The was a short-lived peripheral developed by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
that allowed the handheld
Game Boy Color
The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
and
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
consoles to connect to a
mobile phone
A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...
and utilize its
cellular network
A cellular network or mobile network is a telecommunications network where the link to and from end nodes is wireless network, wireless and the network is distributed over land areas called ''cells'', each served by at least one fixed-locatio ...
. The accessory used a proprietary networking service called operated by
KDDI
() is a Japanese telecommunications operator. It was established in 2000 through the merger of , , and . In 2001, it merged with a subsidiary named Au, which was formed through the merger of seven automotive and mobile phone companies from t ...
to exchange data. Following delays, the device and service launched in Japan on 27 January 2001. Together, they enabled online functionality for roughly 20 games, most notably ''
Pokémon Crystal
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color, released in Japan in December 2000 and internationally throughout 2001. Serving as an enhanced edition of the 1999 titles ''Pokémon Gold'' ...
'' and ''
Mobile Golf''. Nintendo and
Konami
, commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
formed a joint venture,
Mobile21
was a Japanese video game developer that was a 50/50 joint venture between Nintendo and Konami established in October 1999. Mobile21 primarily concentrated on creating Game Boy Advance games, with a particular focus utilizing the mobile phone l ...
, to create games that utilized the service.
Nintendo ultimately chose not to release the adapter outside Japan, citing international wireless incompatibilities and market differences. Its high costs and limited game compatibility hindered widespread adoption, with only 80,000 units sold in its first year. The service was discontinued after less than two years on 18 December 2002, marking an early, albeit unsuccessful, attempt at handheld
online gaming. It would be succeeded on the company's later handheld systems by services such as
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (sometimes shortened to Nintendo WFC) was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's W ...
,
Nintendo Network
The Nintendo Network was an online service run by Nintendo that provided free online functionalities for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems and their compatible games. Launched in 2012, it was Nintendo's second online service after Nintendo Wi-F ...
and
Nintendo Switch Online
Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is an online subscription service operated by Nintendo for its video game consoles, the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The service is Nintendo's third-generation online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connect ...
.
History
In September 1999, Nintendo announced the establishment of
Mobile21
was a Japanese video game developer that was a 50/50 joint venture between Nintendo and Konami established in October 1999. Mobile21 primarily concentrated on creating Game Boy Advance games, with a particular focus utilizing the mobile phone l ...
, a joint venture with
Konami
, commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
intended to create new software for Nintendo's consoles that would utilize network connectivity, with Nintendo planning to release an adapter that would connect the Game Boy Color and cell phones the following year. The Mobile Adapter GB and the Mobile System GB service were revealed at the
Nintendo Space World
formerly named and was an annual video game trade show hosted by Nintendo from 1989 to 2001. Its three days of high-energy party atmosphere was the primary venue for Nintendo and its licensees to announce and demonstrate new consoles, accesso ...
event in August 2000. At the time, Nintendo planned to release them alongside ''
Pokémon Crystal
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color, released in Japan in December 2000 and internationally throughout 2001. Serving as an enhanced edition of the 1999 titles ''Pokémon Gold'' ...
'', when it launched in December.
The online interactions of the latest installment in the
''Pokémon'' video game series were highly promoted and was expected to be the "
killer app
A killer application (often shortened to killer app) is any software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as its host computer hardware, video game console, software platform, or operati ...
" for the Mobile System GB service.
However, delays establishing the service pushed the launch back to 27 January 2001 for a
MSRP
The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...
of .
The device was promoted with advertisements featuring professional baseball player
Kazuhiro Sasaki
Kazuhiro Sasaki (佐々木 主浩 ''Sasaki Kazuhiro'', born February 22, 1968) is a Japanese former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played his entire Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) career with the Yokohama Taiyō Whales / Yokohama ...
.
Initially, the Mobile Adapter GB was exclusively sold at mobile phone specialty stores, as Nintendo believed their employees could better explain the product and its functionality before purchase. However, starting on 11 May 2001, it became available at retailers carrying Game Boy titles,
bundled with ''
Mobile Golf'' at the same price as the adapter alone.
