Game Boy Advance

Description

The original Game Boy Advance console was built to deliver richer 2D graphics, larger game worlds, and more complex gameplay while retaining full backward compatibility with the Game Boy library. The GBA and GameCube shared in their design language and both had a default purple colour marketed as violet. I grabbed a GBA immediately after the initial Japanese launch from SE Asia rather than waiting for its western release.

Graphics were the major selling point, with the GBA switching to a horizontal design, a 2.9‑inch reflective TFT LCD screen at 240×160 resolution, and a palette capable of displaying up to 32,768 colours. At its core is a 32‑bit ARM7TDMI CPU running at 16.78 MHz, paired with a Z80‑derived coprocessor for backward compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles. The system includes 32 KB of internal WRAM, 96 KB of VRAM, and 256 KB of external WRAM, supporting cartridges with additional memory and onboard save features. Audio is handled through two direct‑sound channels alongside legacy Game Boy sound hardware, outputting via a mono speaker or stereo headphones. Connectivity is provided by a link cable port for multiplayer and trading functions, with support for up to four systems in certain titles. Power comes from two AA batteries, offering roughly 15 hours of play depending on usage.

The console’s design emphasised portability and accessibility, with its lightweight build and wide controller layout. The main criticism was the non‑illuminated screen with poor or non-existent visibility in low‑light condition. Subsequent revisions would move to a backlit screen. The Game Boy Advance was praised for its technical capabilities and extensive library. Retrospectively, it is a pivotal handheld, bridging classic sprite‑based design with more advanced portable experiences, and laying the groundwork for later revisions such as the Game Boy Advance SP and Micro.