Game Boy Advance

Game Boy Advance

Nintendo had struck gold with its Game Boy line of handheld gaming systems. It wasn't the latest and greatest technology, but there was something undeniably magical about the Game Boy. The games for each Game Boy system were top-notch, worthy of taking on long trips, the train ride to work, or settling in for a longer session.

In the early 2000s, Nintendo revealed a new Game Boy in the works, one that would dwarf its predecessors with better graphics and sound. The Game Boy Advance is essentially a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) that fits in your hands. No wonder developers immediately began porting classics from the SNES onto the new Game Boy.

A large selling point for the Game Boy Advance is its backwards compatibility. Long-time Game Boy fans didn't need to toss their old gaming library. Classics such as Tetris, Super Mario Land, Mega Man, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and countless others could be included in the travel back with the latest 16-bit titles and be played all the same.

Even today, with the Nintendo DS available, the Game Boy Advance and its upgraded sister units, the Game Boy Micro and the Game Boy Advance SP, continue to be the strongest selling gaming systems on the market.

Specs

• A 2.9 inch LCD screen capable of displaying 240x160 pixels and 32,768 colors.

• Backwards compatible, meaning owners can play games previously released for Game Boy or the Game Boy Color systems.

• Powered by two AA batteries for 15-30 hours of use.

• A custom 32-bit 16.8-MHz processor. In addition, a 8.4-MHz processor is included for playing older Game Boy games (though both cannot be active at the same time).

• The last Nintendo handheld to be produced without an internally lit screen.

Homebrew

In early 2002, hardware became available for users to write and run their own code from a GBA. Using flash memory cartridges and a flash card writer, anyone could create their own Game Boy Advance games and play them on their system. The price for this hardware has dropped to under $150, making the homebrew community a very active one.

There is some controversy surrounding the homebrew scene, however. Nintendo has always actively fought piracy of copyrighted game software. The homebrew devices used for freeware games can also be used to illegally play commercial software. With that in mind, GBA Dev is the greatest all-in-one resource for the homebrew Game Boy Advance scene.

Game Library

There are many classic and new games for the Game Boy Advance that make it a must-have system.

• Advance Wars
• Boktai
• Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
• Golden Sun
• Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
• Fire Emblem
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• Mario Kart Super Circuit
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
• Metroid Fusion
• Pokemon Games
• Wario Ware, Inc. Mega Microgame$