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Gameboy Advance SP Released Today in North America
Txiasaeia writes "The latest version of Nintendo's venerable Gameboy has been released today in North America. The Gameboy Advance SP builds upon its predecessor by adding a front lit display, and a foldable design in order to protect the screen. Also, instead of using AA batteries to power the device, it uses a
Lithium-Ion battery. Other than that, the basic architecture of the system remains the same as the original Gameboy Advance. Most online retailers' first shipment has been sold out, but my local Walmart had plenty of copies.
Check out this Gamespy review." I snagged one at lunch today. The screen is vastly improved from the original GBA. Now the only question is how many Pokemon I can collect ;) (And yes Hemos, we got you one too ;)
Today? Sheesh... you're behind the times. Roomie got his yesterday! :)
Like that 20 second-wait before you click game?
When is the Gamecube device to let you play GBA games on the Gamecube coming out? That would be worth purchasing, especially if it let you play games as if you had 2 GBAs linked.
Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
These features should had all been in the original GBA release. It's a nice addition to a already good gaming system, but I can't help but think I wasted money on the original release.
Unless I am completely insane, it seems they have forgotten to include a headphone jack on the unit I messed around with. Anyone else find it?
Gameboy is the last refuge of new, quality 2-D gaming. Am I the only one that misses spirites? I remember thinking someday we'd have anime quality 2-D games, now I guess I'll never see animation quality Street Fighter IX in an arcade. =/
"You know why you do not see me styling wit my homies? Because I have no homies!!" -Mojo Jojo
It seems as though Nintendo is slowly coming out of it's slumber. They are beginning to realize what their fans have been clamoring for, and are trying to give the fans what they want. The original GBA comes out and no one can see anything without a spot light on the screen, so they release a new GBA with a lit screen and rechargeable batteries. The GameCube isn't marketed well, so they offer free games with every purchase. Original NES fans want their favorite series revamped, so they get Metroid Prime, and other oldies to be shown at E3 (perhaps Earthbound). Nintendo perhaps finally realizes the threat that Microsoft can pose and that soley by marketing out the ying-yang, they have taken a sizeable portion of the pie. Maybe the GBA SP is but another small step towards the agressive Nintendo we grew up with in the 80's.
"Chances of RHIC-induced Armageddon are exceedingly rare, but... you never know." - MIT Physicist Bob Jaffe
I had a chance to hold the new GameBoy Advance SP.
Big problem--it doesn't fit your hands comfortably. I like the older GBA design because all the controls fit your hands very comfortably.
no link?
Interestingly I was wandering through BestBuy two days ago and there, on the shelf, not drawing any attention to itself (heck, it was almost hidden) was several GBA SPs. I had to blink twice, cuz I knew they were not supposed to be out yet.
:)
I guess some stock-dude just put them out there not knowing to hold off until today. No one was grabbing them, but I did.
-- David
David Whatley
this is probably very good for nintendo since the gamecube doesn't seem to be competeing as strong in the console market. sony may snag a lot of the share with PS's but there is basically no competition at all for gameboys.
This post was brought to you by the number 584811 and the characters / and .
Since I installed my Afterburner GameBoy light kit many many many months ago for practically nothing, I have no need for a barely improved piece of gaming hardware that doesn't really offer me anything more for the cost.
What a waste.
So when will we see it here in Europe?
READY.
#
Those of you that will use this device in public may want to know that it does not have a headphone jack built-in. You have to buy a seperate add-on ($5) that plugs into the expansion port.
I picked up mine yesterday and the screen is evenly lit, and even the darkish Castlevania game is playable in a dim room.
Whenever the offence inspires less horror than the punishment, the rigour of penal law is obliged to give way...
(And yes Hemos, we got you one too ;)
Seriously, that's really nice! We need more of people doing random acts of kindness like that. Go Taco!
You can return your old Gameboy Advance for 40 dollars off a Gameboy Advance SP. Seems like a pretty fair and reasonable deal to me. I plan on doing that myself.
..There's a-dooin's a-transpirin'
I remember those days when I was using gameboy. Those were the days, I would play metroid and have a lot of fun beating every game I played. I used to look out for those imported games that came my way this is not a good place to be and when I went to the Nintendo nobody really reads market this.
everyone makes fun of my GBA because it is pink, they call it "gay". that is why i will get the purple GBA SP. no one wants to borrow it, so more advance wars and castlevania for me. i can not wait to get my hands on one, but do not want to go to wal-mart. you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.(/geeky star wars reference)
I hate sigs.
