the GBA

the GBA

16
Level 1 Cyberhippy
16

    Mar 25, 2001#1

    this really isn't a GAME review, but i thought it would belong here best.
    so i got my GBA recently, but after three days, i realized i only spent two hours playing it. that's significantly less than what i was planning on spending with it before i bought it, and here are the reasons for it.
    so let me start with the negatives.
    firstly, the GBA uses passive TFT display for the screen. what this means is that unlike the Game Gear, like the original gameboy, the GBA requires lighting on the screen to actually be able to see the screen.
    so you can't play it in the dark, and to make things worse, the first game i bought is castlevania, which naturally consists mostly of dark screens. so i'm finding my eyes getting quickly tired when playing the game.
    i was originally planning on playing it mostly on my subway trips, and times spent in starbucks waiting for my buddies, lighting in those places tend to be less than appropriate for the passive TFT screen. (not bright enough)
    and while i COULD just sit on my desk to play it (with better lighting, of course), to be honest, if i'm at home, i'd rather spend time on my PS2 than this handheld machine.
    yeah, so there goes my biggest complaint with my new toy.
    but OTHER than that, i think the machine is great. people ask me how the games are, and simply put, it's a SNES that you can carry around. the graphics are great, and the sound (especially with earphones) is more than good enough.
    castlevania seems to have a lot of great music, and i really feel like i am playing my PSX castlevania as i am playing it.
    besides, what could be better than intimidating 13 year old kids on the street with your GBA? (MWAHAHA, i'm old and have a machine that your parents won't buy for you until X-mas!)
    but for now, i really can't say for sure if this machine was worth my money. mostly because of the screen that i already spent three paragraphs complaining about. but this could easily change once some of my friends buy the GBA and play F-Zero against me.
    so there goes another short-ass "review" for the GBA.
    =P
    [Edit: just fixing the broken image links... ]

    Guest
    Guest

      Apr 13, 2001#2

      The screen that was used is much better than gamegear. Would you rather use 6 batteries (lots of money for 6) and only get 3 hours of play time? (then you would be sending lots of money on batteries) or just use 2 and get 10 hours of play time?-End Message[url=mailto:majorcooke]****MAJORCOOKE****[/url]

      Miso Soup
      454
      Dedicated Cyberhippy
      454

        Apr 15, 2001#3

        isnt the screen like the neo geo pocket? a reflective lcd screen?
        i must say. my neo geo pocket is a bitch to play at murky lighting, but when the lighting was good, it looked great.
        cant wait to get a gba

        Guest
        Guest

          Apr 16, 2001#4

          I want a neo geo pocket to help me finish Capcom Vs SNK. But i can't find it anywhere. If you point the BGA screen in direct light you should be able to make out all opjects on screen.-End Message[url=mailto:majorcooke]****MAJORCOOKE****[/url]

          Guest
          Guest

            Apr 18, 2001#5

            There are a few problems with including a backlite into the GBA.
            First you obviously have the cost. The GBA would simply cost more money. Also, you would use more batteries, so that means more $$$ aswell.
            Secondly you have lastability. The GG only lasted about 4 hours, which was way to little IMHO. The GBC and GBA can go on for 10 to even 15 hours straight on only 2 AA batteries. This would be impossible with a backlite.
            Third, the size. The GBA is really slim. If you had a backlite you would have to store 4 to 6 batteries in that little thing, and therefor it wouldn't be little at all. Much like the GG, which was quite bulky IMO.
            And then there is the fact that if you happen to drop you're GBA on the floor, the backlite might actually break and you're simply screwed.
            Backlite is for now a bad idea. Maybe in the future, when Nintendo finds a better technology...

            jdcobain
            55
            Level 2 Cyberhippy
            55

              May 08, 2001#6

              ther real reason (other than those already listed, which are also reasonable) is that, the backlighting device was to be placed between the protective plastic outer layer and the LCD its self and to cut a long story short it made the screen harder to see in the day light, and they figured that the GBA was more likly to be used out side in the day light, than in side in the dark.Jed
              Jaydee ^_^

              HitokiriMoonKnight
              1,2596
              Dedicated Cyberhippy
              1,2596

                Jun 18, 2001#7


                'nuff said.
                So there's my US$0.02 :-)
                Randy "MoonKnight" Tabula
                (714)507-3807 ext. 7955
                [url=mailto:randytabula@socal.rr.com]randytabula@socal.rr.com[/url] ICQ# 1756860
                http://MoonKnight.jump.to
                "Akirameru da nan te! (I can't give up!)" - Love Hina

                Drakkael
                9152
                Dedicated Cyberhippy
                9152

                  Dec 06, 2001#8

                  www.portablemonopoly.com has just created a pseudo-backlight for the GBA that doesn't consume more power than a normal front light.
                  Just one more reason for me to pick up the system, right?

                  Gestahr
                  2,067
                  Dedicated Cyberhippy
                  2,067

                    Dec 07, 2001#9

                    Backlit or not, I love my GBA and the RPG's out/coming out for it. There's a new one coming out in 2002, very much like secret of mana, and you can link up with friends and do multiplayer. I'll find the title later.

                    Guest
                    Guest

                      Dec 15, 2001#10

                      Quote:
                      Backlit or not, I love my GBA and the RPG's out/coming out for it. There's a new one coming out in 2002, very much like secret of mana, and you can link up with friends and do multiplayer. I'll find the title later.
                      You mean Magical Vacation?