Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advance collection, we've created this special bundle, which includes the game Namco Museum and selected accessories. Namco Museum is an anthology of such classic games as Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug. We've also included a Game Boy Advance travel kit, which itself includes a rechargeable battery pack and AC adapter, a multilink game cable, a game light and magnifier, and a storage pouch. This pack also comes with a Game Boy holster so you can keep your system at the ready.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways: affordability, a huge library of games that consistently made the most of the hardware's limitations, smart power management that extended battery life, and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system's ultraportable design that allowed devotees to play video games around their schedules, making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA as people are already calling it) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can even network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have a copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 of them in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed at how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that the big consoles do, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have put even more power into the Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance among size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inch (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power Supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery Life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (7)

Expandable and Playable
If you're looking for something to keep the kiddies quiet on long car rides, this is it.The games are pretty good, and it is backward compatable with GameBoy Color.The headphone jack is a HUGE plus for Mom and Dad, no listening to Mario duke it out with the turtles.

The light could be better, and the rechargeable pack comes with no documentation so you don't know when it is fully charged.But this is minor stuff.The Namco Museum game is good and my kid likes to play the "antique" games on it.

Go ahead, get this, you won't regret it on your next trip to grandma's house.And it's a whole lot cheaper than an in-car DVD player.

Great package on everything but the light
This is a great deal, obviously the GBA is going to be the best portable out for years, and its library of software is getting better.The game Namco Musuem is great if you like old school arcade games.The link, battery pack, and carrying case all server their purpose.The major complaint I have is that the light is not powered by the link port, which so many others are, instead you have to put regular batteries in it, while this does save gba power, I don't want to spend the money on extra rechargable batteries when I already have the gba battery pack.Overall still a great buy

Bame Boy Advance Rules
Okay Okay maybe the color is kind of odd, but the kit is sweet. It comes with all the gear. Even a battery charger and an AC adopter. Even the storage pouch is a great way to store your GBA. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 369050;    2. Video Games    3. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    4. GBA    5. Consoles    6. Batteries (Battery)    7. Cables (Cable)    8. Adapters (Adapter)    9. Cases    10. Protectors    11. Game Light   

Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advance collection, we've created this special bundle, which includes the game Mario Kart: Super Circuit and selected accessories. In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, you'll put the pedal to the go-kart metal as you race against several Nintendo characters to the finish line. We've also included a Game Boy Advance link cable so you can connect to as many as three other Game Boy Advance consoles and host head-to-head races. The value pack also features a Nintendo Player's Guide to give you an inside track on the game's features and power-ups and a collectible Mario Beanie Baby.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways: affordability, a huge library of games that consistently made the most of the hardware's limitations, smart power management that extended battery life, and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system's ultraportable design that allowed devotees to play video games around their schedule, making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA as people are already calling it) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can even network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed at how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that the big consoles do, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have tried to put even more power into this Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inch (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power Supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery Life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (4)

It is not a value pack people.
good game and good system but your not getting a deal. You can buy everything seperate and it will be the same price.

The best in handheld
The Game Boy Advance is the best system available on the go. Its 32-bit processor surpasses the old Super Nintendo and this new system even has games with four player support. It makes the Game Boy Color look like a sissy. Many great re-makes and original titles are already being pumped out to this amazing machine. Of course, I only recommend this to people who travel a lot, don't own a real gaming console, and have a few friends who are willing to buy one, too.

Mario Kart is also a good game to start with. This is probably the best handheld racing game I've ever seen. It seems like a mix between Super Mario Kart for SNES and Mario Kart 64. If you've played either one, and liked it, you'll love what this game has to offer (which is everything its predecessors did). No need to go into lengthy explanations. This is cartoon racing at its best... and in the palm of your hands, too.

this is what ive been looking for
Out of all of the bundles, this is the best and least expensive. It contains one of the best games out, a very usefull link cable (most games out are link cable compatible), an issue of Nintendo power which contains some very useful information, a beany (its a cool idea but its not all that usefull...), and of course, the gameboy advance. It is the perfect way to start off on your GBA career, especially if you cant afford the bigger bundles. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 369050;    2. Video Games    3. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    4. GBA    5. Consoles    6. Cables (Cable)    7. Adapters (Adapter)   

