Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Game Boy Printer

Printing accessory for the Nintendo Game Boy series of handheld games consoles From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Game Boy Printer
Remove ads

The Game Boy Printer, known as the Pocket Printer[a] in Japan, is a thermal printer accessory released by Nintendo. It allows users to print special images from over 100 compatible Game Boy and Game Boy Color games onto thermal paper, which can then be applied as stickers. The accessory was designed primarily for use with the Game Boy Camera, which it released alongside in 1998.

Quick facts Manufacturer, Product family ...
Remove ads

Overview

Summarize
Perspective
Thumb
The Japanese version, known as the Pocket Printer

The Game Boy Printer was originally designed by Hirokazu Tanaka for use with the Game Boy Camera.[4] It connects to the Game Boy through the system's EXT port, similar to the Game Link Cable. As different Game Boy models feature differently-sized ports, the printer is packaged with a "Universal Game Link Cable" that features multiple connector types.[5] The device is compatible with all Game Boy models except the Game Boy Micro, which uses a different port type and cannot play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.[6]

The printer requires six AA batteries for power.[6] It uses a proprietary 38mm wide thermal paper with adhesive backing, though printed images are only 22mm in width.[1] The printer is only capable of printing monochrome images; to compensate, Nintendo sold paper rolls in multiple colors.[2] New paper rolls were sold at a price of ¥500 in Japan and US$9.95 in the United States, and could print an estimated 100 images each.[1][3] Once printed, the adhesive backing allowed the images to be applied as stickers.[7]

In Japan, a Pokémon-themed version of the printer was released in September 1998 alongside Pokémon Yellow.[8]

Remove ads

Games with Game Boy Printer support

Summarize
Perspective
Thumb
Internal components of the Game Boy Printer

The Game Boy Printer was primarily intended to act as a companion to the Game Boy Camera, allowing players to print their photographs.[7] However, multiple other games released between 1998 and 2001 featured support for the Game Boy Printer, allowing players to print their high scores or special unlockable images.[7] One of the printer's most notable uses was in the Pokémon series, which allowed players to print out any Pokémon's Pokédex entry.[6]

The following is a list of 110 games that support the Game Boy Printer, only 35 of which were released outside of Japan.

Some games intended to feature Game Boy Printer support, such as Pokemon Picross and Hello Kitty Pocket Camera, were never released.[47][48]

Remove ads

Legacy

Due to the discontinuation of its proprietary printer paper and the impermanence of thermal printing, the Game Boy Printer does not see significant use in the modern day.[2][49] As a result, hobbyists have developed alternate homebrew methods to transfer printer images from the Game Boy to more modern devices.[50]

The instax mini Link, a printer released by Fujifilm in 2021 which allows images to be printed from a Nintendo Switch, has drawn comparisons to the Game Boy Printer by the gaming press.[51][52]

Notes

  1. [a]
    Japanese: ポケットプリンタ, Hepburn: Poketto Purinta

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads
Remove ads