The Game Boy Color (GBC) was released in late 1998 and, as such, the games show an obvious advancement over earlier black and white counterparts in both graphical style and introduced color. Though the screen resolution remains the same (160×144), the increased ram (32kb in the handheld) and added color (32,768 colors with 10, 32 or 56 on screen) make some games seem almost NES-quality.
(There are many color variations and special editions of the Game Boy Color)
Let’s take a look at different ways to play these GBC carts before deciding on the best tech choice.
Backwards-compatible GBC Carts
The early launch titles had the same shell as the gray carts, but were shaded black or – for the Pokemon games – black, blue, red, and yellow. These carts are backwards-compatible with monochrome systems, but will have added color on any systems that support it (a lot of these also have the DX suffix on the title).
(There are several variations on the solid-color GBC cartridges).
GBC-Only Carts
The later cartridges are clear with a bubble shape at the top of the cart. These cartridges will only play on a GBC or later system (and will display a message stating this when inserted into an older system).
(The bubble-shell clear GBC carts also have several variations and extra features. For example, Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble has an accelerometer to detect motion, while games like Star Wars Episode 1 Racer have a rumble feature.)
Original Game Boy / Game Boy Pocket (DMG Series)
Let’s start with playing the backwards compatible cartridges. These will work on any system that supported the monochrome carts – though without the color of course. There are certain games, like R-Type DX and Tetris DX that don’t really need color, so if you have a back-lit Game Boy (DMG-001) that is certainly a great option. The Pokemon games also work quite well on these older systems.
(R-Type DX plays great on the regular Game Boy – even without color. Above is a screen shot from a Game Boy with a red back-light).
Game Boy Color / Game Boy Advance / Game Boy SP
As far as handhelds go, there’s the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Advance SP. I’ve covered each of these in this article.
Basically all the same info applies, except there’s no color palette choice – as it’s set from the cartridge automatically.
Kongfeng GB Boy Colour
There is also the Kongfeng GB Boy Colour – a hardware clone of the Game Boy Color with a back-light. The screen is quite nice on this (bright like the GB-SP AGS-101 model), but the aspect ratio is a little off.
(The GB Boy Colour is a decent clone system with a true LCD back-light. You can see from the comparison that it’s not exactly the same shape as the original.)
The handheld is slightly taller than the original model and the digital cross is different (though not bad). This clone takes the same 2 AA batteries and seems to have the same ports for audio, IR, and link cable. From the time I’ve spent with the device, it’s a reasonable reproduction. It certainly has its glitches, but for a quick pick up and play, it’s just fine. Some versions have built-in games (of questionable legality) and some do not (these are obviously the ones sold in the US for the most part). Once a cart is inserted, both versions play that game. I’ve had a little bit of trouble with this and flash cartridges – often having to turn it off, wait 10 seconds, and then turn it back on again to switch games.
Super Game Boy (SNES/Super Famicom)
Another system to play these early GBC carts, using your TV, is the Super Game Boy (and the Super Game Boy 2 – which came out in Japan for the Super Famicom). The cool thing about using this SNES peripheral with backwards-compatible GBC carts is the custom borders and color schemes – loaded from the cartridge.
(The US Super Game Boy and the two Japanese releases)
The Super Game Boy (and it’s successor) unfortunately don’t play the later clear GBC carts. Also, it’s worth noting that the color palette is stored differently for use with Super Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Games like Wario Land II came out in both monochrome and later color versions (to update the palette for the GBC to use).
It’s also worth trying to find the Super Game Boy controller (aka Super Game Boy Commander) – a SNES controller made to go with the Super Game Boy.
(The nice thing about the official Super Game Boy controller is that it has buttons to control color and speed so that you don’t have to go back to the menu).
Transfer Pak (N64)
There are certain Game Boy color cartridges that can be used with the Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak – which fits in your memory card slot on the N64 controller. For example, Mario Golf on GBC can be used along with Mario Golf on N64 (likewise with the Tennis games). Perhaps the niftiest feature of this device is using it with Pokemon Stadium to play your Game Boy Pokemon games using your N64 (though this is still emulation and limited to those particular titles).
