Game Boy Advance

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Game Boy Advance

Live Advanced.
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: Original:
JP: March 21, 2001
NA: June 11, 2001
AU: June 20, 2001
EU: June 22, 2001
IND: June 2001
KOR: April 7, 2004
CHN: June 8, 2004
Game Boy Advance SP:
JP: February 14, 2003
CAN: March 22, 2003
EU: March 23, 2003
NA: March 28, 2003
IND: March 2003
CHN: December 1, 2003
KOR: January 18, 2004
Game Boy Micro:
JP: September 13, 2005
NA: September 19, 2005
CHN: October 1, 2005
AU: November 3, 2005
EU: November 4, 2005
KOR: November 9, 2005
Predecessor: Game Boy Color
Successor: Nintendo DS
Competitors: PocketStation
N-Gage
Generation: Sixth generation

The Game Boy Advance, often shortened to GBA, is a handheld gaming console developed by Nintendo released in 2001 and was discontinued on May 15, 2010. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color and was succeeded by the Nintendo DS in November 2004.

Why It Lives Advanced

Overall

  1. Similarly to how the SNES received major graphical and hardware upgrades compared to the NES, the same can be said for this console and similar upgrades over the Game Boy.
  2. The GBA was a very capable handheld, capable of running not only its own games created specifically for itself, but also several ports of Super Nintendo games (including The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, etc.) that were expanded upon with extra content (such as the Palace of Swords for A Link to the Past when you linked data from Four Swords).
  3. Although it wasn't well-received, the GBA was able to play videos on the Game Boy Advance Video Packs, which compressed TV shows and movies to be viewed on the handheld.
  4. The original model had an excellent battery life compared to its predecessors, and also included L and R bumpers for extra controls.
  5. Like the previous Game Boy models, this one came in a variety of colors and models, including limited-edition ones.
    • The Game Boy Micro could also be customized with face plates.
  6. There is a large library of GBA games, both first and third-party. They will be listed in respective sections.
    • Also, the GBA is region-free, meaning you can play games from any country.
  7. Just like the original Game Boy, there were several accessories released for the GBA, including the Nintendo E-Reader, which allowed the user to scan cards to gain access to minigames and special animations.
  8. It utilized 3D in some games, despite not being the best (and would improve starting with the Nintendo DS).

Original Model

  1. It utilized a horizontal orientation like the Game Gear and Atari Lynx, where the + Control Pad and A/B buttons are on the sides of the screen rather than below it, making it more comfortable to hold over longer periods of time compared to the previous Game Boy models.

Game Boy Advance SP

  1. It introduced the clamshell design that allows the user to close their handheld to protect the screen when it's not being used. This design would be the standard for all Nintendo handhelds (except for the 2DS).
  2. This is the first Nintendo handheld to feature a rechargeable battery (not counting the rechargeable battery pack for the Game Boy, which was sold separately).
  3. The SP models added a light to the screen: the original one had a front light, while the next model for it utilized a backlight (this one was released sometime around the Game Boy Micro's release).

Game Boy Micro

  1. The screen is much brighter than most other models and even the original DS model, but the same intensity as AGS-101.
  2. As before stated, the face plate could be swapped out for those with designs on them.
  3. This model brings back the headphone jack that was removed from the SP models.

Bad Qualities

Overall

  1. Like the original Game Boy models, the screen will decay if reflected but the sun for too long, although not to the same extent.
  2. Due to the console being rushed to the market, the audio quality is terrible and awfuly compressed, sounding like a Flash game but worse.
  3. Older GBA games utilized battery-powered SRAM saves, just like the Game Boy and Game Boy Color; thankfully, later games used flash memory, with the exception of games such as Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, which used a battery to provide a real-time clock chip.
  4. While Nintendo gave many of their IP's original games, there wasn't a single new mainline Mario game on this console; only remakes and spin-offs.

Original Model

  1. This model still uses AA batteries compared to the rechargeable batteries its successors would have.
  2. It had no lighted screen, frontlit or backlit, which is a serious problem for games such as Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. Not even the DS's screen is that dark.

Game Boy Advance SP

  1. It wasn't as ergonomic as the original model due to reverting back into vertical orientation to accommodate the clamshell design.
    • And since the cartridge slot is located at the bottom of this model, original Game Boy/GBC cartridges stick out, thus further decreasing the ergonomics.
  2. While the frontlit screen of the AGS-001 model was better than not having a lit screen at all, it's not as bright as the AGS-101's backlit one.
  3. There is no headphone jack; although an adapter was released to allow the use of headphones, you are required to plug it into the battery charging port, so you cannot charge the game while using them, and the adapter itself was poorly-designed.
  4. Unlike the DS and 3DS, closing the GBA SP does not put it into sleep mode, thus draining your battery if it isn't used for a relatively long time.

Game Boy Micro

The Game Boy Micro was considered a massive downgrade from the GBA SP and, like the Wii Mini, a pointless revision. Despite its good qualities, it was still bad enough to write about from a negative perspective.

Reception

While there were multiple handhelds released during the GBA's life span, none of them could compete with it and further cemented Nintendo's dominance in the handheld gaming market. As of 2009, over 81 million GBA units have been sold worldwide.

Good/Decent Examples of GBA Games

First-Party Titles

Third-Party Titles

Bad/Mediocre Examples of GBA Games

First-Party Titles

Third-Party Titles

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