Game Boy accessories
Encyclopedia
This is a list of video game accessories
that have been released for the Game Boy
handheld console and its successors
. Accessories add functionality that the console would otherwise not have.
) are accessories
for the Game Boy Pocket 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 minigame
s 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.
The camera cartridge is inserted directly into the cartridge slot of a Game Boy Pocket, while the printer must be connected via a second generation Game Link Cable. Both accessories are also compatible with the original Game Boy, Game Boy Light, the Super Nintendo's
Super Game Boy 2, Game Boy Color
, Game Boy Advance
(original and SP
), and the GameCube's
Game Boy Player
. Additionally, the Game Boy Camera is compatible with the original Super Game Boy
, whereas the Game Boy Printer is not, because the printer must connect via a Game Link Cable. In order to connect to the original Game Boy, the printer must use a Universal Game Link Adapter. Besides being used for printing Game Boy Camera pictures, the Game Boy Printer can also be used on its own with certain Game Boy Color games, including Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, Donkey Kong Country
, and Pokémon
versions Yellow, Gold, Silver
, and Crystal.
While the European and standard North American versions of the Game Boy Camera are essentially the same, they vary slightly from both the Japanese version (in more than just language) and the US-exclusive limited-edition gold Zelda version.
Nintendo reportedly had plans to release a successor to the Game Boy Camera called the GameEye for the Game Boy Advance, which would have taken color photos and featured connectivity with the Nintendo GameCube, but the GameEye never saw a release. The PlayStation 2
, on the other hand, did release a similar accessory called the EyeToy
, which vastly expanded upon the idea of using the image of the player as part of the game.
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.
controller
. Unlike the Super Game Boy, the Transfer Pak can typically only be used for transferring Game Boy Color game data to a counterpart Nintendo 64 game. For example, players can transfer their character
s from the Game Boy Color versions of both Mario Golf and Mario Tennis
to the Nintendo 64 versions of the same titles in order to use their Game Boy characters in a 3D
environment. Doing this also allows players to earn more experience point
s for their characters, which they can then transfer back to the Game Boy Color games to upgrade their characters much more quickly than would normally be possible. The Perfect Dark
games can also connect in a similar fashion for upgrades and unlockable
s in both the Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 versions. Though most Transfer Pak compatible games feature functionality like this, when the accessory is used in conjunction with Pokémon Stadium
and Pokémon Stadium 2
, it does allow players to play Pokémon versions Red, Blue, and Yellow
on the television screen in a way very reminiscent of the Super Game Boy. Additionally, Pokémon Stadium 2 allows players to play Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
on the television as well.
of handhelds for multiplayer gaming. Games such as the Pokémon series use the Game Link Cable to transfer data between linked cartridges. Several different variations of Game Link Cables were produced as different Game Boy models had different link cable ports. Various adapters were also produced to interlink different Game Boy models. These variations and adapters are explained in the main article.
with original Game Boy games, the Game Boy Four Player Adapter is incompatible with it.
peripheral itself is roughly 3 in. long, 2 in. wide, and 0.5 in. thick. One end sprouts a thin cable that ends by being plugged into the external power jack of the Game Boy, while the other end connects to a standard mains plug
. The first version of it is gray with purple lettering, to match the colors used on the Game Boy. It also features a belt clip. The battery pack was good for several hours of gameplay per charge, providing an alternative to purchasing more AA batteries once their power had exhausted. The product used nickel-cadmium batteries
, lasted about 4–5 hours per charge, and could be charged roughly 1000 times before a significant loss in effectiveness. A major drawback of the battery pack is its weight, as well as the way the plug stuck out prominently from the side of the Game Boy.
and Pokémon Crystal.
to the Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Advance may be used as an extra screen to supplement gameplay, or the Game Boy Advance can be used as an enhanced GameCube controller. One end of the link cable plugs into a GameCube controller port, and the other end plugs into the Game Boy Advance's link cable port. The cable is only compatible with the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii
, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Player, and e-Reader. The cable does not work with the Game Boy Micro
, as the Micro has a non-standard link cable port. However, the Game Boy Micro Game Link Cable and Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable can be modified and spliced together in order to support compatibility with the Game Boy Micro.
series is intentionally incompatible with the Game Boy Player due to concerns of piracy.
games, or to unlock special content for certain Game Boy Advance and GameCube games. There is only one version of the e-Reader outside of Japan, but there are two Japanese versions. Japan's first version of the add-on came without a link cable port among other things. But the second version (e-Reader+ in Japan, simply "e-Reader" in Australia
and North America) came with a few improvements, including a new link cable port allowing support for multiplayer gameplay and the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable. These improvements add extra functionality that can be taken advantage of using link cables with games like Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
.
