Buying a Gameboy Advance (or clone) in 2018

I'm thinking of buying a new Gameboy Advance. Mostly for the form factor and portability. I'm thinking of playing a bunch of Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2 and I'd like to carry it around in my pocket. Does anyone know of a reputable place to buy refurbished Gameboy Advance or Gameboy Advance SP?

I know a lot of people out there do refurbs where they put a new case/buttons on the guts of an older, used GBA 101 model (the one with the brighter screen). I've seen them on eBay and they look awesome. I'm just not sure who can be trusted.

Do you have a local indie game store that you trust? If it was me, I'd be heading there to find a used one that's been tested...

Did you consider a DS Lite? Those can play GBA games as well, and DS games too. The screens are also pretty nice.

+1 vote for a DS Lite. I have one for LoZ: A Link to the Past, and the Guitar Hero DS games (controller attachment is connected through the GBA port). You can still find used and refurbished ones at local Gamestops for about $60, which is worth paying for the 30 day return policy if something isn't working properly.

I have considered a DS Lite. It's tempting, but then it's still not as compact as an SP or the clone by Revo, the K101.

I've wanted an SP 101 for years, but they are even pricier over here because only a handful were ever released in this neck of the woods. The pink ones are the originals mostly see on eBay.

I did spot one once at a bargain 100 screen version price, pink, good condition with a decent photo with a jet black screen rather than the 100 greyish. Was £15, but it was a charity selling, so was a good boy and messaged them to check the sticker on the back... It disappeared and reappeared for sale at £90. No thanks though.

I know what you mean, refurbs on eBay not sure how good a job has been done. Bodge job or a good job.

On originals, not sure on how well might have aged.

In the end +1 DS Lite, a white one I bought around launch is still doing the job nicely.

I loved my SP at the time, 100 screen but didn't know any better. Probably my fave handheld through the years. I think I traded it in for the shiny Lite.

Bubblefuzz wrote:

On originals, not sure on how well might have aged.

Sample size of one here, but I keep most of my old hardware, so I still have an early SP in my console pile. Still runs fine (as of four years ago), the only issue is the battery. It drains fairly quickly nowadays, and I remember from years ago that sometimes when I put pressure it it it could impact the power. For instance, sometimes when the battery light went red when it was mostly charged, I could bent the sides slightly, and then the light would turn back to green, but other times if I pressed in the middle then the battery might go dead entirely. That said, new batteries cost like $7 on ebay, so if I decided to go back to it, it wouldn't take too much.

Nintendo does make their stuff to last, but the SPs were small and lighterweight than most of their hardware, so I wouldn't be surprised that if you got an original one, not everything would be working 100%.

I took a look at a DS Lite and an SP today and I think they may be too small, the screens. I don’t remember playing on screens that small. Wild.

I’ve gotten used to the 3DSXL, apparently.

Take a look at a GBA micro now that is tiny!

I got and "archived" a white DS Lite for this purpose. I love that system and regret selling my original in college although the mint used one I bought is in better shape and in box. The white DS Lite is a beautiful piece of hardware.

I loved the clamshell design of the SP but playing it too long gave me hand cramps. Also, the R button eventually stopped working, might have been fixable, not sure.

I've been tempted by a DS Lite my own self. I play my 3DS a lot, but it's 98% DS games anyway.

I like the DSi. I would actually throw a curve ball and say th psp for a cheap gba emulator system.

JohnKillo wrote:

I like the DSi. I would actually throw a curve ball and say th psp for a cheap gba emulator system.

That’s what I currently use. I wanted something more compact / less fragile, but after seeing the screens I’m not sure I can go back to those screens.

Maybe I’ll try to find a PSP Go.

Interesting notion. If one wanted a PSP as an emulation machine, which would be the best?

Or maybe this would be better:

GPD XD Plus [2018 Update] Portable Gaming Handheld 5" Touchscreen Android 7 Nougat Mediatek MT8176 Quad-Core CPU GX6250 GPU, 4GB RAM, 32GB ROM, 6000mAh Battery

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B4ESXT0...

For DS games I'd say stick with the 3DS.

The reason I wanted a GBA, I think this is right... is to play the entirety of the Nintendo handheld game cart catalogue on just 2 handhelds, a GBA (for GB/GBC/GBA) and a *new* 3DS (for DS/3DS).

Though I guess VC covers most of the GB games have any interest in, so the above just nostalgia for the GBA really.

It's the zero GBA on the 3DS VC that makes a DSlite necessary.

A 3ds ambassador system would be a nice luxury for those few GBA games at least.

IF Nintendo released a big bundle of 20+ games all included on a GBA Classic console like the NES and SNES classics (which I haven't bought) I'd be all over that, bright screen etc, but not in miniature form obviously that would be sweet*.

*As long as it included the Advance Wars 1 & 2.

Veloxi wrote:

Interesting notion. If one wanted a PSP as an emulation machine, which would be the best?

Any would be fine. Even the 3000 you can now have a more permanent custom firmware.

Yes. Literally any PSP is fine. That thing was cracked to sh*t over a half decade ago.

This is all of yours fault.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/PmlZ8AG.jpg)

After this thread, I was so missing Mario Golf on the GBA. Thankfully my local game shop had both.

Quick question: How are the colors on that thing? I have an SP somewhere here and, the last time I booted it, the colors looked... pretty bland, I guess? Is it the case on all SPs, or is mine broken?

The frontlit SPs look washed out while the backlit ones should look a lot nicer. Mine was frontlit sadly.
Wikipedia

I think it's a frontlit one, but it's I think the same type I had back in the day, so I'm alright with it. It looks great, I think.

Veloxi wrote:

This is all of yours fault.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/PmlZ8AG.jpg)

After this thread, I was so missing Mario Golf on the GBA. Thankfully my local game shop had both.

Fault? That game is incredible.

DSGamer wrote:

Fault? That game is incredible.

Right? If they hadn't had a copy of this, I'd likely have walked out empty handed.

How does it compare to Golf Story?

Kurrelgyre wrote:

How does it compare to Golf Story?

It's very likely a billion times better.

Mario Golf is a Golf game. Golf Story is a RPG-lite with... not as much golf in it as I would have liked.

Vrikk wrote:

Mario Golf is a Golf game. Golf Story is a RPG-lite with... not as much golf in it as I would have liked.

That sounds disappointing.

So I placed first in my first tourney! I guess it's like riding a bike.