Editing Game Boy Advance

{{short description|Handheld game console by Nintendo}}
{{Redirect|GBA}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| title = Game Boy Advance
| logo = Game Boy Advance logo.svg
| logo_size = 250px
| image = Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-Purple-FL.png
| caption = Original Game Boy Advance in Indigo
| aka = {{vgrelease|CN|iQue Game Boy Advance}}
| developer = [[Nintendo Integrated Research & Development|Nintendo R&D]]
| manufacturer = [[Nintendo]]
| family = [[Game Boy family|Game Boy]]<ref name="HG asks">{{Cite interview |last=Ishihara |first=Morimoto |interviewer=Iwata, Satoru |title=Pokémon HeartGold Version & Pokémon SoulSilver Version |type=Interview: Transcript |url=https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/ds/pokemon/0/0/ |access-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124004538/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/ds/pokemon/0/0/ |archive-date=November 24, 2022 |url-status=live |work=Iwata Asks |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref>
| type = [[Handheld game console]]
| price = {{US$|99.99|2001|round=-1}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 15, 2013 |title=The Real Cost of Gaming: Inflation, Time, and Purchasing Power |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915010832/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power |archive-date=September 15, 2020 |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref>
| generation = [[Sixth generation of video game consoles|Sixth]]
| releasedate = {{vgrelease
  | JP | March 21, 2001<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2000 |title=Game Boy Advance: It's Finally Unveiled |url=http://ca.ign.com/articles/2000/08/24/game-boy-advance-its-finally-unveiled |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140725221846/http://ca.ign.com/articles/2000/08/24/game-boy-advance-its-finally-unveiled |archive-date=July 25, 2014 |access-date=July 19, 2014 |website=IGN}}</ref>
  | NA | June 11, 2001<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fielder |first=Lauren |date=May 16, 2001 |title=E3 2001: Nintendo unleashes GameCube software, a new Miyamoto game, and more |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2001-nintendo-unleashes-gamecube-software-a-new-miyamoto-game-and-more/1100-2761390/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115110938/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2001-nintendo-unleashes-gamecube-software-a-new-miyamoto-game-and-more/1100-2761390/ |archive-date=November 15, 2020 |access-date=July 19, 2014 |website=GameSpot}}</ref>
  | PAL | June 22, 2001<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bramwell |first=Tom |date=March 21, 2001 |title=GBA Day: June 22nd |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_30377 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628115634/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_30377 |archive-date=June 28, 2020 |access-date=July 19, 2014 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2001 |title=Hyper 094 |url=http://archive.org/details/hyper-094 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
    }}
| discontinued = {{vgrelease | WW | 2012<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1512.pdf |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |date=February 3, 2016 |access-date=April 12, 2016 |publisher=Nintendo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207005602/http://nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1512.pdf |archive-date=February 7, 2016  }}</ref>}}
| unitssold = 81.51 million<ref name="nintendosales">{{Cite web |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427084600/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |archive-date=April 27, 2016 |access-date=November 18, 2016 |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref>
| media = {{ubl|[[Game Boy Game Pak]]|[[Game Boy Color Game Pak]]|[[Game Boy Advance Game Pak]]}}
| soc = Nintendo CPU&nbsp;AGB
| cpu = [[ARM7TDMI]] @ 16.8&nbsp;MHz<br>Sharp&nbsp;SM83 @ 4.2&nbsp;/&nbsp;8.4&nbsp;MHz
| memory = 288&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Random-access memory|RAM]], 98&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Video&nbsp;RAM]]
| display = Reflective [[TFT LCD]], 240&nbsp;×&nbsp;160&nbsp;[[pixels|px]], {{cvt|61.2|xx|40.8|mm}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Technical data |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Game-Boy-Advance/Product-information/Technical-data/Technical-data-619479.html |access-date=May 20, 2023 |website=Nintendo of Europe GmbH}}</ref>
| dimensions = {{cvt|82|xx|144.5|xx|24.5|mm}}
| power = 2 × [[AA batteries]]
| service = {{Video game release|JP|[[Mobile System GB]]}}
| topgame = [[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire|''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'']] (16 million)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rose |first=Mike |date=October 15, 2013 |title=Pokemon X & Y sell 4M copies in first weekend |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/202366/Pokemon_X__Y_sell_4M_copies_in_first_weekend.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019020122/http://gamasutra.com/view/news/202366/Pokemon_X__Y_sell_4M_copies_in_first_weekend.php |archive-date=October 19, 2013 |access-date=July 19, 2014 |website=Gamasutra |publisher=Think Services}}</ref>
| compatibility = {{ubl|[[Game Boy]]|[[Game Boy Color]]}}
| predecessor = Game Boy Color
| successor = [[Nintendo DS]]<!-- Revisions and redesigns within the GBA series aren't considered "successors" they are listed as related devices below -->
| related = {{Unbulleted list
   | [[Game Boy Advance SP]]
   | [[Game Boy Micro]]
   }}
}}