Editorial Review

This special Game Boy Advance bundle includes a limited-edition midnight blue game console and the popular kart-racing game Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA as people are already calling it) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can even network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed at how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that the big consoles do, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have tried to put even more power into this Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a widescreen aspect ratio (10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inch (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power Supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery Life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (16)

don't bother they will not ship it
Don't believe the 24 hour shipping. It is over 3 weeks and I'm still waiting

Don't bother
Unless Nintendo has improved their displays, don't bother with this combo.I ordered this for the kids around Christmas and we returned it.The display was weak and pathetic.You could hardly see and the racing game seemed pretty unresponsive.All the kids were frustrated and disappointed.They are are all Nintendo junkies but this unit and game and ended up left on the kitchen table unused.I returned it.I rated it a 2 because I guess it could have been worse, but not much worse.

Cool color!
I really enjoy this midnight blue color but don't like how it has the toys r us thing at the top. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Consoles   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Talking    3. Video Games    4. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    5. GBA    6. Cases    7. Protectors   

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Cases    5. Protectors   

Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advance collection, we've created this special bundle, which includes the game Mario Kart: Super Circuit and selected accessories. In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, you'll put the pedal to the go-kart metal as you race against several Nintendo characters to the finish line. We've also included a Game Boy Advance link cable so you can connect to as many as three other Game Boy Advance consoles and host head-to-head races. The value pack also features a Nintendo Player's Guide to give you an inside track on the game's features and power-ups and a collectible Mario Beanie Baby.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways: affordability, a huge library of games that consistently made the most of the hardware's limitations, smart power management that extended battery life, and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system's ultraportable design that allowed devotees to play video games around their schedule, making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA as people are already calling it) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can even network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed at how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that the big consoles do, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have tried to put even more power into this Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inch (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power Supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery Life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (7)

zzzzzzzzzz
i guess i expected more for my money since played this game....

oh well

The game!
This game is so cool!! I own it and i cant live a day without it

mediocre system
Nintendo's Gameboy Advance came with a lot of hype, but does the system deliver?

In some ways, yes, but overall, no.

The graphics on the Advance games are pretty good, but nothing to get too excited about.The sound, well, let me just say it is par for the course with Nintendo.Prices of the games are just too high...40 dollars for Tony Hawk 2 for the Advance vs 50 dollars for Tony Hawk 3 on the PS2...which would you rather play?

One of the biggest flaws on the Advance is the lack of a backlight.If the player doesn't have the right amount of light or a good angle, he/she might as well turn the system off.

Nintendo lost some steam with the N64, and I'm afraid the Advance will burn out as well soon after Xmas.Maybe the Gamecube will put Nintendo back in good graces, but somehow I doubt it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 369050;    2. Video Games    3. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    4. GBA    5. Consoles    6. Cables (Cable)    7. Adapters (Adapter)   

Reviews (1)

Something To Keep Your GBA Safe
I Just Love This GBA Carrying Case I Got This sometime In December 2002 and I Love It If You Have A GBA Or SP Please BuyThis It Is A Great Buy
... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Cases    5. Protectors   

Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advance collection, we've created this special bundle, which includes the games Iridion 3D, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, and selected accessories. The space shooter Iridion 3D pushes the Game Boy Advance hardware to new levels of near-3-D graphics and lustrous color. In Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, players perform hundreds of complicated tricks for points, and can ride as T. Hawk or any of a dozen other pros in the game. We've also included an AC power adapter to help you save on batteries and a Worm Light Advance to help you play through those low-light situations.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways: affordability; a huge library of games that consistently made the most of the hardware's limitations; smart power management that extended battery life; and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system's ultra-portable design that allowed devotees to play video games around their schedules, making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA, as it's already being called) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that you'd see on the big consoles, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have put even more power into the Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inches (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (5)

Almost perfect bundle
Note that the Gameboy Advance does not have the Infrared transmitter/receiver of the Gameboy Color. Admittedly, it was a little supported feature, but it could have opened up possibilities.

I found the included Interact rechargeable battery pack to be quite heavy. It does seem to have 4 batteries in it, so it might make up for the added weight with more playing time per charge.

GBA the best thing ever
Game Boy Advance is the best hand held gameing console there is. There is a small glare on the screen but that does not hinder the view of the game. I totaly recomend this console!

Glare, glare, glare
The GameBoy Advance is a fatally flawed gaming platform.The console screen is unlit and very very dark. The console is unplayable without a external light source. However, these light sources are dim and create more glare than they add visibility.

