Tag: Gba
Feature How Summer Holidays And Childhood Nostalgia Revolutionised Pokémon
20 years of Ruby & Sapphire
In 2003, Pokémon was at a bit of a crossroads. The first two sets of entries in its canon — Game Boy debuts Red and Blue, followed by sequels Gold and Silver — had cemented the series as one of the biggest of all time in gaming, defining millennial pop culture. With the arrival of Nintendo’s new handheld, the Game...
News Cult GBA RPG 'Riviera: The Promised Land' Is Getting An HD Remaster
Not confirmed for Switch yet
The first entry in Sting's Dept. Heaven series is getting an HD remaster. Making the announcement on Twitter, developer Sting revealed that a remaster of Riviera: The Promised Land is in the works. Platforms haven't been announced yet, but we hope we'll see it come to Switch. (Thanks, Gematsu). Riviera: The Promised...
News Three New Game Boy Advance Posters Are Now Available From My Nintendo Store (Europe)
For the price of some Platinum Points (and postage)
Nintendo has today added a fresh batch of posters to the My Nintendo Store, this time focusing on the games of the GBA. This trio features key art from three of the console's very best titles — Mario Kart Super Circuit, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga...
Review Fire Emblem - The Blazing Blade Is Still As Sharp As Ever
So much to love Lyndis game
This review originally went live in 2015, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack GBA library. Before Fire Emblem: Awakening kicked off 2013 (the Year of Luigi, you'll recall) with a bang, there was a great deal of concern at Nintendo regarding its...
Guide Every Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Advance (GBA) Game Ranked
All the GBA games, ranked by you
Updated with Fire Emblem. Remember, this is a reader-ranked, dynamic list based on each game's User Rating in our database. The order is therefore subject to real-time change as those ratings fluctuate. Enjoy! Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers have instant access to a small but growing library of...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's GBA Library With Fire Emblem
The Blazing Blade returns
Update [Fri 23rd Jun, 2023 02:05 BST]: It's been an incredibly exciting week in the world of Nintendo with all sorts of new game announcements at the latest Direct presentation, and now to top it off, we've got the release of Fire Emblem on the Switch Online service. To access this one, you'll need to have subscribed to...
News My Nintendo Celebrates Super Mario GBA Coming To Switch Online
Grab these wallpapers while you can
Following last week's release of three Super Mario games for the Switch Online GBA service, Nintendo has now released some brand new wallpapers for desktop and mobile devices. This item is available on My Nintendo in the US and will set you back 50 Platinum Points. As you can see, it's got a picture of the...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's GBA Library With Three Super Mario Games
Update: Available now!
Update [Fri 26th May, 2023 03:05 BST]: Switch Online's GBA app has now been updated - meaning Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers can now access Super Mario Advance, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 and
Anniversary Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade First Launched 20 Years Ago Today
The West's first Fire Emblem game
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, the seventh entry in the Fire Emblem series, in Japan. But what makes this title extra special is that this was the game that brought the tactical RPG series to the West. A North American release followed in November 2003, with Australia and Europe...
Random Watch This GBA SP Get A LEGO Makeover
And it can even play Mario!
We have seen a number of awesome revamped consoles over the years and the best of them leave us feeling slightly heartbroken that we can't get one of our own. In the case of this fully functional LEGO Game Boy Advance SP, you can consider our hearts well and truly shattered. This project was taken on by YouTuber Retro...
News Metroid: Zero Mission Screenshots Found On Nintendo Switch Online By Dataminer
Update: More link cable support found
Update [Tue 14th Mar, 2023 14:00 GMT]: After some more digging, LuigiBlood has found even more evidence to support link cable features on Nintendo Switch Online. In fact, NSO has instructions on the link feature for every single game on both the Game Boy and GBA NSO apps. Mario Kart Super Circuit, which is...
Review Metroid Fusion - An Infectious, Portable Pleasure
SA-Xcellent
This review originally went live in 2014, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in Switch's GBA library via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Released a full eight years after its phenomenal Super Nintendo predecessor, Super Metroid, 2002's Metroid Fusion is a well-paced, tense, atmospheric game and...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's GBA Library With Another Classic Title
Samus is back in Metroid Fusion
A week after the original announcement, Nintendo has now officially added the classic action-adventure Metroid Fusion to Switch Online's Game Boy Advance library. This game originally made its debut back in 2002, and has also been re-released on a number of other Nintendo digital services in the past. This particular...
