• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Game Boy Advance Was A Monster System

V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Cheetos is Pretty Awesome said:
The washed-out colors wasn't the fault of the system, it was more like older games needed to have a washed-out palette as the original GBA didn't have a backlight of any kind.
Click to expand...

This.

I'm not denying some GBA variants had better screens than others. Yet you also have to take the game into account.

Companies tried to compensate for the screen. See COTM being a nightmare to see without a worm light on the OG. So then on the follow up everything got this bright vibrancy cause Konami was worried after COTM.
 
S

Stopdoor

Member
Cheetos is Pretty Awesome said:
The washed-out colors wasn't the fault of the system, it was more like older games needed to have a washed-out palette as the original GBA didn't have a backlight of any kind.
Click to expand...

I dunno, while the Micro looks ultra-slick, I think there's a pretty clear, subtle difference between its screen and an AGS-101 going by screenshots in this thread. Nothing awful, but noticeable.
 
E

everthustodeadbeats

Member
Got the DS version of Mario Kart on the Wii U store and love the implementation. Sold my 3DS during a sick GameStop bonus trade in deal as I wasn't playing it. Broke out the DS I still had and just started playing Gameboy Advance games. I'm enjoying the DS as the Gameboy Advance player so much again. It's close to playing my 2nd Wii as strictly a Gamecube player.

I need to look at some games to get but I really do have a nice GBA collection and I never got rid of it.
 
S

SpookyFries

Member
I lost my damn marbles when that music came on the Circle of the Moon title screen.

And then I absolutely FLIPPED when I saw the graphics on Tony Hawk. Man, those were the days
 
N

neoemonk

Member
I was able to pick up a Famicom GBA Micro on a trip to the Philippines a number of years ago. I still have it. I also bought Fire Emblem Sacred Stones and FF V Advance over there at the same time but it turns out they were counterfeits.
 
A

avens

Neo Member
Vollume said:
Why people on this forum insist in saying that the Micro's screen was good? It wasn't, it was actually awful, from ghosting, to the blue tint to the washed out colors. Anyone looking to argue over this just needs to watch this video:
https://youtu.be/BjtD1mOZlPc?t=6m46s
https://youtu.be/BjtD1mOZlPc?t=54m35s
Click to expand...

The Micro's screen had less ghosting than the one in the SP 101. Actually in the GBA line the Micro had clearly the best screen.

GBA games had washed out colors, in order to compensate for the 001's screen. Not a fault of the systems that came afterwards.

I guess that's the difference in opinion between someone whose opinions come from misquoting Youtube, because in that video they never said what you said, than from someone who actually has the hardware.


Anyway, since everyone is recommending games, I suggest everyone to play these that have not been mentioned yet:
- WarioWare, the first one.
- Rhythm Tengoku. There's a very good English patch on GBATemp.
- No No No Puzzle Chailien. It's quite a rare game, but it is fantastic. Actually I have a sealed copy (that cost me maybe $4 shipped. Rare yet not expensive).
 
C

Cipher Peon

Banned
The GBA is by far my least favorite Nintendo handheld. Just had the least amount of games I cared about and reminds me very intensely of the SNES (which I much prefer the GBA, of course). I did have a great time with the third generation of Pokemon games, Harvest Moon More Friends of Mineral Town, the Fire Emblem games (even tho 6 is the best of the three and the GBA games aren't top tier of the series), and some Yugioh games (particularly Dungeon Dice Monsters and Duel Academy).

Fine enough system, but my least fav of the handheld Nintendo consoles. Glad we moved onto clamshell and touchscreens for the DS and 3DS!
 
T

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
I love that the GBA gave me all my favorite SNES games and NES games from my childhood in my hands on the go. Even if they were ports with a bunch of extra stuff I didn't always like.

I have all the Mario games, all the Zeldas, the original Metroid in two versions.

I am so disappointed that I can't find my original Legend of Zelda NES Classic cart. For weeks I've had a craving to finally play through it and I lost it. It's somewhere I know. I just don't know where. (I'm as sad as when I lost my Ouendan 2 DS cart. Goddamn those tiny carts.)

