"Many different hardware models to pick from and a massive library of great games make the GBA a system for anyone."

Three years after Nintendo released the Game Boy Color the much anticipated Game Boy Advance finally hit store shelves. Many people consider the Game Boy Advance to be a portable Super Nintendo, and in many ways it is. Not only are the technical specs fairly close to the SNES's, but some of the games that the SNES was most famous for have made their way to the Game Boy Advance. Unlike the Game Boy Color, which was merely a smaller Game Boy with a color display, the Game Boy Advance is a completely different system.

The System(s)

The screen on the GBA is very small, but very colorful. With a color palette of thirty-two thousand colors and a resolution of 240 x 160 pixels, games are bright, colorful, and detailed. Not only is the LCD screen very powerful, but the graphics processor is as well. Very few, if any, games have the slowdown or color blur problems that the GameGear and Game Boy Color suffered from. The processor is also capable of performing all of the animations and effects that the 16-Bit consoles were capable of. The screen is very small, only 1.6 by 2.4 inches (2.88 inches diagonally), but well designed games make good use of the limited space, so details aren't lost.

The sound system has been greatly improved since the Game Boy Color. The GBA can output much more sound channels and a larger range of sounds, but the speaker is still in mono. This is somewhat expected since the speaker is so small, but stereo sound can be picked up through the headphone jack if you have a decent pair of stereo headphones. The sounds are also completely digital, so the audio is very detailed, sharp, and not prone to hissing or static.

The Game Boys have always been great at battery conservation, and this trend continues on with the Game Boy Advance. With ten to fifteen hours of play time the GBA has slightly worse battery life than the Game Boy Color, but is still more than enough and better than any non-Nintendo handheld system.

Like almost every other handheld electronic device, an AC power adapter is available to further conserve the batteries. There are also a variety of other accessories available, including carrying bags, a system-link cable, GBA/GC connector, and other third party accessories such as magnifiers and screen protectors. Most of these accessories are pretty cheap and since not everybody would want them, they are better of left as optional.

The system is very, very small; almost too small. People with small hands will have no problems with the size, but the system is almost too tiny for people with large hands to get a comfortable grip on it. Not only is the system small, but the buttons are tiny as well, which compounds the problem for people with large hands. This can result in your hands becoming cramped after playing for a short while.

The Game Boy Advance also marked the first time that a Nintendo handheld passed the $100 price tag. Both the regular GBA and the SP were released at a hundred dollars, which is nowhere near what the consoles cost, but it is still fairly expensive. Before handhelds were cheap enough that you could get one to go along with your console almost as an accessory since the handheld cost as much as a game, but now it is almost as much of an investment as it would be to get another console.

There are three different versions of the Game Boy Advance, soon to be four, plus the Nintendo DS. All of these resolve certain problems others had and make others issues worse. All systems have the same graphic/sound/central processors (when playing GBA games anyway) and play the same games; the only difference is in the system design. The original Game Boy Advance is the cheapest version that is portable, the GBA SP has a better design, and the GBA Player is the cheap but not portable, and only as good as your TV. None of the versions are perfect, so which one is the best is pure opinion.

Game Boy Advance (original)

The original model is shaped similarly to the GameGear or the N-Gage in that the buttons are to the left and right of the screen. The directional pad is on the left side and the A and B buttons are right with two shoulder buttons on the top. This model uses two AA batteries which could last around fifteen hours, depending on the brand. The biggest problem with this model is the lack of a backlight, which makes the screen difficult, if not impossible, to see in less than optimal lighting. The other issue with the screen is that it is constantly exposed, making it easy to scratch if not put in a carrying case when not being used. With the release of the SP the price of this model was cut to $70, making it the cheapest handheld system currently being supported by developers.

Game Boy Advance SP

Released not too long after the original model, the SP is a slightly more compact version of the GBA, with a folding clamshell case, which protects the screen and makes the system even more portable. The biggest improvement is lighting for screen, making it possible to play in low light. The SP has a built in (and non-removable) rechargeable battery that can last around ten hours and is guaranteed to recharge at least five hundred times.

There are several drawbacks to the SP, some minor, others major. The system is slightly smaller than the original GBA which makes it even more difficult for people with large hands to use since the buttons are very close together. The headphone jack has been removed to save space and no adapter currently exists, which means you won't be able to listen to the sound if other people are around. The cost is the same as what the GBA used to be ($100) which makes it the most expensive GBA model.

Game Boy Micro

Nintendo's newest redesign of the GBA, this is beyond compact. It is slightly larger than an iPod Mini, and apparently is made for the same crowd. The Micro has a two inch screen (compared to the 2.9 inch GBA SP screen), back light, headphone jack, etc. Basically it has everything the SP does, except for the clamshell design. It should be available November of 2005, so if you think the GBA is too bulky, enjoy the Micro.

