# Grand Theft Auto > 1999 Game Boy Color port of Grand Theft Auto **Wikidata**: [Q105265216](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105265216) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/grand-theft-auto-q105265216 ## Summary Grand Theft Auto is a 1999 Game Boy Color port of the original Grand Theft Auto action-adventure game. This handheld adaptation allows players to experience the open-world crime gameplay on Nintendo's portable console. ## Key Facts - Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Color was released on November 22, 1999, in the United States and in January 2000 in the United Kingdom. - The game was developed by Rockstar Lincoln, a British video game developer founded in 1992. - Take-Two Interactive, established in 1993 and headquartered in New York City, published the Game Boy Color version. - This port features nine playable protagonists: Bubba, Divine, Katie, Kivlov, Mikki, Travis, Troy, Ulrika, and Kelly, with BigMac as a secret character. - The game received multiple regional ratings: USK 16 (Germany), Teen (ESRB in North America), ELSPA 11+ (UK), and M15+ in Australia. - The Game Boy Color version is a modified adaptation of the original Grand Theft Auto game, distributed as a ROM cartridge. - Players control a single character at a time in this action-adventure, sandbox-style game set in the fictional worlds of Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. ## FAQs ### Q: What is Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Color? A: Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Color is a 1999 handheld port of the original Grand Theft Auto game. It's an action-adventure, sandbox game that allows players to explore open-world environments on Nintendo's portable gaming console, featuring multiple playable characters and missions. ### Q: How does the Game Boy Color version differ from the original Grand Theft Auto? A: The Game Boy Color version is a modified adaptation designed for portable gameplay. While it retains the core open-world concept and multiple playable characters, it was specifically optimized for the Game Boy Color's hardware limitations, making it a distinct version from the original 1997 PC game. ### Q: Who are the playable characters in the Game Boy Color version? A: The Game Boy Color version features nine main playable protagonists: Bubba, Divine, Katie, Kivlov, Mikki, Travis, Troy, Ulrika, and Kelly. It also includes BigMac as a secret character that players can unlock during gameplay. ## Why It Matters Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Color represents an important chapter in the series' evolution by bringing the open-world action game to a handheld platform. This port allowed players to experience the criminal underworld gameplay while on the go, expanding the franchise's reach beyond home consoles and PCs. As one of the first major open-world games available on a portable device, it demonstrated the potential for complex, free-roaming gameplay in mobile gaming. The Game Boy Color version also showcases how a mature-rated game could successfully adapt to a handheld platform while maintaining its core gameplay identity, paving the way for future portable adaptations of adult-oriented game franchises. ## Notable For - Being one of the first open-world, sandbox-style games available on a handheld gaming console - Featuring nine distinct playable protagonists with different character designs - Maintaining the mature themes and open-ended gameplay of the original game while adapting to Game Boy Color's technical limitations - Receiving various regional ratings (Teen, USK 16, ELSPA 11+, M15+) reflecting its content across different markets - Being distributed as a ROM cartridge specifically designed for the Game Boy Color hardware ## Body ### Overview Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Color is a 1999 port of the original Grand Theft Auto game, designed for Nintendo's handheld console. This adaptation translates the open-world action-adventure gameplay to a portable format, allowing players to experience the criminal-themed gameplay while on the move. ### Development The Game Boy Color port was developed by Rockstar Lincoln, a British video game studio headquartered in Lincoln. Founded in 1992, the company brought expertise in game development to create this handheld adaptation. The game was published by Take-Two Interactive, the American video game company established in 1993 with headquarters in New York City, which has continued to publish the Grand Theft Auto series to this day. ### Gameplay As an action-adventure sandbox game, the Game Boy Color version offers players open-world gameplay where they can freely explore environments and complete missions. Players control a single character at a time, switching between nine different protagonists: Bubba, Divine, Katie, Kivlov, Mikki, Travis, Troy, Ulrika, and Kelly, with BigMac available as a secret character. The game is set in three fictional cities: Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. ### Characters The game features nine main playable protagonists, each with their own unique appearance and characteristics: 1. Bubba (main character/protagonist #1) 2. Divine (main character/protagonist #2) 3. Katie (main character/protagonist #3) 4. Kivlov (main character/protagonist #4) 5. Mikki (main character/protagonist #5) 6. Travis (main character/protagonist #6) 7. Troy (main character/protagonist #7) 8. Ulrika (main character/protagonist #8) 9. Kelly (main character/protagonist #9) 10. BigMac (secret character/protagonist) ### Release Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Color was released on November 22, 1999, in the United States and in January 2000 in the United Kingdom. The game was distributed as a ROM cartridge specifically designed for the Game Boy Color hardware. It received various regional ratings including USK 16 in Germany, Teen from the ESRB in North America, ELSPA 11+ in the UK, and M15+ in Australia. ### Technical Details The Game Boy Color version was specifically developed to run on Nintendo's Game Boy Color handheld console, utilizing the console's 8-bit color capabilities. The game is distributed as a ROM cartridge, which was the standard physical format for Game Boy Color games. As a single-player game, it supports only one player at a time on the same device. The language of the game is English, and it is part of the Grand Theft Auto series, specifically set in the Grand Theft Auto 2D fictional universe. ## References 1. Australian Classification database 2. [MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy-color/grand-theft-auto/release-info) 3. Fandom 4. [Source](https://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Grand_Theft_Auto_1) 5. [MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/game/grand-theft-auto/rating-systems) 6. [MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy-color/grand-theft-auto/rating-systems) 7. [MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy-color/grand-theft-auto/techinfo)