Games played: Metroid Fusion (0:15), Golden Sun (0:20), Advance Wars 2 (0:45), Astro Boy (1:23), Donkey Kong Country 2 (1:57), The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (6:39)
Sega is great because it came from Hawaii and the Bengals have a Asian owner who lives in Hawaii and flies to Ohio every game what if I told you that they are related
The GBA to me was handheld gaming perfected. Compatible with all Game Boy/GBC games, and this console was a blessing on long car rides. The GBA is easily one of my favorite consoles ever.
I too have a modded ips screen backlit gba and absolutely love it. Been revisiting and expanding my gba library over the last year since I’ve gotten it!
That modded backlit GBA screen is insanely gorgeous. Spent much of my childhood squinting, finding a light source big enough behind me and wiping dust away to make the standard GBA playable. Modern technology can be just incredible.
The GBA and DS were the systems that got me into collecting games. I love the GBA but the DS is my favorite system of all time because it has games that take influence from the 16 and 32 bit eras. The DS Castlevania games look incredible for example. Plus there's tons of weird experimental stuff like Soul Bubbles, which is highly under appreciated.
I've actually watched those quite a few times and would consider myself a fan. Perhaps they've gotten into my subconscious. Thank YOU for being amazing Phil :)
Hey there retro bird, young retro gamer here and I just want to say I appreciate you being so accepting of letting the younger generation into the hobby. It is something that is sorely lacking in this community
It's great to hear that you want to be a part of the community. Like most communities, you can always find lots of good folks if you look in the right spots and I hope you enjoy sticking around!
I have been using a Retroid Pocket 2+ as a modern GB/GBA machine and it’s given me much love for some GBA games I never played back when I had a GBA. Plus it offers modern amenities like save states and fast forwarding through lengthy dialogue. I’ve also played some SNES games on it and loved that experience for the same reason. It’s been great to get to experience them both without the compromising of porting.
The reason I got a GBA as a kid was because It was full of ports of SNES/Megadrive games and had new additions to big franchises from that generation too (Legend of Zelda:The Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion etc.). I missed out on these games in the early 90's (the PS1 was my first home console) so this was a huge selling point for me. The GBA (and the Nintendo DS) was also the system that got me into collecting as an adult due to the size of the library and how much I love 16 bit games. Just a shame we never got Rocket Knight Adventures ported to the GBA too.
The GBA was how I experienced A Link to the Past for the first time. Great little handheld with some hidden gems. Also home to one of the best Harvest Moon, Metroid, and Mario & Luigi games. It was the first game device I bought with my own money, when I was younger.
Same here. I was able to finish playing A Link To The Past that way. I never got to finish playing it on the SNES. The GBA was given to me free from someone at school. One of my favorite handheld system besides the Gameboy.
The GBA was awesome. I spent countless hours playing Super Mario World (completed it for the first time as well), Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Wario Ware Inc and Twisted, Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission, Mario and Luigi, etc. Ah, good memories.
Lots of nostalgia for the GameBoy Advance - I agree with you it was very much like a second generation of the SNES/Genesis era, which is something I adored at the time. Contra Advance was the first game I ever pre-ordered and I was so excited to have a portable Contra III. I got to play it in the back seat on the ride home the night my mother took me to pick it up.
I got the GBA at launch and still have it, I have a light for it so it’s not modded. It’s a great little system and it was the first handheld I bought. I was pleased it was backwards compatible. Your videos always make me smile, I do have a question though, what is the oldest system you’ll go to or how far back will you go in gaming? Me personally I’d like to go all the way back to the beginning with the odyssey 1 but as of now I’m only to the Fairchild which is only a year younger than me lol. Thanks again bud for the laughs and serious thoughts on this topic.
Getting an ips modded gba was one of the best investments I’ve made. I already had an sp 101, but I love the form factor of the original model. Such a great library of games as well. It looks like i have many of the same ones you do RB, but I’ll throw out a recommendation for Gunstar Superheroes. If you like the Genesis game, you can’t go wrong. I have a hard time ranking my consoles, as I love them all for different reasons, but there are days where the gba ranks pretty high.
I've always liked the aspect of the Nintendo handhelds that made them feel like encores for previous console generations. There's a lot of mid/late 90s Game Boy games that feel like new NES games, and the GBA was the same for the SNES a lot of the time. Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission especially feel like alternate-reality SNES games, and I didn't fully appreciate them until I played them with the SNES Classic Controller on the Wii U Virtual Console. In more recent years, most Nintendo consoles have felt like extensions of the previous generation, and I get a sick thrill from it as a retro fan.
I recently did an IPS screen mod on a GBA. It's amazing. Such a great little machine. Always wanted one as a kid but could never afford. Great vid bird
I love the GBA and still actively collect for it. Got an original model that I would love to upgrade with a new backlit LCD and 4 SPs, two 101s and two 001s. Lots of great original titles for it but one of my favourite aspects of it was using it as a controller on the Gamecube for Four Swords and Crystal Chronicles and it was amazing for Wind Waker.
Most of the games I have on GBA were GBA originals, largely JRPGs; off the top of my head, I think I only have one port from each of the main 16-bit consoles: Breath of Fire from Super Famicom/SNES and Phantasy Star Collection from Mega Drive/Genesis (okay, technically, that's two Genesis ports plus one Sega Master System port, but it's all on one cartridge). One thing I love about the GBA (and also, to a slightly lesser degree, the DS Lite I have) is how pocketable it is, the original GBA will fit in a golf shirt pocket, and both the GBA and the DS Lite will fit in any jacket pocket. That's the major reason why I don't really consider the Switch to be the true successor to the GBA or DS, since it's too large to be really pocketable.
Never had a GameBoy anything growing up. I was lucky to work at a Salvation Army in the 2010s where I accumulated a lot of handhelds-OG GameBoy, GameBoy pocket, GB Advance, GB SP and a GameGear along with lots of games.
