5 Reasons why the death of the GBA is gamings greatest loss...

[JaguarWong]

Play.com has finally removed the GBA section from it's games listings, it was the last big online retailer to do so.
Here's five of the many reasons why this is an event you should mourn:

• 
  Because it hasn't been replaced, superseded or improved upon properly.
  The GBA offered a kind of gaming that you can't get anywhere now, not even XBLA/PSN/Wiiware games are as gameplay focused as the best the GBA had to offer.
  It was a machine that was happy in own skin, being the best at what it did and not trying to be a pocket version of a 'real' console.
  
  Because now when a game comes out based on a Hollywood blockbuster EVERY version will be utter toilet. In it's death throws the GBA gave us the best versions of TMNT and Ghostrider - and while that isn't saying much it also gave us the best version of Lego Star Wars.
  Because developers couldn't port they had to outsource, to re-think, to offer something different, different and quite often better.
  
  Because handheld games systems don't fit in your pocket anymore.
  The woefully under marketed Gameboy Micro was smaller than most mobile phones and had a better screen than any other Gameboy - it was also, bizarrely, more comfortable to use than the, also readily pocketable, SP.
  If the worlds thinnest clown borrowed the worlds fattest clowns trousers he still wouldn't have enough room to carry around his PSP in comfort.
  The Micro was the only games machine ever made that you could forget you had with you.
  
  Because great sprites are better than piss-poor polygons. I mean, have you seen 3D models on the DS? Have you seen Contra IV? Which looks better? But it seems, with the aforementioned exception, that sprites died with the GBA.
  For shame.
  
  Because the only old skool games you'll play now will be self conciously old skool - they'll feel overproduced and awkwardly self referential and lack the genuine charm necessary to make them work.
  The GBA gave the old skool a base it felt comfortable on. It felt just as 'right' playing Final Fight and River City Ransom as it did playing glorious new 2d masterpieces like Astroboy: Omega Factor and Drill Dozer.

The GBA died too soon, like all systems its best games came in its last year but it had genuine class from day one.
Don't let it be forgotten - You can pick up a Micro for next to nothing and I urge you to do so.

 

[shatnershaman]

Irony of ironys is you can play GBA on the PSP and DS.

 

[_daxter_]

Guys... try Minish Cap. Its awesome. This Hyrule is one of the most playful I discovered in the series. Didn't you ever want to explore the world in bug-size?!

 

[JaguarWong]

Irony of ironys is you can play GBA on the PSP and DS.

...as long as you don't want to move more than two metres from a power outlet.

But you miss the point - every console IS it's software, the GBA is dead because there will be no new GBA games.

 

[Moon-Goose]

Whats wrong with a nintendo DS, there is a simular selection of games accept the DS is just better. You can play games on it from GBA/GBA SP and I dont know why it is that you say it doesnt fit in your pocket, because I can quite easily fit it in mine.

 

[JaguarWong]

...the DS is just better.

C'mon man, that post took me ages, you can do better than that, educate me!

 

[Moon-Goose]

...the DS is just better.

C'mon man, that post took me ages, you can do better than that, educate me!

Alright if you insist...
The Nintendo DS, for a start bering in a new feature to the nintendo brand of hand heled games consoles, a backlight. The Nintendo DS has a backlight in order to make the screen easier to see. It can be played in the dark, ect.

No on can deny that the nintendo DS is more stylish, silver, blue, pink, black all four have a sleek shine to them which no GBAs used to have.

It also has the new touch screen function to acess the game easier, for example you can touch something at the top of the menu without scroll up do it using a D-Pad. And once again for GBA lovers almost every game functions without using the touch screen aswell.

And, if you prefer GBA games to DS games you can put them in it using the dual slot function, so you can play our your old favourites on a better console.

You can still fit it in your pocket because it is only about 4 cm at the most longer than the GBA advance. I cant believe I had to explain why a nintendo DS is better than a GBA, but is that better?

 

[Moon-Goose]

Irony of ironys is you can play GBA on the PSP and DS.

...as long as you don't want to move more than two metres from a power outlet.

But you miss the point - every console IS it's software, the GBA is dead because there will be no new GBA games.

Why would you want to make new GBA games anyway? The nintendo DS and PSP both have better capabilitys as far as graphics go, and they can both be recharged.

With the release of the DS and PSP lots of previous GBA owners and even people that have never had a portable games console have decided to throw it out and replace with the newer version.

Companys would make a sugginifcant loss by selling more GBA games because no one would have the console to play it on, its commercial suicide.

 

[JaguarWong]

Both the SP and the Micro had backlit screens, they also both came in a range of very shiny colours...

GB Micro: 4" (W) x 2" (H) x 0.7" (D) Weight: 2.8 ounces
DS Lite: 5.24" (W) x 3" (H) x 0.85" (D) Weight: 7.7 ounces (And that's closed)

For all other points please see the first point in my original post.

BUT ANYWAY:
This is not a GBA vs DS thread - It's a 'You can't get the sort of games you used to get on GBA anymore' thread.

 

[Bling Cat]

The Nintendo DS, for a start bering in a new feature to the nintendo brand of hand heled games consoles, a backlight. The Nintendo DS has a backlight in order to make the screen easier to see. It can be played in the dark, ect.

No on can deny that the nintendo DS is more stylish, silver, blue, pink, black all four have a sleek shine to them which no GBAs used to have.

Did you miss the whole SP release? with the new feature of a BACKLIGHT! the DS just incorporated that! it didnt bring it to the table!

also, Stlyish? do i really care about stylish? im already playing a games console, im already a nerd, i dont want to be a nerd in style thanks. also (to the best of my knowledge, they released the coloured versions later on than the original, so you can either buy a new one or wait.

