The Super Game Boy allowed players to run Game Boy cartridges on a television via the Super NES, bridging handheld and home console gaming in 1994.
Key Facts
- Japan release date
- June 14, 1994
- North America release date
- July 22, 1994
- Europe release date
- September 24, 1994
- US retail price
- $59.99 USD
- UK retail price
- £49.99 GBP
- Super Game Boy 2 release
- January 1998, Japan only
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Nintendo sought to extend the reach of its Game Boy library and increase the utility of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System by enabling players to enjoy handheld titles on a home television screen, addressing demand for a unified gaming experience across its hardware platforms.
The Super Game Boy peripheral was released in 1994, slotting into the SNES cartridge slot to allow Game Boy game cartridges to be played on a television. It retailed at US$59.99 in North America and was distributed in South Korea as the Super Mini Comboy by Hyundai Electronics.
The peripheral expanded the audience for Game Boy software by making it playable on televisions, and demonstrated enough sustained interest that Nintendo released a revised Super Game Boy 2 in Japan in January 1998, adding features such as a link cable port for multiplayer support.