The Game Boy Advance SP is my favorite portable system ever! Plug in Power Baby! Where were going Marty, we don't need batteries! My GBA SP just stopped working in July. Why? However, I do own an Analog Pocket, so I'm going to display it like my original GB. Cool thing about my GBA SP I still have the box for it. Crazy Taxi was on the GBA?? What!!! Mind Blown, going to have to buy that here in the near future! Thanks for the bird seeds leading to new games for my collection! Going Nanners for Crazy Taxi on the GBA!
I had a really weirdly basic dream last night. I was playing Metroid Zero Mission on a backlit LCD modded GBA. I then started to question where i got it from and the illusion was shattered and i woke up slightly dissapointed.
I actually do believe the GBA is kinda a direct successor to the SNES. I grew up playing Super Nintendo games and at this point I can't find anything on its library that catches my interest. But a few years ago I started playing GBA on my 3DS and it instantly clicked with me, to this day I keep looking for games and getting amused by how similar are to SNES games
Great Video! I am someone whose favorite console of all time is the Game Boy Advance. I loved the portability, the small form factor, and yet the beefy CPU (for a handheld). The exclusive games and even 16-bit ports were generally fantastic. It really did hold its own: Zelda the Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion and Zero, Castlevania Aria of Sorrow, Warioland 4, Golden Sun, Mariokart Supercircuit (vastly underrated), 3 F-zero games, Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Tony Hawk 2 (unique game), 007 Nightfire (3D shooter), Megaman Zero and battle network series, Pokémon fire red/leaf green, Mario and Luigi superstar saga, Warioware, Final Fantasy Tactics, Sonic Advance series, Mario golf/tennis…. On and on with numerous unique titles and ports of great 16-bit console games. I have so many fond memories of the system and still play it to this day. For me, I just don’t think there will be anything to quite top it, and I’m perfectly fine with that.
I loved this handheld, and it's probably my #2 favorite of all-time. Even though it's not at all practical, my #1 to this day is my Sega Nomad. The Genesis was my favorite console, so that makes sense. But yeah, I did consider this much like a portable SNES even though there was a difference, who honestly cared? I was playing Super Mario World at school, on the go! Heck yeah! I'm happy with the modding scene, as I was able to resurrect my Nomad after decades of having a broken screen, and my original GBA now has a backlit screen like yours in the video. I highly recommend people get into the GBA scene if they haven't.
Showing off the PVM and the hori gamecube controller all within 10 seconds... I'm solidly jealous of both. Nice video. I've always thought of it as a bit of a portable snes, especially considering the amount of snes ports it has.
I played gameboy advance a lot as a kid. I think it was technically my first retro console because if I recall correctly my first actual console was a DS lite. Which, has a slot for GBA games anyways. I got the GBA for playin' GB and GBC games. But yeah so basically I played GBA before the genesis or super nintendo!
Luckily my brother and I both got our own GBAs and Pokemon copies for Christmas, got the Platinum color systems to boot! Played the absolute shit out of it, we had battery allowances haha. SP came out and we got upgraded to those, my brothers and I played GBA and DS so much, they are staple consoles in our lives. I need to mod and fix and upgrade the systems I have and obtain more, just not playing handhelds as much cuz my hands arr too big now to be comfortable for extended use. I used to speedrun Metroid Zero Mission before I knew what a speedrun even was haha, that game was masterfully crafted. Great video and thanks for the mem'ries!
I'm not sure if I'll get to homebrew games or not. I don't think I've played enough of them to cover them properly. I'm always happy to do more Game Boy videos though!
Playing on a GBA with a IPS display is an all new experience that I recommend to those who prefer the GBA over the GBA SP, it's like I'm playing on a completely new handheld! And as a bonus, mine is able to output composite video through the Game Link port if I hold SELECT+L+R for 5 seconds!
Golden sun was incredible beat the first never beat the second, I had the guides too still wish I did. I got the fire emblem rom hacks though those are awesome as well
It also single handedly kept 2d licensed games alive, which we hardly ever see anymore. Would love to have new 2d licensed/movie tie in games nowadays. Last one I saw was The Mummy Demastered.
Ol Retro Bird takes wing again! Wholesome video as always 😄 To answer your question, there’s something about the GBA, its look and feel, that I really enjoy. The fact that purple is my favorite color might have something to do with it too! I also loved that it supported the older game boy games so my collection for those consoles still worked! Any time a new system supports retro games we all love, so much the better for our retro community. Of course SEGA and SNES games are always fun on a full size screen, but the portability of the Advance really did come in handy when I was growing up.
I had Genesis, SNES, and GBA in their respective primes. GBA is worth every bit of your time for 3 reasons: Metroid, Castlevania, and Zelda. Many of the ports and originals were good but it was the big 3 that made it for me and have aged incredibly well.
I bought an AGS-101 some years ago thinking I would start playing GBA games, but I ended up using it mostly for backlit, colorized gameplay for original GB games. But there were a few GBA games I played a lot, including Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (superior to the PS1 version IMO) and some of the Megaman Battle Network games.
Huge GBA fan, the Game Boys are my favorite consoles for sure. So many of the games in the game boys library are FUN! It's like the all fun no ego game system.
Ive never owned or played GBA growing up but last month i got a Gameboy player for the Gamecube, so now i can play all these games on the big tv, so far i got Minish Cap, Metroid Zero, Fzero and Kirby nightmares, some of those Gba games are like $80 im like damn but i had to have em!
I have to admit, I do watch most of your videos by only listening to them, not watching. It makes it easier to multi-task and wash the dishes, or play retro video games. But this video I actually ‘watched,’ so I got that joke!
For me it’s another rabbit hole entered:last month I bought DS lite to play several Sonic games just to learn that there are even more Sonic games for GBA and DS is backward compatible and that I could have SNES&GBA&DS playable on DS not mentioning that there’s also 3DS with Sonic Boom.
I’m planning on selling my GBA player for the Gamecube after getting a GBA Consolizer. My GBA has been suped up with a backlit screen, enhanced speaker, and rechargeable battery pack. Got to love the retro community!
Astro boy is my second favorite game of all time behind the original sonic, and probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing a game. I ran into a part of the game where I felt I could cheese, and moved on, but that game astounding. Other games like sonic advance 2, Mario and Luigi superstar saga are also incredible favorites, and people recommend games like silent scope and ninja 5-0 as part of the depth and goodness of the system. I even liked the sims game released for it. The DS was also incredible but I was a little focused on “mainstream” gaming and other life paths to appreciate it. But Nintendo’s portable game has always been on point.
