RickyCourtney (talk | contribs) m Cleanup references Tag: ProveIt edit |
RickyCourtney (talk | contribs) →Game Boy Pocket: Add additional critical reception |
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| image = Game-Boy-FL.jpg |
| image = Game-Boy-FL.jpg |
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| caption = An original Game Boy |
| caption = An original Game Boy |
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| aka = DMG- |
| aka = DMG-01<br>{{Video game release|KR|Mini Comboy}} |
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| developer = [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D1]] |
| developer = [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D1]] |
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| manufacturer = [[Nintendo]] |
| manufacturer = [[Nintendo]] |
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| {{JPY|12,500|1989}}<ref name="NALaunchPrice">{{Cite web |date=September 7, 2015 |title=Happy 20th b-day, Game Boy: here are 6 reasons why you're #1 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/04/game-boy-20th-anniversary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815023656/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/04/game-boy-20th-anniversary/ |archive-date=August 15, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> |
| {{JPY|12,500|1989}}<ref name="NALaunchPrice">{{Cite web |date=September 7, 2015 |title=Happy 20th b-day, Game Boy: here are 6 reasons why you're #1 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/04/game-boy-20th-anniversary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815023656/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/04/game-boy-20th-anniversary/ |archive-date=August 15, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> |
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| {{USD|89.99|1989}}<ref name="NALaunchPrice" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 15, 2013 |title=The Real Cost of Gaming: Inflation, Time, and Purchasing Power |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915010832/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power |archive-date=September 15, 2020 |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref> |
| {{USD|89.99|1989}}<ref name="NALaunchPrice" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 15, 2013 |title=The Real Cost of Gaming: Inflation, Time, and Purchasing Power |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915010832/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power |archive-date=September 15, 2020 |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref> |
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| {{GBP|99|1990}}<ref name="UKLaunchPrice">{{Cite magazine |title=Console Crazy! |url=https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:ACE_UK_37.pdf&page=142 |access-date=April 1, 2024 |magazine=[[ACE (magazine)|ACE]] |page=142 |publication-date=September 1990 |issue=37}}</ref> |
| {{GBP|99|1990}}<ref name="UKLaunchPrice">{{Cite magazine |title=Console Crazy! |url=https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:ACE_UK_37.pdf&page=142 |access-date=April 1, 2024 |magazine=[[ACE (magazine)|ACE]] |page=142 |publication-date=September 1990 |issue=37 |archive-date=April 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240401160903/https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:ACE_UK_37.pdf&page=142 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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| discontinued = March 31, 2003 |
| discontinued = March 31, 2003 |
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| units sold = 118.69 million |
| units sold = 118.69 million (including all variants and [[Game Boy Color]])<ref name="consolidatedsales">{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2016 |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427084600/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |archive-date=April 27, 2016 |access-date=October 23, 2016 |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref> |
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| media = [[Game Boy Game Pak]] |
| media = [[Game Boy Game Pak]] |
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| memory = 8 KB [[Random-access memory|RAM]], 8 KB [[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|VRAM]] |
| memory = 8 KB [[Random-access memory|RAM]], 8 KB [[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|VRAM]] |
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| display = {{Unbulleted list |
| display = {{Unbulleted list |
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| '''Pocket/Light''': [[FSTN]] LCD |
| '''Pocket/Light''': [[FSTN]] LCD |
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| topgame = [[Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow|''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', and ''Yellow'']] (46 million units) |
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| topgame = ''[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Tetris]]'' {{small|(35 million units)}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=All-time best selling console games worldwide 2018 {{!}} Statistic |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/264530/all-time-best-selling-console-games-worldwide/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191623/https://www.statista.com/statistics/264530/all-time-best-selling-console-games-worldwide/ |archive-date=May 21, 2018 |access-date=May 21, 2018 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> |
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| predecessor = [[Game & Watch]] |
| predecessor = [[Game & Watch]] |
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| successor = [[Game Boy Color]]<ref name="asks">{{Cite interview |last=Umezu |interviewer=Satoru Iwata |title=Nintendo 3DS (Volume 3 – Nintendo 3DS Hardware Concept) |type=Interview: Transcript |last2=Sugino |url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0 |access-date=March 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725233103/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0 |archive-date=July 25, 2015 |url-status=live |work=Iwata Asks |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref> |
| successor = [[Game Boy Color]]<ref name="asks">{{Cite interview |last=Umezu |interviewer=Satoru Iwata |title=Nintendo 3DS (Volume 3 – Nintendo 3DS Hardware Concept) |type=Interview: Transcript |last2=Sugino |url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0 |access-date=March 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725233103/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0 |archive-date=July 25, 2015 |url-status=live |work=Iwata Asks |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref> |
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The Game Boy features a [[Dot-matrix display|dot-matrix screen]] with adjustable contrast, a [[directional pad]], four game buttons, a single [[monaural]] speaker with volume control, and uses [[Game Boy Game Pak|Game Pak]] cartridges. The two-toned gray design with black, blue, and dark magenta accents sported softly rounded corners, except for the bottom right which was curved. At launch, it was sold either as a standalone unit, or [[Pack-in game|bundled]] with games like ''[[Super Mario Land]]'' and ''[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Tetris]]'', with accessories like carrying pouches, [[Game Boy Camera|a camera]], and [[Game Boy Printer|a printer]] available. |
The Game Boy features a [[Dot-matrix display|dot-matrix screen]] with adjustable contrast, a [[directional pad]], four game buttons, a single [[monaural]] speaker with volume control, and uses [[Game Boy Game Pak|Game Pak]] cartridges. The two-toned gray design with black, blue, and dark magenta accents sported softly rounded corners, except for the bottom right which was curved. At launch, it was sold either as a standalone unit, or [[Pack-in game|bundled]] with games like ''[[Super Mario Land]]'' and ''[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Tetris]]'', with accessories like carrying pouches, [[Game Boy Camera|a camera]], and [[Game Boy Printer|a printer]] available. |
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Despite mixed reviews criticizing its monochrome graphics and larger size compared to competitors like the [[Sega Game Gear]], [[Atari Lynx]], and [[NEC TurboExpress |
Despite mixed reviews criticizing its monochrome graphics and larger size compared to competitors like the [[Sega Game Gear]], [[Atari Lynx]], and [[NEC TurboExpress]], the Game Boy rapidly outsold them all. An estimated 118.69 million units of the Game Boy and its successor, the [[Game Boy Color]] (1998), have been sold worldwide, making it the fourth [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling console]] ever. A [[cultural icon]] of the 1990s, the Game Boy received several redesigns during its lifespan, including the smaller Game Boy Pocket (1996) and the [[Backlight|backlit]] Game Boy Light (1998). Sales of Game Boy variants continued until 2003. |
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== Development == |
== Development == |
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The team was encouraged to pursue the project by Nintendo president [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]], who was also known to encourage the competition between the teams. However within Nintendo, many were skeptical that such a device would be feasable. Some employees even gave the project the derogatory nickname "''Dame''Game" (''dame'' (だめ) meaning "hopeless" in Japanese).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Audureau |first=William |date=March 18, 2015 |title=NX, Ultra 64, Revolution… Petite histoire de Nintendo à travers ses noms de code |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2015/03/18/nx-ultra-64-revolution-petite-histoire-de-nintendo-a-travers-ses-noms-de-code_4595183_4408996.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817105050/http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2015/03/18/nx-ultra-64-revolution-petite-histoire-de-nintendo-a-travers-ses-noms-de-code_4595183_4408996.html |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |access-date=June 19, 2016 |work=Le Monde.fr |language=fr |issn=1950-6244}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=駄目 |url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%A7%84%E7%9B%AE |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515182011/https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%A7%84%E7%9B%AE |archive-date=May 15, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Wiktionary}}</ref> |
The team was encouraged to pursue the project by Nintendo president [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]], who was also known to encourage the competition between the teams. However within Nintendo, many were skeptical that such a device would be feasable. Some employees even gave the project the derogatory nickname "''Dame''Game" (''dame'' (だめ) meaning "hopeless" in Japanese).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Audureau |first=William |date=March 18, 2015 |title=NX, Ultra 64, Revolution… Petite histoire de Nintendo à travers ses noms de code |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2015/03/18/nx-ultra-64-revolution-petite-histoire-de-nintendo-a-travers-ses-noms-de-code_4595183_4408996.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817105050/http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2015/03/18/nx-ultra-64-revolution-petite-histoire-de-nintendo-a-travers-ses-noms-de-code_4595183_4408996.html |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |access-date=June 19, 2016 |work=Le Monde.fr |language=fr |issn=1950-6244}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=駄目 |url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%A7%84%E7%9B%AE |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515182011/https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%A7%84%E7%9B%AE |archive-date=May 15, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Wiktionary}}</ref> |