I hate Nintendo. I've bought almost every Gameboy released in the U.S. since its inception: The original Gameboy in 1989, the colored Gameboy (NOT the GB Color!) in 1995, the thin Gameboy in 1998, the Gameboy Color in 2000, and the GBA Advance in 2001, for which I even bought the Afterburner for $35 (it's now $25). Now Nintendo releases a Gameboy with a clamshell design, a built-in lighting system, and a rechargable battery, and again I am awash in gadget envy. Well, at least I can take solace in the fact that I'm not a total idiot, I didn't buy the Virtual Gameboy!
But does it play short games... Like that 20 second-wait before you click game?
20 seconds? Slooow. The GBA's faster than that. Try discerning the object of the game and beating a level within four seconds. Wario Ware is available now in Japan and coming soon to North America.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Sony was successful in pulling the console market out from under nintendo; why have they basically left nintendo free to dominate the hand-held market? One would have to imagine sony could put out a rad product, perhaps using memory stick for game dl'ing instead of proprietary cartridges.
If I could make this sig kill you, I would.
I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
I'm glad I bought a GBA at Christmas. You know, a week before they announced SP for the first time?
My good looks paid for that pool, and my talent filled it with water.
I cant wait for someone to come out for an emulator! I was getting kind of tired shining a desk lamp at my monitor...
Let me guess, this is the most popular distribution on that channel? ;)
but it's truly bizarre that they didn't include it built in
For the same reason that tablet PCs and smaller laptop PCs don't have all the ports built in and need a "port replicator". There's just not enough space on the case.
after all it has a speaker anyway
Unlike the headphone connector, the internal speaker is monaural. Monaural audio is ill suited for first-person shooters such as Doom (now available for GBA) or 007 (coming soon for GBA).
The biggest problem that I have found so far with the description of the headphone/charger jack is that I haven't seen pictures of a headphone dongle with a passthru for AC, so I can't play with stereo sound and mains power at the same time; I would have to wait for the thing to recharge.
Will I retire or break 10K?
I can wrap my hands around the SP, as opposed to the original model, which I had to hold by my fingertips.
Yes, but what if you live in northern Wisconsin at a credit-cardless age where you can't find a ride to the nearest Best Buy an hour away?
At a credit-cardless age, you can still ask your parents to give you a Visa Buxx debit card and then buy games online with that.
Will I retire or break 10K?
" a lot of stereotypes are based off of some truth" .ist but its just an attempt to hide from a factor of truth.
So true, after all a stereotype can not come about unless a significant amount of a certain trait can be found in something. Sometimes its called racist or sexist or any other
Laptop Reviews
The real gem-feature of the GBA SP is the screen, which is perfect for watching television or DVD's (with the tv tuner). I hardly even play games on it. It's become my little entertainment center, and I can take it to school or work.
IT HAS NINJA CONCEALING CAPABILITIES!!
I plug my portable DVD/SVD player into the TV tuner and watch movies ALL the time. The backlit/flipout screen improves this by 100 fold because it's just like having a small television screen. Sharp picture, too. Very nice.
My only grip is the lack of stereo sound. But it's really okay! Doesn't affect the sound quality too much. GG NINTENDO.
IIRC IANAL blah blah blah see subject.
I wonder if anyone has had success/failure with the GameWallet with the SP? It would seem to me the form factor of the GameWallet would get in the way of the clamshell design, but maybe i'm wrong..
I picked mine up yesterday. I havn't bought a GB since the original back when I was 13. Screen: Looks good. Nice colors, no streaking when scrolling, with the backlight on it looks good in any light. With the light off, you need some direct light to see it really, sunlight or a bright room. Battery: I charged it up yesterday and like they advertise, I got about 10 hours of play with the backlight on! Comfort: It fits nicely in my pocket when folded up and is comfortable in the hands when playing. I particularily like the flat buttons. I remember the directional pad became uncomfortable on the thumb after extended play. Not this one. I played Phantasy Star for 4 hours straight and no gamer's thub :)
Drawbacks: It's a bit dissapointing that you need to buy an adapter to plugin headphones. I also appear to be missing a cable to play with my friends. I've been out of the GB world for a while, however, my original did ship with the cable to play head to head games.
Overall: I can't put it down. I especially love the compact size.
Hmm.. looks like it's all charged up again. Back to Phantasy Star (yes, you can use it while it is plugged in, but I was hungry too)
It's a bit late to complain. The word originated over 250 years ago and is now firmly established in the English language. These days nobody knows (or cares) that it refers to gypsies.
Main Entry: 1gyp
Pronunciation: 'jip
Function: noun
Etymology: probably short for gypsy
Date: 1750
1 British : a college servant
2 a : CHEAT, SWINDLER b : FRAUD, SWINDLE
Main Entry: 2gyp
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): gypped; gypping
Date: 1880
: CHEAT
I've bought almost every Gameboy released in the U.S. since its inception: The original Gameboy in 1989, the colored Gameboy (NOT the GB Color!) in 1995
Ahh, the "Play It Loud" series of brick-form-factor Game Boy systems with different color cases. It's a good thing you qualified it with "almost" because you can't claim to have one every GB system unless you have all colors, including the limited editions that were only available as prizes in a Nintendo Power sweepstakes. Collectors have driven up the eBay prices for those.
