Game Boy & GB Advance Appreciation Thread

[Wiper]

Ooh, I'd forgotten Iridion II - I spent far too much time just idling on the title screen, messing with the music.

I have no idea what I've done with my old GBA games. I have a horrible feeling I may have sold them all. I'm pretty sure I sold the SP, and think I may have sold the Micro as well. Regret, I feel it

[Keyboard Koala]

What's with the dates?

Yeah, they're PAL release dates. Because I ordered them chronologically.

[jamboe]

Yep, they were import only (The Bit Generations games), released very late in the GBA's life - after the DS was out. They had lovely packaging, and I had a particular fondness Dotstream. I was also very disappointed by one of the games - Soundvoyager, which was actually a lovely game, but after a few months just up and died on me, something I've never known a cart-based game do. It wasn't some knock-off either - I bought it first-hand, around release - and it was a particular shame as it was my favourite of the series, tied with Dotstream.

Definitely interested by these! Will do some more research, especially for Soundvoyager.

Soundvoyager is the best one.

Do you still not think Super Mario 64 DS has good graphics as far as DS games go? It does have impressive graphics!

I remember that near launch (Napoleon) - how is it? Its a strategy game by intelligent System right?

I recommend:

Iridion II - Average shmup - superb music

Yggdra Union - available on PSP

Riviera - available on PSP

Normal Wario Ware is a must!

Japanese:

Rhythm Heaven

Hajime no ippo (treasure boxing game)

Gundam Puyo Puyo (for gundam UC fans only )

on my to buy list is:

Go Go Beckham

Here's more about 'Napoleon'(strategy similar to Fire Emblem apparently)...'the game takes many liberties with historical accuracy, such as Napoleon fighting man-eating ogres and abominable snowmen.'!

Riviera looks particularly interesting from that list - I've just had a look at some screenshots of it! (it's an RPG for anyone interested)

& yes, definitely heard about Go Go Beckham being quite a good game! Another game for me to check out. The good thing about these games is that they are top-notch games which can be bought so cheaply these days, new and/or used. Very handy when you don't have that much money (i.e. me!)!

[Rsdio]

The Tactics Ogre game on GBA was great, surprised it's not been listed already with all the other good stuff. It was an absolute ballache to track down a legit copy even back when it came out though, the issues with fakes ended up kind of souring me on the GBA after a while as it made buying online or trying to get eBay bargains a bit of a nightmare. I remember enjoying the first couple of Megaman Battle Network games as well, although they were obviously aimed at a younger audience. The battle system was pretty good fun.

[Nathan Wind]

I haven't yet encountered a fake. Are they usually not fully functional?

[Not Thread Owner]

Do you still not think Super Mario 64 DS has good graphics as far as DS games go? It does have impressive graphics!

They're OK, but even if they were the best in the world, the game is ruined by being utter, utter shit.

[Rsdio]

I haven't yet encountered a fake. Are they usually not fully functional?

I don't know what it's like these days (I doubt they've been made for a long time and I imagine lots of them must've been filtered out over the years) but they used to be quite prevalent, I even remember seeing a few in CEX and Gamestation and the like. In the flesh they were easy to spot as they just looked 'wrong' (the glossy boxes tended to be the first sign) but it made buying online problematic. I think the main issue with them, aside from shelling out for a fake obviously, was that the save batteries could be dodgy and you'd lose your saves. I think I also vaguely remember reports of the dodgy batteries damaging systems but that may well have been scaremongering.

[Keyboard Koala]

Here's more about 'Napoleon'(strategy similar to Fire Emblem apparently)...'the game takes many liberties with historical accuracy, such as Napoleon fighting man-eating ogres and abominable snowmen.'!

I even made a little thread not too long ago: >> http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?/topic/279048-napoleon-laigle-de-guerre/?hl=%2Bnapol%E9on

[Madjock]

On the subject of the GBA

http://www.retrocollect.com/News/brand-new-unofficial-game-boy-advance-clone-retrospex-32-announced.html

Gaming doesn't need to be expensive to ge good! Bring back retro 32-bit gaming with the Retrospex® 32 handheld gaming system - a fun and interactive console! The huge amount of freely available homebrew 32-bit roms in '.GBA' format allow you to download and play retro masterpieces - or with classics and competition winners already installed, just enjoy the pre-installed games. With its TV-output function and long AV cable, you can even display games on a TV!

http://retrospexinternational.com/products/video-gaming-consoles/handheld-32.html?utm=rc&productid=32

Not sure I'd stump up £60 up front without hearing reviews. Quite interesting that they are rather openly saying it'll play original games and "homebrew" roms (i.e. all roms).

