Gaming Best way to play GBA games?

[Chaos Rush]

Recently I've been thinking if I should get a GBA SP AGS-101 (I have the older SP with the frontlit screen), or a GBA Micro. I already have a DS lite, but there's somethings I don't like about playing GBA games on it.

I'm not asking for help on deciding (I'm probably going to stick to my DS), but I'm still interested in hearing other people's opinions, especially people have actually tried the GBA Micro.

Anyways, here are what I think the pros and cons of each model are:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Game Boy Advance (original model)
Pros:
*Looks most comfortable to hold (I've never actually tried it though)
*GB/GBC games

Cons:
*No screen light of any kind
*Requires batteries
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. Game Boy Advance SP AGS-001
Pros:
*Frontlit screen
*GB/GBC games

Cons:
*Holding it feels cramped (this wasn't a problem when I was younger and my hands were smaller)
*The screen is front-lit rather than back-lit
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Game Boy Advance SP AGS-101
Pros:
*Backlit screen
*GB/GBC games

Cons:
*Holding it feels cramped
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. Game Boy Micro
Pros:
*Size, obviously
*Backlit screen
*Headphone jack

Cons:
*No GB/GBC games
*I'm worried that the screen will be too small for me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. Nintendo DS (I have a Lite, so I'll say my opinion based on a DS Lite)
Pros:
*AceKard to store multiple GBA games rather than on a GBA flashcart
*Backlit screen (on a Lite, of course)
*Headphone jack
*Most comfortable to hold

Cons:
*Ridiculously tiny Start & Select buttons
*Completely useless X & Y buttons (they could have at least mapped them as extra L & R buttons -__-)
*Two screens to choose from, which is annoying if you have OCD like me, because then you can't decide which screen to use, and having an extra blank screen is annoying
*The black border surrounding the screen when playing GBA games annoys me, though this can kinda be fixed because AceKard lets you use custom borders, not to mention the GBA had a physical black border of roughly equal size to the digital one on the DS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So what do you guys like to play your GBA games on? And what do you guys think is most comfortable?

 

[Sicklyboy]

I had an old 001 and loved it. Rather, I STILL have it. A 101 would likely be even better.

http://www.madcatz.c..._SP_Accessories

I have that attached to it still. I used it all the time. Makes it near the size of a GBA, and I used mine so much it's turned yellow. It looks disgusting now lol.

Edit - if you get a SP, here ya go - http://www.amazon.com/MADCATZ-Gameboy-Advance-Starter-Game-Boy/dp/B0006SDB8E

 

[jurassicplayer]

Best way to play GBA games:
Regular old purple game boy advance + flashlight + bed + nighttime. Nothing beats enjoying a video game on a handheld console like playing it in the middle of the night or while on the toilet .

 

[Sicklyboy]

or while on the toilet .

YES. YES. YES. BEST FUCKING WAY EVER.

Why would I spend a half hour on the toilet when I was 12? Playing Pokemon like a boss.

 

[adamshinoda]

GBA-SP 101 is the best way, though I've never touched or even seen it once

 

[Luigi2012SM64DS]

Get a GBA micro so u can use it in the bus where its tight
or the sp 101

 

[emigre]

I just play GBA on my PSP. GBA emulation is excellent and the screen works nicely.

 

[FAST6191]

Just because I enjoy being annoying I will also throw the gamecube gb player into the mix- nothing like a big screen and GC controller to play such games.

Equally there are a few mods and cases for various GBA models although coming across them these days might pose a problem.

 

[adamshinoda]

I just play GBA on my PSP. GBA emulation is excellent and the screen works nicely.

Agree, GBA and SNES emulations on PSP works very nicely. SNES games graphics is so smooth on a PSP screen.
Still, nothing can beat a real GBA

 

[wasim]

Why don't you put up a poll for this question ?

Anyway i suggest Game Boy Advance (original model)

 

[mechagouki]

I bought a Pikachu 101 when they were selling new for like $80 and I loved that thing, the screen was probably the best one Nintendo had used at that time. I replayed all the Castlevanias and some other good stuff, but I did find my hands would get tired after a long session - i sold it on for a fair profit, but I wish I'd kept it. Now I use either my old G6 flash 4Gb on my Phat DS, or I use my DSTwo in My Dsi XL, which wins the graphical race 'cause of the huge screens. I play SNES games on my PSP and that's cool too. haven't tried GBA emulation on there yet.