The price of the stand-alone adapter was cut to on 19 July 2001. Each supported game offered different networking features, such as exchanging messages, competing in multiplayer games, submitting scores to
online leaderboards, and
downloading additional content.
The Mobile Adapter GB was not a commercial success, selling 80,000 units in its first year on the market. No new Mobile System GB subscribers were accepted after 1June 2002, and the service was discontinued after less than two years on 18 December 2002. Users could continue to use the peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer (P2P) computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads between peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the network, forming a peer-to-peer network of Node ...
functions of the Mobile Adapter GB that did not require connecting to the Mobile System GB service.
Nintendo would not revisit the concept of an online service for their handheld consoles until the launch of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (sometimes shortened to Nintendo WFC) was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's W ...
on Nintendo DS
The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
in 2005.
Technical overview
The Mobile Adapter GB peripheral was developed by Nintendo. One end of the adapter plugged into the link port of a Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance, while the other connected to a mobile phone via a color-coded plastic box in the middle of the cable. Different models of the adapter were designed for various 2G network standards. At launch, two versions were available: a red cable for the PHS network operated by KDDI
() is a Japanese telecommunications operator. It was established in 2000 through the merger of , , and . In 2001, it merged with a subsidiary named Au, which was formed through the merger of seven automotive and mobile phone companies from t ...
under its DDI Pocket brand and a blue cable for the PDC network. A third, yellow cable was later introduced for the cdmaOne
cdmaOne, most often simply referred to as CDMA, is a 2G digital cellular technology. It was the commercial name for Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), a technology that was developed by Qualcomm and later adopted as a standard by the Telecommunica ...
network. A fourth, green cable intended for the PHS network operated by NTT Docomo and Astel was planned but never released.
The Mobile Adapter GB's features were facilitated through the Mobile System GB service. KDDI, under its DION brand, provided the internet service, charging a one-time setup fee of and a per-minute connection charge. Nintendo also charged between for accessing in-game features. The connected phone would "call" into Nintendo’s server system, operated by Kyocera
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational ceramics and electronics manufacturer headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. It manufactures industrial ceramics, solar power genera ...
, making users subject to their mobile network provider’s standard calling fees.
Nintendo opted not to release the Mobile Adapter GB outside Japan. Journalists speculated reasons for this decision included conflicts in international wireless network standards, and the lack of infrastructure in other countries. Commenting from an American perspective, ''IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' noted that "billing and popularity of cellular phones are very different than in America, and he Japanesemarket is designed specifically for devices such as this. It might not be practical for Nintendo to release the device here...it's questionable whether enough young gamers would have a cellular phone to use it with."
Supported games
The Mobile Adapter GB came packaged with ''Mobile Trainer'', a Game Boy Color Game Pak which was used to configure the player's connection, manage their account, exchange e-mail and browse a limited selection of mobile websites. In total, the Mobile Adapter GB was supported by 22 games released between December 2000 and March 2002, consisting of the following 6 Game Boy Color (GBC) games and 16 Game Boy Advance (GBA) games:
Some games that were planned to use the adapter, such as ''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons'' and ''Oracle of Ages'', (GBC, 2001), ''Golden Sun
is a series of fantasy role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It follows the story of a group of magically-attuned "adepts" who are charged with preventing the potentially destructive power ...
'' (GBA, 2001), and ''Animal Crossing
is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo. It was created by Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami. The player character is a human who lives in a village inhabited by various anthropomorphic animals and can ...
'' (GameCube/GBA, 2001), dropped support for the accessory during development. Others, including ''Beatmania
(styled as ''beatmania'') is a rhythm video game developed and distributed by Japanese game developer Konami and first released in December 1997. It contributed largely to the boom of music games in 1998, and the series expanded not only w ...
GB Net Jam'' (GBC) and ''Baketsu Daisakusen'' (GBA), were never released.
See also
* Game Boy accessories
* Wireless game adapter
Notes
References
{{Nintendo hardware
Game Boy accessories
Products introduced in 2001
Products and services discontinued in 2002
Online video game services