Unfortunately, the e-Reader is considered to be a general failure; although still selling in Japan, it was not released in Europe, and was discontinued in North America in early 2004, though it has remained a curiosity for those who create their own e-cards using a high-resolution printer.
ly for multiplayer gameplay. It is compatible with the Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, and Game Boy Player, but it doesn't fit the Game Boy Micro's different style link cable port. , only about thirty Game Boy Advance games support this feature. One of the most notable uses of the adapter is found in Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen
, and Pokémon Emerald, where up to thirty-nine wireless adapter-connected players can convene in a virtual in-game lobby called the "Union Room." When the Game Boy Advance is turned on without a game cartridge inside, the Game Boy Advance Wireless Search Engine will appear, where the device will use its wireless capabilities to search for another Game Boy Advance within range that is using the wireless adapter.
The Game Boy Micro Wireless Adapter is functionally the same as the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter. The only difference between the two varieties is that the Game Boy Micro Wireless Adapter is made to fit the Game Boy Micro's smaller link cable port, and will therefore not fit other Game Boy models or the e-Reader. However, the wireless adapter for the Game Boy Advance and the one for the Micro do communicate with each other, making wireless connectivity possible between the two systems. The Micro version of the wireless adapter is compatible with the same Game Boy Advance games as the GBA version of the adapter.
or an adapter for headphone functionality. This adapter connects into the "Input 2" port of the SP. The Nintendo brand adapter was only available by directly ordering it from Nintendo, though many third party companies offered their own version with their accessory packs. This accessory also works with the original DS, however, use in this way is unnecessary because the DS already has a headphone jack.
The Play-Yan is an MP3
and MPEG-4
player add-on for the Game Boy Advance SP, Nintendo DS, DS Lite, and Game Boy Micro. Music and video files stored on an SD memory card
can be loaded into a slot on the right side of the Play-Yan, which resembles a Game Boy Advance game cartridge. The Play-Yan is loaded directly into the Game Boy Advance game slot of a compatible system. While the original Game Boy Advance is compatible, its non-illuminated screen and the Play-Yan's high rate of power consumption do not make the Game Boy Advance a very suitable platform. The Play-Yan is also compatible with the Game Boy Player, but compressed video does not play back as nicely on a television screen as it does on a small, portable screen. Therefore, the Game Boy Player is a somewhat unsuitable platform as well, at least compared to any standard DVD player
. The adapter has its own integrated headphone port, but uses the parent console's power supply, controls, and display. The Play-Yan is advertised as offering sixteen hours of MP3 playback and four hours of MPEG-4 playback on a fully charged Game Boy Advance SP. In addition to multimedia
playback, the Play-Yan offers support for minigames which could be downloaded from Nintendo of Japan's website.
The Play-Yan launched in Japan in February 2005 for approximately 5,000 yen (USD
$47.47). Nintendo originally planned to release the adapter in the United States
by the end of 2005, but as of April 2007, Nintendo has not announced an official American release date. However, since the Play-Yan (and its successor the Play-Yan Micro) are region-free
, it can be imported to other regions and played on any Game Boy Advance.
To accompany the September 13, 2005 release of the Game Boy Micro in Japan, Nintendo released an updated version of the original Play-Yan called the Play-Yan Micro for 5,000 yen. The new version is compatible with all of the same systems, and it looks and works the same as the original, but there are a few noticeable differences. The Play-Yan Micro has the added functionality of MP4
and ASF
playback, and it has an updated user interface
and improved sound quality through its headphone port. Minigame support, however, was removed from the Play-Yan Micro. The Play-Yan Micro was only available through Nintendo of Japan's online store
, and for an additional 1,000 yen, it came with a computer application
on CD
called "MediaStage Ver. 4.2 for Nintendo" for managing music and video files on a PC
.
, but the court ruled that the Game Genie did not create a derivative work.
