FAQ - Game Boy Printer FAQ
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Game Boy Hardware Version
Game Boy Printer FAQ 3.2
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Welcome to the Game Boy Printer FAQ!
It is copyright Mark Raby 2005 via GameFAQs. It is not to be used for
commercial use without proper permission. Please keep coming back for updates!
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CONTENTS
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0) Version history
1) Background info
2) Hardware Compatibility
3) Where to get it
3.1 Game Boy Printer
3.2 Game Boy Printer Paper
3.3 Compatible Games
4) Getting your printer set up
5) Software Compatibility
5.1 1942
5.2 Game Boy Camera*
5.3 Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
5.4 Mary Kate & Ashley: Pocket Planner
5.5 NFL Blitz
5.6 Pokemon Gold/Silver*
5.7 Pokemon Pinball
5.8 Pokemon Trading Card Game
5.9 Pokemon Yellow*
5.10 Quest For Camelot
5.11 Roadsters*
5.12 Alice in Wonderland*
5.13 Austin Powers: Oh, Behave!*
5.14 Austin Powers: Welcome to my Underground Lair*
5.15 Dinosaur
5.16 Disney's Tarzan
5.17 Donkey Kong Country*
5.18 ET Digital Companion*
5.19 Fisher-Price Rescure Heroes: Fire Frenzy
5.20 Klax
5.21 Little Mermaid 2 Pinball
5.22 Little Nicky
5.23 Magical Drop
5.24 Mickey's Speedway USA*
5.25 Perfect Dark
5.26 Pokemon Crystal*
5.27 Super Mario Bros Deluxe*
6) Fun Statistics
7) Printer Errors
8) Fixing a paper jam
9) Coming Soon
9.1 Next Version
9.2 Future Versions
10) Credits
* - Denotes a game that has a detailed walkthrough on exactly what you can do
with the GB Printer and how to do it.
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0) Version history
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(Dates are based on when the FAQ was submitted, not necessarily when it was
posted)
2/27/05: (57 KB)
Version 3.2
- Added version 1.0 of E.T. Digital Companion's GB Printer Walkthrough
- Added a preview of 3.3 in the "coming soon" section
2/18/05: (52 KB)
Version 3.1
- Added important info on the link cable in section 4
- Added minor stuff to the "background info" section
- Moved "ET Digital Companion" from Game Boy section to Game Boy Color section
- Added version 1.0 of the Austin Powers games' GB Printer Walkthrough
- Updated Donkey Kong Country's GB Printer Walkthrough to version 1.1
- Updated Mickey's Speedway USA's GB Printer Walkthrough to version 1.1
- Added a preview of version 3.2 in the "coming soon" section
2/15/05: (46 KB)
Version 3.0
- Changed some minor formatting
- Added more info to Roadsters
- Added version 1.0 of Roadsters' GB Printer Walkthrough
- Added version 1.0 of Alice in Wonderland's GB Printer Walkthrough
- Added version 1.0 of Donkey Kong Country's GB Printer Walkthrough
- Added version 1.0 of Mickey's Speedway USA GB Printer Walkthrough
- Added version 1.0 of Super Mario Bros Deluxe's GB Printer Walkthrough
- Copied version 1.0 of Pokemon Gold/Silver's GB Printer Walkthrough to
Pokemon Crystal
- Added a preview of Version 3.1 in the "coming soon" section
2/12/05: (34 KB)
Version 2.65
- Updated Pokemon Yellow GB Printer Walkthrough to version 1.2
2/12/05: (33 KB)
Version 2.6
- Updated Pokemon Yellow GB Printer Walkthrough to version 1.1
- Added version 1.0 of Pokemon Gold/Silver's GB Printer Walkthrough
- Added a preview of Version 2.7 in the "coming soon" section
2/8/05:
Version 2.5 (31 KB)
- Added NFL Blitz information
- Added Klax information
- Added Little Mermaid 2 Pinball information
- Added Little Nicky information
- Added Fisher-Price Rescue Heroes: Fire Frenzy information
- Added Magical Drop information
2/8/05:
Version 2.1 (28 KB)
- Added a "where to find it" section
- Added a preview of Version 2.2
2/7/05:
Version 2.0 (27 KB)
- Added Pokemon Trading Card Game information (I can't believe I forgot to
include it in version 1.0)
- Fixed some grammar stuff
- Fixed numbering inconsistencies in the Contents section
- Added some more info in the "Background info" section
- Added developer/publisher info for compatible games
- Added the idea of individual "GB Printer Walkthroughs" for specific games
- Added Version 1.0 of Game Boy Camera's GB Printer Walkthrough
- Added Version 1.0 of Pokemon Yellow's GB Printer Walkthrough
- Added a "fun statistics" section
- Added a preview of version 2.1
2/5/05:
Version 1.0 (16 KB)
- Finished FAQ
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1) Background info
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The Game Boy Printer was released in 1998 to correspond with the launch of the
Game Boy Camera accessory. The Game Boy Camera is a digital camera of sorts
that lets you print out your own pictures. In fact, a lot of people think that
the camera was the only thing that connected to the Printer. That is not
the case. As Nintendo always does, they wanted to get the most possible use
with this new peripheral (the printer). So they opened up the printer
accessibility to third party publishers and it really became a cool feature that
let you take your games one step further. As a matter of fact, third-party
publishers showed a good amount of interest in the Printer. Out of the 28
compatible games, half of them (14) were actually from third-party publishers.
Unfortunately, there was not a whole lot of public interest in the printer and
it died off, but not after giving a good number of games the opportunity to have
Game Boy Printer connectivity. As I stated, the printer was introduced in 1998.
