Game Boy Color
In the early 1990s, a team led by Satoru Okada experimented with color displays for Nintendo's handheld line. Their prototype carried the codename Project Atlantis and featured a powerful 32-bit processor from Sharp Corporation. The team ultimately shelved that project because they were not satisfied with the outcome of their initial experiments. Publicly, Nintendo pledged to develop a color Game Boy only when technology limitations could be addressed. By October 1997, market pressure mounted after news broke about Bandai's new handheld, the WonderSwan. Gunpei Yokoi had left Nintendo in 1996 following the commercial failure of his final project at the company, the Virtual Boy. His departure caused investors to dump Nintendo stock, forcing a temporary halt on trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Yokoi was killed in a roadside accident in 1997 before the WonderSwan's release. Faced with mounting pressure, Okada revisited Project Atlantis once more. He prioritized quickly bringing a device to market over raw processing power. Okada dropped the 32-bit chip in favor of a faster version of the existing Game Boy's 8-bit processor. This decision allowed for a sooner launch while maintaining compatibility with the existing library of Game Boy games.
The Game Boy Color uses a custom system-on-a-chip designated CPU CGB by Nintendo and manufactured by the Sharp Corporation. Within this chip, the main processor is the same Sharp SM83 that powered the original Game Boy. While the SM83 operated at a clock rate of 4.194304 megahertz in the original unit, games could command it to operate in dual-speed mode. This doubled its frequency to 8.388608 MHz when creating games exclusively for the new handheld. The CPU CGB incorporates the Picture Processing Unit, which renders visuals using 16 kilobytes of Video RAM. Games developed specifically for the Game Boy Color could fully utilize this additional memory to display up to 56 colors simultaneously from a palette of 32,768 colors. Programmers subsequently developed the high color mode technique to display over 2,000 colors at once. This feature was used in games such as The Fish Files and Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare. When a Game Pak compatible with the original Game Boy is inserted, the additional video RAM is disabled. The screen measures 2.3 inches diagonally and features thin-film transistor technology. It remains passively reflective with no backlight, making the device hard to use in dark environments.
The Game Boy Color was announced in March 1998 and released in Japan that October. An international rollout followed throughout November during the busy Christmas holiday shopping season. North America received the system on the 18th while Europe got it on the 23rd. Australasia received units on the 27th. Launching at a price of 14,980 yen, the Game Boy Color ultimately outsold the WonderSwan which went on sale in March 1999. Retail chains in the United States reported unexpectedly high demand for the console. Executives of FuncoLand described sales as very pleasant and unpredicted. Electronics Boutique stated the entire Game Boy Color line just exploded including accessories. Faced with high worldwide demand and competitive retail pricing, retailers such as CompUSA sold out of stock in the weeks before the 1998 Christmas season. Nintendo of America reported a sale of one million units from launch to December 1998. Two million units were sold by July 1999. The handheld competed directly with Bandai's WonderSwan and Neo Geo Pocket during this period.
Nintendo prohibited simple colorized re-releases of monochrome Game Boy titles. Developers had to implement meaningful gameplay enhancements like new levels or characters. These additions needed to be easily recognizable to players familiar with the monochrome version. Many enhanced versions became some of the most popular titles including Tetris DX and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. The system launched with three exclusive games: Pocket Bomberman, Tetris DX, and Wario Land II. Over time, the system amassed more than 900 titles alongside the original Game Boy catalog of over 1,000 games. In a promotional list of 296 Game Boy Color games, 100 were compatible with the original Game Boy. Pokémon Gold and Silver are the best-selling games developed primarily for it. Pokémon Crystal was the best-selling Game Boy Color exclusive title. The last Game Boy Color game ever released is the Japanese exclusive Doraemon no Study Boy on the 18th of July 2003. The last game released in North America is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on the 15th of November 2002.
The combined sales of all Game Boy variants reached 118.69 million units worldwide by the time of discontinuation in 2003. This made them the fourth best-selling system of all time at that point. Sales figures included 32.47 million in Japan and 44.06 million in the Americas. Another 42.16 million sold in all other regions. At the time of its discontinuation, the combined sales made it the best-selling game console of all time. Later years saw these numbers surpassed by the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2. Sales of the device were driven largely by the success of Pokémon Gold and Silver and Pokémon Crystal. These three titles had combined sales of 29.5 million units making them one of the best selling video games of all time. The handheld remained in production serving as a budget-friendly alternative until March 2003 when the last units were reportedly sold.
Affiliated publications such as Total Games praised the handheld for its bright colorful picture viewable in direct light. Computer and Video Games stated the library looked better than ever with everything crystal clear and bright. Writing for GameSpot, Chris Johnston described the display as free of motion blur. He called Tetris DX the killer app of the launch titles on the platform. Milder reviews came from Arcade who said colors were very impressive but not as eyeball-popping as hoped. They noted the palette consisted mostly of seaweed greens and rusty browns. Reviewers pointed out drawbacks including that the system still used an 8-bit architecture while competitors moved to 16-bit systems. Critics also noted the non-backlit screen required users to be in well lit areas. Despite these criticisms, reception was generally positive upon release.
Author Jeff Ryan noted the Game Boy Color had a reputation as a legacy machine found successful due to backward compatibility. Few wanted to lose all their Dr. Mario and Pokémon cartridges amassed over the years. Blitz Games Studios developer Bob Pape acknowledged backwards compatibility more or less defined the device. The handheld ticked all right boxes regarding size battery life reliability and most importantly backwards compatibility. An active online community continues to create new titles through tools like GB Studio. This free game-building engine simplifies the process compared to manual coding. Professional game studios like Krool Toys have used GB Studio to create promotional titles such as Grimace's Birthday for McDonald's in 2023. Commentary has shaped perception that the handheld was an incremental upgrade rather than a completely new device. Returning to the platform now reveals a wealth of great games that many never knew existed especially those available on import.
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Common questions
Who led the development team for the Game Boy Color?
Satoru Okada led the team that developed the Game Boy Color. The prototype was originally codenamed Project Atlantis and featured a 32-bit processor from Sharp Corporation before being shelved.
When was the Game Boy Color released in Japan and North America?
The Game Boy Color was announced in March 1998 and released in Japan that October. North America received the system on the 18th of November 1998 while Europe got it on the 23rd.
What processor does the Game Boy Color use compared to the original model?
The Game Boy Color uses a custom system-on-a-chip designated CPU CGB manufactured by Sharp Corporation. It incorporates the same SM83 processor as the original unit but operates at double speed when creating games exclusively for the new handheld.
How many colors can the Game Boy Color display simultaneously?
Games developed specifically for the Game Boy Color could fully utilize additional memory to display up to 56 colors simultaneously from a palette of 32,768 colors. Programmers subsequently developed the high color mode technique to display over 2,000 colors at once.
Which game is the last Game Boy Color title ever released?
The last Game Boy Color game ever released is the Japanese exclusive Doraemon no Study Boy on the 18th of July 2003. The last game released in North America is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on the 15th of November 2002.