Game Boy Color

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This article is about the handheld video game system. For thegamebook series formerly known as "Game Boy Color", seeGame Boy Advance (book series).
"GBC" redirects here. For the accessory for the Game Boy systems, seeGame Boy Camera.
Game Boy Color
The logo for Game Boy Color
Official logo
Atomic Purple Game Boy Color
An atomic purple Game Boy Color model
GenerationFifth generation
Release datesJapan October 21, 1998[1]
USA November 18, 1998[2]
Europe November 23, 1998[2]
Australia November 27, 1998[?]
South Korea December 20, 2000[3]
DiscontinuedMarch 23, 2003[4]
PredecessorsGame Boy
Virtual Boy
SuccessorGame Boy Advance
“Get into it.”
—The Game Boy Color slogan

TheGame Boy Color (abbreviated asGBC) is the fourth model to theGame Boy and, in some ways, the handheld counterpart of theNintendo 64. It is similar to its predecessors, the most notable differences being that it is lighter, it is capable of displaying multiple colors, and the processing power is twice as fast. It is the final 8-bit handheld console. Although it is popularly described as a successor to the Game Boy due to its hardware advancements and the existence of Game Boy Color games that are incompatible with a standard Game Boy,Nintendo internally categorized it as a hardware revision. This disparity is reflected in the company's public representation of the system, such as inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, where the Chronicle lists Game Boy and Game Boy Color games under one section.

Some games made for the original Game Boy display more colors if played on a Game Boy Color. Other games were made exclusively for the Game Boy Color. The older versions could not play these, but theGame Boy Advance, theGame Boy Advance SP, and theGame Boy Player could. It also had the shortest lifetime of a Nintendo handheld, as it was discontinued in 2003, and the last game was released later the same year.

The Game Boy Color has identical controls to those of the original Game Boy and the NES controller. These areA Button,B Button,Start Button, andSelect Button buttons and the+Control Pad. There are no compatibility issues with games made for the original Game Boy being run on a Game Boy Color. All games, accessories that are programmed for a particular game (such as a Game Link Cable), and non-standard features (such as the camera protruding out of aGame Boy Camera cartridge) will work on a Game Boy Color. Playing games that did not have any color can now be played in color using a color palette by using a combination of+Control Pad andA Button,B Button, or no additional button being pressed to select presets, similar to theSuper Game Boy how someone can change the colors into the typical monochrome display.

A device known as theGame Boy Horror, modeled after the Game Boy Color, appears inLuigi's Mansion.

Some Game Boy and Game Boy Color games were once available through theNintendo 3DSVirtual Console service until the Nintendo 3DS eShop's closure on March 27, 2023.

Hardware specifications[edit]

Note: specs marked with a * mean that they are identical to the originalGame Boy.

  • CPU:Sharp SM83 (customIntel 8080/Zilog Z80 hybrid, 8-bitCMOS)* @ 8.388608 MHz (4.194304 MHz for compatibility)
  • Memory: 32 KB Work RAM, 16 KB Video RAM, 2 KB "Bootstrap" ROM, 1.12KB object attribute RAM, 128 B Audio RAM, 127 B High RAM[5]
  • Resolution: 160 x 144 pixels*
  • Colors: 32,768 (15-bitRGB)
  • Maximum number of colors on screen: 56
  • Maximum sprite size: 8 x 16 or 16 x 8 pixels
  • Maximum number of sprites on screen: 40 sprites, 10 per scanline*
  • Maximum number of colors on sprite: 4 (Same asFamicom/NES)[6][7]
  • Minimum/Maximum cartridge size: 32 KB - 8 MB[8]
  • Sound: 4 channels (2 pulse waves, 1 wave channel and 1 white noise channel)*

Compatibility modes[edit]

All older cartridges are compatible with the Game Boy Color but not always the other way around. Here is a chart to explain.

Example cartridgeUsual colorGame Boy modeSuper Game Boy modeGame Boy Color mode
Original Game Boy cartridgeDonkey Kong (Game Boy)Gray
A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Varies
A red "X" mark, used to indicate when something is false or not applicable.
Game Boy Color cartridgeGame & Watch Gallery 3Black
A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Varies
A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Game Boy Color cartridgeSuper Mario Bros. DeluxeClear
A red "X" mark, used to indicate when something is false or not applicable.
A red "X" mark, used to indicate when something is false or not applicable.
A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.

