Game Boy Color Troubleshooting

The device will not turn on.

Make sure the device is turned on by checking that the power switch is in the 'on' position.

If your Game Boy does not turn on, especially if it has not been used in a while, try replacing the old batteries with a fresh set of AA batteries.

Check the LED on the right of the display. If it does light up, it is possible that the issue may be a bad display that needs to be replaced. To replace the LCD Display, refer to the LCD display repair guide.

You can't hear anything coming out of your Game Boy's speakers.

Check to make sure that sound is turned on. If the volume 'wheel' is turned all the way to the left, then the sound is turned all the way down. To turn it on, turn the volume wheel to the right (clockwise) until you reach your desired volume.

If the volume is turned on but you still can't hear anything out of the speaker, it could be a bad connection or broken speaker. To test this, plug a pair of headphones into the headphone jack on the bottom of the console and give it a listen. If sound comes out of the headphones just fine, it is most likely a speaker hardware problem and the part needs to be replaced.

So you’re in the middle of an intense Pokemon battle and suddenly your device stops responding!

If the cartridge is not inserted fully, a poor connection with the Game Boy Color can cause the game to freeze. Remove the game and firmly reinsert it into the game slot. You should hear a ‘click’ sound when it is in correctly and completely.

Sometimes dust can build up in the game cartridge and cause a bad connection when inserted into the Game Boy. This makes it difficult for your console to read the information in the game cartridge. To remedy this, remove the cartridge from the Game Boy and get the dust out of there. The quickest and most popular way to do this is to simply blow into the cartridge.

The buttons are not always responding to presses.

Take your device apart and remove the buttons. Refer to the button repair guide to see how to remove the buttons. Use a clean toothbrush and warm tap water. Scrub the buttons with the toothbrush around the sides of the button. After cleaning, let the buttons dry completely, and replace back into the device.

The buttons may need to be replaced if cleaning does not help. Again, the button repair guide is a good reference when removing and repairing the buttons.

Colors are appearing on the screen that are obviously not supposed to be.

If runny or blotchy colors are permanently on the LCD, even while the display is off, then the LCD needs to be replaced. The LCD display repair guide outlines how to replace it.