tommy_lop's Full Review: Nintendo Game Boy Advance Console
Two years ago when the GBA was released it was hard to find. I had to wait two weeks before I could find one, and even then it was Fuchsia (a little bit more manly way of saying hot pink). Any way's I got the best game out at the time Castlevania circle of the moon and was happy. While at first the GBA at trouble separating itself with the GBC, the newer games definitely separate the GBC with the GBA.
Graphics.
The GBA is somewhere between the SNES and the PS1. While it is 32bits like the PS1 it has no 3d processor. What's this means is that the GBA can pull of great ports of SNES games and actually add to them. Or they can even make a few water down 2d games of Playstation games.
Screen.
The screen on the GBA lays horizontal and not vertical like previous GB incarnations. The wider horizontal screen makes it so that the screen is bigger and means that bigger sprites can be now fitted into it. Just because the screen is bigger don't expect it to be seen easier. The lighting problem is at least twice has worse on the GBA then it is on the GBC. Luckily GBA designers have risen to the challenge of this and modern GBA games don't have this problem has much has the older ones (cough Castlevania cough cough). Luckily Nintendo is coming out with two things that will help players see there GBA games, and I'll talk about those later.
Sound.
The sound on the GBA is great, well it's better then the GBC and most games it won't get you throttle if you turn it up to full volume any more. The problem with the GBA even though some great music can be plugged into the games, it's still coming out of the little speaker on the side of the gameboy. So even if you have great music like Castlevania circle of the moon your still listening to it through a muffled speaker. Headphones or computer speakers will help you experience some of the greater sounds of the GBA.
Backward compatibility.
The one thing that Nintendo's GB have thrive on is there backward compatibility. While the GBA may be the first brand new Game Boy around (meaning no games that make use of the GBA graphics can be backward compatible) the GBA can still play all of the old GB games. Pop in an old black and white gameboy game and you'll be able to switch the colors just like you would on the GBC. The L and R buttons at the top can switch between GBC size and a distorted GBA screen size.
Now if you own a GBC don't go out to sell it for a GBA because of the backward compatibility. On GBC games the GBA is bit of a disappointment. The GBC graphics where rich and vibrant on a lot of good games. Popped into the GBA the graphics turn into dark and a bit muddy, the games are still playable, but the games look so much better on a GBC. I hope they fix this problem on the newer models of the GB.
Games.
GBA exclusive games that should be taken a good look at.
Castlevania Circle of the Moon
Dracula’s back and he’s kidnapped your vampire hunting teacher. To make matters worse his son and your main rival has gone over to the dark side. What’s a young vampire hunter to do. Well if your Nathan Graves you go whip undead butt that’s what you do. While this game could probably be considered the game with thee worse lighting problem with the GBA, once you get around it you get into a metroid like survival horror game that can only be surpassed by Symphony of the Night.
Super Mario Kart
Mario makes is way to the GBA in this Kart racing game. Mario Kart for the GBA takes a lot from both the two previous Mario Karts and combines them into one great games, with backgrounds and characters taken from the N64, and unlockable tracks from the SNES (all though they have taken all the obstacles out of them), and 20 new courses this is a game that shouldn’t be missed.
Mega Man Zero
The year is 22XX, Mega Man X the earth’s greatest champion now rules the world with an iron fist and he’s out killing innocent reploids. Hearing upon that X’s greatest rival and best friend Zero is not dead but mearly asleep a young scientist Cecil seeks him out and reawakens him, it’s up to Zero to protect Cecil and the other reploids in there war against X. The one thing I should warn you about this game before you play is this game is that it severally up’s the challenge. You only have a limited amount of lives and once there gone you fail the mission, and can’t collect the items in that stage. And while you can still fail all your missions and get to the end, your only guaranteed a butt whooping by Mega Man X at the end. Still it’s one of the best Mega Man games around and it’s great that the game departs from the traditional Mega Man formula.
Yu-Gi-Oh the eternal duelist soul.
Konami delivers a solid Yugioh game based on the card game that is out now. The game follows the rules pretty closely to the card game. Despite having no story or quest mode the game is still highly addictive and highly recommended.
Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance.
Konami did a full 180 on this game, while Circle of the moon’s graphic where lacking and hard to see Harmony of Dissonance has great graphics. The graphics have been approved and the quest is pretty big. You take a role of an Alucard want a be Belmont has you explore Drac’s castle looking for two lost friends. If you where a fan of circle of the moon or Symphony of the night you might want to think about picking this one up.
The Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past/Four Swords
Nintendo and Capcom delivers a solid Zelda port of a great SNES game. An evil wizard is out to destroy Hyrule and has been kidnapping descendants of the 7 sages. You play has Link trying to claim the one magic sword that can kill the wizard and rescue the descendants. The game has a lot of dungeons and some pretty hard puzzles a must get for the Gameboy.
Games I do not recommend
Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase.
Scooby poo on this one. Scooby and the gang have to blast into Cyber Space to stop an evil virus. The game is a basic coin collecting (or Scooby Snack collecting). Take the uninspired game play and add a non stop repeating Scooby theme and you got yourself a real snoozer. The only good think I can think about playing this game is seeing Daphne in a bikini.
NFL Blitz 2002.
Can you say Garbage in a portable cartridge. Take the hard-hitting NFL blitz arcade game style, then take out the smooth game play, the hard hits, and the great controls. Add in ugly colors, choppy animation, and brain dead AI and you got this stinker.
Irdion 3d.
Ok this one isn’t a complete no hopper, if anything this first generation release did help to show that the GBA isn’t just a GBC in a different case. Despite the great almost 3d like graphics, and the killer sound the game is basically a bland shooter. You just dodge and shoot enemies till the end and beat the boss, it gets boring. I hear that they are making a sequel to this if they can greatly improve the game play it might be worth a look.
accessories.
A few accessories that might be worth a look.
Pelican Charge and GO.
Nintendo made a huge mistake when they design the adapter. The adapter replaces both the batteries and the battery case. Unlike the GBC adapter which was just unplug and go you have to go around looking for the battery’s and the case when your on the go. That is why I bought this. Just pop in the special battery’s, and plug the unit in and wait a couple of hours and you have a portable, reusable, and most importantly cheap way to power your GBA.
Game link for the GBA
The GBA games require a different game link then that of past GB systems, while this may seem to be Nintendo’s way of milking the system, GBA games due have more multi player feature then in the past. This means not only are games bigger, but some games like Mario Kart will allow up to 4 players to play, with only one cart.
Gamecube, GBA gamecube linkup?
I put the ? mart at the end of the sentence because I have yet to try the product (hey give me a break I only got my Nintendo Lunch Box system last Friday I haven’t had a chance to try the goodies). However there are a lot of neat things that gamers can do with this one, download games to there GBA from the Cube, along unlock hidden things in the cube games.
Recommendation
Now I come to the two things Nintendo is doing to help people see the GBA games, and why it’s not a bad idea to wait to get your GBA. The first thing is something everybody interested in portable gaming should have heard about the GBA SP system. It’s not a new Game Boy (in other words there will be no GBA SP specific games), rather it’s an improvement on the old. It’s smaller and it has a light and rechargeable batteries that come with it. The forward lights can be turn on and off to save battery power, this looks like it’s a great system, and something Nintendo might be able to sell to the older crowd.
That is choice number one, I am planing on going with Choice number 2, and the reason why I bought my Nintendo Lunch Box system (other then Zelda of course) is the Nintendo Gamecube Gameboy player. Nintendo is finally doing something they never said they would, making another Super Gameboy accessory. This will plug underneath the Gamecube and let you play your Gameboy Games on the big screen. This ought to make everybody who owns a copy of Castlevania Circle of the Moon really happy, because in less Nintendo install 3 gigawatt bulbs in there GBA SP there is no way you can get enough light to see Circle of the Moon with a front lit source.
Now Nintendo is still selling this the original GBA system, has a cheap kiddy system while the SP will be a premium GB. I do recommend the SP over the GBA because anything Nintendo does to help the lighting is OK with me. I do recommend the regular GBA system because even though it’s soon going to be 2nd best, it’s only going to be 2nd best to it’s new kid brother.
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