I have a brick GB, a Super Game Boy (GB->SNES adapter), a GBC, and a GBA, that is, one of each platform. But I also have a Virtual Boy, and you don't. Nyeh!
Do you program?
Will I retire or break 10K?
There are a lot of messages posted right now from people complaining about ergonomics and lack of a head phone jack. There are already 3rd party accessories out to deal with these problems... partially.
I cant wait for someone to come out for an emulator!
Download GBA freeware (or dump your GBA cartridges with a "Flash Linker" sold at gbax.com or gamegizmo.com), and then play the games with VisualBoyAdvance.
Will I retire or break 10K?
you can't play multiplayer with the GameCube unit, even if you have a GBA-to-GameCube connection
According to this review, the GCN Game Boy Player apparently does allow for connection to another system.
Will I retire or break 10K?
I must have missed the CNN story where the cybernetic clones of Sam Walton burst into recording studios and game developer offices and started executing people at random until the content met their specifications.
If, by force, you mean they refuse to sell content that a large portion of their clintelle, (particularly those in the Bible Belt South where Wal-Mart has their primary stronghold) might find offensive then get over yourself.
They also don't sell the finest porno mags but I'm not going to boycott them because they don't sell what I want.
Here's where someone says, "but Wal-Mart is a huge soul-crushing corporation" to which I say there is nothing that Wal-Mart sells that I can't get elsewhere.
That's not saying I love Wal-Mart..I personally dislike them because when they come into town they are the equivalent of retail MOAB which has killed many downtown areas in small towns all across the country..but they don't have shock troops running around forcing content providers to change their plans..
I bought an import on EBay several weeks ago. I'm quite pleased with the system. I had previously bought Golden Sun and a GBA based on some strong reviews of it. I found the original GBA to be essentially unplayable. The small, dark screen was just too unpleasant for my adult (age 35) eyes to handle. I gave up on Golden Sun after a few hours.
The SP model is an amazing difference. I'd have preferred a true backlight, but what they provided is *almost* as good. It's a clever frontlighting system that puts some sort of glowing stripe on all four sides of the screen, hidden from view by the case.
The big problem with all the regular GBA lighting systems was that there were direct reflections and glare. (the Afterburner system is apparently better, but I haven't seen it.) This indirect front-lighting system is nearly perfect. You can see a sort of shimmering 'fringe' effect of widely-spaced squares (which I think are third-order reflections) if you are using it in a very dark room, but it's honestly barely noticeable, and about 20 seconds into the game you'll forget about it.
It seems pretty hard to use, though, in very bright light. This is a little ironic, because the original GBA required extremely bright light to be playable. This one is best in a slightly darkened room. The recessed screen doesn't pick up outside light sources well, and its frontlight is easily drowned out by more than normal room brightness. For outdoor use, you may actually prefer the original GBA.
Complaints: I wish the screen were just a *little* bigger, but it's usable. The lack of a headphone jack is also quite annoying. And I wish they'd stayed with regular AA batteries. I have the NiMH rechargeables, which pack an amazing amount of power in a small space. I'd have preferred to be able to charge up 2 or 3 pairs for an extended roadtrip. 10 hours isn't bad, but with regular AAs you have essentially unlimited battery life.
Nitpicks notwithstanding, this is the system Nintendo should have shipped originally. I'm quite happy with mine.
...If you really wanted one of these units. Like the last GBA release, there is no region lockout on the games or the hardware. No reason not to buy early. The big advantage is being the envy of every geek who sees you playing it on the subway.
I'm tired of bombing the universe
You sure you want mains power drectly sharing the same wires that go to your head?
Power and signal can easily be carried on the same cable, just on different wires within the cable. Look at bus-powered USB or bus-powered FireWire if you don't believe me.
Will I retire or break 10K?
What kills me is that the "new" SP finally has a lighted screen and still the game quality doesn't pass on what TurboGrafix was doing in 1991. I still have an 'old' TurboGrafix Express with lighted screen, TV Tuner, and the game quality is on the same level as what is offered on the 'new' GameBoy Advanced system. Don't get me wrong, the SP is a nice design and a good system, but why in the world haven't they evolved the technology further. Nintendo would rather capitalize on existing mass appeal than develop something that has some real processing power. Even the Pocket PCs have better processors and gaming abilities. Why Nintendo, why? I think Microsoft should make a pocket XBOX, then at least we would have the best technology at the time instead of what the console manufacturers think they can get by with and still sell units. WindowsXP Embedded on a 640x480 screen and call it Pocket XBOX. LOL
No reason not to buy early.
