View source for Game Boy Color

{{Short description|Handheld game console by Nintendo}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox computing device
| logo = Game Boy Color logo.svg
| logo_upright = 0.7
| image = Nintendo Game Boy Color.png
| caption = Game Boy Color with [[#Model colors|Atomic Purple]] case
| developer = [[Nintendo Research & Engineering]]
| manufacturer = [[Nintendo]]
| type = [[Handheld game console]]
| release date = {{Video game release
  | JP | October 21, 1998
  | NA | November 18, 1998
  | EU | November 23, 1998
  | AU | November 27, 1998
  }}
| discontinued = {{End date |2003|03|31}}
| price = {{USD|79.95|1998|round=-1}}
| units sold = 118.69 million (including all Game Boy variants)
| media = [[Game Boy Color Game Pak]]<br />[[Game Boy Game Pak]]
| soc = Nintendo CPU&nbsp;CGB
| cpu = Sharp&nbsp;SM83
| CPUspeed = 4.2&nbsp;/&nbsp;8.4&nbsp;MHz
| memory = 32&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Random-access memory|RAM]], 16&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|Video&nbsp;RAM]]
| display = Reflective [[TFT LCD]] 160&nbsp;×&nbsp;144&nbsp;[[pixels|px]], {{cvt|44|xx|40|mm}}
| service = [[Mobile System GB]] (Japan only)
| topgame = [[Pokémon Gold and Silver|''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'']] (23&nbsp;million)
| 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>
| successor = [[Game Boy Advance]]<ref name="3ds asks"/>
| family = [[Game Boy family|Game Boy]]
| generation = [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|Fifth]]
| aka = CGB-001
}}

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 '''GBC''' or '''CGB''') 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 the [[WonderSwan]] and [[Neo Geo Pocket]], and [[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 Game Boy Color received positive reviews upon release, and was praised for its backwards compatibility with games from its predecessor. It had a relatively brief lifespan, being succeeded by the [[Game Boy Advance]] after less than three years on the market. The Game Boy and the Game Boy Color combined have sold 118.69 million units worldwide, making them the fourth [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling system of all time]]. Its best-selling games are [[Pokémon Gold and Silver|''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'']] (1999), which shipped 23 million units worldwide.

== History ==
The original Game Boy was first introduced in 1989. The device was a monochrome handheld, and one of its competitors, the [[Atari Lynx]], featured a color screen. While the Lynx's color display was visually impressive, it was criticized for its bulky size and poor battery life. The Game Boy, in contrast, offered superior portability and longevity, propelling it to immense popularity.<ref name="McFarren 2016">{{Cite book |last=McFarren |first=Damien |title=Videogames Hardware Handbook |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78546-239-9 |edition=2nd |volume=1 |location=Bournemouth |pages=157–163}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Jeff |title=Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America |publisher=Portfolio Penguin |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-59184-405-1 |location=New York |pages=102–105 |language=en}}</ref> Publicly, Nintendo pledged to develop a color Game Boy, but only when technology limitations could be addressed.<ref name="Day 2016">{{Cite book |last=Day |first=Ashley |title=Videogames Hardware Handbook |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78546-239-9 |edition=2nd |volume=1 |location=Bournemouth |pages=236–239}}</ref>

Internally, a team led by [[Satoru Okada]], who played a key role in the original Game Boy's design, was experimenting with color displays. Their early-1990s prototype, codenamed "[[Game Boy Advance#Project Atlantis|Project Atlantis]]," featured a color screen and a powerful 32-bit processor from Sharp. However, the team was not satisfied with the outcome and shelved further development.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Satoru Okada – Interview |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/9902/b_box/staff/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000529053545/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/9902/b_box/staff/index.html |archive-date=May 29, 2000 |access-date=January 15, 2019 |website=Nintendo}}</ref><ref name="Kurokawa 2022">{{Cite web |last=Kurokawa |first=Fumio |date=2022 |title=Satoru Okada – 2022 Retrospective Interview |url=https://shmuplations.com/okada2022/ |access-date=April 8, 2024 |publisher=[[4gamer.net]]}}</ref>

