Game Boy Color
- Manufacturer
- Nintendo
- Released
- 1998
- Generation
- Gen 5
- Type
- Handheld
- Launch price
- $79
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
- 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
No Game Boy Color listings yet. List yours or browse similar items.
Game Boy Color in the news
Recent coverage mentioning the Game Boy Color, gathered from 80+ gaming-news sources.
Kirby And The Forgotten Land On Game Boy Color Is 8-Bit Brilliance
🤝 Like our website? Support us as an independent publisher by tipping, joining our paid community or checking out our accessories brand GAMENOOK! Demakes are one of my favourite parts of the Retro Gaming scene, especially when someone takes a modern game featuring a character that we've had
Mina The Hollower Traps You In The Bayou (To Teach You That You Can Get Out)
Mina the Hollower is very visually similar to classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color Zelda games like Link's Awakening and the Oracle duology. But mechanically it's significantly different, and Yacht Club discovered the distinction ran the risk of confusing players when it started putting the game in...
Mina The Hollower Was Inspired By Pokemon And Final Fantasy Adventure
Like Shovel Knight before it, Yacht Club's latest game, Mina the Hollower, wears its influences on its sleeve. The game is clearly an homage to the look and feel of classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color Zelda games, while also carrying forward elements of the souls-like genre. But while those were...
Mina the Hollower Review: A Deep Action-Adventure with Retro Charm
This is a review of Mina the Hollower, a top-down action-adventure game with retro Game Boy Color aesthetics and challenging combat mechanics.
Castlevania: SotN And Animal Crossing Get Miniaturised For Game Boy Color
Demake delight. In a brilliant act of 'demake' skill, homebrew coder Richter Wilker has taken Animal Crossing and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and turned them into Game Boy Color games. Animal Forest GB Folk features villages you can befriend, time-based events, festivals and mini-games,...