Game Boy Advance
© 2001 Nintendo of America
The next generation of portable video games is here with the arrival of the Game Boy Advance. So what’s the difference? A lot. The first thing you’ll notice is the orientation of the screen and buttons. Instead of the old design the GBA has the screen in the center, with the D-pad, start and select buttons on the left and the A and B buttons on the right. It also has R and L buttons on the top of the unit, similar to those on the N64 controller. Like the Game Boy Color the GBA features a full color screen, now able to display a full 32,000 colors with resolution that is sharp and precise. Under the hood the system sports processing power similar to that of the first Playstation. This marks a vast improvement over its predecessor so you can expect the GBA to provide fast action, smooth playing games at a level similar to the PS1. The GBA also offers for the first time multiplayer capabilites, allowing you to link up to four units for fun with friends. Topping off the features list is the ability to link the unit with GameCube and serve as an additional controller. With all the great improvements Nintendo managed to include they still left us with a few grievances. Our biggest complaint, and this is a pretty big one, is the lack of backlighting. The first Game Boy was difficult to see in poorly lit areas and Nintendo has done nothing to make up for it in this new version. Big ouch. We were also disappointed to see that the average cost of games rose from $30 to $40, although the price of GBC games did drop. If you set aside these shortcomings you do end up with a vastly improved, fully capable portable gaming system. If you’re looking for a handheld system or already own a Game Boy, you should seriously consider the Game Boy Advance.
$99.95, Smart Toy
Teaches: a hardware game system