View source for Mobile Game Boy Adapter

[[File:Mobile Adapter GB.jpg|thumb|Boxart of the Mobile Game Boy Adapter package]]
The '''Mobile Game Boy Adapter'''<ref>[http://personaltrainerwalking.com/iwata-asks/section-1.html Iwata Asks - Personal Trainer: Walking] ([https://archive.is/o56o4 archived copy])</ref> (Japanese: '''{{j|モバイルアダプタＧＢ}}''' ''Mobile Adapter GB'') is a peripheral for the [[Game Boy Color]], [[Game Boy Advance]], and [[Game Boy Advance SP]] which allows players to connect to compatible Japanese mobile phones. The peripheral was a collaboration between [[Nintendo]] and {{wp|Mobile21}}, a company that was jointly owned by Nintendo and {{wp|Konami}}.

It was first released on January 27, 2001 (originally planned for December 2000<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mobile-adapter-gb-delayed/1100-2646818/ Mobile Adapter GB Delayed - GameSpot] ([https://archive.is/PghDy archived copy])</ref>) with a recommended retail price of ¥5800, before a price cut to ¥3800 from July 19, 2001.<ref>[http://maru-chang.com/hard/gb/ {{j|DMG/MGB/CGB： ゲームボーイ}}]</ref> By late March 2001, {{wp|Nihon Keizai Shimbun|Nikkei}} reported that Nintendo had only sold 80,000 units; the reason provided was that the only game to extensively use the Mobile Game Boy Adapter at the time was {{game|Crystal}}, which was targeted at a younger audience who may not have access to a mobile phone.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/30/low-numbers-for-mobile-adapter-gb Low Numbers for Mobile Adapter GB - IGN] ([https://archive.is/baaR7 archived copy])</ref>

==Mobile System GB==
{{main|Mobile System GB}}
As a part of a service known as '''Mobile System GB''' (Japanese: '''{{j|モバイルシステムＧＢ}}''' ''Mobile System GB''), the Mobile Game Boy Adapter provided the hardware to compatible games, which used the network for wireless play across the nation via the now defunct <code>gameboy.datacenter.ne.jp</code> {{wp|Server (computing)|server}}, hosted by [[Nintendo Network Service Development]]. {{wp|KDDI}} was the internet service provider of the Mobile System GB's network. The most well-known Mobile System GB is the [[Mobile System GB]] used in the Japanese releases of {{game|Crystal}} and {{g|Stadium 2}}.

Despite its promises, the service was not much of a commercial success and closed down on December 14, 2002,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030202092916/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n07/ {{j|モバイルシステムＧＢ}}]</ref> probably due to the additional costs involved and the target audience of its biggest user (Pokémon Crystal) being off-limits. The closure of the Mobile System GB service makes it impossible for players to link to the server; however, it was still possible to link with friends through {{wp|peer-to-peer}} communication until the network services themselves were also shut down.

==Package==
The package was bundled with the original Mobile Game Boy Adapter itself, which was a blue cable that could be used to connect to compatible Japanese mobile phones. Included with the Mobile Game Boy Adapter is the "Mobile Trainer" cartridge, that only boots up when the Mobile Game Boy Adapter is connected to a compatible Japanese mobile phone. A special edition of the Mobile Game Boy Adapter came packaged with {{smw|Mobile Golf}}, which was a spin-off to the {{smw|Mario Golf (series)|Mario Golf}} series used to test the Mobile Game Boy Adapter. After the Mobile Game Boy Adapter's release, different colored cables were sold separately which allows the player to connect to different types of phones.

===Cables===
In addition to the blue Mobile Game Boy Adapter cable, three other cables that would allow the player to connect to a different type of phone were originally announced.

