GBA Appreciation

[Jisho23]

This is a system which, from what I have seen, gets a fair bit more flak than it deserves. It is loaded with shovel ware, but there is a big library of really great games that really do run the gamut of genres. I just want to make this thread so people can call attention to some of the less written about games and really try and change the image of a system that is--unfortunately--plagued with bad PR and shovel ware. I also think it's a system us collectors should really pay attention to because a lot of the good software is still available at most gamestops (I.e. readily accessible) and many of the prices are damn good (2 bucks Iridion II, 5 bucks for Ninja Five-O).

I've been playing, as of recent, "Wade Hixton's Counter Punch." Fantastically funny and effective Punchout style boxing game. Really lively artwork that looks like it was drawn by Scott Kurtz of PvP fame. Vibrant colors and sprite-work only help it more. Also, to the best of my knowledge, it is the only game to feature a pimp, a gorilla, and a demon in the same game.


If there is a thread for this... ignore this. If it belongs in modern gaming... move this!

[Rickstilwell1]

I don't really think this is modern gaming much anymore. I mean if you think about it, its predecessor the Nintendo DS came out 6 years ago. It had games for another year or two and then it was abandoned because the DS was so popular it was taking over GBA sales. It might be about time that the Xbox and GameCube are considered classics since stores already do. The only reason PS2 is not is because it is still out.

I love the system especially playing on GameCube or on the go on my original DS, but most of the time I end up playing more of the remakes of old games that were ported to it. The newer versions of Final Fantasy, Super Mario Advance Series, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Donkey Coung Country series, the Pokemon games.

The only games I reall have that aren't remakes are the Dragon Ball games and the Sonic Advance games unfortunately.

Games I don't have that I enjoy are Super Bust-A-Move, the Crash Bandicoot games (but not Spyro games because they seem a bit tedious to me in 2.5D), the port of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.

I do know there's a lot of RPGs for it. My friend really liked the Summon Knight Swordcraft games and Golden Sun games. Also Demi Kids.

What I would really like to find is that import version of Mr. Nutz. Anytime I've looked on ebay when I had the money I only see the SNES, Game Boy Color, and import Mega Drive versions.

[Gameguy]

What I would really like to find is that import version of Mr. Nutz. Anytime I've looked on ebay when I had the money I only see the SNES, Game Boy Color, and import Mega Drive versions.
I feel the same with Comix Zone, I never see a copy of it anywhere including the european ebay and amazon. I guess it's pretty rare.

There's actually a few copies of Mr Nutz on ebay right now, one is complete and somewhat cheap with worldwide shipping.
http://cgi.ebay.com/GBA-GAME-MR-NUTZ-Game-Boy-Advance-Mint-complete-/120649140224?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c173fc800

[joshnickerson]

I never felt or heard that it had a bad reputation, it was a kickass little system that continues to kick ass to this day!

[retroman]

hey i still love my gba..i still play it for the hell of it...has a bunch of nice games, and got me hooked on FireEmblem

[Jisho23]

I never felt or heard that it had a bad reputation, it was a kickass little system that continues to kick ass to this day!

Maybe bad rep isn't the right way to put it... maybe that it's neglected. It doesn't have the niche' flavor to make it a cult system, and it's not notable for being terrible like the N-Gage, and it's usually ignored in favor of the home consoles that it was a peer to. Frankly, some of the system's original titles are just as good as any game on the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube--off hand I'm immediately drawn to games like "Wario Ware Twisted" and the late gen rpgs by Atlus (Summon Knight, Yggdra Union, etc.).

[heybtbm]

I didn't buy a GBA until the SP came out in early 2003. It was amazing to finally have a back-lit portable gameboy right out of the box. The ultra-compact design was pretty cool too.

Thinking back, I must have spent 2000+ hours on that first GBA SP. Golden Sun, Tactics Ogre, FF Tactics Advance, Warioware...the list goes on. Let's not even mention the three Castlevania's that came out for it. Light years ahead of the DS iterations.

[nickerous]

I love the GBA! How bout some pics?

http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg455/nickerous1975/DSC02036a.jpg

And the games:

http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg455/nickerous1975/DSC02029a.jpg

As for some recommendations, I enjoy TMNT and Astro Boy. TMNT is a lot like the arcade beat'em up and Astro Boy is a really good shooter in the Gunstar Heroes style. In fact, I believe the company behind Gunstar made Astro Boy.

[cityside75]

The GBA has to be my favorite portable ever...I love its selection of games - near perfectly remade classics, awesome modern 2d action, and some attempts at 3d deserving of respect.

It's hard for me to pass up all the cheap GBA's I see around these days. The system feels more valuable to me. Plus they made so many cool variations!

[kupomogli]

The original GBA is also the most comfortable portable ever. GBA SP sucks, but the original is amazing(even if I did have to sit under a ridiculously bright light in order to play anything.)