News Nintendo Expands Its Switch Online Game Boy Advance Service March 9th
Samus returns in Metroid Fusion
Nintendo originally teased Metroid Fusion as one of the many games coming to the Switch Online GBA library in the near future and now it has confirmed it will be the first title to expand the service on 9th March. To reiterate, that's next week! This entry in the Metroid series originally made its debut on the Game...
News Nintendo Updates 'Switch Online + Expansion Pack' Trailer With New Footage
Metroid Fusion, Pokémon & Excitebike are on the way
If there's one thing Nintendo loves doing, it's updating its Switch Online + Expansion Pack promotional trailer - highlighting all the new offerings. Just yesterday, it's shared a brand new trailer on its official YouTube channel, this time highlighting the new offerings in the N64 library such...
News Looks Like Pokémon Trading Already Works On Switch Online's GB & GBA Emulator
Linking up
With Nintendo Switch Online now having Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games, and Pokemon Day fast approaching (27th February), it's got a lot of people speculating — will Gen 1, 2, and 3 make the jump to NSO? YouTuber and content creator Austin John Plays is one such person who's been pushing those ideas forward, and over the weekend,...
Talking Point 20 Years Of The Best Game Boy Ever - How Did You Get Your GBA SP?
Love letters to our SPecial ones
On 14th February 2003, Nintendo gave Japanese gamers a Valentine's to remember when it released the Game Boy Advance SP. Those outside Japan would have to wait until March to get their hands on this gorgeous clamshell redesign of the GBA which came — mercifully — with a front-lit screen (the back-lit AGS-101...
Video MVG Investigates Switch Online's "Impressive" Game Boy & GBA Emulation
"Nintendo has knocked this out of the park"
Nintendo last week surprised fans with a shadow drop of the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance libraries for Switch Online. If you're wondering how Nintendo's official emulations hold up, game developer and YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer has now taken a look at the new libraries. The verdict is these emulators...
Feature 22 Game Boy Advance Games We'd Love To See Added To Nintendo Switch Online
GBA gems we'd dig on Switch
Finally, after over a year of rumours and leaks, Game Boy Advance games are now available to play on the Nintendo Switch Online service — if you're on the Expansion Pack tier, that is. We originally published this list back in April 2022, and back th
Soapbox Switch Is Great, But The GBA SP Was The Pinnacle Of Public Transport Gaming
SP-icy takes
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, nearly 20 years to the day since the GBA SP launched in Japan, Jim argues the case for why it still has a very important role to play in his day-to-day... Ok, let's get this out of...
News Nintendo Updates Its 'Switch Online + Expansion Pack' Trailer With New Footage
Game Boy has arrived & more N64 games are coming
Nintendo yesterday bolstered its Switch Online + Expansion Pack service with some new retro libraries. Now, following on from this, it appears to have updated its official "overview trailer" for the service in its homeland of Japan. Within it, you can see footage of the Game Boy Advance library. In...
News Game Boy And GBA Coming To Switch Online Today
FINALLY
It's official — Game Boy and Game Boy Advance are both coming to Nintendo Switch Online. I think you'll all agree with us when we say — FINALLY! And they're available today. Game Boy is available on the base NSO subscription, while Game Boy Advance is only available via the Expansion Pack. <related ids="92427"> Here are all of...
Soapbox Wario Land 4 Deserves More Love, And Indie Devs Are Doing What Nintendon't
Wario wary? HURRY UP! and play
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Scott ponders how Mario's nemesis number 2 deserves more respect... In the conversation of all-time great video games you have many Nintendo faces who show up near...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Just how super is it..?
Hi folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time we took a look at one of the Sega Genesis' finest games, Castlevania: Bloodlines (also known as Castlevania: The New Generation). It was a close call and it looked like Japan might have run away with the crown, but ultimately, the North American variant -...
Random Fans Believe They Have Found The Original Wood Used In Mother 3 Logo
Wild spruce chase
Ah, the things that people will do while waiting for a localisation. Though it seems unlikely that Mother 3 will ever officially come to consoles out west, we can at least comfortably say that its fanbase has now discovered every last one of the game's details - right down to the wood used on the logo. Symbolic of Porky's takeover...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Maximum overdrive!
Hi folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week, to celebrate the marvellously macabre Halloween season, we took a look at Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for the Wii, pitting North America and Europe against Japan. Although many appreciated the western design for the game, it was ultimately Japan that...