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The codename for this nascent project was "Dot Matrix Game," (DMG) reflecting its [[Dot-matrix display|intended display technology]], a stark contrast to the limited, single-game [[Game & Watch]] series Yokoi had previously created, which had [[segment display|segmented]] LCDs pre-printed with an overlay, limiting each model to only [[dedicated console|play one game]]. The initials DMG came to be featured on the final product's model number: "DMG- |
The codename for this nascent project was "Dot Matrix Game," (DMG) reflecting its [[Dot-matrix display|intended display technology]], a stark contrast to the limited, single-game [[Game & Watch]] series Yokoi had previously created, which had [[segment display|segmented]] LCDs pre-printed with an overlay, limiting each model to only [[dedicated console|play one game]]. The initials DMG came to be featured on the final product's model number: "DMG-01."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nintendo Game Boy information/specs |url=https://gametrog.com/nintendo-game-boy-information-specs/ |access-date=May 2, 2024 |website=Gametrog |language=en-US |archive-date=May 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502055443/https://gametrog.com/nintendo-game-boy-information-specs/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=May 2024}} |
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Satoru Okada developed the Game Boy as a more portable version of the Famicom, inspired by the concept of interchangeable game cartridges. Despite initial resistance and technical challenges, Okada aimed to address the Famicom's shortcomings, such as the lack of [[Programming tool|development tools]] for [[Video game developer|third-party developers]]. Initially, a [[Ricoh]]-manufactured CPU, similar to the one used in the Famicom, was considered for compatibility. Due to resource constraints and the ongoing development of the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]], a less powerful [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]] CPU was chosen instead. Sharp initially showed reluctance to engage in the project, particularly for the [[Liquid-crystal display|LCD]] technology, which was a critical component.<ref name="Aetas 2022">{{Cite web |last=Aetas |date=July 15, 2022 |title=ゲームボーイの生みの親・岡田 智氏が任天堂での開発者時代を語った「黒川塾 八十八(88)」聴講レポート |trans-title=Attendance report on "Kurokawa Juku 88" where Game Boy creator Satoshi Okada talks about his time as a developer at Nintendo |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220720007/ |access-date=March 1, 2024 |website=4Gamer.net |language=ja}}</ref> |
Satoru Okada developed the Game Boy as a more portable version of the Famicom, inspired by the concept of interchangeable game cartridges. Despite initial resistance and technical challenges, Okada aimed to address the Famicom's shortcomings, such as the lack of [[Programming tool|development tools]] for [[Video game developer|third-party developers]]. Initially, a [[Ricoh]]-manufactured CPU, similar to the one used in the Famicom, was considered for compatibility. Due to resource constraints and the ongoing development of the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]], a less powerful [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]] CPU was chosen instead. Sharp initially showed reluctance to engage in the project, particularly for the [[Liquid-crystal display|LCD]] technology, which was a critical component.<ref name="Aetas 2022">{{Cite web |last=Aetas |date=July 15, 2022 |title=ゲームボーイの生みの親・岡田 智氏が任天堂での開発者時代を語った「黒川塾 八十八(88)」聴講レポート |trans-title=Attendance report on "Kurokawa Juku 88" where Game Boy creator Satoshi Okada talks about his time as a developer at Nintendo |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220720007/ |access-date=March 1, 2024 |website=4Gamer.net |language=ja |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331032353/https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220720007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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The team then considered buying LCD screens from [[Citizen Watch|Citizen]] which was already using them to build portable TVs. However, Okada continued talks with Sharp, even showing the company a |
The team then considered buying LCD screens from [[Citizen Watch|Citizen]] which was already using them to build portable TVs. However, Okada continued talks with Sharp, even showing the company a Game Boy mockup. After seeing the device and wanting to keep Nintendo as a client, Sharp offered competitive pricing and secured the contract. Sharp originally proposed a [[Twisted nematic field effect|twisted nematic]] (TN) display, but after seeing a prototype Game Boy, Yamauchi rejected the TN technology as too hard to see. Sharp then suggested [[STN display|super-twisted nematic]] (STN) technology, which had better viewing angles and contrast, but was more expensive. To reduce cost, the team reduced the screen size, however, it was too late in the development process to shrink the console's overall size.<ref name="Aetas 2022" /><ref name="Kurokawa 2022">{{Cite news |last=Kurokawa |first=Fumio |date=March 29, 2022 |title=元任天堂・岡田 智氏の独立独歩 後編 ひたすらに意志を貫いたゲームボーイ&ゲームボーイアドバンス開発 「ビデオゲームの語り部たち」:第28部 |trans-title=Former Nintendo employee Satoshi Okada's independent career, Part 2: The development of the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance with single-minded determination |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220316093/ |access-date=March 2, 2024 |work=4Gamer.net |language=ja |archive-date=May 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521131129/https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220316093/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Gunpei Yokoi emphasized the importance of affordability and reliability over cutting-edge technology. This approach, named "[[Lateral thinking|Lateral Thinking]] with Withered Technology" ({{Lang-ja|枯れた技術の水平思考|translit=Kareta Gijutsu no Suihei Shikō}}) involved the innovative use of existing, mature technology to create new products. To keep costs low and extend battery life, the Game Boy was designed without a [[backlight]] and used a simple grayscale screen, despite potential concerns about visibility and the lack of color.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Jeff |title=Super Mario: How Nintendo conquered America |publisher=Portfolio / Penguin |year=2011 |isbn=9781591844051 |pages=102–105 |language=en}}</ref> |
Gunpei Yokoi emphasized the importance of affordability and reliability over cutting-edge technology. This approach, named "[[Lateral thinking|Lateral Thinking]] with Withered Technology" ({{Lang-ja|枯れた技術の水平思考|translit=Kareta Gijutsu no Suihei Shikō}}) involved the innovative use of existing, mature technology to create new products. To keep costs low and extend battery life, the Game Boy was designed without a [[backlight]] and used a simple grayscale screen, despite potential concerns about visibility and the lack of color.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Jeff |title=Super Mario: How Nintendo conquered America |publisher=Portfolio / Penguin |year=2011 |isbn=9781591844051 |pages=102–105 |language=en}}</ref> In the early 1980s, Okada had worked on an electronic game from Nintendo called ''[[Computer Mah-jong Yakuman]]'' that allowed cable communication between two devices, he thought it would be possible to implement a similar feature in the Game Boy.<ref name="Aetas 2022" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Voskuil |first=Erik |date=March 19, 2011 |title=Nintendo Computer Mah-jong Yakuman (コンピュータ マージャン 役満, 1983) |url=http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/03/nintendo-computer-mah-jong-yakuman-1983.html |access-date=May 7, 2024 |website=beforemario |archive-date=May 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509192145/http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/03/nintendo-computer-mah-jong-yakuman-1983.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite concerns within the team that the feature would be too difficult to use and thus a waste of resources, Okada pushed forward and developed the [[Game Link Cable]] technology himself. This effort led to the creation of the "battle" and "trade" gameplay features in [[Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow|''Pokémon'']], released in 1996.<ref name="Aetas 2022" /> |
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Game Boy was unveiled as a prototype in 1987 and later exhibited at multiple industry trade shows. The device incorporated a key design element from its predecessor, the [[Game & Watch]]: the 8-way directional control pad, often referred to as the "[[D-pad]]". The concept was developed by Gunpei Yokoi and his team at R&D1. Yokoi recognized that traditional joysticks might hinder the portability of handheld devices. As a result, he designed the D-pad – a flat controller that would not extend beyond the handheld device's casing.<ref name="hardware_handbook_1">{{Cite magazine |last=McFerran |first=Damien |date=2016 |title=Game Boy |magazine=[[Retro Gamer|Videogames Hardware Handbook Vol 1. (2nd RE)]] |pages=157–163}}</ref> Hiroshi Yamauchi estimated that the console would achieve sales exceeding 25 million units in its initial three years, a claim that was regarded as bold for that period.<ref name="hardware_handbook_1" /> |
Game Boy was unveiled as a prototype in 1987 and later exhibited at multiple industry trade shows. The device incorporated a key design element from its predecessor, the [[Game & Watch]]: the 8-way directional control pad, often referred to as the "[[D-pad]]". The concept was developed by Gunpei Yokoi and his team at R&D1. Yokoi recognized that traditional joysticks might hinder the portability of handheld devices. As a result, he designed the D-pad – a flat controller that would not extend beyond the handheld device's casing.<ref name="hardware_handbook_1">{{Cite magazine |last=McFerran |first=Damien |date=2016 |title=Game Boy |magazine=[[Retro Gamer|Videogames Hardware Handbook Vol 1. (2nd RE)]] |pages=157–163}}</ref> Hiroshi Yamauchi estimated that the console would achieve sales exceeding 25 million units in its initial three years, a claim that was regarded as bold for that period.<ref name="hardware_handbook_1" /> |
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== Hardware == |
== Hardware == |
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[[File:Nintendo Game Boy DMG-01 - board with card slot-9880.jpg|thumb|The original Game Boy motherboard<br />([[commons:File:Nintendo Game Boy DMG-01 - board with card slot-9880.jpg|Annotated version]])]] |