Damn Nintendo for not making this amazing system(original version) backlit. Though there are ways of getting it done yourself.

http://www.pctvhifi.co.uk/images/41C6BQN6CNL.jpg

[Jisho23]

I ironically find the tiny micro just as comfy as the original and I love that it fits perfectly into cell phone cases making it a really easy and durable system to take around.

The SP... I've got a love hate relationship with. The flip top is a great idea, but its just too narrow for me to be comfortable with. Action games are almost out of the question.

[Sothy]

I sold my DS because anytime I wanted to play a portable the Advance came out. Anytime I go hiking or camping whatever , a charged advance in its case with some games is as much a part of the backpack as M.R.E's, flashlight and booze.

[Greg2600]

I love my GBA SP 101 with the brighter screen. I never got into portables because I always hated the old gameboy graphics and lack of brightness. When the SP's finally came out I took notice. Unfortunately, for every great GBA game, there are 50 shitty ones. Same thing happened with GBC era, I think too many developers tried to sell games that were huge on consoles. The portables weren't capable of producing anything close graphically and the result is a laughingstock.

[josekortez]

Yeah, I would love to get my hands on an AGS-101. The Micro is decent but it makes my hands cramp something awful the longer I use it. My favorite config is the Game Boy Player with the Interact version of the Hori SNES-style controller.

[j_factor]

GBA kicks ass. I never cared for all the ports -- the originals are usually better -- but it has an amazing selection of games. There's a lot of GBA games that you wouldn't expect to be good, but are actually awesome. Like Astro Boy.

[Casati]

I use the AGS-101 mainly to play Gameboy and GBA games on a backlit screen. There are a few GBA games I like such as Ultimate Card Games by Telegames, but I play mainly just arcade and strategy games on a portable system.

[csgx1]

Ninja Five-O for $5?....Never, ever seen a copy at any of my local Gamestops. I just saw a CIB copy on ebay go for $100. Great game and it's becoming harder to find.

[heybtbm]

Ninja Five-O for $5?....Never, ever seen a copy at any of my local Gamestops. I just saw a CIB copy on ebay go for $100. Great game and it's becoming harder to find.

I remember when it was $9.99 new on Amazon. Oh, how time flies.

[Swamperon]

What system isn't loaded with shovelware?

Love the GBA. Mainly play on my SP, or DS Lite. Great selection of games, just about every genre is covered. Some of the ports are welcomed and some were just downright lazy.

Still a few games for it I mean to pick up.

[Jisho23]

Yeah, you can actually search using Gamestop's website to find copies of the game. Ninja Five-O is still rediculously rare, but there are a couple copies floating about; the ones closes to me are one in a Brooklyn store and one way out in Suffolk county--54 miles away! (L.Island).

But games that are borderline rare/will eventually be/are also pretty good (Phantasy Star Collection and Pinball of the Dead-- which are respectively 4.99 and 1.99 (!!!!), also Gradius Galaxies is also a mere 1.99) are not that difficult to find. It just takes a car!

[kupomogli]

What system isn't loaded with shovelware

The PSP.

[Daria]

My GBA was the first Gameboy I ever owned. Before that I was a total GameGear fangirl. Although the Advance cartridges were really difficult for me to see without extra lighting, the system still got a ton of use because I was discovering all these great GBC games I'd never played before. I found GBC games were a lot easier to see. In 2002 you would rarely find me without a old GameBoy carrying case slung around my shoulder like a purse and a copy Tetris.

I didn't start really playing the system's own games until I modded my GBA for tv display, then I sold that unit for $75.00 when the GameBoy Player was announced. When I finally got an SP it was all over, I started buying up Advance cartridges like crazy.

[Mr. Smashy]

The original GBA is also the most comfortable portable ever. GBA SP sucks, but the original is amazing(even if I did have to sit under a ridiculously bright light in order to play anything.)

Damn Nintendo for not making this amazing system(original version) backlit. Though there are ways of getting it done yourself.

http://www.pctvhifi.co.uk/images/41C6BQN6CNL.jpg

It's even more comfortable in foam.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3526123660_c08d2c2b1a.jpg

[Jisho23]

I wonder if anyone has modded a GBA to have a back light.

[Gameguy]

I wonder if anyone has modded a GBA to have a back light.
You need an Afterburner kit. They've been around for years.

http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/gba/backlit.htm

[Jisho23]

Yeah, but can an afterburner kit still be found?

[Rob2600]

The original GBA is also the most comfortable portable ever. GBA SP sucks, but the original is amazing(even if I did have to sit under a ridiculously bright light in order to play anything.)

You don't really need a super bright light to see the original GBA screen. It's a reflective TFT LCD, so if you tilt the original GBA away from you slightly, the picture will get brighter.

I figured out this technique when playing my original GBA on the NYC subway.

