GBA turned 20 years old recently

[mrkonasoni]

START



Gameboy Advance turned 20 years old recently and while I always like to make a post for remember such celebrations, this time I didnt because the plans that I had involved talking about ALL GBA games available but I am still wondering if it could be just a better idea just talk about the games I think deserve a special mention or just the good games and mostly good games.

Anyway the console is pretty loved nowadays and I actually had one back then in the 2000s, at the time I always thought the console was indeed pretty special and had some power that indeed felt like the advanced evolution of the classic handheld from Nintendo.

I could like to mention some stuff about the development but I think there are better videos on youtube explaining the subject, what I can say otherwise is the fact that I always loved that even with the NDS out in the market, the GBA still had important and great releases from a lot of developers.

The console has a great library, of course it also has a lot of unplayable shovelware but the good games are certainly worth it.

Some of my favorites are:

- Sonic Advance trilogy
- Castlevania trilogy
- Frogger trilogy
- Zoocube
- Mario vs DK
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Double Pack
- TMNT
- Shaman King Master of Spirit 1 + 2
- Metroid Fusion
- Rayman Raving Rabbids
- Crash Bandicoot Handheld trilogy
- TLOZ The Minish Cap

What are your favorite memories with the console?

[bikingjahuty]

I've recently really got into GBA modding. I installed an IPSv2 screen in both a standard GBA and an SP, and it just looks amazing! I had a GBA growing up, but it was never something I got really into like some people. However, I can absolutely understand why some people worship this handheld; its library of games are excellent and graphically it's an amazing retro handheld. Modding them has definitely made me appreciate them more for sure.

[burningdoom]

The GBA, specifically the GBA-SP 101 model, is the best handheld ever made.

Fantastic design with the clamshell protecting the screen. Backwards compatibility going back 2 generations that works flawlessly. FINALLY a true backlit screen.

But best of all is it's game library. A fantastic library of both original games and great 8-bit & 16-bit ports.

Metroid: Zero Mission & Fusion, the Metroidvania Castlevanias, the Mario ports, NES Classic Series, Final Fantasies, Metal Gear, Contra III,  Final Fantasies, Sonics, etc.

So good.

[sworddude]

The gba console was one of my nostalgia consoles from back than. Was a top 2 favourite console of all time. Still over the years I do feel it to be an inferior snes in terms of sound screen cropping and grapics. although it did optimize some things better than snes if where talking rpg's and such because it was released years later with more modern tech.

Still speaking of sound I find metal slug advance to be really impressive on gba. Also like the permanent upgrade system in that one with them cards. If all gba games had sound quality such as metal advance I'd be eating my words about the gba having worse sound than consoles.

My problems are that allot of versions of certain series it's just not the best way to play these series. especially action games definitely are a bit less on gba compared to consoles.

Metroid, kirby castlevania mario zelda contra gunstar heroes metal slug. excellent games still.

I do appreciate the console giving birth to the mario & luigi rpg  and megaman zero series also arguably superior versions of advance wars and fire emblem.

Games such as dragonball advanced adventure, drilldozer and medabots an rpg adventure. These titles definitely stand out on the console as a reason to pick up a gba console.

Also in terms of classic pokemon. Emerald is at the perfect sweet spot for the classic pokemon experience while enjoying the postgame content wich made gen 4 and 5 so great. I'll say one thing tho having the option to play them games on the big screen with a gameboy player is a massive plus giving it a more console esk experience.

Amazing system have allot of nostalgia for it but I have had less of an appreciation for it over the years thanks to experiencing allot of other retro consoles that did allot of stuff quite a bit better. Such is the curse of being a handheld. That being said if where talking handhelds only it's definitely the peak of the mountain alongside the DS. no competition otherwise.

[telly]

The Game Boy Advance was a huge part of my childhood  I fondly remember playing Pokemon, Mega Man Battle Network, and Zelda A Link to the Past with my friends.

[98dgreen]

Its my favorite console.

[chexmixbreath]

I loved my GBA at the time and I cherish the handful of games I was able to get as a kid. Right around age 14 though, I discovered the Virtual Boy Advance and I spent quite a bit of time playing GBA games that way, it was stunning to be able to play full games free of charge that were only a few years old at that point. For a young boy with no means to make money on my own, you can imagine I was just *in heaven* having complete access to the GBA library.

