Super Game Boy
Encyclopedia
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 1994, the Super Game Boy sold for about $60 in the United States
. In the United Kingdom
, it retailed for £49.99 It was the precursor to the Game Boy Player
on the Nintendo GameCube
, which functioned in a similar manner.
cartridges and black Game Boy Color
cartridges, although it would display the latter in their monochrome compatibility mode. The unit could map the four shades of green to various colors on the screen. Later Game Boy games that were optimized to use the Super Game Boy had additional color information and could over-ride the ability to change the on-screen colors, and the ability to display a graphical border around the screen as well as the ability to display special background sprites on the screen as seen in (for example) the Mario's Picross
title screen. Those games would have printed a small "Super Game Boy Game Pak" logo on the box and cartridge. The adaptor could support up to 64 colors for the border, and 12 colors for the screen. Colorization was applied to the screen itself, and did not scroll with the background. Static screens could display all 10 colors.
It was also possible for Super Game Boy games to make use of the SNES hardware for extra effects, as demonstrated in Contra: The Alien Wars, Donkey Kong
, Kirby's Dream Land 2
, and Toy Story
; these games had expanded sound when used with the Super Game Boy. Wario Blast
, the Game Boy version of Killer Instinct
, and several other titles even allowed the second Super NES controller to be used for two-player action, and the title screen changed to show that these games had a two-player option, rather than a connection status.
Possibly the best use of the Super Game Boy is the Game Boy version of Space Invaders
, which allowed players to access the full Super Nintendo version of the game; this version is nearly identical to the one which was later released as a Super Nintendo game cartridge, only lacking its competitive two player mode.
It should be noted that Space Invaders on the Super Game Boy is also region locked. You can play the Game Boy version on any Super Nintendo system, but to play the full Super Game Boy version the Game Boy cartridge has to match the region of the Super Nintendo console. If it does not, the player will get the standard 'This Game Pak is not designed for...' warning screen.
Some black Game Boy Color cartridge games also have Super Game Boy enhancements, although there isn't any logo indicating this on the cartridge or on the front of the box as there are for original Game Boy releases. Several GBC titles do have a small Super Game Boy compatibility icon located on the back of their packaging, such as for Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey
.
; inside the cartridge is a separate CPU
that processes the games while the Super NES only provided means for user-input, output of graphics to the screen, and the additional coloring, similar to the Atari 5200 version of the Atari 2600 adapter.
The original Super Game Boy is known to play the game program and its audio 2.4% faster than other Game Boy hardware. This is due to the use of the Super NES' clock speed divided by 5 (which ends up being 4.295 MHz), instead of 4.194 MHz. The timing issue can be rectified by adding an appropriate crystal to the Super Game Boy and disconnecting the Super NES' clock source.
The Super Game Boy 2 plays games at their proper speed.
Nintendo released the Super Game Boy 2 in 1998 in Japan. Additions included a link port to allow a user to access two-player mode via the link cable, a green game link LED, and a red power LED indicator. In addition, it came with eight new default borders, which replaced those in the original model (except for the plain black border, present in both models); however, it retained the same built-in palettes and coloring tools as on the original model. Contrary to rumors, the system is unable to run Game Boy Color
-exclusive games. One of the flaws is the system's inability to change borders in some games that have built in borders. Some games have features only available through the Super Game Boy 2, such as a special Tetris DX border.
The system menu is accessed by pressing the L and R buttons at the same time; the menu has five options to choose from:
' Wide Boy 2 (which connected to the Famicom
or NES). One difference between the Wide Boy and the Super Game Boy is that the former did not use any part of the Famicom/NES other than the video memory. Even the controller (a single Famicom controller) was hardwired directly into the Wide Boy. The Wide Boy would continue running even if the reset button was held down on the Famicom/NES. The Game Boy had twice as many tiles as could fit in the Famicom/NES's video memory, so the Wide Boy had to refresh the Famicom/NES's video memory halfway down the screen.
Camerica
had the Game Boy to NES developed by Biederman Design Labs, which appeared similar to the Super Game Boy.