Except that early is more expensive. Lik Sang was selling imported units for about $130, as opposed to $100 from Wal-Mart and Best Buy this week. Add shipping, and you're looking at a big incentive to wait unless you're a rich early adopter.
Will I retire or break 10K?
executing people at random until the content met their specifications.
In many areas, Wal-Mart has a geographic monopoly on trading factory-wrapped video games for cash (no Gamestop/Babbage's, no Best Buy, no Circuit City, no Meijer, no Kmart, etc). Thus, if publishers can't sell at Wal-Mart, they can't sell at all. And if the publishers don't sell, the developers dont eat. And if the developers don't eat, they die.
Will I retire or break 10K?
here
I didn't even know this existed.
Gameboy Advance gots service packs?!
Oh well, I bet new games will require everyone to be running GameBoy Advance SP-1.
You make me think of Sword of the Samurai. This gem made a virtue of its hardware limitations by making everything look like a Japanese painting. And the music wasn't simply good, it blended seamlessly into the action. Plot got a little predictable after a while, though.
Thanks for the hint. :-) I was trying to find one today when I heard they were out "early" (like Nintendo didn't probably tell them to go ahead, hah), but all the game shops had them "reservation only". Suckage. When I saw your comment, I immediately went to Best Buy and found a nice platinum one.
BestBuy++, nsxdavid++.
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
This allows easy adjustable viewing angles for the LDC display
can someone explain to me what an LDC display is? i dont think i've heard of this new fandangled technology yet.
> "I allege that SCO is full of it" -Linus
You think that has real ninja concealing powers? You ain't seen nothing yet!
Don't play your Virtualboy for too long :), you do realize that they were taken off the market because they BURN YOUR EYES, and perminetly DAMAGE THEM???
~~~
Click here, you know you wanna!
but I can go 20 miles and see all of those other stores.
That's seven hours of walking each way! Most minors who play video games do not know how to drive. How good is the bus service between cities in your part of the country?
Will I retire or break 10K?
My sons have GBC and GBA original consoles and I have played them and an SP at wally world.
I like my GP32 better. It fits the hand better and the joystick is orders of magnitude better than the GBA D-pad.
Also, it runs lots of emulators and ports, plus MP3 and Divx video players. It's amazing how much stuff fits on a 128MB SMC card.
still the game quality doesn't pass on what TurboGrafix was doing in 1991.
I know the GBA is as full of stinkers as the PS1 was (because the "Mario Club" gameplay quality control service is no longer required), but did the TG16 have Bonk Kart? No. The TG16 couldn't do racing games because it didn't have a hardware rotozoomer.
I still have an 'old' TurboGrafix Express with lighted screen, TV Tuner
And how long did the TurboExpress last on one charge of AA batteries? (Compare to 10 hours lit and 18 hours unlit for GBA SP.) And how many systems could you buy for $300? (You can get enough GBA SP systems for three players for that price.) Did it even support multiplayer at all? (Many GBA games load themselves into the system's 384 KB of RAM and can run four players off one cartridge.)
WindowsXP Embedded on a 640x480 screen and call it Pocket XBOX.
That's been rumored.
Will I retire or break 10K?
All the major retail chains jumped the street date. Gamestop, EB, etc.
/. gets a PR from the Gamespy people about it, when places like PlanetGamecube had a story about it being out early as of Wednesday.
I'm perhaps not so surpised that
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
You like 3 hours of battery life on your handhelds?
Maybe you're not following the same things everyone else is. It's not portable if I have to recharge it for as much as I play it (3 on, 3 off, etc). Nor did the Turbo Express even have rechargables as an option unless you bought a very large battery pack for it. Yes, the games on it look pretty. And? Pretty is nice, but the black of an off screen is not pretty.
To summarize, Nintendo is still the #1 in the handheld market because they are selling a supperior product. Maybe to you it is not supperior, but to more people it is supperior for reasons like game selection, battery life, connectivity, etc.
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
I went out to my local mall as well as my local Target (Central Florida)!
NO DICE!!!
This damnable article got me all hyped up for front-lit action, and the stores had none! Planet X and Electronics Boutique were both sold out, and Target said it didn't come out til tomorrow. So I blew 60 bucks on random crap at Target instead (Jackass DVDs, Transplants CD, Floetry CD, Tatu CD [teenage lesbians can't go wrong]).
Damn you Slashdot! My impulsive monetary expenditure went to the RIAA instead of Japan!!
-Greg
-Greg
I think I'd rather just buy an Afterburner kit for the GBA that I already have. If I have to pay for another adapter to use headphones, and not be able to use the rechargable batteries I already have, I don't think the new lit screen is worth it.
