Game Boy Color

The world had to wait 9 years before Nintendo finally released the successor to the original Game Boy. Not because the original Game Boy had any tough competition though, but because developers wanted new possibilities in their handheld games, and because the platform from a technical viewpoint was hopelessly outdated.

Technically the improvements were minor, but showed non the less. As the name implies, the console now featured a colour screen, capable of showing 56 different colours in a resolution of up to 160x144. Centrally the Z80 main processor was doubled in speed to 8 MHz, and the amount of RAM quadrupled to 32 kilobytes. Like the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color is capable of being linked to other units - now also wireless via an infrared connection, with a reach of just over 2 meters.

Games wise, Nintendo was once again the leading force. The Pokémon series was now available in colours, and the same was The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. The Game boy Color was also the home of the first licensed Link games, The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages and The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons made by Capcom. Among the third party titles Dragon Warrior III and Metal Gear Solid is worth a mentioning.