[[File:Nintendo Game Boy DMG-01 - board with card slot-9880.jpg|thumb|The original Game Boy motherboard<br />([[commons:File:Nintendo Game Boy DMG-01 - board with card slot-9880.jpg|Annotated version]])]] |
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The Game Boy uses a custom [[system on a chip]] (SoC), to house most of the components, named the DMG-CPU by Nintendo and the LR35902 by its manufacturer, the [[Sharp Corporation]]<ref name="Copetti 2019">{{Cite web |last=Copetti |first=Rodrigo |date=February 21, 2019 |title=Game Boy / Color Architecture - A Practical Analysis |url=https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy/ |access-date=April 29, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> |
The Game Boy uses a custom [[system on a chip]] (SoC), to house most of the components, named the DMG-CPU by Nintendo and the LR35902 by its manufacturer, the [[Sharp Corporation]]<ref name="Copetti 2019">{{Cite web |last=Copetti |first=Rodrigo |date=February 21, 2019 |title=Game Boy / Color Architecture - A Practical Analysis |url=https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy/ |access-date=April 29, 2024 |language=en |archive-date=April 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413195021/https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Within the DMG-CPU, the main processor is a Sharp SM83,<ref name="gekkio 2024">{{Cite web |last=Javanainen |first=Joonas |date=April 23, 2024 |title=Game Boy: Complete Technical Reference |url=https://gekkio.fi/files/gb-docs/gbctr.pdf |website=gekkio.fi}}</ref> a hybrid between two other [[8-bit computing|8-bit]] processors: the [[Intel 8080]] and the [[Zilog Z80]]. The SM83 |
Within the DMG-CPU, the main processor is a ''Sharp SM83'',<ref name="gekkio 2024">{{Cite web |last=Javanainen |first=Joonas |date=April 23, 2024 |title=Game Boy: Complete Technical Reference |url=https://gekkio.fi/files/gb-docs/gbctr.pdf |website=gekkio.fi |access-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429214715/https://gekkio.fi/files/gb-docs/gbctr.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> a hybrid between two other [[8-bit computing|8-bit]] processors: the [[Intel 8080]] and the [[Zilog Z80]]. The SM83 has the seven 8-bit [[Processor register|registers]] of the 8080 (compared to 14 on the Z80), but uses the Z80's programming syntax and extra [[bit manipulation]] instructions, it also adds a few new instructions to optimize the processor for certain operations related to the way the hardware was arranged.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2, 2013 |title=The Nintendo Game Boy, Part 1: The Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80. |url=https://realboyemulator.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-nintendo-game-boy-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510190547/https://realboyemulator.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-nintendo-game-boy-1/ |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |publisher=RealBoy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CPU Comparison with Z80 |url=https://gbdev.io/pandocs/CPU_Comparison_with_Z80 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=Pan Docs |language=en |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429215020/https://gbdev.io/pandocs/CPU_Comparison_with_Z80 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Sharp SM83 operates at a [[clock rate]] of 4.194304 MHz.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /> |
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The DMG-CPU also incorporates the ''Picture Processing Unit'' |
The DMG-CPU also incorporates the ''Picture Processing Unit'', essentially a basic [[GPU]], that renders visuals using an 8 KB bank of [[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|Video RAM]] located on the motherboard.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /> The display itself is a 2.5-inch (diagonal) reflective [[super-twisted nematic display|super-twisted nematic]] (STN) monochrome [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD), measuring {{Convert|47|mm|sp=us}} wide by {{Convert|43|mm|sp=us}} high. The screen can render four shades with a resolution of 160 [[pixel]]s wide by 144 pixels high in a 10:9 [[aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]].<ref name="Dimensions" /><ref name="Fruttenboel Gameboy Section">{{Cite web |last=Fruttenboel Gameboy Section |date=August 22, 2009 |title=GameBoy : Using the GameBoy skeleton for serious business (Interrupt Descriptions) |url=http://verhoeven272.nl/cgi-bin/FSgz?fruttenboel%2FGameboy&Fruttenboel+Gameboy+section&GBtop&GBspec&GBcontent |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921002517/http://verhoeven272.nl/cgi-bin/FSgz?fruttenboel%2FGameboy&Fruttenboel+Gameboy+section&GBtop&GBspec&GBcontent |archive-date=September 21, 2014 |access-date=March 25, 2010}}</ref> |
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The SoC also contains the ''Audio Processing Unit'', a [[programmable sound generator]] with two pulse wave channels, a wave channel with user-definable waveform and a pseudo-random noise channel,<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 5, 2008 |title=Game Boy – 8bc Chiptune Wiki |url=http://www.8bitcollective.com/wiki/index.php?title=Game_Boy#Sound |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221140919/http://8bitcollective.com/wiki/index.php?title=Game_Boy#Sound |archive-date=February 21, 2008 |access-date=March 26, 2009}}</ref> along with 127 B of High RAM (similar to a [[CPU cache]]) that can be accessed faster and a 256 B "bootstrap" ROM which is used to start up the device.<ref>{{Cite web |last=GameBoy Development Wiki |date=November 12, 2009 |title=Gameboy Bootstrap ROM |url=http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/index.php?title=Gameboy_Bootstrap_ROM&oldid=192 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818180456/http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/index.php?title=Gameboy_Bootstrap_ROM&oldid=192 |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |access-date=October 24, 2010}}</ref> The motherboard also contains a 8 KB "working [[random access memory|RAM]]" chip.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /> |
The SoC also contains the ''Audio Processing Unit'', a [[programmable sound generator]] with two pulse wave channels, a wave channel with user-definable waveform and a pseudo-random noise channel,<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 5, 2008 |title=Game Boy – 8bc Chiptune Wiki |url=http://www.8bitcollective.com/wiki/index.php?title=Game_Boy#Sound |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221140919/http://8bitcollective.com/wiki/index.php?title=Game_Boy#Sound |archive-date=February 21, 2008 |access-date=March 26, 2009}}</ref> along with 127 B of High RAM (similar to a [[CPU cache]]) that can be accessed faster and a 256 B "bootstrap" ROM which is used to start up the device.<ref>{{Cite web |last=GameBoy Development Wiki |date=November 12, 2009 |title=Gameboy Bootstrap ROM |url=http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/index.php?title=Gameboy_Bootstrap_ROM&oldid=192 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818180456/http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/index.php?title=Gameboy_Bootstrap_ROM&oldid=192 |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |access-date=October 24, 2010}}</ref> The motherboard also contains a 8 KB "working [[random access memory|RAM]]" chip.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /> |
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The Game Boy features a [[D-pad]] (directional pad), four buttons labeled 'A,' 'B,' 'SELECT,' and 'START,' and a sliding on-off switch with a cartridge lock to prevent accidental removal. The volume and [[contrast (vision)|contrast]] are adjusted by dials on either side.<ref>Owner's Manual, pp. 3–4. "(3) Game Pak slot — Insert the Nintendo GAME BOY Game Pak here. (See page 7 for instructions on inserting Game Pak)"</ref><ref>Owner's Manual, pp. 4–5. "(5) Volume dial (VOL) — Adjusts the sound volume…(7)Contrast adjustment (CONTRAST) — Adjusts the contrast of the display."</ref> |
The Game Boy features a [[D-pad]] (directional pad), four buttons labeled 'A,' 'B,' 'SELECT,' and 'START,' and a sliding on-off switch with a cartridge lock to prevent accidental removal. The volume and [[contrast (vision)|contrast]] are adjusted by dials on either side.<ref>Owner's Manual, pp. 3–4. "(3) Game Pak slot — Insert the Nintendo GAME BOY Game Pak here. (See page 7 for instructions on inserting Game Pak)"</ref><ref>Owner's Manual, pp. 4–5. "(5) Volume dial (VOL) — Adjusts the sound volume…(7)Contrast adjustment (CONTRAST) — Adjusts the contrast of the display."</ref> |
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The original Game Boy was powered internally by four [[AA battery|AA]] [[battery (electricity)|batteries]].<ref>Owner's Manual, p. 4. "(2) External power supply jack — You can connect a Rechargeable Battery Pack (sold separately) for longer play."</ref> For extended use, an optional AC adapter or rechargeable battery pack can be connected via a [[coaxial power connector]] on the left side.<ref name="Nintendo Game Boy (DMG-001)">{{Cite web |year=2006 |title=Nintendo Game Boy (DMG-001) |url=http://www.vidgame.net/NINTENDO/GB.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211181421/http://www.vidgame.net/NINTENDO/GB.html |archive-date=February 11, 2008 |access-date=August 22, 2006 |website=Vidgame.net}}</ref> |
The original Game Boy was powered internally by four [[AA battery|AA]] [[battery (electricity)|batteries]].<ref>Owner's Manual, p. 4. "(2) External power supply jack — You can connect a Rechargeable Battery Pack (sold separately) for longer play."</ref> For extended use, an optional AC adapter or rechargeable battery pack can be connected via a [[coaxial power connector]] on the left side.<ref name="Nintendo Game Boy (DMG-001)">{{Cite web |year=2006 |title=Nintendo Game Boy (DMG-001) |url=http://www.vidgame.net/NINTENDO/GB.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211181421/http://www.vidgame.net/NINTENDO/GB.html |archive-date=February 11, 2008 |access-date=August 22, 2006 |website=Vidgame.net}}</ref> The Game Boy has a single [[monaural]] speaker and a [[Phone connector (audio)|3.5 mm stereo headphone jack]] on the bottom allows for private listening.<ref>Owner's Manual, p. 5. "(10) Headphone jack (PHONES) — Connect the stereo headphones that come with the GAME BOY to enjoy the impressive sounds of games without disturbing others around you...."</ref> |
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The right side offers a [[Game Link Cable]] port for connecting to another Game Boy for two-player games or, notably in [[Pokémon (video game series)|''Pokémon'']], sharing files.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Masuyama |first=Meguro |title=''Game On'' |title-link=Game On (exhibition) |publisher=Universe Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=0-7893-0778-2 |editor-last=Lucien King |location=[[New York City|New York, NY]] |page=39 |chapter=Pokémon as Japanese Culture? |quote=''Pokémon'' allowed more than metaphorical communication; it made use of a system that created actual communication — a network game.}}</ref><ref>Owner's Manual, pp. 4, 8. "(4) Extension connector (EXT CONNECTOR) — Connects to other GAME BOY…Do not insert different games in the interconnected Game Boys."</ref> This port can also be used with a [[Game Boy Printer]]. |