Model 1 - Gray:
For cheat codes only
Model 2 - Black:
Same as above, though the storage interface has some problems. Also has an option of cleaning the RAM of a game (i.e. erasing all of a game's data)
Model 3 - Clear:
The best model for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Codes can be uploaded to the Model 3 version from the website using a cable which connected to the parallel port of a computer to the Game Boy's link cable port. Another feature is the "Snapshot" feature which takes a data snapsot of a game. Players can then load the snapshot later on and continue where they left off. Only one snapshot can be stored at a time.
Video game accessory
A video game accessory is a distinct piece of hardware that is required to use a video game console, or one that enriches the video game's play experience. Essentially, video game accessories are everything except the console itself, such as controllers, memory, power adapters , and audio/visual...
that have been released for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
handheld console and its successors
Game Boy line
The line is a line of battery-powered handheld game console sold by Nintendo. It is one of the world's best-selling game system lines with a combined 200+ million units sold worldwide....
. Accessories add functionality that the console would otherwise not have.
Game Boy Pocket Sonar
The Game Boy Pocket Sonar is a fish-finder peripheral for the Game Boy from Bandai. It also included a fishing mini-game.Game Boy Camera & Printer
The Game Boy Camera and Game Boy Printer (Pocket Camera and Pocket Printer in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) are accessories
Video game accessory
A video game accessory is a distinct piece of hardware that is required to use a video game console, or one that enriches the video game's play experience. Essentially, video game accessories are everything except the console itself, such as controllers, memory, power adapters , and audio/visual...
for the Game Boy Pocket 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
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
system. The printer utilizes heat-sensitive paper to "burn" saved images, making a hard copy. There are also several minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s built into the camera itself. A picture of the player's face is used as an avatar
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
in the minigames. Both accessories were marketed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
as light-hearted entertainment devices in all three major video game regions of the world: Japan, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The former N64 Magazine went so far as to dedicate a monthly section to the devices.
The camera cartridge is inserted directly into the cartridge slot of a Game Boy Pocket, while the printer must be connected via a second generation Game Link Cable. Both accessories are also compatible with the original Game Boy, Game Boy Light, the Super Nintendo's
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
Super Game Boy 2, Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
, Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
(original and SP
Game Boy Advance SP
The , released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for Special. The SP was marketed at US$99.99 at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to US$79.99...
), and the GameCube's
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
Game Boy Player
Game Boy Player
The 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 connects via the high speed parallel port at the bottom of the GameCube and requires use of a boot disc to access the hardware...
. Additionally, the Game Boy Camera is compatible with the original Super Game Boy
Super Game Boy
The is a 16-bit adapter cartridge for Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as the Super Famicom in Japan. 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...
, whereas the Game Boy Printer is not, because the printer must connect via a Game Link Cable. In order to connect to the original Game Boy, the printer must use a Universal Game Link Adapter. Besides being used for printing Game Boy Camera pictures, the Game Boy Printer can also be used on its own with certain Game Boy Color games, including Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
, and Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
versions Yellow, Gold, Silver
Pokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
, and Crystal.
While the European and standard North American versions of the Game Boy Camera are essentially the same, they vary slightly from both the Japanese version (in more than just language) and the US-exclusive limited-edition gold Zelda version.
Nintendo reportedly had plans to release a successor to the Game Boy Camera called the GameEye for the Game Boy Advance, which would have taken color photos and featured connectivity with the Nintendo GameCube, but the GameEye never saw a release. The PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, on the other hand, did release a similar accessory called the EyeToy
EyeToy
The EyeToy is a color digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 2. The technology uses computer vision and Gesture recognition to process images taken by the camera...
, which vastly expanded upon the idea of using the image of the player as part of the game.
Super Game Boy
The Super Game Boy is a plug-in cartridge for the Super Nintendo that allows Game Boy and black cartridge Game Boy Color games to be played on a televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
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
Multiplayer game
A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that put the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or AI-controlled opponents, which often...
and the Game Boy Printer.
Transfer Pak
Released in 1999, the Transfer Pak is a device that fits onto the Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
controller
Game controller
A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems used to control a playable character or object, or otherwise provide input in a computer game. A controller is typically connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire, cord or nowadays, by means of wireless connection...
