Game Boy

Game Boy
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Variants: Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, Game Boy Color
Release Date RRP Code

The Game Boy (ゲームボーイ) was released in 1989 and was Nintendo's second foray into the handheld market (Game & Watch being the first). It was met with great critical acclaim.

In 1998 Nintendo released their last revision of the Game Boy, the Game Boy Color. Because the Game Boy Color was more powerful than the initial release it had games exclusive to it. In this way the Game Boy Color can be seen as the DSi or New Nintendo 3DS equivalent to the original Game Boy. The unit was so successful that even games that could be played on the original Game Boy were being touted as Game Boy Color exclusives on their packaging.

Games that can be played on either were shipped in black carts while Game Boy Color exclusives were transparent and had a bulge sticking out on the top front of the cartridge. For the sake of cohesion, Sega Retro will refer to these black cart games as Game Boy Color games as that is what their packaging states.

Like the rival Sega GameGear, both players needs a copy of the game and a link cable (GB Link Cable) for the multiplayer.

Sega support

Sega itself was only involved with one game for the Game Boy, Sakura Taisen GB2: Thunderbolt Sakusen for the Game Boy Color specifically. The Puyo series of games were mainly handled by Compile while the other Color games were handled by Media Factory. The two games for the original Game Boy model were handled by Pony Canyon and Tecmo. All games were exclusive to Japan.

List of Sega games for the Game Boy

• Penguin Land (1990)
• Head-On (1990)

List of Sega games for the Game Boy Color

Games marked with asterisks(*) are true Game Boy Color exclusives.

• Pocket Puyo Puyo Sun (1998)
• Puyo Puyo Gaiden: Puyo Wars (1999)
• Columns GB: Tezuka Osamu Characters (1999)
• Arle no Bouken: Mahou no Jewel (2000)
• Sakura Taisen GB: Geki Hanagumi Nyuutai! (2000)*
• Pocket Puyo Puyo~n (2000)*
• Sakura Taisen GB2: Thunderbolt Sakusen (2001)*