Game Boy Advance is the name of Nintendo's third modern handheld gaming system, following the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, but preceding the Game Boy Nitro (Ohga Shrugs). The GBA, as it is often called, was the primary handheld gaming device of the sixth generation of video games.
History[]
The Game Boy Advance is rumored to have been in development as early as 1996, under the code name "Project Atlantis." However, the system was not officially announced until 2000, and wouldn't be released until June 2001. Launch titles included Super Mario Advance, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, and F-Zero: Maximum Velocity.
The Game Boy Advance has had three main incarnations. The first, pictured above, was released at launch, and was horizontally oriented, a major change for the Game Boy line. The "SP," a "clam-shell" model released in February 2003, was structurally similar to the latter Game Boy 3DS and featured a front-light. Incidentally, this proved to be the most popular model. The final model, released in latter 2005, was the "Micro" model, which was essentially a miniature version of the original with a built-in light.
Although the Nitro was released in early 2006, the GBA remained in production up through the 2009 holiday season.
Hardware[]
The GBA models were aesthetically varied, but functionally identical. The interface included a D-Pad, two face buttons marked "A" and "B," a pair of shoulder buttons, and Start and Select buttons. The system also sports a small stereo, as well as a headphone jack.
The Game Boy Advance is roughly similar in power to fourth generation video game consoles like the SNES and Genesis. The CPU clocked in at about 17 MHz, plus 8 MHz devoted to playing original Game Boy and Color games. The system has between 350 and 400 KB of RAM, and a resolution of 240 by 160 pixels. Cartridges range in size from 32 to 256 megabits.
Sales[]
Over its life, the Game Boy Advance sold approximately 93 million units. About half of these were sold in North America, where the system became a favorite among players young and old. Many sales among older players were due to the retro games ported to the system as well as newer retro-style games. Younger players, meanwhile, often owned the system in lieu of more expensive hardware, and played the system's various licensed and Pokemon games.
List of Best Selling Games[]
Note: This list may be incomplete or have incorrect data. Please help by adding and/or editing information.
- Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire - 17 million
- Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen - 12 million
- Pokemon Emerald - seven million
- Super Mario Advance - six million
- Super Mario Advance 2 - six million
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit - five million
- Super Mario Advance 3 - five million
- Super Mario Advance 4 - five million
- Brain Age - four million
- Namco Museum - four million
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - four million
- Finding Nemo - three million
- Pac-Man Collection - three million
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - three million
- Disney Princess - two million
- Donkey Kong Country - two million
- Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku - two million
- Final Fantasy Tactics Advance - two million
- Frogger's Adventures: Temple of the Frog - two million
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - two million
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - two million
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - two million
- Kirby & the Amazing Mirror - two million
- Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land - two million
- Mario & Luigi - two million
- Metroid Fusion - two million
- Monsters Inc - two million
- Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire - two million
- Spyro 2: Season of Flame - two million
- Spyro: Season of Ice - two million
- Super Mario Bros - two million
- Tetris Worlds - two million
- The Incredibles - two million
- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - two million
- The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie - two million
- Wario Land 4 - two million
- Yu-Gi-Oh! The Eternal Duelist Soul - two million
- Cars - one million
- Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced - one million
- Donkey Kong Country 2 - one million
- Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu - one million
- Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku 2 - one million
- Final Fantasy 4 - one million
- Final Fantasy 5 - one million
- Final Fantasy 6 - one million
- Fire Emblem - one million
- F-Zero: Maximum Velocity - one million
- Lego Star Wars - one million
- Lilo & Stitch - one million
- Mario & Luigi 2 - one million
- Mario Party Advance - one million
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong - one million
- Mega Man Battle Network 3 - one million
- Mega Man Battle Network 4 - one million
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - one million
- Spider-Man 2 - one million
- Spider-Man: The Movie - one million
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - one million
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman - one million
- Super Princess Peach - one million
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - one million
- The Simpsons: Road Rage - one million
- The Sims: Bustin' Out - one million
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - one million
- WarioWare Inc: Mega MicroGames - one million
- Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sacred Cards - one million
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel - one million
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