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Nintendo's Game Boy wasn't exactly sleek, nor was it particularly sophisticated. It was basically a big brick of a system, and in fact, the only reason it worked its way into middle-aged exec-types' briefcases was a little piece of software called Tetris. Beam forward a decade and Nintendo is finally giving its old portable games gadget a hi-tech overhaul, resulting in Game Boy Advance.
The design of all-new GBA is streamlined and thankfully it leaves the boxy looks of the original back in the '80s. The system is available in three different hues: indigo, white, and 'milky' (read, translucent) blue. Each variation looks distinctly different, but the milky offering is the most befitting of the Advance label.
The Game Boy Advance revolution takes place under the hood, though. Gone is the measly 8-bit Z80 processor, out go the cream cracker-size game cartridges, and the 4:3 ratio, low definition screen is no more. All-singing new features include a powerful 32-bit ARM-designed CPU, a gorgeous 2.9-inch widescreen TFT screen, and tiny matchbox-size carts. The most immediately striking change, though, is the shift from a vertical design to a far more ergonomic horizontal layout. So no more aching knuckles then.
The massive increase in processing power is noticeable as soon as a GBA game boots up. Mario Advance, one of the system's major launch titles, is more impressive than most Super NES games and while not quite up to PlayStation standards, it's not far off in terms of 2D graphical performance. The TFT monitor is good under most conditions, and despite not being backlit the GBA display is far more resilient than the original Game Boy.
GBA's audio capabilities are also significantly improved. No other handheld console's audio chip gives you such a great range of sound. Audio is crisp and clear at all frequencies, and strong enough to rise above the bleeps and squeaky little tunes that are associated with the original Game Boy. Even decent speech samples can be heard booming from the GBA's single speaker, so the entire carriage can now know that Super Mario is inviting you to 'choose a player'.
The Game Boy Advance has just one extension port and this can be used for a variety of add-ons. Two to four GBAs can be hooked up together via link cables that plug into the extension ports. Each cable can link two systems, but thanks to a central hub on each cable, an extra link can be made to allow for four-player games. A mobile phone adaptor is another welcome option, which links your GBA to phones via its extension port. In theory this could pave the way for mobile on-line gaming or, at the very least, communication between GBA and phone. The potential here is great, but until the adaptor is released in the West it's not entirely clear what will be possible.
As well as an improved spec and new layout, the GBA has a revamped control interface, with two more buttons than any previous Game Boy has had. On the left-hand side of the screen is a digital, four-way control pad and sitting snugly to the lower-left of the display are tiny start and select buttons. On the right-hand side of the monitor are the standard A and B buttons, laid out identically to older Game Boys. The main new feature, however, is the introduction of shoulder buttons (as found on practically every other joypad). These micro-switched buttons bring the total number of action buttons up from a basic two to a more reasonable four. In gameplay terms, the shoulder buttons enable more complex games to be built and allow for improved control of standard games, making it better for cornering in racing titles, for example.
The groovy Game Boy Advance is a great improvement on the 100 million-selling Game Boy, it has the technical ability to be pushed far beyond its current SNES-on-steroids performance plus it looks the part as well. If you need a gaming session at lunch or when commuting this is the ultimate portable device and it's future-proof too, with GameCube-compatibility assured.
Game Boy Advance marks Nintendo's long overdue return to top form. This is, quite simply, the best handheld game console ever conceived.
The design of all-new GBA is streamlined and thankfully it leaves the boxy looks of the original back in the '80s. The system is available in three different hues: indigo, white, and 'milky' (read, translucent) blue. Each variation looks distinctly different, but the milky offering is the most befitting of the Advance label.
The Game Boy Advance revolution takes place under the hood, though. Gone is the measly 8-bit Z80 processor, out go the cream cracker-size game cartridges, and the 4:3 ratio, low definition screen is no more. All-singing new features include a powerful 32-bit ARM-designed CPU, a gorgeous 2.9-inch widescreen TFT screen, and tiny matchbox-size carts. The most immediately striking change, though, is the shift from a vertical design to a far more ergonomic horizontal layout. So no more aching knuckles then.
The massive increase in processing power is noticeable as soon as a GBA game boots up. Mario Advance, one of the system's major launch titles, is more impressive than most Super NES games and while not quite up to PlayStation standards, it's not far off in terms of 2D graphical performance. The TFT monitor is good under most conditions, and despite not being backlit the GBA display is far more resilient than the original Game Boy.