 

[Moon-Goose]

Yeah, well I have never owned a SP or Micro. However I believe this is a "Why the GBA is a lost to the gaming world thread" What I am saying is quite simply, its not! The GBA has been replaced by better systems.

 

[JaguarWong]

Yeah, well I have never owned a SP or Micro. However I believe this is a "Why the GBA is a lost to the gaming world thread" What I am saying is quite simply, its not! The GBA has been replaced by better systems.

I'm really trying to not sound like a dick here - but did you read the post other than the title?

Because I gave 5 (I thought well stated) reasons why the DS and PSP aren't better systems.

 

[mGoLos]

I'm currently gaming MGS4 on my brand new PS3 ... I'm so hooked on that game that I probably won't complete GTA4 in the forseeable future so quite honestly there is nothing further from my mind than the GBA. I'll probably mourn one of the many, many Game Overs in MGS4 more than the GBA.

 

[Moon-Goose]

Yeah, well I have never owned a SP or Micro. However I believe this is a "Why the GBA is a lost to the gaming world thread" What I am saying is quite simply, its not! The GBA has been replaced by better systems.

I'm really trying to not sound like a dick here - but did you read the post other than the title?

Because I gave 5 (I thought well stated) reasons why the DS and PSP aren't better systems.

Yeah I just diddnt agree with most of them.

 

[JaguarWong]

I'm currently gaming MGS4 on my brand new PS3 ...

Metal Gear Solid on the Gameboy Color was fucking class!

 

[HardRockSamurai]

Yeah I know...the GBA was pretty useless, what with the DS and all...but dammit, THE DS WON'T EVEN FIT IN MY POCKET! What's the point of having a "handheld" system if you need a pocket the size of your face to carry it?

 

[laikenf]

Guys... try Minish Cap. Its awesome. This Hyrule is one of the most playful I discovered in the series. Didn't you ever want to explore the world in bug-size?!

Wow I thought I was the only one who thought that Minish Cap is one of the best Zelda games (if not the best 2d iteration of the series).

 

[pnonma]

There were a lot of really decent games for the GBA...I felt that the GBA metroid games were the most enjoyable of the entire franchise. However, I feel that Nintendo systems-handhelds especially- are prone to shovelware, and the GBA was no exception. No matter how good some of the games were, there were also a lot of lousy games to slog through before you got to the good stuff.
Although I liked it, I wouldn't call it the best handheld system to date. The PSP slim is easily pocketable, and if you know what you're doing, you can make it play anything you want to, including GBA games at a much higher resolution, with a much brighter screen. Besides, most games look great on the PSP, whether it be polygon or sprite based.
The DS isn't a worthy successor to the GBA, however, as many games for it just feel so gimmicky (as do many games for the wii), like Nintendo created their nifty piece of hardware, then spent every last minute of development time coming up for ways to force gamers to use all the wacky features, instead of relying on the gameplay itself to carry the game.
Anyway, the GBA had its run. It was a good system, but now it's gone, and instead of mourning, I think we should be hounding game developers for better games for THIS genereation of systems.

 

[ADDLibrarian]

So, I'm procrastinating here, but I'll bite. I'll go through your points and give my humble opinions.

It was a machine that was happy in own skin, being the best at what it did and not trying to be a pocket version of a 'real' console.

You fail to express to me the negatives of a "real" console in your pocket. Isn't that sort of the point of a portable console? To give you the benefits of a full size in small format? Like how a plushie is a small version of a full size doll with all the cuteness and benefits.

Because now when a game comes out based on a Hollywood blockbuster EVERY version will be utter toilet.

Hate to break it to ya, but MOST games based on Hollywood blockbusters are toilet water. The production is rushed because they want to cash in on the film's success/hype. They are often full of bugs/shallow stories.

Because handheld games systems don't fit in your pocket anymore...The Micro was the only games machine ever made that you could forget you had with you.

I beg to differ. My DS (and this is the original DS, not the lite) fits well in my pocket. Perhaps I just have larger pockets than most. Or the fact that I'm a girl and can fit it in a purse. *shrug* If you don't have a purse, you can always get the cutest carrying cases. ^_^ Sorry, had to girl out for a sec. And most of the cases can hold all your games, which is a plus. You're gonna have to carry your GBA games somewhere too. So the fact that you can fit the CONSOLE in your pocket is somewhat deceiving...you need to carry those larger sized games somewhere as well.
Oh, as for your second point of "forgetting you have it with you"...well, that's not very effective, is it? If you forget you have it with you, you can't play it.

But it seems, with the aforementioned exception, that sprites died with the GBA. For shame.Because the only old skool games you'll play now will be self conciously old skool - they'll feel overproduced and awkwardly self referential and lack the genuine charm necessary to make them work.
The GBA gave the old skool a base it felt comfortable on.

Well, the GBA WAS old skool, having just been chipped off the block of the even old skooler Gameboy. Old skooler? Wow, adjectiving words are fun. ^^ That's what is nice about the DS. The backwards compatability is there. I can be playing Pokemon Diamond and Pearl and with just a simple click, I can be playing Pokemon Sapphire.

So there's my two cents. You can save em up and get old skool game lots on ebay or used video game stores. ^^ Just to clarify, I'm totally not against the old skoolness. I still have my GBA Advance (with cheap n cheesy attachable screen light) because it plays the one Gameboy game I own. Tetris. Woot. Then again, Tetris DS is just as fun, even though it lacks the old skool charm.

 

[JaguarWong]

1. Because they don't do it properly. They're kind of like CD-Walkmans... just don't quite pull it off.
2. That's what I said... only GBA movie tie ins WERE sometimes good.
3. Sorry... tuned out... something about shoes or handbags