Nintendo could do so much more with this platform and do full 3D gaming in a pocket device.
There are already a few software 3D engines on the GBA. Sure they only run at 120x80 pixels or so at 20 fps, but you're not going to get much better than that without draining lightweight batteries faster than 10-15 hours per charge.
Will I retire or break 10K?
But does it have a light?
Yes. VisualBoyAdvance runs on a PC with a 500 MHz PIII or faster x86 processor (ports to other architectures are in progress), and virtually all laptops of that spec have internally lit LCD panels.
Will I retire or break 10K?
1. Can it run Linux? 2. Imagine a beowulf cluster of those.
If something wears the wrong way or is defective from factory, you get a little more volume than you bargained for.
Ever heard of an isolating transformer, fuse, or circuit breaker? You can find safety devices like those in e.g. USB sound cards.
Will I retire or break 10K?
The real release date is tomorrow. Apparently someone started selling them early, so Nintendo went ahead and let them sell. Most places that took preorders are distributing those. But if you didn't, no dice (even when they're got em). I even tried to preorder today to get one, but it was too late for that. And I went to GameSpot, Target, Must Buy, Fry's, WalMart, CompUSA, and Gamers (my friendly local video game store).
So, looks like tomorrow AM I gots to get up and go get mine. I know a couple of stores that have them, so hopefully I won't go to 20 different effen stores and actually get to take one home.
I've had my GBA SP for over a month now, I bought it the day it came out in japan (thanks lik-sang!) and it arrived here 3 days later.
;))
I've been playing ever since.. I have the headphone adaptor and also the linker cable to play some multiplayer games. (yes we have 2 GBA SPs
I'm usually WAY behind the times, particularly videogame-wise. I just picked up a GBA SP today, though. I was browsing and noticed an ad for Metroid Fusion and just had to have it, so I went over and bought it, along with the machine. I had no idea it was so recently available here. The hardware is very nice; it's smaller and lighter than my GBC, and easier to fit in my pockets. The backlight makes it MUCH more playable. The only disadvantage I notice is that older (non-GBA) cartridges stick out in a slightly awkward way because of the slot placement.
As far as Metroid Fusion goes, it is a total blast. It hasn't managed to eclipse Metroid 3 as the best in my mind (at least not yet...), but I'm enjoying it immmensely. One cool thing that is gone is the ability to mix and match suits and weapons and the like. On the other hand this one has a number of different missile types that seem to accomplish much of the same purpose. It also has much more of a storyline. It seems to be dumbed down somewhat so that it is easier the first time. I haven't finished it the first time yet, and it is still challenging. Even in the very unlikely event that the rest of the game sucks, I rate it LOTS OF FUN.
With my Nintendo subscription, I was playing mine 20 minutes before they hit stores! :)
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
I've never heard of a TV tuner for the GBA, sp or no. Anyone got any links on this?
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I cant count the times I was on a car trip, Huddling as close as I could to the window.
Pausing between streetlights, and constantly shifting angles just to see.
And naturally now I have no cash to fork out, something worth saving for though.
The buttons are recessed slightly, so it takes a bit of time to get used to. Also, they're slightly smaller than the original GBA, so larger hands might find it awkward, especially with the new configuration. It's also harder to do a soft-reset (which may or may not be a bad thing).
The sound is significantly better (IMO), probably due to the placement of the speaker. It's smack in the middle of the device, so your palms won't muffle the sound (a la GBA). Still, no headset jack.
The shoulder buttons are smaller (L & R), but after a couple of games, it's not noticeable.
The cartridge slot is at the bottom, so certain peripherals like the Kirby tilt module won't work, and the digital camera attachments might be weird to work with.
The AC adapter is really well made, with the prongs folding inside so it's easy to transport. It's also small (about 3/4" x 1.5" x 2") and light. Too bad it's still a wall-wart design.
The screen is now protected due to the design, but the plastic doesn't feel that robust. I'm thinking that it can get easily scratched (though I'm not going to try to find out).
Other than that, I'm *highly* impressed with the GBA SP. If you have a GBA without the Afterburner kit, try to sell it to kid next door or give it to some young relatives. It's just that good. For only $100US, you get an amazing piece of hardware that can entertain you longer than a $2k laptop can on a flight overseas. 9.5/10
Then why would they sell video games and CDs that have R- or even X-rated content?
Wal-Mart's censorship standards seem stricter than the MPAA's "PG-13" standards or the ESRB's "T" standards. A single "shit" won't make a PG-13 movie into an R movie or a T game into an M game, but Wal-Mart has demanded that "shit" be edited out of recorded music. I understand that BMX XXX is a little too much T&A to sell to kids, but Wal-Mart goes too far to get my business.