The Super Game Boy was followed by the Transfer Pak for the Nintendo 64
, which allowed one to play the six (seven in Japan) Game Boy Color
Pokémon titles in Pokémon Stadium
and Pokémon Stadium 2
in a Super Game Boy-like fashion, complete with the Super Game Boy enhanced borders and palettes. The games were played via the use of a software emulator on the Nintendo 64. However, the main role of the Transfer Pak was to transfer data from Game Boy Color to Nintendo 64 games, not to play games.
A Wide-Boy64 AGB was released for the N64, which allowed Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles to be played on a television. It cost $1400, and like the original Wide Boy, it was only available to developers and the gaming press.
The GB Hunter is one of two Nintendo 64
items released by EMS Production Ltd., the other being the N64 Passport
. It is a Game Boy
emulator for the Nintendo 64. A N64 game is plugged into the back of the item and a Game Boy cartridge is plugged into the top. Like the Super Game Boy, it connects to the N64's cartridge slot and requires a N64 boot cartridge plugged into its back, and allows you to play Game Boy
games on it, without the game's sound; instead GB Hunter's theme is played over and over during the game. There is also a cheating device programmed into it, called the "Golden Finger" (like the Game Genie
or Game Shark). Holding the 'L' and 'R' buttons simultaneously will cause the game to freeze at that point and the GB Hunters' Menu to appear. The Game Screen can be maximized or minimized, from the Main menu, allowing the player to see the game full screen. The GB Hunters color pallet can also be changed from the menu, to view the game in a variety of the 3 different colors. Most sellers of this item, on eBay and other places such as the EMS site itself, do not mention that the video game sounds while being played on the GB Hunter are not emulated. Rather, users are subjected to the theme song of the GB Hunter, which loops endlessly.
A product made by Datel Design & Development Ltd called GameBooster
was released for the Nintendo 64 in halfway through the console time in the game market. It wasn't officially licensed by Nintendo as it had a slot at the back for an N64 game to over-ride the lockout chip. Datel also did a version for Sony's PlayStation console, which uses the Parallel I/O port on the back of the console, not found on the Series 9000 models of the system or the slimline PSone system.
On the GameCube, the Game Boy Player
was released in 2003, which could play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. It allowed these games to be played on a full television screen. The GBP attaches to the bottom of the console and a boot disc must be running in the GameCube disc drive in order to operate it. The Game Boy Player functions just like a Game Boy Advance, letterboxing
the games' display on a standard television set. Some GBA games were programmed with consideration for the Player, including activating the vibration feature in GameCube controllers and special color palettes which accounted for a TV's brightness and resolution. The Game Boy Player will not activate Super Game Boy options on a Super Game Boy enhanced cartridge, however. Also, when playing a Game Boy or Game Boy Color game on the Game Boy Player, a black border will appear between the main border and the gameplay area; this is a carry-over from the Game Boy Advance.
In Japan, Hori released a special Super Game Boy controller called the SGB Commander.
The controller, aside from the 4 Game Boy buttons (A, B, Start and Select), also had 4 Super Game Boy specific buttons which could enable the user to mute the sound, increase or reduce the speed of the game, change the colors and modify the display window. An additional switch is provided to alternate between Super Game Boy mode and Super Famicom Mode.
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....
's Super Nintendo Entertainment System
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...
, as well as the Super Famicom
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...
in Japan
Japan
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...
. The Super Game Boy allows game cartridges designed for use on 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...
to be played on a TV display using the SNES/Super Famicom controllers. When it was released in 1994, the Super Game Boy sold for about $60 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, it retailed for £49.99 It was the precursor to the 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...
on the Nintendo GameCube
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...
, which functioned in a similar manner.