[Broker]

Bought a translucent purple GBA nearish to launch but as far as I remember I just played bomberman tournament and Pokemon. Once the SP came out I got one with Mario World and played that to death, then hundreds of hours and years of fun. FF Tactics sticks out, I played that for about 500 hours.

Also memorable were the two occasions I managed to gather four people with gba's and link cables for GameCube linkup crystal chronicles, plus four swords and pac man vs. and the island in animal crossing.

I've had tonnes over the years, currently I have a White GBA, a Blue Micro and 5 Silver SP's

[Qazimod]

When I was still a poor student I traded in my GBA and games to fund a DS so I've had to buy back one or two games. In addition to the trade (which was just an original GBA) I also threw out my Micro during a clearout so I've just been playing stuff on the DS at present. I miss having some of the old SNES titles like Yoshi's Island and DKC2 (I also had one of the Boktai games but never really got into it) but my current handful of games does include SMW and Wario Ware, so that's something.

I think if I wanted to look into re-buying GBA stuff for myself again I'd probably start by getting an SP and then get some of those old games back, before finally tracking down that version of Kirby's Adventure (one of my all-time favourite NES games) that was released for the GBA. - at present it's not something I can really do due to other purchases taking priority, but someday...

[gossi the dog]

I even made a little thread not too long ago: >> http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?/topic/279048-napoleon-laigle-de-guerre/?hl=%2Bnapol%E9on

It was never released in English right? Japanese and French only right?

[jamboe]

They're OK, but even if they were the best in the world, the game is ruined by being utter, utter shit.

Super Mario 64 DS utter shit you mean? It's not!?!? I played it recently and enjoyed it, though my save completely wiped itself at one point, probably due to the game cartridge being like 9 years old, most of that time in a dusty drawer. Am meaning to buy it again!

When I was still a poor student I traded in my GBA and games to fund a DS so I've had to buy back one or two games. In addition to the trade (which was just an original GBA) I also threw out my Micro during a clearout a) so I've just been playing stuff on the DS at present. I miss having some of the old SNES titles like Yoshi's Island and DKC2 (I also had one of the Boktai games but never really got into it) but my current handful of games does include SMW and Wario Ware, so that's something.

I think if I wanted to look into re-buying GBA stuff for myself again I'd probably start by getting an SP and then get some of those old games back, before finally tracking down that version of Kirby's Adventure (one of my all-time favourite NES games) that was released for the GBA. - b) at present it's not something I can really do due to other purchases taking priority, but someday...

a) (I only really have a DS at the moment, Nintendo-wise, to play GBA games on)

b) set your goals now! (same goes for everyone else!)

Bought a translucent purple GBA nearish to launch but as far as I remember I just played bomberman tournament and Pokemon. Once the SP came out I got one with Mario World and played that to death, then hundreds of hours and years of fun. a) FF Tactics sticks out, I played that for about 500 hours.

Also memorable were the two occasions I managed to gather four people with gba's and link cables for GameCube linkup crystal chronicles, plus four swords and pac man vs. and the island in animal crossing.

I've had tonnes over the years, currently I have a White GBA, a Blue Micro and b) 5 Silver SP's

a) Wow! That's a lot of hours! Definitely putting FF Tactics up a notch on my to-play list, always gathered that the soundtrack was quite attractive, heard good things about that, other than the actual game of course, because obviously one doesn't pour 500 hours into a game for its soundtrack!

b) Wow! ...That's a lot of SP's!!

On the subject of the GBA

http://www.retrocollect.com/News/brand-new-unofficial-game-boy-advance-clone-retrospex-32-announced.html

http://retrospexinternational.com/products/video-gaming-consoles/handheld-32.html?utm=rc&productid=32

Not sure I'd stump up £60 up front without hearing reviews. Quite interesting that they are rather openly saying it'll play original games and "homebrew" roms (i.e. all roms).

Not excited by this really, £60?! The pictures of it is just like concept art too?!? I want to see photos of what I'm gonna buy! Would rather just buy used GBA games, though I've never really gotten into the world of ROMs, perhaps I'm missing out on something I don't know... All I know is that it's a massive grey area legally...

'Wonkie Guy' looks interesting! One of the 4 games pre-installed onto it. I've honestly never heard of it before, but looks interesting!

It was never released in English right? Japanese and French only right?

Not wanting to be rude to Keyboard Koala, in pre-empting a reply, he is obviously a mega-authority on this game, but yes I think 'Napoleon' has only had a Japanese and French release. (hopefully he might be able to re-iterate this)

[Alex W.]

Since the sun came back out, I've not really been able to play my Vita on the bus in the morning so I've pulled out my SP and neglected copy of FFTA instead. I found the freedom overwhelming back in 2003 but FF6 has made me more confident with the jobs system. I really get it now.

When I left it I'd done 75 missions over 25 hours and my guys are only about level 15. This thing must be enormous.

