Game Boy Color Games Released Before 2000
The Game Boy Color launched in Japan on October 14, 1998, giving it just over a year inside our 1990 to 1999 scope, a narrower window than it might seem given how much of its library people associate with the era.
1998 and 1999 releases
Tetris DX (October 1998 Japan, November 1998 North America) was a color, save-enabled update of the original Game Boy Tetris and served as a launch title.
Play the Game Boy Color launch title: Tetris DX
An original Game Boy Color cartridge of Tetris DX (1998), discussed above.
Check price on Amazon →Color-exclusive vs. compatible
Some Game Boy Color games, Tetris DX among them, only run in color and won't work on the original monochrome Game Boy. Others were enhanced, backward-compatible releases that add color when played on a Color or Advance system but still run on the original hardware too.
Genre picks
Tetris DX is the clearest pure-90s Game Boy Color pick, since it launched with the hardware itself in that window.
Regional dates
Pokemon Gold and Silver are a useful example of why regional dates matter here: they released in Japan on November 21, 1999, squarely inside the 90s, but North America didn't get them until October 15, 2000, outside our decade scope. Depending on which region's release date you're using, the same game is either a 90s title or not.
Frequently asked questions
How long was the Game Boy Color actually a 90s system?
Just over a year: it launched in Japan on October 14, 1998, giving it roughly 14 months inside the 1990 to 1999 window before the decade ended.
Is Pokemon Gold and Silver a 90s game?
It depends on the region. Japan got it on November 21, 1999, inside the 90s. North America didn't get it until October 15, 2000, outside this site's core decade scope.
Do all Game Boy Color games require a Color system?
No. Some are color-exclusive, like Tetris DX, but many others are backward-compatible enhanced releases that still run on the original monochrome Game Boy.
Sourcing and corrections
Game Boy Color launch dates and Pokemon Gold/Silver's regional release dates were checked via web search against sources including Wikipedia and Bulbapedia in September 2026.