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It's true. I've finally played what will be the best console available in the UK this year (no, not the PS2) The Gameboy Advance. I was lucky to visit a friend who had his import GBA delivered today, along with Mario and Castlevania, and I was amazed that he let me even touch it!
So why is everyone getting so excited about a handheld console that doesn't seem to be much of a step up from the Gameboy Color? Well, I'll tell you.
Because it's fantastic.
The dimensions, as you now know, are not much bigger than the older Gameboy Color and this means that it will fit in to those nice black nintendo zip cases, great news for people who don't want to have to buy another case! The cartridges look like a gameboy cart that has been cut in half lengthways, so old gameboy games will poke out of the top of the console quite a way! The console itself has two fire buttons on the face, plus two shoulder buttons and the usual start, select and direction pad. The colour of my mate's GBA was the nice clear blue that appears in all the pictures.
The screen is lovely and clear, all the graphics are so much easier to see than the previous gameboys (just as well, as it doesn't have a contrast button) and this is even more evident when playing your old gameboy games on it. The sound is much improved as well, sounding even better than the SNES! Mario Brothers contains lots of speech and some lovely music and Castlevania's background music is just superb.
The console is so easy to grip as well, the A and B fire buttons on the right feel so natural, although the direction button could have been designed to be more analogue it does the job well enough.
Playing older games on the Gameboy Advance is a dream. The console immediately puts them in a higher resolution, while keeping them the same width as a normal Gameboy screen. Don't like that? Well, with a flick of the top left shoulder button you can make the game 'widescreen' and fill the GBA screen with the picture. This obviously distorts the picture slightly, but sometimes makes it easier to play a game.
So you can probably guess my overall opinion, it's a great piece of kit and when I eventually get my hands on my own one, it won't leave my side! I would really urge everyone to put in an order for one of these babies, it's the future of portable gaming and Nintendo have excelled themselves again. No wonder no-one else can beat them in the handheld market.
So why is everyone getting so excited about a handheld console that doesn't seem to be much of a step up from the Gameboy Color? Well, I'll tell you.
Because it's fantastic.
The dimensions, as you now know, are not much bigger than the older Gameboy Color and this means that it will fit in to those nice black nintendo zip cases, great news for people who don't want to have to buy another case! The cartridges look like a gameboy cart that has been cut in half lengthways, so old gameboy games will poke out of the top of the console quite a way! The console itself has two fire buttons on the face, plus two shoulder buttons and the usual start, select and direction pad. The colour of my mate's GBA was the nice clear blue that appears in all the pictures.
The screen is lovely and clear, all the graphics are so much easier to see than the previous gameboys (just as well, as it doesn't have a contrast button) and this is even more evident when playing your old gameboy games on it. The sound is much improved as well, sounding even better than the SNES! Mario Brothers contains lots of speech and some lovely music and Castlevania's background music is just superb.
The console is so easy to grip as well, the A and B fire buttons on the right feel so natural, although the direction button could have been designed to be more analogue it does the job well enough.
Playing older games on the Gameboy Advance is a dream. The console immediately puts them in a higher resolution, while keeping them the same width as a normal Gameboy screen. Don't like that? Well, with a flick of the top left shoulder button you can make the game 'widescreen' and fill the GBA screen with the picture. This obviously distorts the picture slightly, but sometimes makes it easier to play a game.
So you can probably guess my overall opinion, it's a great piece of kit and when I eventually get my hands on my own one, it won't leave my side! I would really urge everyone to put in an order for one of these babies, it's the future of portable gaming and Nintendo have excelled themselves again. No wonder no-one else can beat them in the handheld market.
It looks as though the GBA will be in fairly short supply in the UK when it arrives. For anyone wanting a UK GBA, and that would be most sane people, I'd suggest pre-orders are in order.
SR look like they will be fulfilling this task quite nicely and will have the full range of software on release day too.
SR look like they will be fulfilling this task quite nicely and will have the full range of software on release day too.
NateBindahouse wrote:
> Zeldapro wrote:
> How much does it cost on import at the minute
> or is it worth waiting
> for the UK launch
GoTo
> www.cagames.co.uk
I'll check that out then!!
> Zeldapro wrote:
> How much does it cost on import at the minute
> or is it worth waiting
> for the UK launch
GoTo
> www.cagames.co.uk
I'll check that out then!!
