When did the Game Boy come out?
Game Boy family
First released in Japan on October 21, 1998, the Game Boy Color (abbreviated as GBC) added a (slightly smaller) color screen to a form factor similar in size to the Game Boy Pocket. It also has double the processor speed, three times as much memory, and an infrared communications port. Technologically, it was likened to the 8-bit NES video game console from the 1980s although the Game Boy Color has a much larger color palette (56 simultaneous colors out of 32,768 possible) which had some classic NES ports and newer titles. It comes in seven different colors; Clear purple, purple, red, blue, green, yellow and silver for the "Pokémon" edition. Like the Game Boy Light, the Game Boy Color takes on two AA batteries. It was the final handheld to have 8-bit graphics.
Handheld game console
The Watara Supervision was released in 1992 in an attempt to compete with the Nintendo Game Boy. The first model was designed very much like a Game Boy, but it is grey in color and has a slightly larger screen. The second model was made with a hinge across the center and can be bent slightly to provide greater comfort for the user. While the system did enjoy a modest degree of success, it never impacted the sales of Nintendo or Sega. The Supervision was redesigned a final time as "The Magnum". Released in limited quantities it was roughly equivalent to the Game Boy Pocket. It was available in three colors: yellow, green and grey. Watara designed many of the games themselves, but did receive some third party support, most notably from Sachen.
Nintendo video game consoles
The Game Boy was the first handheld game console sold by Nintendo that featured interchangeable cartridges for each game, unlike the Game & Watch that had a different system for each game. Released in 1989 in Japan, it is one of the world's best-selling game console lines, with over 100 million units sold worldwide. The classic Game Boy was sold in a number of different revisions and variations, including the streamlined Game Boy Pocket and the Game Boy Light in Japan. In 1998, Nintendo released the Game Boy Color, a new Game Boy platform with color graphics. Combined, the Game Boy and Game Boy Color sold 118.69 million units worldwide.
Donkey Kong
The "Donkey Kong Land" games were handheld counterparts of the "Country" games adapted to the hardware of the Game Boy. "Donkey Kong Land" was released in 1995, "Donkey Kong Land 2" in 1996 and "Donkey Kong Land III" in 1997. They were presented in distinctive yellow cartridges instead of the typical grey ones.
Handheld game console
The GameKing is a handheld game console released by the Chinese company TimeTop in 2004. The first model while original in design owes a large debt to Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The second model, the GameKing 2, is believed to be inspired by Sony's PSP. This model also was upgraded with a backlit screen, with a distracting background transparency (which can be removed by opening up the console). A color model, the GameKing 3 apparently exists, but was only made for a brief time and was difficult to purchase outside of Asia. Whether intentionally or not, the GameKing has the most primitive graphics of any handheld released since the Game Boy of 1989.
Game Boy Micro
The Game Boy Micro (stylized as GAME BOY micro) is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in September 2005 as a compact redesign of the Game Boy Advance. The system is the last console in the Game Boy line. Unlike its predecessor, the Game Boy Micro lacks backward compatibility for Game Boy or Game Boy Color games.
Shantae
The first game in the series, "Shantae" was released for the Game Boy Color in 2002, and was met with generally positive responses. However, according to director Matt Bozon, the game sold poorly, due in part to releasing after the Game Boy Advance. However, the game has since gained significant recognition, with some reviewers considering it one of the best games released for the Game Boy Color.
Epoch Game Pocket Computer
The is a handheld game console released by Epoch in Japan in 1984. It was one of the very few truly handheld systems to be released in the early 1980s, preceding the Game Boy by 5 years. The Game Pocket Computer used an LCD screen with a 75 × 64 resolution, and could produce graphics at about the same level as early Atari 2600 games. The system was a bust in Japan, and as a result, only 5 games were made for it. A puzzle game and a paint program were built into the system. It was powered by 4 AA batteries, and screen's contrast could be adjusted by the user. Possibly due to its failure in Japan, the Game Pocket Computer was never released in North America. The device is extremely rare, and units on eBay can go for hundreds of dollars, when and if they turn up. Except for their moderately successful Cassette Vision, Super Cassette Vision And TV Tennis Electrotennis, Epoch had no other released systems. It had 4 buttons, an 8-way joypad, a contrast dial, and a sound on-off switch.
Mickey's Dangerous Chase
Mickey's Dangerous Chase, known in Japan as , is a video game that was released for the Game Boy. This title was one of the first games to be sold under the "Player's Choice" category of Nintendo games. It also comes with support for the "Super Game Boy" hardware device.
Video game console
The first handheld game console released in the fourth generation was the Game Boy, on April 21, 1989. It went on to dominate handheld sales by an extremely large margin, despite featuring a low-contrast, unlit monochrome screen while all three of its leading competitors had color. Three major franchises made their debut on the Game Boy: "Tetris", the Game Boy's killer application; Pokémon; and Kirby. With some design (Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light) and hardware (Game Boy Color) changes, it continued in production in some form until 2008, enjoying a better than 18-year run. The Atari Lynx included hardware-accelerated color graphics, a backlight, and the ability to link up to sixteen units together in an early example of network play when its competitors could only link 2 or 4 consoles (or none at all), but its comparatively short battery life (approximately 4.5 hours on a set of alkaline cells, versus 35 hours for the Game Boy), high price, and weak games library made it one of the worst-selling handheld game systems of all time, with less than 500,000 units sold.
Handheld game console
In 1979, Gunpei Yokoi, traveling on a bullet train, saw a bored businessman playing with an LCD calculator by pressing the buttons. Yokoi then thought of an idea for a watch that doubled as a miniature game machine for killing time. Starting in 1980, Nintendo began to release a series of electronic games designed by Yokoi called the Game & Watch games. Taking advantage of the technology used in the credit-card-sized calculators that had appeared on the market, Yokoi designed the series of LCD-based games to include a digital time display in the corner of the screen. For later, more complicated Game & Watch games, Yokoi invented a cross shaped directional pad or "D-pad" for control of on-screen characters. Yokoi also included his directional pad on the NES controllers, and the cross-shaped thumb controller soon became standard on game console controllers and ubiquitous across the video game industry since. When Yokoi began designing Nintendo's first handheld game console, he came up with a device that married the elements of his Game & Watch devices and the Famicom console, including both items' D-pad controller. The result was the Nintendo Game Boy.
Super Game Boy
The Wide-Boy64 was released for the N64 in two major versions, the CGB version which allowed Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles to be played on a television, and the AGB version which also allowed Game Boy Advance games to be played. It cost $1400, and like the original Wide Boy, it was only available to developers and the gaming press. These devices were used to take screenshots of Nintendo handheld video games to be in retail media.
Nintendo video game consoles
Although the company had earlier released Color TV Game and Game & Watch, which were their first and second systems respectfully, they did not achieve worldwide success until the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1983. The NES restarted the video game industry after the video game crash of 1983, and was an international success. In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy, which became the first handheld console to sell in large numbers. In the early 1990s, Nintendo's market lead began to decrease; although the 1990 Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was a strong seller, the Mega Drive/Genesis was a very strong contender. Nintendo and Sega would both lose a significant portion of the console market towards the end of the 1990s, as Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation became the most popular console, beating the Nintendo 64, though Nintendo managed to sell more than Sega Saturn.
