Game Boy Printer
Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox information appliance The Game Boy Printer, known as the Template:Nihongo foot in Japan, is a thermal printer accessory released by Nintendo. It allows users to print special images from over 100 compatible Game Boy and Game Boy Color games onto thermal paper, which can then be applied as stickers. The accessory was designed primarily for use with the Game Boy Camera, which it released alongside in 1998.
Overview
The Game Boy Printer was originally designed by Hirokazu Tanaka for use with the Game Boy Camera.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It connects to the Game Boy through the system's EXT port, similar to the Game Link Cable. As different Game Boy models feature differently-sized ports, the printer is packaged with a "Universal Game Link Cable" that features multiple connector types.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The device is compatible with all Game Boy models except the Game Boy Micro, which uses a different port type and cannot play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.<ref name=RG>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
The printer requires six AA batteries for power.<ref name=RG/> It uses a proprietary 38mm wide thermal paper with adhesive backing, though printed images are only 22mm in width.<ref name=specs/> The printer is only capable of printing monochrome images; to compensate, Nintendo sold paper rolls in multiple colors.<ref name=NF/> New paper rolls were sold at a price of Template:Yen in Japan and Template:Usd in the United States, and could print an estimated 100 images each.<ref name=specs/><ref name=USPrice/> Once printed, the adhesive backing allowed the images to be applied as stickers.<ref name=GBComp/>
In Japan, a Pokémon-themed version of the printer was released in September 1998 alongside Pokémon Yellow.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Games with Game Boy Printer support
The Game Boy Printer was primarily intended to act as a companion to the Game Boy Camera, allowing players to print their photographs.<ref name=GBComp>Template:Cite book</ref> However, multiple other games released between 1998 and 2001 featured support for the Game Boy Printer, allowing players to print their high scores or special unlockable images.<ref name=GBComp/> One of the printer's most notable uses was in the Pokémon series, which allowed players to print out any Pokémon's Pokédex entry.<ref name=RG/>
The following is a list of 110 games that support the Game Boy Printer, only 35 of which were released outside of Japan.
Some games intended to feature Game Boy Printer support, such as Pokemon Picross and Hello Kitty Pocket Camera, were never released.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During development of Pokémon Snap (1999), Satoru Iwata experimented with transferring photos to the Game Boy Camera using the Transfer Pak so that they could be printed using the Game Boy Printer; however, the development team found the printer's output quality to be insufficient, and the feature was abandoned in favor of printing stickers through specialized stations at specific retailers.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Legacy
Due to the discontinuation of its proprietary printer paper and the impermanence of thermal printing, the Game Boy Printer does not see significant use in the modern day.<ref name=NF/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result, hobbyists have developed alternate homebrew methods to transfer printer images from the Game Boy to more modern devices.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The instax mini Link, a printer released by Fujifilm in 2021 which allows images to be printed from a Nintendo Switch, has drawn comparisons to the Game Boy Printer by the gaming press.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>