[Jorpho]

I think it is easy to fault the GBA for its lack of X and Y buttons, and the unfortunate tendency for so many games to have washed-out overbright palettes to account for that old backlighting problem. And of course all the shovelware.

But on the whole I do sometimes think that there isn't much talk of the various quality games the system has available.

[fahlim003]

Yeah, but can an afterburner kit still be found?
A good question, I haven't seen any kits for sale in a long time. Generally, an Afterburner installed system will pop up on ebay (should be one there right now for $23) but otherwise I do not know where else to find them. It may fall under the "missed the boat" category, especially so many years after popularity with the AGB-001 faded out.

InsaneDavid has a really nice black AGB-001 that I've wanted for a while, but I could never afford it. Perhaps one day I'll source an Afterburner system as like kupomogli, I find the original system to be really comfortable and is equiped with an excellent d-pad.

The GBA in general is a system I came to enjoy only after the system was usurped by the DS, I began collecting in 2008. It all started after finding a cheap copy of Mother 3 and then quickly finding Gunstar Super Heroes for $5 new at a local Electronics Boutique. This was before I even had a system, which came much later since I was able to borrow a friends AGB-001. I got a AGS-101 spring 2009 and since then have built up to 17 complete games, import and otherwise.

For me, the GBA represents the best of 16 bit on a handheld, much like the GBC/GB represented an alternative to the NES/8 bit era. It's big on 2D and has plenty of arcade and action based original IPs to satisfy along with the stronghold of Nintendo developed games. Titles like Orbital, Fire Emblem, Metroid Zero Mission, and Gradius Generation really show what the system can provide and shovelware aside there are many quality games to be had and generally for low prices.

[kedawa]

My friend has an afterburner kit at his store. I've been thinking of picking up an old scratched up GBA and installing it, but I have to wonder if it's any better than the front-lit SP I already have.

I still play the hell out of my GB micro and gameboy player, so another GBA is a bit of an indulgence.

[Jisho23]

I think it is easy to fault the GBA for its lack of X and Y buttons, and the unfortunate tendency for so many games to have washed-out overbright palettes to account for that old backlighting problem. And of course all the shovelware.

But on the whole I do sometimes think that there isn't much talk of the various quality games the system has available.

...and thats why I wanted this thread! You can't fault the system for being cheap and marketable; thats why there is so much of the shovel ware. And I think the overbright palettes work in favor the system. Games on the GBA have a really unique look as opposed to the nearly homogenized home consoles.

Frankly, if prolific system can pull off upward of 50 titles that are worth owning and playing, then we're doing pretty good--regardless of shovel ware.

[Gameguy]

My friend has an afterburner kit at his store. I've been thinking of picking up an old scratched up GBA and installing it, but I have to wonder if it's any better than the front-lit SP I already have.
It would be worth it to play some games with motion control, with the SP the games are upside down and pretty much uncontrollable. Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble for the GBC comes to mind, though it's a GBC game I don't know of any backlighting available for the GBC system. There's a few motion control games for the GBA but I don't know if they can be set up for both the original and SP or just the original.

I have an original system and an SP, but I like playing games on the DS. The backlight is way better with the DS, though I haven't tried the brighter SP and I don't want to bother tracking one down.

[laserdogg]

The original GBA is also the most comfortable portable ever. GBA SP sucks, but the original is amazing(even if I did have to sit under a ridiculously bright light in order to play anything.)

Damn Nintendo for not making this amazing system(original version) backlit. Though there are ways of getting it done yourself.

http://www.pctvhifi.co.uk/images/41C6BQN6CNL.jpg

Still have my arctic white GBA modded myself with the afterburner kit. Moderately difficult to perform as I recall....I also have the microchip that allowed you to adjust the brightness but I never installed it since I was reluctant to tempt fate by opening it up again. Still have all of it - GBA is mint complete in the box.

[Jorpho]

There's a few motion control games for the GBA but I don't know if they can be set up for both the original and SP or just the original.Warioware Twisted plays just fine on all systems, if I'm not mistaken. The only other one I can think of is Yoshi Topsy Turvy, which by all accounts is something you really shouldn't play.

[ubersaurus]

http://fuckyeahgba.tumblr.com/

[kedawa]

Looks more like pokemon mini.

[zaneiken]

It would be worth it to play some games with motion control, with the SP the games are upside down and pretty much uncontrollable. Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble for the GBC comes to mind

I don't know how playable Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble would be on an Afterburner-modded GBA, considering how narrow the viewing angles are on those.

I modded quite a few of these back in the day but I still bought a GBA SP because the screen was cleaner - purple trapezoids were less apparent than on the Afterburner.

I've got an AGS-101 and a GBA Micro as well. The 101 has a very nice bright screen but the colours are overly saturated. The micro has a much better screen but it's way too small.