V-Rally (video game)
A single-player, portable adaptation of the game was released for the original Game Boy in Europe in July 1998, featuring Mode 7-like graphics and the Arcade and Championship modes, with a total of four cars and ten tracks. An updated version of the Game Boy game was released for the Game Boy Color in Europe in April 1999 as "V-Rally: Championship Edition", and in North America in July 1999 as "V-Rally: Edition '99". Although the Game Boy Color version is not backward compatible with the Game Boy, it is essentially the same as the Game Boy version, but offers colorful graphics and 20 tracks. Both versions were developed by VD-dev. A Microsoft Windows version, entitled "V-Rally: Multiplayer Championship Edition", was released in Europe in June 1999. It is similar to the original PlayStation version, but features sharper textures and supports online play. Later, a Symbian version of the game developed by Ideaworks3D was released for mobile phones such as the Sony Ericsson P800 and P900.
Game Boy
The right-side of the device offers a port which allows a user to connect to another Game Boy system via a link cable, provided both users are playing the same game. The port can also be used to connect a Game Boy Printer. The link cable was originally designed for players to play head-to-head two-player games such as in "Tetris". However, game developer Satoshi Tajiri would later use the link cable technology as a method of communication and networking in the popular "Pokémon" video game series.On March 20, 1995, Nintendo released several Game Boy models with colored cases, advertising them in the "Play It Loud!" campaign (Japanese name: Game Boy Bros. /ゲームボーイブロス Gēmu Bōi Burosu/ゲームボーイブラザース Gēmu Bōi Burazāsu). Specifications for this unit remain exactly the same as the original Game Boy, including the monochromatic screen. This new line of colored Game Boys would set a precedent for later Nintendo handhelds; every one of them since has been available in more than one color. Play It Loud! units were manufactured in red, green, black, yellow, white, blue, and clear (transparent) or sometimes called X-Ray in the UK. Most common are the yellow, red, clear and black, Green is fairly scarce but blue and white are the rarest. Blue was a Europe and Japan only release, White was a Japanese majority release with UK Toys R Us stores also getting it as an exclusive edition to them. The white remains the rarest of all the Play it Loud colors. A rare, limited edition Manchester United Game Boy is red, with the logos of the team emblazoned on it. It was released simultaneously with the Play it Loud! handhelds in the United Kingdom. The Play It Loud's screens also have a darker border than the normal Game Boy.
Game.com
By February 1997, Tiger was planning to release a new game console, the handheld "game.com", as a direct competitor to Nintendo's portable Game Boy console. Prior to its release, Tiger Electronics stated that the Game.com would "change the gaming world as we know it," while a spokesperson stated that it would be "one of this summer's hits." The Game.com, the only new game console of the year, was on display at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in May 1997, with sales expected to begin in July. Dennis Lynch of the "Chicago Tribune" considered the Game.com to be the "most interesting hand-held device" on display at E3, describing it as a "sort of Game Boy for adults".
The Game.com was released in the United States in August 1997, with a retail price of $69.95, while an Internet-access cartridge was scheduled for release in October. "Lights Out" was included with the console as a pack-in game and Solitaire was built into the handheld itself. The console's release marked Tiger's largest product launch ever. Tiger also launched a website for the system at the domain "game.com". The Game.com was marketed with a television commercial in which a spokesperson insults gamers who ask questions about the console, while stating that it "plays more games than you idiots have brain cells"; GamesRadar stated that the advertisement "probably didn't help matters much". By the end of 1997, the console had been released in the United Kingdom, at a retail price of £79.99.
The Game.com came in a black-and-white color, and featured a design similar to Sega's Game Gear console. The screen is larger than the Game Boy's and has higher resolution. The Game.com included a phone directory, a calculator, and a calendar, and had an older target audience with its PDA features. Tiger designed the console's features to be simple and cheap. The device was powered by four AA batteries, and an optional AC adapter was also available. One of the major peripherals that Tiger produced for the system was the compete.com serial cable, allowing players to connect their consoles to play multiplayer games. The console includes two game cartridge slots. In addition to reducing the need to swap out cartridges, this enabled Game.com games to include online elements, since both a game cartridge and the modem cartridge could be inserted at the same time.
Alfred Chicken
The Game Boy game was the original version. Two revisions exist; the monochrome original, and a Super Game Boy version with a level select feature; the latter was developed by Hookstone and released by Sunsoft in Japan. The NES edition of the game is essentially a watered-down port of the Game Boy version. It features only 5 levels, which were originally in the Game Boy game. The Amiga version is the same as the Game Boy game, and is identical except for its colour graphics and increased screen resolution.
Nintendo
In 1988, Gunpei Yokoi and his team at Nintendo R&D1 conceived the new Game Boy handheld system, with the purpose of merging the two very successful ideas of the Game & Watch's portability along with the NES's cartridge interchangeability. Nintendo released the Game Boy in Japan on 21 April 1989, and in North America on 31 July 1989. Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa managed a deal to bundle the popular third-party game "Tetris" along with the Game Boy, and the pair launched as an instant success.
Handheld game console
The Game Boy Pocket is a redesigned version of the original Game Boy having the same features. It was released in 1996. Notably, this variation is smaller and lighter. It comes in seven different colors; red, yellow, green, black, clear, silver, blue, and pink. It has space for two AAA batteries, which provide approximately 10 hours of game play. The screen was changed to a true black-and-white display, rather than the "pea soup" monochromatic display of the original Game Boy. Although, like its predecessor, the Game Boy Pocket has no backlight to allow play in a darkened area, it did notably improve visibility and pixel response-time (mostly eliminating ghosting).
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
is a 2004 puzzle-platform game developed by Nintendo Software Technology and released for the Game Boy Advance. The game is the spiritual successor to "Donkey Kong", which was released in 1994 for the Game Boy.
Game Boy Camera
The Game Boy Camera (GBC), released as in Japan, is a Nintendo accessory for the handheld Game Boy gaming console and was released on February 21, 1998 in Japan, which ceased manufacture in late 2002. It is compatible with all of the Game Boy platforms (including Super Game Boy and with the exception of Game Boy Micro). The camera has a 128×128 pixel CMOS sensor,
Snow Bros
The Game Boy version, titled "Snow Bros. Jr.", was released on May 24, 1991 in Japan and January 1992 in North America. It is one-player only and changes the story to compensate for this by having one of the titular Snow Brothers be kidnapped while the other sets out to rescue him. Several other aspects of the game were changed due to the technical restrictions of the Game Boy, such as bosses that originally fought in pairs in the arcade version now fight alone and potions are now given different shape due to the Game Boy's lack of color display. The Game Boy version also adds an extra set of 10 levels after the 50 levels adapted from the arcade version are cleared.
Fourth generation of video game consoles
The third major handheld of the fourth generation was the Game Gear. It featured graphics capabilities roughly comparable to the Master System (better colours, but lower resolution), a ready made games library by using the "Master-Gear" adaptor to play cartridges from the older console, and the opportunity to be converted into a portable TV using a cheap tuner adaptor, but it also suffered some of the same shortcomings as the Lynx. While it sold more than twenty times as many units as the Lynx, its bulky design – slightly larger than even the original Game Boy; relatively poor battery life – only a little better than the Lynx; and later arrival in the marketplace – competing for sales amongst the remaining buyers who didn't already have a Game Boy – hampered its overall popularity despite being more closely competitive to the Nintendo in terms of price and breadth of software library. Sega eventually retired the Game Gear in 1997, a year before Nintendo released the first examples of the Game Boy Color, to focus on the Nomad and non-portable console products.
History of Nintendo
In 1989, Nintendo (which had seen a large amount of success from the Game & Watch) released the Game Boy (both created by Gunpei Yokoi), along with the accompanying game "Tetris". Due to the price, the game and its durability (unlike the prior Microvision from Milton Bradley Company, which was prone to static and screen rot), the Game Boy line sold extremely well, eventually amassing sales of 118 million units. Later, "Super Mario Land" was also released for the Game Boy, which sold 14 million copies worldwide. 1989 was also the year that Nintendo announced a sequel to the Famicom, to be called the Super Famicom.