I'm currently playing through Mario World with Luigi only trying to 100%. (All coins and exits. If it recorded it, I'd do the game again with Mario.) I'm so mad you can't replay castles. Supposedly you can when you finish the game, so I worked through Star Road but have failed to beat Bowser for now. I missed one coin in the world 2 castle and am frustrated I can't go back in and get it right now. I don't recall the original locking you from replaying them back in the SNES days.

After I finish World I'll play the others. SMB1 on both NES and Famicom versions (Imported the Japanese Famicom version back in the day because of the awesome box. Wish I'd thought to get SMB2 (Lost Levels) back then too. Then I'd have a complete set.) Super Mario Bros. 2, 3, Yoshi's Island.

My biggest disappointment is with SMB3's port. It came out last and at the WORST possible time in Nintendo's "experimentation" period. The other games came with everything all on the cartridge available to play. But then they locked all the special features and levels for SMB3 behind the doomed to fail E-Reader peripheral. Dammit, Nintendo.

I'm playing on my Famicom edition GameBoy Micro that I imported from Japan even though the US amazingly got its own version but with worse packaging design of course. Sadly we had a slight flood years ago and the AC adapter was lying on the floor. The end of it rusted slightly. I had bought a third party one from Amazon, but lost it a while ago. I tried to buy a second one but the company sent me a goddamned useless 3DS charger. It was cheap so I didn't bother complaining. But I was so disappointed. But I found my old one and it works, kind of, if I fiddle with it. Still would love to just get a new one but don't trust Amazon anymore. (Or rather the company that sells them)

One complaint is how they fucked up with the original GBA and didn't put a light on it so all the early games are way too over saturated so when you play them on a modern handheld they look washed out.
 
H

HotHamBoy

Member
Stopdoor said:
I dunno, while the Micro looks ultra-slick, I think there's a pretty clear, subtle difference between its screen and an AGS-101 going by screenshots in this thread. Nothing awful, but noticeable.
Click to expand...

Micro doesn't have great viewing angles but the screen was quite good for the time.

I haven't seen an AGS-101 in person for a long time. I recall ghosting being the major complaint at the time.

The DS Lite has pretty bad ghosting.

Seems ghosting is inescapable for that era of Nintendo devices.
 
T

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
I would just use my DS Lite for GBA playing if they didn't fuck it up and make the wrong buttons be the A and B. I cannot play Mario with DS Lite GameBoy controls.
 
Velcro Fly

Velcro Fly

Member
You can definitely replay castles in the GBA port of SMW (and you could in the SNES version too)

I can't remember if it is after getting all exits or beating Bowser but the sprite definitely changes from that downed castle image with the flag up to one that is like halfway down and you can select it like a normal world.
 
T

The Real Abed

Perma-Junior
silkysmooth said:
You can definitely replay castles in the GBA port of SMW (and you could in the SNES version too)

I can't remember if it is after getting all exits or beating Bowser but the sprite definitely changes from that downed castle image with the flag up to one that is like halfway down and you can select it like a normal world.
Click to expand...
Google says it happens after you beat Bowser. So I just have to keep trying. I got him down to one hit the first time before I got killed. So mad. I was doing so well in that fight. Even had a leftover mecha-koopa to throw at him to save time. #SpeedRunStrats

I also have a GBA SP first generation red model but its inferior screen keeps me from using it as my main GBA machine. I wish I'd bought a second revision back in the day with the better DS-Lite/Micro style screen.
 
O

Opa-Pa

Member
The Real Abed said:
I would just use my DS Lite for GBA playing if they didn't fuck it up and make the wrong buttons be the A and B. I cannot play Mario with DS Lite GameBoy controls.
Click to expand...

Oh man, this thread made me super nostalgic and I was considering getting a GBA flashcart to use on my DS Lite but I bet there's no way to remap those... God damn it Nintendo, I've suffered enough of that crap on the 3DS VC already and I forgot you started screwing up way back.
 
M

mattwhite924

Member
silkysmooth said:
You can definitely replay castles in the GBA port of SMW (and you could in the SNES version too)

I can't remember if it is after getting all exits or beating Bowser but the sprite definitely changes from that downed castle image with the flag up to one that is like halfway down and you can select it like a normal world.
Click to expand...

