Gameboy Advance: The Latest Advancement In Portable Gaming (The Nintendo Write-Off)

If you know Nintendo then you'll know that they have dominated the handheld market for well over 11 years; the Gameboy handheld has faced off against many superior handhelds like the Game Gear and Atari Lynx, but for some reason or another the horrible gameboy has always stayed on top of the competition, so much in fact that Nintendo may even have a monopoly on their hands; it seems like there was no beating the Gameboy. The main reason that Nintendo stuck with the tired Gameboy is because they were making millions off of it, but after long debate they decided to create a new handheld that would hopefully carry on the Gameboy legacy, and so they set forth to create a new portable system that would be much more powerful then the Gameboy, but there biggest worry was whether or not it would sell alright. Every worry that they had was quickly put to rest after the overwhelmingly success of their new handheld, the Gameboy Advance's launch. So now that the handheld has been out for almost a year how is it doing? Read on to find out.

The Gameboy Advance is a huge success for Nintendo, it has sold incredibly well even without the presence of Pokemon. This leads me to believe that no company could ever beat out Nintendo in the handheld console market, even Sega and (If you consider the pocketstation a handheld console) Sony couldn't do it. Rumors have been flying around claiming that Microsoft is planning to release a handheld of their own, I honestly hope that this will present Nintendo with competition so they won't be so lazy with the Gameboy Advance anymore, yes competition would be great.

What Comes In The Box

•2 AA Batteries

•1 Gameboy Advance Handheld Console

•Instructions And Other Documents

The System
Nintendo decided to go with the horizontal handheld design this time, the Gameboy Advance is shaped similarly to the Sega Game Gear and Nomad. I'm really glad that Nintendo decided to make this transition, as it was extremely uncomfortable for me to hold the original gameboy, gameboy pocket, and gameboy color because of their vertical designs. Unlike the older gameboys, the Gameboy Advance's screen is a little rectangle-ish, unlike the square screens that Nintendo has gone with in the past.

With that said, the Gameboy Advance is still as uncomfortable as the original Gameboy. Why you ask? Simply because it seems as if it was designed with children in mind, Nintendo's target audience no doubt, but still they should have thought about the older gamers when they designed the system. The Gameboy Advance is fairly uncomfortable to hold, and it's actually pretty difficult to put your hands in a fashion that would allow you to have access to all buttons, and while this isn't horrible for RPGs and Strategy Games, the handheld can sometimes mess me up pretty bad on side scrollers and racing games.

Alas the screen is also a major factor that I dislike about the little system; it scratches too easily and is also pretty difficult to look at unless you are in a nicely lit area and the light is shining on your GBA. Really the lighting isn't a big deal; people often overreact when it comes to how hard it is to play a game, but all they really need to do is invest $10-$20 in a 3rd party light. I currently have a worm light and it works pretty good, sure it drains the Gameboy Advance batteries a little, but it really pays off.

For those that would rather have an internal light a third party company is working on a light they call the afterburner; this allows you to insert a light inside and you can turn it on and off as you please. This service won't come very cheap though, I think it'll cost somewhere in the ball park of about $50.

The GameBoy Advance's Specs
I'm actually really not sure of the specifics, but I can tell you that the GBA is 32-bits, and therefore any developer could easily port their old Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games to it, really it's in between the Super Nintendo and Playstation One when it comes to sheer power. The GBA has higher audio capabilities then the Super Nintendo, some GBA games even feature voice-overs; and surprisingly enough these are pretty high quality. Some GBA games even use polygons, but the GBA is a 2-dimensional fiend, and so therefore most of the games on the system will be sprite based. One very nice thing about the GBA is the fact that Nintendo incorporated mode 7 capabilities into the hardware; this really is nice looking in most games.

Because of the fact that the Gameboy Advance is stronger than both the Super Nintendo and Genesis developers have gotten lazy; most have begun porting their older 16-bit classics to the GBA. This isn't so bad for most of them, but some (especially Nintendo) have a habit of porting older games instead of creating brand new ones. Please Nintendo, we really want to see an original side scrolling Mario game!

Roses Are... Blue?
It's true for the company Raylight Studios, roses really are blue. You are probably very confused now, but allow me to explain. Raylight has developed a new graphics engine for the GBA, but what really sets this graphics engine apart from the rest? It's really quite simple, running on this system GBA games can be developed with much more polygons then the GBA is really capable of, you may be a little skeptic as to how powerful this graphics engine really is, I was too, but trust me the demos running on this engine look absolutely stunning. One of the demos featured a game that played like the original Resident Evil on the Playstation, only the graphics actually looked on par with Resident Evil 2's on the Playstation console. I can only imagine how good this will look on my small GBA screen, I can't wait for a good developer to take advantage of this.