List of Game Boy games
This is a list of games released for the Game Boy handheld video game system, excluding any cancelled and unlicensed games. As of June 6, 2011, selected Game Boy and Game Boy Color games are available on the Virtual Console service on the Nintendo 3DS's Nintendo eShop.
Game Boy family
In 1994, a special adapter cartridge for Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was released called the Super Game Boy. The Super Game Boy allows game cartridges designed for use on the Game Boy to be played on a TV display using the SNES/Super Famicom controllers. When it was released in 1994, the Super Game Boy sold for about $60 in the United States. In the United Kingdom, it retailed for £49.99. The Super Game Boy's technical architecture is similar to that of a regular Game Boy, thus Game Boy games functioned on the native hardware rather than being emulated by the SNES. It was the precursor to the Game Boy Player on the Nintendo GameCube, which functioned in a similar manner.
History of video games
In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy, the first handheld game console since the ill-fated Microvision ten years before. The design team headed by Gunpei Yokoi had also been responsible for the Game & Watch systems. Included with the system was "Tetris", which became one of the best sold video games of all time and was ported to a large variety of systems. Several rival handhelds made their debut in the early 90s, including the Sega Game Gear and Atari Lynx (the first handheld with color LCD display). Although these systems were more technologically advanced, they were hampered by higher battery consumption and less third-party developer support. While some of the other systems remained in production until the mid-1990s, the Game Boy, and its successive incarnations the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance, would be virtually unchallenged for dominance in the handheld market, until the PlayStation Portable was released in 2004 to compete with Nintendo's successor to the Game Boy line, the Nintendo DS.
Fifth generation of video game consoles
The fifth-generation era (also known as the 32-bit era, the 64-bit era and the 3D era) refers to computer and video games, video game consoles and video game handhelds from approximately 1993 to 2002. For home consoles, the best-selling console was the PlayStation by a wide margin, followed by the Nintendo 64 and then the Sega Saturn. For handhelds, this era was characterized by significant fragmentation, because the first handheld of the generation, the Genesis Nomad, had a lifespan of just two years, and the Virtual Boy had a lifespan of less than one. Both were discontinued before the other handhelds made their debut. The Neo Geo Pocket was released in 1998, but was dropped by SNK in favor of the fully backwards compatible Neo Geo Pocket Color just a year later. Nintendo's Game Boy Color was the winner in handhelds by a large margin. There were also two updated versions of the original Game Boy: Game Boy Light (Japan only) and Game Boy Pocket.
Handheld game console
Another notable improvement over the original Game Boy is a black-and-white display screen, rather than the green-tinted display of the original Game Boy, that also featured improved response time for less blurring during motion. The Game Boy Pocket takes two AAA batteries as opposed to four AA batteries for roughly ten hours of gameplay. The first model of the Game Boy Pocket did not have an LED to show battery levels, but the feature was added due to public demand. The Game Boy Pocket was not a new software platform and played the same software as the original Game Boy model.
Game Boy Color
Due to its backwards compatibility with Game Boy games, the Game Boy Color had a large playable library at launch. The system amassed an impressive library of 576 Game Boy Color games over a four-year period. While the majority of the games were Game Boy Color exclusive, approximately 30% of the titles released were backwards compatible with the original Game Boy.
Game Boy Player
The (DOL-017) is a device made by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube which enables Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance cartridges to be played on a television. It was the last Game Boy-based add-on to a Nintendo console. It connects via the high speed parallel port at the bottom of the GameCube and requires use of a boot disc to access the hardware. Unlike devices such as Datel's Advance Game Port, the Game Boy Player does not use software emulation, but instead uses physical hardware nearly identical to that of a Game Boy Advance. The device does not use the enhanced effects used by the previous Game Boy accessory, the Super Game Boy, which was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994.
List of Pokémon
The premise of "Pokémon" in general was conceived by Satoshi Tajiri—who later founded Game Freak—in 1989, when the Game Boy was released. The creatures that inhabit the world of "Pokémon" are also called Pokémon. The word "Pokémon" is a romanized contraction of the Japanese brand . The concept of the Pokémon universe, in both the video games and the general fictional world of Pokémon, stems most notably from Tajiri's childhood hobby of insect collecting. Other influences on the concept include Ultraman, anime, and playing video games in general. Throughout his early life, Tajiri saw his rural, nature-filled hometown (Machida, Tokyo) transform into an urban center. The urbanization of his town drove away wildlife and he and others living in the area were eventually unable to collect insects. Through Pokémon, Tajiri sought to bring back this outdoor pastime and share it with the world. The first games in the franchise, "Red" and Green", were released on 27 February 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy; the games saw an international release as "Red" and "Blue" in September 1998. The ability to capture, battle, trade, and care for numerous creatures catapulted Pokémon to international popularity and it has become a multibillion-dollar franchise and the second-best selling video game series, only behind the "Mario" franchise.
Game Boy Player
Datel's version of the Game Boy Player was released in 2003. This dongle connects to Memory Card Slot B and can be booted up with the included boot disc. Some models have code generators for built in cheat devices. The advantage is that no removal of plates on the bottom, nor tools, are needed to install it. Unlike the Game Boy Player, the Advance Game Port utilizes software emulation, causing numerous audio and video issues in many games.
Game Gear
Developed under the name "Project Mercury", the Game Gear was first released in Japan on October 6, 1990, in North America and Europe in 1991, and in Australia in 1992. Originally retailing at JP¥19,800 in Japan, US$149.99 in North America, and GB£99.99 in Europe, the Game Gear was developed to compete with the Game Boy, which Nintendo had released in 1989. The console had been designed as a portable version of the Master System, and featured more powerful systems than the Game Boy, including a full-color screen, in contrast to the monochromatic screen of its rival. In order to improve upon the design of their competition, Sega modeled the Game Gear with a similar shape to a Genesis controller, with the idea being that the curved surfaces and longer length would make the Game Gear more comfortable to hold than the Game Boy. Despite the similarities the Game Gear shared with the Master System, the games of the latter were not directly playable on the Game Gear, and were only able to be played on the handheld by the use of an accessory called the Master Gear Converter. The original Game Gear pack-in game was "Columns", which was similar to the "Tetris" cartridge that Nintendo had included when it launched the Game Boy.
With a late start into the handheld gaming market, Sega rushed to get the Game Gear into stores quickly, having lagged behind Nintendo in sales without a handheld on the market. As one method of doing so, Sega based the hardware of the Game Gear on the Master System, albeit with a much larger color palette than its predecessor: the Game Gear supported 4096 colors, compared to the 64 colors supported by the Master System. Part of the intention of this move was to make Master System games easy to port to the Game Gear. Though the Game Gear was designed to be technologically superior to the Game Boy, its design came at a cost of battery life: whereas the Game Boy could run for more than 30 hours on four AA batteries, the Game Gear required six AA batteries and could only run for three to five hours. With its quick launch in Japan, the handheld sold 40,000 units in its first two days, 90,000 within a month, and the number of back orders for the system was over 600,000. According to Sega of America marketing director Robert Botch, "there is clearly a need for a quality portable system that provides features other systems have failed to deliver. This means easy-to-view, full-color graphics and exciting quality games that appeal to all ages."
Super Mario Bros.
, sometimes referred to as "Super Mario Bros. DX", was released on the Game Boy Color on May 10, 1999 in North America and Europe and in 2000 in Japan. Based on the original "Super Mario Bros.", it features an overworld level map, simultaneous multiplayer, a Challenge mode in which the player finds hidden objects and achieves a certain score in addition to normally completing the level, and eight additional worlds based on the main worlds of the Japanese 1986 game "". It is compatible with the Game Boy Printer. Compared to "Super Mario Bros.", the game features a few minor visual upgrades such as water and lava now being animated rather than static, and a smaller screen due to the lower resolution of the Game Boy Color.