* Blue: the original cable packaged with the Mobile Game Boy Adapter, which supports connections to a  {{wp|Personal Digital Cellular|PDC}} mobile phone from {{wp|NTT Docomo}}, {{wp|SoftBank Group#J-PHONE|J-PHONE}}, {{jwp|ツーカー|Tu-Ka}}, or {{wp|au (mobile phone company)|au}}. The cable allowed for a maximum {{wp|bit rate}} of 9600 bits per second (bps). The last PDC service, {{jwp|mova}}, was shut down on March 31, 2012.<ref>[https://www.docomo.ne.jp/info/notice/page/090130_00.html 「movaサービス」ならびに「DoPaサービス」等終了のお知らせ]</ref>
* Yellow: this cable connects to a {{wp|IS-95|cdmaOne}} mobile phone from {{wp|au (mobile phone company)|au}}, allowing for a maximum bit rate of 14.4 kilobits per second (kbps). The cdmaOne circuit-switched data service was shut down on July 22, 2012.<ref>[https://www.kddi.com/corporate/news_release/2012/0418/ 「CDMA 1X」などのサービス終了およびご利用中のサービスへの対応方法のお知らせ]</ref>
* Red: this cable connects to a {{wp|Personal Handy-phone System|PHS}} ({{jwp|AIR-EDGE|AirH"}}) mobile phone from {{wp|Ymobile|DDI-Pocket}}, with a maximum bit rate of 36.6 kilobits per second (kbps). The  service was shut down on January 31, 2021.<ref>[https://www.ymobile.jp/support/close_phs/ PHSのサービス終了のご案内]</ref>
* Green: this cable would have supported a {{wp|Personal Handy-phone System|PHS}} mobile phone from {{wp|NTT DoCoMo}} or {{jwp|アステル|Astel}}, but it was ultimately never released.

<gallery>
Mobile Adapter unit.png|The blue-cable adapter connecting a mobile phone to a Game Boy Color
GBC Mobile Adapter GB Panasonic.png|The red-cable adapter connecting a mobile phone to a Game Boy Color
Mobile Adapter GB cables.png|The different cables as seen in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri6zKoyoniU commercial]
</gallery>

===Mobile Trainer===
[[File:Mobile Trainer cartridge.png|thumb|right|The Mobile Trainer cartridge]]
'''Mobile Trainer''' (Japanese: '''{{j|モバイルトレーナー}}''' ''Mobile Trainer'') is a cartridge which came packaged with the Mobile Adapter GB. It was developed by MissingLink, the parent company of [[Denyusha]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131127002232/http://shadowflare.us/about.htm ShadowFlare]</ref> Prior to its release, it was previously given the tentative name of '''Mobile Starter Cartridge''' (Japanese: '''{{j|モバイルスターターカートリッジ}}''' ''Mobile Starter Cartridge'').<ref>[http://www.geocities.jp/rikkyjp/ope/trainer.html {{j|モバイルトレーナー}}]</ref> The cartridge served as a general guide to the Mobile System GB, which included a help menu about how to use the service and a glossary of key terms. Under a mobile settings menu, the player was able to alter their registration details, and confirm their remaining balance.

When the player boots up the cartridge, a connection screen checks whether the Mobile Game Boy Adapter is connected. The software will progress past the loading screen only once connected to a compatible Japanese mobile phone. The cartridge offered an {{wp|email}} system in which users could exchange text messages between each other. Another feature of the Mobile Trainer cartridge was access to the Mobile System GB homepage, which published featured articles around different compatible titles.

In the internal data of the Mobile Trainer ROM, unique graphics for several {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} have been found, including {{p|Pikachu}}, {{p|Porygon2}} and {{p|Tyranitar}}.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMmfa1OwqPs A more in-depth showcase of Mobile Trainer (モバイルトレーナー) content] 28:48</ref> The purpose of these graphics is unknown. The data also includes a test message about a fictitious Pokémon game called "Pokémon Moss" (Japanese: ポケットモンスター苔), which is believed to be an [[Easter egg]].

{{YouTubeEmbed|XMmfa1OwqPs|ChickasaurusGL|Water}}

==List of compatible software==
Below is a list of all [[Game Boy Color]] and [[Game Boy Advance]] software which supported the Mobile System GB.<ref>[http://www.geocities.jp/rikkyjp/ope/gbgame.html {{j|モバイルシステムGB対応ソフト}}]</ref> Although five of these games ({{game|Crystal}}, {{wp|Napoleon (video game)|Napoleon}}, {{wp|Top Gear GT Championship}}, {{smw|Mario Kart: Super Circuit}}, and ESPN Great Outdoor Games Bass 2002) were released outside of Japan, only the Japanese versions were compatible with the Mobile Adapter.

