Gameboy Advance SP - the rebirth of my gaming life! (Nintendo Game Boy Advance)

Member Name: Mr Jolly

Product:	Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Date:	25/01/04 (399 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great games!, Great classic games!, More great games!

Disadvantages: The damn headphone adapter

I have had numerous computers and consoles since I was a wee lad (I'm now 32!) from the ZX Spectrum and C64 through to my XBox, PS2 & Gamecube (which I recently sold).

While I really enjoy some of the games I have on the modern consoles, newer games are much more complex and generally time consuming that they ever used to be, with the detailed stories and more intricate game controls, and sometimes it's nice just to be able to sit down and play something that's fun and easy to get into.

I don't why I didn't try it before. It seemed to just dawn on me that the GBA is the perfect platform for the old 2D stlye platformers and shooters I used to enjoy so much, even as recently as Super Mario World on the SNES (which is available on the GBA). Most modern platformers are three dimensional and although usually easy on the eye, have awkard controls and frustrating camera angles and, other than Prince of Persia which is superb, I can't think of any that have really grabbed my attention or precious time.

Enter GBA SP....

It is excellent! The console itself is very stylish, the screen suprisingly well lit, clear and sharp and a good size. The shoulder buttons are occasionally slightly uncomfortable because of the square shape but on the whole it's great. The need for a headphone adapter to be able to use any headphones is a blatant and unforgivable excuse to charge more money. I'd rather have paid a few quid more to have it built in personally, as I imagine most would but, hey, someone at Nintendo thought it was a good idea. That's my only gripe.

Onto the games, the reason for anyone buying a GBA. I've played a number of different games since getting it, and feel that it's definately for 2D games. Although there are a few first person shooters and sports games available, I don't feel they translate to such a small screen and console, and the GBA just isn't technically up to it
(or, I suspect, judging by Nintendo's lack of 3D games on the platform) not really designed for it. Each to their own I suppose, but I'll stick with my XBox for 3D shooters like Halo & Timesplitters and the PS2 for Winning Eleven / Pro Evolution Soccer.

The games the GBA does so wonderfully are the platformers such as anything by Miyamoto (Mario, Wario & Yoshi's Island), along with the Metroid games, Castlevania series and a number of others. I've also found a few good 2D shooter - Gradius, Iridium II & Phalanx, which offer classic arcade shoot 'em up action (and damned hard too!).

Other's I had previously heard of but not taken notice of because of the platform are Advance Wars and the wonderfully insane Wario Ware, which can only really be described of a collection of bizarre twitch and reaction games which really must be tried to be appreciated!

I really can't get across how much my GBA SP has rejuvenated my gaming enjoyment. Everyone who who likes gaming should have one, however, old or young they are! OK, so it can't compete with the bigger consoles in terms of graphics and sounds, but has a multitude of games oozing with quality, just desperate to keep you entertained wherever you are.

Everyone has definitive moments where they remember a certain game having such an impact. I can't remember feeling so much enjoyment from a game since Super Mario World when I first bought a SNES back in around 1991. It's quite ironic that the game that has given me that feeling again was another and very similar Super Mario game!

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