Game Link Cable
The first generation Game Link Cable (model DMG-04) was released alongside the original Game Boy and has "large" connectors on both ends. It can only be used to link two original Game Boy consoles to play Game Link-compatible games, usually denoted by a "Game Link" logo (often read as "Game Boy Video Link") on the packaging and cartridge.
Handheld game console
Nintendo released the Game Boy on April 21, 1989 (September 1990 for the UK). The design team headed by Gunpei Yokoi had also been responsible for the Game & Watch system, as well as the Nintendo Entertainment System games "Metroid" and "Kid Icarus". The Game Boy came under scrutiny by some industry critics, saying that the monochrome screen was too small, and the processing power was inadequate. The design team had felt that low initial cost and battery economy were more important concerns, and when compared to the Microvision, the Game Boy was a huge leap forward.
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is an action platform video game for the Game Boy. It was developed by Nintendo and Tose and published by Nintendo, and is the sequel to "Kid Icarus" on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in North America on November 5, 1991, and in Europe on May 21, 1992, but not in Japan until on February 8, 2012 via the 3DS Virtual Console, where it retains its English title. Then it was re-released in Europe on March 8, 2012, and in North America on July 19, 2012. The story of "Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters" is influenced by Greek mythology, and follows the angel soldier Pit on his quest for three sacred treasures. His objective is to defeat the demon Orcos, who has invaded the kingdom of Angel Land. The game features the core gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. Players explore two-dimensional environments while collecting items and fighting monsters. "Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters" was named the 18th best Game Boy game by "Nintendo Power", and critics commended it for its gameplay, graphics and music.
Game Boy Player
The Game Boy Player is available in Indigo, Black, Spice, or Platinum in Japan; Black in North America and Europe and Black and Indigo in Australia. A special Game Boy Player for the Panasonic Q (SH-GB10-H) was released because the Q's legs are oriented differently from the original GameCube's. All Game Boy Players have screws on the bottom to secure it to the bottom of the GameCube and also have an eject button on the right side of the unit for removing Game Boy Advance games. Game Boy and Game Boy Color games stick out from the unit, as with the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP, so they can easily be taken out when the system is off or "Change Cartridge" has been selected from the menu.
Game Boy family
The Game Boy, as with many other consoles, has had a number of releases from both first-party and unlicensed third-party accessories. The most notable being the Game Boy Camera (left) and the Game Boy Printer (right), which were released in 1998.
Ganbare Goemon: Sarawareta Ebisumaru!
It was originally only released in Japan. In 1997 Konami started releasing the Konami GB Collection, a collection of four older Konami games re-released with Super Game Boy color palette and borders added. "Goemon" was released in Volume 2 in Japan. In 2000 they were again updated for the Game Boy Color, translated, and released in Europe. For the European release the order for the games was altered so what was Vol. 4 in Japan became Vol. 2, with the Japanese Vol. 2 and 3 becoming Vol. 3 and 4. For the European port the title screen was changed to "Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon", and just "Starring Goemon" on the game select screen since the most recent Goemon games released in Europe were "Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon" and "Goemon's Great Adventure". The original Game Boy version of the game was released on the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan in 2012.
Nintendo Research &amp; Engineering
Despite the Game Boy and its revisions having a monochrome display, Nintendo R&D1, the departments predecessor, had already experimented with color displays from as early as 1992. However, the project was eventually cancelled due to concerns of it being too big, having a drastically decreased battery life (to approximately 1 hour) as LCD color displays required a back-light at the time, and too expensive to manufacture. However, in October 1997, department manager Satoru Okada noticed that color displays were now cheaper and didn't require a back-light. And so, after 5 years of failed prototypes, the Game Boy Color was born. As the team used already existing prototypes as a starting point, development only took approximately 10 months, in contrast to the 2-3 years it usually takes to develop a new system. Despite wishing to design a new system from scratch, Okada and Nintendo decided to keep the Game Boy Color compatible with its already existing library of more than 1600 games.
Shortly after Nintendo released the Game Boy Color, the team experimented with touchscreen displays for the first time. Masato Kuwahara lead the project to develop an attachment for the Game Boy Color, which would attach to the system's display and give it touchscreen capabilities. Although Nintendo EAD general manager and video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto liked the concept, it was eventually cancelled as it wasn't well received by the rest of Nintendo's management due to making the system's screen too dark, as it didn't have a back light.
Virtual Boy
The Virtual Boy was released on in Japan and on in North America with the launch titles "Mario's Tennis", "Red Alarm", "Teleroboxer", and "Galactic Pinball". It was not released in PAL markets. In North America, Nintendo shipped "Mario's Tennis" with every Virtual Boy sold, as a pack-in game. Nintendo had initially projected sales of 3 million consoles and 14 million games. The system arrived later than other 32-bit systems from Sony, Panasonic, and Sega, but at a lower price.
At the system's release, Nintendo of America projected hardware sales of 1.5 million units and software sales numbering 2.5 million by the end of the year. Nintendo had shipped 350,000 units of the Virtual Boy by December 1995, around three and a half months after its North American release. The system made number 5 on "GamePro"s "Top 10 Worst Selling Consoles of All Time" list in 2007.
The Virtual Boy had a short market timespan following its disappointing sales. The last official title to be released for the Virtual Boy was "3D Tetris", released on March 22, 1996. Nintendo announced additional titles for the system at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 1996, but these games were never released. The Virtual Boy was discontinued in late 1995 in Japan and in early 1996 in North America. Nintendo discontinued the system without fanfare, avoiding an official press release. Among many other obsolete game consoles, "Next Generation" reported that 13,000 Virtual Boy units were sold in the month of December, 1996.
Technological and industrial history of 20th-century Canada
Video games have become a wildly popular form of entertainment especially for youth, since the 1980s. The earliest video game dated from 1947 and a number of devices were produced in the 1950s and 1960s. However, it was the development of the computer chip that led to their popularization. The coin-operated arcade game "Pong" introduced by Atari in 1972 was the first to become widely available. The next phase of development included the introduction in the mid-1970s of the home console, first with a hardwired game, but then complemented in 1977 by “plug and play”, which allowed the use of game cartridges for variety. Beginning in 1985 PC gaming became popular, exploiting the flexibility and increasing popularity of the personal computer. In 1989 Nintendo released its Game Boy, the first of the hand-held electronic games. Game imagery became more elaborate with the introduction of the 32-bit chip that was featured in the Sony PlayStation released in 1994. The 128-bit, sixth generation of video games was born with the introduction of the Sega Dreamcast in 1998. These technologies found a place in the Canadian consumer market from the moment of their introduction and Canadian companies have played a role in their development, with hardware makers like ATI Technologies developing high-powered video chips for game imagery and software companies developing a number of games.
Video game console
For handheld game consoles, the fifth generation began with the release of the Virtual Boy on July 21, 1995. Nintendo extensively advertised the Virtual Boy, and claimed to have spent US$25 million on early promotional activities. The Virtual Boy was discontinued in late 1995 in Japan and in early 1996 in North America. Nintendo discontinued the system without fanfare, avoiding an official press release. Taken as a whole, the marketing campaign was commonly thought of as a failure. The Virtual Boy was overwhelmingly panned by critics and was a commercial failure. The Virtual Boy failed for a number of reasons, among them "its high price, the discomfort caused by play [...] and what was widely judged to have been a poorly handled marketing campaign."
