Game Boy Advance

Hardware

The Game Boy Advance uses a custom system on a chip (SoC), integrating the CPU and other major components into a single package, named the CPU AGB by Nintendo. Manufactured by the Sharp Corporation, the SoC contains two processors: the ARM7TDMI running at a clock rate of 16.776 megahertz (MHz) for GBA games, and the Sharp SM83 running at 4.194 MHz or 8.389 MHz for backward compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. The system operates in two modes: GBA mode using the ARM7TDMI, and the backward-compatible CGB mode using the SM83.

The ARM7TDMI is a hybrid 16-bit and 32-bit RISC processor based on the ARM architecture, designed to maximize performance under power and storage constraints, making it more suitable for use in a handheld device. It features sixteen 32-bit registers and a 32-bit bus connected to 32 kilobytes (KB) of "working" RAM on the SoC, and 16-bit buses interfacing with the 256 KB of "working" RAM on the motherboard and the Game Pak. In addition to the 32-bit ARM instruction set, the CPU supports the 16-bit THUMB instruction set, which is used when executing instructions over the 16-bit buses.

The SM83 is a hybrid between two other 8-bit processors: the Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80. The SM83 has the seven 8-bit registers of the 8080 (lacking the alternate registers of the Z80) but uses the Z80's programming syntax and extra bit manipulation instructions, along with adding new instructions to optimize the processor for certain operations related to the way the hardware was arranged. Like the Game Boy Color, the SM83 in the Advance could be commanded to operate at either 4.194 MHz when playing games compatible with the original Game Boy or at 8.389 MHz when playing games designed for the Game Boy Color. The SoC also contains a 2 KB "bootstrap" ROM which is used to start up the device in CGB mode.

The CPU CGB incorporates an updated version of Nintendo's Picture Processing Unit (PPU), which was used in the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The PPU is essentially a basic GPU that renders visuals using 96 KB of Video RAM located inside the CPU CGB. Inside the PPU itself is 1 KB of object attribute memory and 1 KB of palette RAM, which are optimized for fast rendering. The display itself is a 2.9-inch (diagonal) thin-film transistor (TFT) color liquid-crystal display (LCD), measuring 61.2 millimeters (2.41 in) wide by 40.8 millimeters (1.61 in) high. The screen is 240 pixels wide by 160 pixels high in a 3:2 aspect ratio.

Foreground objects are sprites with up to 128 per frame, sized from 8×8 to 64×64 pixels, and with 16 or 256 colors. Backgrounds can be rendered in one of six different modes. The first three are the "character modes," which use traditional tile map graphics: Mode 0 offers four static layers, Mode 1 has three layers with one affine transformation layer (which can be rotated and/or scaled), and Mode 2 has two affine layers. The other three are the "bitmap modes" which allow for rendering 3D geometry: Mode 3 has a single full-sized, fully-colored (32,768 colors) frame, Mode 4 provides two full-sized frames with 256 colors each, and Mode 5 provides two half-sized (160×128 pixels), fully-colored frames. Having two bitmaps allows "page-flipping" to avoid the artifacts that can sometimes appear when re-drawing a bitmap. While the bitmap modes were considered cutting-edge, most games avoided using them because they cost a lot of CPU resources.

For sound, the Game Boy Advance features two PCM sample player channels, which work in combination with the Audio Processing Unit (APU), a programmable sound generator first used by the legacy Game Boy. The APU has four channels: a pulse wave generation channel with frequency and volume variation, a second pulse wave generation channel with only volume variation, a wave channel that can reproduce any waveform recorded in RAM, and a white noise channel with volume variation.

The Game Boy Advance features a D-pad (directional pad) and six action buttons labeled as: A, B, L, R, SELECT, and START. The top of the console has a link port that allows it to be connected to other Game Boy devices using a Game Link Cable or a Wireless Adapter, or the GameCube home console with a special GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable.

Technical specifications

Color variants

The Game Boy Advance was available in numerous colors and limited editions throughout its production. It was initially available in Arctic, Black, Orange (Japan Only), Fuchsia (translucent pink), Glacier (translucent blue), and Indigo. Later in the system's lifespan, additional colors and special editions were released, including: Red, Clear Orange/Black, Platinum, White, Gold (Japan Only), Hello Kitty edition (pink with Hello Kitty and logo on bezel), The King of Fighters edition (black with images on bezel and buttons), Chobits edition (translucent light blue, with images on bezel and buttons), Battle Network Rockman EXE 2 (light blue with images on bezel), Mario Bros. edition (Glacier with Mario and Luigi on bezel), and Yomiuri Giants edition (Glacier with images on bezel).

Several Pokémon-themed limited-edition systems were made available in Pokémon Center stores in Japan. These editions include: Gold Pokémon edition (Gold with Pikachu and Pichu on bezel), Suicune edition (blue/grey with greyscale Pikachu and Pichu on bezel, and a Pokémon Center sticker on the back), Celebi edition (olive green with Celebi images on bezel), and Latias/Latios edition (pink/red and purple, with images of Latias and Latios on bezel).