Accessories[edit]

This section is astub. Please considerexpanding it to include any missing information.Specifics: Add more information and their relevance toSuper Mario

Allofficial accessories compatible with theGame Boy are compatible with the Game Boy Color.

Game Link Cable[edit]

GBC Link Cable

The same link cable the Game Boy and its variations use can be used on Game Boy Color.

Game Boy Printer[edit]

A photograph of the Game Boy Printer.

The Game Boy Printer that was used to print pictures from the player's Game Boy. This accessory gained some extended support when the Game Boy Color was released, such as being used inSuper Mario Bros. Deluxe inToy Box image albums and in Records tables, inDonkey Kong Country for theDK Sticker Packs, and as an accessory forGame Boy Camera.

Mobile Adapter GB[edit]

Only available in Japan, theMobile Adapter GB allowed certain games to connect to some Japanese mobile phones. The only strictlySuper Mario games to utilize it wereMobile Golf andMario Kart: Super Circuit; however, the operation software that came with it (Mobile Trainer) features references to theSuper Mario franchise. This peripheral was referred to as theMobile Game Boy Adapterin a translated Iwata Asks interview. The device was released exclusively to Japan on January 27, 2001 and was not a commercial success.

A part of the service was theMobile System GB, which allowed players to log on to the internet to access a network for wireless play across the nation via Nintendo servers. Using this server,Mobile Golf could be played online wirelessly, a precursor to theNintendo Wi-Fi Connection andNintendo Network. Just as the device was not successful, the Mobile System GB was not successful and closed down on December 14, 2002.

  • A version compatible with a Panasonic mobile phone

    A version compatible with aPanasonic mobile phone

  • A version compatible with a Kyocera mobile phone

    A version compatible with aKyocera mobile phone

IR communication[edit]

Connection screen for the Infrared Mode in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe.

There is an infrared LED, indicated by the black rectangle on top of the unit, that a Game Boy Color can use. This was the primary method in whichMystery Gift worked in theGeneration IIPokémon games, butSuper Mario Bros. Deluxe can make use of this feature by sending high scores and other data to other copies. This feature is exclusive to the Game Boy Color and is not present in later Game Boy devices.

BIOS colors[edit]

These colors will also work on aGame Boy Advance, a Game Boy Advance SP and aGame Boy Player when aGame Boy game is inserted, but will not work onVirtual Console onNintendo 3DS, whereas inGame Boy - Nintendo Classics only the hardware-coded palette for each game can be set as a color palette.

+Control Pad up+Control Pad down+Control Pad left+Control Pad right
No inputBoot screen Brown
Brown		Boot screen Pale Yellow
Pale Yellow[9]/Pastel Mix[10]		Boot screen Blue
Blue		Boot screen Green
Green
A ButtonBoot screen Red
Red		Boot screen Orange
Orange		Boot screen Dark Blue
Dark Blue		Boot screen Dark Green
Dark Green
B ButtonBoot screen Dark Brown
Dark Brown		Boot screen Yellow
Yellow		Boot screen Gray
Original Gray		Boot screen Reverse
Reverse

It has been requested thatmore images beuploaded for this article. Remove this notice only after the additional images have been added.Specifics: Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins are not the only games to have this functionality

The title screen for Super Mario Land, as seen on an original Game Boy.
On Game Boy
The Super Mario Land title screen in one of the system color palettes for Game Boy Color.
On Game Boy Color and later handhelds
Bonus game
On Game Boy
bonus room
On Game Boy Color and later handhelds

The Game Boy Color will display a unique hardware-coded palette of colors for some titles using an internal list of original Game Boy games. Two such instances areSuper Mario Land andSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. The palettes do however fall short of being a full colorization of the games, notably in the case ofDr. Mario where the regular black and square-patterned black viruses look similar.