Gba advance sp was my first ever game console. Superstar saga, Mario tennis and golf. Even the Mario party game that wasnt actually Mario party. So much to love on that tiny machine.
I remember importing the GBA at launch from JP knowing that the games would not be region locked. Over the years there were plenty of original titles for the portable system which and evens some ports where are the definitive versions. My personal favorite is Double Dragon Advance which was rebuilt from the ground up by ex-Technos staff.
I grew up on Gameboy Advance SP and Nintendo DS Lite playing Metroid Zero Mission, Sonic Advance series, Super Mario Advance series and so found of my childhood memories 😭❤️
Good eye. So, I had one a long time ago (way before I started the channel) but sold it after not very long. I always said I'd get another one if a good deal popped up for local pickup nearby. Well, that day finally arrived as one popped up in my very own town of all places. I plan on doing another CRT TV video soon that incorporates it.
Great video! I totally agree that the GBA is a great companion to the SNES and Genesis. When I was younger, I played the GBA's SNES ports and was quite content with all of them. Granted, the original SNES versions I think are generally better than the GBA versions, I do appreciate that some games like Mario Advance 3, Mario Advance 4 and Donkey Kong Country 3 feature some brand new levels! All in all, the GBA has a good number exclusives that are still worth playing to this day! Though, avoid Sonic Genesis on GBA at all costs and just play the original Genesis version of Sonic 1.
Back when we had the SNES at home, and the Mega Drive before that, we knew many arcade games could be reproduced on them somehow, Street Fighter Alpha, King of Fighters 95, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, to name a few, were never ported to neither, the GBA also has the benefit of using carts which holds much more data than any 16-bit console, King of Fighters EX2 is a very competent KOF game with extras, Metal Slug Advance and Street Fighter Alpha 3 are just a few examples of how the GBA represents what could have been done on the SNES/Genesis if they had access to 16/32/64 MB ROM sizes, surely there are many more impressive games which are exclusive to the handheld, but I'm trying to focus on the 16-bit era specifically to illustrate this. Going beyond that, the GBA is much more powerful in many ways for the obvious reason of being 10/12+ years newer than the aforementioned consoles, even the SNES with the fastest FX chip (or Genesis with the SVP chip) couldn't run DOOM as smoothly nor even dream to replicate something like Need for Speed: Underground 2 or Driv3r which are impressive on the handheld.
I'm glad you brought up the point about lack of original games as a negative as that's my biggest problem with the GBA. It was my first game system I ever owned. The nostalgia I have however is more so tied to the Pokémon games rather than the GBA library. I still prefer Genesis to Super Nintendo and Super Nintendo to GBA. I don't hate the GBA it's just disappointing that when I see some games being played on it, most of the time I just would rather be playing the superior version of that game on another console. The few unique games it does have are excellent but otherwise it's not my first choice to play games on.
Port or not, Final Fight One on GBA was an improved version of the original release we had on the SNES. Similar to SNES, the Japanese release was uncensored, including Poison and Roxy.
I absolutely love my GBA these days. It's the system that really got me into 2d games. I never understood the argument that some people say the GBA got too many ports and not enough original titles. Which is crazy to me. Not all them but at the time almost every GBA game that released was exclusive to the platform and many games for it had their own look & feel that made them unique and a great companion to their home console versions especially if it was a GBA game that had link cable functionality. One of my most favorite GBA games is Medal Of Honor Infiltrator. This is an awesome top down shooter that also has rail shooting stages. It feels exactly like what if Medal Of Honor was a 16 bit game but still retains what made medal of honor known. High production value, with great music, some historic lessons with WW2 footage & great sound effects.
That hori pad makes me go meeeow.. 🤣 The gba is just awesome, though I got a gamecube, player and am running Swiss/GBI which is quickly becoming my preferred way to play. Looking forward to finishing links awakening DX, Golden Sun and many others.
Mario Kart Advance - it’s killer and probably the best homage to the original SNES version. I think it’s near perfect and brings back some heavy nostalgia vibes for me.
So to be a little more clear about the whole "is the GBA 32-bit or 16-bit" debate - the chip in the GBA is an ARM7 TDMI - a 32-bit chip that could be switched into a 16-bit mode. 16-bit mode had some advantages - the code was literally half the size and you could more easily transfer data on a cheap 16-bit bus, and it tended to consume less power. But it also meant fewer registers to work with, difficulty working with larger numbers, and sometimes you'd need more instructions to get the job done (because you'd have to code your way around those limitations). Developers could choose whichever mode they needed at any given moment (the CPU switches modes instantly) but for 2D gaming 16-bit mode was usually more than capable.
Thank you for sharing. Every time I look into the GBA's hardware, I feel like I either learn something new or have something explained in a completely different way.
the GBA, or "16 bit, round 2" as I call it. As a fan of platformers and old school RPGs, It's always been one of my favorites. While I stick to the SNES versions of games that were on both for the reasons you listed, I was extremely happy to have a steady supply of new sidescrollers, top downs, and other 2D games, especially since I didn't even get a SNES until 1995 and games were a lot less accessible back then, especially if they were a few years old and not system sellers. It was also much easier to get a 20-30 dollar game as a teenager in the early 2000s than it was to get a 40-60 dollar game in the 90s as an elementary schooler, even before my pesky siblings got born and started sucking away my parent's income. I think the form factor and ergos of the GBA is also more or less perfect. Granted it's much simpler to design one when you don't have to worry about analog sticks, but the original GBA is so comfortable in the hand and fits nicely in a jeans or coat pocket without any corners poking you, though back then we had ample pocket space because of the JNCOs and THRASHER hoodies. As recently as 2016, I used to take my SP on any long trip, usually with Advance Wars 2 or FFTA in the back. Who needs checkers or cards when you have a friend and an advance wars cart? I still have 3 SPs, but they've been replaced by my retroid in EDC use.