The last game, as far as I know, to have GB Printer support was in late 2001,
meaning it would have technically not been unimaginable for an early Game Boy
Advance game or two to have Printer support (it was released in the summer of
2001). Unfortunately, that did not happen. But still, it was around for a good
3 years, and unless there are some games I'm not aware of, a whopping 28 games
actually had some kind of connectivity with the printer. This may not sound
like a lot, but in reality, for a Nintendo peripheral, it got some of the most
exposure ever seen. Compare it to the NES "running pad" or the SNES mouse, the
Gamecube Bongo controllers, or the GBA e-Reader. All of these had just a few
compatible games, and third-party support for them was virtually unheard of.
The Printer "printed" out on special rolls of thermal paper, meaning it did not
actually use ink. These rolls of paper also had adhesive backs, so anything you
printed out could actually be turned into a sticker.
The goal of this FAQ is to provide you with the most detailed guide on the Game
Boy Printer, from how to use it to a comprehensive list of which games are
compatible, as well as to provide you with extensive in-depth walkthroughs with
how exactly to get the most use out of your Printer with each compatible game.
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2) Hardware Compatibility
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The Game Boy Printer is compatible with all versions of the Game Boy. That is,
the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Pocket, the Game Boy Color, the Game Boy
Advance, and the Game Boy Advance SP. Is it NOT compatible with the Nintendo DS
becuase the DS has no connections port to link up to the printer.
NOTE: Even though the Game Boy Printer is compatible with all Game Boy models,
not all the Game Boy Printer-compatible games are. Since the Printer was
released in the Game Boy/Game Boy Color transitioning period, there are some
games that are compatible with the Printer that are only compatible with the
Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Advance SP.
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3) Where to get it
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-3.1 Game Boy Printer-
With the Game Boy Printer being out of circulation for more than 3 years, it is
quite understandably getting harder to come across. However, you can still
find NEW GB Printers from Amazon.com. They run about $60, which was the MSRP
when it was released in 1998. However, if you don't mind getting a used one,
you can buy one from online stores for about $35, and if you have an eBay
account you can get one for even cheaper. Three years is not a substantially
long time, but before too long the printer may be even more scarce. Act
quickly.
-3.2 Game Boy Printer Paper-
The printer paper is, obviously, extremely vital for your printer. However, you
don't have to worry just yet about the supply of it running out. I'm not sure,
but Nintendo may still even be manufacturing it. At least, you can buy it
from the official Nintendo online store (http://store.nintendo.com). They may
just be selling all the rolls leftover in their warehouse. Regardless, the
paper there is $9.95 for a pack of 3 rolls. Each pack contains a roll of white
paper, yellow paper, and blue paper. You can also find them for much cheaper
at other online sites, especially eBay.
-3.3 Compatible Games-
I've done some research and all of the Game Boy Printer-compatible games can
be bought online. EBGames.com and Amazon.com are your best online retailers
for them. Other than that, you can search Froogle to find other places to buy
them. And of course, eBay is always a great source for them.
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4) Getting your printer set up
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To use the Game Boy Printer, you need the following items:
*Compatible Game Boy (see section 2 above)
*Game Boy Printer
*Compatible Link Cable
*Game Boy Printer Paper
Before you start linking everything up, make sure your printer is set up.
First, you need 6 AA batteries in the bottom of the printer. To load the paper,
first press the tab on the top of the printer and remove the paper cover. Next,
take your roll of paper and unroll a few inches of it. Instert the pointed end
into the paper slot until it comes out the other end of the paper try. Pull it
out an inch or so, and then cut off the end (using the sharp edges on the paper
tray). You are now ready to use your Game Boy Printer!
NOTE on the link cable: If you are using a Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance,
you may have some problems using a third-party cable to connect to the Printer.
In fact, I have a Nyko and an Intec link cable and neither of them work (I get
a printer error #2 when trying to print out something from my GB Color or
Advance with these cables -- however, I have no problems connecting my original
Game Boy with it). I have no other 3rd-party cables, so I can't say for sure,
but you may need an official Nintendo Universal Link Cable. I use the one I got
with my Printer and there is no problem. Just a heads up if you're planning to
be a GB Printer enthusiast and don't have access to an official Nintendo link
cable.
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5) Software Compatibility
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So now, you need some games to use with the Game Boy Printer. Listed below is,
without a doubt, the most comprehensive list of Game Boy Printer-compatible
games on the internet. In fact, I am pretty sure it is a complete and
comprehensive list. If you know of any other compatible games, please e-mail me
at markraby@gmail.com. It is also the only place you will find such detailed
information on exactly what you can print out from the individual games.
The list is ordered alphabetically and by hardware compatibility. That is, the
first 10 games are compatible with all Game Boy models, and for the rest, you
must have at least a Game Boy Color. The "Game Boy Printer Support" information
is based on a relative scale among all Game Boy Printer-compatible games, not
necessarily on how crucial the printer is for each individual game. Here's a
breakdown on the Printer Support levels:
*Minimal - Adds no real value to the game (i.e. Printing out high scores or
passwords)
*Slight - Adds a novelty factor to the game. The printer support has virtually
no ties to the game itself and is just thrown in as an extra feature.
*Medium - The printer option is tied into the actual game or storyline somehow,
but is not really a big part of the game.
*Large - Much of the game is involved in some way with the printer.
*Extensive - If you own a printer, you must own this game. The game was created
with the printer in mind.
Also listed in some of the games' information are "GB Printer Walkthroughs",
which detail extensively what you can print out and how to do so. These act
as their own little "mini FAQs/Walkthroughs" that have their own version
numbers. Be sure to keep coming back to see more GB Printer walkthroughs
posted and updates on those that aren't 100% finished.
-5.1 1942-
Released: 2000
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Minimal
Brief Description:
This game does not have a save feature, so at the end of each round, you will
receive a password so you can start from there the next time you play the game.
You are able to print out the password with the Game Boy Printer if you are too
lazy to write it down yourself.
