Which is your favorite: GBA or DS?

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

Now that the DS has been out a few years, it is time to start thinking about its place among the handhelds. If production ended today for the DS, and no new games came out, how would you judge it compared to the Gameboy Advance. Which had better games? Which had a higher percentage of good games? Which was more enjoyable to play? Anything you want to comment on as a comparison to between the two ...

[GrandAmChandler]

Moving this over to Modern Gaming.

-GAC-

[Oobgarm]

DS, no question.

[Zthun]

Add another vote for DS.

[maxlords]

DS for sure.

[vivaeljason]

Definitely DS.

[Pantechnicon]

DS all the way. I was ambivalent about the system when it was released as I thought the touch screen aspect was gimmicky at best. However, since then I've become a pretty big fan.

Let me put it this way: I like the DS so much that it actually overrides my game collector instinct to have "one of everything" when it comes to consoles and handhelds. Thus, every time I think about buying a PSP, I hear a voice in my head asking why I need that when I've got a perfectly good and highly playable DS.

GBA was good for its time, though, but I think the DS is considerably more enjoyable.

[Red Warrior]

The GBA had more pixels... but more importantly more Metroid with 2D classics like Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission; as opposed to the inferior DS offering of Metroid Prime Hunters. Plus, it had Zelda: The Minish Cap which I enjoyed quite a bit more than Phantom Hourglass.

Pixels > Polygons

1 vote for GBA.

[RCM]

I like them equally, but play my GBA way more. Sometimes it's too much "work" to play certain DS games when I'm in bed (where I usually play the portable systems).

That said, GBA holds a special place in my heart. While 2D titles are nicely represented today, back in 2001 there weren't many places to get new(ish) titles that adhered to that discipline. GBA helped bring 2D back to the mainstream!

[BetaWolf47]

I like them equally, but play my GBA way more. Sometimes it's too much "work" to play certain DS games when I'm in bed (where I usually play the portable systems).

That said, GBA holds a special place in my heart. While 2D titles are nicely represented today, back in 2001 there weren't many places to get new(ish) titles that adhered to that discipline. GBA helped bring 2D back to the mainstream!

Well, between the death of the SNES and the birth of the GBA, there was only a short few years, like half of a generation maybe. GBA picked up right where SNES left off. GBA used to be my least favorite Nintendo system, but now that I've gotten into it, I think I actually like it better than GBC.

[fishsandwich]

I have to vote GBA SP. I've devoted countless hours to it and I still marvel at its compact size and simplicity.

[fahlim003]

GBA by a long shot.
I realize there are lots of similar games/series on the DS and updated no less, plus lots of new functions the GBA never had (Wifi/'dual screen'/stylus touch) but the quality of titles on GBA is something I cannot overlook. I had always been interested in the system and only recently I got one and I couldn't be happier. DS on the other hand I have no interest in whatsoever.

[RCM]

Well, between the death of the SNES and the birth of the GBA, there was only a short few years, like half of a generation maybe. GBA picked up right where SNES left off. GBA used to be my least favorite Nintendo system, but now that I've gotten into it, I think I actually like it better than GBC.

As far as I'm concerned 2D started falling off the map in 1995 with the introduction of Saturn and Playstation. And while I view 2D as picking up again due in part to the GBA, it wasn't like 2D was back in full force on 6/11/01 (think that's when GBA was introduced). It took days and weeks and months and years! Hell, I really couldn't enjoy GBA until the first SP model came out. It was bizarre; I used to have to turn off all the lights and flip on some crappy lamp accessory just to *kind of* see the original GBA screen.

So would "half a generation" indicate 2 1/2 years or so assuming you mean a standard console gen? If that's the case, I gotta disagree with you on that one!

[kupomogli]

I think this past year the DS and PSP have a larger library of good games than the GBA does. I don't think neither system really leads over the GBA by that much, but overall they're better.

It's kindof obvious this would happen though. The DS is a much more powerful system than the GBA and gaming is more popular than it ever was before.

[Press_Start]

You want to talk about great Nintendo handhelds then I'm giving props to original GB! The DS comes a pretty close second in my book with the original (not exclusive) stuff i.e. Trauma Center, Phoenix Wright, Touch Detective, Professor Layton, etc. plus all the gaming goodness the GBA has to offer.

[BydoEmpire]

DS by a long ways. It's the first handheld I've actually been able to spend a lot of time with. Great variety of game, good screens.

[Baloo]

DS is way better.

So many great games.

[Cloud121]

Game Boy Micro > GBSP > GBA > DS > DSLite > DSi.

There. That's my ranking.

[Leo_A]

GBA easily wins, great DS games are uncommon and releases of excellent games for it are becoming few and far between. Haven't even came close yet to playing every GBA game I want to.

[kupomogli]

Game Boy Micro > GBSP > GBA > DS > DSLite > DSi.

There. That's my ranking.

I heard the DSi had a better controller and buttons than the Lite. Shouldn't it be DS > DSi > DS Lite.

[The 1 2 P]

Considering you can play all GBA games on your DS, there is only one logical answer: DS.