Despite the lack of color, consumer interest in the Game Boy remained strong. In 1996, Nintendo released the slimmer [[Game Boy Pocket]], and the launch of the [[Pokémon (video game series)|''Pokémon'' series]] that same year further boosted sales.<ref name="Day 2016" /> However, developers were losing interest in creating new games for the aging platform.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=May 1998 |title=Nintendo's Next Generation Handheld |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |page=22 |issue=41}}</ref>

Additional market pressure for Nintendo came in October 1997 when news broke about [[Bandai|Bandai's]] new handheld, the [[WonderSwan]]. The project was led by [[Gunpei Yokoi]], the engineer who led the development of the [[Game & Watch]] series and the original Game Boy. Yokoi had left Nintendo in 1996 following the commercial failure of his final project at the company, the [[Virtual Boy]]. His departure caused a stir, with investors dumping Nintendo stock, forcing a temporary halt on trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Yokoi was killed in a roadside accident in 1997 before the WonderSwan's release.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McFerran |first=Damien |title=Videogames Hardware Handbook |date=2016 |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-78546-239-9 |edition=2nd |location=Bournemouth |page=235}}</ref>

Faced with mounting pressure, Okada revisited Project Atlantis. Prioritizing quickly bringing a device to market over processing power, he dropped the 32-bit chip in favor of a faster version of the existing Game Boy's 8-bit processor that would allow for a sooner launch and maintain compatibility with the existing library of Game Boy games.<ref name="Kurokawa 2022" />

The Game Boy Color was announced in March 1998 and released in Japan that October.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Color hardware |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/hardware/color/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525051241/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/hardware/color/ |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=July 24, 2016 |website=Nintendo}}</ref> It received an international rollout throughout November (amid the busy Christmas holiday shopping season), reaching North America on the 18th, Europe on the 23rd, and Australasia on the 27th. Launching at a price of {{USD|79.95|1998|round=-1}},<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=November 1998 |title=Introducing Game Boy Color |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo |page=85}}</ref> the Game Boy Color ultimately outsold the WonderSwan, which went on sale in March 1999.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 9, 1998 |title=Fun in the Palm of Your Hand |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:ORLB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EB4F474A0E83D50&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0ECC86DE7A4704AD |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 24, 2014 |work=[[The Orlando Sentinel]] |via=[[Newsbank]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

The Game Boy Color had a relatively short lifespan, being on the market for only two and a half years before being succeeded by the [[Game Boy Advance]] in 2001. The successor finally brought the 32-bit processing power envisioned in Project Atlantis. Despite the new system, the Game Boy Color remained in production, serving as a budget-friendly alternative.<ref name="Day 2016" /> The last units were reportedly sold by March 2003.<ref name="Nintendo 2016" />

== Hardware ==
[[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) that integrates the CPU and other major components into a single package, designated the CPU&nbsp;CGB by Nintendo and manufactured by the [[Sharp Corporation]]. While the CPU&nbsp;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&nbsp;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]]&nbsp;(MHz), games can command the processor in the Game Boy Color to operate in "dual-speed mode," doubling its frequency to 8.388608&nbsp;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 CPU&nbsp;CGB incorporates the ''Picture Processing Unit'', a basic [[GPU]] that renders visuals using 16&nbsp;[[kilobyte]]s&nbsp;(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" />

