# Game Boy Color > The Game Boy Color, Nintendo's 1998 successor to the Game Boy, added a colour screen while staying compatible with the original Game Boy library. Web page: https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/ Page updated: 2026-09-30 - Developer: Nintendo - Released: 1998 - Processor: Sharp Corporation LR35902 - Processor Speed: 4 MHz or 8 MHz (Two modes) - RAM: 32 KB - Video RAM: 16 KB - Resolution: 160 x 144 pixels - Colors Available: 32,768 (15-bit) - Max Colors on Screen: 10, 32, or 46 - Max Sprites: 40 - Max Sprites per Scan Line: 10 (4 colors maximum per sprite) - Max Sprite Size: 8 x 8 or 8 x 16 pixels The Game Boy Color, often abbreviated to GBC, is the successor to Nintendo's Game Boy. Its hardware differed little from the original Game Boy, but it added one major feature: a colour screen instead of the Game Boy's greyscale display. Because the hardware was so similar, the Game Boy Color stayed backwards compatible with older Game Boy games. This backwards compatibility was a big advantage over its competitors, as the handheld inherited a large library from day one rather than relying on a few new games to drive sales. The Game Boy Color was a huge success. Together with the original Game Boy, it sold 118.69 million units, far more than competitors of the time such as the Neo Geo Pocket Color and WonderSwan. ## Game Boy Color Emulators - [ares](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/snes/emulator/ares/index.md): ares is an open source multi-system emulator focused on accuracy and preservation, covering the NES, SNES, N64, Sega consoles and more. The successor to higan. - [Emulicious](https://emulationking.com/sega/mastersystem/emulator/emulicious/index.md): Emulicious is a free, accurate Java-based emulator for the Master System, Game Gear, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and MSX, with strong debugging tools. - [Mednafen](https://emulationking.com/sega/saturn/emulator/mednafen/index.md): Mednafen is an open source multi-system emulator, controlled from the command line, known for accurate Sega Saturn and PlayStation emulation. - [Mesen](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/nes/emulator/mesen/index.md): Mesen is an open source multi-system emulator for the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and more, with a built-in debugger, for Windows, Linux and macOS. - [mGBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/mgba/index.md): mGBA is a fast and accurate open source Game Boy Advance emulator that also runs Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, on desktop, mobile and even other consoles. - [SameBoy](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/sameboy/index.md): SameBoy is a highly accurate open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Super Game Boy emulator by Lior Halphon, with a powerful built-in debugger. - [Visual Boy Advance](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/visualboyadvance/index.md): Visual Boy Advance-M (VBA-M) is an open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance emulator for Windows, macOS and Linux. - [GBE+](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/gbeplus/index.md): GBE+ is an open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color and GBA emulator by Shonumi, known for custom graphics support and emulating obscure peripherals. - [BGB](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/bgb/index.md): BGB is an accurate Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulator with a powerful built-in debugger, popular with homebrew developers, plus link play over a network. - [Gambatte](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/gambatte/index.md): Gambatte is an accurate, portable open source Game Boy Color emulator whose core is independent of its interface. It is used in RetroArch and OpenEmu. - [SkyEmu](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/skyemu/index.md): SkyEmu is a low-level, open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and DS emulator by Skyler Saleh, with highly accurate GBA emulation. - [BasicBoy](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/basicboy/index.md): BasicBoy is an old Game Boy Color emulator written entirely in Visual Basic. It is mainly notable for that, rather than for its features or compatibility. - [DreamGBC](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/dreamgbc/index.md): DreamGBC is a discontinued Game Boy Color emulator that aimed to run as many games as possible and add enhancements not found on real hardware. - [GearBoy](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/gearboy/index.md): Gearboy is an open source Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulator written in C++, focused on accurate CPU emulation and portability. It is also a RetroArch core. - [GEST](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/gest/index.md): GEST is a discontinued open source Game Boy Color emulator for Windows, with graphics, sound and Super Game Boy code based on VisualBoyAdvance. - [gnuboy](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/gnuboy/index.md): gnuboy is an old, highly portable open source Game Boy Color emulator. It emulates most of the hardware but lacks the accuracy of modern emulators. - [higan](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/nes/emulator/higan/index.md): higan is a multi-system emulator by Near (formerly byuu), best known for its highly accurate SNES emulation, which puts accuracy ahead of speed. - [KiGB](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/kigb/index.md): KiGB is a discontinued cross-platform Game Boy Color emulator that focused on accuracy and supported link play over TCP, locally or online. - [PlayGuy](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/playguy/index.md): PlayGuy is a discontinued Game Boy Color emulator with full CPU emulation, accurate timing and real-time clock support. It was a strong option in its time. - [TGB Dual](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/tgbdual/index.md): TGB Dual is a Game Boy Color emulator that was one of the first to support the link cable, connecting two instances over TCP on one PC or the Internet. ## Game Boy Games - [Pokémon Red and Blue](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/games/pokemonredandblue/index.md): Pokémon Red and Blue are Game Freak's Game Boy RPGs in which you catch, train and trade 151 Pokémon on the way to becoming Kanto's champion. - [Resident Evil Gaiden](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/games/residentevilgaiden/index.md): Resident Evil Gaiden is a 2001 Game Boy Color spin-off in which Barry Burton and Leon Kennedy search a cruise ship overrun by a new bio-weapon. - [Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/games/supermarioland26goldencoins/index.md): Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is Nintendo's 1992 Game Boy platformer in which Mario reclaims his castle from Wario, who debuts here. - [Tetris](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/games/tetris/index.md): Tetris for the Game Boy is Nintendo's 1989 version of the falling-block puzzle, bundled with the handheld and linked for two-player games. ## GBC Homebrew - [Akaru Hime: The Red Princess](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/akaruhime/index.md): Akaru Hime: The Red Princess is a simple but addictive Game Boy Color homebrew game by Light Games, in which you fend off waves of ninjas. - [Alient Planet](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/alienplanet/index.md): Alien Planet is a well designed vertical shoot-'em-up for the Game Boy Color by The New Image, made for the Freedom 2001 developer competition. - [Beep Beep Boom Box](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/beepbeepboombox/index.md): Beep Beep Boom Box is a Game Boy Color music toy by Patrick Rodriguez: a tone matrix where activating squares plays notes on two channels plus percussion. - [Dodgeball GBC](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/dodgeballgbc/index.md): Dodgeball GBC is a simple Game Boy Color homebrew game by Patrick Rodriguez: hit your opponent with the ball while dodging theirs. First to 10 wins. - [Drains](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/drains/index.md): Drains is a simple homebrew Game Boy Color game by JPM in which you clear the rooms of a city's sewers of strange and vicious creatures. - [Flappy Boy](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/flappyboy/index.md): Flappy Boy is a faithful Game Boy remake of Flappy Bird, made in a few days for the 2014 Flappy Jam. It also runs on the Game Boy Color. - [Friki Race](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/frikirace/index.md): Friki Race is a simple Game Boy Color highway racing game from 1999 in which you must reach each checkpoint in time to move on to the next stage. - [Guns and Riders](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/gunsandriders/index.md): Guns and Riders is a simple Game Boy Color side-scrolling shooter in which you fight off bandits to protect your village. One hit ends the game. - [I shall Be Queen](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/homebrew/ishallbequeen/index.md): I Shall Be Queen is a homebrew Game Boy Color beat-'em-up in the style of Double Dragon, made by Ryan Carson for the Bit Bit Jam #3 competition.