The right side offers a [[Game Link Cable]] port for connecting to another Game Boy for two-player games or, notably in [[Pokémon (video game series)|''Pokémon'']], sharing files.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Masuyama |first=Meguro |title=''Game On'' |title-link=Game On (exhibition) |publisher=Universe Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=0-7893-0778-2 |editor-last=Lucien King |location=[[New York City|New York, NY]] |page=39 |chapter=Pokémon as Japanese Culture? |quote=''Pokémon'' allowed more than metaphorical communication; it made use of a system that created actual communication — a network game.}}</ref><ref>Owner's Manual, pp. 4, 8. "(4) Extension connector (EXT CONNECTOR) — Connects to other GAME BOY…Do not insert different games in the interconnected Game Boys."</ref> This port can also be used with a [[Game Boy Printer]]. |
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|2.5-inch FSTN LCD with [[Electroluminescence|electroluminescent]] backlight |
|2.5-inch FSTN LCD with [[Electroluminescence|electroluminescent]] backlight |
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|- |
|- |
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!Screen size (playable)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Versions |url=https://www.retrorgb.com/gbversions.html |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=RetroRGB |language=en-US}}</ref> |
!Screen size (playable)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Versions |url=https://www.retrorgb.com/gbversions.html |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=RetroRGB |language=en-US |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506190310/https://www.retrorgb.com/gbversions.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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|{{cvt|45.5|x|41.5|mm}} |
|{{cvt|45.5|x|41.5|mm}} |
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|{{cvt|47.5|x|42.5|mm}} |
|{{cvt|47.5|x|42.5|mm}} |
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![[Input/output|I/O]] |
![[Input/output|I/O]] |
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|colspan=3|{{Unbulleted list |
|colspan=3|{{Unbulleted list |
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| [[Game Link Cable]]: |
| [[Game Link Cable]]: 8 [[kbit/s]] with up to 4 connections |
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| Game Pak slot |
| Game Pak slot |
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}} |
}} |
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=== Play It Loud! edition === |
=== Play It Loud! edition === |
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[[File:Game Boy Play It Loud! Transparent American Edition.png|thumb|120px|Clear "Play It Loud!" edition]] |
[[File:Game Boy Play It Loud! Transparent American Edition.png|thumb|120px|Clear "Play It Loud!" edition]] |
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On March 20, 1995, Nintendo released several special edition Game Boy models with colored cases, advertising them in the "Play It Loud!" campaign,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Color it loud with hot new Game Boys; Game Boy reflects players own style with five exciting new colors |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Color+it+loud+with+hot+new+Game+Boys%3B+Game+Boy+reflects+players+own...-a016001521 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102052451/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Color+it+loud+with+hot+new+Game+Boys%3B+Game+Boy+reflects+players+own...-a016001521 |archive-date=November 2, 2013 |access-date=November 3, 2009}}</ref> known in Japan as {{nihongo foot|'''Game Boy Bros.'''|ゲームボーイブラザーズ||lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} Play It Loud! units were manufactured in red, yellow, green, blue black, white, and clear (transparent),<ref name="Oxford 2019">{{Cite web |last=Oxford |first=David |date=February 14, 2019 |title=Boy, Oh Game Boy: Play It Loud! |url=https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/boy-oh-game-boy-play-it-loud/ |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=Old School Gamer Magazine}}</ref> also referred to as "x-ray".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gavin |first=Michael |date=June 8, 2017 |title=Retro Retail: Game Boy, the original 8-bit wonder of the handheld world |url=https://insidethemagic.net/2017/06/retro-retail-game-boy-original-8-bit-wonder-handheld-world/ |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=Inside the Magic}}</ref> The Play It Loud's screens also have a darker border than the normal Game Boy.<ref name="Oxford 2019" /> |
On March 20, 1995, Nintendo released several special edition Game Boy models with colored cases, advertising them in the "Play It Loud!" campaign,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Color it loud with hot new Game Boys; Game Boy reflects players own style with five exciting new colors |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Color+it+loud+with+hot+new+Game+Boys%3B+Game+Boy+reflects+players+own...-a016001521 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102052451/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Color+it+loud+with+hot+new+Game+Boys%3B+Game+Boy+reflects+players+own...-a016001521 |archive-date=November 2, 2013 |access-date=November 3, 2009}}</ref> known in Japan as {{nihongo foot|'''Game Boy Bros.'''|ゲームボーイブラザーズ||lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} Play It Loud! units were manufactured in red, yellow, green, blue black, white, and clear (transparent),<ref name="Oxford 2019">{{Cite web |last=Oxford |first=David |date=February 14, 2019 |title=Boy, Oh Game Boy: Play It Loud! |url=https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/boy-oh-game-boy-play-it-loud/ |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=Old School Gamer Magazine |archive-date=October 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028231030/https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/boy-oh-game-boy-play-it-loud/ |url-status=live }}</ref> also referred to as "x-ray".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gavin |first=Michael |date=June 8, 2017 |title=Retro Retail: Game Boy, the original 8-bit wonder of the handheld world |url=https://insidethemagic.net/2017/06/retro-retail-game-boy-original-8-bit-wonder-handheld-world/ |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=Inside the Magic |archive-date=October 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028231029/https://insidethemagic.net/2017/06/retro-retail-game-boy-original-8-bit-wonder-handheld-world/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Play It Loud's screens also have a darker border than the normal Game Boy.<ref name="Oxford 2019" /> |
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=== Revisions === |
=== Revisions === |
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| direction = vertical |
| direction = vertical |
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}} |
}} |
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On July 21, 1996, Nintendo released the Game Boy Pocket in Japan and on September 3, 1996, in North America for {{USD|69.99|1996}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1998 Sears Christmas Book, Page 161 – Christmas Catalogs & Holiday Wishbooks |url=https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1998-Sears-Christmas-Book/161 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731214935/https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1998-Sears-Christmas-Book/161 |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |access-date=December 1, 2019 |website=christmas.musetechnical.com}}</ref> The Game Boy Pocket was a smaller, lighter unit that required just two smaller [[AAA batteries]], which provide approximately 10 hours of gameplay.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 1996 |title=The Incredible Shrinking Game Boy Pocket |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=16 |issue=84}}</ref> The Pocket has a smaller [[Game Link Cable]] port, which requires an adapter to link with the original Game Boy. This smaller port design would be used on all subsequent Game Boy models. The screen was changed to an [[FSTN|film compensated super-twisted nematic]] (FSTN) LCD. This film compensation layer produced a true black-and-white display, rather than the green hues of the original Game Boy.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 1996 |title=Game Boy Relaunched |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |page=26 |issue=20}}</ref> |
On July 21, 1996, Nintendo released the Game Boy Pocket in Japan and on September 3, 1996, in North America for {{USD|69.99|1996}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1998 Sears Christmas Book, Page 161 – Christmas Catalogs & Holiday Wishbooks |url=https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1998-Sears-Christmas-Book/161 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731214935/https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1998-Sears-Christmas-Book/161 |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |access-date=December 1, 2019 |website=christmas.musetechnical.com}}</ref> The Game Boy Pocket was a smaller, lighter unit that required just two smaller [[AAA batteries]], which provide approximately 10 hours of gameplay.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 1996 |title=The Incredible Shrinking Game Boy Pocket |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=16 |issue=84}}</ref> The Pocket has a smaller [[Game Link Cable]] port, which requires an adapter to link with the original Game Boy. This smaller port design would be used on all subsequent Game Boy models.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Link Cable Adapter |url=https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Accessories/Link-cable-adapter/Link-cable-adapter-619614.html |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=Nintendo of Europe |language=en-GB |archive-date=May 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511035518/https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Accessories/Link-cable-adapter/Link-cable-adapter-619614.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The screen was changed to an [[FSTN|film compensated super-twisted nematic]] (FSTN) LCD. This film compensation layer produced a true black-and-white display, rather than the green hues of the original Game Boy.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 1996 |title=Game Boy Relaunched |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |page=26 |issue=20}}</ref> |
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Internally, the Game Boy Pocket had a new SoC, the Nintendo CPU MGB, an improved version of the DMG-CPU. A major change was that the device’s 8 KB of Video RAM was moved from the motherboard to the SoC for faster access.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Javanainen |first=Joonas |date=July 18, 2023 |title=MGB-xCPU schematic |url=https://github.com/Gekkio/gb-schematics/blob/main/MGB-xCPU/schematic/MGB-xCPU.pdf |access-date=May 22, 2024}}</ref> |
