21st October 1998
Nintendo releases the Game Boy Color

The Game Boy Color is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, and is the successor to the original Game Boy.

The major differences between the original Game Boy and the Game Boy Color are as follows:

• Game Boy Color is smaller and lighter than the original Game Boy.
• Game Boy Color uses the same Sharp LR35902 processor, but with a clock speed of 8.38 MHz, twice as fast as the original Game Boy's 4.19 MHz.
• Game Boy Color has more memory than the Game Boy, 32 KB of system RAM and 16 KB of video RAM.
• Game Boy Color has a color screen, while the original Game Boy has a monochrome screen. Both devices have the same screen resolution, 160×144 pixels.
• Game Boy Color has an infrared communications port that allows a limited form of multiplayer gameplay with some games.

The Game Boy Color was fully backward compatible with older monochrome Game Boy cartridges. Users could 'colourize' monochrome games by choosing from four predefined palettes.

At launch there were five original colours available: Berry, Grape, Kiwi, Dandelion and Teal. It was also released in Atomic Purple at the same time, which was made of transparent purple plastic. Other colours were released as limited editions or in specific countries.

Nintendo released the Game Boy in Japan on 21st October 1998, and the rest of the world in November 1998.

Related information:

• Centre for Computing History: Nintendo
• Centre for Computing History: Game Boy Color

Image:

• Game Boy Color launch feature from Nintendo Power Issue 114 (November 1998)
  Credit: Nintendo. Images remain the copyright of the original copyright holder. Used under fair use policy for educational purposes only.

Related Items in the Collection:

Game Boy Color - Teal

Game Boy Color - Grape