Mobile Adapter GB

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Mobile Adapter GB
Mobile System GB
Pokemon Crystal Mobile System GB.webp
Mobile Adapter GB connecting a Game Boy Color and mobile phone
Developer Mobile21, KDDI
TypeOnline service
Launch date27 January 2001 (2001-01-27)
Discontinued14 December 2002 (2002-12-14)
Platform(s)
StatusDiscontinued
Pricing model ¥10 per minute after ¥5,800 adapter purchase and ¥400 setup fee

The Mobile Adapter GB [a] , developed by Mobile21, a collaboration between Nintendo and Konami, was a short-lived peripheral that allowed the handheld Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance consoles to connect to a mobile phone, utilizing its cellular network for online interactions via the Mobile System GB [b] service. Following delays, the device and service launched in Japan on 27 January 2001. Together, they enabled online functionality for select games, most notably Pokémon Crystal and Mobile Golf .

Contents

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 on 14 December 2002, marking an early, albeit unsuccessful, attempt at handheld online gaming—one that nevertheless foreshadowed the eventual success of future services like the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on the DS and Nintendo Switch Online.

History

The Mobile Adapter GB and the Mobile System GB service were announced at Nintendo's Space World 2000 event in August. [1] At the time, Nintendo planned to release them alongside Pokémon Crystal , when it launched in December. [2] The online interactions of the latest installment in the Pokémon video game series were highly promoted and was expected to be the "killer app" for the Mobile System GB service. [3] [4] However, delays establishing the service pushed the launch back to 27 January 2001 for a MSRP of ¥5,800. [5] [6] The device was promoted with advertisements featuring professional baseball player Kazuhiro Sasaki. [7]

Initially, the Mobile Adapter GB was sold only at mobile phone specialty stores. [8] However, starting on 11 May 2001, it was also sold at retailers carrying Game Boy titles, bundled with Mobile Golf at the same price as the adapter alone. [9] [10]

The Mobile Adapter GB was not a commercial success, selling 80,000 units in its first year on the market, [9] leading the Mobile System GB service to be discontinued after less than two years on 14 December 2002. Nintendo would not revisit the concept of an online service for their handheld consoles until the launch of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on Nintendo DS in 2005. [11] [12]

Overview

The Mobile Adapter GB peripheral was developed by Mobile21, a joint venture between Nintendo and Konami. [3] 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. [5] 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 under its DDI Pocket brand and a blue cable for the PDC network. A third, yellow cable was later introduced for the cdmaOne network. A fourth, green cable intended for the PHS network operated by NTT Docomo and Astel was planned but never released. [2] [13]

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 ¥400 and a ¥10 per-minute connection charge. [14] Nintendo also charged between ¥10 to 100 for accessing in-game features. The connected phone would "call" into Nintendo’s server system, operated by Kyocera, [15] , making users subject to their mobile network provider’s standard calling fees. [16]

The Mobile System GB service homepage, accessed from the Mobile Trainer browser Mobile System GB homepage.jpg
The Mobile System GB service homepage, accessed from the Mobile Trainer browser

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. [3] [17]

In total, about 20 games supported the device, including Monster Guardians, [18] Napoleon , [9] Play Novel: Silent Hill , [19] Mario Kart: Super Circuit , [20] and Game Boy Wars 3 . [21] Some games that were planned to use the adapter, such as The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, Golden Sun , and Animal Crossing , dropped support for the accessory during development. [22] [23] [24] Others including Beatmania GB Net Jam and Baketsu Daisakusen were never released. [25] [26]

Nintendo opted not to release the Mobile Adapter GB outside Japan. [5] Journalists speculated reasons for this decision included conflicts in international wireless network standards, and the lack of infrastructure in other countries. [27] [28] Commenting from an American perspective, IGN noted that "billing and popularity of cellular phones are very different than in America, and (the Japanese) market 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." [29]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: モバイルアダプタGB, Hepburn: Mobairu Adaputa GB
  2. ↑ モバイルシステムGB, Mobairu Shisutemu GB