I'll always have fond memories of the GBA as a console that really reignited my love of handheld systems in the early 2000s. The late 90s was a really lackluster time for the handheld scene -- my beloved Game Gear was gone, and the Game Boy Color felt like a lazy and disappointing half-measure to bring the antiquated OG Game Boy to half the strength of a Game Gear (still weaker than an NES and still with no backlight). Then the GBA dropped like a bomb and was just a revelation at the time. Apart from a very small number of extra-well-programmed Game Gear games, handheld gaming had always felt like a compromised version of home gaming. GBA was the first time I didn't feel a quality dip at all, especially for its original titles, and I just loved it. Nintendo should have gone with some of the SP's advancements right from the start -- the still-missing backlight was inexcusable at that point, and the continued reliance on AA batteries was lazy -- but overall it felt like an enormous leap forward.
You said it perfectly: The 16 bit era lived on into the 2000s through the GBA, and it was amazing. I was honestly disappointed when the DS came out with good 3D capabilities, it felt like the end of an era.
I had a GBA. Good entertainment companion. I took it with me while in the army. It was good because it took 2x AA cells which are easily sourced and didn’t take up room in my bag. It came with a Mario game when I got it from another person. I only ever played that one game.
One reason the game boy advance exploded was the comparative ease of programming for it. You had to write in assembly to get good results from either earlier system. The game boy advance was a more top-heavy structure, meaning it was way easier to write for. That came at a cost of needing the 32-bit processor, but it also meant more developers where willing to jump aboard.
I just ordered a custom GBA with IPS screen and HDMI out, totally for the purpose of reliving my 90s NES, SNES and game boy days, looking forward to newer GBA stuff also, can’t wait!! 🙏
The GBA is one of my all-time favorite systems. I also didn't have a SNES back in the day, so when I bought my GBA in 2002, the first games I purchased were Super Mario World and Zelda: A Link to the Past. I was also happy to be able to play Doom on a handheld, and there were a lot of really interesting hidden gems on the system. A fun system to collect for back in the day, and it doesn't take up much space!
I'm not really a fan of the term "must play" because I find it ends up making people feel pressure to like certain games they may end up not enjoying. That said, I certainly have my favorites for the console. The Advance Wars games, the Metroid games and the Castlevania games are among some of my top choices.
Unfortunately not had the pleasure of playing advance. But thank you for this, I am very keen on trying it out now as I love the 16 bit generation of games
growing up with the Game boy color and Game boy advance while also having dreamcast and og xbox I just kind of associate retro 2D games on handhelds as a perfect match
I loved Game Boy Advance, so much fun playing this on the go and multiplayer games with classmates, including Four Swords. Call it an unpopular opinion, or a bad game I like, but I like that Sonic 1 port. Yeah, it has its technical problems, but it was just cool having Sonic 1 on the go long before Sonic Classic Collection came out on DS.
I love the game boy advance. Such a cool piece of retro hardware. I was fortunate enough to get one shortly after launch and had a few great games for it. Most notably, the tons and tons of hours I spent on Advance Wars. What a great game! I now collect complete in box gba games. You're right, those tiny cartridges do have a certain cute charm lol. It was just a cool era and a cool handheld. It was also the last system, as far as I know, that used maskrom based cartridges. The DS and everything else afterward used flashrom. That's great for (gba) collectors because flash will go bad after 15-20 years, especially if it's never played. Maskrom though will be going strong probably 100 years from now (evidence #1 being NES carts).
Games played: Metroid Fusion (0:15), Golden Sun (0:20), Advance Wars 2 (0:45), Astro Boy (1:23), Donkey Kong Country 2 (1:57), The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (6:39)
Sega is great because it came from Hawaii and the Bengals have a Asian owner who lives in Hawaii and flies to Ohio every game what if I told you that they are related
@@TeddyBelcher4kultrawide 😢😅😅
Another one to check out is the Aladdin “capcom” version for gba not bad but not better
Holy sweet baby Jesus, I had no idea the GameCube had a Gameboy port 😮 a whole new world!!
The GBA to me was handheld gaming perfected. Compatible with all Game Boy/GBC games, and this console was a blessing on long car rides. The GBA is easily one of my favorite consoles ever.
I agree and just bought a used GBA SP.
So happy about my recent purchase 😊
That final scene of you setting a yoga pose with the Wii U tablet got me cracking! You're truly a gem in this world! 😁
I too have a modded ips screen backlit gba and absolutely love it. Been revisiting and expanding my gba library over the last year since I’ve gotten it!
That modded backlit GBA screen is insanely gorgeous. Spent much of my childhood squinting, finding a light source big enough behind me and wiping dust away to make the standard GBA playable. Modern technology can be just incredible.
The GBA and DS were the systems that got me into collecting games. I love the GBA but the DS is my favorite system of all time because it has games that take influence from the 16 and 32 bit eras. The DS Castlevania games look incredible for example. Plus there's tons of weird experimental stuff like Soul Bubbles, which is highly under appreciated.
Yay! The DS can play GBA too, right?
@@josephbradshaw6985some models. Later models dropped the GBA cartridge slot.
Yes! I love the GBA, but the DS is king. Such a varied and interesting library (and it is THE system for RPGs).
Have you played Elite Beat Agents and/or Trauma Center: Under the Knife yet? Those are great titles that I never hear anyone mention.
@@brianhatcher2799 Both are great! Creative and fun.
You remind me of those old Goofy cartoons where he learned how to sports or exercise or fix something. Thank you for being amazing.
I've actually watched those quite a few times and would consider myself a fan. Perhaps they've gotten into my subconscious. Thank YOU for being amazing Phil :)
Walt Disney Pictures Presents...
A Retro Bird Cartoon
"How To Properly Peel A Banana"
Hey there retro bird, young retro gamer here and I just want to say I appreciate you being so accepting of letting the younger generation into the hobby. It is something that is sorely lacking in this community
It's great to hear that you want to be a part of the community. Like most communities, you can always find lots of good folks if you look in the right spots and I hope you enjoy sticking around!
The Castlevania games on Gameboy Advance are so good and I’m currently playing through them now!