Of course, Wal-Mart's censorship could be leveraged into a tool to sell more copies to collectors, by calling the edited version the "WAL*MART® Special Edition Remix" or something.
Will I retire or break 10K?
i went to a local gamestop and they said they were allocated 8. let me repeat that. 8. which, of course were all pre ordered, which seems to be the trend these days, unless you pre-order, take the release date and add a month. but anyways, they only got 8, then next week 8 more, pre ordered, while the wal marts of the world get more than they would ever need to sell to the slack-jawed yokels who just know their kid wants "yew gee owe". i would love to support the moms and pops, but unfortunately, they cant support my habit sometimes. my point is, wait, i dont have one. the moral of the story is, it appears that wal mart and the ilk are using their buying power to shaft yet another segment of our great free-market economy, the video game store. they have killed off pretty much any other kind of store there is. why stop there?
I hate sigs.
Nintendo has done this before.
Gameboy Pocket. Gameboy Pocket Light.
Sony did it with the PSOne.
Of course, this is preferable I think to having later iterations of the same platform LOSE useful features of the earlier ones. (Later versions of the sega genesis and playstation)
EGM, Electronic Gaming Monthly reported in its April issued (possiblly an April Fools joke though not likely) that the new Game Boy was supposed to have integreated bluetooth for wireless gameplay capability. the vision would be powering up Pokemon and reading people nearby and doing quests in tandem. The implications of Bluetooth Gameboy are ridiculouslly cool but the question really asks why it wasn't placed in the first place. The cost would have gone up by 20-30 dollars and would have trully diffrenetiated the new GameBoy from the previous Advanced models. A lot of people would say its a matter of time before Nintendo does this but its something really worth pondering when Nintendo is specing out their new game system. Nintendo was the first to offer an officially branded wireless controller for any of the 3 major consoles. Anyone have any other ideas?
WindowsXP is by far the most advanced consumer level operating system
I don't own a mac but a couple of geeks I know have "converted" recently, and they're quite impressed with the power of OSX. If you prefer XP, I can buy that, but to call XP "by far" the most advanced consumer OS is stretching it.
I'd suggest you don't use Slashdot as your only news source, or you will suffer permanent brain damage.
The orignal poster is joking. See if an emulator emulated the old GBA, it would be dark, since it lacked a backlight, right? So one would need to shine a light on the monitor to brighten it up.
:)
Yes, of course this isn't really how it works, that's what makes it a joke
Until I found out about it using a non-standard battery.
Thanks for warning me slashdot! I hate products where replacing the battery is likely going to cost more than the value of the item, and refuse to buy them. The only exception I make is laptops, where there is limited choice.
And no headphone jack? That's inexcusable. And highly surprising for a Japanese product.
And I was just getting interested, what with the media player / programming flash pack hacks that are being made for it. Ho-hum.
If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
Not having a headphone jack is a little annoying, but there is a pigtail you can buy to use headphones. I have one on order.
Also, I have to disagree with the fellow who talked up the NiMH batteries in the old GBA. I had a GBA with Afterburner and used NiMHs. There are several problems with that setup.
1. NiMHs have a high internal discharge rate. Put your GBA away for two weeks and the batteries are near dead. This makes the GBA bad as a "ready when you are bored" solution.
2. NiMHs are heavy. I swear that two sets of NiMHs are about the same weight as the GBA including it's own battery.
3. The GBA battery life was not great with the Afterburner installed. It can't have been 10 hours. Comparing backlight on to backlight on, the battery life is very similar.
4. The Afterburner backlight was barely more than half as bright as the GBA SP's backlight.
You can get extra batteries for your SP. so you can carry two if you want. But I do agree it would be nice to be able to buy a disposable battery for occasional on-the-go use.
Duracell recognized this problem and has a solution for the future. It's too large for the SP, but may catch on in the future.
Duracell CP1
You're just acting foolish. Having used the SP for a couple days now, and being one of the people who received the Afterburner in the very first day shipment, I can say that the SP screen is much better.
You don't know what you are missing.
I can't believe I wasted my time responding to such an obvious blind idiot as yourself. You've never even seen the SP have you?
They are fantastic with service parts. You can still buy replacement parts for the original NES from them.
They'll have new batteries on their website within days and trust me, they will be VERY affordable. My guess is under $10. Not bad for at least 2 years of use.
As to the headphone jack, there is a cable for it.
You really should give it a good look/try before you dis it.
but my local Walmart had plenty of copies
Wow, this must be a software/firmware update huh? They have plenty of copies left, but i think i'll just wait till it hits usenet.
Umm, can I submit a response later?
The GBA's graphics remind me of the Super Nintendo. They look really nice on the little LCD screen, but on the big TV they will probably look pretty old.
I think I'd rather play my Xbox games on the TV.
