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Joystiq presents

Nintendo says goodbye to GBA

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=64612And it's all the fault of that sleek system you see to the right. Eurogamer reports that in an interview with Reuters, Satoru Iwata shot down the idea of creating new versions of the hugely popular GBA, stating that it would be pouring cold water on the DS and the DS Lite's unfathomably hot success. He says that he "would have a second thought about using our resources on what would be the next generation of Game Boy Advance considering the strong support DS is now enjoying."

So is that the end for our beloved GBA? Not by a long shot. Many developers are still churning out games for the system--given how many people have one stashed inside their pockets, it's still very much a viable and even lucrative market. Besides, you'll want to keep one around if you simply can't handle the sight of a GBA cart sticking out of a DS Lite.

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Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. Sounds kind of stupid.
Whenever they make a new gba, people buy it. I myself carry around my micro more than my ds or psp. It's just so small and does so much. I think they should come out with another one with a media player built in like the one you can get imported: http://www.gbamovie.com/index.htm .
Sorry but I still like to read and listen to music on my commute.

Posted at 9:42AM on May 11th 2006 by Gonzo

2. Its not going away yet. There just wont be another version.

I suspect the next DS version will ditch the GBA slot for an SD slot and have built in rumble. It would then have a Virtual Console similar to what will be available for Wii. This would accommodate the vast majority of GB, GBC, and GBA games. This way, all the console titles will be available on Wii while all the handheld titles will be availble on DS Next.

Posted at 10:04AM on May 11th 2006 by Tipster

3. well i agree Gonzo. There will be a Next-Gen GameBoy eventually, one with gamecube like capabilities, i'm hoping they call it GameBoy Evolution ( which will be later renamed as Gameboy Mii). However, i prefer they keep it a little more traditional, meaning no touch screen, but with all the motion, voice, body heat detection systems they can come up with.

Posted at 2:13PM on May 11th 2006 by Drifter

4. Does the DS (huge/lite) play older Gameboy games?
I can't remember...
If not, all the more reason to keep the GBA.

Posted at 2:37PM on May 11th 2006 by DP

5. I don't see why there should be another model of Gameboy Advance; there's already 3, and I can't see them making one smaller than the micro. It doesn't mean they're "saying goodbye" to the system, they're just not making another model.

And I don't think we'll see a Nintendo DS without GBA functionality. The DS, aside from being dual-screen, is also a dual-processor system. It already has an ARM-7 processor built-in to it, so there's little reason not to support GBA games. I may be totally wrong on this, though.

The DS does not play old Gameboy or Gameboy Color games. They won't even fit in the cartridge slot.

Posted at 4:26PM on May 11th 2006 by baochan

6. When they say there wont be another they mean it. No new GBA's or next gen gameboys. I dont think the next DS will have gba compatability either, they could make it much smaller or powerful instead of having it play old games.
Nintendo originally planned on a next-gen gameboy because they had no idea how the DS would be accepted by the public. Nowthat its a success they have no reason to continue GB.

Posted at 9:08PM on May 11th 2006 by Bob799

7. I don't even care that there won't be another GameBoy. I've owned Color and Advance and none of the games I've played have been nearly as fun as those for the DS. Besides, the DS can do everything a GameBoy can do... it's more powerful than the GameBoy Advance with more buttons and another screen. Why go back to the old way?

Posted at 1:02PM on May 12th 2006 by Garold

8. If Nintendo made a more traditional console - with 1 (non-touchscreen) screen, dual analogue sticks and processing oomph to beat the PSP, I'd buy it.

I had thought/hoped this spot was open to the next generation Gameboy.

Posted at 2:06PM on May 12th 2006 by Gareth

9. Even if they don't make another GameBoy, I still think they should use the name for the next NintendoDS version. The trademark is so old and known world wide. It would be a waste to just toss it.

Posted at 5:44AM on May 13th 2006 by TONYT88

10. Great, what system am I going to vent my rage on now? Damn you Pokemon Pinball!

Posted at 8:34PM on May 20th 2006 by Big Ed

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