-5.2 Game Boy Camera-
Released: 1998
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Accessory/Peripheral
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Extensive
Brief Description:
This is why the printer was created. With the Game Boy Camera, you can take
your own pictures. It is basically a digital camera for your Game Boy. There
are also a few mini-games to play. The printer lets you print out the pictures
you've taken, captions about the pictures, and also your music information in
the DJ mini-game. You're also allowed to choose from quite an extensive set of
borders for your pictures.
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
There are a few different ways to print out your pictures. I'll outline them
here:
Option 1 (Single Pictures, Album A)
- On the main menu, select the "shoot" option. Once in the "shoot"
menu, choose "check". Now you can go through all the pictures you've taken.
Once you're on the picture you want to print, press the Select button. Push the
up button to go to the "print" option. Then press the A button. Press the A
button again on the confirmation screen.
However, you can spice your picture up a bit if you want. Instead of pushing
the up button in the picture menu screen, press the right button. From here,
you can add a caption to your picture or set a frame for it.
Once you have your frame and/or caption set, then go to the print option from
the picture menu screen. Before you press the A button on the confirmation
screen, press the Start button if you want to include your caption. If you
press the select button on the confirmation screen, you get even more options.
You can adjust the exposure (darkness) of the picture or you can set a frame for
it directly from here. This also allows you to print "wild" frames around your
picture. These frames are bigger and most of them are associated with Nintendo
themes.
Option 2 (Single Pictures, Album A)
- On the main menu, select the "view" option and then choose "album".
Choose a picture that you want to print and press the A button. Then press the
Select button to enter the picture menu screen. The rest of the instructions
are the same as Option 1 above.
NOTE: You cannot print out the pictures in photo album B (the pre-arranged and
unlockable pictures) with this method.
Option 3 (Single or Multiple Pictures, Album A or B)
- On the main menu, push the Select button. A new set of options will
appear. Go up to the "link" option. Once there, select the "print" option.
In this screen, you have two options. By going directly to the "print" option,
you can print pictures in the same manner as Option 2 above. However, a new
addition here is that you can print out pictures in Album B.
In the printer menu, if you choose "option", you have the ability to print
multiple pictures at once. First, set the feed margin using the left and
right buttons. This will be how much space you have between pictures. Then
push the down button, and you will be able to select as many pictures as you
want from album A. The only thing here is that you cannot print out your
captions or set frames. You can have frames in your pictures, but you have to
set them using either Option 1 or Option 2 above.
Option 4 (DJ Music Data)
- This is not to print out pictures, but actually to print out the
music you've created in the DJ mini-game. To get to the DJ mini-game, select
"play" at the main menu screen and shoot the "D" icon that comes down at the
beginning of the game. When you're in the DJ mode, press Select to create your
own music. Push the Select button while in the music screen to change between
"sound 1", "sound 2", and "noise". While in "sound 1", press and hold the A
button with the Start button to print out your music.
-5.3 Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX-
Released: 1998
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: RPG
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
Throughout the game, you will run into a photographer who likes to take
pictures. You can then print these pictures out on the Game Boy Printer. There
is a total of 13 different pictures you can get.
-5.4 Mary Kate & Ashley: Pocket Planner-
Released: 2000
Developer: Unsure
Publisher: Acclaim
Genre: Personal Organization
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
This is a PDA-type game geared towards girls. You get a diary, calendar, phone
book, and some mini-games. With the Game Boy Printer, you can print out some of
the PDA stuff (i.e. Upcoming appointments you have programmed), as well as
pictures of Mary Kate and Ashley.
-5.5 NFL Blitz '99-
Released: 1999
Developer: Midway
Publisher: Miday
Genre: Sports
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
You can print out your team's statistics with the Game Boy Printer. I don't
know much more about this game.
-5.6 Pokemon Gold/Silver-
Released: 2000
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: RPG
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
As most people know, Pokemon games are all about catching as many Pokemon as
possible. With the Game Boy Printer, you can print out pictures from your
Pokedex of individual Pokemon data. There is also a Photo Studio in
the game which allows you to take pictures of your Pokemon and print them out.
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
There are two different things you can do with the Printer in Pokemon Gold/
Silver.
Option 1 (Pokedex Data)
- At any point in the game, you can print out Pokedex data of a
specific Pokemon. Just press the Start button and choose "Pokedex". Once
there, select the Pokemon you want. You can then go through a list of options,
such as "data", "cry", "area", and "print". Simply select the "print" option.
The GB Printer will then print out the Pokedex description of the Pokemon (name,
type, height, weight, Pokemon number, and a description about the Pokemon).
Note, however, that you need to have at least seen a Pokemon in battle to be
able to print out its data, and for the full Pokedex entry, you must have
caught the Pokemon.
Option 2 (Specific Pokemon Data)
- Near the top-right section of Cianwood City, there is a house with
a sign out front that says "Photo Studio". Enter there and talk to the man
inside. He will let you print out some more info on certain Pokemon. Note that
you must have your Pokemon in your team to print out their info here. What
prints out is the individual data for your specific Pokemon. This includes
their moveset, nickname, and individual stats for attack, defense, etc.
-5.7 Pokemon Pinball-
Released: 1999
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Pinball
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Minimal
Brief Description:
Pokemon Pinball is more or less your standard pinball game. The game keeps
track of your high scores. With the Game Boy Printer, all you can do is print
off your high score list.
-5.8 Pokemon Trading Card Game-
Released: 2000
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: RPG
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
This game is, quite obviously, based on the popular Pokemon trading card game.
In it, you collect cards to build the best possible deck. You can print out
your decks, card lists, or just individual card info. Personally, I find this
option pretty cool. You could print out the deck list that you used to beat
the final boss, and keep the printed info as a reference for a deck in the
real-life trading card game.
