GAME BOY ADVANCE - Game Boy of The Millenium - Nintendo - http://phatbowling.com/gbcadvenrpg/AGB

New Upddates: The colors in America and Japan are (American names): Arctic, Indigo and Glacier. Arctic is just white, Indigo is purple (similar to the first GBC color), and Glacier is a see through blue. The cost in America will be $99.95. Canadians like me will probably buy it for around $120-$130. Games will retail for about $30 or $40 dollars. This will probably be $50-$60 up here in Canada (eh?). Good news so far, right? Well, the launch titles do not include any adventures/RPG's. That would be bad news to you, because if you don't like RPG's, why are you here? If you are really desparate for an RPG, there are a few RPG's being released at Japan's lunch, so you could import one. Note: This is not recommended for Canucks. Upstate Games is offering to import a GBA and one game or $160 American. That's about, say $300! Down below, I showed you a GBA cartridge and typed a statment about playing older GB games. Well, they stick out more than an inch from the top of GBA! And Europe, you were supposed to have GBA launch at the same time as North America. Well, not anymore. Look for some info in the first week of September.

NEW! Aug. 24 take a look at Game boy Advance:

If you look closely, you'll see that they're playing Yoshi's Story.

Here's a look at all four sides. System Colours are yet to be verified but you can see everything!

Here's an GBA playing Mario Kart Advance. It's another coloured AGB case out of four.
They are:
Clear black with blue buttons
Clear purple with orange buttons
Solid silver with blue buttons
Solid silver with orange buttons

Here's an GBA Cartridge. I wonder how they'll play older GB gamez with a cartridge shaped like that?

Here's GB acting as a Gamecube (a.k.a. Dolphin) Controller using the Dolphin port and special cable.

Game Boy Advance (AGB) will no doubt lead the gaming industry in handheld gamez. Take a look what it has!

MEASURMENTS, ETC:

Held horizontal (It goes across in your hand, not like other GB's.)

2.9'' TFT reflective screen.

240x160 resolution.

65,535 possible colours.

511 simultaneous colors in character mode; 32,768 simultaneous colors in bitmap mode.

Buttons: Direction pad, L & R shoulder buttons, B & A buttons, Start and Select.

Size in Milimetres: 135w x 80h x 25d.

Weight is 140g.

Takes 2 AA batteries but lasts for 20 hours.

Games are in Cartride formats.

GB and GBC compatible.

KEY FEATURES:

32 bit ARM CPU with embedded memory. (PlayStation has a 32 bit CPU)

Four player link.

Internet compatible using a cell phone. (see below)

Dolphin Port for Nintendo's next Console System

Headphone jack and AC/ DC power port.

INTERNET CAPABILITIES:

Internet Link otion for gamers to play games.

Transfer Information.

See one another with an accesory video camera.

Surf the web.

E-mail anther player

Release Date: March 21, 2001 Japan, July 2001 America

FAQ from www.dailyradar.com

What type of processor will the Game Boy Advance have?

Developed by the UK-based ARM Corporation (who also develop cellular phone CPUs), the Game Boy Advance will have a 32-bit RISC CPU. By comparison, the original Game Boy and the Game Boy Color had an eight-bit processor. Also, the SNES had a 16-bit processor, and the PlayStation has a 32-bit processor.

Does that mean it will be just as powerful as a PlayStation?

Yes and no. The PlayStation sports a 32-bit RISC CPU similar to the Game Boy Advance, so the processors will be about an even match. However, the PSX has more RAM, better resolution, better storage size, etc., so the PSX definitely wins out as far as all-around specs.

What about the screen?

The Game Boy Advance will have the same type of TFT reflective screen that the Game Boy Color has. The GBA screen will gain a half-inch diagonally and will be closer to a TV screen in ratio than the GBC. A normal TV has an aspect ratio of 4:3; that is, for every four units of measurement wide, the screen is three units tall. The GBC has almost equal sides, displaying 160x140 resolution, or an 8:7 ratio. The GBA will display 240x160 resolution, giving it a 3:2 ratio.