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Reviewers praised the device's small size,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cameron |first=Mike |date=September 19, 1996 |title=A game that's small enough to score where it counts |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/10B30EFFA5830318 |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=[[Hamilton Spectator]] |page=11 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref> and said that the screen’s visibility and pixel response-time had been improved, mostly eliminating [[Motion blur|ghosting]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=December 1996 |title=Pocket Cool |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=204 |issue=89}}</ref> However, other reviewers were dismissive of the device, with the Los Angeles Times saying Nintendo was "repacking the same old black-and-white stuff and selling it as new."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Curtiss |first=Aaron |date=May 30, 1996 |title=The Expo Challenge: Dodging the Pretenders |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-05-30-ca-10272-story.html |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> |
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The first version did not have a power LED, but was soon added due to public demand. Additionally, different case colors were introduced after April 28, 1997.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=May 1997 |title=Tidbits... |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=19 |issue=94}}</ref> By mid-1998, just months before the Game Boy Color went on sale, prices had fallen to {{USD|49.95|1996}}.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 29, 1998 |title=Nintendo unchallenged as big Boy in town |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EB77359B6744FE3 |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=[[USA Today]] |page=4D |pages= |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref> |
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==== Game Boy Light ==== |
==== Game Boy Light ==== |
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== Games == |
== Games == |
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{{See also|List of Game Boy games|List of best-selling Game Boy video games|List of cancelled Game Boy games}} |
{{See also|List of Game Boy games|List of Game Boy Color games|List of best-selling Game Boy video games|List of cancelled Game Boy games}} |
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[[File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Cartridge.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|The standard gray [[Game Boy Game Pak|cartridge]] for the original Game Boy games]] |
[[File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Cartridge.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|The standard gray [[Game Boy Game Pak|cartridge]] for the original Game Boy games]] |
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More than 1,000 games were released for the Game Boy, excluding cancelled and unlicensed games.<ref name="NintendoList2">{{cite web |title=Game Boy (original) Games |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402190758/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2016 |access-date=April 13, 2023 |publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> Additionally, more than 300 games developed for the Game Boy Color were [[Backward compatibility|backward compatible]] with the monochrome Game Boy models.<ref name="CGB-List">{{cite web |title=Game Boy Color Games |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/cgb_games.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040610021821/http://www.nintendo.com:80/consumer/downloads/cgb_games.pdf |archive-date=June 10, 2004 |access-date=April 13, 2023 |publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=January 19, 2001 |title=Game List - Released Titles |url=http://www.gameboy.com:80/gamelist.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010119180900/http://www.gameboy.com/gamelist.html |archive-date=January 19, 2001 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |website=GameBoy.com |publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Games are stored on cartridges called [[Game Pak]], using [[read-only memory]] (ROM) chips. Initially, due to the limitations of the 8-bit architecture of the device, ROM size was limited to 32 KB. However, Nintendo overcame this limitation with a Memory Bank Controller[[Kilobyte| ]](MBC) inside the cartridge. This chip sits between the processor and the ROM chips. The CPU can only access 32 KB at a time, but the MBC can switch between several banks of 32 KB ROM. Using this technology, Nintendo created Game Boy games that used up to 1 [[megabyte]] |
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⚫ | Games are stored on cartridges called the [[Game Boy Game Pak]], using [[read-only memory]] (ROM) chips. Initially, due to the limitations of the 8-bit architecture of the device, ROM size was limited to 32 KB. However, Nintendo overcame this limitation with a Memory Bank Controller[[Kilobyte| ]](MBC) inside the cartridge. This chip sits between the processor and the ROM chips. The CPU can only access 32 KB at a time, but the MBC can switch between several banks of 32 KB ROM. Using this technology, Nintendo created Game Boy games that used up to 1 [[megabyte]] of ROM. Game Paks could also provide additional functionality to the Game Boy system. Some cartridges included up to 128 KB of RAM to increase performance, which could also be battery-backed to save progress when the handheld was off, [[real-time clock]] chips could keep track of time even when the device was off and [[Rumble Pak]] cartridges added vibration feedback to enhance gameplay.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Byers |first=Brendan |title=Exploring the Gameboy Memory Bank Controller |url=https://b13rg.github.io/Gameboy-MBC-Analysis/ |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=Brendan's Website |language=en-us |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429225226/https://b13rg.github.io/Gameboy-MBC-Analysis/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 3, 1999 |title=Game Boy Programming Manual |url=https://ia803208.us.archive.org/9/items/GameBoyProgManVer1.1/GameBoyProgManVer1.1.pdf |access-date=April 30, 2024 |page=299}}</ref> |
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=== Launch titles === |
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The Game Boy was released alongside six [[launch titles]], which are listed in the table below: |
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The top-selling franchise for the Game Boy were [[Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow|''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', and ''Yellow'']], the first installments of the [[Pokémon (video game series)|''Pokémon'' video game series]], which sold more than 46 million copies.<ref name="pokemon1">{{cite news |date=March 19, 2017 |title='Pokken Tournament' and Pokemon's $1.5 Billion Brand |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gobankingratebuls/pokken-tournament-and-pok_b_9501260.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218180223/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pokken-tournament-and-pok_b_9501260 |archive-date=February 18, 2020 |accessdate=April 25, 2017 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |publisher=[[AOL]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clement |first=Jessica |date=May 2024 |title=All-time best-selling Pokémon games 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1072224/pokemon-unit-sales-worldwide/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> The best-selling single game was ''[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Tetris]]'', which was a [[pack-in game]] included with the purchase of many original Game Boy devices, which sold more than 35 million copies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saltzman |first=Marc |date=June 12, 2009 |title='Tetris' by the numbers |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/06/68024593/1 |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |title=After 25 years, Tetris has sold 125 million copies |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |website=[[VentureBeat]] |date=June 1, 2009 |access-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621144138/https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
|||
! Name |
|||
! [[Japan|JP]] |
|||
! [[North America|NA]] |
|||
! [[Europe|EU]] |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Alleyway (video game)|Alleyway]]'' |
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| {{yes}} |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Baseball (1983 video game)|Baseball]]'' |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Super Mario Land]]'' |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Tennis (1984 video game)|Tennis]]'' |
|||
| {{no}} |
|||
| {{yes}} |
|||
| {{no}} |
|||
|- |
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| ''[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Tetris]]'' |
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| {{no}} |
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| {{yes}} |
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| {{yes}} |
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| ''[[Yakuman (video game)|Yakuman]]''<ref name="mobygames">{{Cite web |title=Yakuman for Game Boy (1989) – MobyGames |url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy/yakuman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630040755/http://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy/yakuman |archive-date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=December 30, 2016}}</ref> |
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| {{yes}} |
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| {{no}} |
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=== |
=== Launch titles === |
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When the Game Boy was released in Japan in April 1989 alongside four [[launch titles]]: ''[[Alleyway (video game)|Alleyway]]'' (a [[Breakout clone|''Breakout'' clone]]), ''[[Baseball (1983 video game)|Baseball]]'' (a [[Porting|port]] of the NES game), ''[[Super Mario Land]]'' (an adaptation of the [[Mario (franchise)|Mario franchise]] for the handheld format) and [[Yakuman (video game)|''Yakuman'']] (a Mahjong game).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swanson |first=Drew |date=2023-01-05 |title=Remembering the Game Boy's Launch Titles |url=https://gamerant.com/game-boy-launch-title-retrospective-tetris-super-mario-land/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref> When the console was introduced in North America, two more launch titles were added: ''Tetris'' and ''[[Tennis (1984 video game)|Tennis]]'' (another NES game port), while ''Yakuman'' was never released outside of Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duncan |first=Andrew |date=2019-04-21 |title=Game Boy Launch Titles |url=https://www.gamegrin.com/articles/game-boy-launch-titles/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=GameGrin |language=en}}</ref><ref name="mobygames">{{Cite web |title=Yakuman for Game Boy (1989) – MobyGames |url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy/yakuman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630040755/http://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy/yakuman |archive-date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=December 30, 2016}}</ref> |
