• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Worth trading up from original GBA to DS?

M

Manick Joe

Member
My little brother's original GBA is pretty beat; it is filled with scratches and a wonky battery connector. So for his upcoming birthday I want to upgrade him. Now the question is, strictly for GBA games does the DS offer that much better quality compared to the SP? Is the extra $60 justified? Looking at the DS line-up he'd probably like Wario Ware and maybe Nintendogs, but that's about it and I don't think he would miss those games either. He seems happy with his steady rotation of Sonic, Mario, Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh and Metroid.
 
DS' screen is MUCH better than the SP's. But DS may be a problem if he likes to trade Pokemon or whatever with his friends, there's no GBA multiplayer/link up options on DS.
 
what about when other kids get a ds with pokemon etc? wireless swapping and whatnot.
 
I say go for it. He'll most likely end up wanting one eventually and you might as well just get it now and save the money in the long run. I'm sure he'll enjoy the next iterations of pokemon and metroid.
 
It probably won't matter to him, but the GBA SP is quite a bit more portable than the DS. It slides in your pocket much easier. Also, I've dropped my SP quite a few times, with no negative results besides a very small (really small) chip out of the plastic around the edge of the top. I haven't dropped my DS, so I don't know how it would handle something like that.

Another thing to consider is that GBA support will most likely die off after this calendar year. Hopefully by then, there will be a few great DS games to further warrant a DS purchase.
 
i just got my SP back from my manager whom i lent it to, and i have to say i'm in love with it again. i just got home from work, played a few games in Wario Ware, and i'll try to pick up Boktai where i left it a few months ago. Screw the DS (i've got that too), the SP is still a leader in portables. It's easy to slip in your pocket, fits well in your hand and still looks really good, much better than the DS. Yeah, the DS has a nicer screen and better sound output, but GBA support feels really slapped on, with no way to use the X and Y buttons, no standby mode support, no real extras for GBA games aside from the better screen and audio, which the system has anyways.

So to answer your question, i'd say go with the SP. i'll probably be in the minority since everyone is a whore to the DS's backlit screen, but the system just doesn't have a comfortable feel for GBA games like the SP.

If you do decide to go with the DS, get him a screen protector as well, since the screen will eventually get scratched to hell like his old GBA screen. i've got the Brando and it works very well. It's something like $15 shipped.
 
I'm strongly considering getting rid of my Cobalt GBA SP (I also own the NES SP) and GB Player for a DS. I'm hoping that'll at least amount to $50 trade-in credit. I've already "trimmed the fat" from my game library during Christmas, so I don't have much else I'd want to trade in. Maybe Halo 2... I only play it when there are lan parties going on at someone else's place, and they never require I bring my copy. :P The hype machine fucking owned me on that one.
 
I say go for the DS. It makes the games significatly better. Its much like the transition from GBA, to SP. You never want to go back.
 
Manick Joe said:
My little brother's original GBA is pretty beat; it is filled with scratches and a wonky battery connector. So for his upcoming birthday I want to upgrade him. Now the question is, strictly for GBA games does the DS offer that much better quality compared to the SP? Is the extra $60 justified? Looking at the DS line-up he'd probably like Wario Ware and maybe Nintendogs, but that's about it and I don't think he would miss those games either. He seems happy with his steady rotation of Sonic, Mario, Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh and Metroid.
Click to expand...

I can answer this with a resounding HELL YES!!!

I bought an SP last October and couldn't WAIT until the DS came out! I bought the DS on launch day STRICTLY to play GBA games because the improvement in image quality was nothing short of SUBLIME! To this day, I can safely say that I am the only member here at Gaming Age that owns a DS without having bought one DS game for the system!

Also, GET SUPPER PUZZLE FIGHTER AND STREETFIGHTER ALPHA 3 NOW! They are REQUIRED for GBA enjoyment!
 