The {{nihongo foot|'''Game Boy Advance'''|ゲームボーイアドバンス|Gēmu Bōi Adobansu|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} ('''GBA''') is a 32-bit [[handheld game console]], manufactured by [[Nintendo]], which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name '''iQue Game Boy Advance'''''.'' Compared to the [[Game Boy Color]] it succeeded, the console offered a significantly more powerful [[ARM7]] processor and improved graphics, while retaining [[backward compatibility]] with games initially developed for its predecessor.

The GBA is part of the [[sixth generation of video game consoles]], competing against Nokia's [[N-Gage]] and Bandai's [[WonderSwan]]. The original model was followed in 2003 by the [[Game Boy Advance SP]], a redesigned model with a [[frontlight|frontlit]] screen and [[Clamshell design|clamshell]] form factor. [[Game Boy Advance SP#Backlit model (AGS-101)|A newer revision]] of the SP with a [[backlight|backlit]] screen was released in 2005. A miniaturized redesign, the [[Game Boy Micro]], was released in September 2005.

By June 2010, the Game Boy Advance series including revisions, had sold 81.51&nbsp;million units worldwide, massively outselling its competitors. Its successor, the [[Nintendo DS]], launched in November 2004,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Matthew |last2=Ettinger |first2=Zoë |last3=Maniece |first3=Mykenna |title=The most popular tech gadget from the year you were born |url=https://www.insider.com/most-popular-tech-gadget-year-you-were-born |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117035223/https://www.insider.com/most-popular-tech-gadget-year-you-were-born |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=April 21, 2020 |website=Insider}}</ref> was backward compatible with GBA games. The GBA was officially discontinued by the end of 2010.

==History==

=== Project Atlantis ===
When the original Game Boy launched in 1989, many questioned Nintendo’s decision to release a monochrome handheld console, when competitors like the [[Atari Lynx|Lynx]] and [[Game Gear]] had color screens. However, the rivals' color displays were criticized for their poor battery life and bulky size, while the Game Boy’s better portability and battery longevity increased its popularity.<ref name="McFarren 2016">{{Cite book |last=McFarren |first=Damien |title=Videogames Hardware Handbook |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78546-239-9 |edition=2nd |volume=1 |location=Bournemouth |pages=157–163}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Jeff |title=Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America |date=2011 |publisher=Portfolio Penguin |isbn=978-1-59184-405-1 |location=New York |pages=102–105 |language=en}}</ref> 