Information
The Super Game Boy was compatible with the original monochrome Game BoyGame 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...
cartridges and black 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...
cartridges, although it would display the latter in their monochrome compatibility mode. The unit could map the four shades of green to various colors on the screen. Later Game Boy games that were optimized to use the Super Game Boy had additional color information and could over-ride the ability to change the on-screen colors, and the ability to display a graphical border around the screen as well as the ability to display special background sprites on the screen as seen in (for example) the Mario's Picross
Mario's Picross
is the first in a series of Mario themed Picross titles released in the 1990s. It is a collection of nonogram logic puzzles involving a grid with numbers for every row and column, which refer to the amount of marked squares within the grid. The game features Mario as an archaeologist who chisels...
title screen. Those games would have printed a small "Super Game Boy Game Pak" logo on the box and cartridge. The adaptor could support up to 64 colors for the border, and 12 colors for the screen. Colorization was applied to the screen itself, and did not scroll with the background. Static screens could display all 10 colors.
It was also possible for Super Game Boy games to make use of the SNES hardware for extra effects, as demonstrated in Contra: The Alien Wars, Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
is a platform game developed in 1994 by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld video game system, which also contains puzzle elements. Donkey Kong is loosely based on the 1981 arcade game of the same name and its sequel Donkey Kong Jr. The game was known under the working title Donkey Kong '94 before...
, Kirby's Dream Land 2
Kirby's Dream Land 2
Kirby's Dream Land 2, known as in Japan, is a platforming video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld video game console...
, and Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
; these games had expanded sound when used with the Super Game Boy. Wario Blast
Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!
Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!, known in Japan as , is a Game Boy game published in 1994 by Nintendo and developed by Hudson Soft. It is a crossover between Nintendo's Wario franchise and Hudson's signature Bomberman franchise. It is much more of a Bomberman game than a Wario game despite Wario...
, the Game Boy version of Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct is a fighting game developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. Initially released in arcades in 1994, and rumored to use an "Ultra 64" hardware engine, in reality the proprietary arcade hardware was co-developed by Rare and Midway. The game received a high profile launch...
, and several other titles even allowed the second Super NES controller to be used for two-player action, and the title screen changed to show that these games had a two-player option, rather than a connection status.
Possibly the best use of the Super Game Boy is the Game Boy version of Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
, which allowed players to access the full Super Nintendo version of the game; this version is nearly identical to the one which was later released as a Super Nintendo game cartridge, only lacking its competitive two player mode.
It should be noted that Space Invaders on the Super Game Boy is also region locked. You can play the Game Boy version on any Super Nintendo system, but to play the full Super Game Boy version the Game Boy cartridge has to match the region of the Super Nintendo console. If it does not, the player will get the standard 'This Game Pak is not designed for...' warning screen.
Some black Game Boy Color cartridge games also have Super Game Boy enhancements, although there isn't any logo indicating this on the cartridge or on the front of the box as there are for original Game Boy releases. Several GBC titles do have a small Super Game Boy compatibility icon located on the back of their packaging, such as for Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey
Dragon Warrior Monsters 2
Dragon Warrior Monsters 2, known in Japan as , is a video game published by Enix for the Game Boy Color. It is the second Dragon Warrior Monsters game for the Game Boy Color and features two different versions of the same game, Cobi's Journey and Tara's Adventure Dragon Warrior Monsters 2, known...
.
Hardware
The Super Game Boy actually consists of the same hardware as the Game BoyGame 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...
; inside the cartridge is a separate CPU
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
that processes the games while the Super NES only provided means for user-input, output of graphics to the screen, and the additional coloring, similar to the Atari 5200 version of the Atari 2600 adapter.
The original Super Game Boy is known to play the game program and its audio 2.4% faster than other Game Boy hardware. This is due to the use of the Super NES' clock speed divided by 5 (which ends up being 4.295 MHz), instead of 4.194 MHz. The timing issue can be rectified by adding an appropriate crystal to the Super Game Boy and disconnecting the Super NES' clock source.
The Super Game Boy 2 plays games at their proper speed.
Super Game Boy 2
Nintendo released the Super Game Boy 2 in 1998 in Japan. Additions included a link port to allow a user to access two-player mode via the link cable, a green game link LED, and a red power LED indicator. In addition, it came with eight new default borders, which replaced those in the original model (except for the plain black border, present in both models); however, it retained the same built-in palettes and coloring tools as on the original model. Contrary to rumors, the system is unable to run 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...