One case I remember of playing a game that wasn't even out yet where I lived was Minish Cap a few weeks before it was released in the States, because it had an earlier release over in the UK/EU with an English translation. It was a naughty feeling, but now I have zero regrets about that and I did eventually get a legit American copy of Minish Cap for Christmas 2005.

So while my physical library of GBA games wasn't and still isn't much, I did play most of the notable titles that came out for the system. So many great games...

[oldgamerz]

When I had A Gameboy Advance SP, I was not too impressed by it, I just never got into it, I received mine as a gift from an old friend, I originally had 2 games for it, "Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King"

and another game that  I don't remember. and I later got Sonic for it, than I had a Hotwheels Racing game, and Duke Nukem Advance, but I was not having fun on this Handheld console. I was expecting it to be like at least like or similar to a portable Nintendo 64 or the Sony PlayStation Portable handheld. But nope, it's more like a year 1990 portable Super Nintendo instead. I'd rather play a SEGA Game Gear than any Gameboy Advance handheld, I just was not at all impressed with the Gameboy Advance SP. However I did like how it let me play all original Gameboy Games as well as all GameBoy Color games too. but that was the only thing that I liked about this handheld. 

My friend paid $250USD for this and almost $20USD a piece for the two games I originally had for this. (I am shaking my head writing this) I just don't understand why it didn't have 3D graphics

(edit) and this is comming from a guy that plays Atari 2600, it might just be that I was vary depressed at that time in my life, I even love my Atari 2600 portable but I don't want to spend the current asking price for a GameBoy Advance SP or the price of it's games on the current market

[badATchaos]

My favorites include . . .

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
To me its pretty much the definitive way to play Yoshi's Island. Wide screen aspect ratio. Better sound effects. Baby is less annoying. Plus it has Mario Bros. as a bonus game.

Metroid: Zero Mission
A great remake of the original game with elements from Super Metroid and Fusion

Wario Ware Inc.
Classic, fast-pace mini game orgy! Started a whole new series.

Game & Watch Gallery 4
The final G&W Gallery game. Simple, yet highly replayable.

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
I have a lot of nostalgia for these games. Coming off of Silver and Gold, they felt very advance. Better graphics and effects. Secret bases were fun to share with friends.

e-Reader Cards
One of the more obscure and strange things for GBA was the e-reader card system. I actually had a lot of fun scanning in NES games, Pokemon cards and Animal Crossing cards. Not to mention the whole Mario Party game exclusively for it. I kind of wish it was more popular then it was. I thought it was a really neat idea at the time.

[koemo1]

I love the GBA! I played so much Pokémon Silver on it. (Yes, my first game for the GBA was Pokemon Silver haha)

Some of my favourite games:
- Lady Sia
- Jurassic Park III: Park Builder
- Pokémon: FireRed Version
- Pokémon: Sapphire Version
- Super Mario World

[covfefe2020]

I was incredibly lucky to get the 101 model secondhand as a kid (I was too young to remember, but it must have been sometime from 2009-2012) And remember going to gamestop with my mom to pick out some games. that was the ultimate car trip machine, now only dethroned by the switch.

[covfefe2020]

My favorites include . . .

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
To me its pretty much the definitive way to play Yoshi's Island. Wide screen aspect ratio. Better sound effects. Baby is less annoying. Plus it has Mario Bros. as a bonus game.

Baby mario was still extremely annoying.

[sworddude]

My favorites include . . .

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
To me its pretty much the definitive way to play Yoshi's Island. Wide screen aspect ratio. Better sound effects. Baby is less annoying. Plus it has Mario Bros. as a bonus game.

Could you explain the advantage of wide screen because the gba version of yoshi's island just like pretty much every other gba game is cropped since you play on a smaller screen. Vertical and horizontal image is lost.

Sound additions are nice but the music is of lesser quality, allot of samples are more dull and faded in the gba version.

regardless It's definitely pretty great for a gba port one of the better examples.

Atrocities such as r-type III exist after all, the music was butchered to bits in the gba release.

[pacgamer89]

The GBA has always been loved

[kashell]

The GBA is timeless. I have tons of memories with it - most of which involve it being my salvation during long, boring car drives. The backlight on the SP was a godsend.