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Nintendo Announces Wireless GBA Adapter

Posted by simoniker on from the no-trailing-wires-for-multiplayer dept.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the Yahoo press release announcing Nintendo is using Motorola technology to produce a wireless adapter for the GameBoy Advance. According to the release, "The 2.4GHz radio frequency (RF) chipset enables up to five players to play each other wirelessly, allowing for flexible, mobile game playing", and it "...will be launched in Japan first half of 2004." Motorola is also hosting a picture of the device, showing how it connects to the GBA.

9 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. Data port speed by acxr+is+wasted · · Score: 4, Interesting

    technology offers robust performance with a high-speed data rate

    I thought that the GBAs data port was limited to an extremely slow transfer rate. (2kb/s?) Is it faster on the sp? Does anyone have info on this?

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    1. Re:Data port speed by rabbit994 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Real question is does it matter? If 2k is all you need then your good. Before anyone pulls out Bill Gates 640K quote this isn't a computer, it's a gameboy which can't be upgraded by your common person and like consoles, developers are used to working within requirements. I'm sure the data port is fast enough for all GBA games here and future.

    2. Re:Data port speed by Rolman · · Score: 4, Informative

      IIRC, the GBA's port is 115kbps maximum. Of course that's slow by today's standards, but it still is quite useful for multiplayer.

      Also, for those hoping this technology would be compatible with Wi-Fi because it's on the 2.4GHz range, forget it, the GBA has a minuscule 256KB System RAM, which is just fine when the cartridge's ROM is within the CPU's addressable space, but not enough for anything useful beyond gaming. Keep also in mind this wireless technology needs to have low power consumption.

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  2. So, how long... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Until I can start doing Gameboy Warchalking?

  3. But will it work with the GCN by siegesama · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The article only mentions this as usable for GBA/GBA connections. I hope that this will also work with GBA/GCN connections, allowing gamecube games which link with the gameboy to finally be free of cabling.

    The wavebird took care of this on the controller end, and with upcoming games taking more advantage of the GBA as a supplemental or primary controller, a wireless adapter could really rock (FF: Crystal Chronicals, for example). Considering it's the same port, I don't see why they wouldn't offer it...

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  4. Re:Cool. by PurpleFloyd · · Score: 4, Informative
    A long time. While 802.11b and the GBA wireless adaptor work on a similar frequency, that doesn't mean that they're using the same underlying protocols. In fact, this is almost certainly closer to Bluetooth than anything, although I haven't seen any tech details other than those provided in the article.

    While GBA emulators can certainly communicate with each other (via any sort of TCP/IP network, including one over 802.11x), it's going to take some time and some brilliant hacking and RF geekery to get GBAs and PCs talking wirelessly (without special hardware from Nintendo intended for developers).

    In the mean time, it would almost certainly be cheaper and easier to interface to the GBA's wired link port - hacking up a USB interface, while not exactly easy, would be child's play compared to getting a 2.4 GHz wireless link with a proprietary protocol working between a GBA and a PC.

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  5. Re:More to it than that... by Microlith · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That's totally possible.

    It's how the GBA -> GCN link works. GBAs can boot off of the data port, and this lets you have companion programs included on game discs (which is how FF: CC works.)

    It's also how multiplayer, single cart games work. Only limiting factor is that the entire program has to be held in ram.

    This is how, incidentally, all the new flashrom carts from HK work. No cart-writer needed, just a USB -> GBA cable. Boots a writer program, stick the cart in, and you're done.

  6. Don't fix the real problem with a GameBoy... by WegianWarrior · · Score: 4, Funny

    While getting rid of the cable is a step in the right direction, my GameBoyAdvance still don't look like a proper PDA when I pull it up during booring meetings...

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  7. Killer app: VNC by alephnull42 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Either Nintendo or some 3rd party hackers should implement a VNC client for this.

    I can just see the sysadmins in the coffee room, feet on the table, busily tapping on their GBAs

    Boss: What the hellare you doing ?!?!

    Admin: Working, what does it look like?

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