Outside (in full daylight) or under a halogen lamp, however, you can see the tremendous graphics that the console offers. But it is unusable indoors (unless you strap a halogen lamp to your forehead).

Save your money and wait for the next version of Gameboy Advance. I'm returning mine today. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 369050;    2. Video Games    3. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    4. GBA    5. Consoles    6. Batteries (Battery)    7. Game Light   

Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advance collection, we've created this special bundle, which includes the games Iridion 3D, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, and selected accessories. The space shooter Iridion 3D pushes the Game Boy Advance hardware to new levels of near-3-D graphics and lustrous color. In Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, players perform hundreds of complicated tricks for points, and can ride as T. Hawk or any of a dozen other pros in the game. We've also included an AC power adapter to help you save on batteries and a Worm Light Advance to help you play through those low-light situations.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways: affordability; a huge library of games that consistently made the most of the hardware's limitations; smart power management that extended battery life; and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system's ultra-portable design that allowed devotees to play video games around their schedules, making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA, as it's already being called) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that you'd see on the big consoles, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have put even more power into the Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inches (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (2)

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
The gameboy advance is very good with high picture quality and a bigger screen size. Nintendo also added a L and a R button to the gameboy and it's sometimes is usefull. You really can't see the screen with a regular wormlight and you have to play it in a well-lit area. the good parts are that the indicator light turns red to warn you that the batteries are low to 30%. It also contains more color.

cool
I love the Game Boy Advance butyou can't see the screen, i had to put all my curtains up to see the where i was in the game. And the game boy color games instead of having the usual screen size, it's smaller. Not totaly "Advance"..... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 369050;    2. Video Games    3. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    4. GBA    5. Consoles    6. Batteries (Battery)    7. Game Light   

Editorial Review

This special Game Boy Advance bundle includes a limited edition midnight blue game console, the game Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and several accessories: a lighted game shield, multiplayer link, earphone, game protector, rechargeable battery pack, screen lens, car adapter, game covers, and AC adapter. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Accessories not that great.Better to buy separately.
The GBA and game are fine.The accessories are not worth the extra money that you pay.By buying the entire set, you save about 10 dollars.In my opinion, it's not worth it.The light screen (not enuf light), the screen protector(bubbles appear very easily), and rubber protector (makes the control pad too hard to use) don't work well.The battery pack and case are nice.I wish I had bought everything separately or another package.

Great package deal
I got lucky today since a local store had some of these left over from Black Friday. It is a great deal considering. I won't list everything that came with it since it was alot. The only things I was a little unhappy with were the screen protector they give you is just 1 sheet so sooner or later you will have to buy more. They could have given 3 or 5, but they give just 1. Also the case itself is not really designed to hold the advance when you have it in this plastic protector that you place on it. So it means you will have to remove the protector whenever you put it in the case if you want to attach it to the straps designed to hold it. I just set it in the case and will have to remind myself that is essentially loose in there and treat it accordingly. Otherwise great deal and if you can find it grab it.

GBA + Mario Kart + Accessories = Winner
This is actually a really great deal.I know that all the other reviews say the same thing, but that's because it's true.The GBA is a great item to own for older and younger gamers.It's backwards-compatable, so it plays all gameboy games ever made.Mariokart is a great game with hours of replay value.You can even link up two GBA's (gamelink include in this offer) and play off of one Mariokart cartridge.The accessories are great and match the color of the GBA perfectly.(If you want to see what they look like, search for Ultra Game Pak by Intec.)If you got these seperately it would cost [dollar amount] and you still wouldn't have all of the add-ons or the limited edition GBA.This deal is well-worth the money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Consoles    5. Batteries (Battery)    6. Cables (Cable)    7. Adapters (Adapter)    8. Cases    9. Protectors   

Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advance collection, we've created this special bundle, which includes the game Mario Kart: Super Circuit and selected accessories. In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, you'll put the pedal to the go-kart metal as you race against several Nintendo characters to the finish line. We've also included a Game Boy Advance link cable so you can connect to as many as three other Game Boy Advance consoles and host head-to-head races. The value pack also features a Nintendo Player's Guide to give you an inside track on the game's features and power-ups and a collectible Mario Beanie Baby.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways: affordability, a huge library of games that consistently made the most of the hardware's limitations, smart power management that extended battery life, and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system's ultraportable design that allowed devotees to play video games around their schedule, making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA as people are already calling it) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can even network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed at how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that the big consoles do, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have tried to put even more power into this Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inch (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power Supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery Life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (2)

awsome
This is so great and the best and most fun this pack is a good starter i got my gba in june and now i have 8 games its so fun and so will the game cube i can not have mine til xmas

bring a flash lite
the game boy does have superior graphics when you hold it just right and can see them. yur child will need glasses within a year if he or she did not already have to get them from playing gameboy color. they sacrafice back lighting for the sake of saving batteries. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 369050;    2. Video Games    3. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    4. GBA    5. Consoles    6. Cables (Cable)    7. Adapters (Adapter)   

Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advance collection, we'vecreated this special bundle, which includes the game Namco Museum andselected accessories. Namco Museum will take players into video gaming'sglorious past with full reproductions of Namco's greatest arcade hits, such asMs. Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, and Dig Dug.We've also included the PowerPak EX accessory to help you save on batteries anda BodyGuard case, so you can keep your GBA at the ready.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket,and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a lifeexpectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is stillgoing strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some casesbury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems?Let us count the ways: affordability, a huge library of games that consistentlymade the most of the hardware's limitations, smart power management thatextended battery life, and uncluttered controls. Or perhaps it was the system'sultraportable design that allowed devotees to play video games around theirschedules, thus making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA as its often called) comes to us with powerthat would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPUruns circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process programinstructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricatevisuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact,the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are beingreplaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means youcan network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communicationcable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Colorunits could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games.Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its ownline of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super MarioAdvance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, HighHeat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color gamesthat have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 ofthem in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originallysquare dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game tofit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Coloredition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and found that Mr. Hawk was mucheasier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed at how lightweight it is. Atfewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the systemeasily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fitsbetter into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the leftand right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should becomfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy tosee.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker thanthey're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglaretechnology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so youneed pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't becraning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection ofthe light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNEStechnology, you'll see things on the GBA that the big consoles do, such asscaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technologicaladvances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line tothrowing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have tried to put even more power into thisGame Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than fiveyears ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined tothink that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and powerconsumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered thedecade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay,and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000 persquare inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inch (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power Supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery Life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (2)

Yes Namco Museum, Duh.
The Namco in the title is the Namco museum game.But I don't think it's worth it to buy this bundle of all the bundles available.I would just buy the system seperately with the games of your choice.Good games include, Castlevania Circle of the Moon, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Advance Wars, Golden Sun, and Tony Hawk 2.

What is in this pack - WHICH Namco???
The pack described here is not described here.What Namco is in it?Is it Museum? What? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Consoles    5. Batteries (Battery)    6. Cases    7. Protectors   

Reviews (3)

Small, secure, decent.
Nice design, it's small, sleek, comes with plenty of clips. Only a few gripes: the mesh for holding cords, etc is a bit too small. The ac adaptor fits but it's a squeeze, and the elastic bands used for "securing" the games is not recommended for use. The zipper can hold the games into place well enough, but the elastic is extremely tight, I'd be afraid of causing damage to the games.

Solid protection
The SP travel case offers great travel protection for the device.It has sturdy sides, exactly measured compartments and light weight, making it ideal for travel.The GameBoy is additionally secured with an elastic strip.There is room for the charging cord.On the other side of the case you can store five games, each secured with an elastic strap.As the whole side is separated from the device and cable with a zipper clozing net, you can probably fit many more games without having them spil around when you open the case.

Compact Carry-All
With no image and not much of a description, I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this Game Boy Advance Travel Case.In my opinion, it's a great case for basic storage and/or travel!It holds 5 game cartridges securely behind individual elastic bands within a zippered mesh pocket.You could easily put additional cartridges or linking cables in the pocket as well. There's a large elastic band to hold the Game Boy and next to it is another zippered mesh pocket that would hold any number of accessories (charger, magnifyer, cables or cartridges) securely.Best of all, it's lightweight and compact (only 8" x 4" x 2") and well made.It zips down the middle, has a carrying handle and there's a loop on the back to attach the case to a belt or backpack.It's black nylon with a cobalt blue nylon front trimmed in grey.Great case! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Cases    5. Protectors   

Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advancecollection, we've created this special bundle, which includes the gamesIridion 3D and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, along withselected accessories. Players will perform hundreds of complicatedtricks for points while incorporating environmental obstacles intotheir act in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. The space shooterIridion 3D pushes the Game Boy Advance hardware to new levels ofnear-3-D graphics and lustrous color. We've also included a PowerPakto help you save on batteries, a Worm Light Advance to help you playthrough low-light situations, and a Game Boy holster so you can keepyour machine at the ready.

