Game Boy Color: Difference between revisions

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==Technical==
==Technical specifications==
The processor, which is a Z80 work-alike with a few extra (bit manipulation) instructions, has a clock speed of approx. 8 MHz, twice as fast as that of the original Game Boy. The Game Boy Color also has four times as much memory as the original. The console boasted an impressive palette of 32,768 colors and was capable of simultaneously displaying 56 colors at once. It could also add basic four-color shading to games that had been released for the ordinary Game Boy. Additionally, a new palette-change feature was added for original Game Boy games; by holding the B button and any one of the directional arrows, the user could change the basic color palette for the game. The original Game Boy is also able to play some Game Boy Color games in monochrome (most notably {{game|Gold and Silver|s}}).
The processor, which is a Z80 work-alike with a few extra (bit manipulation) instructions, has a clock speed of approx. 8 MHz, twice as fast as that of the original Game Boy. The Game Boy Color also has four times as much memory as the original. The console boasted an impressive palette of 32,768 colors and was capable of simultaneously displaying 56 colors at once. It could also add basic four-color shading to games that had been released for the ordinary Game Boy. Additionally, a new palette-change feature was added for original Game Boy games; by holding the B button and any one of the directional arrows, the user could change the basic color palette for the game. The original Game Boy is also able to play some Game Boy Color games in monochrome (most notably {{game|Gold and Silver|s}}).



Revision as of 15:00, 9 September 2012

Game Boy Color
ゲームボーイカラー Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color.png
A Game Boy Color
Release dates
Japan: October 21, 1998
North America: November 18, 1998
Europe: November 23, 1998
Australia: November 23, 1998
South Korea: N/A
China: N/A
Hong Kong: N/A
Taiwan: N/A
Technical specs
  • 160×144 pixel resolution
  • Shows up to 56 different colors simultaneously on screen from its palette of 32,768
  • 32 KB RAM.
  • Full list
Related information
Console generation: Fifth generation
Pokémon generations: I, II
Console type: Handheld
Colors:
Teal
Strawberry
Atomic Purple*
Dandelion
Kiwi
Grape
Pikachu & PichuSp
External links

The Game Boy Color (Japanese: ゲームボーイカラー Game Boy Color) is Nintendo's 8-bit gaming handheld which succeeded the Game Boy; it was later succeeded by the Game Boy Advance. It is slightly taller and thicker than the Game Boy Pocket. The main feature of this model, as the name suggests, is the color screen. It is also the first Game Boy not to include a contrast knob. Its most popular games are Pokémon Gold and Silver, selling approximately 14.51 million copies in Japan and the US combined.

Console colors

The logo for Game Boy Color spelled out the word COLOR in the five original colors in which the unit was manufactured. They were named:

Strawberry
Grape
Kiwi
Dandelion
Teal

Several other colors include:

Atomic Purple*
Pikachu & PichuSp

Other colors were sold as limited editions or in specific countries.

Special Pokémon editions

  • Pokémon Yellow Game Boy Color: A yellow and blue GBC was decorated with Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Togepi. It retailed for US$109.99.
  • Pokémon Gold and Silver Game Boy Color: A gold faded to silver GBC that was decorated with Pikachu and Pichu was released in 2001 to celebrate the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver. It retailed for US$99.99.
  • Pikachu and Pichu Game Boy Color: A yellow version of the special Gold and Silver Game Boy Color was released and sold separately.
  • Orange and Blue Game Boy Color: An orange (front) and blue (back) Game Boy Color featuring Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle released to celebrate Pokémon's third anniversary (Japan only)
  • White Game Boy Color: A white Game Boy Color featuring Pikachu, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile released to celebrate Pokémon's third anniversary (Japan only)

Color palettes used for original Game Boy games

When playing an original Game Boy game on a later system, the user can choose which color palette is used. This is achieved by pressing certain button combinations, namely either A or B (or neither) and a direction key while the Game Boy logo is displayed on the screen.

These palettes each contain up to ten colors. In most games, the four shades displayed on the original Game Boy would translate to different subsets of this 10-color palette, such as by displaying movable sprites in one subset and backgrounds, etc. in another. The grayscale (Left + B) palette produces an appearance essentially identical to that experienced on the original Game Boy.

Button combination Palette
Up Brown
Up + A Red
Up + B Dark brown
Down Pastel mix
Down + A Orange
Down + B Yellow
Left Blue
Left + A Dark blue
Left + B Grayscale
Right Green
Right + A Dark green
Right + B Inverted


Technical specifications

The processor, which is a Z80 work-alike with a few extra (bit manipulation) instructions, has a clock speed of approx. 8 MHz, twice as fast as that of the original Game Boy. The Game Boy Color also has four times as much memory as the original. The console boasted an impressive palette of 32,768 colors and was capable of simultaneously displaying 56 colors at once. It could also add basic four-color shading to games that had been released for the ordinary Game Boy. Additionally, a new palette-change feature was added for original Game Boy games; by holding the B button and any one of the directional arrows, the user could change the basic color palette for the game. The original Game Boy is also able to play some Game Boy Color games in monochrome (most notably Pokémon Gold and Silver).

Game Boy Color games cannot be played natively on the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite handheld. The DS lacks the Game Boy's Z80-like microprocessor, as does the Game Boy micro. Game Boy Color cartridges also do not fit in the Game Boy Advance slot of the Nintendo DS.

Pokémon games

These are games made for the Game Boy Color. The English Pokémon Yellow has Game Boy Color features, but is officially classified by Nintendo as an original Game Boy game.

Title Genre Release
Pokémon Trading Card Game Card game 1998
Pokémon Pinball Pinball 1999
Pokémon Gold and Silver Main series RPG 1999
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge Puzzle 2000
Pokémon Crystal Main series RPG 2000
Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR! Card game 2001
Pokémon Picross Picross Unreleased


By backwards compatibility

Due to backward compatibility, all Pokémon games from the original Game Boy are also playable.

Title Genre Release
Pokémon Red and Green Main series RPG 1996
Pokémon Blue Main series RPG 1996
Pokémon Red and Blue Main series RPG 1998
Pokémon Yellow* Main series RPG 1998


Trivia

  • Like the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS, the Game Boy Color is not region-encoded. This means that a player could theoretically play a Game Boy Color game from any region in their own locally purchased console.
  • Although the walls in the Fuchsia Gym in Red, Blue, and Yellow are normally invisible, the Game Boy Color exposes them when using a multi-colored palette.
Game systems with Pokémon games
Nintendo handheld consoles
GB (Pocket · GBL · SGB · SGB2) • GBCminiGBA (SP · GBm · GBP)
DS (Lite · DSi · DSi XL) • 3DS (XL · 2DS · New 3DS · New 3DS XL · New 2DS XL)
Switch (Lite · OLED)
Nintendo home consoles
SNES (BS-X · SGB · NP · SGB2) • N64 (DD) • GCN (GBP)
Wii (Family Edition · mini) • Wii U
Switch (OLED)
Sega consoles
PicoCoCoPadBeena