Games

With hardware performance comparable to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Game Boy Advance represents progress for sprite-based technology. The system's library includes platformers, SNES-like role-playing video games, and games ported from various 8-bit and 16-bit systems of the previous generations. This includes the Super Mario Advance series, and the system's backward compatibility with all earlier Game Boy titles. Though most GBA games primarily employ 2D graphics, some developers ambitiously designed some 3D GBA games that push the limits of the hardware, including some racing games.

Some cartridges are colored to resemble the game (usually for the Pokémon series; Pokémon Emerald, for example, being a clear emerald green). Others have special built-in features, including rumble features (Drill Dozer), tilt sensors (WarioWare: Twisted!, Yoshi's Universal Gravitation), and solar sensors (Boktai).

In Japan, the final game to be released on the system was Final Fantasy VI Advance on November 30, 2006, which was also the final game published by Nintendo on the system. In North America, the last game for the system was Samurai Deeper Kyo, released on February 12, 2008. In Europe, the last game for the system is The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, released on November 2, 2007. The Japan-only Rhythm Tengoku, the first game in what would eventually become known outside Japan as the Rhythm Heaven/Rhythm Paradise series, is the final first-party-developed game for the system, released on August 3, 2006.

While those games were the last to be officially released at the time, Sigma Star Saga DX, a remake of 2005's Sigma Star Saga, was made available for pre-order in March 2025 for the console. This would be followed by a game titled Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, which was released the following April as the true final game for the system. It was originally in development until 2004, when work halted due to the lack of a publisher. Development resumed in 2023, using the same code and hardware.

Launch games

In Japan there were 25 launch games, 17 in North America and 15 in Europe.

Compatibility with other systems

An add-on for the GameCube, known as the Game Boy Player, was released in 2003 as the successor to the Super Game Boy peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This add-on allows Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color games to be played on the GameCube. However, some games may have compatibility issues due to certain features requiring extra hardware; for instance, WarioWare: Twisted! would require the console to be rotated manually due to its nature as a tilt sensor game.

The GBA is the last Nintendo handheld system to bear the Game Boy name. Games developed for it are incompatible with older Game Boy systems, and each game's box carries a label indicating that the game is "not compatible with other Game Boy systems." Conversely, games designed for older Game Boy systems are compatible with the Game Boy Advance, with options to play such games on either their standard aspect ratios or a stretched fullscreen using the shoulder buttons.

Game Boy Advance cartridges are compatible with Nintendo DS models that support them with a dedicated GBA cartridge slot beneath the touch screen (specifically the original model and the Nintendo DS Lite), although they do not support multiplayer or features involving the use of GBA accessories due to the absence of the GBA's external peripheral port on the DS. They can also be used to unlock original content found in Nintendo DS games. The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL lack a GBA cartridge slot, and therefore do not support backward compatibility with the GBA.

Digital re-releases

Since the Game Boy Advance was discontinued, many of its games have been re-released via digital distribution on later Nintendo consoles, mainly in the form of emulation. As part of an Ambassador Program for early adopters of the Nintendo 3DS system, ten GBA games, along with ten Nintendo Entertainment System games, were made available free for players who bought a 3DS system before the price drop on August 12, 2011. Unlike other Virtual Console games for the system, features such as the Home menu or save states are missing, since the games are running natively instead of via emulation. In January 2014, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced that Game Boy Advance games would be released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in April 2014. The first set of GBA games, including Advance Wars, Metroid Fusion, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, were released on April 3, 2014. All Virtual Console releases are single-player only, as they do not emulate multiplayer features enabled by Game Link cables.

In February 2023, Nintendo added Game Boy Advance games to the Nintendo Classics library for its Nintendo Switch Online service, exclusively to those with the Expansion Pack tier. For the first time, players are able to play multiplayer games in their emulated form, online. This application emulates the Game Boy Player, meaning that games that support GameCube controller rumble work with the vibration of the Switch controllers.

Accessories

Official

Nintendo released several add-ons for the Game Boy Advance, including:

• Advance Movie: A SmartMedia player released only in Japan featuring select films and animated series.
• e-Reader: A scanning device released in Japan (2001) and North America (2002) that read specialized cards allowing classic games to be played (like Donkey Kong and Excitebike) or unlocked in-game content in Game Boy Advance (like Super Mario Advance 4 and Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire) and GameCube titles (like Animal Crossing).
• Game Boy Advance Video: Special cartridges featuring select feature films (like Shrek and Shark Tale) or two episodes of an animated series (like Pokémon and SpongeBob SquarePants).
• GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable: Enabled connectivity between the Game Boy Advance and GameCube for select games. It also allowed the Game Boy Advance to function as a controller for some titles.
• Mobile Adapter GB: Connects the console to a mobile phone, utilizing its cellular network for online interactions via the Mobile System GB service. Limited game support and high costs led to low adoption. The service ended on December 18, 2002, and it was never released outside Japan.
• Play-Yan: A MP3 (audio) and MPEG4 (video) player featuring a headphone jack and SD card slot for media playback. Initially released in Japan, it later launched in Europe as the Nintendo MP3 Player (minus video functionality) but never in North America.
• Wireless Adapter: Attached to the back of the Game Boy Advance, replacing the Game Link Cable for multiplayer connectivity. It was priced at US$20 (equivalent to $34 in 2025) and was bundled with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Due to its late release, fewer than 20 games support it.

Unofficial

Other accessories for the Game Boy Advance include:

• Afterburner: An internal front-lighting system by Triton Labs, requiring disassembly, case modification, and soldering for installation. It resembled the Game Boy Advance SP's original front-lit display. Despite voiding the system's warranty, the Afterburner was highly popular, with demand exceeding supply during the 2002 holiday season.
• Glucoboy: A blood glucose monitor with integrated games, released in Australia to support children with diabetes.
• WormCam: A Nyko-manufactured camera that attached to the top of the Game Boy Advance and connected via the link port. Images could be transferred to a computer using a USB cable and software.

Revisions

Game Boy Advance SP

In early 2003, Nintendo introduced a new form-factor for the handheld, known as the Game Boy Advance SP (model AGS-001). The redesigned unit features a clamshell design that resembles a pocket-size laptop computer, including a folding case approximately one-half the size of the original unit. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a significantly brighter LCD screen, and an internal front-light that can be toggled on and off. The redesign was intended to address some common complaints about the original Game Boy Advance, which had been criticized for being somewhat uncomfortable to use, especially due to a dark screen.

Backlit model (AGS-101)

On September 19, 2005, Nintendo released a new version of the SP, model AGS-101, that features a brighter backlit display. The switch that controls the backlight now toggles between two brightness levels.

Game Boy Micro

In September 2005, Nintendo released a second redesign of the Game Boy Advance. This model, dubbed the Game Boy Micro, is similar in style to the original Game Boy Advance's horizontal orientation, but is much smaller and sleeker. The Game Boy Micro allows the user to switch between several colored faceplates to allow customization, a feature which Nintendo advertised heavily around the Game Boy Micro's launch. Nintendo also hoped that this "fashion" feature would help target audiences outside of typical video game players. Unlike the previous Game Boy Advance models, the Game Boy Micro is unable to support Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles. The Game Boy Micro did not make much of an impact in the video game market, as it was overshadowed by the Nintendo DS, which also played Game Boy Advance games through the GBA cartridge slot.

Reception

Upon its North American release, IGN praised the Game Boy Advance's graphical capabilities and battery life, but criticized the system's shoulder button placement and noted the system's high price tag which "may be a tad bit too high to swallow", ultimately scoring the Game Boy Advance with an "8.0" out of 10. They also pointed out the system's lack of a backlight which occasionally got in the way of playing games. ABC News praised the Game Boy Advance's graphics, grip, and larger screen, stating that "You've never had as much fun playing old games."

Reviewing for CNET, Darren Gladstone scored the system with a 7.0 out of 10, praising its graphical performance and backward compatibility, but being considerably critical of the system's lack of a backlit screen, noting that it makes it "nearly impossible" to play in normal lighting conditions. Gladstone ultimately recommended the sleeker and backlit Game Boy Advance SP instead, despite noting that the cheaper price of the original model may "appeal to gamers on a lower budget."

Sales

Nintendo hoped to sell 1.1 million Game Boy Advance units by the end of March with the system's Japanese debut, and anticipated sales of 24 million units before the end of 2001; many marketing analysts believed this to be a realistic goal due to the company's lack of major competition in the handheld video game market. Within the first week of its North American launch in June, the Game Boy Advance sold 500,000 units, making it the fastest-selling video game console in the United States at the time. In response to strong sales, Nintendo ordered 100,000 units to ship to retail stores, hoping to ship another half million of them by the end of June. The Game Boy Advance also became the fastest-selling system in the United Kingdom, selling 81,000 units in its first week of release and beating the PlayStation 2's previous record of 20,000 units. In 2004, the system's sales in the United Kingdom surpassed one million units.

On December 1, 2006, Nintendo of America released launch-to-date information indicating that the company had sold 33.6 million units of the Game Boy Advance series in the United States. In a Kotaku article published on January 18, 2008, Nintendo revealed that the Game Boy Advance series had sold 36.2 million units in the United States, as of January 1, 2008. As of December 31, 2009, 81.51 million units of the Game Boy Advance series have been sold worldwide, 43.57 million of which are Game Boy Advance SP units and 2.42 million of which are Game Boy Micro units.