What are the graphical capabilities?

The Game Boy Advance will draw from a palette of 65,535 colors, while the Game Boy Color draws from 32,000 colors. 32,768 colors can be shown simultaneously in bitmap mode and 511 in character mode, compared to the GBCs 56 simultaneous colors. The GBA is able to display graphics modes such as the SNES "Mode 7" technology, which simulates 3D, and with a 32-bit processor 3D just might be possible on the system.

So how many polygons will it push?

It's not known at this time whether the Game Boy Advance will have a 3D chip (thus it won't really push any polygons), but a 32-bit RISC processor is a step in the right direction.

Will the screen be backlit?

No, the Game Boy Advance will not have a backlit screen, probably to save battery consumption. Previous backlit handheld gaming systems from other companies have proven to be battery hogs (which can ruin the entire point of having a portable system). From what we've seen with the reflective TFT screen that Game Boy Color uses, GBA will be vibrant with color as long as there is sufficient external light.

So how long will the batteries last?

Game Boy Advance will use 2 AA batteries just like the Game Boy Color. Nintendo claims that the GBA will last for 20 hours compared to 10 hours on the same batteries in GBC.

What will the casing look like?

While Nintendo has not shown us exactly what the Game Boy Advance looks like, we've picked up a few hints and clues along the way. The GBA will be held horizontally, as opposed to the vertical Game Boy Color and its predecessors. The GBA will be (in millimeters) 135w x 80h x 25d; the GBC is 75w x 133h x 27d. Aside from being smaller and larger by a few millimeters here and there, just picture the current Game Boy Color lying on its side to get an idea of size.

What type of inputs and outputs will the unit have?

We can expect an eight-way directional pad and two action buttons on the face of the unit (in addition to the start and select buttons). Also, the Game Boy Advance will sport L and R shoulder pads, furthering the GBA-to-SNES comparison. There will be a much-improved game link port, which will allow transfer at faster speeds and the ability to link up with three other players at once. Nintendo has decided not to include the infrared port on the GBA as found on the GBC, and will instead have a separate IR link that hooks up through the game link port. The much-lauded Internet connectivity via cell phone appears to be a Japan-only feature, since it doesn't appear that NOA is putting much emphasis on it here in the states.

How will it link up with three people at once?

One player will be the "host" system, while the other three will connect to that system using a special cable with three connections at one end. That's four -- count 'em, four -- simultaneous players in a game, the only drawback is they'll all need to be within a few feet of each other.

Will the GBA have audio/video output?

At this time it does not appear that the GBA will have audio/video outputs a la Sega's Nomad. For those unfamiliar with it, the Nomad was basically a portable Sega Genesis. Regular Genesis games would play in the Nomad, and the unit could hook up to a TV (the unit would then become the controller). Nintendo has said that the GBA hardware is "nearly complete," so an option like this (however unlikely) has not been ruled out. However, the additional size, cost and power drain on the system makes audio/video outputs (aside from a standard headphone jack for audio) rather unlikely.

Will it connect to Nintendo's Project Dolphin system?

Yes. Nintendo has a joint venture with Konami called Mobile 21 to create software just for Game Boy Advance to Dolphin connectivity. It seems that the connection will be similar to the way the Sega's Dreamcast and its VMU work together. While the GBA probably won't fit inside the Dolphin controller, it's very possible that when hooked up the GBA will be used as a controller. A player may be able to use the connected GBA to map out plays in sports games or view a map in other games without that information showing up onscreen. Obviously this would be a great help in multiplayer games on the Dolphin.

What will the Game Boy Advance sound like?

The GBA will contain the same sound eight-bit chip as the Game Boy Color, as well as a new eight-bit chip under development by Factor 5. Look for an improved external speaker (we're sticking to our prediction of just one speaker to reduce battery consumption) and a stereo headphone jack as found on the GBC.

How much data can the cartridges hold?