Nintendo publicly pledged to develop a color version of the Game Boy only when the technology overcame the limitations of existing color handhelds.<ref name="Day 2016">{{Cite book |last=Day |first=Ashley |title=Videogames Hardware Handbook |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78546-239-9 |edition=2nd |volume=1 |location=Bournemouth |pages=236–239}}</ref> Internally, however, a team led by [[Satoru Okada]]—who had worked on the original Game Boy—was already experimenting with color screens. Their early 1990s prototype, codenamed "Project Atlantis," featured a color display and a 32-bit processor designed by [[Arm Holdings|ARM]].<ref name="NGen18">{{Cite magazine |date=June 1996 |title=Nintendo's New Color Handheld |url=https://archive.org/details/Next-Generation-1996-06/page/n21/mode/2up |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |page=20 |issue=18}}</ref><ref name="EGM83">{{Cite magazine |date=June 1996 |title=Nintendo's 32-Bit Color Portable "Project Atlantis" to Be Ready in Fall |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/3/39/EGM_US_083.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916164241/https://retrocdn.net/images/3/39/EGM_US_083.pdf |archive-date=September 16, 2018 |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=18 |issue=83}}</ref><ref name="NGen19">{{Cite magazine |date=July 1996 |title=Nintendo's Atlantis Emerges |url=https://archive.org/details/Next-Generation-1996-07/page/n17/mode/2up |magazine=Next Generation |publisher=Imagine Media |page=16 |issue=19}}</ref> Despite the promising technology, the team was not satisfied with the outcome and the project was shelved by 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Satoru Okada – Interview |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/9902/b_box/staff/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000529053545/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/9902/b_box/staff/index.html |archive-date=May 29, 2000 |access-date=January 15, 2019 |website=Nintendo}}</ref><ref name="Kurokawa 2022">{{Cite web |last=Kurokawa |first=Fumio |date=2022 |title=Satoru Okada – 2022 Retrospective Interview |url=https://shmuplations.com/okada2022/ |access-date=April 8, 2024 |publisher=[[4gamer.net]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 1997 |title=The Lost Portable of Atlantis |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/3/3b/EGM_US_097.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727235809/https://retrocdn.net/images/3/3b/EGM_US_097.pdf |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |page=116 |issue=97}}</ref>

However, as competitors such as the [[Neo Geo Pocket]] and [[WonderSwan]] entered the market, Nintendo decided to create a color version of the Game Boy by combining the color screen they had been testing for Project Atlantis with a faster version of the existing Game Boy's 8-bit processor.<ref name="Kurokawa 2022" /> The Game Boy Color launched in 1998.<ref name="Day 2016" />

=== Game Boy Advance ===
Still under pressure from its competitors handhelds, Nintendo started developing a successor to the Game Boy Color. The project, codenamed Advanced Game Boy (AGB), would utilize the 32-bit processing power from Project Atlantis. Details about the GBA emerged at the [[Nintendo Space World#Space World 1999|Space World 1999]] trade show in late August.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 27, 1999 |title=Game Boy's Next Incarnation? |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/28/game-boys-next-incarnation?amp=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815195705/http://pocket.ign.com/news/9942.html |archive-date=August 15, 2000 |website=IGN}}</ref>

Nintendo officially announced the Game Boy Advance on September 1, 1999, revealing details about the system's specifications and that the handheld would first be released in Japan in August 2000, with the North American and European launch dates slated for the end of the same year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 1, 1999 |title=It's Official: The Next Generation Game Boy |url=https://pocket.ign.com/news/10064.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991127212154/https://pocket.ign.com/news/10064.html |archive-date=November 27, 1999 |website=IGN}}</ref> On August 21, 2000, [[IGN]] showed images of a GBA development kit running a demonstrational port of ''[[Yoshi's Story]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Advance Development Kit Revealed |url=https://pocket.ign.com/news/23761.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000930202212/https://pocket.ign.com/news/23761.html |archive-date=September 30, 2000 |website=IGN}}</ref> and on August 22, pre-production images of the GBA were revealed in ''[[Famitsu]]'' magazine in Japan.<ref>{{Citation |title=Famitsu gets a hold of the Game Boy Advance Early - IGN |date=August 22, 2000 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/23/famitsu-gets-a-hold-of-the-game-boy-advance-early |access-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425190434/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/23/famitsu-gets-a-hold-of-the-game-boy-advance-early |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref>  