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is not a GBA, but since it can play GBA games it is worth mentioning. In the same way that the GBA uses the GBC processor to play older games, the DS has a separate processor to play GBA games. The good thing is that there are zero compatibility issues, the bad thing is that GBA games cannot be enhanced by the more powerful DS hardware. The DS screen is basically the same size as the GBA's, so you not see a difference at all between a GBA game on a GBA or one on a DS. Unfortunatly the DS is not able to play GB or GBC games because it does not have the processor. The system is also $50 - $100 more than GBAs, so if all you want to do is play GBA games, then this is not a good idea. However there are several upcoming DS games that look promising, so you might want to consider the DS instead of a GBA at this point.

Game Boy Advance Player

It is hard to describe just how much I love my GBA Player, which is everything the Super Game Boy (the thing that let you play Game Boy games on the Super Nintendo) should have been. The player, which only costs $50, screws tightly into the bottom of the GameCube and uses the GC's audio/video output and controller. This solves the major issues of the portable versions: screen size, lack of stereo sound, cramped controls, and battery usage. The screen size is the size of your TV, the audio can be put through a stereo system or the television's speakers, you can use the GC controller, and it doesn't use batteries (unless you're using a Wavebird). This makes GBA games much more enjoyable since you can actually see and hear what is going on and your hands don't become cramped after a short while.

Like the other GBA models, the Player has faults. The first and most obvious is the fact that it is not portable, which makes it useless if you are looking for something to play while traveling. The other big issue is the fact that it uses the GC controller for input which, despite being more comfortable to hold than a GBA, still leaves something to be desired. Because the GBA has a digital directional pad and the GC uses an analog stick, it can take some getting used to because you have to make sure you push the stick all the way which slows down your response time. It is possible to use the d-pad on the GC, but it is not in the most comfortable position for controlling a character. The third option is to get a third party Hori controller, which is modeled after the SNES controller, but costs an extra $15 - $20. I have a Hori controller and found it to be well worth the money.

Due to the fact that the hardware is immobile, there are a few GBA games that cannot be played on the GBA Player. Two of them that come to mind are Kirby's Tilt ‘n Tumble, which has a motion sensor in the cartridge that must be tilted during the game and Boktai which can only be played outdoors in the sun. Only games such as these cannot be played because they makes use of the GBA's mobility.

What is annoying about the Player is that you cannot use it for GBA/GC connectivity purposes. This is because the GC needs a boot disc to tell it to read from the Player, so you cannot have another GC game it at the same time. While no game's connectivity make it worth spending an extra twenty or fifty dollars for a GBA, it would be nice to have considering how much Nintendo promotes the feature in the GBA and GBA SP.

There are two other trivial issues with the Game Boy Advance Player. First, since the GBA screen is proportionally wider than standard TVs, there will be a border around GBA games (but not GB or GBC games) with is noticeable, but does not detract from the games. The other thing is that it is only available in black and (now) platinum, but not in the other GC colors. However, the black goes with any of the colors and it really isn't that important.

The Games

The library of games is always what makes or breaks a system, and the GBA has a pretty good one. A lot of games are ports or remakes of games for older consoles, especially the Super Nintendo which is great for people who don't have a Super Nintendo since some of the games are the best ones ever made. There are also a lot of sequels established franchises as well as brand new series.

It is true that the vast majority of games on the GBA are sequels (direct or indirect) to games available on the consoles, however they are still unique games and fans of the series would be missing out if they skipped the GBA games. Games such as the new Harvest Moon, Metroid Fusion, Final Fantasy Tactics, and the three Castlevania games are all excellent additions to their series. Some of the remakes are worth getting just to be able to play on a console again and without having to emulate, especially the Super Mario Advances and Donkey Kong Countries.

The GBA is also completely backwards compatible with all previous Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, making the library larger than any of the consoles or handheld systems. The GBA has better sound and video, not too mention the GBA Player can play these games on a television as well. Due to the shear volume of games to choose from, most people will be able to find enough games to keep them busy for a while.

The GBA is the most popular handheld system around, and for good reason. The amount of games cover a wide range of genres and almost every developer makes games for the GBA. The remakes and ports can appeal too both die hard fans of the games and people who never got to play the original games will be able to enjoy the classics with better visuals and sound. While the GBA can't replace getting a console, it does have a lot to offer as a secondary system or for something to do while traveling. Additionally, people who never owned a Game Boy before will have a lot of new games to experience since the GBA can also play older Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, many of which were great.

For people who have decided to get a GBA, the question is what model is best. If you own a GameCube and aren't looking to travel with your system, then the Game Boy Player is probably going to be your best choice since it is everything the GBA and SP are, but on a much larger screen. If you are looking to travel, don't own a GameCube, and/or connectivity is a major issue for you, then the GBA SP will probably be cheapest way to play GBA games and the DS will let you play newer games as well. While it has a few drawbacks that the original doesn't, the lit screen more than makes up for them and the rechargeable battery and protected screen will probably save you a lot in the long run.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/12/04, Updated 09/12/05