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Various Game Boy and Color games have been re-released on newer Nintendo consoles through its digital distribution services. On June 6, 2011, Nintendo launched the [[Virtual Console]] service on the [[Nintendo 3DS]] handheld system. All releases (aside from the ''Pokémon'' games) do not support multiplayer.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}} |
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On February 8, 2023, Nintendo announced the introduction of Game Boy/Color games to its [[Nintendo Switch Online]] service.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 8, 2023 |title=Nintendo is adding Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games to Switch Online today |url=https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-switch-online-game-boy-tetris-mario-zelda-224822629.html}}</ref> |
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== Reception == |
== Reception == |
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=== Critical reception === |
=== Critical reception === |
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Though it was less technically advanced than [[ |
Though it was less technically advanced than the [[Sega Game Gear]], [[Atari Lynx]], [[NEC TurboExpress]] and other competitors, notably by not supporting color, the Game Boy's lower price along with longer battery life made it much more such.<ref name="atariage">{{Cite web |title=AtariAge – Lynx History |url=http://www.atariage.com/Lynx/history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201065331/http://www.atariage.com/Lynx/history.html |archive-date=December 1, 2016 |access-date=November 22, 2016 |publisher=[[Atari Age#AtariAge (website)|AtariAge]] |quote=Eventually the Lynx was squeezed out of the picture and the handheld market was dominated by the Nintendo GameBoy with the Sega Game Gear a distant second.}}</ref><ref name="maher20161222">{{Cite web |last=Maher |first=Jimmy |date=December 22, 2016 |title=A Time of Endings, Part 2: Epyx |url=http://www.filfre.net/2016/12/a-time-of-endings-part-2-epyx/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223132701/http://www.filfre.net/2016/12/a-time-of-endings-part-2-epyx/ |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |access-date=December 23, 2016 |website=The Digital Antiquarian}}</ref> In its first two weeks in Japan, from its release on April 21, 1989, the entire stock of 300,000 units was sold; a few months later on July 31, 1989, 40,000 units were sold on its first release day.<ref name="Fahs" /> It sold one million units in the United States within weeks.<ref>Kent 2001, p. 416. "According to an article in ''Time'' magazine, the one million Game Boys sent to the United States in 1989 met only half the demand for the product. That allotment sold out in a matter of weeks and its black and white (except for Konami/Factor 5 games and ''[[SeaQuest DSV (video game)|SeaQuest DSV]]''), was shown in color like the Game Gear version."</ref> More than 118.69 million units of the Game Boy and Game Boy Color combined have been sold worldwide, with 32.47 million units in [[Japan]], 44.06 million in the [[Americas]], and 42.16 million in other regions.<ref name="consolidatedsales" /> By Japanese [[fiscal year]] 1997, before Game Boy Color's release in late 1998, 64.42 million units of the Game Boy had been sold worldwide.<ref name="consolidatedsales" /><ref name="bweek">{{Cite web |title=A Brief History of Game Console Warfare: Game Boy |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509094404/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |archive-date=May 9, 2007 |access-date=July 30, 2008 |website=[[Bloomberg Businessweek|BusinessWeek]] |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill]] |quote=Game Boy and Game Boy Color's combined lifetime sales reached 118.7 million worldwide, according to Nintendo's latest annual report.}}</ref> At a March 14, 1994, press conference in [[San Francisco]], Nintendo vice president of marketing Peter Main answered queries about when Nintendo was coming out with a color handheld system by stating that sales of the Game Boy were strong enough that it had decided to hold off on developing a successor handheld for the near future.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 1994 |title=Cart Queries |magazine=[[GamePro]] |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |page=14 |issue=71}}</ref> |
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In 1995, Nintendo of America announced that 46% of Game Boy players were female, which was higher than the percentage of [[Women and video games|female players]] for both the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (29%) and [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (14%).<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 15, 1995 |title=Makers Of Games Focus On Girls |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AUNWAAAAIBAJ&pg=1966,3565771 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325000543/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AUNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kuoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1966,3565771 |archive-date=March 25, 2017 |access-date=March 18, 2012 |work=[[The Gainesville Sun]] |page=15}}</ref> In 2009, the Game Boy was inducted into the [[National Toy Hall of Fame]], 20 years after its introduction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Ball, Game Boy, Big Wheel enter toy hall of fame'', retrieved 5 Nov 2009 |url=http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=181826 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717232724/http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=181826 |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |access-date=August 3, 2010 |publisher=Rbj.net}}</ref> |
In 1995, Nintendo of America announced that 46% of Game Boy players were female, which was higher than the percentage of [[Women and video games|female players]] for both the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (29%) and [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (14%).<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 15, 1995 |title=Makers Of Games Focus On Girls |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AUNWAAAAIBAJ&pg=1966,3565771 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325000543/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AUNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kuoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1966,3565771 |archive-date=March 25, 2017 |access-date=March 18, 2012 |work=[[The Gainesville Sun]] |page=15}}</ref> In 2009, the Game Boy was inducted into the [[National Toy Hall of Fame]], 20 years after its introduction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Ball, Game Boy, Big Wheel enter toy hall of fame'', retrieved 5 Nov 2009 |url=http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=181826 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717232724/http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=181826 |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |access-date=August 3, 2010 |publisher=Rbj.net}}</ref> |
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=== Sales === |
=== Sales === |
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The Game Boy and Game Boy Color were both commercially successful, selling a combined 118.69 million units worldwide: 32.47 million in Japan, 44.06 million in the Americas, and 42.16 million in all other regions.<ref name="Nintendo 20162">{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2016 |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011145332/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 23, 2016 |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Brief History of Game Console Warfare: Game Boy |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509094404/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |archive-date=May 9, 2007 |access-date=March 28, 2008 |website=[[BusinessWeek]] |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill]]}}</ref> At the time of its discontinuation in 2003, the combined sales of the [[Game Boy]] made it the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling game console of all time]]. In later years, its sales were surpassed by the [[Nintendo DS]], [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Nintendo Switch]], making it the fourth-best-selling console the second-best-selling handheld of all time, {{As of|2024|lc=y}}. |
The Game Boy and Game Boy Color were both commercially successful, selling a combined 118.69 million units worldwide: 32.47 million in Japan, 44.06 million in the Americas, and 42.16 million in all other regions.<ref name="Nintendo 20162">{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2016 |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011145332/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=October 23, 2016 |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Brief History of Game Console Warfare: Game Boy |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509094404/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |archive-date=May 9, 2007 |access-date=March 28, 2008 |website=[[BusinessWeek]] |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill]]}}</ref> At the time of its discontinuation in 2003, the combined sales of the [[Game Boy]] made it the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling game console of all time]]. In later years, its sales were surpassed by the [[Nintendo DS]], [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Nintendo Switch]], making it the fourth-best-selling console the second-best-selling handheld of all time, {{As of|2024|lc=y}}. |
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== Notes == |
== Notes == |
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[[Category:Game Boy| ]] |
[[Category:Game Boy| ]] |
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[[Category:Products introduced in 1989]] |
[[Category:Products introduced in 1989]] |
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[[Category:Products introduced in 1990]] |
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[[Category:Game Boy consoles]] |
[[Category:Game Boy consoles]] |
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[[Category:1980s toys]] |
[[Category:1980s toys]] |
Revision as of 01:16, 23 May 2024
![]() | |
![]() An original Game Boy | |
Also known as | DMG-01
|
---|---|
Developer | Nintendo R&D1 |
Manufacturer | Nintendo |
Product family | Game Boy[1] |
Type | Handheld game console |
Generation | Fourth |
Release date | |
Lifespan | 14 years |
Introductory price | |
Discontinued | March 31, 2003 |
Units sold | 118.69 million (including all variants and Game Boy Color)[8] |
Media | Game Boy Game Pak |
System on a chip |
|
CPU | Sharp SM83 @ 4 MHz |
Memory | 8 KB RAM, 8 KB VRAM |
Display | |
Best-selling game | Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow (46 million units) |
Predecessor | Game & Watch |
Successor | Game Boy Color[9] |
The Game Boy is an 8-bit, fourth generation, handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America and Europe later that year. Designed by the team behind the Game & Watch handhelds and NES games (Satoru Okada, Gunpei Yokoi, and R&D1), it was Nintendo's first portable console, combining features from both.
