Game Boy Advance

The original Game Boy Advance.

The Game Boy Advance, also abbreviated "GBA", is a 32-bit handheld game system created by Nintendo and released in Japan on March 21, 2001, during the sixth generation. It was the fourth system in the Game Boy series. It has backwards compatibility with games for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color.

Features

The Nintendo e-Reader is an add-on for the Game Boy Advance first released in Japan on December 1, 2001. The device is capable of scanning e-Reader Cards, paper cards with coded data on them. Each of these cards can unlock items, levels or features in some games, and even contain direct ports of Nintendo Entertainment System games. A total of thirteen NES games were released as e-Reader Cards, including Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong 3.

The Game Boy Advance can also interact with the Nintendo GameCube console through the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable, unlocking features in games of both systems. The cable also turns the portable into a second screen when transferring data between the GBA and GameCube. When the link cable is used alongside the Game Boy Player, an add-on for playing games of the Game Boy series on the GameCube, the GBA can be used as a wired controller for the games.

Later Models

The Game Boy Advance SP model AGS-101.

The Game Boy Advance SP model, released in Japan on February 14, 2003, was an upgraded version of the original GBA. It featured a new design, with a clamshell style and front-lit screen. The GBA SP also came with a rechargeable battery, rather than requiring AA's. The only major drawback was the absence of a headphone jack. The "SP" stands for "Special".

The Game Boy Micro, released in Japan on September 13, 2005, is the third design of the GBA. It is smaller than any other system in the Game Boy line. Its screen is slightly smaller than that of the original GBA and SP models, but it maintains the same resolution. It has neither backwards compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games nor compatibility with the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable. The Game Boy Micro comes with an adjustable backlight for playing in the dark.

List of Donkey Kong games released for Game Boy Advance

Artwork of Diddy and Dixie Kong playing the Game Boy Advance SP.

There are two canceled games, Diddy Kong Pilot and Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers due to the Rare being acquired by Microsoft Game Studios.

• Diddy Kong Pilot (canceled in 2002)
• Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers (canceled in 2002)
• Donkey Kong Plus (canceled in 2003)
• Donkey Kong Country (2003)
• Donkey Kong (2004)
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004)
• Donkey Kong Country 2 (2004)
• DK: King of Swing (2005)
• Donkey Kong Country 3 (2005)

Other Nintendo's Franchises and Spinoffs

• Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001)
• Game & Watch Gallery 4 (2002)

Gallery

Title screen of the canceled game Diddy Kong Pilot for GBA.

Title screen of the canceled game Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers for GBA.

North American boxart of the game Donkey Kong Country for GBA.

North American boxart of the game Donkey Kong, as part of the Classic NES Series, for GBA.

North American boxart of the game Mario vs. Donkey Kong for GBA.

North American boxart of the game Donkey Kong Country 2 for GBA.

North American boxart of the game DK: King of Swing for GBA.

North American boxart of the game Donkey Kong Country 3 for GBA.

North American boxart of the game Mario Kart: Super Circuit for GBA.