Time for me to finally get a Gameboy Advance then? (1 Viewer)

[Dan Brecher]

So help me out here folks, been thinking about a purchase for some time now. I'm a very casual gamer, and a big SNES fan, but was never one to play the original gameboy constantly because I just never had the lust to play videogames where ever I went.
Having browsed IGN, seen Mario Kart running on the GBA, and now seen like likes of Mario World, Tekken, Sonic the Hedgehog and Doom...etc all running on this little thing, I'm turning to you good folk for some assistance.
The HTF meet is coming up, a GBA would be a rather funky gadget for me to take away for my 11hr flight out to LA, but then, Virgin Atlantic have seat back SNES consoles with a choice of about 10 games to select (Zelda, F-Zero and Mario All Stars being among the choices for this month). Virgin are not ones to leave me demanding more from my in flight entertainment, so I am wondering ("wat is in dat bag? ), will the GBA satisfy me outside of long haul traveling (not something I do frequently)?
I've played Iain Lambert's GBA. I played Tony Hawks, I love that game (have it on DC) and indeed, I love the idea and the power of the GBA too, but just cant decide if I need one or not. Were I 12 years old, I would have had one the day it came out, but things change...
My DC, good bless it, is getting less use these days what with its decline and all. Gamecube is next, so do I bridge the gap or what? Will the GBA link up to the Cube be a truly innovative mix of platforms...what? Oh the questions. I've got Steve Simon yackin in my ear telling me to get one so he and I can link up on Mario Kart whilst in LA, and boy is that tempting, but the LA trip is expensive....Importing a US gamecube console come Nov will be expensive.... Is the GBA truly worth it?
Dan (UK)

 

[Dave F]

Well, right now the library is pretty limited. IMO, Tony Hawk is the only "must have" (I know some would add Castlevania too). Hopefully the library will expand soon. Doom, Klonoa, and the upcoming RPG from Brownie Brown will bring some much needed depth to the GBA. Unless you are a big Tony Hawk and/or Castlevania fan, I wouldn't say the GBA is an essentiala purchase.
-Dave
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DVD List

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Keep in mind that all GBA games will work on all GBAs. You can buy an American GBA and play European games on it. With that in mind, I suggest picking one up wherever its cheapest (England or America).
The games will be getting way better. The fact that you can play Mario Kart against 3 other people using one cart is pretty cool. In America, the GBA is $90 and the games are $30 or less. Mario Kart just came out for GBA and is only $25 at some stores.
The link cable for the GCN doesn't do that much, but it depends on the game. Kirby for GCN allows you to switch between Kirby for GBA and Kirby for GCN during some parts of some levels, and while its neat, its not that big of a deal. There are no "play GBA on your TV" type things yet, but that would be a cool thing for GCN.
I will get a GBA as soon as I can. I'm asking for one for my birthday unless something else comes along that I want really badly. If you don't want to get one, then don't. I suggest you either get one now and get a few of the newer ("brighter") games or get one and just play against people who have a cart for a game (since you only need one cart to play some multiplayer games).

 

[Dan Brecher]

That's a fair point about getting one where its cheapest for me, and indeed that is in the US. $90 = £61, and the lowest one can find a GBA around these parts is about £79 ($114)... Slightly less difference in game prices, $30 comes to about £24 which is a good average one can find GBA carts here, although a lot of places charge around £28 ($40) per game.
What places in the US do ask $90 for it though, Morgan? I see on EBs website and Toys R Us (via Amazon) its $99, which isnt as big a difference.
My dad will be in NYC the weekend before I leave (I'm off 3 weeks today), which means he could return with a US GBA for me ready for me to take out to the states, or I just buy on in LA though there's a big time situation there. I dunno, I'll wait a bit maybe to check out more responses to my situation. You and Dave have both made vald points so far, so cheers, fellas.
I kind of warm to the idea of just lazing in bed at night, when it may be typically pissing down with rain here, tucked up playing a GBA in the dark. Mario Kart IS the biggest temptation in getting one right now. Were I to get one, it'd be that, F-Zero, Tony Hawks, Bomberman Tournament and maybe Namco Museum or Pacman Collection for retro fun...

Dan (UK)
[Edited last by Dan Brecher on September 01, 2001 at 03:19 PM]

 

[Dave F]

Best Buy has them for $89, altough they are currently sold out & I don't know if they ship overseas....
-Dave
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DVD List

 

[Dan Brecher]

Well the cost of shipping overseas brings me right back to UK in store price, so the only way I will save is buying one in the US in store.
We'll see, I need to get a (shudders) mobile phone to take to LA, if I have the strength, the GBA and mario kart will wait.... I just don't think I have that strength.

