GameBoy

Game Boy (GB) and Game Boy Color (GBA)

Released in April 1989, the Game Boy is an 8-bit handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Its immense success kept it in production until 2003.

• Launch Price (US): $89.99 (approx. $212 in 2023 money)
• Total Sales: Approximately 118.5 million units sold worldwide (Game Boy and Game Boy Color combined)

THE GAMEBOY AT A GLANCE

The Game Boy debuted in Japan and the United States in 1989, followed by a European release in 1990. It featured a CPU manufactured by Sharp, based on the Intel 8080 and Zilog Z80 architectures.

• Discontinued: 2003
• Available Colors: Grey, transparent, black, white, red, green, yellow, blue

Tech Specs

• Dimensions: 148 x 90 x 32 mm | Weight: 220 g
• CPU: Sharp LR35902 at 4.19 MHz
• Display: 2.6" STN LCD with 4 shades of grey
• Sound: Built-in mono speaker with stereo headphone output
• Memory: 8 KB RAM, 64 KB addressable space
• Cartridge ROM: 64 KB – 512 KB
• Battery Life: ~15 hours (4× AA batteries)

Related Models

• Game Boy Pocket (1996)
• Game Boy Color (1998)
• Game Boy Advance (2001, 32-bit)
• Game Boy Micro (2005)

GAME BOY COLOR

Launched in 1998, the Game Boy Color introduced a full-color TFT screen while retaining backward compatibility with original Game Boy cartridges. It was more compact, faster, and more colorful.

• Launch Price (US): $79.95 (approx. $140 today)
• Games Library: About 800 titles, including compatibility with original Game Boy games
• Available Colors: Blackberry red, neon green, yellow, turquoise, purple, clear purple, Pokémon Special Edition

Technical Specifications

• Dimensions: 133.5 x 78 x 27.4 mm | Weight: 138 g
• CPU Speed: 8 MHz
• RAM: 32 KB
• Display: TFT screen, 56 colors on-screen from a 32,000-color palette
• Battery Life: ~10 hours (2× AA batteries)

GameBoy Graphics

Classic Game Boy

• Resolution: 160 × 144 pixels
• Colors: 4 shades of grey (2-bit)
• Sprite Limit: Up to 40 sprites per screen
• VRAM: 8 KB
• Background + Sprite-based display

Game Boy Color

• Resolution: 160 × 144 pixels
• Colors: 56 on-screen simultaneously from a 32K-color palette

Audio Capabilities

• 2 Pulse Wave Channels
• 1 PCM 4-bit Sample Channel
• 1 Noise Channel
• Audio Input from Cartridge
• Mono Speaker (Stereo via headphones)

Expansions & Accessories

• Game Link Cable (supports up to 4 players)
• Game Boy Four Player Adapter
• Handy Boy: Dual speakers + illuminated magnifier
• Light Boy: Screen magnifier with light
• Game Boy Printer
• Game Boy Camera
• Transfer Pak
• Action Replay: Cheat device
• Mobile Adapter GB: Connects to mobile phones for remote play
• Many third-party accessories also exist, especially for the original Game Boy

I/O Ports & Connectivity

• Cartridge Slot: Top-mounted
• External Power Jack: 6V DC (left side)
• Headphone Jack: Stereo output
• Link Port: Serial connection (right side, 512 kbit/s)

Controls

• Power switch (top)
• Contrast control (left side)
• Volume control (right side)

Games Library

• Original Game Boy: ~1,040 official titles
• Game Boy Color: ~800 compatible titles
• Best-Selling Game: Tetris – 35 million units
• Top Seller: Pokémon Red & Blue – 23.64 million units

Shops

• Gameboy/Gameboy Color IPS Screen

■ GameBoy

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Main Sources:

• Wikipedia
• Nintendo.co.uk
• Course.ece.cmu.edu/~ece545/F16/reports/F09_GameBoy.pdf