Poll: Your Game Boy Advance model of choice?

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Launching all the way back in 2001, the Game Boy Advance was the first radical redesign in the Game Boy line of systems with its move to a horizontal layout. Throughout its nearly 10 year lifespan we also saw multiple redesigns and revisions of the hardware.

It infamously launched with a non-backlit screen meaning it was notorious for being difficult to play in low light situations. This was remedied by third party add-ons, most famously the Afterburner and was later addressed by Nintendo with the launch of the Game Boy Advance SP which featured a front-lit display.

It was also of course the system that made GBAtemp possible and the reason we're here today thanks to a boom in piracy when an abundance of affordable and easy-to-use flash carts flooded the markets.

The GBA saw three major hardware revisions with the original, the SP and the Micro.

The Original Game Boy Advance

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The original GBA launched on March 21 2001 in Japan and has sold over 81 million units to date. It's radical redesign in form factor sported a horizontal layout, shoulder buttons and 240×160px TFT LCD.

Games shipped on game paks that were roughly half the height of the original Game Boy cartridges and could hold up to 32MB of data (with Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories shipping on this size cartridge).

Game Boy Advance SP

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The Game Boy Advance launched in 2003 and saw yet another change to the form factor of the handheld. It featured a clam shell design which enabled the screen to be protected when not in use, more importantly, the display featured a front-lit panel which enabled play in any lighting condition.

In terms of specs the system stayed the same but Nintendo added a rechargeable lithium ion battery and opted to remove the headphone jack (showing courage 13 years before Apple). They sold a separate adaptor for 3.5mm headphones that plugged into the multipurpose charging port. This also meant you couldn't charge the system and use headphones at the same time.

In late 2005 Nintendo released a revised version of the GBA SP (AGS-101) of which the major difference was the addition of a proper backlit and much brighter screen.

Game Boy Advance Micro

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In 2005 Nintendo released the final GBA redesign in the form of the Game Boy Advance Micro. A miniature version of the system barely any bigger than the game paks themselves. Weighing in at just 80g the system sported a rechargeable battery and backlit display.

The screen was of course much smaller though it retained pixel resolution meaning games didn't look squashed or distorted. Interestingly enough for the size it also saw the return of the headphone jack and also featured removable, customisable face plates. Though it did lose backwards compatibility with legacy Game Boy cartridges.

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What was your preferred model of the Game Boy Advance?
 

IceyyColdSnipez

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IDK i like the original because it was the first i played back in 2008 but i also like the sp because the better screen. but if i can choose it would be the DS lite because the hinch is much better on the Ds Lite then the DS or sp
 

Iamapirate

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Owned an SP AGS001 growing up. It's fine (especially if you haven't experienced a better screen) but AGS 101 is undoubtedly the best. Best screen, very compact.
 

ivanc2002

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DSi + GBARunner2. I love the way the buttons click and the D pad on the DSi is better (in my opinion) than the GBA SP. Not only that but the screen looks amazing provided you don't stretch the screen with the DSi's sharp display. Also about the display is the brightness because it is a more precise backlight control and can be done anytime in-game by holding SELECT+ the volume buttons.

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Is mine real ? I cant find this color online
Looks like you got a fake one since a normal GBA looks like it has more copyright text on it and the GBA logo is on the wrong spot.
 
Last edited by ivanc2002,

Nemix77

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My nephew had these growing up, he started with a GBA then upgraded to SP.

I only got to play on the SP for a bit when brought it over, so I voted SP.
 

Deleted member 668561

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I owned all 3 original gba is way more comfortable if your hands are larger, sp for the front/back lit lcd, the micro was cool, though it doesn't have gbc/dmg compatibility, (the gbc mode is still in the gbm Cpu, however there isn't a way to get 5v, you can boot gbc mode via gba flashcard, it was a poc), gba micro did have the best looking screen
 

Dax_Fame

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I will agree with those saying the original is the most comfortable to wield but that backlight and flipping screen that keeps it FRESH in your pocket is a no brainer.

I felt like an absolute gangster with my SP.
I thought it was the most amazing piece of tech when I first got it.
 

Ygolonac

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Form factor wise the original GBA, but in reality I just use a DS lite. I modded my GBA with a new screen but I forgot about how horrible the GBA sound is, should have got a speaker mod too.
 

donut32

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Just got a GBA IPS - agree with a lot of the comments here that its form is much comfier than the SP. Never held a micro but would love to know if it would take the new top place for me. They look primo.
 

RichardTheKing

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Personally mine is Visual Boy Advance, due to in-built Gameshark/Code Breaker.

Physically, it's the SP. It's the only model I own, and it's something I was gifted by one of my older male cousins several years ago, since he wasn't going to use it anymore. I don't really use it either, but hey; I do indeed have a GBA console, so that's nice, and nice of him.
 

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