Game Boy Color
- Manufacturer
- Nintendo
- Released
- 1998
- Generation
- Gen 5
- Type
- Handheld
- Launch price
- $79
- Media
- Cartridge
About Game Boy Color
The Game Boy Color 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, a CPU running at up to twice the speed, and four times as much memory. It is 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 Bandai's Japan-only WonderSwan, SNK's Neo Geo Pocket Color, and Sega's North America-only Genesis Nomad.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Library & collector facts
576licensed games
- North America: 576
- Japan: 576
- PAL: 576
Lineage
Release timeline
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- October 21, 1998
- 🇺🇸 North America
- November 18, 1998
- 🇪🇺 Europe / PAL
- November 23, 1998
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- November 27, 1998
Pricing
Launch price (1998)
- 🇺🇸 USD
- $79
Launch titles & exclusives
Pokemon Yellow · Tetris DX · Wario Land II · The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX · Game & Watch Gallery 2 · Centipede · Mortal Kombat 4 · NBA In The Zone
None (handheld sold standalone)
Pokemon Gold / Silver / Crystal · The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Seasons · Wario Land 3 · Shantae (original 2002 release) · Survival Kids · Dragon Warrior Monsters · Metal Gear Solid (Ghost Babel, EU/JP only as 'Konami GB Collection' aside) · Dragon Warrior III · Lufia: The Legend Returns
Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! (2003, NA) was among the last NA releases
Shantae CIB (~$500–$2000+); Pokemon Crystal CIB (~$200+); Mr. Driller boxed (~$150); Daikatana GBC unreleased prototype highly sought
Hardware specs
- Cpu
- Sharp SM83
- Ram
- 32 KB RAM, 16 KB Video RAM
- Weight
- 138 g
- Dimensions
- 78 × 133.5 × 27.4 mm
- Display Output
- Reflective TFT LCD 160 × 144 px
Hardware revisions
- Original Game Boy Color CGB-001(1998)
reflective (non-backlit) color TFT, ~10–15 hour battery on 2 AAs
⚠ only revision Nintendo shipped — the platform never received a hardware refresh
Launch colorways & special editions
- Pokemon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition (Yellow GBC, JP)
- Tezuka Osamu World Edition (JP)
- various JP store-exclusive colorways
Modding scene
- Difficulty
- soft-mod
- Custom firmware
- N/A; flashcarts: EZ-Flash Junior, Everdrive GB X5/X7
Reception & legacy
Strong — added color to the Game Boy library while remaining backward-compatible; Pokemon Gold/Silver became the system-seller
Mostly free of major controversy; some criticized the lack of a backlight (still relying on ambient light like the original DMG)
Bridged the original Game Boy and GBA eras; Pokemon Gold/Silver remains a high watermark for the franchise; backward compatibility preserved hundreds of mono Game Boy titles for a new generation
References
More from Nintendo
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Game Boy Color in the news
Recent coverage mentioning the Game Boy Color, gathered from 80+ gaming-news sources.
Engineer Creates The World's Biggest Game Boy Color Special Edition
🤝 Like our website? Support us as an independent publisher by tipping, joining our paid community or checking out our accessories brand GAMENOOK! Big tech always makes me feel like a kid. I grew up with the Power Rangers and their MegaZords, for crying out loud - what do you expect?
Essencelord, A Brand New RPG For Game Boy Color, Is Now Crowdfunding On Kickstarter
You're a wizard, Marty Butterblatt Jr. A brand-new Game Boy Color game has launched on Kickstarter, Essencelord is a top-down, loot-driven adventure set in a world of sword, sorcery, magic, and monsters - and the work of single developer Tyler Lombard. As an apprentice adventurer, having just...
Review: Isle of Reveries Embraces the Game Boy Color Design
Isle of Reveries does quite a bit while adhering to the same style as Game Boy Color games like The Legend of Zelda.
Retro Song Bird Is A New Device That Unlocks The Music Of Your Game Boy Cartridges
"I built it to add a little joy and whimsy to the world". A new device is on the way which allows you to listen to the music from your Game Boy and Game Boy Color carts. To use Retro Song Bird, you simply plug in the cartridge (over 1,900 are supported) and it plays back the music – as well as the...
Donkey Kong '94's Game Boy Color Fan Remaster Just Hit A Major Milestone, But Don't Go Bananas Just Yet
marc_max has offered an update on the long-awaited hack. The Game Boy title Donkey Kong – also known as Donkey Kong '94 – was released in the same year as Donkey Kong Country and has been somewhat overshadowed by that fact – which is a shame, because it's one of the best entries in the entire...
A New Pokémon Pinball Game Named "World Field" Is Dropping This Week
🤝 Don't want to see ads? Become a premium member for $3 a month and support an independent publication today! One of my favourite games for the Game Boy Color is Pokémon Pinball; it's an absolute icon and one I planted many hours