. Unlike the Super Game Boy, the Transfer Pak can typically only be used for transferring Game Boy Color game data to a counterpart Nintendo 64 game. For example, players can transfer their character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s from the Game Boy Color versions of both Mario Golf and Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis, known in Japan as , is a sports video game developed by Camelot and Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in the summer of 2000, and released in Europe later in November. It is the first tennis-based game starring Mario since...
to the Nintendo 64 versions of the same titles in order to use their Game Boy characters in a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
environment. Doing this also allows players to earn more experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s for their characters, which they can then transfer back to the Game Boy Color games to upgrade their characters much more quickly than would normally be possible. The Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is considered the spiritual successor to Rare's earlier first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, with which it shares many gameplay features...
games can also connect in a similar fashion for upgrades and unlockable
Unlockable (gaming)
Unlockable content refers to content that is available in video games but not accessible unless something is performed by the player to get access to it. Different genres of games have different styles and options of unlockable content that is standard among their games...
s in both the Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 versions. Though most Transfer Pak compatible games feature functionality like this, when the accessory is used in conjunction with Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium, known as in Japan, is a strategy game developed by Nintendo EAD with the assistance of Creatures and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released on April 30, 1999 in Japan, February 29, 2000 in North America, and April 7, 2000...
and Pokémon Stadium 2
Pokémon Stadium 2
Pokémon Stadium 2, known as in Japan, is a video game for the Nintendo 64. It features all 251 Pokémon from the first and second generations. It was released in North America as simply Pokémon Stadium 2, as it was the second Stadium game to be released there. In Japan, Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin was...
, it does allow players to play Pokémon versions Red, Blue, and Yellow
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
on the television screen in a way very reminiscent of the Super Game Boy. Additionally, Pokémon Stadium 2 allows players to play Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
Pokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
on the television as well.
Game Link Cable
The Nintendo Game Link Cable is used to link two or more systems in the Game Boy lineGame Boy line
The line is a line of battery-powered handheld game console sold by Nintendo. It is one of the world's best-selling game system lines with a combined 200+ million units sold worldwide....
of handhelds for multiplayer gaming. Games such as the Pokémon series use the Game Link Cable to transfer data between linked cartridges. Several different variations of Game Link Cables were produced as different Game Boy models had different link cable ports. Various adapters were also produced to interlink different Game Boy models. These variations and adapters are explained in the main article.
Game Boy Four Player Adapter
The Game Boy Four Player Adapter was designed to allow up to four players to play certain Game Boy games on the original Game Boy. The Game Boy Four Player Adapter consists of a small, gray hub with a single connector cable attached to connect to the first player's Game Boy. The second, third, and fourth players must each use their own Game Link Cables to connect their Game Boys to each of the three link cable ports on the main hub. Theoretically, using the proper Game Link Cables and adapters, this device is compatible with Game Boy consoles all the way up to the Game Boy Advance SP. However, the device is only compatible with a select few original Game Boy games, and will not work for Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance games on the aforementioned systems. Since Game Boy Micro is not backwards compatibleBackward compatibility
In the context of telecommunications and computing, a device or technology is said to be backward or downward compatible if it can work with input generated by an older device...
with original Game Boy games, the Game Boy Four Player Adapter is incompatible with it.
Game Boy Battery Pack
The Game Boy Battery Pack sold for about $30 USD. The batteryBattery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
peripheral itself is roughly 3 in. long, 2 in. wide, and 0.5 in. thick. One end sprouts a thin cable that ends by being plugged into the external power jack of the Game Boy, while the other end connects to a standard mains plug
Domestic AC power plugs and sockets
AC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically operated devices to the power supply. Electrical plugs and sockets differ by country in rating, shape, size and type of connectors...
. The first version of it is gray with purple lettering, to match the colors used on the Game Boy. It also features a belt clip. The battery pack was good for several hours of gameplay per charge, providing an alternative to purchasing more AA batteries once their power had exhausted. The product used nickel-cadmium batteries
Nickel-cadmium battery
The nickel–cadmium battery ' is a type of rechargeable battery using nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes....
, lasted about 4–5 hours per charge, and could be charged roughly 1000 times before a significant loss in effectiveness. A major drawback of the battery pack is its weight, as well as the way the plug stuck out prominently from the side of the Game Boy.
Mobile Adaptor
The device works with Game Boy and Game Boy Advance systems to connect to mobile phones for remote play. It was released in Japan and was compatible with the games Mobile GolfMobile Golf
is a sports game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color in 2001 in Japan only. It is the 4th Mario Golf game in the series and is RPG like style leveling like other handheld Mario Golf and sports games. Although the title doesn't have Mario in it...
and Pokémon Crystal.
Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable
The Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable is a link cable used to connect the Nintendo GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. This provides an opportunity for added gameplay in certain GameCube and Game Boy advance games. Minigames can be downloadedUploading and downloading
In computer networks, to download means to receive data to a local system from a remote system, or to initiate such a data transfer. Examples of a remote system from which a download might be performed include a webserver, FTP server, email server, or other similar systems...
to the Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Advance may be used as an extra screen to supplement gameplay, or the Game Boy Advance can be used as an enhanced GameCube controller. One end of the link cable plugs into a GameCube controller port, and the other end plugs into the Game Boy Advance's link cable port. The cable is only compatible with the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Player, and e-Reader. The cable does not work with the Game Boy Micro
Game Boy Micro
is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in September 2005 in the market. The system is the last console of the Game Boy line...
, as the Micro has a non-standard link cable port. However, the Game Boy Micro Game Link Cable and Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable can be modified and spliced together in order to support compatibility with the Game Boy Micro.
Game Boy Player
Released in June 2003 as the spiritual successor to the Super Game Boy, the Game Boy Player allows Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games to be played on a television screen via the Nintendo GameCube. The add-on attaches to the GameCube's base through the "Hi Speed" port on the bottom. On the front of the Game Boy Player is a link cable port, offering support for multiplayer gameplay, Game Boy Printer, and expanded e-Reader functionality. Essentially a Game Boy Advance designed to output to a television, the Game Boy Player uses the same colorization hardware and methods as the handheld system. Some Game Boy Advance games, such as Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, have enhanced gameplay (such as force feedback) when played on the Game Boy Player, while the Game Boy Advance VideoGame Boy Advance Video
Game Boy Advance Video is a format for putting video onto Game Boy Advance cartridges. The video is played using the game system's screen and sound hardware. These video cartridges are from Majesco Sales, but the Pokémon video cartridges were published by Nintendo. The video cartridges are colored...
series is intentionally incompatible with the Game Boy Player due to concerns of piracy.
e-Reader
The e-Reader is a card reader add-on released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. The add-on is plugged directly into the cartridge slot of the Game Boy Advance. Its main function is scanning e-Reader cards to play minigames and ported NESNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
games, or to unlock special content for certain Game Boy Advance and GameCube games. There is only one version of the e-Reader outside of Japan, but there are two Japanese versions. Japan's first version of the add-on came without a link cable port among other things. But the second version (e-Reader+ in Japan, simply "e-Reader" in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and North America) came with a few improvements, including a new link cable port allowing support for multiplayer gameplay and the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable. These improvements add extra functionality that can be taken advantage of using link cables with games like Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
.
Unfortunately, the e-Reader is considered to be a general failure; although still selling in Japan, it was not released in Europe, and was discontinued in North America in early 2004, though it has remained a curiosity for those who create their own e-cards using a high-resolution printer.
Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter
The Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter allows Game Boy Advance players to link wirelessWireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
ly for multiplayer gameplay. It is compatible with the Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, and Game Boy Player, but it doesn't fit the Game Boy Micro's different style link cable port. , only about thirty Game Boy Advance games support this feature. One of the most notable uses of the adapter is found in Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
are enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
, and Pokémon Emerald, where up to thirty-nine wireless adapter-connected players can convene in a virtual in-game lobby called the "Union Room." When the Game Boy Advance is turned on without a game cartridge inside, the Game Boy Advance Wireless Search Engine will appear, where the device will use its wireless capabilities to search for another Game Boy Advance within range that is using the wireless adapter.
The Game Boy Micro Wireless Adapter is functionally the same as the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter. The only difference between the two varieties is that the Game Boy Micro Wireless Adapter is made to fit the Game Boy Micro's smaller link cable port, and will therefore not fit other Game Boy models or the e-Reader. However, the wireless adapter for the Game Boy Advance and the one for the Micro do communicate with each other, making wireless connectivity possible between the two systems. The Micro version of the wireless adapter is compatible with the same Game Boy Advance games as the GBA version of the adapter.
Game Boy Advance SP Headphone Adapter
The Game Boy Advance SP Headphone Adapter adapter allows headphones with a 3.5mm jack plug to be used on the Game Boy Advance SP. The SP lacks a standard headphone jack, so it requires the use of special headphonesHeadphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
or an adapter for headphone functionality. This adapter connects into the "Input 2" port of the SP. The Nintendo brand adapter was only available by directly ordering it from Nintendo, though many third party companies offered their own version with their accessory packs. This accessory also works with the original DS, however, use in this way is unnecessary because the DS already has a headphone jack.
