 3, [[1999]]
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|followed = [[Game Boy Advance]]<br>(2001)
  
|followed = [[Game Boy Advance]]<br>(2001)
 
}}
  
}}
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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.
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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]].
   
  +
==Capabilities==
⚫
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 [[Nintendo 3DS|the new 3DS]].
  
  +
The most defining feature was allowing to play games in full colour with a maximum of fifty six colours showing on the screen simultaneously, unlike the Game Boy only allowing greyscale colours.
  +
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 infrared 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 [[Nintendo 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.
  
   
  ⚫
Some were surprised that Nintendo released such an apparently underpowered system, as the Game Boy Color was not even as powerful as the Game Gear, 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==
  
  +
  +
===Hardware Specifications===
  +
*Main processor: Zilog Z80
  +
*Processor speed: 4 or 8 MHz
  +
*Resolution: 160x144 pixels
  +
*Colour palettes avalible: 32,786
  +
*Colours on screen: 10, 32 or 56
  +
*Maximum sprites: 40 total, 10 on a line and 4 colours maximum
  +
*Size of sprite: 8x8 or 8x16 pixels
  +
*Tiles on screen: 512
  +
*Audio: 2 square wave channels, 1 wave channel, 1 noise channel, mono speaker and stereo jack headphone
  +
*Maximum ROM size: 8 Megabytes
  +
*RAM: 32 kilobytes
  +
*VRAM: 16 kilobytes
  +
*Cartridge RAM: 128px
  +
*Power:
  +
**Internal: Two AA Batteries allowing thirty hours of play.
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**External: 3V DC
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**Indicator: Red LED
  +
*Input:
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**8-way D-pad
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**4 buttons (A, B, START, SELECT)
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**Volume Potentiometer
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**Power switch
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**Serial I/O
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**Infrared I/O
  +
**Cartridge I/O
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*Dimensions:
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**Metric: 75 mm x 27 mm x 133 mm
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**Imperial: 2.95 in x 1.06 in x 5.24 in
  +
  +
==Notable games==
  ⚫
===Top Ten best selling===
 
*''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]''
  
*''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]''
 
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX]]''
  
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX]]''
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*''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories]]''
  
*''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories]]''
 
*''[[Pokémon Pinball]]''
  
*''[[Pokémon Pinball]]''
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  +
===Launch titles===
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*''[[Centipede]]''
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*''[[Game & Watch Gallery 2]]''
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*''[[Tetris DX]]''
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*''[[Pocket Bomberman]]''
   
 
==See also==
  
==See also==

Revision as of 21:28, 1 April 2012

“Get into it.”
―The Game Boy Color's slogan.


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.

Capabilities

The most defining feature was allowing to play games in full colour with a maximum of fifty six colours showing on the screen simultaneously, unlike the Game Boy only allowing greyscale colours. 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 infrared 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 Nintendo 3DS.

Some were surprised that Nintendo released such an apparently underpowered system, as the Game Boy Color was not even as powerful as the Game Gear, 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.

Hardware Specifications

  • Main processor: Zilog Z80
  • Processor speed: 4 or 8 MHz
  • Resolution: 160x144 pixels
  • Colour palettes avalible: 32,786
  • Colours on screen: 10, 32 or 56
  • Maximum sprites: 40 total, 10 on a line and 4 colours maximum
  • Size of sprite: 8x8 or 8x16 pixels
  • Tiles on screen: 512
  • Audio: 2 square wave channels, 1 wave channel, 1 noise channel, mono speaker and stereo jack headphone
  • Maximum ROM size: 8 Megabytes
  • RAM: 32 kilobytes
  • VRAM: 16 kilobytes
  • Cartridge RAM: 128px
  • Power:
    • Internal: Two AA Batteries allowing thirty hours of play.
    • External: 3V DC
    • Indicator: Red LED
  • Input:
    • 8-way D-pad
    • 4 buttons (A, B, START, SELECT)
    • Volume Potentiometer
    • Power switch
    • Serial I/O
    • Infrared I/O
    • Cartridge I/O
  • Dimensions:
    • Metric: 75 mm x 27 mm x 133 mm
    • Imperial: 2.95 in x 1.06 in x 5.24 in

Notable games

Top Ten best selling

Launch titles

See also

Trivia

  • Despite Europe and Australia having the word spelt as colour, the system was still called the Game Boy "Color" in their region.
Nintendo consoles
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Game Boy line Game Boy (1989) | Super Game Boy (1994) | Game Boy Pocket (1996) | Game Boy Light (1998) | Super Game Boy 2 (1998) | Game Boy Color (1998) | Game Boy Advance (2001) | Game Boy Advance SP (2003) | Game Boy Advance SP Mark II (2005)| Game Boy Micro (2005)
Nintendo DS/Nintendo 3DS line Nintendo DS (2004) | Nintendo DS Lite (2006) | Nintendo DSi (2008) | Nintendo DSi XL (2009) | Nintendo 3DS (2011) | Nintendo 3DS XL (2012) | Nintendo 2DS (2013) | New Nintendo 3DS (2014) | New Nintendo 3DS XL (2014) | New Nintendo 2DS XL (2017)
Nintendo Switch line Nintendo Switch (2017) | Nintendo Switch Lite (2019) | Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) (2021)
Other handhelds Game & Watch (1980-1991) | Virtual Boy (1995) |Pokémon Pikachu (1998) |Pokémon Pikachu 2 GS (1999) |Pokémon mini (2001) | Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. (2020) | Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda (2021)
Add-ons Family Computer Disk System (1986) | Satellaview (1993) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System CD (Canceled 1997) | 64DD (1999) | Game Boy Player (2003) | Panasonic Q Game Boy Player (2003)
Other products Arcade games | Mobile games
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