System D Game Boy Light [ Edit ] [ Talk ]

The Game Boy Light is a backlit and updated version of the Game Boy Pocket exclusively released in Japan. It was first sold in stores on April 14, 1998.

The Game Boy Light only lasted a short amount of time before the Game Boy Color was released in October and November of 1998. The Game Boy Light looks much like a taller Game Boy Pocket, however the battery compartment is shaped differently and is much larger than that of the Game Boy Pocket. The battery compatment was designed this way to accommodate for the two AA batteries that the system utilized, unlike the two AAA batteries of the Game Boy Pocket. It is also believed that this was to allow for a more comfortable grip on the system. The most probable reason for the switch to AA batteries was to power the extra electroluminescent backlight, however it could also be justified by the extra battery life that AA batteries provide over AAAs. It was the only officially released Game Boy to have a backlit screen until 2005 when the backlit version of the Game Boy Advance SP was released.

At launch, the Game Boy Light was only available in the colors gold and silver, but was later available in translucent yellow (Toys "R" Us), translucent red (Tezuka Osamu World Shop), and transparent (Astro Boy & Famitsu) as special, limited editions. A very limited "Pikachu" version model was later released at Pokémon Center Tokyo for a very limited time and an estimate of 1000 of these units were produced according to Nintendo. These special/limited editions are highly valued, especially in mint condition.