Connectability To The Extreme
As you may remember, one of the coolest aspects surrounding the Gameboy system was the ability to link 2 Gameboys together to play a game with another player. The only bad thing about this was that both people needed the same game and a link cable. Nintendo knew that multiplayer was one of the best aspects surrounding the original Gameboy, and so they incorporated multiplayer options into the GBA, only they improved this. GBA games are capable of supporting 4 players at the same time, but what's even better is that some games only require one person to own a copy of the game. Now of course a lot of the more technical games will require all players to own a copy of the game, but this really isn't so bad. Also, the GBA can connect to Nintendo's home console; the Gamecube, and so developers are currently working on some refreshing ideas that take advantage of the GBA/Gamecube connection.

Durability And Ease of Use
I have had my GBA for almost a year now, and it is still working fine. It's suffered from the elements though; I brought it to Mexico and the deserts of Nevada and it hasn't melted or anything. The GBA isn't perfect though; the screen is very easy to scratch, but I think there is some way to get a new GBA screen through Nintendo. Sure, I'm not going to stomp on my GBA or flush it in the toilet to prove how durable it is, but the system itself is pretty tough.

You really won't know how uncomfortable this little system is until you play a game on it; but the fact that the system was molded into an uncomfortable shape isn't enough, but Nintendo had to go and place the smallest, most uncomfortable buttons on it ever seen in the gaming world. Really, the A and B buttons are so small that my thumb often slides off of them, and the directional pad is the smallest I've ever seen; this adds even more to the amount of stress your fingers will undergo while playing.

Battery life is actually fairly good; the little system requires 2 AA batteries to run. I'm not exactly sure about how long these batteries will last in the system, but it's definitely long enough so that you won't need to put in new batteries every 4 hours. The ligh on the GBA glows in green when there is plenty of battery power left, but it will change to red when 75% of the batteries have been spent.

Developers Love The GBA
Third Party Developers can easily make a quick buck on the GBA, and most of them have realized this and so the GBA is getting a very large amount of games. Really, almost every major third party developer is making games for the GBA; even Microsoft is working on games for the Gameboy Advance, this should give you an idea as to how much support the GBA is getting. The Gameboy Advance is well rounded in every genre of games; and so anyone can buy one and have tons of fun with this little handheld console.

One of the major things the GBA has going for it support wise is the fact that Squaresoft is now developing games for it. Yes that's right, Squaresoft agreed to develop Gamecube games in order to release games on the GBA, it sounds like a fair trade to me. Squaresoft recently announced what they plan to release on the Gameboy Advance; they are currently planning to release Chocobo Successor, Seiken Densetsu (Secret of Mana), Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle. Sounds good to me!

The Gameboy Advance's Games
Here's a look at what the GBA currently has to offer.

Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World
Developer: Nintendo

There is one thing you should know about Nintendo; when it comes to the GBA they are lazy, it's almost as if they refuse to make a brand new Mario game for the Gameboy Advance. With that said you should also know that Nintendo has been releasing their older games for the GBA, and Super Mario World was perfect for them to move over to the GBA, even though there aren’t a lot of improvements. Really, this is a port of the old Mario World we all knew and loved on the Super Nintendo, and while it's loads of fun you shouldn't go expecting any more from this game then a port with a couple of enhancements. I'm guessing that this title sold extremely well, considering the fact that every game with Mario's name in it sells extremely well. This is a great choice for anyone, especially if you never got the chance to play it on the Super Nintendo.

Advance Wars
Developer: Intelligent Systems (Nintendo)

Advance Wars is currently the best Gameboy Advance game on the market; few people that own this game will argue against that statement. Advance Wars is one of the best strategy games I have ever seen, and it's much more realistic then other strategy games like Tactics Ogre, but this is half of the game's charm. This game was the sleeper hit of last year, and it should definitely not be overlooked by anyone looking for a fun challenging strategy game. After looking at the game's box you may think it's just for kids, but I assure you that it's very difficult and more suited for older gamers. Really, you owe it to yourself to check out this game.

Golden Sun
Developer: Camelot Software Planning

You may not recognize the name of the developer behind Golden Sun, but I hold them in very high regards. Camelot developed Shining Force 3 for the Sega Saturn, Mario Tennis and Golf for the Nintendo 64, and if that isn't a good track record for a developer then I don't know what is. In all honesty Golden Sun is the greatest RPG that has ever graced a handheld console, and that isn't just because of the insane graphics, or even the mega cool battle system; to tell you the truth I really don't know why this game is so appealing. One thing I must warn you about though, this game is a little on the short side and veteran RPG developers may find it a little on the shallow side. If you're an RPG fan then I suggest you try this game out.

Sonic The Hedgehog Advance
Developer: Sonic Team (Sega)

Sonic the Hedgehog has been featured on many a portable gaming system, but few of these ventures have ever proved to be worthwhile, and so naturally I was skeptic about Sonic Advance when I first heard about it. Really I didn't like this game much, but I know a lot of people that really like this game so I decided to include it on this list. Sonic Advance is a 2-Dimensional side scrolling game that is vaguely similar to the older Genesis Sonic games, only in this game you can play as different characters than Sonic, much like the Sonic Adventure games. If you really want to play Sonic on the GBA then don't let me stop you, but I'm waiting for the sequel to this game.