The Game Boy features a dot-matrix screen with adjustable contrast, a directional pad, four game buttons, a single monaural speaker with volume control, and uses Game Pak cartridges. The two-toned gray design with black, blue, and dark magenta accents sported softly rounded corners, except for the bottom right which was curved. At launch, it was sold either as a standalone unit, or bundled with games like Super Mario Land and Tetris, with accessories like carrying pouches, a camera, and a printer available.
Despite mixed reviews criticizing its monochrome graphics and larger size compared to competitors like the Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and NEC TurboExpress, the Game Boy rapidly outsold them all. An estimated 118.69 million units of the Game Boy and its successor, the Game Boy Color (1998), have been sold worldwide, making it the fourth best-selling console ever. A cultural icon of the 1990s, the Game Boy received several redesigns during its lifespan, including the smaller Game Boy Pocket (1996) and the backlit Game Boy Light (1998). Sales of Game Boy variants continued until 2003.
Development
The Game Boy was designed by the team at Nintendo Research & Development 1 (R&D1), which had previously developed the Game & Watch handhelds and games.[10][11] However, early in the process, deep disagreements arose between Gunpei Yokoi, the R&D1 division director, and Satoru Okada, the assistant director. Yokoi's original vision was for a simpler device, akin to an advanced Game & Watch, while Okada strongly advocated for a more powerful device with interchangeable cartridges, like a portable version of the successful Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Their differing visions for the project led to frequent clashes, heated meetings and high tensions, with Okada ultimately convincing Yokoi of his vision.[12]
The team was encouraged to pursue the project by Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi, who was also known to encourage the competition between the teams. However within Nintendo, many were skeptical that such a device would be feasable. Some employees even gave the project the derogatory nickname "DameGame" (dame (だめ) meaning "hopeless" in Japanese).[13][14]
The codename for this nascent project was "Dot Matrix Game," (DMG) reflecting its intended display technology, a stark contrast to the limited, single-game Game & Watch series Yokoi had previously created, which had segmented LCDs pre-printed with an overlay, limiting each model to only play one game. The initials DMG came to be featured on the final product's model number: "DMG-01."[15][better source needed]
Satoru Okada developed the Game Boy as a more portable version of the Famicom, inspired by the concept of interchangeable game cartridges. Despite initial resistance and technical challenges, Okada aimed to address the Famicom's shortcomings, such as the lack of development tools for third-party developers. Initially, a Ricoh-manufactured CPU, similar to the one used in the Famicom, was considered for compatibility. Due to resource constraints and the ongoing development of the Super Famicom, a less powerful Sharp CPU was chosen instead. Sharp initially showed reluctance to engage in the project, particularly for the LCD technology, which was a critical component.[16]
The team then considered buying LCD screens from Citizen which was already using them to build portable TVs. However, Okada continued talks with Sharp, even showing the company a Game Boy mockup. After seeing the device and wanting to keep Nintendo as a client, Sharp offered competitive pricing and secured the contract. Sharp originally proposed a twisted nematic (TN) display, but after seeing a prototype Game Boy, Yamauchi rejected the TN technology as too hard to see. Sharp then suggested super-twisted nematic (STN) technology, which had better viewing angles and contrast, but was more expensive. To reduce cost, the team reduced the screen size, however, it was too late in the development process to shrink the console's overall size.[16][17]
Gunpei Yokoi emphasized the importance of affordability and reliability over cutting-edge technology. This approach, named "Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology" (Japanese: 枯れた技術の水平思考, romanized: Kareta Gijutsu no Suihei Shikō) involved the innovative use of existing, mature technology to create new products. To keep costs low and extend battery life, the Game Boy was designed without a backlight and used a simple grayscale screen, despite potential concerns about visibility and the lack of color.[18] In the early 1980s, Okada had worked on an electronic game from Nintendo called Computer Mah-jong Yakuman that allowed cable communication between two devices, he thought it would be possible to implement a similar feature in the Game Boy.[16][19] Despite concerns within the team that the feature would be too difficult to use and thus a waste of resources, Okada pushed forward and developed the Game Link Cable technology himself. This effort led to the creation of the "battle" and "trade" gameplay features in Pokémon, released in 1996.[16]
Game Boy was unveiled as a prototype in 1987 and later exhibited at multiple industry trade shows. The device incorporated a key design element from its predecessor, the Game & Watch: the 8-way directional control pad, often referred to as the "D-pad". The concept was developed by Gunpei Yokoi and his team at R&D1. Yokoi recognized that traditional joysticks might hinder the portability of handheld devices. As a result, he designed the D-pad – a flat controller that would not extend beyond the handheld device's casing.[20] Hiroshi Yamauchi estimated that the console would achieve sales exceeding 25 million units in its initial three years, a claim that was regarded as bold for that period.[20]
Nintendo's philosophy centered on the belief that the appeal of a gaming system was primarily determined by the quality of its games. With this in mind, Gunpei Yokoi and Satoru Okada developed Super Mario Land, a portable adaptation of the Super Mario Bros. game, intending it to be the flagship title for the Game Boy.[21] However, Henk Rogers brought the Soviet Union-made game, Tetris, to the attention of Nintendo of America. Despite its simple graphics and lack of a well-known brand, Tetris's suitability for a handheld platform convinced Nintendo president Minoru Arakawa to port and bundle it with the Game Boy. As a result, Tetris was bundled with the Game Boy in every region except Japan on its release.[20]
The Game Boy launched in the Japanese market in April 1989 followed by North America in July, and Europe in September of the following year,[21] backed by a $10 million marketing effort.[22] Sales of the Game Boy and its successor variants (including the Game Boy Color) continued until March 2003.[8]
Hardware
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Nintendo_Game_Boy_DMG-01_-_board_with_card_slot-9880.jpg/220px-Nintendo_Game_Boy_DMG-01_-_board_with_card_slot-9880.jpg)
(Annotated version)
The Game Boy uses a custom system on a chip (SoC), to house most of the components, named the DMG-CPU by Nintendo and the LR35902 by its manufacturer, the Sharp Corporation[23]
Within the DMG-CPU, the main processor is a Sharp SM83,[24] a hybrid between two other 8-bit processors: the Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80. The SM83 has the seven 8-bit registers of the 8080 (compared to 14 on the Z80), but uses the Z80's programming syntax and extra bit manipulation instructions, it also adds a few new instructions to optimize the processor for certain operations related to the way the hardware was arranged.[25][26] The Sharp SM83 operates at a clock rate of 4.194304 MHz.[23]
The DMG-CPU also incorporates the Picture Processing Unit, essentially a basic GPU, that renders visuals using an 8 KB bank of Video RAM located on the motherboard.[23] The display itself is a 2.5-inch (diagonal) reflective super-twisted nematic (STN) monochrome liquid-crystal display (LCD), measuring 47 millimeters (1.9 in) wide by 43 millimeters (1.7 in) high. The screen can render four shades with a resolution of 160 pixels wide by 144 pixels high in a 10:9 aspect ratio.[27][28]
The SoC also contains the Audio Processing Unit, a programmable sound generator with two pulse wave channels, a wave channel with user-definable waveform and a pseudo-random noise channel,[29] along with 127 B of High RAM (similar to a CPU cache) that can be accessed faster and a 256 B "bootstrap" ROM which is used to start up the device.[30] The motherboard also contains a 8 KB "working RAM" chip.[23]
The Game Boy features a D-pad (directional pad), four buttons labeled 'A,' 'B,' 'SELECT,' and 'START,' and a sliding on-off switch with a cartridge lock to prevent accidental removal. The volume and contrast are adjusted by dials on either side.[31][32]
The original Game Boy was powered internally by four AA batteries.[33] For extended use, an optional AC adapter or rechargeable battery pack can be connected via a coaxial power connector on the left side.[34] The Game Boy has a single monaural speaker and a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack on the bottom allows for private listening.[35]
The right side offers a Game Link Cable port for connecting to another Game Boy for two-player games or, notably in Pokémon, sharing files.[36][37] This port can also be used with a Game Boy Printer.