Game Boy family
Certain games released for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color handheld consoles are available via the Virtual Console service on the Nintendo 3DS. Game Boy Advance games were thought to be as well due to the 3DS not being compatible, but it was just a mistranslation. However, ten Game Boy Advance games were released for Nintendo 3DS ambassadors, as in Nintendo 3DS owners who logged into the 3DS eShop before the major August 2011 price drop. The Virtual Console GBA features of releases are limited, and there are no plans to release them to the public. However, starting from April 2014, Nintendo has been releasing Game Boy Advance games as Virtual Console titles via the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U.
Thermal printing
The Game Boy Printer, released in 1998, was a small thermal printer used to print out certain elements from some Game Boy games.
Nintendo video game consoles
In 1998, Nintendo introduced the Game Boy Color as the successor to the original Game Boy. It features a color screen and an 8-bit processor and a custom Zilog Z80 central processing unit. It was made to compete with the WonderSwan Color and the Neo Geo Pocket. Its best selling game was "Pokémon Gold" and "Silver" series.
Game Boy accessories
The Super Game Boy is a plug-in cartridge for the Super NES that allows Game Boy and black cartridge Game Boy Color games to be played on a television screen. It was released in 1994. The black-and-white games can be colorized by mapping colors to each of the four shades of gray making up the Game Boy's color palette. There are also special Super Game Boy labeled Game Boy games that contain custom palettes and borders that only show up when played on a Super Game Boy. A 1998 follow-up released only in Japan, the Super Game Boy 2, includes different default borders, different music for the credits, and a link cable port, enabling support for multiplayer gaming and the Game Boy Printer.
Handheld game console
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the beginnings of the handheld game console industry as we know it, after the demise of the Microvision. As backlit LCD game consoles with color graphics consume a lot of power, they were not battery-friendly like the non-backlit original Game Boy whose monochrome graphics allowed longer battery life. By this point, rechargeable battery technology had not yet matured and so the more advanced game consoles of the time such as the Sega Game Gear and Atari Lynx did not have nearly as much success as the Game Boy.
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
"Donkey Kong" was awarded Best Game Boy Game of 1994 by "Electronic Gaming Monthly". "Nintendo Power" listed it as the eighth best Game Boy/Game Boy Color video game, praising it as the only true followup to the original "Donkey Kong" arcade game. "Official Nintendo Magazine" ranked "Donkey Kong" 89th on their list of the "100 Greatest Nintendo Games". "Game Informer"s Ben Reeves called it the sixth best Game Boy game called it a "criminally overlooked ... puzzle masterpiece". AllGame gave the game a four and a half star out of five rating, proclaiming the game as "graphically sound, brilliantly challenging game that requires careful planning and strategy as well as dexterity for the player to succeed." The review also applauded Nintendo for not taking the "easy route by simply cranking out a remake of the original."
Handheld game console
The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC or CGB) is Nintendo's successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998, in Japan and in November of the same year in the United States. It features a color screen, and is slightly bigger than the Game Boy Pocket. The processor is twice as fast as a Game Boy's and has twice as much memory. It also had an infrared communications port for wireless linking which did not appear in later versions of the Game Boy, such as the Game Boy Advance.
Tetris (Game Boy)
In 1984, Soviet Academy of Sciences researchers Alexey Pajitnov, Dmitry Pavlovsky, and Vadim Gerasimov created "Tetris" out of a desire to create a two-player puzzle game, and the game spread commercially among computers. In 1988, computer game publisher Henk Rogers noticed the game at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in a Spectrum HoloByte booth. Finding himself hooked to the game, he pursued the rights and knowing Nintendo was planning to release the Game Boy, approached Nintendo of America head Minoru Arakawa with the suggestion that "Tetris" was the perfect title to be packaged with the handheld. Arakawa questioned the idea, noting they planned to package "Super Mario Land" with it instead, but Rogers countered by stating that while a "Mario" title would sell the Game Boy to young boys, "Tetris" would sell it to everyone. Rogers was told to pursue the rights, and secured them from both Spectrum HoloByte and Atari-spinoff company Tengen, who had also secured a license at the time, to license "Tetris" in Japan. He additionally approached Robert Stein, who had secured permission for both companies to distribute "Tetris" through company Mirrorsoft, to seek rights for it to be distributed with the Game Boy.
Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge
The readers of "GamePro" voted "Dr. Wily's Revenge" the best handheld game of 1991. "Nintendo Power" readers voted it the fifth-best Game Boy game of that year. In North America, "Dr. Wily's Revenge" was released under Nintendo's Player's Choice best-seller label in 1996. The game was followed by four sequels on the Game Boy, of which the first three similarly recycle content from the NES games. In Japan, the game was made available on the Nintendo Power cartridge service on March 13, 2001. Capcom had planned to release a full-color compilation of all five Game Boy games on the Game Boy Advance in 2004, but the project was cancelled. In 2011, "Dr. Wily's Revenge" was released as a Virtual Console launch title on Japan's Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS. The game made its way to PAL region and North American eShops later that year.
Game Boy family
Another notable improvement over the original Game Boy is a black-and-white display screen, rather than the green-tinted display of the original Game Boy, that also featured improved response time for less blurring during motion. The Game Boy Pocket takes two AAA batteries as opposed to four AA batteries for roughly ten hours of gameplay. The first model of the Game Boy Pocket did not have an LED to show battery levels, but the feature was added due to public demand.
Game Boy family
Game Boy continues its success to this day and many at Nintendo have dedicated the handheld in Yokoi's memory. Game Boy celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2004, which nearly coincided with the 20-year anniversary of the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). To celebrate, Nintendo released the Classic NES Series and an NES controller-themed color scheme for the Game Boy Advance SP.
History of video games
The Virtual Boy from Nintendo was released in 1995 as one of the first consumer consoles providing 3D depth perception, but did not achieve high sales, largely due to the monochrome display and the lack of third-party support. In 1996 the Virtual Boy was taken off the market.
List of Game Boy games
The Game Boy portable system has a library of games, which were released in plastic ROM cartridges. The Game Boy first launched in Japan on April 21, 1989 with "Super Mario Land", "Alleyway", "Baseball" and "Yakuman". For the North American launches, "Tetris" and "Tennis" were also featured, while "Yakuman" was never released outside of Japan. The last games to be published for the system were the Japan-only titles "Shikakei Atama o Kore Kusuru: Kanji no Tatsujin" and "Shikakei Atama o Kore Kusuru: Keisan no Tatsujin", which were both released on March 30, 2001. This list is initially organized alphabetically by their English titles, or, when Japan-exclusive, their "rōmaji" transliterations; however, it is also possible to sort each column individually by clicking the square icon at the top of each column. The Game Boy system is not region locked, meaning that software purchased in any region can be played on any region's hardware.
Nintendo DS
Prior to its release, the Nintendo DS was marketed as an experimental, "third pillar" in Nintendo's console lineup, meant to complement the Game Boy Advance and GameCube. However, backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance titles and strong sales ultimately established it as the successor to the Game Boy series. On March 2, 2006, Nintendo launched the Nintendo DS Lite, a slimmer and lighter redesign of the original Nintendo DS with brighter screens. On November 1, 2008, Nintendo released the Nintendo DSi, another redesign with several hardware improvements and new features. All Nintendo DS models combined have sold 154.02 million units, making it the best selling handheld game console to date, and the second best selling video game console of all time behind Sony's PlayStation 2. The Nintendo DS line was succeeded by the Nintendo 3DS family in 2011, which maintains backward compatibility with nearly all Nintendo DS software.