-5.9 Pokemon Yellow-
Released: 1999
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: RPG
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
Much like Pokemon Gold/Silver (5.7 above), you can print off Pokedex data about
individual Pokemon, as well as a list of Pokemon stored in your Pokemon boxes.
There is no GB Printer House in Pokemon Yellow, but if you obtain surfing
Pikachu, you can print out your high scores in the surfing Pikachu mini-game.
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.2):
There are three different kinds of things you can print in Pokemon Yellow:
Option 1 (Pokedex Data)
- At any point in the game, you can print out Pokedex data of a
specific Pokemon. Just press the Start button and choose "Pokedex". Once
there, select the Pokemon you want. You can then go through a list of options,
such as "data", "cry", "area", and "print". Simply select the "print" option.
The GB Printer will then print out the Pokedex description of the Pokemon (name,
type, height, weight, Pokemon number, and a description about the Pokemon).
Note, however, that you need to have at least seen a Pokemon in battle to be
able to print out its data, and for the full Pokedex entry, you must have
caught the Pokemon.
Option 2 (PC Box Data)
- When you are in a Pokemon Center, you can print out the data of your
Pokemon boxes. Go to the PC, and select Bill's PC (or "Someone's PC" if you
haven't met Bill yet). Make sure the currently selected box is the one you
want to print out (change this by choosing the "change box" option). Then
simply choose the "print box" option. The GB Printer will then print out a list
that starts "Pokemon List; Box 1". It will then list, in order, all the
Pokemon you have in your current box. It also includes the Pokemon nicknames.
If you have not filled up your box, all unfilled spots will still print out,
but with "------" listed as the Pokemon name.
Option 3 (Pikachu's Beach High Score List)
- If you have a surfing Pikachu, you can play a special mini-game.
With the GB Printer, you can also print out your high score data from this
mini-game. Go to Fuschia City and head to the house by the sea. There should
be two trainers near it and a sign that says "Sea Route 19: Fuscia City -
Seafoam Islands". Once in the house, you can play the surfing Pikachu
mini-game. If you want to print out your high score data, go to the GB Printer
icon at the top-right corner of the room and push the A button.
If you're not sure how to get a surfing Pikachu, here's how. You must have an
N64, the game Pokemon Stadium, and a Transfer Pak. What you need to do is
use your Pokemon Yellow team to defeat the Prime Cup (in Stadium mode). This
means you must defeat every trainer from every tier, up through the Master Ball
level. You must also have your Pikachu on your team for the entire thing.
This is quite a challenge because the Pokemon you're battling are all level 100.
After you win, you will get a message about Pikachu learning Surf. Then you're
ready to play the surfing Pikachu mini-game!
-5.10 Quest for Camelot-
Released: 1998
Developer: Titus Software
Publisher: Titus Software
Genre: Adventure
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
Quest for Camelot is a story-driven adventure game. As such, there are many
cutscenes during the game. You can print out pictures of these cutscenes by
pushing the select button during them.
-5.11 Roadsters-
Released: 2000
Developer: Titus Software
Publisher: Titus Software
Genre: Racing
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: original Game Boy
Game Boy Printer Support: Minimal
Brief Description:
Roadsters is kind of like a retouched Pole Position. You just steer left and
right and the scenery changes with you. Unfortunately, like 1942 (5.1 above),
all you can do is print out passwords that you earn during the game. This is
actually more advantageous than 1942, though, because the passwords are really
long (the passwords in 1942 are only 4 characters).
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
There's not a whole lot to talk about here. After you complete a race, you will
come upon a password screen. Written on the screen is "press select to print".
Simply hook up your GB Printer and press the Select button, and your password
will print out. You get no confirmation screen (you will be notified if there's
an error), so just wait for it to print out. Don't hit Select multiple times.
NOTE: Do not try to print out the password if you are playing via the Super
Game Boy (connected to the SNES) or your game will crash.
-5.12 Alice in Wonderland-
Released: 2000
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Digital Eclipse
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Slight
Brief Description:
Alice in Wonderland is an action game, but the printer actually has nothing to
do with the game or its storyline. There is a mode called "Alice's Art Gallery"
which allows you to piece together pictures of the different Alice in Wonderland
characters. With the GB Printer, you can print out your creations.
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
The GB Printer option in this game has nothing to do with the game itself, so
everything is already "unlocked" and ready for you to play with the moment you
turn the game on. From the menu screen, choose "Alice's Art Gallery". You
will then immediately start work on your masterpiece.
First, choose a background. There are three to choose from: an ocean backdrop
(from the Dodo bird scene in the movie), a forest scene (including the hole to
the cave that leads to Wonderland in the movie), and a white screen with a
little design on the sides of it. You will then be at the "select group"
screen. This is where you add different pictures to your artwork.
You can choose from "cast", "creatures", and "props". In "cast", there's the
Queen's servant (two pics), the carpenter/gardener, the Hare, the Mad Hatter
(3 pics), the Queen, the white rabbit, the Cheshire cat (4 pics), and of course
Alice (10 pics). In "creatures", there's the flamingo/croquet mallet, the
penguin, the groundhog/croquet ball, and something else (I have no idea what it
is!). Finally, in props, you have some miscellaneous stuff (crown, heart,
flower, pocket watch, etc).
Once you select the object you want, you can place it on your backdrop. To
flip a picture horizontally, press the Select button. To place it down, press
the A button. To add another object, press the B button. To print it, press
Start. Once you do that, you will enter the "print picture" screen. From here,
you can confirm to print, go back to the picture, or exit the art gallery (I
have no idea why they put that in the print option). Simply choose "print" and
the picture will print out.
-5.13 Austin Powers: Oh, Behave!-
Released: 2000
Developer: Tarantula Studios
Publisher: Take2
Genre: Miscellaneous
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
Oh, Behave! is best described as a simulation of a Windows computer. You get
wallpapers, sound clips, and mini-games to play around with. There's also a
Notepad-type application. It'll even feel more like a computer in that you can
hook it up to the Game Boy Printer. However, the only thing you can print out
are your Notepad files that you create.