I have been using a Retroid Pocket 2+ as a modern GB/GBA machine and it’s given me much love for some GBA games I never played back when I had a GBA. Plus it offers modern amenities like save states and fast forwarding through lengthy dialogue. I’ve also played some SNES games on it and loved that experience for the same reason. It’s been great to get to experience them both without the compromising of porting.
The reason I got a GBA as a kid was because It was full of ports of SNES/Megadrive games and had new additions to big franchises from that generation too (Legend of Zelda:The Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion etc.). I missed out on these games in the early 90's (the PS1 was my first home console) so this was a huge selling point for me. The GBA (and the Nintendo DS) was also the system that got me into collecting as an adult due to the size of the library and how much I love 16 bit games. Just a shame we never got Rocket Knight Adventures ported to the GBA too.
The GBA was how I experienced A Link to the Past for the first time. Great little handheld with some hidden gems. Also home to one of the best Harvest Moon, Metroid, and Mario & Luigi games. It was the first game device I bought with my own money, when I was younger.
Same here. I was able to finish playing A Link To The Past that way. I never got to finish playing it on the SNES. The GBA was given to me free from someone at school. One of my favorite handheld system besides the Gameboy.
Same!
So much love for the GBA (I have the SP one now)
The GBA was awesome. I spent countless hours playing Super Mario World (completed it for the first time as well), Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Wario Ware Inc and Twisted, Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission, Mario and Luigi, etc. Ah, good memories.
This was a great video, im literally in the process of modding a gbc because of that reason to visit old games i didn't get a chance to play or finish
I just found your channel a few weeks ago. I love your humor and how you approach your videos! I hope your channel continues to grow!
Lots of nostalgia for the GameBoy Advance - I agree with you it was very much like a second generation of the SNES/Genesis era, which is something I adored at the time. Contra Advance was the first game I ever pre-ordered and I was so excited to have a portable Contra III. I got to play it in the back seat on the ride home the night my mother took me to pick it up.
We’re All Here To Find Our Happiness Thank You Retro Bird For All Your Dedicated Work
That outro blooper has me dying. 😂
I like how in the beginning he’s playing a Game Boy Pocket that’s missing a battery.
great job on this one bud!
Thank you!
Hilarious video xD loved seeing you walk through the hallway with the system and TV ! Laughed so loud
I got the GBA at launch and still have it, I have a light for it so it’s not modded. It’s a great little system and it was the first handheld I bought. I was pleased it was backwards compatible. Your videos always make me smile, I do have a question though, what is the oldest system you’ll go to or how far back will you go in gaming? Me personally I’d like to go all the way back to the beginning with the odyssey 1 but as of now I’m only to the Fairchild which is only a year younger than me lol. Thanks again bud for the laughs and serious thoughts on this topic.
Getting an ips modded gba was one of the best investments I’ve made. I already had an sp 101, but I love the form factor of the original model. Such a great library of games as well. It looks like i have many of the same ones you do RB, but I’ll throw out a recommendation for Gunstar Superheroes. If you like the Genesis game, you can’t go wrong.
I have a hard time ranking my consoles, as I love them all for different reasons, but there are days where the gba ranks pretty high.
I've always liked the aspect of the Nintendo handhelds that made them feel like encores for previous console generations. There's a lot of mid/late 90s Game Boy games that feel like new NES games, and the GBA was the same for the SNES a lot of the time. Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission especially feel like alternate-reality SNES games, and I didn't fully appreciate them until I played them with the SNES Classic Controller on the Wii U Virtual Console.
In more recent years, most Nintendo consoles have felt like extensions of the previous generation, and I get a sick thrill from it as a retro fan.
i miss having my GBA SP. i would stay up all night playing those mega man battlechip network games. solid video!
I recently did an IPS screen mod on a GBA. It's amazing. Such a great little machine.
Always wanted one as a kid but could never afford.
Great vid bird
I love the GBA and still actively collect for it. Got an original model that I would love to upgrade with a new backlit LCD and 4 SPs, two 101s and two 001s. Lots of great original titles for it but one of my favourite aspects of it was using it as a controller on the Gamecube for Four Swords and Crystal Chronicles and it was amazing for Wind Waker.
Where can you find an AGS-101?
They are rare, right
I currently have a dark blue AGS-001 and I'm happy with that.
Love it!!! Keep this 🔥 content coming!!!
Most of the games I have on GBA were GBA originals, largely JRPGs; off the top of my head, I think I only have one port from each of the main 16-bit consoles: Breath of Fire from Super Famicom/SNES and Phantasy Star Collection from Mega Drive/Genesis (okay, technically, that's two Genesis ports plus one Sega Master System port, but it's all on one cartridge).
One thing I love about the GBA (and also, to a slightly lesser degree, the DS Lite I have) is how pocketable it is, the original GBA will fit in a golf shirt pocket, and both the GBA and the DS Lite will fit in any jacket pocket. That's the major reason why I don't really consider the Switch to be the true successor to the GBA or DS, since it's too large to be really pocketable.
You'd have to wear cargo pants to fit a Switch in your pocket :)
Naive voice and face while actually accurate narration steals my heart. Except reviewing my favorite game FFT-A and Mother 3. Thumbs up for purple.
Never had a GameBoy anything growing up. I was lucky to work at a Salvation Army in the 2010s where I accumulated a lot of handhelds-OG GameBoy, GameBoy pocket, GB Advance, GB SP and a GameGear along with lots of games.
Love them all, not normally a sega dude, but game gear was impressive for the time 🙏
The Game Boy Advance SP is my favorite portable system ever! Plug in Power Baby! Where were going Marty, we don't need batteries! My GBA SP just stopped working in July. Why? However, I do own an Analog Pocket, so I'm going to display it like my original GB. Cool thing about my GBA SP I still have the box for it. Crazy Taxi was on the GBA?? What!!! Mind Blown, going to have to buy that here in the near future! Thanks for the bird seeds leading to new games for my collection! Going Nanners for Crazy Taxi on the GBA!
I had a really weirdly basic dream last night. I was playing Metroid Zero Mission on a backlit LCD modded GBA. I then started to question where i got it from and the illusion was shattered and i woke up slightly dissapointed.
