Game Boy Advance (Ohga Shrugs)

Game Boy Advance is the name of Nintendo's third modern handheld gaming system, following the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, but preceding the Game Boy Nitro (Ohga Shrugs). The GBA, as it is often called, was the primary handheld gaming device of the sixth generation of video games.

History
The Game Boy Advance is rumored to have been in development as early as 1996, under the code name "Project Atlantis." However, the system was not officially announced until 2000, and wouldn't be released until June 2001. Launch titles included Super Mario Advance, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, and F-Zero: Maximum Velocity.

The Game Boy Advance has had three main incarnations. The first, pictured above, was released at launch, and was horizontally oriented, a major change for the Game Boy line. The "SP," a "clam-shell" model released in February 2003, was structurally similar to the latter Game Boy 3DS and featured a front-light. Incidentally, this proved to be the most popular model. The final model, released in latter 2005, was the "Micro" model, which was essentially a miniature version of the original with a built-in light.

Although the Nitro was released in early 2006, the GBA remained in production up through the 2009 holiday season.

Hardware
The GBA models were aesthetically varied, but functionally identical. The interface included a D-Pad, two face buttons marked "A" and "B," a pair of shoulder buttons, and Start and Select buttons. The system also sports a small stereo, as well as a headphone jack.

The Game Boy Advance is roughly similar in power to fourth generation video game consoles like the SNES and Genesis. The CPU clocked in at about 17 MHz, plus 8 MHz devoted to playing original Game Boy and Color games. The system has between 350 and 400 KB of RAM, and a resolution of 240 by 160 pixels. Cartridges range in size from 32 to 256 megabits.

Sales
Over its life, the Game Boy Advance sold approximately 100 million units. About half of these were sold in North America, where the system became a favorite among players young and old. Many sales among older players were due to the retro games ported to the system as well as newer retro-style games. Younger players, meanwhile, often owned the system in lieu of more expensive hardware, and played the system's various licensed and Pokemon games.

{Ohga Shrugs}