Game Boy Advance |
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Nintendo made the announcement of the Game Boy Advance right around the same time as the Gamecube was being introduced. It was clear that Nintendo had high hopes for the 32 bit handheld system. I looked at the system with a very unenthusiastic impression, hey and why should I not. For more than three years the Game Boy Color has offered more mediocre games than any other system, which is understandable since it was a portable gaming machine and the majoridy of the developers have their minds on consoles like PSone, N64, and others to create games for. The reason why I have had such a disliking towards the GB Color is because a huge percentage of the market sales were in favor towards Nintendo's little machine, especially Pokemon, the champion franchise of all sales in 1999 and 2000. Why do I want another to follow, to dominate the market and cause an even greater chance of no more games that we hardcore gamers can enjoy. Hmmm, then Johnny(Crono)came in my room one day with a new issue of Gamers Republic and told about how great the system sounded and the magnificant sales in Japan, but I still did not at all have any interest...no siree! The following week things began to change, while at Gamespot one day I heard that Konami was creating a Castlevania game for the GBA, a game that in many ways was to be a twin brother of one the greatest Playstation games ever: Castlevania Symphony of the Night. The months passed by and as each day came closer to the release date for the Game Boy Advance, the excitment within me grew huger and huger everyday. Ok now to the important stuff, what do I think about the handheld. Well I'll say this, that if you like 2D games and if you like the fact that all kinds of "real" games can be played anywhere and at anytime and for the price of $100, then this machine is for you. The little wonder is actually bigger in size than the previous offering, but the appearance does seem less bulky. The colors availible are glacier, the coolest with a see-thru case to see the gadgets in motion. There also comes indigo, and artic, the color I have. The button layout is like the Super Nintendo controller, except for only two buttons, A and B, no X and Y. There are also two shoulder buttons on top, L and R, again in the same style of the SNES they are laid out in. Too bad the feeling of them is kinda rough. I played Tony Hawk Pro Skater and to pull off the games many tricks which require fast reflexes of the fingers is hard since the L and R buttons are so stiff. Believe me when I say blister time. Its not that bad of a problem, just a minor issue. Now for those who think that the graphical capabilities are false, take one look at Tony Hawk and its amazing animation which from a distance the skaters look like their PSone breathen and see the 32 bit greatness. Castlevania Circle of the Moon possesses so much detail, even though it does contain too many dark shades of coloring and Iridion...shit all of it. Game Boy Advance has some major pontential. Let me put it like this, the power this system has can produce titles that look as great as shall we say early 32 bit games.....not bad I say for a handheld. It won't be too long till we see games like Final Fantasy IX and Zelda Majora's Mask morphed into little bite-sized games. The future looks bright indeed, and with more companies getting ready to ride the ship, like Square and Capcom. With a real deal of a price and a slew of triple A games at launch, better than the Playstation 2's starting lineup. This is Nintendo best offense since the release of the Super Nintendo(Does anyone remember the Virtual Boy?). There are some minus I will address like the screen being too dark, once more Nintendo forgot the oh-we-need-it backlight, but a Nyko Worm Light will only cost you $10-$20 and my how important it is, the Nyko Worm Light does have good quality written on it though. The Game Boy Advance sets a new standard for handheld games, something Game Gear couldn't accomplish. Sure the ugly little critters along with their yellow leader rat will soon make a appearance, that does not diminish the fact that there are plenty of good games to fuel our engines. Simply put this on your most wanted list if you do not have one already.Rating=9.5 Pros=Lots of good games that are instant classics, nice design, and solid sound with ear phones. Cons=Hard to see screen, and the battery life is worse than the first Game Boy. *Note: See our video games review section for reviews on GBA games,not all may be there. |
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