Random Turns Out You Can Make The GameCube's Game Boy Player A Lot Better
With a few cheeky exploits, mind
The GameCube was home to some pretty incredible games, but it also gained one of Nintendo's most interesting and, dare we say, sensible peripherals: the Game Boy Player. Designed to be whacked onto the bottom of the GameCube itself, the Game Boy Player does exactly what it says on the tin: it lets you play Game Boy,...
News Unreleased Mario Kart XXL Tech Demo For Game Boy Advance Surfaces Online
DNF
Nintendo preservation website Forest of Illusion has acquired the "infamous" Mario Kart XXL tech demo - a pitch by Denaris Entertainment Software for the Game Boy Advance, dating back to April 2004. It's now been made available to download. The German development studio (founded by Turrican creator Manfred Trenz) originally showcased the game...
Random Valve's Steam Deck Can Now Run Game Boy Advance Cartridges
Just connect a GB Operator and you're good to go
Valve's Steam Deck community hasn't wasted any time getting all sorts of emulators up and running on the system, and this is perhaps the most impressive feat yet. It seems Game Boy Operator and the Operator app are now compatible with Steam OS. GB Operator is described as being "like a cartridge slot...
News Game Boy Advance Metroidvania 'Goodboy Galaxy' Is Delayed Into 2023
Rumble Feature also being implemented
The Goodboy Galaxy team has announced that the upcoming GBA and Switch title Goodboy Galaxy has been delayed to March 2023 to allow for more time to polish up the game. Speaking via an update on Kickstarter, creator Rik Nicol had the following to say: "We've recently had a look at our roadmap and made some...
News Unreleased 'Dune' GBA Game Is Finally Available To Buy, But With A New Name
Spicy
Following on from its Kickstarter campaign last year, Pixel Games UK has released the previously-cancelled Dune GBA game — called Frank Herbert’s Dune: Ornithopter Assault — on Steam under a brand new name. Spotted by @TheSpaceShipper on Twitter (via Time Extension), the newly-titled E
Talking Point Where Are All The Lord Of The Rings RPGs On Console?
Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a RPG
The year was 2002. Peter Jackson was about to release the second instalment in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, EA had bagged the rights to the video game adaptations of the films and Vivendi was just about to release its own console adaptation, not of the New Line Cinema property, but adapted directly from...
News Good Smile Company Releasing Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade Figures, Pre-Orders Are Now Live
Roy and Lilina return next year
The Good Smile Company is back at it releasing another set of stunning Nintendo-themed figures. Following on from the release of Blyeth earlier this year, it's now announced a few more Fire Emblem statues. The two new 1/7 scale figures are Roy (shipping in December 2023) and Lilina (shipping in November 2023). Both...
Random N64 Cart Album Composer Returns With A Funky GBA Follow-Up
Transport yourself back in time
Remute is back with another unique album release, but this time on a different console. The musician released an album on an N64 cartridge earlier this year, and he's followed this release up with a fantastic-sounding GBA cartridge. Yep, your tiny little Game Boy Micro (or whatever model of GBA, but we're going extra...
Feature Remembering Klonoa's Dreamy GBA Platformers - Empires, Champions, And Puzzles
It's not only a phantasy
The ‘90s and 2000s were a totally different era. I can’t tell you how many times I sat down playing the same demo discs over and over or replaying the same handful of games as a kid. Bandai Namco’s old mascot Klonoa — soon to return in the upcoming Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series — is the first-ever video game...
Feature Need More Turtles After Shredder's Revenge? You Should Check Out These Underrated TMNT Gems
Heroes in a handheld
Hopefully you’re all enjoying the absolutely tremendous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, the latest addition to the TMNT video gaming canon from Dotemu and Tribute games. We know we are. It’s another blistering action game in the tradition of Konami’s NES and SNES beat-’em-ups. And that’s great — we...
News Unreleased Quake Prototype For Game Boy Advance Discovered
From the programmer of DOOM SNES
A bit like DOOM, id Software's first-person shooter Quake has been ported officially (and unofficially) to just about every platform under the sun that's capable of running 3D natively. Did you know though there was also a version in development for Nintendo's 32-bit handheld the Game Boy Advance? In 2002, Randy...
Random Yes, This Really Is A Working Cardboard Game Boy Advance SP
No folding here
If we're being biased, then the Game Boy Advance SP is the best model in the Game Boy Advance series. It's sleek, elegant, came in lots of different editions, and you could put stickers on the back cover! Oh, and the backlight was cool too, we suppose. But you know what we were missing in the GBA SP series? One made out of...
Poll If Nintendo Released Mother 3 In The West, What Would It Be Called?