The GBA’s design featured a landscape form factor, diverging from the portrait layout of the previous Game Boy models. The design put the buttons to the sides of the device instead of below the screen. The shift was the work of French designer Gwénaël Nicolas and his Tokyo-based studio, Curiosity Inc.<ref>[http://curiosity.jp/works/en/product/gameboy-advance.html Gameboy Advance | WORKS - CURIOSITY - キュリオシティ - ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726081507/http://curiosity.jp/works/en/product/gameboy-advance.html|date=July 26, 2017}}. Retrieved December 21, 2015.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Van Tilburg |first=Caroline |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uXouFPGhPDkC&q=editions:ISBN3764367431 |title=Curiosity: 30 Designs for Products and Interiors |date=2002 |publisher=Birkhauser Verlag AG |isbn=978-3764367435 |access-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117035223/https://books.google.com/books?id=uXouFPGhPDkC&q=editions:ISBN3764367431 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a August 24, 2000, announcement, Nintendo revealed the final design of the GBA to the public, announced its '''Japan''' and '''North America''' launch dates, and revealed the ten [[launch game]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2000 |title=Game Boy Advance: It's Finally Unveiled |url=https://pocket.ign.com/news/23952.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001003153249/https://pocket.ign.com/news/23952.html |archive-date=October 3, 2000 |website=IGN}}</ref> At [[Nintendo Space World#Space World 2000|Space World 2000]], Nintendo also showcased several peripherals, including the [[Game Link Cable#Third generation|GBA link cable]], the [[GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable|GameCube – GBA link cable]],<ref name="Connecting to the Cube">{{Cite news |last=IGN Staff |date=September 14, 2001 |title=Connecting to the Cube |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/09/14/connecting-to-the-cube |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128163844/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/09/14/connecting-to-the-cube |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref> a rechargeable battery pack, and an infrared communication adaptor.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Peripherals of the Game Boy Advance - IGN |date=August 28, 2000 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/29/the-peripherals-of-the-game-boy-advance |access-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806005013/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/29/the-peripherals-of-the-game-boy-advance |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 23, 2000 |title=Meet the Game Boy Advance - IGN |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/24/meet-the-game-boy-advance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425190440/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/24/meet-the-game-boy-advance |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |access-date=July 27, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> By March 2001, Nintendo confirmed the $99.99 price and announced 15 launch games for the system, with over 60 expected by the end of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Shahed |date=March 7, 2001 |title=Nintendo announces North American GBA launch details |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-announces-north-american-gba-launch-details/1100-2693383/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425190435/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-announces-north-american-gba-launch-details/1100-2693383/ |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |access-date=July 27, 2020 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=The US Price and Launch Titles for GBA - IGN |date=March 7, 2001 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/08/the-us-price-and-launch-titles-for-gba |access-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425190432/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/08/the-us-price-and-launch-titles-for-gba |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref>

All Game Boy Advance models were discontinued in the Americas in 2008, and globally by the end of 2010.<ref name="nintendosales" /><ref name="Edwards 2016">{{Cite news |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=June 11, 2016 |title=7 Things Everyone Should Know About the Game Boy Advance |url=https://uk.pcmag.com/gaming-systems/82144/7-things-everyone-should-know-about-the-game-boy-advance |access-date=December 13, 2024 |work=PCMag UK |language=en-gb}}</ref>

== Hardware ==
[[File:Game Boy Advance motherboard front.jpg|thumb|The Game Boy Advance motherboard<br />([[commons:File:Game Boy Advance motherboard front.jpg|annotated version]]) ]]
The Game Boy Advance uses a custom [[system on a chip]] (SoC), integrating the CPU and other major components into a single package, named the ''CPU&nbsp;AGB'' by Nintendo. Manufactured by the [[Sharp Corporation]], the SoC contains two processors: the ''[[ARM7TDMI]]'' running at a [[clock rate]] of 16.776 [[megahertz]]&nbsp;(MHz) for GBA games, and the ''Sharp SM83'' running at 4.194&nbsp;MHz or 8.389&nbsp;MHz for [[backward compatibility]] with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. The system operates in two modes: GBA mode using the ARM7TDMI, and the backward-compatible CGB mode using the SM83.<ref name="Copetti 2019">{{Cite web |last=Copetti |first=Rodrigo |date=August 18, 2019 |title=Game Boy Advance Architecture - A Practical Analysis |url=https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy-advance/ |access-date=May 2, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