I had an original GBA and thought about upgrading to a DS when they came out, mostly for the screen. Thanks to a stack of games I wasn't going to play and a deal at a game store that was waiting to be exploited, I managed to pick one up. I wasn't totally sold on it, I'm still not and I was thinking about just trying to pick up a cheap SP. But because of the deal I went for the DS and the screen is so much better it's not even funny. I've not used an SP so can't comment on how it compares but I'm really pleased with it - I'll probably be using it a fair bit to play GBA games (it was probably the feature I wanted most).

There are a couple of issues that other people have mentioned - firstly, transferring stuff i.e. Pokemon style, secondly, durability. The first one, I can't help you with. As for number two, I know someone who dropped their DS and while it still works, the hinge is broken.

Good luck with it!
 
If your little brother's GBA is filled with scratches, I wonder what will happen to his DS. :|

Anyway, I upgraded from (original) GBA to DS recently myself and the jump in screen visibility is huge. Well, except when playing in bright areas, but that can't be helped I guess.

I'd say buy a DS, it's a good future investment and you can play GBA games while waiting for good DS games to come around.
 
Kiriku said:
Anyway, I upgraded from (original) GBA to DS recently myself and the jump in screen visibility is huge. Well, except when playing in bright areas, but that can't be helped I guess.
Click to expand...

Turn the backlight off! :)
 
Kiriku said:
Doesn't make a difference when the sun is shining. :P
Click to expand...

Yeah, unfortunately it doesn't :(

Speaking of portables in the sun, how well can the PSP's screen be seen outdoors and in the daylight?
 
isamu said:
Yeah, unfortunately it doesn't :(

Speaking of portables in the sun, how well can the PSP's screen be seen outdoors and in the daylight?
Click to expand...

Too much glare. Handhelds will never be playable in the sun :P Well except for Boktai...
 
I was thinking of buying a DS just for GBA games (nothing interests me on DS except for the upcoming games (AC, Castlevania, FF3))...but I didn't bother just cause it can't hook up to the Gamecube.

That's such a huge con for me, because me and my friends play Zelda 4 Swords and FF:CC, and I occasionally still use it for Animal Crossing.
 
isamu said:
Yeah, unfortunately it doesn't :(

Speaking of portables in the sun, how well can the PSP's screen be seen outdoors and in the daylight?
Click to expand...


It sucks outside with daylight. I never had any problems with the SP but can't see anything unless you're on a good angle with the PSP :(
 
The upgrade in screen and sound quality is great. If his GBA is beat up, then all the more reason to upgrade. The DS is quite sturdy so you don't have to worry about him putting it out of commission for quite some time. :lol
 
I'm gonna echo that. Now, I'm primarily a single player mode gamer. I have my SP for the rare occasional synch up with another GB or my GCN. The DS kicks the SHIT outta the GBPlayer or GBA SP as far as GBA playback is concerned. Really breathed a new life into a bunch of GBA games for me.

Doesn't hurt that you can actually enjoy the music without headphones now.
 
Now that I'm used to DS trying to go back to the SP looks washed out and weird (except in the sunlight, as others have mentioned). However, your little brother doesn't sound like an exceptionally demanding gamer. He'd appreciate the upgrade, but he'd probably be more satisfied with a few GBA games now and a DS at Christmas or some other time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

An hour's worth of WIP footage from Slipgate Ironworks' canceled Escape From New York game appears online
0
81
adamsapple replied
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga: GBA Original or 3DS?
9
709
Robb replied
Can the original Sonic game be ported to the Amiga, from the Sega Mega-Genesis?
Analysis Retro Platform 
10
200
Soodanim replied
Nintendo has boosted its original Switch 2 sales forecast for the current fiscal year from 15 million to 19 million
0
150
analog_future replied
Helldivers 2 on PC will now take up 85% less space thanks to reduced installation size (down to around 23GB from 154 GB, with help from Nixxes)
2
50
967
Paasei replied
Top Bottom