Play-Yan
The Play-Yan is an MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
and MPEG-4
MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is a method of defining compression of audio and visual digital data. It was introduced in late 1998 and designated a standard for a group of audio and video coding formats and related technology agreed upon by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group under the formal standard ISO/IEC...
player add-on for the Game Boy Advance SP, Nintendo DS, DS Lite, and Game Boy Micro. Music and video files stored on an SD memory card
Secure Digital card
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
can be loaded into a slot on the right side of the Play-Yan, which resembles a Game Boy Advance game cartridge. The Play-Yan is loaded directly into the Game Boy Advance game slot of a compatible system. While the original Game Boy Advance is compatible, its non-illuminated screen and the Play-Yan's high rate of power consumption do not make the Game Boy Advance a very suitable platform. The Play-Yan is also compatible with the Game Boy Player, but compressed video does not play back as nicely on a television screen as it does on a small, portable screen. Therefore, the Game Boy Player is a somewhat unsuitable platform as well, at least compared to any standard DVD player
DVD player
A DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. These devices were invented in 1997 and continue to thrive...
. The adapter has its own integrated headphone port, but uses the parent console's power supply, controls, and display. The Play-Yan is advertised as offering sixteen hours of MP3 playback and four hours of MPEG-4 playback on a fully charged Game Boy Advance SP. In addition to multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
playback, the Play-Yan offers support for minigames which could be downloaded from Nintendo of Japan's website.
The Play-Yan launched in Japan in February 2005 for approximately 5,000 yen (USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$47.47). Nintendo originally planned to release the adapter in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by the end of 2005, but as of April 2007, Nintendo has not announced an official American release date. However, since the Play-Yan (and its successor the Play-Yan Micro) are region-free
Regional lockout
Regional lockout is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country.-Video games:...
, it can be imported to other regions and played on any Game Boy Advance.
To accompany the September 13, 2005 release of the Game Boy Micro in Japan, Nintendo released an updated version of the original Play-Yan called the Play-Yan Micro for 5,000 yen. The new version is compatible with all of the same systems, and it looks and works the same as the original, but there are a few noticeable differences. The Play-Yan Micro has the added functionality of MP4
MPEG-4 Part 14
MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4. It is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images...
and ASF
Advanced Systems Format
Advanced Systems Format is Microsoft's proprietary digital audio/digital video container format, especially meant for streaming media...
playback, and it has an updated user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
and improved sound quality through its headphone port. Minigame support, however, was removed from the Play-Yan Micro. The Play-Yan Micro was only available through Nintendo of Japan's online store
Online shop
Online shopping is the process whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary service, over the Internet. It is a form of electronic commerce...
, and for an additional 1,000 yen, it came with a computer application
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
called "MediaStage Ver. 4.2 for Nintendo" for managing music and video files on a PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
.
Game Genie
This was the first cheat device for the Game Boy manufactured by Galoob. It is designed to nest snugly into the original Game Boy (though it will loosely fit into the Pocket and Color systems; it will fit into the Super Game Boy only if you saw off the plastic clip on the Genie's bottom.) The cartridge is inserted with the label facing inward. A compartment on the back holds the tiny code book containing codes for the system. Up to three lines of codes can be entered at a time. There is no backup, so codes have to be reentered upon each startup. Nintendo fought this accessory in Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.
Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc. was a court case which established the rights of users to modify copyrighted works for their own use....
, but the court ruled that the Game Genie did not create a derivative work.
GameShark
This is a cheat device manufactured by Interact Accessories and is probably the most popular cheat device for the Game Boy system. Many more codes can be used at once. This device features a list of games with their codes and featured backup. This means that once a code is entered, it could be stored in the devices memory so that upon startup, the user can just select the code instead of having to reenter it. A switch on top of the unit allows the player to turn the device off and on if a code causes interference during certain situations.Model 1 - Gray:
For cheat codes only
Model 2 - Black:
Same as above, though the storage interface has some problems. Also has an option of cleaning the RAM of a game (i.e. erasing all of a game's data)
Model 3 - Clear:
The best model for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Codes can be uploaded to the Model 3 version from the website using a cable which connected to the parallel port of a computer to the Game Boy's link cable port. Another feature is the "Snapshot" feature which takes a data snapsot of a game. Players can then load the snapshot later on and continue where they left off. Only one snapshot can be stored at a time.