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Game Boy Advance

Nintendo console · Generation 6

Game Boy Advance

Nintendo's 32-bit handheld (2001) with an ARM7 processor, a landscape TFT screen and Game Boy compatibility, later redesigned as the SP and Micro.

History of the Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy Advance delivered the 32-bit power Satoru Okada had tested in the early 1990s with the Project Atlantis prototype. Internally the project was called Advanced Game Boy (AGB). Nintendo announced it on September 1, 1999 and showed the final design on August 24, 2000. French designer Gwénaël Nicolas and his studio Curiosity Inc. switched the console to a landscape layout, placing the buttons beside the screen instead of below it.

It launched in Japan on March 21, 2001 and in North America and Europe in June, priced at US$99.99 in the United States. In its first week it became the fastest-selling console up to that point in both the US and the UK. IGN praised the graphics and battery life but criticised the shoulder button placement and the price. The most common complaint was the unlit screen, which was hard to see without good lighting.

With power comparable to the Super NES, it drew platformers, role-playing games and ports from 8-bit and 16-bit systems, including the Super Mario Advance series. Some cartridges added rumble, tilt sensors or solar sensors. It linked to the GameCube by cable, and from 2003 its games could be played on a TV with the Game Boy Player. Nintendo refreshed it with the Game Boy Advance SP in 2003, a backlit SP in 2005 and the Game Boy Micro that same year.

The Nintendo DS arrived in 2004 with a slot for its cartridges, and in 2008 it overtook the GBA in worldwide sales. Nintendo stopped making the series in the Americas in 2008 and worldwide by the end of 2010. It was the last handheld to carry the Game Boy name. Its games have returned on the Wii U Virtual Console from 2014 and on Nintendo Switch Online from 2023, the latter with online multiplayer.

Milestones

  1. 1999

    Nintendo officially announces the system on September 1.

  2. 2000

    The final design is revealed on August 24.

  3. 2001

    Launches in Japan on March 21 and in North America and Europe in June.

  4. 2003

    The clamshell Game Boy Advance SP arrives with a frontlight and rechargeable battery.

  5. 2004

    Released in mainland China as the iQue Game Boy Advance; the Nintendo DS launches on November 21.

  6. 2005

    The Game Boy Micro and the backlit Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) are released.

  7. 2008

    Production ends in the Americas.

  8. 2010

    Nintendo discontinues the series worldwide.

Models and revisions

The hardware variants of the Game Boy Advance and their model numbers.

  • Game Boy Advance SP · 2003

    Clamshell redesign with a frontlit screen, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and no 3.5 mm headphone jack.

    Models: AGS-001

    Model history

  • Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) · 2005

    SP revision with a brighter backlit screen and two brightness levels instead of a frontlight.

    Models: AGS-101

    Model history

  • Game Boy Micro · 2005

    Miniaturised model with a metal shell, swappable faceplates and a backlit screen; it cannot play Game Boy or Game Boy Color games.

    Models: OXY-001

    Model history

  • iQue Game Boy Advance · 2004

    Name under which the Game Boy Advance was released in mainland China in 2004.

Special editions

Limited editions, colours and commemorative bundles.

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    Colores posteriores de Game Boy Advance

    Red, clear orange/black, Platinum, White and Gold, the last one Japan only.

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    Game Boy Advance Hello Kitty

    Pink edition with Hello Kitty and her logo on the screen bezel.

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    Game Boy Advance The King of Fighters

    Black edition with game images on the bezel and buttons.

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    Game Boy Advance Chobits

    Translucent light-blue edition with images on the bezel and buttons.

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    Game Boy Advance Battle Network Rockman EXE 2

    Light-blue edition with game images on the bezel.

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    Game Boy Advance Mario Bros.

    Glacier edition with Mario and Luigi on the bezel.

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    Game Boy Advance Yomiuri Giants

    Glacier edition with images of the baseball team on the bezel.

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    Game Boy Advance Gold Pokémon · Japón

    Gold edition with Pikachu and Pichu on the bezel, sold at Pokémon Center stores.

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    Game Boy Advance Suicune · Japón

    Blue and grey edition with greyscale Pikachu and Pichu and a Pokémon Center sticker on the back.

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    Game Boy Advance Celebi · Japón

    Olive-green edition with Celebi on the bezel, from Pokémon Center stores.

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    Game Boy Advance Latias/Latios · Japón

    Pink/red and purple edition with Latias and Latios on the bezel.

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    Game Boy Advance SP Classic NES Edition

    SP in the colours of the NES controller, resembling an NES deck when closed.

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    Game Boy Advance SP Tribal Edition

    Silver SP with a printed tribal tattoo design.

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    Game Boy Advance SP ediciones Pokémon

    Charizard Fire Red, Torchic Orange, Venusaur Leaf Green, Groudon Red, Kyogre Blue, Rayquaza Green and Pikachu Yellow colours.

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    Game Boy Advance SP Zelda · Europa

    Gold SP with the Triforce and the Hyrule Royal Family crest, sold with The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.

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    Game Boy Advance SP SpongeBob SquarePants · Estados Unidos

    Backlit SP exclusive to Toys "R" Us, featuring SpongeBob SquarePants.

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    Game Boy Advance SP Limited Edition Pikachu · Estados Unidos

    Backlit SP exclusive to Toys "R" Us, featuring Pikachu.

  • 2001

    Colores de lanzamiento de Game Boy Advance

    Arctic, Black, Orange (Japan only), Fuchsia (translucent pink), Glacier (translucent blue) and Indigo.

  • 2003

    Colores de lanzamiento de Game Boy Advance SP

    Platinum Silver and Cobalt Blue, plus Onyx in Europe and Japan.

  • 2003

    Game Boy Advance SP dorada de Toys "R" Us · Estados Unidos

    Gold SP without Zelda symbols, sold from Black Friday 2003 with Super Mario Advance 4.

  • 2005

    Game Boy Micro 20.º aniversario (Famicom)

    Micro in Famicom controller colours, available in Japan at launch and in the US from December 4, 2005 for the NES 20th anniversary.

  • 2005

    Game Boy Micro Pokémon (Pikachu) · Japón

    Red Micro with a black faceplate showing Pikachu's silhouette, released on November 17, 2005.

  • 2005

    Frontal Final Fantasy IV para Game Boy Micro · Japón

    Faceplate with Yoshitaka Amano artwork announced by Square Enix to promote Final Fantasy IV.

  • 2006

    Game Boy Advance SP Surf Blue · Europa

    Colour exclusive to the backlit AGS-101 model in Europe.

  • 2006

    Game Boy Micro Mother 3 · Japón

    Red Micro with a themed faceplate bundled with Mother 3, released on April 20, 2006.