GBA's audio capabilities are also significantly improved. No other handheld console's audio chip gives you such a great range of sound. Audio is crisp and clear at all frequencies, and strong enough to rise above the bleeps and squeaky little tunes that are associated with the original Game Boy. Even decent speech samples can be heard booming from the GBA's single speaker, so the entire carriage can now know that Super Mario is inviting you to 'choose a player'.
The Game Boy Advance has just one extension port and this can be used for a variety of add-ons. Two to four GBAs can be hooked up together via link cables that plug into the extension ports. Each cable can link two systems, but thanks to a central hub on each cable, an extra link can be made to allow for four-player games. A mobile phone adaptor is another welcome option, which links your GBA to phones via its extension port. In theory this could pave the way for mobile on-line gaming or, at the very least, communication between GBA and phone. The potential here is great, but until the adaptor is released in the West it's not entirely clear what will be possible.
As well as an improved spec and new layout, the GBA has a revamped control interface, with two more buttons than any previous Game Boy has had. On the left-hand side of the screen is a digital, four-way control pad and sitting snugly to the lower-left of the display are tiny start and select buttons. On the right-hand side of the monitor are the standard A and B buttons, laid out identically to older Game Boys. The main new feature, however, is the introduction of shoulder buttons (as found on practically every other joypad). These micro-switched buttons bring the total number of action buttons up from a basic two to a more reasonable four. In gameplay terms, the shoulder buttons enable more complex games to be built and allow for improved control of standard games, making it better for cornering in racing titles, for example.
The groovy Game Boy Advance is a great improvement on the 100 million-selling Game Boy, it has the technical ability to be pushed far beyond its current SNES-on-steroids performance plus it looks the part as well. If you need a gaming session at lunch or when commuting this is the ultimate portable device and it's future-proof too, with GameCube-compatibility assured.
Game Boy Advance marks Nintendo's long overdue return to top form. This is, quite simply, the best handheld game console ever conceived.
shouldn't that have gone on the reviews page?
I am confuzzled...
Nice analysis, though.
Nice analysis, though.
muh?
Pre-release?
It's been out for ages..
Pre-release?
It's been out for ages..
Nintendo's Game Boy wasn't exactly sleek, nor was it particularly sophisticated. It was basically a big brick of a system, and in fact, the only reason it worked its way into middle-aged exec-types' briefcases was a little piece of software called Tetris. Beam forward a decade and Nintendo is finally giving its old portable games gadget a hi-tech overhaul, resulting in Game Boy Advance.
The design of all-new GBA is streamlined and thankfully it leaves the boxy looks of the original back in the '80s. The system is available in three different hues: indigo, white, and 'milky' (read, translucent) blue. Each variation looks distinctly different, but the milky offering is the most befitting of the Advance label.
The Game Boy Advance revolution takes place under the hood, though. Gone is the measly 8-bit Z80 processor, out go the cream cracker-size game cartridges, and the 4:3 ratio, low definition screen is no more. All-singing new features include a powerful 32-bit ARM-designed CPU, a gorgeous 2.9-inch widescreen TFT screen, and tiny matchbox-size carts. The most immediately striking change, though, is the shift from a vertical design to a far more ergonomic horizontal layout. So no more aching knuckles then.
The massive increase in processing power is noticeable as soon as a GBA game boots up. Mario Advance, one of the system's major launch titles, is more impressive than most Super NES games and while not quite up to PlayStation standards, it's not far off in terms of 2D graphical performance. The TFT monitor is good under most conditions, and despite not being backlit the GBA display is far more resilient than the original Game Boy.
GBA's audio capabilities are also significantly improved. No other handheld console's audio chip gives you such a great range of sound. Audio is crisp and clear at all frequencies, and strong enough to rise above the bleeps and squeaky little tunes that are associated with the original Game Boy. Even decent speech samples can be heard booming from the GBA's single speaker, so the entire carriage can now know that Super Mario is inviting you to 'choose a player'.