-exclusive games. One of the flaws is the system's inability to change borders in some games that have built in borders. Some games have features only available through the Super Game Boy 2, such as a special Tetris DX border.
System menu
- Color Palette: Choose from one of 32 pre-made color palettes, the Super Game Boy enhanced palette(s) (if available), or a user-created palette (if available). A few Super Game Boy games will not allow the palette to be changed. Internally, the Super Game Boy includes special palettes for several games that came out before the release of the Super Game Boy, for example AlleywayAlleywayis a video game developed by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo as a global launch title for the Game Boy. It is a Breakout clone and one of the first four games developed and released for the system. The game was released first in Japan in 1989, in North America later that...
, Yoshi's CookieYoshi's Cookieis a puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, and SNES. It was re-released for the Virtual Console.- Overview :...
, Kirby's Pinball LandKirby's Pinball LandKirby's Pinball Land, known in Japan as is a 1993-1994 pinball video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It was HAL Laboratory's third pinball video game after the MSX and NES title Rollerball and the Game Boy title Revenge of the 'Gator...
, Metroid II and Solar StrikerSolar Strikeris a vertical scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo Game Boy. It was developed and released by Nintendo. This is the only scrolling shoot 'em up developed by Nintendo.-Plot:...
have one 1 of the 32 default colors by default. - Border: Choose from one of 9 pre-made borders, the Super Game Boy enhanced border(s) (if available), or a user-created border (if created).
- Button Setting: Switches between two controller mappings. A few Super Game Boy games will not allow the controller setting to be changed.
- Custom Color: Create a custom color palette and get a password to retrieve it later. If palette changes are disabled, this option will also be unavailable.
- Graffiti: Create a custom border by using several painting tools. If plugged into the second controller port, the SNES mouseSNES MouseThe Super NES Mouse is a peripheral released by Nintendo in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . Originally designed for use with the game Mario Paint, the SNES Mouse was sold in a bundle with the game and included a plastic mouse pad...
could be used for this feature.
Predecessors and successors
The Super Game Boy was the successor to Intelligent SystemsIntelligent Systems
is a Japanese first-party video game developer and internal team of Nintendo Co., Ltd. It has its headquarters in the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture....
' Wide Boy 2 (which connected to the Famicom
Nintendo 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...
or NES). One difference between the Wide Boy and the Super Game Boy is that the former did not use any part of the Famicom/NES other than the video memory. Even the controller (a single Famicom controller) was hardwired directly into the Wide Boy. The Wide Boy would continue running even if the reset button was held down on the Famicom/NES. The Game Boy had twice as many tiles as could fit in the Famicom/NES's video memory, so the Wide Boy had to refresh the Famicom/NES's video memory halfway down the screen.
Camerica
Camerica
Camerica was a company owned and operated by David J. Harding. It was a video game company that was notable for producing unlicensed Nintendo Entertainment System games and hardware. It was founded in 1988 and published games through 1992. It created a number of peripherals for the NES, including...
had the Game Boy to NES developed by Biederman Design Labs, which appeared similar to the Super Game Boy.
The Super Game Boy was followed by the Transfer Pak for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 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...
, which allowed one to play the six (seven in Japan) 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...
Pokémon titles in 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...
in a Super Game Boy-like fashion, complete with the Super Game Boy enhanced borders and palettes. The games were played via the use of a software emulator on the Nintendo 64. However, the main role of the Transfer Pak was to transfer data from Game Boy Color to Nintendo 64 games, not to play games.
A Wide-Boy64 AGB was released for the N64, which allowed Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles to be played on a television. It cost $1400, and like the original Wide Boy, it was only available to developers and the gaming press.
