Short for
Game Boy Color, the third
generation of
Nintendo's line of popular
handheld gaming systems.
The progression went like:
Game Boy: This large
white box was the front runner in portable gaming systems. It took 4
AA batteries, and did not last very long on a
charge. It had a huge
library of great titles, such as
Metroid 2, the always popular
Tetris, many good offerings from
Square, etc.
Game Boy Pocket: This
lighter and more
compact (thus the "
Pocket" inclusion in the title), took the
Game Boy, upped it's battery life, moving to a two AAA
battery scheme, and reduced the
blur associated with the original Game Boy. The link cable size was reduced, and needed an
adaptor to work with the older model. Still 100%
compatible. The
unit itself was available in several
different colors.
Game Boy Color: This most recent
offering added improved
clarity, the ability to color-ize old games (thus giving the four-color
scheme contrast), and the ability to run newer full color games. This was an amazing leap for the gameboy. The sound was still as good as ever, the non-color
games are still fully supported, and the
battery life got
better (the battery size was increased to
AA). The link cable was virutally removed, as an efficient
IR connection now lies in it's place for faster and easier connections. There is still a port for
backwards compatibility with older cabling systems. The
power adapter has also moved to a
proprietary unit.
The game boy has sold
millions of units, and has been described and Nintendo's silent success, as it has stood the test of time, and
competitors.