Additionally, the SoC contains a 2&nbsp;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&nbsp;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&nbsp;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 ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Height
| {{cvt|133.5|mm|frac=8}}
|-
! Width
| {{cvt|78|mm|frac=8}}
|-
! Depth
| {{cvt|27.4|mm|frac=8}}
|-
! Weight
| {{cvt|138|g}}
|-
! Display
| 2.3-inch (diagonal) reflective [[thin-film transistor]] (TFT) color [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD)
|-
! Screen size (playable)
| {{cvt|43|x|39|mm|frac=8}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Versions |url=https://www.retrorgb.com/gbversions.html |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=RetroRGB |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
! [[Display resolution|Resolution]]
| 160&nbsp;(w)&nbsp;× 144&nbsp;(h) [[pixel]]s (10:9 [[aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]])
|-
! Graphics
| {{Unbulleted list
   | Maximum [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]]: 40 total, 10 per line, 4 colors each (one transparent)
   | Sprite size: 8 × 8 or 8 × 16
   | Tiles drawn: 512 (360~399 visible, others off-screen as a scrolling buffer)
   }}
|-
! [[Frame rate]]
| 59.727500569606 [[Hertz|Hz]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Platform Framerates |url=http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229184750/http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |access-date=February 29, 2020 |website=TASVideos}}</ref>
|-
! Color support
| 32,768 colors, up to 56 simultaneously
|-
! [[System on a chip]] (SoC)
| Nintendo CPU&nbsp;CGB
|-
! CPU
| Sharp SM83 (custom [[Intel 8080]]/[[Zilog Z80]] hybrid, [[8-bit computing|8-bit]]) @ 4.194304 or 8.388608&nbsp;MHz
|-
! Memory
| {{Unbulleted list
  | '''On SoC:''' 2&nbsp;KB&nbsp;ROM, 127&nbsp;B&nbsp;High&nbsp;RAM, 16&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Video Random Access Memory|Video&nbsp;RAM]], 128&nbsp;B&nbsp;Audio&nbsp;RAM, 1.12KB&nbsp;object&nbsp;attribute&nbsp;RAM
  | '''Internal:''' 32&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Random-access memory|RAM]]
  | '''External:''' (in the game cartridge) up to 8&nbsp;MB ROM, up to 128&nbsp;KB RAM
  }}
|-
! Power
| {{Unbulleted list
   |'''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>
   | '''External:''' 0.6&nbsp;W at 3&nbsp;V&nbsp;DC from 2.35&nbsp;mm&nbsp;×&nbsp;0.75&nbsp;mm [[coaxial power connector|coaxial connector]]
   }}
|-
! Battery life
| 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
| {{Unbulleted list
   | '''Channels:''' 2&nbsp;pulse&nbsp;wave, 1&nbsp;wave, 1&nbsp;noise
   | '''Outputs:''' Built-in [[Monaural|mono]] speaker, stereo [[3.5mm headphone jack]]
   }}
|-
! [[Input/output|I/O]]
| {{Unbulleted list
   | [[Game Link Cable]] (up to 512&nbsp;[[kbit/s]], between up to 4 devices)<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|28}}
   | [[Game Boy Game Pak]] slot
   | Infrared (up to 9.5&nbsp;kbit/s,<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|45}} usable at distances less than {{cvt|2|m}} and within 45°)
   }}
|-
! Controls
| {{Unbulleted list
   | Eight-way [[D-pad|control pad]]
   | Four action buttons (A, B, START, SELECT)
   | Volume [[potentiometer]]
   | Power switch
   }}
|-
|colspan=2|{{Small|References:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nintendo Game Boy Color Console Information – Console Database |url=http://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/nintendogameboycolor/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702131325/http://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/nintendogameboycolor/ |archive-date=July 2, 2011 |access-date=February 19, 2011 |publisher=ConsoleDatabase.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Technical data |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Product-information/Technical-data/Technical-data-619585.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207100304/https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Product-information/Technical-data/Technical-data-619585.html |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |access-date=May 24, 2017 |website=Nintendo of Europe GmbH}}</ref><ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|16}} }}
|}

=== Model colors ===
{{Multiple image
| perrow            = 3
| total_width       = 250
| image1            = Game Boy Color.png
| caption1          = Berry
| image2            = Game Boy Color Purple.jpg
| caption2          = Grape
| image3            = Game Boy Color (green).png
| caption3          = Kiwi
| image4            = Game-Boy-Color-Yellow.jpg
| caption4          = Dandelion
| image5            = Gameboy color.jpg
| caption5          =      Teal
| image6            = Game-Boy-Color-Purple.jpg
| caption6          = Atomic Purple
}}

Nintendo had seen success selling colored variations of the Play It Loud! Game Boy and the Game Boy Pocket, so the company released the Color in several case variations.<ref name="Day 2016" />