That last scene was the cherry on top. Love this guy.
The “meeeeow!” part got me 😂
I actually do believe the GBA is kinda a direct successor to the SNES. I grew up playing Super Nintendo games and at this point I can't find anything on its library that catches my interest. But a few years ago I started playing GBA on my 3DS and it instantly clicked with me, to this day I keep looking for games and getting amused by how similar are to SNES games
So if the GBA is like the GBA
Then the NDS is like the N64, the 3DS is like the GameCube, and the New 3DS is like the Wii
r/showerthoughts
I still love my Purple GBA. Still playing Pokémon on it to this day.
GBA is my favourite system, loved this video! Also, impressive downward dog
Great Video! I am someone whose favorite console of all time is the Game Boy Advance. I loved the portability, the small form factor, and yet the beefy CPU (for a handheld). The exclusive games and even 16-bit ports were generally fantastic. It really did hold its own: Zelda the Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion and Zero, Castlevania Aria of Sorrow, Warioland 4, Golden Sun, Mariokart Supercircuit (vastly underrated), 3 F-zero games, Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Tony Hawk 2 (unique game), 007 Nightfire (3D shooter), Megaman Zero and battle network series, Pokémon fire red/leaf green, Mario and Luigi superstar saga, Warioware, Final Fantasy Tactics, Sonic Advance series, Mario golf/tennis…. On and on with numerous unique titles and ports of great 16-bit console games.
I have so many fond memories of the system and still play it to this day. For me, I just don’t think there will be anything to quite top it, and I’m perfectly fine with that.
I loved this handheld, and it's probably my #2 favorite of all-time. Even though it's not at all practical, my #1 to this day is my Sega Nomad. The Genesis was my favorite console, so that makes sense. But yeah, I did consider this much like a portable SNES even though there was a difference, who honestly cared? I was playing Super Mario World at school, on the go! Heck yeah! I'm happy with the modding scene, as I was able to resurrect my Nomad after decades of having a broken screen, and my original GBA now has a backlit screen like yours in the video. I highly recommend people get into the GBA scene if they haven't.
Bro, I love your videos. So informative and entertaining 👏 ❤
I appreciate that. Thank you for watching!
Showing off the PVM and the hori gamecube controller all within 10 seconds... I'm solidly jealous of both.
Nice video. I've always thought of it as a bit of a portable snes, especially considering the amount of snes ports it has.
I played gameboy advance a lot as a kid. I think it was technically my first retro console because if I recall correctly my first actual console was a DS lite. Which, has a slot for GBA games anyways. I got the GBA for playin' GB and GBC games. But yeah so basically I played GBA before the genesis or super nintendo!
I am not a GBA fan, but man, I watched it for you, you are so good that you make the most uninteresting subjects interesting, thank you!
Glad you were able to find some enjoyment in the video. I appreciate you saying that!
It’s incredible that the GBA port of Doom looks much better than the SNES port!🤯
And the nobody wanted to even try to port Doom to Genesis lol
Luckily my brother and I both got our own GBAs and Pokemon copies for Christmas, got the Platinum color systems to boot! Played the absolute shit out of it, we had battery allowances haha. SP came out and we got upgraded to those, my brothers and I played GBA and DS so much, they are staple consoles in our lives. I need to mod and fix and upgrade the systems I have and obtain more, just not playing handhelds as much cuz my hands arr too big now to be comfortable for extended use. I used to speedrun Metroid Zero Mission before I knew what a speedrun even was haha, that game was masterfully crafted. Great video and thanks for the mem'ries!
Sick moves dude.
your videos are funny and educational at the same time. thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Always enjoy your videos, especially when they are Gameboy related!
Can you do a video about homebrew games some day?
I'm not sure if I'll get to homebrew games or not. I don't think I've played enough of them to cover them properly. I'm always happy to do more Game Boy videos though!
@@RetroBirdGaming totally understandable, you're the best! Thank you for replying haha
Playing on a GBA with a IPS display is an all new experience that I recommend to those who prefer the GBA over the GBA SP, it's like I'm playing on a completely new handheld! And as a bonus, mine is able to output composite video through the Game Link port if I hold SELECT+L+R for 5 seconds!
Golden sun was incredible beat the first never beat the second, I had the guides too still wish I did. I got the fire emblem rom hacks though those are awesome as well
8:20 Emblem didn't sell very well until Awakening and Advance Wars died (though it recently came back)
You could argue that the GBA was ahead of its time. It beat the 2D style retro-renaissance seen in the indie scene by about a decade.
Haha in a way it did :)
It also single handedly kept 2d licensed games alive, which we hardly ever see anymore. Would love to have new 2d licensed/movie tie in games nowadays. Last one I saw was The Mummy Demastered.
Ol Retro Bird takes wing again! Wholesome video as always 😄
To answer your question, there’s something about the GBA, its look and feel, that I really enjoy. The fact that purple is my favorite color might have something to do with it too! I also loved that it supported the older game boy games so my collection for those consoles still worked! Any time a new system supports retro games we all love, so much the better for our retro community. Of course SEGA and SNES games are always fun on a full size screen, but the portability of the Advance really did come in handy when I was growing up.
Nintendo has really done fans of the color purple justice over the years.
I had Genesis, SNES, and GBA in their respective primes. GBA is worth every bit of your time for 3 reasons: Metroid, Castlevania, and Zelda. Many of the ports and originals were good but it was the big 3 that made it for me and have aged incredibly well.
I bought an AGS-101 some years ago thinking I would start playing GBA games, but I ended up using it mostly for backlit, colorized gameplay for original GB games. But there were a few GBA games I played a lot, including Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (superior to the PS1 version IMO) and some of the Megaman Battle Network games.
Huge GBA fan, the Game Boys are my favorite consoles for sure. So many of the games in the game boys library are FUN! It's like the all fun no ego game system.
And the GBA was the golden age of game OST
Ive never owned or played GBA growing up but last month i got a Gameboy player for the Gamecube, so now i can play all these games on the big tv, so far i got Minish Cap, Metroid Zero, Fzero and Kirby nightmares, some of those Gba games are like $80 im like damn but i had to have em!
