Game Boy

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It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information.

This article is about the game console. For the microgame of the same name in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, see Game Boy (microgame). For the gamebook series of the same name, see Game Boy (book series).

Template:System-Infobox

“Now you're playing with power. Portable power.”
The Game Boy slogan

The Game Boy is Nintendo's second handheld console. The Game Boy is one of the best selling game systems of all time, containing a processor 2.345x faster than the NES and selling around 64,420,000 units worldwide (more than 118,000,000 counting the Game Boy Color). The console found enough success not to receive a successor until the Game Boy Color in 1998. It was discontinued in 2003 and is a well-known console to both Nintendo fans and collectors. It is the handheld counterpart of the NES and SNES. It has 8-bit graphics (similar to the NES).

The Game Boy has the A Button, B Button, Start Button, and Select Button buttons as well as the +Control Pad, which make the controls similar to that on the NES. In 1995, a new version of the Game Boy, as part of Nintendo's "Play It Loud!" campaign, was released. This version is exactly the same as the original; the only difference is that it was released in a wide variety of colors such as red, blue, green, and even clear. Game Boy games are also available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

Hardware Specifications

  • CPU: Z80 8-bit CMOS
  • CPU Speed: 4.19 Mhz
  • RAM: 8 Kbyte
  • Maximum Resolution: 160 x 144 pixels
  • Colors: Grayscale (four shades of gray; olive green in some cases) (in Color, they get 32,768 colors + 56 colors maximum on screen)
  • Maximum sprite size: 8 x 16 pixels
  • Maximum number of sprites on screen: 40 sprites, 10 per line
  • Minimum/Maximum cart size: 256 Kbit - 16 Mbit
  • Sound: 4 Channel

Compatibility

Below is a compatibility chart. Any game only for Game Boy Color will boot but refuse to play further. There are, however, notable color exceptions for this chart, such as Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions, which act as standard black Game Boy Color cartridges with more unorthodox cartridge colors.

Example Cartridge Usual Color Game Boy mode Compatible
Original Game Boy cartridge North American Cartridge Gray Check mark.svg Check mark.svg
Game Boy Color cartridge (Black) European Cartridge Black Check mark.svg Check mark.svg
Game Boy Color cartridge (Clear) North American Super Mario Bros. Deluxe cartridge Clear X mark.svg X mark.svg

Accessories

Game Link Cable

GameBoyGameLinkCable.jpg

There is a Game Link Cable accessory that allows for two Game Boys to connect with each other. Dr. Mario and Super Mario Bros. Deluxe are examples of such games to take advantage of this feature. A 4-player version of the accessory exists for games that can take advantage of this accessory. Not to be confused with Game Boy Advance's method of doing so. To communicate with later models, such as the Game Boy Pocket or Game Boy Color, a special adapter needs to be used (model MGB-004).

Game Boy Camera

Main article: Game Boy Camera
Game Boy Camera boxart.

This accessory transforms the Game Boy into a very primitive monochrome digital camera.

Game Boy Printer

GameBoyPrinter.jpg

This accessory allows the ability to to make prints of images on special thermal paper. Game Boy Printer connects to the Game Boy via Game Link Cable. The main accessory to use this accessory was the Game Boy Camera. A select few other games make use of this feature, such as Pokémon Yellow Version and the Generation II Pokémon games.

GB Memory Cartridge

Main article: Nintendo Power (cartridge)
GB Memory Cartridge

Only in Japan, the GB Memory Cartridge is a rewritable version of regular cartridges, through kiosks at retail stores between 1997-2007.

Remodels

Super Game Boy

Super Game Boy
Main article: Super Game Boy

The Super Game Boy is not an actual system; rather, it is a Super Nintendo cartridge that one could insert Game Boy cartridges into, thus enabling people to play Game Boy games on their television screens through the Super Nintendo. Certain games have additional colors that can only be seen while played on a Super Game Boy. Donkey Kong has a special color palette designed for the Super Game Boy, as well as a special border designed to resemble the original arcade cabinet. Game Boy Color games with black cartridges can be played on the Super Game Boy. These features are not available on the 3DS versions due to using a Game Boy emulator rather then a SNES emulator.

Game Boy Pocket

Game Boy Pocket
The 1st release Game Boy Pocket

The Game Boy Pocket is the second system of the Game Boy line. As the name implies, it is a pocket-sized Game Boy with its same features, and it was lighter in weight, with a clearer, more monochrome screen and a longer battery life. It requires two AAA batteries rather than four AA batteries in order to play games. The first release had no battery light indicator and it was rapidly replaced with a second release with the battery light due to customer complaints. The second release made its way into markets in several different colors (red, blue, green, yellow, black, etc.). It was released on July 21, 1996.[1]

Game Boy Light

A silver Game Boy Light

The Game Boy Light is the third system in the Game Boy line. It was released only in Japan in April 14, 1998 as Nintendo was more focused on releasing the Game Boy Color in other regions. The system is slightly bigger than a Game Boy Pocket and came only in two colors, gold and silver. Its main function, as the name implies, is the ability to produce a blue-tinted backlight in order to play games in low light conditions. There were several special editions such as the Astro Boy edition.

At the time, it was the rarest Game Boy system, only available in Japan, but due to websites, such as eBay, the system became widely available in the entire world.

It was the only Game Boy system to have a proper backlight until the release of the Game Boy Advance SP.

Successors

Appearances in the Mario series

The batteries of "Wart's" Game Boy expire.
Super Smash Bros. Melee

In the Game Boy comics mini-series by Valiant, Game Boys acted as gateways between the Mushroom World and Earth.

The Club Nintendo comic "Wart steht unter Strom" is about Wart (actually Bowser erroneously labeled as "Wart") who is playing Game Boy. The power of the batteries expires, so Wart carelessly throws the batteries away. Mario reminds him that they should be properly disposed of in containers instead.

In the Nintendo Adventure Book Doors to Doom, Mario and Luigi can encounter Wart, who is relaxing in his lair and playing a Game Boy, having mellowed out and become a skateboarder since his last encounter with the heroes.

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario is able to buy a Game Boy from a Toad in the Mushroom Kingdom.

In Luigi's Mansion, there is a Boo called Game Boo, which is probably a pun on Game Boy or its series.

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, there is an oversized Game Boy as the scoreboard in the Pianta Parlor.

In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, 9 Volt has a giant Game Boy in his house.

A stage that takes place in a Game Boy system, Dream Land GB (based on Kirby's Dream Land), appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Additionally, during the Classic mode credits minigame, hitting the Nintendo logo towards the end plays the Game Boy start-up sound.

Though the Game Boy itself doesn't appear in Super Mario Odyssey, one of the filters that is available for use in Snapshot Mode is the graphics style of the Game Boy.

Galleries

System gallery

Game gallery

External links

  • Nintendo Gateway System (Wikipedia) – Versions of Nintendo systems, including the Game Boy, specialized for airlines and hotels

Trivia

References

  1. ^ Minotti, Mike (April 21, 2014). 25 years of the Game Boy: A timeline of the systems, accessories, and games. VentureBeat. Retrieved March 5, 2020.