The logo for Game Boy Color spells out the word "COLOR" in the five original colors in which the unit was manufactured: Berry (C), Grape (O), Kiwi (L), Dandelion (O), and Teal (R). Another color released at the same time was "Atomic Purple", made of a translucent purple plastic. Other colors were sold as limited editions or in specific countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Color |url=http://www.nintendo.com/systems/gbc/gbc_overview.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011214000944/http://www.nintendo.com/systems/gbc/gbc_overview.jsp |archive-date=December 14, 2001 |access-date=May 2, 2024 |website=Nintendo}}</ref>

== 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.{{cn|date=October 2025}} 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]]''.

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  ''[[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" />

Beyond the platform's official titles, {{As of|2025|lc=y}}, an active online community continues to create new titles for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color through tools like GB Studio, a free and user-friendly game-building engine that simplifies the process compared to manual coding.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGlynn |first=Anthony |date=May 2, 2021 |title=Why are game-makers creating new Game Boy games in 2021? |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/05/meet-the-developers-making-og-game-boy-games-in-2021/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |language=en-US}}</ref> GB Studio has been used by professional game studios like [[Krool Toys]], who created the promotional title [[Grimace's Birthday]] for [[McDonald's]] in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liszewski |first=Andrew |date=2023-06-13 |title=McDonald's Serves Up a Brand New Game Boy Color Game in the Year 2023 |url=https://gizmodo.com/mcdonald-nintendo-game-boy-color-game-grimace-birthday-1850534966 |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Cartridges ===
{{Multiple image
| direction         = horizontal
| total_width       = 300
| image1            = Nintendo-Game-Boy-Cartridge.jpg
| caption1          = Original Game Boy Game Pak
| image2            = Nintendo-Game-Boy-Cartridge-Black.jpg
| caption2          = Color enhanced Game Boy Game Pak
| image3            = Nintendo-Game-Boy-Color-Cartridge.jpg
| 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]]

Games are stored on cartridges called [[Game Boy Game Pak]]s, using [[read-only memory]] (ROM) chips. Due to the limitations of the 8-bit architecture of the device, the maximum ROM size the processor could access at any time was 32&nbsp;KB. Nintendo overcame this limitation with a ''Memory Bank Controller''&nbsp;(MBC) in the cartridge. This chip sits between the processor and the ROM and can [[Bank switching|switch between banks]] of 32&nbsp;KB ROM. Using this technology, Nintendo created Game Boy Color games up to 8&nbsp;[[megabyte]]s in size. Game Paks can also provide additional functionality to the Game Boy system. Some cartridges include up to 128&nbsp;KB of RAM to increase performance, which can be battery-backed to save progress when the handheld is off, [[real-time clock]] chips can keep track of time even when the device is off, and [[Rumble Pak]] cartridges added vibration feedback to enhance gameplay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Byers |first=Brendan |title=Exploring the Gameboy Memory Bank Controller |url=https://b13rg.github.io/Gameboy-MBC-Analysis/ |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=Brendan's Website |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|299}}

The Game Boy Color has backward compatibility with all original Game Boy games. Three main Game Pak cartridge types for the handheld were released:

* Original Game Boy Game Pak (gray case): The classic Game Boy cartridges. The Game Boy Color applies a limited color palette (often dark green) using four to ten colors to enhance games originally intended to be presented in four shades of gray.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Changing the Color Palette on Game Boy Advance Systems |url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/gameboyadvance/colorchange.jsp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113001631/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/gameboyadvance/colorchange.jsp |archive-date=January 13, 2009 |access-date=January 4, 2009 |website=Customer Service |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref> The Game Boy Color's "bootstrap" ROM was programmed with default color palettes for more than 90 titles, mainly first-party releases and popular games from other publishers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Carroll |first=Martyn |title=The Handheld Gaming Collection |publisher=Future Publishing |year=2023 |edition=1 |location=Bath, UK |pages=83}}</ref> For games without a default, users can choose from 12 different palettes, including one which replicates the original Game Boy's grayscale experience, by pressing down a combination of buttons at startup.
* Color enhanced Game Boy Game Pak (black case): These cartridges can use the full-color capabilities of the console (56 colors simultaneously out of a palette of 32,768) while remaining compatible with the original Game Boy where they are presented in four shades of gray. This compatibility comes at the expense of not being able to utilize the Game Boy Color's increased processing speed and memory.<ref name="Day 2016" />
* Game Boy Color Game Pak (clear case): Designed specifically for the Game Boy Color, these cartridges feature the full-color range (56 colors simultaneously out of a palette of 32,768) and benefit from the increased processing speed and memory of the Game Boy Color.<ref name="Day 2016" /> Because of this reliance on newer hardware, these games are incompatible with the older monochrome Game Boy models.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Pak Troubleshooting – All Game Boy Systems |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/gameboy/trouble_game.jsp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928055842/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/gameboy/trouble_game.jsp |archive-date=September 28, 2017 |access-date=September 27, 2017 |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]]}}</ref>

== Accessories ==
{{See also|Game Boy accessories#Game Boy Color}}
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.<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 Link Cable]]: Enables multiplayer gaming and data transfers between Game Boy systems, notably used in the ''Pokémon'' series
* [[Mobile Adapter GB]]: Connects the console to a [[mobile phone]], utilizing its [[cellular network]] for online interactions via the Mobile System GB service, most notably for ''[[Pokémon Crystal]]''. Limited game support and high costs led to low adoption. The service ended on December 18, 2002, and it was never released outside Japan due to wireless incompatibilities.

== Reception ==
=== Sales ===
The [[Game Boy]] and Game Boy Color were both commercially successful, selling 118.69&nbsp;million units worldwide: 32.47&nbsp;million in Japan, 44.06&nbsp;million in the Americas, and 42.16&nbsp;million in all other regions.<ref name="Nintendo 2016">{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2016 |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011145332/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 23, 2016 |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Brief History of Game Console Warfare: Game Boy |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509094404/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |archive-date=May 9, 2007 |access-date=March 28, 2008 |website=[[BusinessWeek]] |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill]]}}</ref> At the time of its discontinuation in 2003, the combined sales of all Game Boy variants made it the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling game console of all time]]. In later years, its sales were surpassed by the [[Nintendo DS]], [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Nintendo Switch]], making it the fourth-best-selling console the second-best-selling handheld of all time, {{As of|2024|lc=y}}. Sales of the device were in part driven by the success of ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]'' and ''[[Pokémon Crystal]]'', with combined sales of 29.5&nbsp;million units, making them one of the [[List of best-selling video games|best selling-video games of all time]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Japan Platinum Game Chart |url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/topten2.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213230402/http://www.the-magicbox.com/topten2.htm |archive-date=December 13, 2007 |access-date=September 27, 2007 |publisher=The Magic Box}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=US Platinum Videogame Chart |url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421003854/http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml |archive-date=April 21, 2007 |access-date=September 27, 2007 |publisher=The Magic Box}}</ref>

Sales of the Game Boy Color were strong at launch. [[Nintendo]] of America reported a sale of one&nbsp;million units from launch to December 1998,<ref name="Gaming Intelligence 1999">{{Cite magazine |date=February 1999 |title=Game Boy Color Sales Exceed 1 Million During Holidays |url=https://archive.org/details/gaming-intelligence-february-1999 |magazine=Gaming Intelligence |page=4}}</ref> and two&nbsp;million by July 1999.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Dunne |first=Alex |date=July 1999 |title=Industry Watch |url=https://archive.org/details/GDM_July_1999 |magazine=Game Developer Magazine |pages=10}}</ref> Retail chains in the [[United States]] reported unexpectedly high demand for the console, with executives of [[FuncoLand]] reporting "very pleasant and unpredicted" sales and [[Electronics Boutique]] stating "the entire Game Boy Color line just exploded, including accessories" upon release.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Trainman |first=Steve |date=May 12, 1999 |title=Retailers Coming to E3 with High Expectations |url=https://archive.org/details/game-week-may-12-1999 |magazine=Game Week |volume=5 |issue=17}}</ref> Faced with high worldwide demand and competitive retail pricing, retailers such as [[CompUSA]] sold out of Game Boy Color stock in the weeks before the 1998 Christmas season.<ref name="Gaming Intelligence 1999" />

=== Critical reception ===
Reception of the Game Boy Color was positive, with critics praising the addition of color and improved clarity of the display.