Nintendo video game consoles
In 2001, Nintendo introduced the Game Boy Advance, the first major technological upgrade to the Game Boy line. Nintendo later released two revised models of the Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Advance SP and the Game Boy Micro. The Game Boy Advance SP features a smaller clamshell design, and introduced a built-in screen light and rechargeable battery which became standard features for future Nintendo handhelds. The Game Boy Micro is an even smaller variant with interchangeable designer faceplates. The three Game Boy Advance models have sold 81.51 million units worldwide.
Game Boy Advance SP
The Game Boy Advance SP, released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in the name stands for "Special". The SP is accompanied by the Nintendo DS (released in November 2004) and the Game Boy Micro (released in September 2005).The GBA SP is slightly more than half the size of the GBA when closed and roughly the height of Nintendo's Game Boy Color when open. This model of the Game Boy can play all Game Boy cartridges including Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance carts. The clamshell (or laptop design) protects the screen from scratches and dust, reminiscent of two-screen Game & Watch units. However, the casing is made from a different material, making it more prone to scratches than previous Game Boy systems. The slot for cartridges has been moved to the bottom of the system, facing down. This makes using special cartridges, such as the Game Boy Camera and Kirby: Tilt and Tumble, more difficult.
Wonder Boy (video game)
The first home version of "Wonder Boy" was released exclusively in Japan for the SG-1000 (Sega's first video game console) during the same year the arcade version was released. The game was released in a "My Card" format, which required the "Card Catcher" peripheral. Because of the severe hardware differences, the game was remade completely for the SG-1000 with an all new set of stages. Certain enemies, stages, and items were also omitted, such as the skateboard.
Nintendo 3DS
Despite the limited success, Nintendo would press ahead with 3D development into the 1990s. Gunpei Yokoi, creator of the Game Boy handheld console and popular "Metroid" video game, developed a new 3D device for Nintendo called the Virtual Boy. It was a portable table-top system consisting of goggles and a controller that used a spinning disc to achieve full stereoscopic monochrome 3D. Released in 1995, the Virtual Boy sold fewer than a million units, spawning only 22 compatible game titles, and was widely considered to be a commercial failure. Shigeru Miyamoto, known for his work on popular game franchises such as Mario and "The Legend of Zelda", commented in a 2011 interview that he felt conflicted about Yokoi's decision to use wire-frame models for 3D and suggested that the product may not have been marketed correctly. The failure of the Virtual Boy left many at Nintendo doubting the viability of 3D gaming. Despite this, Nintendo continued to investigate the incorporation of 3D technology into other products.
Super Game Boy
The is a peripheral that allows Game Boy cartridges to be played on a Super Nintendo Entertainment System console. Released in June 1994, it retailed for $59.99 in the United States and £49.99 in the United Kingdom.
Game Boy family
In 1995, the "Play it Loud" version of the original Game Boy was released in five different colors; red, yellow, green, black and clear.
Mega Man V (Game Boy)
Mega Man V is a video game published by Capcom for the Game Boy handheld game console. It is the fifth game in the Game Boy version of the original "Mega Man" series. The game follows the adventures of the protagonist Mega Man as he must defend the Earth from a group of powerful robots from outer space called the Stardroids. "Mega Man V" is unique among the Game Boy Mega Man games as it features original bosses rather than recycling those from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) "Mega Man" games.
Video game console
During the sixth generation era, the handheld game console market expanded with the introduction of new devices from many different manufacturers. Nintendo maintained its dominant share of the handheld market with the release in 2001 of the Game Boy Advance, which featured many upgrades and new features over the Game Boy. Two redesigns of this system followed, the Game Boy Advance SP in 2003 and the Game Boy Micro in 2005. Also introduced were the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 1998 and Bandai's WonderSwan Color, launched in Japan in 1999. South Korean company Game Park introduced its GP32 handheld in 2001, and with it came the dawn of open source handheld consoles. The Game Boy Advance line of handhelds has sold 81.51 million units worldwide as of September 30, 2010.
Mega Man V (Game Boy)
In 2008, "Nintendo Power" listed "Mega Man V" as the 14th best Game Boy or Game Boy Color video game, praising it as the best of a quality series of portable "Mega Man" games. "Game Informer"s Ben Reeves called it the 11th best Game Boy game due to its relative ambition compared to its Game Boy predecessors. "Mega Man V" was available for the similarly named Nintendo Power cartridge service in Japan on April 13, 2001 alongside its four Game Boy "Mega Man" predecessors. Outside Japan, the game is considered to be quite rare. All five games on the Game Boy were to be released as part of a Game Boy Advance compilation in 2004 titled "Mega Man Anniversary Collection", but it was delayed indefinitely, renamed Mega Mania, and eventually cancelled. In 2011, IGN listed the game among titles they wished to see downloadable from the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS. On July 18, 2013, it was confirmed that Mega Man V is planned for release on the 3DS Virtual Console; it came out November 6, 2013 in Japan, on May 22, 2014 in North America. and August 28, 2014 in the PAL Region.
Game Boy family
First released in Japan on February 14, 2003, the Game Boy Advance SP—Nintendo model AGS-001—resolved several problems with the original Game Boy Advance model. It featured a new smaller clamshell design with a flip-up screen, a switchable internal frontlight, a rechargeable battery for the first time, and the only notable issue is the omission of the headphone jack, which requires a special adapter, purchased separately. In some regions, owners of the original Game Boy Advance received a special limited offer to trade their old models into Nintendo and merely pay the difference on the Game Boy Advance SP. In September 2005, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance SP model AGS-101, that featured a high quality backlit screen instead of a frontlit, similar to the Game Boy Micro screen but larger. It was the final Game Boy and last handheld to have backwards compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.
Game Boy family
The game that pushed the Game Boy into the upper reaches of success was "Tetris". Tetris was widely popular, and on the handheld format could be played anywhere. It came packaged with the Game Boy, and broadened its reach; adults and children alike were buying Game Boys in order to play "Tetris". Releasing "Tetris" on the Game Boy was selected as #4 on GameSpy's "25 Smartest Moments in Gaming".
Game Boy
The Game Boy is Nintendo's second handheld game console and it combined features from both the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game & Watch, the first Nintendo handheld. It was sold either as a standalone unit or bundled with the puzzle game "Tetris".
Batman Begins (video game)
Batman Begins is a 2005 video game. It was released June 14, 2005, a day before the release of "Batman Begins". It was developed by Eurocom and published by Electronic Arts in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics. It was released on Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The film's original cast provided a voice-over reprisal in the game, with the exception of Gary Oldman, who portrays James Gordon, replaced by Gavin Hammon.
Super Game Boy
The Super Game Boy 2 was released exclusively in Japan in 1998. Additions included a link port to allow a user to access two-player mode via the link cable, the green game link LED, and the red power LED indicator, and runs at the exact speed of the Game Boy (the original model runs 2.4% faster than a Game Boy). In addition, it came with eight new default borders, which replaced those in the original model (though the old borders are still accessible via a code); however, it retained the same built-in palettes and coloring tools as on the original model. Also, this version of the SGB does not allow one to change borders in some games that have built-in borders. Some games have features only available through the Super Game Boy 2, such as a special "Tetris DX" border.
Balloon Fight
A sequel to "Balloon Fight" called "Balloon Kid" was released on October 1990 in North America and on January 31, 1991 in Europe for the Game Boy, which expands from the game's roots and revamped it into a full platforming adventure. This title was not released in Japan on the Game Boy, but colorized versions titled as "Hello Kitty World" (published by "Character Soft") for the Famicom and "Balloon Fight GB" for the Game Boy Color were later released only in Japan.
