Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy Advance is a series of handheld game systems created by Nintendo. It was the third system in the Game Boy series. It has backwards compatibility to the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. The Game Boy Advance (all versions) have sold 81.50 million units worldwide according to Nintendo. It was discontinued in 2008.

On controls, it maintained the,  ,  and  buttons and  from previous Game Boy iterations, but added two "shoulder" buttons,  and.

The original version, simply called the Game Boy Advance, does not have a lit screen, but the SP version added a frontlight and the Micro a backlight, allowing play in less optimal lighting conditions.

Game Boy Advance SP
The Game Boy Advance SP was an upgraded version of the original GBA first released in 2003. It featured a new design, with a clamshell style and front-lit screen. It 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". Later Nintendo also released a back-lit version. The two colors were Pearl Blue and Pearl Pink. The Game Boy Advance SP sold 43.55 million units worldwide. This system also had backwards compatibility to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.

Release Dates

 * Japan February 14, 2003
 * North America: March 23, 2003
 * Europe: March 28, 2003
 * Australia March 28, 2003
 * China: 2003

Game Boy Micro
The Game Boy Micro is the third design of the GBA that was first released in 2005. At a size of only four inches wide, two inches tall, less than an inch deep, and a weight of 2.8 ounces, it is smaller than any other system in the Game Boy line. Its screen is slightly smaller than that of the GBA and SP, but it maintains the same resolution. It is not backwards compatible. It comes with an adjustable backlight for playing in the dark. A 20th anniversary edition was released to honor the anniversary of the NES. The GBA Micro sold 2.42 million units worldwide.

Release Dates

 * Japan: September 13, 2005
 * North America: September 19, 2005
 * Austrailia: November 3, 2005
 * Europe: November 4, 2005
 * China: March 23, 2006

Game Boy Player
The Game Boy Player was was an add-on accessory for the Nintendo GameCube which allowed players to play Game Boy Advance games on their televisions, much like the Super Game Boy. A few games had a rumble feature which took effect only when they were played with a standard GameCube controller. Later on though, Nintendo added a smaller version of one to the front of the Nintendo DS.

Gamester
The Gamester is an add-on accessory, exclusive to the Game Boy Advance SP. This accessory allows the player to play three games without shutting off the system and changing the cartridge. The cartridge slot for the Game Boy Advance SP slides into another slot on the Gamester. Then, the player can put three cartridges in three different spots. On each slot for each game, there is a number next to it. There is a switch that has the numbers "1", "2", and "3". When the player slides the switch to the number and turns the on switch on, they will play the given game. For example, if the switch is on the first number, then the player will play the game in the first slot. To switch games, the player must turn the on switch off and change the numbered switch.

e-Reader
The e-Reader was an add-on device for the Game Boy Advance released in 2002. It could scan cards to add new features to Game Boy Advance games, and had some of its own games as well. However, in 2004, it was discontinued outside Japan because it had poor sales, particularly in Europe.

''Luigi's Mansion
In Luigi's Mansion, there's a Boo called "Game Boo", and another that asks if Luigi wants to play "GameBoo Advance". Additionally, the Game Boy Horror SP is a parody of the Game Boy Advance SP.

''Wario World
In Wario World, one of the treasures Wario needs to get is a Game Boy Advance.

''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, a Game Boy Advance is used as the terminal at the Glitz Pit, where Mario and his party set up their matches. Additionally, Mario carries with him an e-mail device called the "Mailbox SP," which resembles a Game Boy Advance SP. A humorous in-dialogue reference is made by Pennington if Mario should ask his opinion on what Bub wants for his birthday; the Bumpty confidently assumes it is a Game Boy Advance, being "what young children his age crave above all things!" A Toad in Petalburg says he has been playing a game called Fire Emblem on his GBA a reference to another game series.

''WarioWare: Touched!
In WarioWare: Touched!, the Game Boy Advance makes cameos in the game. One of the game handhelds was stolen by Wario, most of them were thrown by the audience at Vanessa (who was pretending to be Mona), in 9-Volt's intro cutscene and microgames, and a monitor shown during Mona's microgame stage resembled a Game Boy Advance.

Game Gallery
''