Black Game Boy Color cartridge games: let's settle this once and for all

[gbpxl]

They can be played on the DMG and Pocket and just state "Game Boy" on their cartridges but it says "Game Boy Color" on their boxes. Some of the early games were released before the specs of the GBC were even known.

How are they any different from grey Game Boy carts released in 1998 and 1999?

[Aussie2B]

Both. I guess if you want to get technical, there are backwards-compatible GBC games (the black ones) and GBC-exclusive ones (the transparent ones). But I've never considered the GBC an entirely separate system from the original Game Boy to begin with. To me, it's just an enhanced Game Boy, and the GBC-exclusive games are the equivalent of N64 games that can't play without the expansion pak. Similarly, there are N64 games that can use the expansion pak or not (like how black GBC games are) and N64 games that get no benefit from the expansion pak (essentially like original Game Boy games, excluding the generic palettes that can be applied). For my own collection list, I list GB and GBC games mixed together, making no distinction between them. It's only with the Game Boy Advance where I start a separate list, since that was a totally new piece of hardware, with none of its games being playable on Nintendo's earlier handhelds.

[jb143]

there are backwards-compatible GBC games (the black ones) and GBC-exclusive ones (the transparent ones).

That about sums it up. The black cartridges are the ones that were designed to make use of the GBC color pallet but also work on the original, making them backwards-compatible.

[buzz_n64]

I would go with both if there was a third option to choose. It can be played on the Gameboy, but it has added features for the Gameboy Color. Another comparison would be Space Invaders for Gameboy with Super Gameboy support, it also contains a SNES game.

[gbpxl]

That about sums it up. The black cartridges are the ones that were designed to make use of the GBC color pallet but also work on the original, making them backwards-compatible.
So if you distinguish the black carts as being in a seperate category because they have enhanced features when used in a Game Boy Color, would you also seperate games like Donkey Kong since it had a specific color palette and enhancements for the Super Game Boy?

[Aussie2B]

Some Game Boy games are Super Game Boy enhanced and others aren't. It's fair to list them in separate categories if you want to make that distinction. There are some backwards-compatible GBC games that are Super Game Boy enhanced too.

[Gameguy]

I would go by the retail packaging, the black carts are labelled Gameboy Color.

Plus I remember several games that were released both as original Gameboy games and later as Gameboy Color games, like several arcade type ports. It's easier to distinguish between different versions if we at least call the games correctly as they were sold.

[gbpxl]

I would go by the retail packaging, the black carts are labelled Gameboy Color.

Plus I remember several games that were released both as original Gameboy games and later as Gameboy Color games, like several arcade type ports. It's easier to distinguish between different versions if we at least call the games correctly as they were sold.

I used that mantra when I was listing Xbox titles. Just go off what is on the box.

The only weird one was the Burger King games which were styled like 360 cased but didnt say 360 on them

[Aussie2B]

I think the only game in my collection that was released for both the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color and has an identical title for both versions is Wario Land II (I've got the black and white version). Maybe I'll split my list if I ever get the GBC version of Wario Land II. I like how Natsume handled it, with how they'd tack on "GBC" to the titles of games when they rereleased color versions of their Game Boy games. Or how Nintendo added "DX" to Tetris and Zelda (why they didn't do the same with Wario Land II, I don't know).

[gbpxl]

I had the black cart Wario Land 2. I generally think the games look better in B&W if there is an option between 1 versions, even with Links Awakening