On the SNES version you just had to hit L and R at the same time to replay them. Not sure if it's the same on the GBA version.
 
NoKisum

NoKisum

Member
Ugh. With just getting over gift giving, MAGFest just around the corner, and now seeing this thread, my wallet is about to fucking bleed for a small hint of nostalgia. Thanks, guys.

But in all seriousness, GBA was and will forever be my favorite system (with DS at a very very close #2). While I played games here and there, I entered this system having a full understanding of what gaming had to offer, with a mix of access to old and new titles. Many hours lost on Pokémon, Golden Sun, Metroid Zero Mission, Wario Ware, and the Super Mario Advance & Sonic Advance series. Guess it's time I dust off my GBA SP from the shelf.
 
S

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
The Gameboy Advance, like all handhelds that preceded it, just struck me as an inferior substitute for what I could already get on consoles. If it wasn't for the occasional 14-hour family roadtrip then I would have found no use for them.

The DS was the first handheld that I truly enjoyed.
 
S

stublag

Neo Member
Best $150 I've spent in a while:

hUthxyu.jpg
 
J

jjasso21

Member
Such a wonderful system. I used to play my SP all the time during my Lunch break. I spent hundreds of hours playing Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy, Tetris and Pokemon. Also the SRW and Pokemon games were great.
 
J

Jon Carter

Member
stublag said:
Best $150 I've spent in a while:

hUthxyu.jpg
Click to expand...

That GBA still has the best handheld color scheme ever. It's been 15 years and it still looks so cool. The original DS looks like a product from the '80s, the 3DS looked okay, and the Switch looks good but has an ugly color scheme.
 
J

Jaymageck

Member
I love the GBA. The library is classic.

However the fact it took until the SP for it to have any light and until the Micro/DS for backlight was embarrassing. The OG GBA has a great design that is totally marred by the fact you have the same lighting issues you had with an OG Gameboy in 1990.
 
H

Hydrus

Member
God, I really hope Nintendo keeps on riding the nostalgia train, and re releases a Gameboy Color, GBA, N64 mini, and SNES mini. For the the GBC and GBA, have a rechargeable battery, USB charger, screen lit, and wireless communication for game linking.

Lets make a list gaf. Since this is a gba topic, lets stick to gba and gbc. 30 games for each handheld. I'll Start with some GBC.

GBC
GBCall.jpg
Click to expand...

Each colored GBC comes with a different version of PKM. Purple, transparent purple, teal comes with blue version and silver version. Green, yellow, pink comes with Red and Gold version. All of them have yellow version and crystal version.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Pokemon Pinball
Pokemon TCG
The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Seasons
The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Wario Land 3

What else?
 
H

HotHamBoy

Member
Hydrus said:
God, I really hope Nintendo keeps on riding the nostalgia train, and re releases a Gameboy Color, GBA, N64 mini, and SNES mini. For the the GBC and GBA, have a rechargeable battery, USB charger, screen lit, and wireless communication for game linking.

Lets make a list gaf. Since this is a gba topic, lets stick to gba and gbc. 30 games for each handheld. I'll Start with some GBC.

GBC


Each colored GBC comes with a different version of PKM. Purple, transparent purple, teal comes with blue version and silver version. Green, yellow, pink comes with Red and Gold version. All of them have yellow version and crystal version.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Pokemon Pinball
Pokemon TCG
The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Seasons
The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Wario Land 3

What else?
Click to expand...

So no original Game Boy?

That's the real nostalgia machine.


gameboypokemon.jpg


19b3TiF.jpg


6827390569_c56b3a0272.jpg


probacklight1.jpg


tumblr_lel8p6gAwq1qbfiiuo1_1280.jpg


IMG_20130722_1720120101.jpg


large.jpg


DgS0QnN.jpg


original.jpg


fr02RB7.jpg


Why not?

game-boy-mod.jpg


game_boy_zero.jpg


game_boy_macro_by_anthony_thomas_1.jpg
 
Velcro Fly

Velcro Fly

Member
What are the odds I'm not going to get some bootleg carts though

I don't even want to hassle with returning shit to GameStop :(
 
H

Hydrus

Member
silkysmooth said:
What are the odds I'm not going to get some bootleg carts though

I don't even want to hassle with returning shit to GameStop :(
Click to expand...

