Gaming Is there a better option for playing GBA games than the 3ds?
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GBA VC games and injects on the 3DS hacked to remove the darkened colors and ghosting is in my opinion the best way to play GBA games portably at this time. However, if you want to play any GBA game in multiplayer mode, the only way to do so is on original GBA hardware, and in terms of what was officially available, the second GBA SP model that was backlit (not the first frontlit version) is probably the best for playing GBA multiplayer games portably, though honestly, I much prefer the form and feel of the original GBA model over the SP, but the lack of an official backlight for the original model made it an incredibly difficult system to look at under many lighting conditions.
i fucking love the ags 101 screen, its the best way to play them other than running them in a pc with upscallers and high res filters or whatnot. if you are willing to pay premium for it..
you can always play them in your phone which usually has a better screen than else...
there is also of course the clone\emulation portable devices but heh i have thoose
a ds lite while being also great (if you dont care about the DS part, you can make a GBA macro with a ds) but the screen is a little smaller and has the borders if you mind them
you can always play them in your phone which usually has a better screen than else...
there is also of course the clone\emulation portable devices but heh i have thoose
a ds lite while being also great (if you dont care about the DS part, you can make a GBA macro with a ds) but the screen is a little smaller and has the borders if you mind them
Actually not true. There's at least an android gba emulator called my boy that lets you do multiplayer through Bluetooth or wifi
Do you have to do anything to 'remove ghosting and darkened colors' in particular or do you mean injecting the game on a modded 3ds provides that by default?
How would you run them on a PC? Unless you mean an emulator(Which, if you don't mind)?
yeah, emulator... you can't run gba games in a pc natively lol (or any device that does not have the gba hardware in it)
there are a several of them, the obvious one is the visual boy advance
there is the new one which is built around accuracy IIRC mgba https://mgba.io/downloads.html
dont know if MGBA has filters and stuff to make the games look better
Last edited by migles,
Actually, since you mention portability. Would there be a better option in general if you don't require portability? Such as emulation on PC like Migles mentioned? I thought I read that they weren't as accurate as 3ds/actual hardware.
Maybe with proper shaders and such it would be the best option?
Sorry, I was speaking officially. I'm aware of other non-official solutions, but this guy's initial question made it sound like he was asking about Nintendo hardware specifically.
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I still have my DS Lite for that reason. Basically old Pokemon games (which I have way too many), and a few non-Pokemon titles.
I am getting a homemade "GBA Macro" from a fellow 'Temper at the end of the month, so that should be fun.
I am getting a homemade "GBA Macro" from a fellow 'Temper at the end of the month, so that should be fun.
The DS Lite is your cheapest option. However keep in mind that it has a a higher pixel density than the gba sp, so the displayed size of the game is smaller. It has a nice screen and a more ergonomic design than the SP, no multiplayer though.
Also the DS Lite has a better speakers than a GBA. GBA games lightly stick out of the Slot-2.
GBA SP 001 Really portable, multiplayer works but the screen is only front-lit. It can feel a bit cramped if you play it for a longer time.
GBA SP 101 Same as the 001 model but with a great screen.
Unmodded GBA Comfortable to hold. Major downsides are the needed batteries and no lighting option for the screen. You can play mutliplayer though.
Modded GBA would most likely be the best choice. With an ags 101 screen and a rechargable battery in there. Multiplayer works, it feels good in your hands and you can even upgrade the speakers.
It's even more expensive than an SP 101 model though.
3DS has a (in my opinion) nice upscaled image, you can choose the original resolution as well though. It has the best speakers & sound output (it uses a better A/D converter than all other options). It also has a good screen and stuff will look great when you inject it yourself and disable the black filter and ghosting. However i find the placement of the dpad on the 3ds less comfortable to use than on the other consoles.
Also the DS Lite has a better speakers than a GBA. GBA games lightly stick out of the Slot-2.
GBA SP 001 Really portable, multiplayer works but the screen is only front-lit. It can feel a bit cramped if you play it for a longer time.
GBA SP 101 Same as the 001 model but with a great screen.
Unmodded GBA Comfortable to hold. Major downsides are the needed batteries and no lighting option for the screen. You can play mutliplayer though.
Modded GBA would most likely be the best choice. With an ags 101 screen and a rechargable battery in there. Multiplayer works, it feels good in your hands and you can even upgrade the speakers.