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
Option 1 (Notes)
- After the annoying boot-up screen (you can press Start, quit to skip it), you
will arrive at the desktop screen. To access the Notepad application (called
"Austin's Pad"), move the cursor to the red icon near the bottom of the screen
and press B twice. This will take you to the program selection screen. Move
the cursor to the typewriter icon and again, press B twice. You are now in
the Austin's Pad application. To type a new note, move your cursor to the
top-middle icon (the word "New" should appear above) and press B. You can then
enter your note (press the B button to enter a character and the A button to
toggle between caps/lowercase letters). Once you're finished, choose the green
folder icon at the bottom of the screen,
To print out your note, you need to save it first. Go to the middle icon on
the screen to do this. You will then be able to enter the filename for that
note (remember, B is the main button for this, not A). Once you have a saved
file, go up to the top-right icon on the screen and press B. You will then
enter the print screen. First, move your cursor to the top box on the screen,
press B, and choose which file you want to print. Then go down to the bottom
of the screen and select "ok".
Option 2 (E-Mail)
- If you are lucky enough to match up with another one of the 20 people who
actually bought this game, you can send and receive e-mail from them. Using the
Infa-Red connection, one person chooses the "send" icon at the bottom-right of
the screen, and another chooses the "receive" icon (bottom-middle icon). You
just send notes that you've created in Austin's Pad. So if you want to print
out a note you've received from someone else, just choose the "e-mail" icon in
the print screen and then follow the rest of the directions as outlined in
Option 1 above.
-5.14 Austin Powers: Welcome to my Underground Lair-
Released: 2000
Developer: Tarantula Studios
Publisher: Take2
Genre: Miscellaneous
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
Welcome to my Underground Lair, for all intents & purposes related to the Game
Boy Printer, is the exact same as Austin Powers: Oh, Behave (5.13 above).
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
See 5.13 above -- the method to printing is exactly the same
-5.15 Dinosaur-
Released: 2000
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Slight
Brief Description:
Dinosaur's based on the Disney movie of the same name. In the game, you get a
team of 6 dinosaurs on your team. During the game, you can print pictures of
the dinosaurs in your herd.
-5.16 Disney's Tarzan-
Released: 1999
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Slight
Brief Description:
Much like Alice in Wonderland (5.12 above), the printer support in Tarzan has
absolutely no connection to the game or its storyline. There is a "paint &
print" mode in the game that allows you to make your own pictures using
Tarzan-themed backgrounds, clip art, and characters. You can then, of course,
print your pictures out with the GB Printer.
-5.17 Donkey Kong Country-
Released: 2000
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
Throughout the game, you will find DK sticker packs scattered in the rounds.
Most of them are found near the green bananas. Stomp on the sticker packs and
you will be able to print out special Donkey Kong themed stickers. It's one of
the few action games that actually incorporated the printer into the game
itself.
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.1):
There are a few different things you can print out with the GB Printer:
Option 1 (Letters/Numbers)
- From the main menu, go to the "Print" option. Once there, choose the
"alphabet" icon. You can now scroll, using the left and right arrow keys, to
choose a letter or number you want to print out. They are in Donkey Kong font
and have a character or item on them. There are also special letters, those
being simply letters with accents on them. Once you've chosen the letter/
number you want to print out, press A. You'll see three circles pop up on the
top right of the screen. These determine the darkness/quality of the picture.
The sun is for a quick, light version of the picture. The moon is for a
higher quality, darker picture. The sun&moon is somewhere in the middle. After
you choose your darkness setting, choose the checkmark that comes up. It will
then start printing.
Option 2 (Sticker Book)
- While playing the adventure mode of the game, you may notice green banana
bunches in some of the levels (one per each area of the map). These indicate
that there is a sticker pad somewhere nearby. Use DK's ground slap (or jump
from a high area) around that vicinity and you will see a yellow book-type
object appear. Touch it and you will unlock one of the stickers in the
sticker book. To access the sticker book, go to the "Print" option from the
main menu. Once there, choose the "sticker book" icon. (Don't worry about
having to save your game -- once you get the sticker pack in the level, it is
automatically saved to your sticker book, even if you fail to finish the
level). Note that, for 2/3 of the sticker packs, you'll need to beat the
game first and then go through it again with the DK barrels off and then with
the star barrels off (or go through it once with both off).
The sticker book has five pages of stickers. There is a total of 10 pictures
in the book, but there are 18 sticker packs to collect. This is because some
pictures are split up into 2 or 4 sections. While you can view individual
pieces of these pictures that you get, you cannot print them out until you
have the entire picture. The pictures are as follows: DK and Diddy swinging
on vines; DK and Diddy on a mine cart with the Nintendo and Rare logos in the
background (2 sticker packs); DK and Diddy hiking through a cave; DK and Diddy
in the jungle along with some animals (4 sticker packs); DK's head; Diddy on
top of a Nintendo sign; DK and Diddy standing next to a DK sign; DK and Diddy
cheering alongside their frog friend; DK climbing a ladder in a mine with a
miner hat on (Diddy's in the background) (2 sticker packs); Christmas-themed
picture with DK and Diddy in a sled and presents under a Christmas tree with
the Rare logo glowing on top as the star (4 sticker packs).
To print out a picture, follow the same procedure outlined in Option 1 above.
Option 3 (Banner)
- To get this option, you must first beat the game and then beat all the mini-
games in "Crosswire Crankies" from the bonus option. Once you do this, you
will get a message stating that you have unlocked a new print feature. Now,
go to "print" on the main menu. You will notice that you can now select the
"banner" option. Once there, you can enter a message of up to 36 characters.