Milon's Secret Castle
While the Game Boy version kept the same title as the NES version's in the US, the game was released in Japan on March 26, 1993 under the name and later in North America. The Game Boy version includes a password feature, but is otherwise mostly identical to the NES version. Besides that, there are other obvious differences between the Game Boy and NES versions. First, the room sizes are smaller, likely due in part to the smaller available screen size. As a result, many hidden items and platforms are not in the same absolute position, but can be found in roughly the same relative position. Second, every item costs a little less money than in the NES version. Additionally, there are slightly fewer money tiles to collect, which generally works in favor of the player. The store that gives you $10 in the NES version gives you $15 in this version. Third, the boss fights are substantially easier. You can attack the entire body of the boss, not just the head. Bosses send only one projectile out at a time, and the projectiles are much smaller. The projectiles are more focused on your current position, so they are easier to dodge. Finally, the ending has new illustrations added to it.
List of commercial failures in video gaming
This red monochromatic 3-D "virtual reality" system failed due to issues related to players getting eye strain, stiff necks, and headaches when trying to play it, along with the console's price and unportability. It came out in 1995 and was Nintendo's first failed console release. Gunpei Yokoi, the designer of the platform and the person largely credited for the success of the original Game Boy handheld and the "Metroid" series of games, resigned from the company shortly after the Virtual Boy ceased sales in order to start his own company, although for reasons unrelated to the console's success. The Virtual Boy was included in a "Time" "50 Worst Inventions" list published in May 2010.
Handheld game console
Nintendo is credited with popularizing the handheld console concept with the release of the Game Boy in 1989 and continues to dominate the handheld console market.
Pokémon (video game series)
Pokémon is a series of video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo as part of the "Pokémon" media franchise. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, the main series of role-playing video games (RPGs), also referred as the "core series" by their developers, has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds.
Game Boy accessories
The Game Boy Camera and Game Boy Printer (Pocket Camera and Pocket Printer in Japan) are accessories for the Game Boy handheld gaming system and were released in 1998. The camera can take basic, often grainy, black-and-white digital images using the four-color palette of the Game Boy system. The printer utilizes heat-sensitive paper to "burn" saved images, making a hard copy. There are also several minigames built into the camera itself. A picture of the player's face is used as an avatar in the minigames. Both accessories were marketed by Nintendo as light-hearted entertainment devices in all three major video game regions of the world: Japan, North America, and Europe. The former N64 Magazine went so far as to dedicate a monthly section to the devices.
Jeopardy! (franchise)
A Game Boy version of "Jeopardy!" was released by GameTek in 1991, and went on to spawn a "Sports Edition." Both versions were ported to the Game Boy's Sega rival, the Game Gear. The gameplay in the "Sports Edition" is identical to the Super NES and Genesis versions, though the portable versions lack the digitized voice and image of Alex Trebek and support only two players (where the console versions support three). Tiger Electronics also released several "Jeopardy!" electronic games of its own, including a version for its Game.com system. In 2004, Majesco Entertainment planned a port of "Jeopardy!" for Game Boy Color, but those plans failed to materialize because the handheld had been discontinued by then.
Game &amp; Watch ports and remakes
"Game Boy Gallery" is the first game in the series. It was released for the Game Boy in Europe on April 27, 1995 and in Australia in 1995. Unlike other games in the series, this game has neither Modern nor Classic modes; the looks are "Modern" with generic characters, but the gameplay is "Classic"-style. It features five games."Game & Watch Gallery", known in Japan as and in Australia as "Game Boy Gallery 2", is the second game in the series in Europe and Australia and the first in Japan and North America. It was released for the Game Boy in Japan on February 1, 1997, in the United States in May 1997, in Europe on August 28, 1997, and in Australia in 1997; it was released for the Nintendo Power for the Game Boy in Japan on March 1, 2000. It was released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in Japan on June 22, 2011, in North America on July 14, 2011, and in Europe and Australia on July 21, 2011; while it was originally released under the title "Game Boy Gallery 2" in Australia, the Virtual Console release uses the title "Game & Watch Gallery".
Nintendo video game consoles
The Dreamcast, released in 1999, PlayStation 2, released in 2000, and Microsoft's Xbox, released in 2001, would eventually relegate Nintendo to third place in the international market, despite the release of the GameCube. However, they retained their lead in the handheld console market, with the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance models. Towards the middle of the 2000s, Nintendo introduced the first successful handheld device with a touch screen (DS) and the first successful console designed for motion controlled inputs (the Wii); they became some of the best-selling consoles of all time. In 2010, Nintendo became the first major company to release a handheld game console with stereoscopic 3D capabilities, with the 3DS, which had very strong sales from the beginning. The Wii U, released in 2012, was much less successful, and sales were significantly lower than predicted. The company's most recent console, Nintendo Switch, was released in March 2017 and has now surpassed the entire lifetime sales of the Wii U.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
"Mario vs. Donkey Kong", released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance, was followed by "" for the Nintendo DS, "" on DSiWare, "" in 2010 for the DS, "" for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, "" for the Wii U and 3DS in 2015. The latest title centered on amiibo, titled "" was released in 2016.
The history of the series can be traced back to the Game Boy version of the original "Donkey Kong". Adding new abilities for Mario and 96 new levels, the game brought new emphasis to the puzzle element of the game's concept.
Video game console
First released in Japan on October 21, 1998, the Game Boy Color (abbreviated as GBC) added a (slightly smaller) color screen to a form factor similar in size to the Game Boy Pocket. It also has double the processor speed, three times as much memory, and an infrared communications port. Technologically, it was likened to the 8-bit NES video game console from the 1980s although the Game Boy Color has a much larger color palette (56 simultaneous colors out of 32,768 possible) which had some classical NES ports and newer titles. It comes in seven different colors; Clear purple, purple, red, blue, green, yellow and silver for the "Pokémon" edition. Like the Game Boy Light, the Game Boy Color takes on two AA batteries. It was the final handheld to have 8-bit graphics.
Hamtaro (video game series)
is a Hamtaro adventure video game developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 2001, and was later released in North America on October 28, 2002, and in Europe on January 10, 2003. It was the last game officially released for the Game Boy Color in Europe. It was the seventh best selling Game Boy Color game in Japan, with 497,061 copies sold.
Game Boy family
The Game Boy Pocket is a redesigned version of the original Game Boy having the same features. It was released in 1996. Notably, this variation is smaller and lighter. It comes in seven different colors; red, yellow, green, black, clear, silver, blue, and pink.
Super Monkey Ball (video game)
In early 2001, Sega announced that it was discontinuing its Dreamcast home console and restructuring itself into a "platform-agnostic" third-party publisher. As a result, an enhanced version of "Monkey Ball" dubbed "Super Monkey Ball" was released for the GameCube as a launch game in Japan on September 14, 2001 and North America on November 18, 2001. The GameCube version was demonstrated to the public at E3 in May 2001 and at Nintendo's Space World show in August 2001; Sega confirmed that it would arrive in time for the GameCube's launch at the June 2001 World Hobby Fair. As the first game Sega published for a Nintendo home console, "Super Monkey Ball" was considered a milestone for the company. Although "Monkey Ball" had been developed for Sega's NAOMI arcade board, which shared technology with the Dreamcast and was optimized to ensure games could be easily ported between the two platforms, Nagoshi commented that Nintendo's young demographic made the GameCube an even more fitting console for the title. According to Nagoshi, Amusement Vision staff felt more comfortable with the GameCube than Sega's own hardware and this ease of development contributed to their decision to focus on the system over the PlayStation 2 or Xbox; he also joked that Nintendo was the only hardware manufacturer the staff did not "hate". Out of a team composed of ten to twenty individuals, it took four Amusement Vision employees between several weeks and two months to port "Monkey Ball" to the GameCube. Its graphics were enhanced with new background details as well as reflections and particle effects. Moreover, the developers spent an additional six months incorporating six extra modes into the game, with an emphasis on multiplayer competition and the introduction of GonGon as a fourth playable character.
