Game Boy Vs Game Boy Color Cartridges: What Is The Difference?
While the original Game Boy and the Game Boy Color have some more obvious differences, their respective cartridges can be a bit more complicated.
So when it comes to Game Boy vs Game Boy Color cartridges, what are the differences?
Game Boy Cartridge
- Playable on original Game Boy consoles as well as Game Boy Color consoles
- Cartridges are typically gray
- A select few games such as Pokémon Red & Blue Versions will feature different color cartridges; Pokémon Red & Blue feature red and blue cartridges for example
- “Nintendo Game Boy” written on indent
- Some play in color on Game Boy Color consoles but in limited palette options
Game Boy Color Cartridge (Black)
- Playable on original Game Boy consoles as well as Game Boy Color consoles
- Cartridges are typically black
- A select few games such as Pokémon Gold & Silver Versions will feature different color cartridges; Pokémon Gold & Silver feature gold and silver cartridges for example
- “Nintendo Game Boy” written on indent
- Play in color on Game Boy Color but not on original Game Boy consoles
Game Boy Color Cartridge (Clear)
- Playable only on Game Boy Color
- Cartridges are typically clear
- A select few games such as Pokémon Crystal will feature different color cartridges; Pokémon Crystal features a sparkly blue cartridge for example
- “Game Boy Color” written on bulge
- Takes advantage of Game Boy Color's increased power to deliver more visually impressive games
- No notch on top right corner of cartridge
Those are some of the most important differences between the various Nintendo Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. However, there are some differences between the cartridges if you're playing these games with the Super Game Boy accessory.
For those who aren't aware, the Super Game Boy is an accessory that allows gamers the ability to play their Game Boy games on a television using the Super Nintendo console. The Super Game Boy acts as a SNES cartridge that plugs into the console like any other game, but there is a section on the top for inserting various Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.
The most important thing to know is that the clear Game Boy Color cartridges that are exclusive to the Game Boy Color are not playable on the Super Game Boy. The grey Game Boy and black Game Boy Color cartridges (along with their various off-colored exceptions) are both playable with the accessory.
Outside of that, the biggest difference between the games on the Super Game Boy is the various color palettes and borders that accompany the games when played with the accessory. Really, however, it differs from game to game as some Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges were programmed with features for the Super Game Boy, and others were not.
Game Boy vs Game Boy Color Cartridges: How To Tell The Difference
We mostly covered this in the earlier part of this article where we discussed the main differences between the three different types of Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, but there can be some difficulties discerning between the off-colored versions of the gray and black cartridges.
For example, Pokémon Yellow is technically a Game Boy Color cartridge, but as it isn't the clear cartridge as pictured all the way on the right (Mario Tennis), it is playable on either the Game Boy or Game Boy Color consoles. As long as it has the notch on the top right corner of the cartridge, it is playable on the Game Boy console. The clear cartridges with the bulge at the top are exclusive to the Game Boy Color.
The only way to tell the difference between the other color cartridges is their respective boxes. However, since complete-in-box copies of Game Boy games are a bit rarer these days, it would probably help just to have a list to refer to. Luckily, we have provided one just below.
Game Boy games that don't feature gray cartridges:
- Pokémon Red (red)
- Pokémon Blue (blue)
- Donkey Kong Land (yellow)
- Donkey Kong Land 2 (yellow)
- Donkey Kong Land III (yellow)
Game Boy Color/Game Boy games that don't feature black cartridges:
- Pokémon Yellow (yellow)
- Pokémon Gold (gold)
- Pokémon Silver (silver)
(Please note: this is only a list of the games available in North America. There are some examples of different colored Japanese cartridges, for example, that were not included.)
Do Game Boy Color Games Work On Game Boy?
Again, this is a topic that we have already mostly covered, but we did want to go over any weird use cases. The easy rule of thumb to remember is that if the cartridge has a notch in the top right corner of the it, it will play on the original Game Boy (pictured above).
Meaning any black cartridge Game Boy Color game will play on the original Game Boy as well as the Game Boy Color. This also holds true for the various Pokémon games that come in various different colors.
Clear cartridge Game Boy Color games, however, will not play in the Game Boy as they are designed to take advantage of the Color's increased power. You will also notice that these cartridges do not have any notches in the top right corner. Not only are these not playable on an original Game Boy console, it won't even turn on with a clear Game Boy Color cartridge inside as there is a plastic mechanism that keeps it from turning on.
Also, it should be noted that while we have been referencing the original Game Boy console, this also holds true for its various redesigns, the Game Boy Pocket and the Game Boy Light. For more information on all of the differences between the consoles, make sure to visit our complete guide: Game Boy vs Pocket vs Light vs Color: What Are The Differences?