Please note that accessory colors may vary from illustration above.No substitutions allowed.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game BoyPocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video gameconsoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decadelater, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boysuccessfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster,more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways:Affordability; a huge library of games that consistently made the mostof the hardware's limitations; smart power management that extendedbattery life; and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system'sultra-portable design that allowed devotees to play video games aroundtheir schedule, thus making it the must-have system for kids and adultsalike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA as it's already being called) comes tous featuring power that would have been unthinkable back in the day.The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former machine's8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions muchfaster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals,more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact,the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles arebeing replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing musclealso means you can network up to four Game Boy Advance units together,via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun from one sharedcartridge. This differs significantly from the past, when only two GameBoy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have a copyof the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boygames. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, itwill play its own line of colorful games, including such launch titlesas Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, ArmyMen Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, TonyHawk's Pro Skater 2, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--aswell as all of the monochrome and color games that have already beenreleased for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total).Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally squaredimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the gameto fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a GameBoy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and found that Mr.Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll notice how lightweight it is.It's a little less than 5 ounces but a little larger than a deck ofplaying cards, letting the system easily fit into a shirt pocketwithout any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider rangeof hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumbknuckles together during play. The new layout should be comfortable forall ages and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darkerthan they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted withantiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is notbacklit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system,though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to seearound the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

You'll also notice the graphics. Essentially sporting a redesigned SNEStechnology, you'll see things on the GBA that the big consoles do, suchas scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotationeffects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything fromcrossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling througha dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have tried to put even more powerinto this Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had itsheyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this newhandheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balancebetween size, price, and power consumption. And considering how wellthe old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, wethink the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --PorterB. Hall

Hardware Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio(10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inches (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power Supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery Life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (26)

good stuff here!
excellent, but the LIGHT feature is necessary, especially when you're playing at night time...

Finally a new game boy with better graphics
I like how the screen can wide or small.I like the better colors. The graphics are cool.

Game boy Advance is quite the Accomplishment
I have finally received Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and I was not dissapointed at all.I read a fair share of the reviews written by other people complaining about the backlight situation.And it seems the only way they can get anyone to listen is to make typo after typo and addseveral exclamation points after their point.People, I dont listen to others who write like that, nor does anyone else, give it a rest.I had a Sega Game Gear and changing batteries so frequesntly made me dislike the system.Fine, it was backlit, but its not worth it, ovbiously Nintendo knows what they are doing becasue its sold more than One Million units.Bottom line: Game Boy Advance is truly an epic gaming system, so I dont want to hear anyone else complaining about it and its non-exsistent backlight, noone put a gun to your head to buy it, and noone is forcing you to keep it, so shut up. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Consoles    5. Cases    6. Protectors    7. Game Light   

Editorial Review

To help you start your Game Boy Advance collection, we've created this special bundle, which includes the game Namco Museum and selected accessories. Namco Museum is an anthology of such classic games as Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug. We've also included an AC power adapter to help you save on batteries and a Worm Light Advance to help you play through those low-light situations.

The Game Boy platform (which includes the original unit, the Game Boy Pocket, and the Game Boy Color) came to market when most video game consoles had a life expectancy of just a few years. More than a decade later, the system is still going strong. How did the Game Boy successfully compete--and in some cases bury--an onslaught of faster, more powerful handheld and home console systems? Let us count the ways: affordability; a huge library of games that consistently made the most of the hardware's limitations; smart power management that extended battery life; and uncluttered controls. But perhaps it was the system's ultra-portable design that allowed devotees to play video games around their schedules, making it the must-have system for kids and adults alike.

Now the Game Boy Advance (or GBA, as it's already being called) comes to us with power that would have been unthinkable back in the day. The portable's 32-bit RISC CPU runs circles around the former's 8-bit workhorse, allowing it to process program instructions much faster. What that means to everyday gamers is more intricate visuals, more simultaneous movement on the screen, and better sound. In fact, the often-annoying beeps and boops of old-school Game Boy titles are being replaced with digitized stereo sound. The extra processing muscle also means you can network up to four Game Boy Advance units together, via the communication cable, for multiplayer fun off of one shared cartridge. Only two Game Boy Color units could link together, and each unit had to have its own copy of the game.