[DarhkFox]

Mario 64 DS is actually a lot better on the 3DS i have found. The 3d stick really helps, even if you have to hold down a button to run.

The standard controls on the DS are awful though. A 3d game with a 2d pad just didn't work and yeah i tried to use the touchscreen controls for the 3d movement but it was still a bit rubbish.

I liked the added content to the game, but it wasn't all that (the new levels were pretty basic and starting of the game as Yoshi? wtf).

I spent yet another ten quid on the wii u version on a whim, but after my initial hour or so like many game i just got bored but at least it was properly playable.

[Nathan Wind]

AGS-101 in Trading. Buy it.....buy it now.

[Ninja Doctor]

As nice as they are, and I've had one, £95 is much more than I'd put it as.

[Nathan Wind]

Agreed where an SP is concerned. I'd go in with a cheeky offer if I didn't already have one.

[Not Thread Owner]

Mario 64 was the second best game in the world at the time. The DS version was broken due to no analogue controls. The whole game was based around analogue movement and they removed it. Then they added a load of shit, made the graphics worse, and the game felt like a shitty rom hack. You know like that dodgy SNES version of Sonic 6? Worse than that.

[Not Thread Owner]

Mario 64 DS is actually a lot better on the 3DS i have found. The 3d stick really helps, even if you have to hold down a button to run.

It doesn't help at all. In fact, it's worse - you're using an analogue input which is being translated into a digital input, which should be analogue in the first place. Awful.

[Wiper]

As nice as they are, and I've had one, £95 is much more than I'd put it as.

Yep, I would have considered it but that's too high. Now, if it was a GBA original in great condition with an AGS-101 screen transplanted, that would be a different story.

[jamboe]

I got Crash (Bandicoot) Fusion on the GBA yesterday (definitely could've opted for something a bit better, especially what with Final Fantasy Tactics being a hot game in the thread, definitely will strive to play this soon!), already completed it today! It is very easy, and is unfortunately not really like the PS1 Crash games, more just mini-games than anything else. The tank mini-game has quite laughable controls, but it's all quite enjoyable regardless. It's by the same people who made the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater GBA games! Vicarious Visions! Crash's animation while running is quite reminiscent of the THPS skater's animation right enough...anyway, completed it now so can move onto something else!

Since the sun came back out, I've not really been able to play my Vita on the bus in the morning so I've pulled out my SP and neglected copy of FFTA instead. I found the freedom overwhelming back in 2003 but FF6 has made me more confident with the jobs system. I really get it now.

When I left it I'd done 75 missions over 25 hours and my guys are only about level 15. This thing must be enormous.

Why can't you play the Vita on the bus while it's sunnier!?? I am honestly so out of touch with gaming in general at the moment, I honestly have no idea about the Vita...definitely need to check it out because portable consoles/games are appealing to me so much more these days.

Definitely going to try to play Tactics soon! I never completed FF6, I played it on the PS1 in like 2001/2, but never finished it for some reason...I say some reason because I remember enjoying playing it! I liked the Phantom Forest and the Phantom Train bit particularly. Very tempted to get the GBA version of 6 (as well as Tactics).

Mario 64 was the second best game in the world at the time. The DS version was broken due to no analogue controls. The whole game was based around analogue movement and they removed it. Then they added a load of shit, made the graphics worse, and the game felt like a shitty rom hack. You know like that dodgy SNES version of Sonic 6? Worse than that.

Haha, I have done some research on that SNES Sonic game, looks interesting ! What would've been the best game in the world at the time of Mario 64? Final Fantasy VII would've been around the same time I think?

Mario 64 DS is actually a lot better on the 3DS i have found. The 3d stick really helps, even if you have to hold down a button to run.

The standard controls on the DS are awful though. A 3d game with a 2d pad just didn't work and yeah i tried to use the touchscreen controls for the 3d movement but it was still a bit rubbish.

I liked the added content to the game, but it wasn't all that (the new levels were pretty basic and starting of the game as Yoshi? wtf).

I spent yet another ten quid on the wii u version on a whim, but after my initial hour or so like many game i just got bored but at least it was properly playable.

It's interesting... definitely interested in the 3DS, so perhaps I will be able to play Mario 64 DS on there to see what I think. The controls are quite odd on the DS, though they can be worked around to some degree, obviously I agree they could be a lot better... graphics wise 2005 it was released, so was quite impressive for the time! Agree with Yoshi at the start being strange. And didn't know there was a Wii U version of it!

It's funny looking at Amazon reviews of the DS version with what everyone here's saying about it in mind...here are some quotes:

'It will take you a while to get used to the controls but the graphics are brilliant.'