EDIT: I should add that I fitted an afterburner front light kit into an Original GBA a few years ago hoping for a lit GBA that was as comfortable as a SNES pad to hold, the kit was a complete €u^+ to install and the light was sub GBA-SP front light quality, but you could play games in the dark on it.

 

[sobieslav]

If you don't mind the dark screen- get the original GBA. I would also like to point that most older games(except Circle Of The Moon) were made to use with the dark screen and their contrast seems way too bright on the lit ones. But then again you can turn the light off...

Anyway I love the way the original GBA feels. Not so much the SP. Never tried a Micro.

 

[Chaos Rush]

Poll added.

I guess what I like about playing GBA games on my AGS-001 is simply because the screen feels "full", where if I play it on my DS Lite, the screen feels "small", because of the black border surrounding the GBA screen when you play GBA games on DS. But the DS is more comfortable to hold because it's wider, I don't like how the SP feels...

Someday I might just get the original GBA, and maybe mod it to have a frontlight.

EDIT: I wonder if there is a way to mod a DS to only have the bottom section XD

 

[frogboy]

5. Nintendo DS (I have a Lite, so I'll say my opinion based on a DS Lite)
Pros:
*AceKard to store multiple GBA games rather than on a GBA flashcart

Acekards can't play GBA games.

I just love me some VisualBoy Advance!

 

[Chaos Rush]

5. Nintendo DS (I have a Lite, so I'll say my opinion based on a DS Lite)
Pros:
*AceKard to store multiple GBA games rather than on a GBA flashcart

Acekards can't play GBA games.

I just love me some VisualBoy Advance!

Um yes it can. I do it all the time. That is how I play most of my GBA roms at the moment.

EDIT: In case you didn't know, if you have a ram expansion pack like EZ Flash 3in1, then you can store GBA roms on your Micro SD card and play them on your DS.

 

[frogboy]

5. Nintendo DS (I have a Lite, so I'll say my opinion based on a DS Lite)
Pros:
*AceKard to store multiple GBA games rather than on a GBA flashcart

Acekards can't play GBA games.

I just love me some VisualBoy Advance!

Um yes it can. I do it all the time. That is how I play most of my GBA roms at the moment.

Then you must have a Slot 2 device, correct? There is no way to play them on an Acekard without a Slot 2 device.

 

[Chaos Rush]

5. Nintendo DS (I have a Lite, so I'll say my opinion based on a DS Lite)
Pros:
*AceKard to store multiple GBA games rather than on a GBA flashcart

Acekards can't play GBA games.

I just love me some VisualBoy Advance!

Um yes it can. I do it all the time. That is how I play most of my GBA roms at the moment.

Then you must have a Slot 2 device, correct? There is no way to play them on an Acekard without a Slot 2 device.

Yes, I have EZ Flash 3in1. When I typed that, I was assuming that other people would assume I had a Slot 2 device.

 

[regnad]

I've had all of them. Here's my opinion:

screen:

1) SP backlit -- hands down best screen Nintendo has ever made. Deep blacks, vibrant blues and purples.
2) DSL -- close second
3) GBM -- a little washed out on blacks

controls:

1) SP (either) -- this is just opinion. I like the clicky buttons
2) GBM -- close second
3) DSL -- bad bad bad unfortunately. DSL + pad and hinges just aren't made to last

That said, I voted for the GBM. There's something really wonderful about that tiny little thing. You hardly even notice it's in your pocket.

 

[mechagouki]

Or there is always this option, cool and cheap:
http://www.geminideal.com/Designer-2-9-LCD-Portable-Handheld-Game-Console-with-498-Built-in-Games-Black-2GB_p117049.html

 

[adamshinoda]

Or there is always this option, cool and cheap:
http://www.geminidea...GB_p117049.html

I would say no to this fake cheap-ass. It'll broken easily in a short time I swear.