Game Boy Advance (The Original GBA): Nintendo revolutionized handheld gaming with the very first Game Boy Classic back in 1989. 12 years later they did it again by reinventing their flagship handheld system with the Game Boy Advance, bringing the quality of a console system to the palm of your hand.
Design: The GBA has the most comfortable design of any handheld system to date. The sides are shaped to follow the curves of your hands allowing the unit to rest in your palms without angular edges digging into them, yet it’s thick enough to grip. The directional pad and A-B button controls are spaced out on opposite sides of the screen to avoid hand cramping. The biggest drawback to this design is the exposed screen which is very prone to scratches and dings.
Size: Largest of the three models coming in at approximately 3 1/4" high, 5 5/8" wide, 1" thick and weighing about 4.9 ounces.
Screen: The 3" (diagonal) screen shares the same high quality 240x160 resolution as the other GBA models but it lacks a back or front light making it virtually impossible to see the screen unless under perfect lighting conditions. This is the biggest drawback to this model overshadowing most of its superior attribute.
Headphone Jack / Batteries: Uses normal 1/8" headphone jack uses the same headphones as your walkman, I-pod and computer.
Powered by two disposable AA Batteries allowing 15 hours of gameplay. Unfortunately it means always having to carry extra batteries and disposing of the dead ones, creating unnecessary waste.
Games: Backwards Compatible, plays all Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Classic and Game Boy Color Games.
Price: This model is out of production so it’s only available used, going for around $40, less than half of the original retail price. The drawback is this used system usually comes with scratched/scuffed screens.
Linking: Capable of connecting up to four units with the GBA Cable Link and Wireless Link on specific multiplayer games. Also you can link it to the Nintendo GameCube console via a Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance Cable to allow special features on compatible games for both systems.
Colors: The GBA was produced in the following colors:
Indigo
Arctic
Glacier/Milky White
Fuchsia/Milky Pink
Spice
Platinum/Silver
Gold
Spice/Orange
Clear Orange (Japan Only)
Midnight Blue
Clear Black
Jet/Black
Red
Blue
Clear Blue
Grape
Clear Purple
Pink
And in the Limited / Special Edition Colors:
