Nintendo’s GBA was released a little over year after into the new millennium and while it is certainly no powerhouse standing next to modern consoles, there is still a lot about that remains hugely impressive.
The fact that this system is considered to be a bit lacking in power was indicated by critics even at the time of its release. Nintendo were adamant that the GBA was not a direct competitor with the first PlayStation, just a tweaked SNES.
However, its processor was by no means a let-down. It was a 32-bit 16.8 MHz ARM7TDMI with 256KB of RAM. It used a 2.9-inch TFT LCD screen and that was a let-down compared to the standards that we were used to.
Happily however, the games come out looking pretty good. You do get that fix of nostalgia when you play retro games like Mario and Zelda. In fact, you might catch yourself screaming “Who needs 3D?!” and good for you if you do because the graphics of this system are 2D even if it came out in 2001 when 3D gaming was all the rage.
Another nostalgic detail you might enjoy with the GBA is the way its cartridges load pretty much immediately. Simply switch on the GBA and you will find yourself at the title screen in just a few seconds. That is a huge respite from the ridiculous waiting times we have to get used to lately with modern consoles.
Perhaps the only thing that would upset you about this system is the actual screen but we reckon the rest of it is absolutely sublime.