{| class="roundtable sortable" style="border: 2px solid #777; background: #CCC;"
! style="background: #EEE" | Title
! style="background-color: #EEE" | Console
! style="background-color: #EEE" | Developer
! style="background-color: #EEE" | Publisher
! style="background-color: #EEE" data-sort-type="date" | Release date
|-
| [[Pokémon Crystal Version]] <br/> ({{j|ポケットモンスター クリスタルバージョン}} ''Pocket Monsters: Crystal Version'')
| [[Game Boy Color]]
| [[Game Freak]]
| [[Nintendo]]
| December 14, 2000
|-
| Mobile Trainer ({{j|モバイルトレーナー}})
| [[Game Boy Color]]
| [[Denyusha|MissingLink]]
| [[Nintendo]]
| January 27, 2001
|-
| Monster Guardians ({{j|モンスターガーディアンズ}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Mobile21}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| March 21, 2001
|-
| {{wp|Napoleon (video game)|Napoleon}} ({{j|ナポレオン}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Genki (company)|Genki}}
| [[Nintendo]]
| March 21, 2001
|-
| {{wp|Silent Hill (video game)|Play Novel: Silent Hill}} ({{j|プレイノベル サイレントヒル}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Konami}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| March 21, 2001
|-
| {{wp|Top Gear GT Championship}} <br/> ({{j|{{tt|全日本ＧＴ選手権|ぜんにほんＧＴせんしゅけん}}}} ''All-Japan GT Championship'')
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| Vision Works
| {{wp|Kemco}}
| March 21, 2001
|-
| {{wp|Doraemon}}: Midori no Wakusei Doki Doki Daikyūshutsu! ({{j|ドラえもん {{tt|緑の惑星|みどりのわくせい}}ドキドキ{{tt|大救出|だいきゅうしゅうつ}}！}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Mobile21}}
| {{wp|Epoch Co.|Epoch}}
| April 27, 2001
|-
| {{smw|Mobile Golf}} ({{j|モバイルゴルフ}})
| [[Game Boy Color]]
| {{wp|Camelot Software Planning|Camelot}}
| [[Nintendo]]
| May 11, 2001
|-
| Morita Shōgi Advance ({{j|{{tt|森田将棋あどばんす|もりたしょうぎあどばんす}}}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| Yuki Enterprise
| {{wp|Hudson Soft}}
| July 12, 2001
|-
| Net de Get Minigames @100 ({{j|ネットでゲットミニゲーム@１００}})
| [[Game Boy Color]]
| {{wp|Mobile21}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| July 12, 2001
|-
| EX {{wp|Monopoly (game)|Monopoly}} ({{j|ＥＸモノポリー}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Mobile21}}
| {{wp|Takara}}
| July 13, 2001
|-
| {{smw|Mario Kart: Super Circuit}} <br/> ({{j|マリオカートアドバンス}} ''Mario Kart Advance'')
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Intelligent Systems}}
| [[Nintendo]]
| July 21, 2001
|-
| {{wp|Japan Golf Tour|JGTO}} Licensed: Golfmaster Mobile ({{j|JGTO{{tt|公認|こうけん}} GOLFMASTERモバイル}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Konami}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| July 26, 2001
|-
| {{wp|Kinniku Banzuke}} ~Kongō-kun no Daibōken!~ ({{j|{{tt|筋肉番付～金剛くんの大冒険！～|きんにくばんずけ～こんごうくんのだいぼうけん！～}}}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Konami|KCE Studios}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| July 26, 2001
|-
| Mobile Pro Baseball: Control Baton ({{j|{{tt|モバイルプロ野球 監督の采配|モバイルプロやきゅう　かんとくのさいはい}}}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Mobile21}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| July 26, 2001
|-
| Starcom: Star Communicator ({{j|スタコミ STAR★COMMUNICATOR}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Konami}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| July 26, 2001
|-
| Zero-Tours ({{j|ゼロ・ツアーズ}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| Amedio
| {{wp|Media Rings}}
| July 27, 2001
|-
| {{ww|Game Boy Wars 3}} ({{j|ゲームボーイウォーズ３}})
| [[Game Boy Color]]
| {{wp|Hudson Soft}}
| [[Nintendo]]
| August 30, 2001
|-
| ESPN Great Outdoor Games Bass 2002 <br/> ({{j|エキサイティングバス}} ''Exciting Bass'')
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Konami}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| November 29, 2001
|-
| Daisenryaku For Game Boy Advance ({{j|{{tt|大戦略|だいせんりゃく}} For ゲームボーイアドバンス}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|SystemSoft Alpha}}
| Media Kite
| December 7, 2001
|-
| Mail de Cute ({{j|メールでキュート}})
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| {{wp|Mobile21}}
| {{wp|Konami}}
| February 14, 2002
|-
| Hello Kitty: Happy House ({{j|ハローキティのハッピーハウス}})
| [[Game Boy Color]]
| {{wp|MTO (video game company)|MTO}}
| {{wp|MTO (video game company)|MTO}}
| March 2, 2002
|-
| {{wp|beatmania}}GB Net Jam ({{j|beatmaniaGBネットジャム}})
| [[Game Boy Color]]
| {{wp|Konami}}
| —
| Cancelled
|-
| Horse Racing Creating Derby ({{j|{{tt|馬穴大作戦|ばけつだいさくせん}}}})<ref>[http://uk.gameboy.ign.com/articles/135/135427p1.html Horse Racing Creating Derby - IGN]</ref><ref>[https://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/2001/01/19/cs11.html {{j|ファミ通.com ゲーム/馬穴大作戦}}]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010331045147/http://www.gameboy.com/horseracing/index.html Game Boy.com - Baketsu Daisakusen (Horse Racing Game)]</ref>
| [[Game Boy Advance]]
| [[Nintendo]]
| —
| Cancelled
|}