- It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
What the hell is this brat talking about ?
CompUSA has an ad that you get a free game instantly when you buy one. So what if it is just Guilty Gear X, it's free. Most of the ones I called are getting 4-8 with one getting 14. The best part is, none of them are taking pre-orders. It's first come first serve and they open in less than an hour so I'm out to get one.
Yes, because graphics make a good game. Dude, you're lame. Your probably that person that sold all his old nintendo junk to get an XBox huh?
Occam's razor is the blind faith in the natural selection of least resistance and in universal oversimplification. -- EF
Wow, we got a real winner here huh?
I mean, we should all be using the Atari 2600 because it was fun right? Nothing to be said for new cool graphics and bells and whistles then?
Why do people get the new game systems? Because stuff looks cooler and they can do cool new stuff.
Who the hell are you to say that I don't like the old games? On my Xbox I happen to have about 800 SNES games, 250 NES games, 900 Atari 2600/7200 games, C64 stuff, all emulated on the Xbox. These games are fun to play - usually for nestalgic purposes. Overall, I play them, and I get bored with them pretty quick.
The GBA is not a modern game system. For a handheld, maybe. Not for a TV set console. If you're happy playing 320x200 games in all 256 glorious colors all day, be my guest.
You're a pompous fool. No, the graphics don't *MAKE* the game, but they sure as fuck can help.
- It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
i prefer to spell it jibbed. but that's just the aussie way.
Yes, so when its small its one hell of a fun game. Whenever it is stretched to fit your TV, you hate it? Sir, I feel you have fallen into the trap that most everyone else has. The better the graphics, sound, etc. the better the game? You ever play chess? I can play that on an 8x8 ascii screen and it would still be fun. I just don't understand people's immediate disqualification of games because of antiquated technology. I'm not saying all those games we used to play are fun, but a lot of them were and still are. Technology can make things look flashier. I guess that still has an effect on you. I think the BS generic crap and overhyped special effects of the movie industry made me lose all interest for the pretty little graphics on new systems. Damn, I really hope we have some kind of retro uprising soon. I haven't played a game I liked in almost a year. The old games were usually simple, and thats what was so beautiful about them. A lot of times simplistic game play = more gaming freedom (a far cry from these new always linear games). Games no longer have a point besides to follow an event plotline, and getting to the end. Tetris will always be my favorite game. It forces you to challenge yourself, without mindlessly following a predesignated unoriginal, uninteresting plot. And any newbie can pickup a controller and play in a matter of seconds. Its simplicity at its best.
Occam's razor is the blind faith in the natural selection of least resistance and in universal oversimplification. -- EF
The GBA has a 240x160 pixel screen, and runs at 8bit in modes 0, 1, 2, and 4. It runs at 16bit in modes 3 and 5.
Modes 0, 1, and 2 are tile modes (1 and 2 supporting tile rotation and scaling). 3, 4 and 5 are all bitmap modes. Both 4 and 5 are double buffered, but mode 5 has a reduced resolution to preserve vram to store 2 screens at once.
You can also split the modes on the screen at the same time (ala Mario Kart). It had mode 0 on the top (score, time, etc) and mode 1 on the bottom (to have enough layers and the scaling/rotation support).
I agree that the GBA isn't a modern system because of how closely it resembles the SNES, but in a world obsessed with first person shooters, it is a nice escape to have a system where people can develop 2D platforms or puzzle games and still have a chance of selling them.
> Whenever it is stretched to fit your TV, you hate it? Sir, I feel you have fallen into the trap that most everyone else has. The better the graphics, sound, etc. the better the game?
If you bothered to read my response, you'd have read that although I still like to play the old games, I get bored with them. I still love F-Zero, SMB1, Solaris on the Atari, and all the other cool old games. They just don't spark my interest like they used to. I can play all these games on my Xbox with some of the excellent emulators available.
> You ever play chess? I can play that on an 8x8 ascii screen and it would still be fun.
I play chess on a real chess board. Occationally I'll play Outlook Chess via e-mail.
> I just don't understand people's immediate disqualification of games because of antiquated technology.
I agree, and you're not talking to the right guy. I still have a C64 set up, complete with 1541 floppy drive (With the push lever) and a Sakata RGB monitor. I don't play it much though, I use it mostly to play the oldschool demos they make at assembly and the oldschool music.
ON THE SAME NOTE, you can't disqualify NEW games and NEW systems (like you are doing) because they are "flashy." There's a lot of junky games, like there have always been. And, there's a lot of really fun games too. You have to find what you like.
> I think the BS generic crap and overhyped special effects of the movie industry made me lose all interest for the pretty little graphics on new systems.