How much does it cost on import at the minute or is it worth waiting for the UK launch
hehe!
Everyone will be talking about it soon...
Not long to wait for you non-importers now.
Everyone will be talking about it soon...
Not long to wait for you non-importers now.
The other day, some kid in school asked me if I've heard any news on Nintendo's new handheld which is almost as good as the SNES..
...I said "No! But I've heard of the Gameboy Advance" :)
...I said "No! But I've heard of the Gameboy Advance" :)
I've also managed to get my hands on a GBA... and it's great.
F-Zero, the only game I have, is superb. The feel of the game is amazing, and I've lost many man hours due to it.
F-Zero, the only game I have, is superb. The feel of the game is amazing, and I've lost many man hours due to it.
It's true. I've finally played what will be the best console available in the UK this year (no, not the PS2) The Gameboy Advance. I was lucky to visit a friend who had his import GBA delivered today, along with Mario and Castlevania, and I was amazed that he let me even touch it!
So why is everyone getting so excited about a handheld console that doesn't seem to be much of a step up from the Gameboy Color? Well, I'll tell you.
Because it's fantastic.
The dimensions, as you now know, are not much bigger than the older Gameboy Color and this means that it will fit in to those nice black nintendo zip cases, great news for people who don't want to have to buy another case! The cartridges look like a gameboy cart that has been cut in half lengthways, so old gameboy games will poke out of the top of the console quite a way! The console itself has two fire buttons on the face, plus two shoulder buttons and the usual start, select and direction pad. The colour of my mate's GBA was the nice clear blue that appears in all the pictures.
The screen is lovely and clear, all the graphics are so much easier to see than the previous gameboys (just as well, as it doesn't have a contrast button) and this is even more evident when playing your old gameboy games on it. The sound is much improved as well, sounding even better than the SNES! Mario Brothers contains lots of speech and some lovely music and Castlevania's background music is just superb.
The console is so easy to grip as well, the A and B fire buttons on the right feel so natural, although the direction button could have been designed to be more analogue it does the job well enough.
Playing older games on the Gameboy Advance is a dream. The console immediately puts them in a higher resolution, while keeping them the same width as a normal Gameboy screen. Don't like that? Well, with a flick of the top left shoulder button you can make the game 'widescreen' and fill the GBA screen with the picture. This obviously distorts the picture slightly, but sometimes makes it easier to play a game.
So you can probably guess my overall opinion, it's a great piece of kit and when I eventually get my hands on my own one, it won't leave my side! I would really urge everyone to put in an order for one of these babies, it's the future of portable gaming and Nintendo have excelled themselves again. No wonder no-one else can beat them in the handheld market.
So why is everyone getting so excited about a handheld console that doesn't seem to be much of a step up from the Gameboy Color? Well, I'll tell you.
Because it's fantastic.
The dimensions, as you now know, are not much bigger than the older Gameboy Color and this means that it will fit in to those nice black nintendo zip cases, great news for people who don't want to have to buy another case! The cartridges look like a gameboy cart that has been cut in half lengthways, so old gameboy games will poke out of the top of the console quite a way! The console itself has two fire buttons on the face, plus two shoulder buttons and the usual start, select and direction pad. The colour of my mate's GBA was the nice clear blue that appears in all the pictures.
The screen is lovely and clear, all the graphics are so much easier to see than the previous gameboys (just as well, as it doesn't have a contrast button) and this is even more evident when playing your old gameboy games on it. The sound is much improved as well, sounding even better than the SNES! Mario Brothers contains lots of speech and some lovely music and Castlevania's background music is just superb.
The console is so easy to grip as well, the A and B fire buttons on the right feel so natural, although the direction button could have been designed to be more analogue it does the job well enough.
Playing older games on the Gameboy Advance is a dream. The console immediately puts them in a higher resolution, while keeping them the same width as a normal Gameboy screen. Don't like that? Well, with a flick of the top left shoulder button you can make the game 'widescreen' and fill the GBA screen with the picture. This obviously distorts the picture slightly, but sometimes makes it easier to play a game.
So you can probably guess my overall opinion, it's a great piece of kit and when I eventually get my hands on my own one, it won't leave my side! I would really urge everyone to put in an order for one of these babies, it's the future of portable gaming and Nintendo have excelled themselves again. No wonder no-one else can beat them in the handheld market.