The Game Boy Advance has just one extension port and this can be used for a variety of add-ons. Two to four GBAs can be hooked up together via link cables that plug into the extension ports. Each cable can link two systems, but thanks to a central hub on each cable, an extra link can be made to allow for four-player games. A mobile phone adaptor is another welcome option, which links your GBA to phones via its extension port. In theory this could pave the way for mobile on-line gaming or, at the very least, communication between GBA and phone. The potential here is great, but until the adaptor is released in the West it's not entirely clear what will be possible.
As well as an improved spec and new layout, the GBA has a revamped control interface, with two more buttons than any previous Game Boy has had. On the left-hand side of the screen is a digital, four-way control pad and sitting snugly to the lower-left of the display are tiny start and select buttons. On the right-hand side of the monitor are the standard A and B buttons, laid out identically to older Game Boys. The main new feature, however, is the introduction of shoulder buttons (as found on practically every other joypad). These micro-switched buttons bring the total number of action buttons up from a basic two to a more reasonable four. In gameplay terms, the shoulder buttons enable more complex games to be built and allow for improved control of standard games, making it better for cornering in racing titles, for example.
The groovy Game Boy Advance is a great improvement on the 100 million-selling Game Boy, it has the technical ability to be pushed far beyond its current SNES-on-steroids performance plus it looks the part as well. If you need a gaming session at lunch or when commuting this is the ultimate portable device and it's future-proof too, with GameCube-compatibility assured.
Game Boy Advance marks Nintendo's long overdue return to top form. This is, quite simply, the best handheld game console ever conceived.
The design of all-new GBA is streamlined and thankfully it leaves the boxy looks of the original back in the '80s. The system is available in three different hues: indigo, white, and 'milky' (read, translucent) blue. Each variation looks distinctly different, but the milky offering is the most befitting of the Advance label.
The Game Boy Advance revolution takes place under the hood, though. Gone is the measly 8-bit Z80 processor, out go the cream cracker-size game cartridges, and the 4:3 ratio, low definition screen is no more. All-singing new features include a powerful 32-bit ARM-designed CPU, a gorgeous 2.9-inch widescreen TFT screen, and tiny matchbox-size carts. The most immediately striking change, though, is the shift from a vertical design to a far more ergonomic horizontal layout. So no more aching knuckles then.
The massive increase in processing power is noticeable as soon as a GBA game boots up. Mario Advance, one of the system's major launch titles, is more impressive than most Super NES games and while not quite up to PlayStation standards, it's not far off in terms of 2D graphical performance. The TFT monitor is good under most conditions, and despite not being backlit the GBA display is far more resilient than the original Game Boy.
GBA's audio capabilities are also significantly improved. No other handheld console's audio chip gives you such a great range of sound. Audio is crisp and clear at all frequencies, and strong enough to rise above the bleeps and squeaky little tunes that are associated with the original Game Boy. Even decent speech samples can be heard booming from the GBA's single speaker, so the entire carriage can now know that Super Mario is inviting you to 'choose a player'.
The Game Boy Advance has just one extension port and this can be used for a variety of add-ons. Two to four GBAs can be hooked up together via link cables that plug into the extension ports. Each cable can link two systems, but thanks to a central hub on each cable, an extra link can be made to allow for four-player games. A mobile phone adaptor is another welcome option, which links your GBA to phones via its extension port. In theory this could pave the way for mobile on-line gaming or, at the very least, communication between GBA and phone. The potential here is great, but until the adaptor is released in the West it's not entirely clear what will be possible.
As well as an improved spec and new layout, the GBA has a revamped control interface, with two more buttons than any previous Game Boy has had. On the left-hand side of the screen is a digital, four-way control pad and sitting snugly to the lower-left of the display are tiny start and select buttons. On the right-hand side of the monitor are the standard A and B buttons, laid out identically to older Game Boys. The main new feature, however, is the introduction of shoulder buttons (as found on practically every other joypad). These micro-switched buttons bring the total number of action buttons up from a basic two to a more reasonable four. In gameplay terms, the shoulder buttons enable more complex games to be built and allow for improved control of standard games, making it better for cornering in racing titles, for example.
The groovy Game Boy Advance is a great improvement on the 100 million-selling Game Boy, it has the technical ability to be pushed far beyond its current SNES-on-steroids performance plus it looks the part as well. If you need a gaming session at lunch or when commuting this is the ultimate portable device and it's future-proof too, with GameCube-compatibility assured.
Game Boy Advance marks Nintendo's long overdue return to top form. This is, quite simply, the best handheld game console ever conceived.