It is not known at this time what the max limit will be. Of course, cartridge size is always expanding, and how much each cart can hold really depends on cost -- it's simply a matter of how much RAM a development/publishing company wants to pay for.

What games have been announced?

At this time, no games have been announced. Nintendo claims that more than 70 developers are interested in developing for Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo expects to have more than 130 developers working on GBA games. The system has been demonstrated using Yoshi's Story (for N64), so it's a good guess that game might make its way over to GBA as a launch title. IGN Pocket claims that the demo "looks better than the N64 game it's based off of." Then, of course, there is a certain little library of 450 games that will be available for GBA on the first day of launch...

Is the system backward compatible?

Yes, Game Boy Advance will be compatible with all Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, as it will use a similar cartridge format. It is not yet known if the games will be in any way enhanced by the GBA, or what the GBA will do with the extra space on the screen. It appears that the GBA will have two chipsets, a GBC chipset along with the GBA chips. When a GBC or original Game Boy game is inserted, the system will shut down the GBA-only features to save energy.

So what types of games can we expect to see?

We expect first-generation Game Boy Advance titles to be SNES console favorites like F-Zero, Mario Kart or, possibly, PilotWings in addition to Yoshi's Story. While these games are more than possible on GBA, they will have to be nearly reprogrammed to match up with the GBA's smaller resolution. However, reprogramming a game that has everything else (artwork, etc.) completed is still faster than building a game from scratch. Of course, we can also probably expect an original Mario title at launch. Down the road, we should see developers take advantage of the GBA's processing power and possibly turn out some 3D games. Keep an eye out for what Nintendo shows at Spaceworld in August. We are, of course, also hoping for a Metroid title, but that's completely unconfirmed by Nintendo at this point.

So what about this Internet stuff?

It's all still there. It makes bigger waves in Japan than here, since a much larger portion of the population uses cell phones. Also, the wireless network has less ground to cover in Japan, an island off the Asian coast, than it would in the sprawling United States. Game Boy Advance will have the ability to connect to the Internet but not right off the bat. Nintendo has made it clear that the focus now in the US is on games.

Will the Game Boy peripherals now available be compatible?

We would imagine that products like the Game Boy Camera and the Game Boy Printer will still work fine (although we've heard rumors of updated versions of both devices for the Game Boy Advance). Certain cheat device and external rechargeable battery manufacturers found that their products would not work on Game Boy Color simply because of the case design. The curvaceous "battery butt" of the GBC does not allow room for some of these peripherals. Since the casing for the Game Boy Advance has not been made public, it's not apparent whether there will be a similar problem. It does seem that InterAct's upcoming PDA software will have its IR capabilities shut out by the GBA, unless it uses the aforementioned IR game link port.

So why did Nintendo release Game Boy Color a year and a half ago with Game Boy Advance on the horizon?

Nintendo had a color version of Game Boy on its mind for some time, and it was probably waiting for the right time to introduce it. The GBC would just not be possible at a decent price five years ago. With over 100 games for GBC already out in stores, don't think that the GBC library will just disappear. Of course developers will keep creating those games, and you'll be able to play them on your Game Boy Advance for years to come.

What is the expected price of the system/games?

We expect the system to be competitively priced at around $70-$100, unless of course there is some sort of pack-in deal. Games prices should hover around $30-$40. Keep in mind that Nintendo has made it clear that it plans to sell 500,000 units per month after launch.

Wasn't the launch originally slated for this year? What happened?

Blame it on the Game Boy Color. The system is doing so well here in the States that NOA is in no rush to release anything that would get in the way of GBC sales. Who can argue? Nintendo recently reached the 100,000,000 mark on sales of Game Boy/Game Boy Pocket/Game Boy Color combined.

When can we expect the launch?

Anticipate a US launch sometime in 2001. At best there will be a late 2000 Japan release, with an early 2001 US release (which shouldn't conflict with the impending Dolphin release). Apparently it takes quite some time to turn out those reflective TFT screens, and that could be one of the primary reasons for delay.

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Page Updated Wed May 9, 2001 1:38pm EDT