It's even more expensive than an SP 101 model though.
3DS has a (in my opinion) nice upscaled image, you can choose the original resolution as well though. It has the best speakers & sound output (it uses a better A/D converter than all other options). It also has a good screen and stuff will look great when you inject it yourself and disable the black filter and ghosting. However i find the placement of the dpad on the 3ds less comfortable to use than on the other consoles.
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The best advice i could give you is subjective. It is a matter of preference.
You could play it on your available device. Android, iphone, 3ds, PC emulator. A second hand GBA. No one could tell how you should play it.
You could play it on your available device. Android, iphone, 3ds, PC emulator. A second hand GBA. No one could tell how you should play it.
Sounds like you recommend either a modded GBA or modded 3DS. When you inject on the 3ds and disable ghosting/filter, how is the image compared to a modded GBA if you don't mind me confirming? Would the displayed size of the game also be smaller like the dslite?
Edit. Next question was answered so I removed it.
Last edited by TheWolfLord,
XLs are slightly bigger at 95 PPI, compared to GBA's 99 PPI, and DS Lite's 102 PPI. Although considering its size and the fact that you have to use the top screen for injects, you might have to hold it farther away to play comfortably. You also have the mild "scanline" effect from the double horizontal resolution on the top screen (vertical space between pixels is visible but not horizontal space), wheras GBA games were designed around a gridded display, so this may make it a bit harder to discern small details. Only the o2DS has a grid on the top screen, but its much smaller at 132 PPI.
You also have the option of doing an exact 50% upscale to fill the 3DS screen, which while a bit ugly, retains all useful information, i.e. pixel-sized text is clear and readable. In fact you have to hold down start or select while booting the game to turn off the upscale in favor of native.
You also have the option of doing an exact 50% upscale to fill the 3DS screen, which while a bit ugly, retains all useful information, i.e. pixel-sized text is clear and readable. In fact you have to hold down start or select while booting the game to turn off the upscale in favor of native.
Last edited by Rahkeesh,
So are you saying that the GBA grid vs 3ds 'scanline' effect would look like this sort of? http://i.imgur.com/evTwU71.png
Which sort of makes it look less sharp on a 3ds?
Thanks.
That's great info. Thanks a lot.
Do you have any thoughts on the quality of an GBA emulator with filters and such running on PC?
I didn't notice any problems with MGBA and VBA next, either standalone or retroarch, as compared to 3DS VC injects of the same games, but I haven't tried a ton of them. Aside from the audio being mixed at a higher sampling rate than native hardware. (I could actually understand the voice clips in Knight of Lodis!) I did not find a handheld shader that I liked though, and would run either straight integer scaling w/out interpolation, or something like hq2x.
If you want real hardware for home use, there's the gameboy player for Gamecube. Quite a bit of money to get that all set up though if you don't have a working GC.
If you want real hardware for home use, there's the gameboy player for Gamecube. Quite a bit of money to get that all set up though if you don't have a working GC.
@Ampersound I'm thinking about picking up an original GBA to mod with a backlit screen. However, I already have several handhelds on hand: a DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL, 2DS, New 3DS, New 3DS XL, PSP Go, and PS Vita.
I can play GBA games on the DS Lite with an EZ Flash V + Slot 1 Card, but the screen is too small for me. Same with the New 3DS running in 1:1 mode.
I think the DSi has the most vibrant screen, but I have to use GBARunner, which sometimes introduces repeated lines at the bottom of the screen. Emulation accuracy varies by game.
The XL consoles are larger (good for my aging eyes!) but mute the color palettes.
I like the size and feel of the 2DS, especially the placement of the d-pad and the silent/squishy buttons, which allow for quieter play at night without disturbing my partner. As mentioned above, the screen seems to also benefit from having a grid. Although I know VC injects are more accurate, I dislike the inability to remap buttons. I'd prefer to use Y/B instead of B/A, which makes platformers (my favorite genre) more difficult. The hardware doesn't seem able to support mGBA as an emulation option (too slow?). GBArunner has the same ripple issues as mentioned above.
As for remapping buttons to fix my complaints with VC injects, I know you can do this with GBArunner. I don't think this is possible with VC games as input remapping doesn't apply to the native hardware. Anyone know if this limitation persists with Open_AGB_Firm, which is the only method I haven't used?
