The Game Boy Color was the first color-capable product in the third generation of Game Boy portable gaming systems, released by Nintendo in 1998. The hardware was backward-compatible with Game Boy games, and used various color palettes with these games. Overall, the Game Boy Color can produce color graphics with a 32,768 color palette, at a rate of up to 56 simultaneous colors on-screen. The system experienced a four year production run and would cease production in 2002.
The system's infrared ports, located atop the console, allowed for communication between two Game Boy Colors at a distance of up to 2 meters; functions like Mystery Gift in Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version fully utilized the Game Boy Color's infrared capability.
The Game Boy Color greatly expanded the memory capacity of the portable console, up to twice that of the original Game Boy, and quadrupled the available processing power, comparable to the original Nintendo Entertainment System.
The Legend of Zelda games
Specifications
- CPU: 8-bit Z80, ran in single mode (4 MHz) and double mode (8 MHz)
- RAM: 32 kbit (plus 128 kbit on cartridges)
- ROM: Cartridges up to 64 Mbit were made
- Video RAM: 16 kbit
- Sound: 4 Channel FM stereo
- Video: Highly reflective TFT LCD, 160x144 pixels made by Sharp
- Color Palette: 32,768 colors; Supports 10, 32, or 56 simultaneous colors on-screen
- Controls: 8 directional D-Pad, A, B, select, and start buttons.
- Communication: Serial or Infrared
- Serial: 512 kbit/s; up to 4 consoles at a time
- Infrared: Less than 2 meters at 45 degrees
- Power: 2 AA batteries provide ~13 hours. An AC Adapter (DC 3V) was also available.
Gallery
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Logo of the Game Boy Color