Beats me. I've never bought retro games from them before, but for the cheap prices, it doesn't hurt to try. Worse case scenario, I return them.
 
V

VeeP

Member
Instead of a NES console remake, Nintendo should do a GBA remake. Give 30 or so of its games in one system, 10+ hour battery life. I would love that.
 
Velcro Fly

Velcro Fly

Member
Of course the one Super Mario Advance game I don't have and they don't have it in stock :(

Against my better judgment I am considering placing an order
 
Cindi Mayweather

Cindi Mayweather

Member
And it only reigned from 2001-2004!
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Many of GBA's biggest games weren't released until 2005-2006. FFIV didn't come out on GBA until 2005 for example. DS didn't take off until about 2006, which is around the time GBA started to lose steam. Mother 3 came out in 2006. Even Rhythm Tengoku came out in 2006. GBA did not live for only 3 years. If anything, it got even better once the DS came out.

So....I'm really curious why people think GBA is better than the DS? DS has more game variety and improves upon many games that were on the GBA and it allows you to play GBA games on it.
 
K

Keikaku

Member
The form factor of the GBA Micro is astonishing to me. Still the prettiest hardware revisions ever made, IMO.

I never really got into the GBA during it's lifetime (I was still rocking the GameCube/PS2 combo) but the backwards compatibility aspect of the DS really sold me on the library. Just a really great library, regardless of whether you compare it to another handheld or any console.
 
M

m3k

Member
ill just add that the super street fighter port was pretty impressive apart from a few frames here and there and slightly tinny sound effects... i enjoyed it immensely for someone who played mainly arcade streetfighter in my youth
 
U

Unicorn

Member
GBA had the best Mario Kart, the best Wario, the best Marios, and the best Advance Wars.

The DS is a powerhouse for having all of GBA and it's own amazing library. A 3DS with access to emulating GBA is arguably the best ever.

I still hunger for a GBA Micro ever since I saw my friend get one back in high school.
 
S

Social

Member
The AGS-101 was pretty great and I love mine but the Micro was way too small. And that's coming from someone with small hands. I regret that purchase as I could never play it much.
 
J

Jon Carter

Member
Unicorn said:
GBA had the best Mario Kart [...] the best Marios
Click to expand...

I didn't know finding Super Circuit to be the best MK game was an opinion that existed. How so? It was okay for the hardware but I think it's the worst by about 100 miles.

Also, the GBA doesn't have any original Marios, so it loses on that front by default.
 
E

eyeball_kid

Member
The bit Generations series is probably the most indie thing I've ever seen for a Nintendo system. I love my DS because it plays titles like that, along with the creative DS titles like Electroplankton. What happened to the experimental side of Nintendo?
 
E

evanft

Member
HotHamBoy said:
It depends. It's rough for games with strict timing, like Rhythm Tengoku and Mother 3. It's fine for most everything else, though some games have emulation issues.

The Wii U's Game Boy Advance emulator is pretty fucking stellar. You can hack a Wii U through the web browser, without even modding the hardware or the OS - this is totally impermanent. By doing this you can play any GBA game via the Wii U's emulator. This is how I played through Mother 3 in English and it was pretty good. I recommend it.

Not advocating piracy but everyone should play Mother 3 and the only way to play in English is through a rom.

You can run the roms on the original hardware, too, of course... for a shockingly small investment.
Click to expand...

Ah. So would an original GBA w/AGS-101 screen likely be the best? Are the screens available by themselves?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Nintendo’s 135th birthday
Business
43
2K
cash_longfellow replied
Sonic Team Would "Love" To Remaster The Advance Series, Says Takashi Iizuka
Opinion Game Dev
2
525
Seyken replied
A new batch of Nintendo Gamecube controllers have entered reproduction
Rumor
42
4K
E-Cat replied
Nintendo Q2 FY 24/25 Earnings Release: Hardware 2.62m LTD 146.04m. Zelda:EOW 2.58m
Sales-Age 2 3
146
6K
Luminoth-4545 replied
Nintendo Shares 'Most Played' Switch Games In 2023 (Europe)
Sales-Age
15
2K
Marvel14 replied
Top Bottom