References

  1. ↑ "Spaceworld 2000: The Dawn of GameCube". Gamers Republic. No. 29. October 2000. pp. 6–8.
  2. 1 2 "About the Game Boy mobile phone network "Mobile System GB"". Nintendo (Press release). 24 August 2000. Archived from the original on 18 October 2000. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Bertoli, Ben (25 August 2019). "That Time Nintendo Took the Game Boy (and Pokémon) Online". Kotaku. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  4. ↑ Koeppel, Christopher. "Pokémon Crystal/Mobile Adapter GB Announced". RPGamer. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Harris, Craig (31 October 2000). "No Mobile Adapter Until 2001". IGN. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  6. ↑ "Game Boy Mobile Adapter Delayed". RPGamer. 27 January 2001. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "任天堂，KDDIと提携し「モバイルアダプタGB」を27日発売" [Nintendo teams up with KDDI to release "Mobile Adapter GB" on the 27th] (Press release) (in Japanese). KDDI. 11 January 2001. Retrieved 4 March 2025– via ITmedia.
  8. ↑ "「モバイルアダプタＧＢ」をゲットしよう" (in Japanese). Nintendo. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 Harris, Craig (30 March 2001). "Low Numbers for Mobile Adapter GB". IGN. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  10. ↑ "モバイルゴルフ" [Mobile Golf]. Nintendo. 18 January 2003. Archived from the original on 18 January 2003. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  11. ↑ "Pokémon Crystal Version". Nintendo. 2000. Archived from the original on 6 November 2002. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Sledge, Ben (13 August 2022). "Pokemon Crystal Had Long Distance Trading Years Before The Nintendo DS". TheGamer. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  13. ↑ "サービス終了　モバイルアダプタGB" [End of service Mobile Adapter GB] (in Japanese). 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  14. ↑ "「モバイルシステムGB」ってなに？" [What is "Mobile System GB"?]. Nintendo Online Magazine (in Japanese). January 2001. Archived from the original on 20 February 2003. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  15. ↑ "モバイルデータセンター潜入記" [A look into the mobile data center]. Nintendo Online Magazine (in Japanese). Nintendo. July 2001. Archived from the original on 12 December 2002. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  16. ↑ "モバイルアダプタＧＢ通信" [Mobile adapter GB communication]. www.scn-net.ne.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  17. ↑ "モバイルホームページを見てみよう" [Check out the mobile homepage]. Nintendo Online Magazine (in Japanese). Nintendo. July 2001. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  18. ↑ "First Impressions: Monster Guardians". IGN. 29 March 2001. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  19. ↑ "Silent Hill Play Novel – Game Boy Advance Preview". IGN . 19 January 2001. Archived from the original on 28 June 2006. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  20. ↑ "Game Boy Advance Mobile Adapter Compatible?". GameSpot. 12 January 2001. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  21. ↑ "GBカラーで本格SLG！『ゲームボーイウォーズ3』公式サイトオープン！" [An authentic SLG in GB color! The official "Game Boy Wars 3" website is now open!]. 電撃オンライン (in Japanese). 2 July 2001. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  22. ↑ "Okamoto on Zelda". IGN. 17 September 1999. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  23. ↑ "Questing Together in Camelot". IGN. 9 January 2001. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  24. ↑ "クリスマス特別企画　ピックアップソフト特集　『どうぶつの森＋』". Nintendo Online Magazine (in Japanese). No. 41. Nintendo. December 2001. Archived from the original on 13 December 2003. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  25. ↑ "Horse Racing Creating Derby". IGN. 24 January 2001. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  26. ↑ Sato, Yukiyoshi Ike (26 April 2000). "GB BeatMania Network Compatible". GameSpot. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  27. ↑ "Game Boy Advance". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 19 May 2021. p. 86.
  28. ↑ "Game Boy Goes Mobile". Electronic Gaming Monthly. November 2000. p. 39.
  29. ↑ "Pokémon Bundles Up In Japan". IGN. 21 December 2000. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
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