(The N64 Transfer Pak is a great, but under-utilized add-on)
(Playing Pokemon Yellow via the Transfer Pak using Pokemon Stadium on the N64)
Game Boy Player (Gamecube)
Probably the best all-around TV option for playing GBC games is the Game Boy Player for the Nintendo Gamecube. This device, which came out in 2003, attaches to the bottom of the console and allows Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges to be played on your TV using the Gamecube A/V out.
(The Game Boy Player came in several colors – including spice/orange in Japan)
To boot up this device requires a special Gamecube disc to be inserted (so be careful when buying the attachment that you also get the disc). One nice thing about this device is that it contains Game Boy Advance hardware to play the titles instead of emulation. This means full compatibility and no game timing issues or graphical glitches.
(You get 20 frames to choose from, but Super Game Boy frames are not supported).
Being that the gameplay is controlled through the software on the Gamecube this is the best of both worlds (hardware and software) in that the menu offers graphic filters and frames for the gameplay.
And, if you really want to play in style, try tracking down a Hori Gamecube gamepad controller.
Retron 5
While the Retro-Bit Super Retro Advance Adapter doesn’t play GBC games (just GBA games), the Retron 5 does – and also supports scaling, save states, and has HDMI output.
To be clear, this is basically a glorified emulator (in fact there were reported licensing issues with the maker using code from open-source project RetroArch in their front-end). But, different from Ouya, Raspberry Pi (RetroPie), and other platforms with emulators, you can use your hardware GBC cartridges with the Retron 5. Another nice feature of this device is that you can use either Genesis, SNES, or NES controllers with it to play the GBC game. If you’re looking to just use this to play GBC titles only, the price is worth noting. It’s around $140 at the time of this article, so that might be a bit prohibitive.
Indoor Choice
For indoor play, on a TV, I recommend the Gamecube’s Game Boy Player if you have it (and it’s neither expensive nor hard to find). It’s an official Nintendo product, uses actual hardware, and looks really nice on a TV. (I use the component cable for my HDTV – which may be a little pricey – but you can also just use a S-Video cable.) A second runner-up is the Super Game Boy on a Super Nintendo. It’s limited to the backwards-compatible games, but you get the custom frame border. I use either the Game Boy Player controller or the Super Game Boy controller for either system – but that’s just a personal preference.
For playing a hand-held indoors, I really can’t decide between the GB Colour and a back-lit GBA. I like the form-factor of the GB Boy Colour – as it’s slightly larger than the GBC. My only complaint is that the cross and A/B buttons feel better on the official GBC. I’ve addressed this personally by replacing the cross with a GBC one (the cross was about the same size, but the A/B buttons wouldn’t interchange).
With the GBA you either get a smaller screen at the correct aspect ratio or you can stretch it to fill the screen (which doesn’t look great). With the GB Boy Colour, the screen is slightly larger than the original, but the aspect ratio is very close to the original. So it’s sort of a toss-up between the two. As far as price goes, the GB Boy Colour wins out (at this time I wouldn’t pay more than $40 for one with a back-lit GBA running about $100).
I also want to note there are emulators like Goomba that let you play GB/GBC titles on your GBA (official Nintendo) device. This is incredibly nifty when you want to play GBC games on your Game Boy Micro (which doesn’t take the GBC carts) as well as Nintendo DS (the original and Lite versions).
Outdoor Choice
For outdoor play, I’m going with the regular GBA, but it’s close between that and the original GBC. Both have nice reflective screens so you shouldn’t have an issue seeing the screen in proper lighting. The GBA seems better for my hands, but its cross and buttons are a little too small. Still, the horizontal layout works slightly better for me than the GBC.
Now for shameful self-promotion:
I sell hand-made (or modded) items (like back-lit custom Game Boys) here (etsy).
And I also sell extra used games and manuals I pick up here (ebid) and here (ebay).
Also, please follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@UrzasRage) for pics and announcements.
Proceeds from my shops either go back into my collection as game purchases (so that I have more to write about), for more game-chasing, or are given to gaming-related charities.