Game Boy Advance FAQ
Welcome to the Gamers Cove.net Game Boy Advance FAQ. Here, I'm aiming to answer the questions the most people ask regarding Nintendo's next gen handheld. In your quest to get your questions answered, browse the rest of this page and remember to check out the GBA Page where you'll find specs and further explanations of the systems features. Enjoy!

What is the Game Boy Advance (GBA)?

The Game Boy Advance is Nintendo's latest portable or handheld video game system (see the GBA page on this site for a detailed explanation).

Where can I get the GBA?

The GBA is already avalible in Japan. You can import it online now, or wait until it's officially release in the US on June 11.

Will it be able to play my old Game Boy games?

Yes, GBA will be fully backwards compatible with all other Game Boy and Game Boy Color Games. By pressing the L button upon start up you can stretch the picture to fit the GBA's wider screen. Pressing the R button will return the display to it's normal aspect ratio with black bands running down either side of the screen.

Will it be capable of 3D graphics using polygons?

Nintendo stated that the system will excel at producing 2.5D graphics such as those in the N64 Game Yoshi's Story. However, the lack of true polygonal power doesn't mean we won't see some 3D games. SNES used scaling sprites to simulate 3D graphics in many games like pilot wings and F-Zero (known as "mode 7"). Nintendo has also said that the GBA has 3D power equivelent to 2 FX micro chips where were used in many SNES games like Star Fox and Yoshi's Island to produce 3D like effects.