Your letter/number choices are the same as the "alphabet" mode, but you don't
get the DK characters or items appearing with your letters here. This is
much more efficient, though, for long messages you want to print out. Once
you have your message, press the Select button and choose the banner icon.
Then follow the outlines from Option 1 above to choose the darkness and then
print it out.
-5.18 E.T. Digital Companion-
Released: 2001
Developer: NewKidCo
Publisher: NewKidCo
Genre: Personal Organization
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Large
NOTE: You may notice that the boxart for this game does not have the "only for
Game Boy Color" logo on it, but it should. It is not compatible with the
original Game Boy.
Brief Description:
E.T. Digital Companion is quite possibly the second biggest use for the GB
Printer (right behind the Game Boy Camera). You can print out just about
everything that you do in the game.
This game is mostly just like a PDA for your Game Boy. You can store contact
information, use it as a planner, and more. There's also a virtual pet type of
game in addition to some cool mini-games. The Game Boy Printer focuses on
the PDA side of the game. You can print out your contact info, to-do lists,
etc, as well as actual pictures from the ET movie (they're not that great,
but they're possibly the most "ambitious" pictures for any GB Printer game)
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
There's so much that you're able to print out that it was tough for me to split
it into different section (especially since most of the stuff is pretty
straightforward). One interesting note about most of the printable stuff is
that a random ET-themed background will appear on the page, which also prints
out. If you don't like the background, simply exit the page you're in and
go back in. It is kind of a neat addition if you are an ET fan.
Option 1 (Data: Personal Info, Address Book, Messages, & Game Settings)
- When you start the game, you will be asked to enter all kinds of info about
yourself. The second time you turn on the game, however, you will go to a
"start menu". This is just to show you how many messages you have, how many
things are still on your to-do list, and how many "events" are in the current
month. Most of this stuff can be printed out from the main menu, however, which
you access by pushing the B button. Once here, go to the "Friends" option.
In this menu, you will see "messages", "address book", and "about you". If you
go to "about you", you will see all the data you entered about yourself when you
started the game. If you want to print this out, go to the print icon at the
bottom of the screen and press A. In the "address book" menu, you can print out
an entire list of your contacts (names only) by choosing the print icon at the
bottom of the screen. Or you can print out detailed contact info about specific
people by first choosing the person's data you want to print out and then
pressing A on the print icon at the bottom of their info screen. The same goes
for messages (you can either print out a complete list of subject lines from
all your messages or print out the details of a specific message). The messages
feature is pretty much useless. Judging by a picture in the instruction book,
it would seem that you were originally supposed to be able to send messages to
other people, but it was not included in the game.
Another thing you can print out is your game's settings, including how much
memory you're currently using and your pin number. To print out this stuff,
just go to "options" from the main menu and go to the print icon at the bottom
of the screen.
Option 2 (Data: Schedule, To-Do Lists, & Events)
- This section covers how to print out other various data that you enter into
the game. First off, you can enter your school schedule into the game and print
out the data. To do this, go to "calendar" from the main menu and then choose
"school schedule". You will enter a screen that has "M T W T F" across the top
and the numbers 1 - 10 across the side. The numbers correspond to which period
you have a specific class. To enter data, just move the cursor to the
corresponding space on the grid and enter which class you have that period. You
can then print out that specific data (i.e. "Tuesday; Period 1 - Math"). There
is, unfortunately, no way to print out your entire schedule in one print option.
The other option when you enter "calendar" mode is "month view". Select this
to enter the actual calendar mode. As far as the Printer is concerned, all you
can do here is more or less create to-do lists. Simply choose a date and then
choose the "new" icon at the bottom of the screen to enter data for that
specific date. From here, you can either print out a list of everything you
have entered for that specific date, or more detailed info on a specific event
you have for that date.
One more relatively minor thing you can print out concerning dates is a list of
all the preset events the game has stores for the current month (i.e. Christmas,
April Fool's, etc). To print this out, you must go to the "start menu" which
appears when you turn on the game (or you can press B while in the main menu).
Simply move the cursor to the bottom choice ("events"), select it, and then
choose the print icon at the bottom of the screen.
Option 3 (E.T. Pictures)
- A cool, overlooked GB Printer feature is the ability to print out pictures
from the ET movie. These are just the background pictures that appear in the
"PDA mode" of the game, but they are more clear and you can see them much
better. To unlock the pictures, you must play the mini-games. To access them,
go to "cool stuff" from the main menu and then select "games". You have five
games to choose from ("Bicycle Race", "Trivia Quiz", "Tile Puzzle", "Pair Up",
and "Word Scramble"). When you play any of these games, you earn points. After
you earn a certain amount of points, you will unlock a new picture. The
pictures can be seen by going to "slide show" in the cool stuff menu. I find
that Word Scramble racks up the points the fastest. To print out a picture, of
course, choose the print icon at the bottom of the screen of the picture you
want to print out. I'm not sure how many pictures there are in total, but there
are at least 7 (I have 6 right now and it still says I can unlock more).
-5.19 Fisher-Price Rescue Heroes: Fire Frenzy-
Released: 2000
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Mattel Interactive
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
While putting out fires, you will earn awards, certificates, and increased
ranks. You can print out these awards on your Game Boy Printer.
-5.20 Klax-
Released: 1999
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Midway
Genre: Puzzle
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Slight
In one of the unlockable mini-games, "Designer Dress-Up", you can mix and
match the different parts of the game's developers' bodies. You can then
print out your creations on the GB Printer.
-5.21 Little Mermaid 2 Pinball-
Released: 2000
Developer: Disney Interactive
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Pinball
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Slight
This game bears a slight resemblance to Pokemon Pinball (5.8 above). However,
it has a little bit more printer support. You can print out your high score
list. In addition, though, there are a few different Little Mermaid-themed
pictures that you receive that you can also print out.
