Line #30 Platform/GameBoyColor


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gameboy_color.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:''"Get into it!"''[[note]]An Atomic Purple Game Boy Color[[/note]]]]
3
4	->''"Nintendo brings you this Game Boy game... in Color."''
5
6	In 1998, Creator/{{Nintendo}} basically enhanced the Platform/GameBoy parts to make a souped-up portable [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] and sent out the resulting '''Game Boy Color''' into the wild. This made sense, since the Game Boy was similar to the NES already. Learning from the mistakes of the Platform/Nintendo64, Nintendo made the Game Boy Color easy to develop for so that their handheld branch could retain their massive third-party support.
7
8	The Game Boy Color owes its existence to, of all things, the Platform/WonderSwan. When Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi caught wind that Creator/{{Bandai}} was planning to release their own handheld gaming system, he feared it could be real competition. Bandai had exclusive licenses to a litany of Japan's biggest MediaNotes/AnimeAndManga properties, and worst of all, they were partnering with Koto Laboratory, founded by Game Boy creator Creator/GunpeiYokoi and fair handful of the team that helped him.
9
10	Yamauchi ordered Nintendo R&D1, Yokoi's original unit, to develop a color handheld in a record 10 months to beat the [=WonderSwan=] to market. R&D1 was well underway on Project Atlantis, a more powerful 32-bit handheld that eventually became the Platform/GameBoyAdvance, but the new mandate forced them to put the more advanced handheld's development on hold, and instead work on a much more modest upgrade of the original Game Boy with color capabilities.
11
12	The Game Boy Color also follows the Game Boy's design paradigm (size, [[MadeOfIndestructium durability]], cost, and battery life), is about the size and weight of the Game Boy Pocket, the launch price was in between the original Game Boy and the Pocket's, the battery life is about the same as the Pocket's, and best of all, it was backward compatible with all original Game Boy games.
13
14	The Color's biggest selling point was, naturally, its ability to display color. This made it closer to the idea of being a portable NES than the original Game Boy, though the Color's larger color palette meant it was capable of producing more detailed sprites and backgrounds than the NES ever could. The Color could also overlay a handful of 10-color palettes onto original Game Boy games to give them a hint of color, though it was unable to use the color palettes of Platform/SuperGameBoy–enhanced titles[[note]]A potential reason is because the Super Game Boy, naturally, had the SNES's color capabilities to work with, which are much richer and wider than the GBC's limited palette. The SGB also handled colorization with more than four colors fundamentally differently from how the GBC did[[/note]]. Games made specifically with the Game Boy Color in mind would include more specific and variable color palettes -- many games were released that were compatible with both the older Game Boys and GBC, but later-released games would require a GBC. Color games compatible with the original model were typically encased in cartridges in a color different from the grey used for the Game Boy (typically black), while GBC exclusive games used translucent cartridges.
15
16	One of the handheld's more interesting features was the IR port, which could allow for wireless data transfer between two systems. While more convenient than the Link Cable since it wasn't a separate peripheral, the port's functions were limited in comparison (i.e. no multiplayer) and it was utilized by ''very'' few games. As usual for the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series, ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' and ''Crystal'' were probably the most well-known users of this feature, 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 the Toys/PokemonPikachu 2 GS, which could get the player a variety of items. Additionally, a ''Film/MissionImpossible'' game released for the Color had a function to turn the handheld into a universal remote by using the IR sensor, while ''VideoGame/BombermanMax'' used it for {{Mon}} battles and sharing version-exclusive stages.
17
18	The Color was well-supported considering it had a relatively short lifespan. Over 900 games were made specifically for it, with some being [[UpdatedRerelease colorized re-releases of Game Boy games]] (often known as "DX" versions). Nintendo also made sure to publish a large number of high-profile first party titles: ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', ''Mario'', and ''Pokémon'' would all see multiple installments on the GBC, with ''Pokémon'' in particular providing the system's biggest KillerApp via ''Pokémon Gold and Silver''.
19
20	The total sales of the Game Boy Color are unclear, as Nintendo officially treats it as [[ProductFacelift a revision]] of the original Game Boy and folds their numbers together. However, everything points to it being a huge hit; the highest-selling GBC game exceeded 23 million units.