[Leo_A]

Though you have to put with a uncomfortable button layout for many games (Nearly impossible for me to run and jump at the same time in a Mario Advance title on the DS for example), inferior d-pad, cartridges that stick out in the DS Lite unless you want to sacrifice having a nice screen and use the original DS, etc.

The GBA SP revision 2 is the best handheld ever. Great screen that used the same technology the Micro and DS Lite used, perfect controls, perfect size, etc.

[PapaStu]

Though this pic is like a year old now, it gives my answer.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k252/PapaStu/IMG_1014.jpg

[MarioMania]

DS for me

[j_factor]

GBA for me. Although the DS has a larger library, it also has a lot more crap. Also I really liked the GBA's 16-bit-esque games, which are less common on DS. But the big thing for me is that the DS itself is very unergonomic. I can't play the DS for more than half an hour without literally being in pain. The GBA SP also has a shitty cramped layout, but I generally use a Game Boy Player.

[heybtbm]

The DS's RPG library just kills compared to what was available on the GBA. Night and day. I choose the DS.

Although, I will say GBA Castlevania's > DS Castlevania's.

[kedawa]

Until the DS gets some decent fighting games, I'll stick with the GBA.
It's just mind boggling that there's no Street Fighter, KoF, Tekken, Soul Blade, Virtua Fighter, or even Smash Bros. for DS.
The only thing even close to a decent fighting game is Bleach, and maybe UMK3.
The GBA at least has a couple of decent SF and KoF games. Plus the GBA has Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, which is one of my fav puzzlers ever.

[Rogmeister]

I actually never had a GBA. I had a couple Game Boys including a Game Boy Color but never got the GBA, instead waiting and getting the DS. I do have a handful of GBA titles, though, and play them on the DS...so I guess I don't really need to choose as I can have both, right?

[Sonicwolf]

I prefer the GBA myself. Could never get into the whole touchscreen gameplay thing.

[kupomogli]

Until the DS gets some decent fighting games, I'll stick with the GBA.
It's just mind boggling that there's no Street Fighter, KoF, Tekken, Soul Blade, Virtua Fighter, or even Smash Bros. for DS.
The only thing even close to a decent fighting game is Bleach, and maybe UMK3.
The GBA at least has a couple of decent SF and KoF games. Plus the GBA has Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, which is one of my fav puzzlers ever.

Jump Ultimate Stars is fun, also has WiFi. When I was into the game I played it for months before I finally got tired of it. It was actually a person I know Son1cWildfire who made me quit the game. I'd say I'm a really good player and could beat everyone I knew and everyone Sonic knew, but against him it seems he only got better every single time we played. It got to the point that I was losing atleast three out of every four times he was so good. I got really pissed off and just quit altogether.

My online ranking is 2000 games/1400 wins.

[Poofta!]

since the ds plays gba games, i dont see any reason to choose the gba over it. my fav is the dslite. best way to play gba games.

if you mean games only, then i prefer the gba way way way more than the ds.


The DS's RPG library just kills compared to what was available on the GBA. Night and day. I choose the DS.

Although, I will say GBA Castlevania's > DS Castlevania's.

really? i prefer GBA's RPGs over the DS by far. no stupid touch gimicks, just straight up classic rpg goodness. many great remakes and updates to 16bit rpgs. and a great selection of new franchises like golden sun and Car Battler Joe (awesome.). (i own every single gba rpg out). in fact i pretty much hate almost all the ds rpgs, save for SOME of the Square stuff.

i agree the 2d platformers on the gba are without par, like you said castlevania games on the gba are absolutely awesome. best since SotN. and the metroid games, as someone else mentioned are the best since Super Metroid.


Game Boy Micro > GBSP > GBA > DS > DSLite > DSi.

There. That's my ranking.

id have to say my fav DS being DSlite>DSi>DS

my fav gbas: GBASP backlit>GBASP>GBA Micro>GBA

i would prefer to play everything on my DSlite, but if we're talking exclusive games-consoles, the GBA SP w/ the backlight is absolute win.

[Gameguy]

I've got to go with the DS. I actually got excited for games I heard were coming out for it, I haven't really done that with the GBA. I'm mostly into adventure games and there's plenty out there for the DS. There is an adventure game out there for the GBA, a port of Broken Sword but it has several bugs that can cause the game to be unwinnable and you'd have to start over(this happened to me, the bugs occur if you save while at certain places). I thought that the touch screen would be a gimmick, but I actually like the system now.

I like the GBA too, but I play the games on the DS as the screen is way better than the original GBA or SP systems.

I really don't know which system I have more games for, I don't think I've really bought much for any of the more recent systems compared to the older systems.

[Berserker]

There's nothing wrong with the GBA, but the DS permanently altered my perception in terms of ways in which a video game can be fun, which doesn't happen very often.

[Ed Oscuro]

GBA so far - there's a lot of DS titles that seem pretty good, but it seems more suited for adventure / RPG / slower-paced games than I usually am looking for. The action games on DS I've played generally disappoint me in one way or another. GBA for now.