Super Mario games[edit]

1998[edit]

1999[edit]

2000[edit]

2001[edit]

Galleries[edit]

System gallery[edit]

  • Boot screen

    Boot screen

Standard colors[edit]

  • Berry

    Berry

  • Grape

    Grape

  • Kiwi

    Kiwi

  • Dandelion

    Dandelion

  • Teal

    Teal

  • Clear (Japan only)

    Clear (Japan only)

Special editions[edit]

  • Mario-themed Atomic Purple Game Boy Color (Japan only)

    Mario-themed Atomic Purple Game Boy Color (Japan only)

  • Mario-themed Clear Game Boy Color (Japan only)

    Mario-themedClear Game Boy Color (Japan only)

Game gallery[edit]

Miscellaneous[edit]

  • A promotional image of the variety of colors of Game Boy Color handhelds and various Game Boy Color games in the Fox Kids Wario Land 3 poll

    A promotional image of the variety of colors of Game Boy Color handhelds and various Game Boy Color games in the Fox KidsWario Land 3 poll

Names in other languages[edit]

LanguageNameMeaningNotes
Japaneseゲームボーイカラー[11]
Gēmu Bōi Karā		Game Boy Color

Notes[edit]

  • The Game Boy Color, along with theNintendo GameCube and theWii U were all released on the same day of their respective years in the Americas.
  • Each letter from the word "COLOR" in the logo is displayed in one of the system's five default colors.
  • InCommonwealth English, the correct spelling for "color" is "colour". Despite this, the name of the console was never changed outside of America to reflect this difference.

References[edit]

The Cutting Room Floor icon.pngThe Cutting Room Floor has an article onGame Boy Color.
Mobile Adapter GB coverage on otherNIWA wikis:
The English Wikipedia logo, for use on the Wikipedia template.Wikipedia has an article onGame Boy Color.
  1. ^Craddock, Ryan (October 21, 2019).Anniversary: The Game Boy Color Turns 21 Today.Nintendo Life. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  2. ^abCopetti, Rodrigo.Game Boy / Color Architecture | A Practical Analysis. Retrieved October 15, 2025 from copetti.org.
  3. ^신상민 (January 4, 2001).정식유통판 게임보이 컬러, 호응누린다.GameMeca (Korean). Retrieved June 9, 2024. (Archived June 22, 2022, 15:37:38 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  4. ^Xreart Studio (December 15, 2022).How much do you know about Gameboy Color?.XreArt. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  5. ^December 3, 1999.Game Boy Programming Manual.Nintendo. Page 12-16. Retrieved November 21, 2024 from Internet Archive.
  6. ^http://nesdev.com/NESTechFAQ.htm#chrgfx
  7. ^http://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/nintendogameboycolor/
  8. ^http://www.chrisantonellis.com/files/gameboy/gb-programming-manual.pdf
  9. ^GBC Manual
  10. ^GBA Manual
  11. ^ハードウエアの紹介.Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Retrieved January 22, 2025.
Game Boy Colorgames
Super Mario franchiseSuper Mario Bros. Deluxe (1999) •Mario Golf (1999) •Mario Tennis (2000) •Mobile Golf (2001) •Mario Family (2001)
Donkey Kong franchiseDonkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong (2000) •Donkey Kong Country (2000)
Wario franchiseWario Land II* (1998) •Wario Land 3 (2000)
OtherGame Boy Color Promotional Demo (1998) •Game & Watch Gallery 2* (1998) •The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX* (1998) •Game & Watch Gallery 3* (1999)
* Backwards compatible with theGame Boy
Video game systems and add-ons
Nintendo systems and add-onsHome consolesFamily Computer (Family BASIC ·Family Computer Disk System ·Family Computer Network System ·New Famicom),Nintendo Entertainment System •Super Famicom (Satellaview ·Super Game Boy ·Nintendo Power),Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Game Boy) •Nintendo 64 (64DD,iQue Player) •Nintendo GameCube (Game Boy Player) •Wii (Virtual Console ·WiiWare) •Wii U (Virtual Console) •Classics
HandheldsGame & Watch •Game Boy (Game Boy Camera ·Nintendo Power) •Virtual Boy •Game Boy Color •Game Boy Advance (e-Reader) •Nintendo DS (Nintendo DSi,DSiWare,Nintendo MP3 Player) •Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo 2DS ·Virtual Console) •Nintendo Switch Lite
HybridNintendo Switch (OLED Model) •Nintendo Switch 2
Arcade systemsVS. System •Nintendo PlayChoice-10 •Nintendo Super System •Famicom Box •Super Famicom Box •Triforce
OtherMS-DOS •Nelsonic Game Watch •Super Mario Bros. Watch •Gamewatch Boy •Game Processor •Philips CD-i •LodgeNet •Mini Classics •Visteon Dockable Entertainment System
See here for a complete list of arcade titles and games ported to Atari 2600, Commodore, ColecoVision, Intellivision, etc.