What's not being replaced, however, is the wide selection of Game Boy games. Because the Game Boy Advance system is backward-compatible, it will play its own line of colorful games--including such launch titles as Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Army Men Advance, High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2--as well as all of the monochrome and color games that have already been released for the previous Game Boy systems (nearly 500 in total). Players can view the older games in their smaller, originally square dimensions, or, with the touch of the shoulder button, expand the game to fit the GBA's larger screen. We tried enlarging the screen on a Game Boy Color edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, and found that Mr. Hawk was much easier to see.

When you first pick up the system, you'll be amazed how lightweight it is. At fewer than 5 ounces and a little larger than a deck of playing cards, the system easily fits into a shirt pocket without any sag. The GBA's wider shape fits better into a wider range of hands. The former design too often pushed the left and right thumb knuckles together during gameplay. The new layout should be comfortable for all ages, and the center screen orientation makes it easy to see.

Game Boy Color owners will find the GBA's larger screen somewhat darker than they're used to, but that's because the screen is outfitted with antiglare technology. Like the old Game Boy Color, the color LCD is not backlit, so you need pretty good light to play by. Unlike that system, though, you won't be craning your neck and tilting the unit to see around the hot-spot reflection of the light bulb in your screen.

But you'll also notice the graphics. Sporting what's basically a redesigned SNES technology, you'll see things on the GBA that you'd see on the big consoles, such as scaling (making objects larger or smaller) and rotation effects--technological advances that will affect the look of everything from crossing a finish line to throwing a touchdown pass to crawling through a dungeon.

Some might argue that Nintendo could have put even more power into the Game Boy Advance. After all, the 32-bit video game had its heyday more than five years ago. Perhaps, but after handling this new handheld, we're inclined to think that Nintendo wisely struck a balance between size, price, and power consumption. And considering how well the old 8-bit system weathered the decade's technological storms, we think the Game Boy Advance is here to stay, and we're glad. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit RISC CPU with embedded memory
• Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
• Display size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
• Resolution: 38,000 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio (10,000 per square inch)
• Colors: 512 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
• Size: 3.2 by 5.6 by 1 inches (82 by 144.5 by 24.5 mm)
• Weight: Approximately 5 ounces (140 grams)
• Power supply: 2 AA alkaline batteries
• Battery life: Approximately 15 hours continuous play

Reviews (8)

Fun for travel
Flying is not my favorite thing to do, so if I can have a distraction to keep my mind occupied I'm happy. That's why I bought this system. It's been great! I'm finding I play it more often than I thought I would. The colors and resolution are very good. It's like having a small TV in your hands. The only downside is that you need to play near an overhead light source, as the screen is difficult to see in low light.

People! GET A CLUE
First off, don't go cry about the bundle and how much it is. Got a Circuit City, Best Buy? You can get what you want there. And then, the guy who is complaining about it not being back lit... they did it for a reason! If they backlit the screen, the GBA would be heavier,(like the bulky game gear,sheesh, so big u might wanna plug it in to a tv), it would require a load more batteries. How much does Game Gear take, like 6? I dont wanna spend over 30 bucks a month for batteries. Oh, Powerpak EX did u say? Well geuss what, if the GBA was backlit it would require a more powerful powerpak, which would cost ALOT more money, and take forever to charge. And when it does charge, the GBA would suck it dry if it were...backlit. And the last reason, if the GBA was backlit, it would not be as powerful. Maybe as technology advances they can make a system as powerful as GBA that's backlit, but right now, that's not gonna happen. The GBA is an incredible system with incredible games i.e. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 and Mario Kart Super Circuit and more great games to come. Geeze, a little glare and you all hate the system. It's not backlit so lets go cry about and wait 5 years for Nintendo's next portable system so we can figure out everything thats wrong with that one. Personally, I love the GBA and think anyone who is remotley intrested in video games should get it.

not worth the $$$
My son got GBA & GBC for his birthday needless to say we took the GBA back and for the $$ it cost got Playstation. The shape & screen size was about the only good thing about it. Even with a worm light or under a lamp you get a really bad glare. Stick with Game Boy Color it may be smaller but you could at least see the screen. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Consoles    5. Batteries (Battery)    6. Game Light