History

The original Game Boy Advance.

The GBA was originally released in June of 2001. In Japan, it first appeared on store shelves three months earlier. In March 2003, the special GBA-SP was released. There are a lot of differences between the regular GBA and the SP version, although both share the exact same game library and technical specs. If you're looking for the portable video-game system, the GBA is pretty much your only choice until Nokia's N-Gage and Sony's upcoming portable hit the market.

Hardware

Specifications

• CPU: 32-bit ARM, 16 MHz
• RAM: 32k RAM, 96k VRAM, 256k WRAM
• Resolution: 240 x 160

Welcome the new school Game Boy Advance, the GBA-SP.

Compared to other handheld systems (which have since been demolished years ago by the Game Boy's success) and consoles of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System era, the GBA is incredibly powerful. This system can even handle certain kinds of 3D graphics, although its capabilities in that category seem to lie somewhere in between say, a SNES with the Super FX chip and the original Sony PlayStation. Perhaps the weakest feature of the GBA is its low screen resolution. Although this is an improvement over the original Game Boy at 160x144, even the NES had a higher resolution at 256x240.

Media

The GBA is a cartridge-based system. As is typical for Game Boy hardware, both GBAs can also play all older Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.

Input/Output The GBA sports a 1/8 inch headphone output and a special 6-pin "EXT" connector which is used for link cables and other peripherals. Its power comes from two AA batteries which will deliver somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 hours of gameplay. However, there are several third-party products you can buy that will allow you to use an AC adapter or rechargeable battery instead.

On the other hand, the GBA-SP runs solely on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. You can't use regular battery cells even if you wanted to. You can plug the system into the wall for recharging using the proprietary power port in the back.

The most important feature of the SP is the internal lighting on the screen. There's a toggle button on the device that will allow you to turn the light on and off. Depending on how often you leave the light on, you can use the SP for anywhere between 10 and 18 hours before having to recharge. Finally, the GBA-SP is missing the headphone output that was on the original GBA, although you can buy a headphone adapter that fits into the power port.

Bundles

The standard GBA is available for an MSRP of $69.99. You can choose from colors such as Arctic (solid white), Fuchsia (translucent pink), Arctic (translucent light blue), and Indigo (solid purple). Starting in August 2003, Pokemon Crystal will come bundled with this system at the same price. The GBA-SP is a little more expensive at $99.99, due to the internal lighting and new design. Currently, your choice is limited to two colors: Cobalt Blue and Platinum. On September 8, 2003, two more colors, Flame Red and Onyx will become available.

Buy the GBA Fuchsia

Buy the GBA Fuchsia with Pokemon Crystal

Buy the GBA Glacier

Buy the GBA Glacier with Pokemon Crystal

Buy the GBA Indigo

Buy the GBA Indigo with Pokemon Crystal

Buy the GBA-SP Cobalt

Buy the GBA-SP Platinum

Buy the GBA-SP Flame Red

Buy the GBA-SP Onyx