-5.22 Little Nicky-
Released: 2000
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Slight
There's a mode in the game that lets you create your own "Satan head". The GB
Printer allows you to print out your creations.
-5.23 Magical Drop-
Released: 2000
Developer: Conspiracy Entertainment
Publisher: Classified Games
Genre: Puzzle
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Minimal
Magical Drop is a quirky little puzzle game that smells of Tetris or Bust-a-
Move. It keeps track of your high scores, and with the Game Boy Printer, you
can print off your high score list.
-5.24 Mickey's Speedway USA-
Released: 2001
Developer: Rate Ltd.
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Racing
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
As you progress through the courses, you earn post cards of the race track areas
you visit (i.e. Los Angeles, Grand Canyon). You also earn a couple awards and
pictures of the various Disney characters. You can then print these out on the
printer. As an extra side note, Mickey's Speedway USA is also Transfer Pak
compatible (to swap data back and forth from the N64 version of the game). This
makes it the most "connectible" game, that was not developed by Nintendo, for
any Game Boy system.
Game Boy Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.1):
As you progress through the game, you will unlock new "postcards". These show
which areas/tracks you've been to. The last two pages of the journal are for
pictures of the Disney gang as well as a couple awards you obtain. To access
these postcards, go to the "extras" menu from the main screen. Once there,
choose "tour journal". You will be taken to a book that has different pages and
4 thumbnails of postcards per page. Here's a list of the different locations
you come across: Los Angeles, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, San Francisco, Seattle,
Montana, Yellowstone, Utah, Milwaukee, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas, Gulf Coast,
Louisiana, Indianapolis, Boston, Smoky Mountains, Florida Everglades, Daytona
Beach, and Washington, DC. You also can get these pictures/awards: Mickey
calling on the phone (from the opening cutscene), Donald talking on the phone
(from the opening cutscene), the whole Disney gang together, certificate of
completion for passing the driving test, [4 left that I haven't unlocked yet]
Choose the thumbnail of the postcard/picture you want and it will show it
full screen (well, sort of -- a "Print? Yes/No" screen will show up that will
block some of the view of it). So to be able to admire the entire thing, just
choose the "yes" option and it will print out.
-5.25 Perfect Dark-
Released: 2000
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
As you play through Perfect Dark, you will meet a whole slew of characters. The
Game Boy Printer lets you print out pictures and profile data of these
characters. However, you must meet the characters before you can print out their
profile data.
-5.26 Pokemon Crystal-
Released: 2001
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: RPG
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Medium
Brief Description:
The GB Printer compatibility includes all the stuff available in Pokemon
Gold/Silver (5.7 above). However, I've listed the game separately because you
need a Game Boy Color to play the Crystal version. Also, there is one more
addition. If you collect all 26 Unown species, you will be able to print out
messages in the Unown font. Another interesting fact about this game is that,
as far as I know, it was the last game produced to include GB Printer
compatibility.
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
I don't own Pokemon Crystal, but I know that at least two of the GB Printer
options are the same as Gold/Crystal, so for convenience, here's that section
from my Pokemon Gold/Silver GB Printer Walkthrough:
Option 1 (Pokedex Data)
- At any point in the game, you can print out Pokedex data of a
specific Pokemon. Just press the Start button and choose "Pokedex". Once
there, select the Pokemon you want. You can then go through a list of options,
such as "data", "cry", "area", and "print". Simply select the "print" option.
The GB Printer will then print out the Pokedex description of the Pokemon (name,
type, height, weight, Pokemon number, and a description about the Pokemon).
Note, however, that you need to have at least seen a Pokemon in battle to be
able to print out its data, and for the full Pokedex entry, you must have
caught the Pokemon.
Option 2 (Specific Pokemon Data)
- Near the top-right section of Cianwood City, there is a house with
a sign out front that says "Photo Studio". Enter there and talk to the man
inside. He will let you print out some more info on certain Pokemon. Note that
you must have your Pokemon in your team to print out their info here. What
prints out is the individual data for your specific Pokemon. This includes
their moveset, nickname, and individual stats for attack, defense, etc.
-5.27 Super Mario Bros Deluxe-
Released: 1999
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action
Lowest Game Boy Model Needed: Game Boy Color
Game Boy Printer Support: Major
Brief Description:
This is another excellent example of how the Printer can truly enhance the
game's value. Throughout the game, you will earn special pictures, awards, and
other special artwork that you can print out on the GB Printer. You can also
make your own customizable banners, among other things.
GB Printer Walkthrough (Version 1.0):
Option 1 (Album):
- The album contains awards and pictures that you earn by completing various
tasks. The album is an option at the bottom of the screen in the main menu.
There are 5 pages in the album. Page 1 is for the lucrative awards. Most of
these are obtained in challenge mode. Page 2 is for various accomplishments
you've achieved. Page 3 is for pictures of enemies that you've defeated. Page
4 is a large 4-part picture of Bowset. Page 5 is a large 4-part picture of
Mario & Luigi. I will not go into too much detail about what's available here,
as it's all listed pretty well in the codes section of GameFAQs for this
game.
Option 2 (Toy Box, Main Menu):
- The toy box is another option at the bottom of the main screen. In here, you
will notice a calendar and a fortune telling icon. Depending on how much
you've previously completed, there may also be a cave entrance type of shape
with a "?" on it, and Yoshi's head. The two options immediately available to
you when you start the game are the calendar and the fortune telling.
The calendar lets you print off a picture of the entire month, or specific info
on individual dates. While in the calendar mode, you can set the month using
the up and down buttons. Once you have the month/year you want, press A. From
here, you can either print out the date list for that month, or you can "mark"
an individual date. If you mark an individual date, you will be taken to the
"date book" screen for that section. You can choose from 9 icons to mark this
date with (smiley face, exclamation point, etc). Once you've chosen your icon,
press A. You can enter a note for this date. Once you're finished, press A
and you will go back to that month's screen. Simply go back to that date and
then choose the "print" option to print out that date's info and notes.