Dan (UK)

 

[BrianB]

TBH, I'd wait, Dan. There's good games out there for it, but not quite enough of them /yet/ - a lot of the games you mentioned aren't available yet...
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Nothing In Particular

 

[Andre F]

I would say get the system. Here is my list of must haves.
Castlevania
Tony Hawk 2
Super Dodge Ball
Mario Kart Advance
Not too bad for a brand new system. Whenever I travel I find a way to bring this with me.
-Andre F
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-= Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape! =-

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Sometimes, stores like Wal-Mart and K-Mart (the american response to the french "prisunic") will have things cheaper and Nintendo products are ALWAYS found there. If you can't find one there, then just spend the extra 9 bucks.
I suggest not playing the GBA in the dark. When you get one, you will know why. I suggest you also get a light for the GBA. There is one that reflects the light from above and folds down to cover the screen. If I knew the name of it I would tell you, but it slips my mind right now. Its supposed to be the best one.

 

[Corey Hancock]

The light shield that Morgan is referring to is made by Pelican, here's a picture of it: Link Removed
I've got one and it works great. I tried the worm light and it sucks, but this light shield gives you light and shields the screen from glare of other light as well as protecting the GBA screen while you are not using the system. The biggest problem with this light is it runs off of the GBA's
batteries and it cuts the battery life down by 1/3, if the light is always on.
Corey

 

[Morgan Jolley]

There are batteries coming out that last longer and are rechargable, plus the power plug thingy. If battery life is that big of a deal, just keep a bunch around you when you're on long trips. I wouldn't mind much if the battery life was reduced a bit for the light. Just use it as little as possible.

 

[Dave F]

Just get 4 rechargeable AA NIMH batteries and you never have to worry about batteries again.
-Dave
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DVD List

 

[Dan Brecher]

Yeah I'm aware I'd need an add on light of some sort. That's the only real thing that bothered me when I played Iain's, I played the thing in daylight in a fairly well lit room and it was still rather hard to make out.
I suppose getting an AC adapter add on would solve battery problems with a light were I wanting to play it in relatively dark or dimmed light settings in my room.
Tough call. I've been in london this weekend, I drive by a rather big Toys R Us on the way home and yesterday my new Credit Card came through... What to do, what to do.

Dan (UK)

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

Dan;
I just picked up a GBA myself last Sunday, and I'm having a very good time with it. Right now the only GBA game I have for it is Rayman, which is turning out to be one awesome platformer.
However, I must admit that really bought the system for two games that don't even require the GBA to run them: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. Right now, I only have Seasons, but it's really, really good. If you do pick up a GBA when you're here in the States, I heartily recommend you get these two games, espeically if you're a big Zelda fan.
And if you can find it, get Link's Awakening as well. All right, I have a thing for Zelda, but if you're an avid gamer, who doesn't?

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-J.Fo
"And you can tell Rolling Stone magazine that my last words were... 'I'm on drugs!'"

 

[Dan Brecher]

Jeffrey, did you see above I said Virgin have seat back SNES consoles on their flights and are currently running Zelda as one of the game choices this month? Zelda at 35,000 feet is a just too good for words!
Well, I made it home safe without going into Toys R Us.

I still have a nother few weeks until I go though...
Dan (UK)

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The games for the GBA have been so dark because the dev kits for the GBA display the games brighter, so the developers make the games too dim on the dev kit. They are aware of this and are now making games brighter, so the next wave of games should be brighter.

 

[teapot2001]

Morgan, it's great to hear that they will solve the darkness problem. That has been my only dissatisfaction with GBA. Do you know which of the upcoming games will be brighter?
~T

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I really don't know. The first "wave" of games (launch titles and the first month or so worth) suffered from this problem totally due to lack of knowledge about the problem. The next "wave" of games (from around September on) should have this fixed, though not every game will. I think Nintendo's games will be rid of this problem more so.

 

[Iain Lambert]

Hi Dan. I'd be inclined to get one in the US, as the upcoming games do look rather funky. Its worth noting the following though:
1) If you want to play Mario Kart, I believe that its the case that while you can play any game on any GBA one thing you can't do is cable link a US cartridge to a UK cartridge. So that if you want to link up when you get back I'll need to buy a US copy as well to play you, otherwise Steve isn't going to be able to race you while you're out there.
2) I'd go along with the comment that Tony Hawks 2 is really the only must buy game out there right now, as I've still not managed to get the hang of the handling on F-Zero, and Kuru-Kuru Kururin either gets really difficult really quickly or I'm just crap at it

3) Strangely, I find its not a comfortable to hold as the good old GBC. So if you're mainly after GBC games it might make sense to save cash and just buy one of those instead. Of course, you'll miss out on the linking to the Cube ability, but between the way its uncomfortable and the way I suspect it will just be used like the VMU on the Dreamcast its not looking like the end of the world, unless you _really_need_ to import your Pokemon characters.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Right thats it, buying one in the US it is then. I will pop down to a Best Buy or a Frys to try and get a decent deal out there. Some of us are staying extras days after the meet, one is a shopping day.
A GBC I have, Iain. I'd like to get more into older GB release I have missed. For someone who admits to not playing Gameboy as much as he had, I've owned the original, the slimline, and the colour versions.

Dan (UK)
[Edited last by Dan Brecher on September 03, 2001 at 07:25 AM]