21
22	The system lasted only a little over four years before retiring in 2003, as Nintendo had fully moved on to the Platform/GameBoyAdvance and were preparing for the imminent release of the Platform/NintendoDS in 2004. The Color is probably the most successful system ever to have such a short cycle thanks to its large library and high software sales.
23	----
24
25	!!Specs:
26	[[AC:Processor]]
27	* The UsefulNotes/{{C\|entralProcessingUnit}}PU is an enhanced version of the Game Boy's Z80-compatible running at 8 [=MHz=]. The clock speed can be lowered to allow the system to play original Game Boy titles, ensuring backward compatibility.
28
29	[[AC:Memory]]
30	* 32 KB main MediaNotes/RandomAccessMemory and 16 KB MediaNotes/VideoRAM. This is triple the memory of the original Game Boy.
31	* Carts could be around 4 (maybe 8) MB in size.
32
33	[[AC:Display and Graphics]]
34	* Sprites, resolution and screen size are the same as the Game Boy. Up to 40 sprites on screen at 8×8 or 8×16 pixels, resolution is 160×144 and the screen size is 1.9×1.7 inches.
35	* Backgrounds can be more detailed in GBC-only games due to additional memory for tiles.
36	* Up to 56 colors on screen (eight 4-color background palettes and eight 3-color sprite palettes), out of 32,768 total. Note that this is not really a hardware limitation, but rather palette memory limitation. If the palette is changed every scanline, it is possible to display over 2,000 colors at once.
37	* The system cannot use the predefined in-game color palettes on Platform/SuperGameBoy–enabled titles. Instead, it comes with 12 pre-programmed color palettes which can be selected at boot time when playing original Game Boy games, although it is programmed to automatically select particular palettes when specific cartridges are played. Some of these palettes are {{Game Breaker}}s in that they actually reveal hidden routes in some games (like in ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'') if not outright introduce minor glitches to the graphics.
38
39	[[AC:Sound]]
40	* Integrated into the CPU itself. Four channels stereo output via headphones but mono via the integrated speaker. Two square wave channels, one PWM channel and one noise channel.
41	* The cartridge slot allows for custom audio chips to pass a mono signal back to the console. However no cartridges produced ever made use of the functionality.
42
43
44	[[AC:Batteries]]
45	* 2 [=AA=] batteries give a life of just over 20 hours.
46
47	[[AC:Add-Ons and Accessories]]
48	* All accessories that were compatible with the Game Boy Pocket are also compatible with the Game Boy Color, including the Universal Link Cable, the VideoGame/GameBoyCamera, and the Game Boy Printer. The original Game Boy Link Cable and Four-Player Adapter isn't compatible without adapters due to the difference in port shapes. Even though it was perfectly compatible with the Game Boy Pocket Link Cable, the Game Boy Color ''did'' have its own Link Cable, except the extra cord to plug into the original Game Boy was replaced with a simple adapter (officially called the Universal Game Link Adapter) tethered to the cord.
49	* An accessory unique to the Game Boy Color was the Mobile Game Boy Adapter. One end would connect to the Game Boy Color's extension port and the other end into a cellular phone to allow communication between a Game Boy Color and a cellular network to challenge other players or exchange data remotely. The adapter was forwards-compatible with the Platform/GameBoyAdvance which had its own games that utilized the adapter. Unfortunately, it was too ahead of its time, and for numerous reasons the Mobile Game Boy Adapter failed to take off. Only six games on the Game Boy Color used the Mobile Adapter, and sixteen games on the Game Boy Advance. The service to use the Mobile Adapter shut down in December 2002, not even two years after the Adapter's introduction. The Mobile Adapter [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]].
50
51	In short, the system can't exactly run rings around the [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]], but it can handle graphics just as intense without slowdown or flicker and exceeds it in some areas.
52	----
53	!!Games/Series:
54	[[foldercontrol]]
55
56	[[folder:#-D]]
57	[[index]]
58	* ''VideoGame/ThreeDUltraPinballThrillRide''
59	* ''VideoGame/AirForceDelta''
60	* ''VideoGame/AloneInTheDarkTheNewNightmare''
61	* ''VideoGame/AzureDreams''
62	* ''VideoGame/BabyFelixHalloween''
63	* [[/index]]''Franchise/{{Barbie}}: Ocean Discovery''[[index]]
64	* ''VideoGame/BattleTanx''
65	* ''VideoGame/BionicCommandoEliteForces''
66	* ''VideoGame/Blade2000''
67	* ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster: Enemy Below''
68	* ''VideoGame/BombermanMax: Blue Champion and Red Challenger''
69	* ''VideoGame/CannonFodder''
70	* ''VideoGame/{{Croc}}''
71	** ''Croc 2''
72	* ''VideoGame/ConkersPocketTales''
73	* ''VideoGame/{{Crystalis}}''
74	* ''VideoGame/{{Daikatana}}''
75	* ''[[VideoGame/HammerinHarry Daiku no Gen-san]]: Kachikachi no Tonkachi ga Kachi''
76	* ''VideoGame/DeerHunterSeries''
77	* ''VideoGame/DejaVu1985 1 & 2''
78	* ''Creator/{{Disney}}'':
79	** ''VideoGame/{{Aladdin\|VirginGames}}''
80	** ''VideoGame/AtlantisTheLostEmpire''
81	** ''VideoGame/BeautyAndTheBeastABoardGameAdventure''
82	** ''VideoGame/{{Dinosaur}}''
83	** ''VideoGame/DonaldDuckGoinQuackers''
84	** ''VideoGame/TheEmperorsNewGroove''
85	** ''VideoGame/TheLionKingSimbasMightyAdventure''
86	** [[/index]]''[[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea The Little Mermaid II: Pinball Frenzy]]'' (a much girlier version of ''VideoGame/PokemonPinball'' but with characters from the film's sequel in place of Pokémon; this game, like ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon Crystal]]'', is incompatible with the original Platform/GameBoy)[[index]]
87	** ''VideoGame/MagicalTetrisChallenge''
88	** ''Mickey's Racing Adventure''
89	** ''VideoGame/MickeysSpeedwayUSA''
90	** ''Minnie & Friends: Yume no Kuni o Sagashite''
91	** ''VideoGame/ToyStory2''
92	** ''VideoGame/WaltDisneysAliceInWonderland''
93	** ''VideoGame/WinnieThePoohAdventuresInThe100AcreWood''
94	* [[/index]]''Franchise/DonkeyKong'':[[index]]
95	** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' (handheld port of the original [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] game)
96	** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongLandIII''
97	* ''VideoGame/DragonBallZLegendarySuperWarriors''
98	* [[/index]]''[[VideoGame/DragonQuest Dragon Warrior]]'':
99	** ''[[VideoGame/DragonQuestI Dragon Warrior I]] & [[VideoGame/DragonQuestII II]]''[[index]]
100	** ''[[VideoGame/DragonQuestIII Dragon Warrior III]]''
101	** ''[[VideoGame/DragonQuestMonsters Dragon Warrior Monsters]]''
102	** ''Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey'' and ''Tara's Adventure''
103	* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair''
104	* ''VideoGame/{{Driver}}''
105	* ''VideoGame/DukeNukem''
106	[[/index]]
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:E-H]]
110	[[index]]
111	* ''VideoGame/ElevatorActionEX''
112	* ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters''
113	* ''VideoGame/GameAndWatchGallery''
114	** ''Game & Watch Gallery 2''
115	** ''Game & Watch Gallery 3''
116	* ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Game Boy Wars 2]]''
117	** ''Game Boy Wars 3''
118	* ''VideoGame/GodzillaTheSeries''
119	* ''VideoGame/GoldAndGloryTheRoadToElDorado''
120	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto2'' (a top-down ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI Zelda]]''-esque version of the game with guns and cash; toned down to have the ESRB rating of T for Teen similar to its original release for the Platform/PlayStation)
121	* ''VideoGame/Grandia1: Parallel Trippers''
122	* ''VideoGame/TheGrinch2000''
123	* ''VideoGame/HalloweenRacer''
124	* ''VideoGame/HamtaroHamHamsUnite''
125	* ''Franchise/HarryPotter'':
126	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone''
127	** ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets''
128	* ''VideoGame/HideNSeekBattleMonsterTactics''
129	[[/index]]
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:I-L]]
133	[[index]]
134	* ''VideoGame/IndianaJonesAndTheInfernalMachine''
135	* ''Jimmy White's Cueball''
136	* ''VideoGame/KinnikuBanzukeGB'':
137	** ''Kinniku Banzuke GB - Chousen Monoha Kimida!''
138	** ''Kinniku Banzuke GB 2 - Mokushi Semassuru Champion''
139	** ''Kinniku Banzuke GB 3 - Shinseiki Survival Retsuden!''