The fortune teller option is another cool option. Choose the icon on the toy
box screen and you will see 5 cards to choose from. Choose one of them and you
will receive a fortune. They will be classified from "Extremely Unlucky" to
"Extremely Lucky". Each classification has several individual fortunes. Once
you receive your fortune, simply press A and choose "print" to print it out.
Option 3 (Toy Box, Extra Features):
- Once the "?" space appears in the toy box, you will be open to a whole new
slew of printer options. This room will open up after you defeat the first
castle in the original game. As you defeat more castles, more Toads will
appear in the room for additional features. And when you defeat the final
castle, Peach will appear.
In this room, you can do all kinds of things. You can print banners, various
artwork from the game, logos (i.e. N64 logo, Nintendo logo, etc), and various
pictures to which you can add captions. In future versions of this guide, I
may detail this more specifically, but again, there are FAQs devoted to just
this kind of stuff for this game.
Option 4 (High Score List):
- Questionably the least exciting printer feature in the game, if you choose
"records" from the main menu, you will bring up your high score list. Press
A and choose "print" and you will print it out.
-----------------------------------
6) Fun Statistics
-----------------------------------
I'm a statistics nut. So I like to do some kind of statistical analysis of even
the most basic thing. Below are some interesting statistics all about the GB
Printer.
Total number of compatible games: 28
# of compatible games that work with all Game Boy models: 12 (43%)
# of compatible games that work only with GBC or later: 16 (57%)
Earliest compatible game release date: June 1, 1998 (GB Camera)
Latest compatible game release date: July 29, 2001 (Pokemon Crystal)
Exact longevity of the GB Printer: 3 years, 1 month, 28 days
Approximate # of GB/GBC games released between 1998 and 2001: 456
% of compatible GB/GCB games released during GB Printer lifespan: 6.1%
# of compatible games published and developed by Nintendo: 9 (41%)
# of compatible games published by Nintendo: 14 (50%)
# of compatible games with a third-party publisher: 14 (50%)
# of different developers who used GB Printer compatibility: 10
-----------------------------------
7) Printer Errors
-----------------------------------
If you happen to run into a problem while trying to print, you will most likely
come across a specific printer error number. I got my Game Boy Printer soon
after it was released in 1998, and I've never gotten an error other than #2.
But just in case you should encounter any others, here is a reference for what
the error numbers actually mean:
Printer Error #1: The GB Printer batteries have lost their charge.
Printer Error #2: The GB Printer is not properly connected to the Game Boy.
Printer Error #3: Paper Jam (see section 7 below for info on how to fix this)
Printer Error #4: It is either too hot or too cold for the printer to operate
-----------------------------------
8) Fixing a paper jam
-----------------------------------
If you encounter a paper jam and don't happen to have your GB Printer manual
right at your side, it can be a pain to fix. So here is a step-by-step
procedure on how to fix it:
Step 1: Make sure the GB Printer is off
Step 2: Remove the paper cover
Step 3: Cut off the paper near the end of the roll so that only the stuck paper
is still in the printer.
Step 4: Insert a coin under the top edge of the paper cutter, and lift it gently
to remove the cutter.
Step 5: Remove the paper (use tweezers if it's really stuck)
-----------------------------------
9) Coming Soon
-----------------------------------
-9.1 Next Version-
Preview of version 3.3:
- Version 1.0 of Pokemon Pinball's GB Printer Walkthrough
ETA for version 3.3: 3/10/05
---
Preview of version 3.2:
- Version 1.0 of ET Digital Companion's GB Printer Walkthrough
ETA for version 3.2: on or before 2/28/05
---
I apologize for not getting Pokemon Trading Card Game's GB Printer Walkthrough
up, but the copy I ordered was defective, so I have to wait to get a return
envelope, send it back, and get a new copy. In the meantime, a LOT of GB
Printer Walkthroughs have been added.
Preview of version 3.1:
- Version 1.0 of Austin Powers: Oh, Behave's GB Printer Walkthrough:
ETA for version 3.1: on or before 2/22/05
---
Preview of version 2.7:
- Version 1.0 of Pokemon Trading Card Game's GB Printer Walkthrough
ETA for version 2.7: 2/15/05 - 2/18/05
---
So there wasn't a version 2.2, but that's only because I found information on a
few other GB Printer games and wanted to add their info on this FAQ ASAP.
Preview of version 2.6:
- Version 1.0 of Pokemon Gold's GB Printer Walkthrough
ETA for version 2.6: 2/12/05
---
Preview of version 2.2:
- Version 1.0 of Pokemon Gold's GB Printer Walkthrough
ETA for version 2.2: 2/12/05
---
Preview of version 2.1:
- More info on the printer itself and its components (including a "where to get
it" section)
ETA for version 2.1: 2/10/05
-9.2 Future Versions-
This section is just to list which GB/GBC games I currently own or have
purchased online and am waiting to receive. These games are guaranteed to get
their own GB Printer walkthroughs in future updates. As for when you should
expect to see these walkthroughs, that information will be posted in 9.1 (above)
when I have an ETA for them.
(list last updated: 2/27/05)
Pokemon Pinball
Pokemon Trading Card Game
---
UPCOMING VERSIONS:
I am really starting to get back into my Game Boy Printer, so in the near future
I will be buying several of these games that I don't already have. So stay
tuned for more specific details on what exactly you can do with the GB printer
in these games.
-----------------------------------
10) Credits
-----------------------------------
Thanks so much to CJayC for publishing this FAQ (if he does). I understand
his unimaginably busy schedule, so the effort spent in putting up this FAQ is
greatly appreciated!
A big kudos also goes to Nintendo for making such an innovative peripheral, even
if it was a little under-appreciated.
(FAQ source)