Yeah, I stream games so the GameBoy Player is a must! And I hate playing handheld, I like a TV.
Just discovered that crazy hand held 3/4years ago... and what a surprise....
It became suddenly my fav'.... no one can compete, a huge library...
I have to admit, I do watch most of your videos by only listening to them, not watching. It makes it easier to multi-task and wash the dishes, or play retro video games. But this video I actually ‘watched,’ so I got that joke!
Glad you caught it :)
For me it’s another rabbit hole entered:last month I bought DS lite to play several Sonic games just to learn that there are even more Sonic games for GBA and DS is backward compatible and that I could have SNES&GBA&DS playable on DS not mentioning that there’s also 3DS with Sonic Boom.
I’m planning on selling my GBA player for the Gamecube after getting a GBA Consolizer. My GBA has been suped up with a backlit screen, enhanced speaker, and rechargeable battery pack. Got to love the retro community!
Astro boy is my second favorite game of all time behind the original sonic, and probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing a game. I ran into a part of the game where I felt I could cheese, and moved on, but that game astounding.
Other games like sonic advance 2, Mario and Luigi superstar saga are also incredible favorites, and people recommend games like silent scope and ninja 5-0 as part of the depth and goodness of the system. I even liked the sims game released for it.
The DS was also incredible but I was a little focused on “mainstream” gaming and other life paths to appreciate it. But Nintendo’s portable game has always been on point.
Gba advance sp was my first ever game console. Superstar saga, Mario tennis and golf. Even the Mario party game that wasnt actually Mario party. So much to love on that tiny machine.
I remember importing the GBA at launch from JP knowing that the games would not be region locked. Over the years there were plenty of original titles for the portable system which and evens some ports where are the definitive versions. My personal favorite is Double Dragon Advance which was rebuilt from the ground up by ex-Technos staff.
*years, there
*system and even some ports which are
*Advance, which
Double dragon advance is indeed the definitive, so much better than even Arcade version
I grew up on Gameboy Advance SP and Nintendo DS Lite playing Metroid Zero Mission, Sonic Advance series, Super Mario Advance series and so found of my childhood memories 😭❤️
*fond
found = past tense of "to find"
when did you join the PVM club? i dont think i've seen one in any of your videos until now.
Good eye. So, I had one a long time ago (way before I started the channel) but sold it after not very long. I always said I'd get another one if a good deal popped up for local pickup nearby. Well, that day finally arrived as one popped up in my very own town of all places. I plan on doing another CRT TV video soon that incorporates it.
Great video! I totally agree that the GBA is a great companion to the SNES and Genesis. When I was younger, I played the GBA's SNES ports and was quite content with all of them. Granted, the original SNES versions I think are generally better than the GBA versions, I do appreciate that some games like Mario Advance 3, Mario Advance 4 and Donkey Kong Country 3 feature some brand new levels!
All in all, the GBA has a good number exclusives that are still worth playing to this day! Though, avoid Sonic Genesis on GBA at all costs and just play the original Genesis version of Sonic 1.
And GBA exclusives have better music
Probably due to the limitations
Fantastic video...i completed the 1st sma (smb2 port) on the GBA...something i cant do on the NES/SNES for my life sake xD
You are seriously funny. One in a million.
Back when we had the SNES at home, and the Mega Drive before that, we knew many arcade games could be reproduced on them somehow, Street Fighter Alpha, King of Fighters 95, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, to name a few, were never ported to neither, the GBA also has the benefit of using carts which holds much more data than any 16-bit console, King of Fighters EX2 is a very competent KOF game with extras, Metal Slug Advance and Street Fighter Alpha 3 are just a few examples of how the GBA represents what could have been done on the SNES/Genesis if they had access to 16/32/64 MB ROM sizes, surely there are many more impressive games which are exclusive to the handheld, but I'm trying to focus on the 16-bit era specifically to illustrate this.
Going beyond that, the GBA is much more powerful in many ways for the obvious reason of being 10/12+ years newer than the aforementioned consoles, even the SNES with the fastest FX chip (or Genesis with the SVP chip) couldn't run DOOM as smoothly nor even dream to replicate something like Need for Speed: Underground 2 or Driv3r which are impressive on the handheld.
Dang. That backlight on the gba is so nice
I'm glad you brought up the point about lack of original games as a negative as that's my biggest problem with the GBA. It was my first game system I ever owned. The nostalgia I have however is more so tied to the Pokémon games rather than the GBA library. I still prefer Genesis to Super Nintendo and Super Nintendo to GBA. I don't hate the GBA it's just disappointing that when I see some games being played on it, most of the time I just would rather be playing the superior version of that game on another console. The few unique games it does have are excellent but otherwise it's not my first choice to play games on.
I just picked up the EUR versions of Astro Boy and The Minish Cap. What a banger of a console!
Those are two great ones!
Port or not, Final Fight One on GBA was an improved version of the original release we had on the SNES. Similar to SNES, the Japanese release was uncensored, including Poison and Roxy.
THANKS I'm going GBA nowadays before SNES or Genisis unless you wanna play 2 players
The GBA had some amazing exclusives. I'm not a fan of playing on the OG handheld, but revisiting these games on a big TV is second to none.
I play Gameboy advance games on my retropie hooked up to a TV. It's much better 🙂
I absolutely love my GBA these days. It's the system that really got me into 2d games. I never understood the argument that some people say the GBA got too many ports and not enough original titles. Which is crazy to me.
Not all them but at the time almost every GBA game that released was exclusive to the platform and many games for it had their own look & feel that made them unique and a great companion to their home console versions especially if it was a GBA game that had link cable functionality.
One of my most favorite GBA games is Medal Of Honor Infiltrator. This is an awesome top down shooter that also has rail shooting stages. It feels exactly like what if Medal Of Honor was a 16 bit game but still retains what made medal of honor known. High production value, with great music, some historic lessons with WW2 footage & great sound effects.
Nothing compared with the first time that I played pokemon on GBA, SNES is great, but in my opinion at least, GBA is the winner.
WiiU pad to the HEAD!.. you are dedicated.
