Forums

Topic: Was the Game Boy Color an upgrade or successor to the Game Boy?

Posts 1 to 20 of 29

LuigiTheGreenFire

My cousin and I have debated whether or not the Game Boy Color was a successor or upgrade to the Game Boy. I can see the merits to either argument and would like to see what you guys think. I think the Game Boy Color was a successor to the Game Boy.

Evidence for the Game Boy Color as a sucessor to the Game Boy
-Some games with tilt and rumble controls
-A large chunk of Game Boy Color games could only be played on the Game Boy Color
-Improved graphics beyond color
Evidence for the Game Boy Color as a hardware upgrade to the Game Boy
-A good chunk of Game Boy Color games could be played on the Game Boy
-Sales statistics lump the Game Boy and Game Boy Color together.

What Would W. Do?

3DS Friend Code: 3609-1033-1732 | Nintendo Network ID: Wman1996

Inkling

I would say it was the Game Boy's successor, and it isn't considered a successor because of its short lifespan.

I will update this when Half Life 3 arrives. [Started 17/11/2015]

3DS Friend Code: 4768-7429-4970

KingMike

It was an upgrade to prolong the GB's lifespan.
The GBA was already in development before the GBC was even released.
I know I read about the GBA when it was code-named "Project Atlantis" and I want to say the rumors were as early as 1996. Effectively confirmed a few years ago when Nintendo showed off a GBA SP prototype console they dated to the mid '90s.

KingMike

Jacob717

It's an upgrade, similar to the DSi and New 3DS. Also the DSi has a few cartridge based games that don't work on a normal DS.

Jacob717

KingMike

Literally a few.
As in a total of 3 in NA, 1 in EU.

KingMike

CM30

Bit of both to be honest. On the one hand, it was a much smaller change than the GBA, so it was almost like an upgrade. On the other hand, the addition of colour, plus a lot of games exclusive to the system (Wario Land 3, Zelda Oracle games, etc) meant it was more like a successor, since you had to buy it in order to not miss out on more great Nintendo titles.

Try out Gaming Reinvented, my new gaming forum and website!
Also, if you're a Wario series fan, check out Wario Forums today! Your only place for Wario series discussion!
My 3DS Friend Code: 4983-5165-4...

Twitter:

VanillaLake

I would say it was an upgrade like DSi and New 3DS.

I really don't like the navigation bar of Nintendo Life continuously reappearing while browsing!!

3DS Friend Code: 2836-0258-0952 | Nintendo Network ID: NNID-Fer

DBPirate

I think it's a successor. Whenever you see someone ranking consoles you see:

(not in this order) GB, GBC, GBA, DS, 3DS
and you don't see GB, GBC, GBA, GBM, DS, DSI, 3DSXL, 3DS, N3DS

Game Boy Color is always in the rankings as it is a successor and not an upgrade.

Currently playing: Bayonetta 2

My Nintendo: DillPickle | Nintendo Network ID: Czechmate1129

10-zx

Untitled
Untitled
Untitled <---
Untitled <---
60% Successor
40% Upgrade

Edited on by 10-zx

All rights reserved.

Uncle_Franklin

It was released almost a decade after the Game Boy, it was a successor,

Uncle_Franklin

Nicolai

There's weren't enough new features in my opinion. It was just color and a slimmer design. The tilt and rumble I remember was made possible by the cartridge, not the console.

Got married.
Nico-loggery! - || - Time Zone: CST (-6:00) - |...

Switch Friend Code: SW-7850-8250-1626 | My Nintendo: nicolai8bit | Nintendo Network ID: Nicolai

Muyounosuke

Successor because it had games that would only work on GBCs and had a cartridge redesign.

Muyounosuke

martinskrtel37

the gameboy color was a stop gap. as somebody mentioned, they were already working on the gameboy advance. the gameboy pocket was an upgrade then the gameboy color was an upgrade. GBA = successor to gameboy.

no need to debate and guess when the facts are out there.

Edited on by martinskrtel37

Octane wrote:

everyone needs to relax and enjoy the games that are released today and stop worrying what Nintendo will do in a year or two from now.

3DS Friend Code: 0130-1906-5039 | Nintendo Network ID: martinskrtel37

martinskrtel37

the gameboy color is faster, has more memory and obviously has updated graphics. why does that make it a successor? sounds exactly like the New 3DS - is that a successor to the 3DS just because it's faster, has more memory and updated the graphic/3D capability? no - it's a stop gap, the successor to the gameboy/pocket/color was the GBA/SP/micro. then the DS/DSi/DS lite. now the 3DS family. we can clearly see the difference in upgrades and successors.

Octane wrote:

everyone needs to relax and enjoy the games that are released today and stop worrying what Nintendo will do in a year or two from now.

3DS Friend Code: 0130-1906-5039 | Nintendo Network ID: martinskrtel37

JoshDragon

Does anyone know, if the original gameboy could play the color games? I always assumed that it could not.

Edited on by JoshDragon

Check out my blog: Gaming with JoshDragon https://gamingwithjoshdragon.wordpress.com/tag/joshdragon/

Twitter:

KingMike

It depends on if the game had a backward compatibility mode.
Backward-compatible games were black carts the same shape as original Game Boy.
Color-only games were clear carts.
(the most telling sign is that BC carts had a little indented part in the upper-right corner. That is because the original brick Game Boy's power switch was right next to the cart slot, and when turned on, the plastic switch would slide into that space to block the cart from being removed.)

KingMike

Joeynator3000

JoshDragon wrote:

Does anyone know, if the original gameboy could play the color games? I always assumed that it could not.

Some of them couldn't, can't think of any examples at the moment. Wasn't Crystal Color only?

My Monster Hunter Rise Gameplay
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzirEG5duST1bEJi0-9kUORu5SRfvuTLr

Discord server: https://discord.gg/fGUnxcK
Keep it PG-13-ish.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Joeynator3000

G-64

Both A successor does upgrades. However, upgrades don't usually mean becoming a successor, such as with the New 3DS. Although, I don't really know in the end. This is just my logic.

G-64

3DS Friend Code: 3952-8257-7348 | Nintendo Network ID: Goginho

This topic has been archived, no further posts can be added.