Affiliated publications such as ''Total Games'' praised the handheld for its "bright, colorful picture that can be viewed in direct light", [[backward compatibility]] features preserving the "vast catalogue of original Game Boy games", and improved technical performance.<ref name="Total Games Guide">{{Cite magazine |date=1998 |title=Introducing The Game Boy Color |url=https://archive.org/details/Total_Game_Boy_Issue_01/page/n3/mode/2up?q=%22game+boy+color%22 |magazine=Total Games Guide to Game Boy Color |publisher=Paragon Publishing |location=Bournemouth |pages=6–9}}</ref> ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' praised the Game Boy Color for making the Game Boy library of games "look better than ever – everything is crystal clear, bright and in [color]".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=December 1998 |title=Portable Colour Gaming Is Here! |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_205_1998-12_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n7/mode/2up?q=%22game+boy+color%22 |magazine=Computer and Video Games |issue=205}}</ref> Writing for ''[[GameSpot]]'', Chris Johnston stated that the display was "crystal clear" and free of motion blur, stating that ''[[Tetris DX]]'' was the "killer app" of the launch titles on the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Chris |date=1998 |title=Hands On: Game Boy Color |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hands-on-game-boy-color/1100-2465339/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607230501/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hands-on-game-boy-color/1100-2465339/ |archive-date=June 7, 2019 |access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=GameSpot}}</ref>

Milder reviews included those by ''Arcade'', who said that while that the colors were "very impressive" they were "not as eyeball-popping as you might have hoped for [...] it's mostly seaweed greens, rusty browns, timid yellows and the like". They concluded that "nothing about [the Game Boy Color] is very radical" but said the device was "Game Boy as it always should have been".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=December 1998 |title=The Color Purple |url=https://archive.org/details/Arcade_Issue_01_1998-12_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n61 |magazine=Arcade |pages=60–61 |issue=1}}</ref> Reviewers pointed out other drawbacks including that the system was still using an 8-bit architecture when competitors had moved onto 16-bit handheld systems and that the non-backlit screen required that the user be in a well lit area.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kapalka |first=Jeff |date=December 20, 1998 |title=A Gamer's Wish List |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EEC8F80A6BD337E |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=[[Syracuse Herald American]] |page=16 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref><ref name="Pavlacka 1998">{{Cite news |last=Pavlacka |first=Adam |date=November 16, 1998 |title=Game Boy Now Offers Play in Color |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EB1EEF4B4749A56 |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=The Beacon News (Aurora, IL) |page=C1 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref>

=== Legacy ===
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 Solid (2000 video game)|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 ==
* [[List of Game Boy accessories]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}

* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001012024759/http://gameboy.com/|date=October 12, 2000|title=Official website}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011214000944/http://www.nintendo.com/systems/gbc/gbc_overview.jsp|date=December 14, 2001|title=Game Boy Color (Nintendo.com)}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040212061705/http://www.nintendo.com/doc/cgb_games.pdf|date=February 12, 2004|title=List of Game Boy Color games}}

{{Game Boy line}}
{{Nintendo hardware|Game Boy Color}}
{{Fifth generation game consoles}}
{{Handheld game consoles}}
{{Portal bar|Video games|Electronics|1990s|2000s}}

[[Category:1990s toys]]
[[Category:2000s toys]]
[[Category:Backward-compatible video game consoles]]
[[Category:Discontinued handheld game consoles]]
[[Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Game Boy consoles]]
[[Category:Handheld game consoles]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 2003]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1998]]
[[Category:Regionless game consoles]]
[[Category:Z80-based video game consoles]]

[[de:Game Boy#Game Boy Color]]