'A brave attempt at remaking Mario 64 but limited by the controls'

'The controls were not good'

'One thing that I don't like about this game is the controls. I found the dual mode very hard to use and my only option was to use the standard mode, but I found that my fingers got sore very quickly doing this.'

'If you're wanting to play this game I'd advise playing the original Nintendo 64 version.'

112 5-Star reviews though! 25 4-Star reviews...29 3-star reviews...9 2-star reviews...2 2-star reviews, and only 1 1-star review which is basically more about the fact that it wasn't delivered!

[Not Thread Owner]

The best game at the time of Mario 64 was, and still is, Run Baby Run.

What I meant was, that Mario 64 was the second best game ever at the time. It's not any more - it's third. Probably.

Oh, and the only Final Fantasy game that would make my top 100 games is Tactics Advance.

[LaveDisco]

Rhythm Tengoku on my Micro was is the best portable gaming experience ever. I've a little medal for every game. I can ever rant for ours about even the menus in that game. It is brilliant.

Likewise for Wario Ware: Twisted. Released so late in the GBAs life it was a massively overlooked entry in the series. Ripe for a Wii U re-release to get a wider audience.

I feel the GBA really had legs well into the DS 'third pillar' phase. I still wander around with my Micro, in many ways it holds up better than the DS. Or at least the 3D DS games.

[jamboe]

The best game at the time of Mario 64 was, and still is, Run Baby Run.

What I meant was, that Mario 64 was the second best game ever at the time. It's not any more - it's third. Probably.

Oh, and the only Final Fantasy game that would make my top 100 games is Tactics Advance.

What console was Run Baby Run released for? It sounds familiar I think...and definitely definitely will try to play Tactics Advance soon. Just been watching gameplay videos of it, looks great!

Rhythm Tengoku on my Micro was is the best portable gaming experience ever. I've a little medal for every game. I can ever rant for ours about even the menus in that game. It is brilliant.

Likewise for Wario Ware: Twisted. Released so late in the GBAs life it was a massively overlooked entry in the series. Ripe for a Wii U re-release to get a wider audience.

I feel the GBA really had legs well into the DS 'third pillar' phase. I still wander around with my Micro, in many ways it holds up better than the DS. Or at least the 3D DS games.

Rhythm Tengoku looks incredibly like Wario Ware! Just found out it was designed by the same people, no surprise there! Looks good. Have you played/what do you think about its sequel 'Rhythm Heaven' on the DS?

[Not Thread Owner]

What console was Run Baby Run released for?

Console?! CONSOLE?! *spits tea out*

[jamboe]

Console?! CONSOLE?! *spits tea out*

Haha so I'm 90% sure that it's an arcade game from the quick search-engine search I've done? Want to know more about this game! looks mysterious. Intrigued it beat Mario 64 as a better game, especially graphics-wise! Graphics aren't everything obviously, but makes one wonder why everyone's fussing about amazing graphics these days...

[Alex W.]

Why can't you play the Vita on the bus while it's sunnier!?? I am honestly so out of touch with gaming in general at the moment, I honestly have no idea about the Vita...definitely need to check it out because portable consoles/games are appealing to me so much more these days.

Too much glare on the screen. It's an original OLED Vita so while it's lovely to look at it doesn't get very bright. The SP just gets better and better with daylight though.

[Not Thread Owner]

Haha so I'm 90% sure that it's an arcade game from the quick search-engine search I've done? Want to know more about this game! looks mysterious. Intrigued it beat Mario 64 as a better game, especially graphics-wise! Graphics aren't everything obviously, but makes one wonder why everyone's fussing about amazing graphics these days...

It's not an arcade game, no. You're probably thinking about Head-On or something.

http://lofi-gaming.org.uk/speccy/runbabyrun/

[Protocol Penguin]

I kinda regret not really sticking with the GBA more at the time.

I bought the launch model in 2001, and I bought games such as F-Zero and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, so you can imagine how well I got on with the screen. I only really played Mario Kart SC, which I didn't like much even then, as the graphics were colourful enough to see what was going on. Didn't have much money for games as I was in full-time education at the time, and the only alternative to paying highstreet prices in Game and EB was to buy via mail order, which meant the packaging got chewed to bits in the postal system. Nothing something you want to happen to an item you've paid thirty quid for. Oh, and bootlegs were everywhere, on eBay, on forum trading folders, in indie games shops, which further put me off really spending time with the GBA software library. Think I owned 4 games at the most, not a lot for a big Nintendo fan.

When I got hold of a DS, I started playing and buying more GBA games as I had a device with a backlit screen at last. However, GBA software had already started to disappear from retail, certainly the earlier games, and the bootleg issue was at least as bad. Should've bitten the bullet and bought a GBA SP at some point, wasn't really an extravagant expense even as a student, and bought more of the games when I had a chance to experience the bundle of fun at its peak.