Technical specifications
Game Boy[27][38] | Game Boy Pocket[38] | Game Boy Light | |
---|---|---|---|
Height | 148 mm (5.8 in) | 127.6 mm (5.02 in) | 135 mm (5.3 in) |
Width | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 77.6 mm (3.06 in) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
Depth | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 25.3 mm (1.00 in) | 27 mm (1.1 in) |
Weight | 220 g (7.8 oz) | 125 g (4.4 oz) | 138 g (4.9 oz) |
Display | 2.5-inch reflective super-twisted nematic (STN) liquid-crystal display (LCD) | 2.5-inch film compensated STN (FSTN) LCD | 2.5-inch FSTN LCD with electroluminescent backlight |
Screen size (playable)[39] | 45.5 mm × 41.5 mm (1.79 in × 1.63 in) | 47.5 mm × 42.5 mm (1.87 in × 1.67 in) | 47 mm × 42 mm (1.9 in × 1.7 in) |
Resolution | 160 (w) × 144 (h) pixels (10:9 aspect ratio) | ||
Frame rate | 59.727500569606 Hz[40] | ||
Color support | 2-bit, four shades of green: 0x0 0x1 0x2 0x3 | 2-bit, four shades of grey: 0x0 0x1 0x2 0x3 | |
System on a chip (SoC) | Nintendo DMG-CPU (Sharp LR35902) | Nintendo CPU MGB | |
Processor | 4.194304 MHz Sharp SM83 (custom Intel 8080/Zilog Z80 hybrid, 8-bit) | ||
Memory |
| ||
Power |
|
|
|
Battery life | Up to 30 hours | Up to 10 hours |
|
Sound |
| ||
I/O |
| ||
Controls |
|
Play It Loud! edition
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Game_Boy_Play_It_Loud%21_Transparent_American_Edition.png/120px-Game_Boy_Play_It_Loud%21_Transparent_American_Edition.png)
On March 20, 1995, Nintendo released several special edition Game Boy models with colored cases, advertising them in the "Play It Loud!" campaign,[41] known in Japan as Game Boy Bros.[a] Play It Loud! units were manufactured in red, yellow, green, blue black, white, and clear (transparent),[42] also referred to as "x-ray".[43] The Play It Loud's screens also have a darker border than the normal Game Boy.[42]
Revisions
Game Boy Pocket
On July 21, 1996, Nintendo released the Game Boy Pocket in Japan and on September 3, 1996, in North America for US$69.99 (equivalent to $135.97 in 2023).[44] The Game Boy Pocket was a smaller, lighter unit that required just two smaller AAA batteries, which provide approximately 10 hours of gameplay.[45] The Pocket has a smaller Game Link Cable port, which requires an adapter to link with the original Game Boy. This smaller port design would be used on all subsequent Game Boy models.[46] The screen was changed to an film compensated super-twisted nematic (FSTN) LCD. This film compensation layer produced a true black-and-white display, rather than the green hues of the original Game Boy.[47]
Internally, the Game Boy Pocket had a new SoC, the Nintendo CPU MGB, an improved version of the DMG-CPU. A major change was that the device’s 8 KB of Video RAM was moved from the motherboard to the SoC for faster access.[23][48]
Reviewers praised the device's small size,[49] and said that the screen’s visibility and pixel response-time had been improved, mostly eliminating ghosting.[50] However, other reviewers were dismissive of the device, with the Los Angeles Times saying Nintendo was "repacking the same old black-and-white stuff and selling it as new."[51]
The first version did not have a power LED, but was soon added due to public demand. Additionally, different case colors were introduced after April 28, 1997.[52] By mid-1998, just months before the Game Boy Color went on sale, prices had fallen to US$49.95 (equivalent to $97.04 in 2023).[53]
Game Boy Light
The Game Boy Light was released on April 14, 1998, and was only available in Japan. Like the Game Boy Pocket, the system was priced at ¥6,800 (equivalent to ¥6,892 in 2019).[54] The Game Boy Light is slightly bigger than the Game Boy Pocket and features an electroluminescent backlight allowing it to be played in low-light conditions. It uses two AA batteries, which give it approximately 12 gameplay hours with the backlight on and 20 with it off.[54] It was available in two standard colors: gold and silver.[54][55]
Games
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Nintendo-Game-Boy-Cartridge.jpg/170px-Nintendo-Game-Boy-Cartridge.jpg)
More than 1,000 games were released for the Game Boy, excluding cancelled and unlicensed games.[56] Additionally, more than 300 games developed for the Game Boy Color were backward compatible with the monochrome Game Boy models.[57][58]
Games are stored on cartridges called the Game Boy Game Pak, using read-only memory (ROM) chips. Initially, due to the limitations of the 8-bit architecture of the device, ROM size was limited to 32 KB. However, Nintendo overcame this limitation with a Memory Bank Controller (MBC) inside the cartridge. This chip sits between the processor and the ROM chips. The CPU can only access 32 KB at a time, but the MBC can switch between several banks of 32 KB ROM. Using this technology, Nintendo created Game Boy games that used up to 1 megabyte of ROM. Game Paks could also provide additional functionality to the Game Boy system. Some cartridges included up to 128 KB of RAM to increase performance, which could also be battery-backed to save progress when the handheld was off, real-time clock chips could keep track of time even when the device was off and Rumble Pak cartridges added vibration feedback to enhance gameplay.[23][59][60]
The top-selling franchise for the Game Boy were Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, the first installments of the Pokémon video game series, which sold more than 46 million copies.[61][62] The best-selling single game was Tetris, which was a pack-in game included with the purchase of many original Game Boy devices, which sold more than 35 million copies.[63][64]
Launch titles
When the Game Boy was released in Japan in April 1989 alongside four launch titles: Alleyway (a Breakout clone), Baseball (a port of the NES game), Super Mario Land (an adaptation of the Mario franchise for the handheld format) and Yakuman (a Mahjong game).[65] When the console was introduced in North America, two more launch titles were added: Tetris and Tennis (another NES game port), while Yakuman was never released outside of Japan.[66][67]
Reception
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Gameboylight_accessory-addon.jpg/110px-Gameboylight_accessory-addon.jpg)
Critical reception
Though it was less technically advanced than the Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx, NEC TurboExpress and other competitors, notably by not supporting color, the Game Boy's lower price along with longer battery life made it much more such.[68][69] In its first two weeks in Japan, from its release on April 21, 1989, the entire stock of 300,000 units was sold; a few months later on July 31, 1989, 40,000 units were sold on its first release day.[21] It sold one million units in the United States within weeks.[70] More than 118.69 million units of the Game Boy and Game Boy Color combined have been sold worldwide, with 32.47 million units in Japan, 44.06 million in the Americas, and 42.16 million in other regions.[8] By Japanese fiscal year 1997, before Game Boy Color's release in late 1998, 64.42 million units of the Game Boy had been sold worldwide.[8][71] At a March 14, 1994, press conference in San Francisco, Nintendo vice president of marketing Peter Main answered queries about when Nintendo was coming out with a color handheld system by stating that sales of the Game Boy were strong enough that it had decided to hold off on developing a successor handheld for the near future.[72]
In 1995, Nintendo of America announced that 46% of Game Boy players were female, which was higher than the percentage of female players for both the Nintendo Entertainment System (29%) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (14%).[73] In 2009, the Game Boy was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, 20 years after its introduction.[74]
The console received mixed reviews from critics. In a 1997 year-end review, a team of four Electronic Gaming Monthly editors gave the Game Boy scores of 7.5, 7.0, 8.0, and 2.0. Sushi-X (who contributed the 2.0) panned the system due to its black-and-white display and motion blur, while his three co-reviewers praised its long battery life and strong games library, as well as the sleek, conveniently pocket-sized design of the new Game Boy Pocket model.[75]
Sales
The Game Boy and Game Boy Color were both commercially successful, selling a combined 118.69 million units worldwide: 32.47 million in Japan, 44.06 million in the Americas, and 42.16 million in all other regions.[76][77] At the time of its discontinuation in 2003, the combined sales of the Game Boy made it the best-selling game console of all time. In later years, its sales were surpassed by the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Switch, making it the fourth-best-selling console the second-best-selling handheld of all time, as of 2024.
Notes
References
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Pokémon allowed more than metaphorical communication; it made use of a system that created actual communication — a network game.
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Eventually the Lynx was squeezed out of the picture and the handheld market was dominated by the Nintendo GameBoy with the Sega Game Gear a distant second.
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Game Boy and Game Boy Color's combined lifetime sales reached 118.7 million worldwide, according to Nintendo's latest annual report.
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Bibliography
- Game Boy Compact Video Game System Owner's Manual. Nintendo. 1989. DMG-GB-UKV.
- Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games (1st ed.). Roseville, CA: Prima Publishing. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
- Hand-held electronic game – Design patent for the case
External links
Media related to Game Boy at Wikimedia Commons
- Game Boy at Nintendo.com (archived versions at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
- Game Boy (original) games list at Nintendo.com (archived from the original at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
- Game Boy at Curlie
- Game Boy Development Manual
- Shirriff, Ken (June 2020). "Reverse-engineering and comparing two Game Boy audio amplifier chips".