Virtual Boy
"The New York Times" previewed the Virtual Boy on November 13, 1994. The console was officially announced via press release the next day, November 14. Nintendo promised that Virtual Boy would "totally immerse players into their own private universe." Initial press releases and interviews about the system focused on its technological capabilities, avoiding discussion of the actual games that would be released. The system was formally unveiled the next day at Nintendo's Shoshinkai Show. Nintendo of America showed the Virtual Boy at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 6, 1995.
Game Boy family
The original gray Game Boy was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989. Based on a Z80 processor, it has a black and green reflective LCD screen, an eight-way directional pad, two action buttons (A and B), and Start and Select buttons with the controls being identical to the NES controller. It plays games from ROM-based media contained in cartridges (sometimes called carts or Game Paks). Its graphics are 8-bit (similar to the NES).
Yoshi's Story
When Nintendo first unveiled the Game Boy Advance to U.S. game developers on April 10, 2000, one of the available demonstrations was a tech demo derived from "Yoshi's Story". It was specifically developed to show off the Game Boy Advance's graphical capacity, featuring an opening demo and a single looping course. The opening displayed a pre-rendered rotating island, resembling the shape of a Yoshi, also taking advantage of the system's affine rotate-and-zoom feature (akin to the Super Nintendo's Mode 7) to render a seascape in perspective. The demo's level design was based on the colorful cardboard theme of "Yoshi's Story". However, the gameplay differed significantly from the original game. For instance, Yoshi was unable to use his tongue; nor could he throw eggs, in spite of being able to obtain them. Screenshots from the demo also show the presence of giant Shy Guys, that were primarily designed to demonstrate system's advancement from the Game Boy Color's 10-pixel sprite limit. In spite of the fact that Nintendo had published a promotional image of a Game Boy Advance with the tech demo running on it, it was never released as a completed game. However, someone eventually salvaged the tech demo and showcased its functionality as a game.
Game Boy family
The Game Boy Player is a device released in 2003 by Nintendo for the GameCube which enables Game Boy (although Super Game Boy enhancements are ignored), Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance cartridges to be played on a television. It connects via the high speed parallel port at the bottom of the GameCube and requires use of a boot disc to access the hardware. Unlike devices such as Datel's Advance Game Port, the Game Boy Player does not use software emulation, but instead uses physical hardware nearly identical to that of a Game Boy Advance.
List of best-selling Game Boy video games
A total of 53 Game Boy and Game Boy Color games sold one million units or more. Of those, 19 titles were developed by internal Nintendo divisions. Aside from these, the developers with the most million-selling titles are Game Freak, Rare and Tose, with five games each in the top 53. Nintendo published 44 of these 53 games. Other publishers with multiple million-selling entries include Konami (three games), Bandai and Enix (two games each). The most popular franchises on Game Boy are "Pokémon" (84.54 million combined units), "Tetris" (38.12 million combined units), "Super Mario" (34.39 million combined units), "Donkey Kong" (12.55 million combined units) and "Kirby" (10.91 million combined units).
Visteon Dockable Entertainment
The Visteon Dockable Entertainment System (officially referred to as "Dockable Entertainment featuring Game Boy Advance") is a portable DVD player created by Visteon in 2006 for the US market at an MSRP of $1299 USD. The player is notable for containing officially licensed Game Boy Advance hardware, as Visteon partnered with Nintendo to announce the product at CES 2006. Initially due out in April, the product was then delayed to May before finally launching in July of that year. To celebrate the product's launch Visteon held a photography and writing contest.
Mega Man IV (Game Boy)
"Mega Man IV" was re-released on April 13, 2001 for the Nintendo Power cartridge service in Japan alongside its four Game Boy counterparts. The 5 games that comprise this subseries were to be released on a Game Boy Advance compilation in 2004, but was cancelled. The boss Ballade would later appear as part of a downloadable content stage for "Mega Man 10" in 2010. On July 18, 2013, it was confirmed that Mega Man IV is planned for release on the 3DS Virtual Console which came out in October 23, 2013 in Japan and on May 15, 2014 in North America.
History of video games
Nintendo still dominated the handheld gaming market during this period. The Game Boy Advance, released in 2001, maintained Nintendo's market position with a high-resolution, full-color LCD screen and 16-bit processor allowing ports of SNES games and simpler companions to N64 and GameCube games. Finnish cellphone maker Nokia entered the handheld scene with the N-Gage, but it failed to win a significant following.
Game &amp; Watch ports and remakes
"Game & Watch Gallery 2", known in Japan as and in Australia as "Game Boy Gallery 3", is the third game in the series in Europe and Australia and the second in Japan and North America. It was released for the Game Boy in Japan on September 27, 1997; it was released for the Game Boy Color in the United States on November 20, 1998, and in Europe on November 1, 1998, and in Australia in 1998; it was released for the Nintendo Power for the Game Boy in Japan on March 1, 2000. The Game Boy version was released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in Japan on March 21, 2012. The Game Boy Color version was released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in Europe and Australia on May 3, 2012 and in North America on May 24, 2012; while it was originally released under the title "Game Boy Gallery 3" in Australia, the Virtual Console release uses the title "Game & Watch Gallery 2".
List of commercial failures in video gaming
Released in 1989 in North America and Europe; later in Japan in 1990 by Atari Corporation, The Lynx is an 8 bit handheld game console that holds the distinction of being the world's first handheld electronic game system with a color LCD. The Lynx was the second handheld game system to be released with the Atari name. The system was originally developed by Epyx as the Handy Game. The system is also notable for its forward-looking features, advanced graphics, and ambidextrous layout. In late 1991, it was reported that Atari sales estimates were about 800,000, which Atari claimed was within their expected projections. In comparison, the Game Boy sold 16 million units by later that year. Overall lifetime sales were confirmed as being in the region of 3 million, a commercial failure despite positive critical reviews. In 1996, Atari Corporation collapsed due to the failures of the Lynx and Jaguar consoles.
Game Boy family
The original Game Boy was one of the first cartridge-based systems that supported more than four players at one time (via the link port). In fact, it has been shown that the system could support 16 simultaneous players. However, this feature was only supported in "Faceball 2000".
Game Boy
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%). In 2009, the Game Boy was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, 20 years after its introduction. As of June 6, 2011, Game Boy and Game Boy Color games are available on the Virtual Console service on the Nintendo 3DS's Nintendo eShop.
List of Jurassic Park video games
The NES version was released in July 1993. The Game Boy version was originally scheduled for release in July 1993, but was not released until August 1993. "Nintendo Power", reviewing the Game Boy version, wrote negatively, "Aiming can be awkward because the gun is offset on your shoulder and doesn't shoot straight in front of you," but positively wrote, "Good graphics and fun game play. You really get a sense of the movie danger."
Game Boy
The Game Boy Light was released on April 14, 1998, only available in Japan. Like the Game Boy Pocket, the system was also priced at ¥6,800. The Game Boy Light is only slightly bigger than the Game Boy Pocket and features an electroluminescent backlight for low-light conditions. It uses 2 AA batteries, which gave it approximately 20 hours with the light off and 12 with it on. It was available in two standard colors, gold and silver. It also received numerous special editions, including an Astro Boy edition with a clear case and a picture of Astro Boy on it, an Osamu Tezuka World edition with a clear red case and a picture of his characters, and a solid yellow Pokémon Center Tokyo version.