That hori pad makes me go meeeow.. 🤣
The gba is just awesome, though I got a gamecube, player and am running Swiss/GBI which is quickly becoming my preferred way to play. Looking forward to finishing links awakening DX, Golden Sun and many others.
Still love the GBA. My biggest problem is the tiny D-pad. Light? Headlamp.
Mario Kart Advance - it’s killer and probably the best homage to the original SNES version. I think it’s near perfect and brings back some heavy nostalgia vibes for me.
So to be a little more clear about the whole "is the GBA 32-bit or 16-bit" debate - the chip in the GBA is an ARM7 TDMI - a 32-bit chip that could be switched into a 16-bit mode. 16-bit mode had some advantages - the code was literally half the size and you could more easily transfer data on a cheap 16-bit bus, and it tended to consume less power. But it also meant fewer registers to work with, difficulty working with larger numbers, and sometimes you'd need more instructions to get the job done (because you'd have to code your way around those limitations). Developers could choose whichever mode they needed at any given moment (the CPU switches modes instantly) but for 2D gaming 16-bit mode was usually more than capable.
Thank you for sharing. Every time I look into the GBA's hardware, I feel like I either learn something new or have something explained in a completely different way.
the GBA, or "16 bit, round 2" as I call it. As a fan of platformers and old school RPGs, It's always been one of my favorites. While I stick to the SNES versions of games that were on both for the reasons you listed, I was extremely happy to have a steady supply of new sidescrollers, top downs, and other 2D games, especially since I didn't even get a SNES until 1995 and games were a lot less accessible back then, especially if they were a few years old and not system sellers. It was also much easier to get a 20-30 dollar game as a teenager in the early 2000s than it was to get a 40-60 dollar game in the 90s as an elementary schooler, even before my pesky siblings got born and started sucking away my parent's income.
I think the form factor and ergos of the GBA is also more or less perfect. Granted it's much simpler to design one when you don't have to worry about analog sticks, but the original GBA is so comfortable in the hand and fits nicely in a jeans or coat pocket without any corners poking you, though back then we had ample pocket space because of the JNCOs and THRASHER hoodies.
As recently as 2016, I used to take my SP on any long trip, usually with Advance Wars 2 or FFTA in the back. Who needs checkers or cards when you have a friend and an advance wars cart? I still have 3 SPs, but they've been replaced by my retroid in EDC use.
I'll always have fond memories of the GBA as a console that really reignited my love of handheld systems in the early 2000s. The late 90s was a really lackluster time for the handheld scene -- my beloved Game Gear was gone, and the Game Boy Color felt like a lazy and disappointing half-measure to bring the antiquated OG Game Boy to half the strength of a Game Gear (still weaker than an NES and still with no backlight). Then the GBA dropped like a bomb and was just a revelation at the time. Apart from a very small number of extra-well-programmed Game Gear games, handheld gaming had always felt like a compromised version of home gaming. GBA was the first time I didn't feel a quality dip at all, especially for its original titles, and I just loved it. Nintendo should have gone with some of the SP's advancements right from the start -- the still-missing backlight was inexcusable at that point, and the continued reliance on AA batteries was lazy -- but overall it felt like an enormous leap forward.
You said it perfectly: The 16 bit era lived on into the 2000s through the GBA, and it was amazing. I was honestly disappointed when the DS came out with good 3D capabilities, it felt like the end of an era.
This is the ultimate Porque no los dos? GBA on the go, consoles at home. For the retro 2D gamer like myself, this is the way.
I had a GBA. Good entertainment companion. I took it with me while in the army. It was good because it took 2x AA cells which are easily sourced and didn’t take up room in my bag. It came with a Mario game when I got it from another person. I only ever played that one game.
One reason the game boy advance exploded was the comparative ease of programming for it. You had to write in assembly to get good results from either earlier system. The game boy advance was a more top-heavy structure, meaning it was way easier to write for. That came at a cost of needing the 32-bit processor, but it also meant more developers where willing to jump aboard.
This is great info! Thanks :)
Why didn't I know Advance Wars started on the Famicom??? Great video.
I just ordered a custom GBA with IPS screen and HDMI out, totally for the purpose of reliving my 90s NES, SNES and game boy days, looking forward to newer GBA stuff also, can’t wait!! 🙏
GBA has some amazing gems, same as GBC, DS, 3DS.
The GBA is one of my all-time favorite systems. I also didn't have a SNES back in the day, so when I bought my GBA in 2002, the first games I purchased were Super Mario World and Zelda: A Link to the Past. I was also happy to be able to play Doom on a handheld, and there were a lot of really interesting hidden gems on the system. A fun system to collect for back in the day, and it doesn't take up much space!
@retrobirdgaming do you have a list of must plays for the Advance?
I'm not really a fan of the term "must play" because I find it ends up making people feel pressure to like certain games they may end up not enjoying. That said, I certainly have my favorites for the console. The Advance Wars games, the Metroid games and the Castlevania games are among some of my top choices.
Unfortunately not had the pleasure of playing advance. But thank you for this, I am very keen on trying it out now as I love the 16 bit generation of games
growing up with the Game boy color and Game boy advance while also having dreamcast and og xbox I just kind of associate retro 2D games on handhelds as a perfect match
I always thought it was funny how a link to the past for GBA has the link voice from ocarina of time
I loved Game Boy Advance, so much fun playing this on the go and multiplayer games with classmates, including Four Swords. Call it an unpopular opinion, or a bad game I like, but I like that Sonic 1 port. Yeah, it has its technical problems, but it was just cool having Sonic 1 on the go long before Sonic Classic Collection came out on DS.
I love the game boy advance. Such a cool piece of retro hardware. I was fortunate enough to get one shortly after launch and had a few great games for it. Most notably, the tons and tons of hours I spent on Advance Wars. What a great game! I now collect complete in box gba games. You're right, those tiny cartridges do have a certain cute charm lol. It was just a cool era and a cool handheld. It was also the last system, as far as I know, that used maskrom based cartridges. The DS and everything else afterward used flashrom. That's great for (gba) collectors because flash will go bad after 15-20 years, especially if it's never played. Maskrom though will be going strong probably 100 years from now (evidence #1 being NES carts).