140	* ''VideoGame/KirbyTiltNTumble''
141	* ''VideoGame/{{Klax}}''
142	* ''VideoGame/LegendOfTheRiverKing''
143	* [[/index]]''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':[[index]]
144	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening [[UpdatedRerelease DX]]''
145	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames''
146	* ''VideoGame/LEGOIsland 2: The Brickster's Revenge''
147	* ''VideoGame/LilMonster''
148	* ''VideoGame/LittleNicky''
149	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
150	** ''VideoGame/DaffyDuckFowlPlay''
151	** ''VideoGame/LooneyTunes''
152	** ''VideoGame/LooneyTunesCarrotCrazy''
153	** ''VideoGame/LooneyTunesCollectorMartianAlert''
154	* ''VideoGame/LufiaTheLegendReturns''
155	[[/index]]
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:M-P]]
159	[[index]]
160	* ''Anime/Macross7: Ginga no Heart wo Furuwasero!!''
161	* ''VideoGame/MagicalChase''
162	* ''VideoGame/MagicalDrop''
163	* ''VideoGame/MarbleMadness''
164	* [[/index]]''Creator/MaryKateAndAshleyOlsen'':
165	** ''Mary-Kate and Ashley Crush Course''
166	** ''Mary-Kate and Ashley Get a Clue!'' (a North American translation of the European ''WesternAnimation/MayaTheBee'' video game in which it had sprites left over from a canceled ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' video game along with characters from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'')
167	** ''Mary-Kate and Ashley Pocket Planner''
168	** ''Mary-Kate and Ashley Winners Circle''
169	** ''The New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley''[[index]]
170	* ''VideoGame/{{Medabots}}'' (all except the ''Parts Collection'' games come in ''Kabuto'' and ''Kuwagata'' versions):
171	** ''Medarot 2''
172	** ''Medarot 2 Parts Collection''
173	** ''Medarot Card Robottle''
174	** ''Medarot 3''
175	** ''Medarot 3 Parts Collection: Z-kara no Chousenjou''
176	** ''Medarot 4''
177	** ''Medarot 5: Susutake Mura no Tenkousei''
178	* ''VideoGame/MegaManX'':
179	** ''VideoGame/MegaManXtreme''
180	** ''VideoGame/MegaManXtreme2''
181	* ''Megami Tensei Gaiden: VideoGame/LastBible''
182	* ''Franchise/MenInBlack'':
183	** ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries''
184	** ''Men in Black 2: The Series''
185	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearGhostBabel'' ([[MarketBasedTitle retitled]] ''Metal Gear Solid'' outside Japan and Asia)
186	* ''VideoGame/MetalWalker''
187	* ''VideoGame/MicrosoftPinballArcade''
188	** ''The Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack''
189	** ''Microsoft Entertainment Pack: The Puzzle Collection''
190	* ''[[VideoGame/MontezumasRevenge Montezuma's Return]]''
191	* ''VideoGame/MrDriller''
192	* [[/index]]''Film/TheMummyTrilogy'':[[index]]
193	** ''VideoGame/TheMummy''
194	** ''VideoGame/TheMummyReturns''
195	* ''WesternAnimation/NASCARRacers''
196	* ''VideoGame/NFLBlitz'' (original, ''2000'', and ''2001'')
197	* ''VideoGame/NicktoonsRacing''
198	* ''VideoGame/PerfectDark''
199	* ''VideoGame/Pitfall3DBeyondTheJungle''
200	* ''VideoGame/PlanetOfTheApes2001''
201	* [[/index]]''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':[[index]]
202	** ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver''
203	*** [[/index]]''Pokémon Crystal''[[index]]
204	** ''VideoGame/PokemonPinball''
205	** ''VideoGame/PokemonTradingCardGame1998''
206	* ''VideoGame/PowerQuest''
207	* [[/index]]''Franchise/PowerRangers'':[[index]]
208	** ''VideoGame/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue''
209	** ''VideoGame/PowerRangersTimeForce''
210	* ''[[VideoGame/LivePowerfulProBaseball Power Pro-kun Pocket]]'':
211	** ''VideoGame/PowerProKunPocket1''
212	** ''VideoGame/PowerProKunPocket2''
213	* ''VideoGame/{{Prince of Persia\|1}}''
214	* ''VideoGame/PuchiCarat''
215	* ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'':
216	** ''Pocket VideoGame/PuyoPuyoSun''