Super Mario Kart Super Circuit
Developer: Nintendo

Mario has seen quite a few different genres in his lifetime, but few of these games were better than the original Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo. Mario Kart has become a distinguished name in the console world, Nintendo knows this, and so naturally they keep releasing sequels to the game, it's just too bad that the last good Mario Kart game was Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo. Super Mario Kart Super Circuit is mixed with elements from the other Mario Kart games; but while others around me enjoy this game I simply cannot find the urge to play it anymore, most people love this game but I for one dislike it. Again, don't let me stop you from getting any game that you may want, I have strange tastes when it comes to games.

Upcoming Gameboy Advance Games
Here are a couple games to look forward to in the future.

Lunar Legends
Developer: Media Ring/Gamearts
US Release Date: Unknown

Lunar The Silver Star is one of the greatest RPGs ever conceived, sure it's not as widely known as Final Fantasy, but still, it's just awesome. A developer known as Media Ring has re-released the original Lunar game on the GBA, there is however a slight problem; the game has only been released in Japan so far. Never fear, Natsume is currently working on the localization for the US release. Lunar is one of the most epic RPGs around; it's story is its main appeal, but the battle system is also very nice. This game will be another reason for all the nay sayers to purchase a Gameboy Advance, and although it isn't known when the release date is for this game, you should definitely watch out for it.

Shining Soul
Developer: Sega
Release Date: To Be Announced 2002

While Nintendo's games have always overshadowed Sega's, Sega has always been a bigger innovator then Nintendo, and it shows. Sega is one of my favorite developers ever, and so naturally when they announce that they are working on a sequel to one of their best franchises ever, I got excited. Shining Soul is a new game in the Shining Force series; this game was once thought to be in development by Camelot Software Planning, but now Sega is working on it. If this game turns out to be anything like the older Shining Force games then I will enjoy it tremendously, but since I'm not much of an importer I will have to wait until this game's North American release.

Golden Sun 2: The Lost Age
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Release Date: To Be Announced 2002

Come on, we all saw this one coming, we all knew for a fact that Camelot would release a sequel to Golden Sun, the only question was when. Plenty of screens and videos have bee released and let me tell you that Golden Sun 2 is actually looking a little better than the original Golden Sun. Golden Sun 2 takes place directly after the original; only you start out the game as different characters. I don't want to spoil what I know about the story so far, so I'll just tell you that the game takes place in the same world but deals with some different and some old characters from Golden Sun. The end result should be extremely good; I'm looking forward to this game a lot.

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: September 2002

I have been slowly losing faith in Nintendo as a developer ever since the Nintendo 64, but the Gameboy Advance just shows me that they are lazy. Sure they'll release a couple new games like Mario Kart Super Circuit and Wario Land 4, but until they churn out a NEW Mario game I'm sticking with my story. Nintendo disappointed a lot of people when they announced that Mario Advance 3 would be a port of Super Mario World 2, instead of the Mario Bros. 3 remake that we were all expecting and hoping for. Yoshi's Island is my least favorite Mario game ever released, and so I may just end up avoiding this title altogether.

Pokemon Ruby and Saffire
Developer: Game Freak
Release Date: To Be Announced 2003

Pokemon took the world by storm a couple years ago, and so naturally Nintendo is hoping to relive the magic of the third most popular franchise throughout the world. Pokemon deals with capturing cute little creatures and battling with them, some people can't get past the overly cutesy look and feel of the game, but others are hard core pokemon fanatics. Pokemon Ruby and Saffire bring something new to the plate; the ability to have 2 on 2 Pokemon battles, but that's not all; Pokemon Ruby and Saffire adds a whole new level of replayability with the addition of 100 more Pokemon for you to capture. This is the Gameboy Advance game to look out for, although I’ve never been a big fan of Pokemon I may have to pick up one of the versions of this game.

Note: There are plenty of other awesome upcoming and already released games for the Gameboy Advance.

It Comes Down To The Games
If the games interest you then by all means you should get this system, the GBA is just a good package, especially with the ability to play games from the original Gameboy on it; this is the mother of all handheld consoles.

The Nintendo Write-Off
This is a very late submission to the Nintendo Write-off, sorry it was so late Rocky. The write-off was hosted by Rock_On and the submission date was July 19th, but I was out of town and so I couldn't get it in on time.

Here Are The Participants:

Xeno3998
Kenshin-Guy
ChromeKiller
Slusy
Vince006
Skater6446
StarSoldier1
32_Footsteps
Ss3goku
Gthomp1
Yarrick
Jeremy1456
Pavona21
LaughingTarget
Chris_Billings
Pearl-drum-man
Rock_On