History Platform / GameBoyColor

It also follows the design paradigm. It has about the size and weight of the Game Boy Pocket, and is just as durable. Its launch price was in between the launch price of the Game Boy and the Pocket. Its battery life is about the same as the Pocket's, and best of all, it was backward compatible with Game Boy games, with a handful of 10-color palettes built in to give those old games a hint of color. However its inability to use the color palettes in UsefulNotes/SuperGameBoy–enhanced titles drew small amounts of criticism.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GameBoy-Color_4297.jpg]]
''[[caption-width-right:300:"Get into it!"]]''

Where competition drove Creator/{{Nintendo}} to develop the UsefulNotes/SuperFamicom just over seven years after the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]], lack of competition allowed Nintendo to wait for years before moving on from the UsefulNotes/GameBoy.

This may or may not also have been spurred by Nintendo losing marketshare with the UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}}, and wanting to make sure their handheld line didn't stagnate.

Either way, they learned the lesson of the N64, and this system was easy to develop for. Nintendo basically enhanced the Game Boy parts, and made a souped-up NES. This made sense, since the Game Boy was similar to the NES already.

Unfortunately, the system lasted only a few years before retiring, due to Nintendo moving on to the Advance. This makes it probably the most successful system ever to have such a short cycle.

* ''Disney/Aladdin'' (a Color-exclusive port of the classic UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis game of the same name)

* ''WesternAnimation/{[Aladdin}}'' (a Color-exclusive port of the classic UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis game of the same name)

* ''WesternAnimation/Aladdin'' (a Color-exclusive port of the classic UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis game of the same name)

** ''VideoGame/TheBestOfMicrosoftEntertainmentPack''

* ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal]]'' (with ''Crystal'' being incompatible on the original GameBoy)

** ''Croc 2''

''[[caption-width-right:300:[[Tagline "Get into it!"]]''

''[[caption-width-right:300:[[Main/Slogans "Get into it!"]]]]''

''[[caption-width-right:300:[[Main/Slogans "Get into it!"]]''

''[[caption-width-right:300:[[Main/Slogans]] "Get into it!"]]''

''[[caption-width-right:300:"Get into it!"]]''

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: There were two types of Game Boy Color cartridges: ones that were compatible with the original Game Boy (and by extent, the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, and Super Game Boy), and ones that weren't. Game Boy-compatible cartridges were usually black (though sometimes came in different colors, as is the case with ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver]]'') and used the same design as original Game Boy cartridges, while Color-exclusive cartridges were usually clear and uniquely-shaped.

Where competition drove Nintendo to develop the SuperFamicom just over seven years after the [[NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]], lack of competition allowed Creator/{{Nintendo}} to wait for years before moving on from the GameBoy.

This may or may not also have been spurred by Nintendo losing marketshare with the {{Nintendo 64}}, and wanting to make sure their handheld line didn't stagnate.

It also follows the design paradigm. It has about the size and weight of the Game Boy Pocket, and is just as durable. Its launch price was in between the launch price of the Game Boy and the Pocket. Its battery life is about the same as the Pocket's, and best of all, it was backward compatible with Game Boy games, with a handful of 10-color palettes built in to give those old games a hint of color. However its inability to use the color palettes in SuperGameBoy-enhanced titles drew small amounts of criticism.

The system was a hit, selling so many systems that Nintendo delayed the release of the GameBoyAdvance a few months (since the Color's main processor was meant to be included to ensure backwards compatibility). The totals sales is unclear, since Nintendo folds the total with the original Game Boy for some reason, but the fact that it was delayed meant it had to be selling a lot.

An interesting addition was the inclusion of an IR port, which could allow for wireless data transfer between two systems. It wasn't as large-scale as using the link cable though, and could only be used for very minor things. As usual for the ''Pokémon'' series, ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' were probably the most well known examples of this features, allowing two players to "Mystery Gift" with each other once a day, basically creating random items for both players. The games could also communicate with a virtual pet, which could get the player a variety of items.

Specs:

* UsefulNotes/{{C|entralProcessingUnit}}PU is an enhanced version of the Game Boy's Z80-compatible running at 8 [=MHz=] (almost twice the speed of the original Game Boy's CPU, as well as the stuff that was removed from the the Game Boy's CPU was put back in for the Game Boy Color's CPU).

* However, it cannot use the predefined in-game color palettes on SuperGameBoy-enabled titles.

''[[caption-width-right:303:"Get into it!"]]''
->''Nintendo brings you this Game Boy game... [[RecycledINSPACE in Color]]''

* {{C|entralProcessingUnit}}PU is an enhanced version of the Game Boy's Z80-compatible running at 8 [=MHz=] (almost twice the speed of the original Game Boy's CPU, as well as the stuff that was removed from the the Game Boy's CPU was put back in for the Game Boy Color's CPU).

* 32 KB main RAM and 16 KB VideoRAM.

* TonkaTough: Zigzagged. It's a durable, well constructed shell that isn't easy to break, but like the original Game Boy, the screen is rather easy to scuff and scratch, and most unfortunately, the buttons can be worn out over time, making gameplay difficult or impossible.

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