217	** ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyon Pocket Puyo Puyo~n]]''
218	** ''Puyo Puyo Gaiden: Puyo Wars''
219	** ''Arle no Bouken: Mahou no Jewel''
220	[[/index]]
221	[[/folder]]
222
223	[[folder:Q-T]]
224	[[index]]
225	* ''VideoGame/QBert''
226	* ''VideoGame/QuestBriansJourney''
227	** ''Quest Fantasy Challenge''
228	* ''VideoGame/{{Rampart}}''
229	* ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'':
230	** ''VideoGame/Rayman1''
231	** ''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape''
232	* ''VideoGame/Ready2RumbleBoxing''
233	* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilGaiden''
234	* ''Return of the Ninja''
235	* ''VideoGame/{{Robopon}}'':
236	** ''Robopon: Sun Version''
237	** ''Robopon: Star Version''
238	** ''Robopon: Moon Version''
239	* [[/index]]''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'':[[index]]
240	** ''VideoGame/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeriesZapped''
241	** ''VideoGame/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeriesSpooked''
242	* ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'':
243	** ''Sakura Wars GB''
244	** ''Sakura Wars [=GB2=]''
245	* ''Samurai Kid''
246	* ''VideoGame/{{Shadowgate}} Classic''
247	* ''VideoGame/Shantae2002''
248	* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsNightOfTheLivingTreehouseOfHorror''
249	* ''[[VideoGame/SolomonsKey Solomon]]''
250	* [[/index]]''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}''[[index]]
251	* ''VideoGame/SpiderMan2TheSinisterSix''
252	* ''VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsLegendOfTheLostSpatula''
253	* ''VideoGame/StarOceanBlueSphere''
254	* ''VideoGame/StarWarsEpisodeIRacer''
255	* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha: Warriors' Dreams''
256	* [[/index]]''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':[[index]]
257	** ''VideoGame/MarioGolf''
258	** ''VideoGame/MarioTennis''
259	** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1 [[UpdatedRerelease Deluxe]]''
260	* ''[[VideoGame/LostInBlue Survival Kids]]''
261	* ''VideoGame/{{Telefang}}'':
262	** ''Telefang: Power Version''
263	** ''Telefang: Speed Version''
264	* ''VideoGame/Terrifying911'' (unlicensed game)
265	* ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'':
266	** ''VideoGame/MagicalTetrisChallenge''
267	** ''Tetris DX''
268	* ''VideoGame/TobuTobuGirl Deluxe''
269	* ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial Pocket'': ''Sports Hen'' and ''Culture Hen''
270	* ''VideoGame/TokiTori''
271	* ''VideoGame/TonicTrouble''
272	[[/index]]
273	[[/folder]]
274
275	[[folder:U-Z]]
276	[[index]]
277	* ''VideoGame/WarioLand'':
278	** ''VideoGame/WarioLandII''
279	** ''VideoGame/WarioLand3''
280	* ''VideoGame/{{Warlocked}}''
281	* ''VideoGame/WarriorsOfMightAndMagic''
282	* ''VideoGame/WendyEveryWitchWay''
283	* ''VideoGame/{{Wetrix}}''
284	* ''VideoGame/TheWorldIsNotEnough''
285	* ''VideoGame/YarsRevenge''
286	* [[/index]]''Franchise/YuGiOh'':[[index]]
287	** ''VideoGame/YuGiOhMonsterCapsuleGB''
288	** ''VideoGame/YuGiOhDarkDuelStories''
289	[[/index]]
290	[[/folder]]
291	----
292	!Tropes:
293	* 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.
294	* MadeOfIndestructium: 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. Even worse, the LCD panels were also prone to screen-burn. Keeping your Game Boy Color in a box in a non-air-conditioned store room if you live in equatorial regions is a good way to kill the display.
295	* ProductFacelift: Zigzagged. It's an upgrade to the original Game Boy with the ability to display in color, but there's also some under-the-hood power increases for more intensive games, and Nintendo lumps it in with the original Game Boy. However, a majority (about 70% according to Website/TheOtherWiki) of Color-compatible games do not support the original Game Boy, which might lead one to classify it as its own system.

Context Platform / GameBoyColor