Again, you're being a hypocrit. You're disqualifying new games because they are new with modern graphics. Some of them can be a blast. Try playing Fusion Frenzy with 4 people, it's a blast!
> Games no longer have a point besides to follow an event plotline, and getting to the end. Tetris will always be my favorite game.
You're assuming that all new games are like this, just like you assume that this is the kind of games that I like.
If you want to keep playing Tetris all your life, fine. I don't know what the deal is with some people, but for me I get bored with old things. I want something new. I want a new car after mine gets to be 10 years old. I want a new computer when it gets outdated. This doesn't mean that my old car doesn't drive, or that my old computer doesn't work. I want to experience new things, not stick with the old hat just because it worked.
> And any newbie can pickup a controller and play in a matter of seconds.
So, this is part of your arguement? You said that new game systems are mindless start to end games. I don't see how tetris is any different or how it can challenge your mind.
I never SAID that I don't like the old games. I'm an emulator freak, because my old game systems don't work anymore. I love to play the old games, but I also love the new games too.
YEA, graphics and sound definately have an appeal to me. You assume wrong when you say this is the only reason I like the new stuff.
- It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
What the hell is wrong with you? It's a signature.
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
A feature that can't be turned off is a bug. Like in the GBA SP -- you can't set it to default to having its light off when you power on the unit.
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
Well, the fact you talk of demos and the scene and such makes me relinquish all my comments on you not appreciating antiquated hardware (you like 64k demos? :-P ) But I am just saying that I believe that video games are going, too much, the way of the movies. They try to make them mainstream, politically correct (with a few exceptions), and they try to always conform to established game genres. I just think the new flashier games lack the originality of the older ones. I just hate how they refuse to release something with originality now. I know that sounds stereotypical, but everytime I go into Hastings I browse through the video games isles and all I see are generic shooters, crappy rpgs, and glorified generic plot driven linear "interactive" games, which in reality offer very little freedom. Thats just why I'm not too fond of the newer games (although I do still like a lot of Nintendo's more free form games like Mario and Zelda). I've been waiting forever for some sort of immersive title that most companies promised ten years ago. I think really what I'm saying is I'm disappointed in the industry's lack of originality. And just so you know, this isn't me trying to bash you. I just don't understand the appeal of the new systems. And nothing beats being able to sit down with anyone (read not geeks and vid game freaks) and play a few games like tetris or some of those other old school games that everyone already knows. Nostalgia has its place, but so does a simplistically brilliant game.
Occam's razor is the blind faith in the natural selection of least resistance and in universal oversimplification. -- EF
Speaking of c64 demos, did you see the re-make of Unreal on it? It's actually pretty damned good. You can play it on VICE (an excellent c64/c128 emulator) or a real C64 if you have one. It's pretty funny, but you'd have had to have seen the original Unreal on the PC by Future Crew to appreciate it. They show a lot of the old demos in WMV format in the ASM'02 "assemblyTV" stuff. You can find it all on Scene.org.
Anyways, look. I agree that lots of new games suck. I go to blockbuster to find the next game I'm going to copy, and I usually don't find anything.
Sometimes you just want to sit back and play a quick game of Crazy Taxi 3, or Outlaw Golf. They aren't necessarily brain-stimulating, but they are fun, and that's what a game should be.
Looking back, I see lots of really crappy old games too. I do think that there were MORE games that were well thought-out back in the day, but there's still some great new titles out there now.
The game industry is very competitive. Lots of game companies just pump out generic titles over and over because they make money. Take EA for instance. Most of their titles are re-used sports games over and over.
Personally, I like the new graphics and new sound. They appeal to me. But, it doesn't matter how good the graphics are; the game has to be fun and have a good basis. Some of the best looking games on my Xbox are the least fun to play. There must be a balance.
Overall, I'd say that 20% of new games are good, the rest are the same old. Out of those 20% though there's a lot of fun to be had.
- It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
as your reply is longer than one sentence, I can see you're just another nit-picky, "has to be correct" nerd. To spend time reading your response would be a waste.
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
No, I haven't seen the remake. Was it developed by Future Crew, or is it a rehash? I have always been an avid Future Crew follower. I probably still have all their demos kicking around my HD somewhere. I follow a lot of the music like Purple Motion and Skaven and such. Recently, I've been tending towards Teque's stuff though. I used to style my own S3Ms after Purple Motion's. Although they sounded nothing like them (hey I was like 13 give me a break :-P). You ever do any tracking? As far as your game outlook goes that is about how I see it too. I guess I grossly misinterpreted your statements (it happens a lot with me).
Occam's razor is the blind faith in the natural selection of least resistance and in universal oversimplification. -- EF
Mohandas K. Gandhi often changed his mind publicly. An aide once asked him
how he could so freely contradict this week what he had said just last week.
The great man replied that it was because this week he knew better.
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