The GB Hunter is one of two Nintendo 64
Nintendo 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...
items released by EMS Production Ltd., the other being the N64 Passport
N64 Passport
The N64 Passport is an adapter cartridge for the Nintendo 64 video game console that was released by EMS . Games for the N64 console have region lockout which prevents, for example, a European game running on a North American or Japanese system. The N64 Passport cartridge sits in between the system...
. It is a 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...
emulator for the Nintendo 64. A N64 game is plugged into the back of the item and a Game Boy cartridge is plugged into the top. Like the Super Game Boy, it connects to the N64's cartridge slot and requires a N64 boot cartridge plugged into its back, and allows you to play 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...
games on it, without the game's sound; instead GB Hunter's theme is played over and over during the game. There is also a cheating device programmed into it, called the "Golden Finger" (like the Game Genie
Game Genie
The Game Genie is a series of cheat systems designed by Codemasters and sold by Camerica and Galoob for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Mega Drive/Genesis, and Sega Game Gear that modifies game data, allowing the player to cheat, manipulate various...
or Game Shark). Holding the 'L' and 'R' buttons simultaneously will cause the game to freeze at that point and the GB Hunters' Menu to appear. The Game Screen can be maximized or minimized, from the Main menu, allowing the player to see the game full screen. The GB Hunters color pallet can also be changed from the menu, to view the game in a variety of the 3 different colors. Most sellers of this item, on eBay and other places such as the EMS site itself, do not mention that the video game sounds while being played on the GB Hunter are not emulated. Rather, users are subjected to the theme song of the GB Hunter, which loops endlessly.
A product made by Datel Design & Development Ltd called GameBooster
GameBooster
GameBooster is a non-licensed cartridge for the Nintendo 64 made by Datel Design & Development Ltd. It was made to be similar to the Super Game Boy for the Super Nintendo for playing Game Boy games on the Nintendo 64. It was released half way through the console's time in the Gaming Market.It plays...
was released for the Nintendo 64 in halfway through the console time in the game market. It wasn't officially licensed by Nintendo as it had a slot at the back for an N64 game to over-ride the lockout chip. Datel also did a version for Sony's PlayStation console, which uses the Parallel I/O port on the back of the console, not found on the Series 9000 models of the system or the slimline PSone system.
On the GameCube, the 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...
was released in 2003, which could play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. It allowed these games to be played on a full television screen. The GBP attaches to the bottom of the console and a boot disc must be running in the GameCube disc drive in order to operate it. The Game Boy Player functions just like a Game Boy Advance, letterboxing
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
the games' display on a standard television set. Some GBA games were programmed with consideration for the Player, including activating the vibration feature in GameCube controllers and special color palettes which accounted for a TV's brightness and resolution. The Game Boy Player will not activate Super Game Boy options on a Super Game Boy enhanced cartridge, however. Also, when playing a Game Boy or Game Boy Color game on the Game Boy Player, a black border will appear between the main border and the gameplay area; this is a carry-over from the Game Boy Advance.
Peripherals
The controller, aside from the 4 Game Boy buttons (A, B, Start and Select), also had 4 Super Game Boy specific buttons which could enable the user to mute the sound, increase or reduce the speed of the game, change the colors and modify the display window. An additional switch is provided to alternate between Super Game Boy mode and Super Famicom Mode.
Guide
In 1994, shortly after the Super Game Boy release, Nintendo sent the Nintendo Power magazine subscribers the "Super Game Boy Player's Guide", a 72 page instruction book / guide to using the features of the Super Game Boy. The first 15 pages were instructional, followed by 55 pages of very brief overview style walkthrough of several games. These walkthroughs highlighted various points of the games and often pointed out color schemes to set that area's intended mood. (Games included Super Mario Land 1-3, the new released Donkey Kong which had a special "Super Game Boy" border and color palette, Metroid 2, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Super Star Wars Episode IV, Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Pinball Land, Tennis, World Cup, Alleyway, Dr. Mario, Yoshi, and Tetris.)See also
- List of Super Game Boy games - a list of Game BoyGame BoyThe , 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...
and Game Boy ColorGame Boy ColorThe 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...
games which make use of the enhancements the Super Game Boy has to offer.