The PSP Go is both inaccurate emulation and too small for my hands. The Vita improves emulation but the thumbsticks get in the way of using the face buttons comfortably. I also think the OLED model I have is too vibrant. I like things sharp and vivid but not to the point that it begins to border on oversaturation.
I wonder if the GBA is going to be any better, as it's another cost along with an Everdrive or EZ Flash Omega cartridge. I'm looking at the original model because I've owned an SP before and found it uncomfortable to hold.
Questions for anyone who has owned one:
How are the D-pad and buttons? I've read complaints that the d-pad is not one of Nintendo's best? Can it be improved?
Are the buttons silent or clicky? Is the angle of B/A better than what I've complained about with the 2DS?
Can an IPS screen compete with the DSi and will it render accurately or does it introduce other video artifacts?
My ideal handheld would have a single screen with the vibrancy of the DSi, removal of all analog controls, an accurate d-pad, shoulder buttons that press easily and do not get stuck, and face buttons that are silent. I know it's impossible, but I love the SNES controller and would love to be able to add a concave/convex set to a handheld.
I can play GBA games on the DS Lite with an EZ Flash V + Slot 1 Card, but the screen is too small for me. Same with the New 3DS running in 1:1 mode.
I think the DSi has the most vibrant screen, but I have to use GBARunner, which sometimes introduces repeated lines at the bottom of the screen. Emulation accuracy varies by game.
The XL consoles are larger (good for my aging eyes!) but mute the color palettes.
I like the size and feel of the 2DS, especially the placement of the d-pad and the silent/squishy buttons, which allow for quieter play at night without disturbing my partner. As mentioned above, the screen seems to also benefit from having a grid. Although I know VC injects are more accurate, I dislike the inability to remap buttons. I'd prefer to use Y/B instead of B/A, which makes platformers (my favorite genre) more difficult. The hardware doesn't seem able to support mGBA as an emulation option (too slow?). GBArunner has the same ripple issues as mentioned above.
As for remapping buttons to fix my complaints with VC injects, I know you can do this with GBArunner. I don't think this is possible with VC games as input remapping doesn't apply to the native hardware. Anyone know if this limitation persists with Open_AGB_Firm, which is the only method I haven't used?
The PSP Go is both inaccurate emulation and too small for my hands. The Vita improves emulation but the thumbsticks get in the way of using the face buttons comfortably. I also think the OLED model I have is too vibrant. I like things sharp and vivid but not to the point that it begins to border on oversaturation.
I wonder if the GBA is going to be any better, as it's another cost along with an Everdrive or EZ Flash Omega cartridge. I'm looking at the original model because I've owned an SP before and found it uncomfortable to hold.
Questions for anyone who has owned one:
How are the D-pad and buttons? I've read complaints that the d-pad is not one of Nintendo's best? Can it be improved?
Are the buttons silent or clicky? Is the angle of B/A better than what I've complained about with the 2DS?
Can an IPS screen compete with the DSi and will it render accurately or does it introduce other video artifacts?
My ideal handheld would have a single screen with the vibrancy of the DSi, removal of all analog controls, an accurate d-pad, shoulder buttons that press easily and do not get stuck, and face buttons that are silent. I know it's impossible, but I love the SNES controller and would love to be able to add a concave/convex set to a handheld.
Last edited by kid sampson,
From my experience 3DS is far from THE best way to play GBA games. Even with OK emulation the resolution is far from perfect and the picture it's too blurry to be called perfect (unless you want to play on much smaller than the native screen size, which again - not perfect). PSVita it's much, much better in that side of the matter. You can play on full screen with sharp image or even with some tricks to have scanlines. NDS and NDSi are better also but one flaw that they suffer in my opinion is the D-PAD which is great, awesome even, but my thumb hurt a lot after long sessions of play. Here 3DS and Vita excels as you can just switch for a while and play with the thumb stick. Any way, nothing can beat the original, so in my case I just both GBA re-shelled it, put IPS V2 screen and now I play my GBA games on GBA which is greeeeat. I beat Castlevania Aria of Sorrow and was awesome! One think to consider is that if you want the standard GBA to feel great you need to do some modifications. For example new screen is a must, L+R buttons are really mushy and not great, but for a buck on Aliexpress you can buy new "clicky" ones and so on...