==Similar devices==
The Mobile Game Boy Adapter was not the first [[Game Boy]] peripheral offering {{wp|Online and offline|online}} play. From as early as March 6, 1998, {{wp|Hudson Soft}}'s [http://nectaris.tg-16.com/GB-KISS-LINK-FAQ-hudson-gameboy-nectaris.html GB Kiss] Link Modem allowed players to access downloadable content from the Internet and send messages between friends, through a number of compatible games which had built-in {{wp|Consumer IR|infrared}} ports, such as {{wp|Nectaris series|Nectaris GB}}, the Japanese versions of {{wp|Robopon Sun, Star, and Moon Versions|Robopon}} for the [[Game Boy Color]], as well as the GB Kiss Minigames cartridge which came packaged with the GB Kiss Link Modem. The Link Modem was available through mail order.

==In the manga==
[[File:Mobile Game Boy Adapter Adventures.png|thumb|200px|Mobile Game Boy Adapter in [[Pokémon Adventures]]]]
===Pokémon Adventures===
===={{MangaArc|Gold, Silver & Crystal}}====
In ''[[PS120|Surrounded by Staryu]]'', {{adv|Crystal}} received a [[Pokégear]] equipped with a cable capable of connecting to her [[Pokédex]] from {{adv|Bill}}. Due to the [[Pokémon Storage System]] being down at the time, Bill delivered his prototype handheld Storage System to Crystal so that she could use it to transfer the Pokémon she {{pkmn2|caught}} to {{adv|Professor Oak}}. Once Bill had delivered the receiver device to Professor Oak's research center in [[Cherrygrove City]] by the time of ''[[PS121|Off Course with Corsola]]'', Crystal became able to send the Pokémon she caught there directly without having to rely on the regular Storage System. According to Bill, since the device is just a prototype, it only works one way.
{{-}}

==In other languages==
{{langtable|color={{crystal color light}}|bordercolor={{crystal color dark}}
|zh_cmn=GB轉接器 ''GB Zhuǎnjiēqì''
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0101/ {{j|任天堂マガジン表紙・2001年1月号（No.29）}}]
* [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0107/ {{j|任天堂マガジン表紙・2001年７月号（No.36）}}]

{{Communication}}
{{Project Games notice|game mechanic}}

[[Category:Peripherals]]
[[Category:Electronic devices]]

[[de:Pokémon Mobile System GB]]
[[ja:モバイルシステムGB]]
[[zh:移动适配器GB]]