EarthBound 2? Earth3ound? MotherEarth?
Last weekend we celebrated Mother's Day by having a real Mother of a blow-out. We began with our weekly Box Art Brawl poll pitting EarthBound against Mother 2. We then took a look back at memories old and new of both EarthBound and the legendary (and legendari
Poll Does Nintendo Really Need To Release Mother 3 In The West Anymore?
We'd be first in line, but have all the fans played it already?
That Mother 3 never got officially localised and released outside Japan has been a source of sadness and frustration for EarthBound fans in the West since the game launched on Game Boy Advance back in 2006. The sequel to cult classic EarthBound — the SNES entry in the Mother series...
Soapbox Mother 3 Isn't Sad, It's Hopeful
It's SMILES and Tears, remember?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've got on their minds. Today, Alana wants to tell you why you should find hope and not just gloom in Mother 3. You'll still cry, though, don't worry. Now, are you ready? Say… Fuzzy Pickles!...
Video MVG Investigates The Switch Online GBA Emulator Leak
Is it the real deal?
Earlier this week, a new Nintendo leak supposedly surfaced online - suggesting a Game Boy Advance emulator was in the works for the Switch Online service. If you're still not entirely convinced, Modern Vintage Gamer has now taken a look in his latest YouTube video. In brief, he is convinced the GBA emulator codenamed "Sloop"...
News Buy This New Game Boy Advance Title And You'll Be Supporting A Worthy Cause
"If each of us helped one other, then that would make a difference"
Luma is a new GBA puzzle title that's coming out this year – and if you purchase a copy, you'll be bringing a little bit of light to this dark and uncertain world. How? Well, Mark Watkin, who has ported the C64 original to the GBA, is donating a portion of the sales to the Mid...
Video MVG Takes A Closer Look At Tomb Raider's "Impossible Port" For GBA
"probably the most fascinating and interesting port I've ever seen"
Last week, new footage of the original 1996 Tomb Raider game running on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance was shared online. As you might already know, it's part of 'OpenLara' - a classic Tomb Raider open-source engine that's seen the game ported across to all sorts of platforms. The...
Random The OG Tomb Raider Looks Amazing On Game Boy Advance
"what sort of wizardry is this?"
The Game Boy Advance - a 32-bit handheld system released in 2001 - managed to get some 3D-like games up and running, but we don't think we ever saw one that looked this amazing during its lifetime. Presenting 'OpenLara' - aka the original Tomb Raider game running on the Game Boy Advance. It's currently in alpha, but...
News The GBA's Unreleased 'Dune' Game Is Being Revived On Kickstarter, Minus The IP Rights
A little less spice
Update: The Kickstarter campaign is now live here, and strong early momentum means it's not far off its target with 59 days still to go. Original Article: If you happen to have Nintendo's retro handhelds in your collection, there are still multiple interesting releases and projects emerging. The latest to pop up is Elland: The...
News This Crazy Mod Turns The Game Boy Advance SP Into 2003's Nintendo Switch
Joy-Con support! A dock! TV-out!
We've covered the incredible work of Macho Nacho Productions before on this site, but the channel's latest project is one of its most ambitious yet. This new mod turns the Game Boy Advance SP into a Switch-style system complete with Joy-Con support, a 3D-printed dock and even the ability to play on your TV. Using a...
News F-Zero Climax For GBA Now Has A "Complete" Fan-Made Translation Patch
The Japan exclusive with "everything" localised in English
You might remember F-Zero Climax, hmm...perhaps not! It was a game released on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance way back in 2004 and has never been localised outside of Japan. It also happens to be the most recent entry in the series, which is now over 17 years ago. While an official...
News The 'Thicc Boi SP' GBA Mod Offers Bluetooth Audio, Better Stamina And Wireless Charging
Update: Plans afoot to sell as a DIY kit
Update: Macho Nacho Productions – the outfit behind the amazing 'Thicc Boi SP' mod we covered in August – have revealed that it has not only improved the design to include a better battery (4,500 mAh lithium polymer), but it's also going to sell it as an upgrade kit so that people can install it...
Random This Amateur Coder Is Creating The 'GBA Remix' Nintendo Should Have Given Us
Minigame mash-up
Remember NES Remix and NES Remix 2? These two minigame-focused mash-ups took famous scenes or sections from popular NES titles and gave them a WarioWare-style spin, and both went down rather well in terms of critical response. Sadly, it seems they didn't go down well enough for Nintendo to give us more in the 'Remix' line, with the...