The ARM7TDMI is a hybrid [[16-bit computing|16-bit]] and [[32-bit computing|32-bit]] [[RISC]] processor based on the [[ARM architecture family|ARM architecture]], designed maximize performance under power and storage constraints, making it more suitable for use in a handheld device. It features sixteen 32-bit registers and a 32-bit bus connected to 32&nbsp;[[kilobyte]]s&nbsp;(KB) of "working" RAM on the SoC, and 16-bit buses interfacing with the 256&nbsp;KB of "working" RAM on the motherboard and the [[Game Boy Game Pak|Game Pak]]. In addition to the 32-bit ARM instruction set, the CPU supports the 16-bit THUMB instruction set, which is used when executing instructions over the 16-bit buses.<ref name="Programming Manual">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/NintendoGbaManualV1.1 |title=AGB Programming Manual |date=April 2, 2001 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |access-date=March 1, 2025 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

The SM83 is a hybrid between two other [[8-bit computing|8-bit]] processors: the [[Intel 8080]] and the [[Zilog Z80]]. The SM83 has the seven 8-bit [[Processor register|registers]] of the 8080 (lacking the alternate registers of the Z80) but uses the Z80's programming syntax and extra [[bit manipulation]] instructions, along with adding new instructions to optimize the processor for certain operations related to the way the hardware was arranged. Like the Game Boy Color, the SM83 in the Advance could be commanded to operate at either 4.194&nbsp;MHz when playing games compatible with the original Game Boy or at 8.389&nbsp;MHz when playing games designed for the Game Boy Color.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Javanainen |first=Joonas |date=April 23, 2024 |title=Game Boy: Complete Technical Reference |url=https://gekkio.fi/files/gb-docs/gbctr.pdf |website=gekkio.fi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2, 2013 |title=The Nintendo Game Boy, Part 1: The Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80. |url=https://realboyemulator.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-nintendo-game-boy-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510190547/https://realboyemulator.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-nintendo-game-boy-1/ |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |publisher=RealBoy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CPU Comparison with Z80 |url=https://gbdev.io/pandocs/CPU_Comparison_with_Z80 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=Pan Docs |language=en}}</ref> The SoC also contains a 2&nbsp;KB "bootstrap" ROM which is used to start up the device in CGB mode.<ref>{{Cite web |last=GameBoy Development Wiki |date=November 12, 2009 |title=Gameboy Bootstrap ROM |url=http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/index.php?title=Gameboy_Bootstrap_ROM&oldid=192 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818180456/http://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/index.php?title=Gameboy_Bootstrap_ROM&oldid=192 |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |access-date=October 24, 2010}}</ref>

The CPU&nbsp;CGB incorporates an updated version of Nintendo's venerable ''Picture Processing Unit'' (PPU), which was used in the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. The PPU is essentially a basic [[GPU]] that renders visuals using 96&nbsp;KB of [[Video RAM]] located inside the CPU&nbsp;CGB. Inside the PPU itself is 1&nbsp;KB of object attribute memory and 1&nbsp;KB of palette RAM, which are optimized for fast rendering.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /> The display itself is a 2.9-inch (diagonal) [[thin-film transistor]] (TFT) color [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD), measuring {{Convert|61.2|mm|sp=us}} wide by {{Convert|40.8|mm|sp=us}} high. The screen is 240 [[pixel]]s wide by 160 pixels high in a 3:2 [[aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]]. 

Foreground objects are [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] with up to 128 per frame, sized from 8×8 to 64×64 pixels, and with 16 or 256 colors. Backgrounds can be rendered in one of six different modes. The first three are the "character modes," which use traditional [[tile map]] graphics: Mode 0 offers four static layers, Mode 1 has three layers with one [[affine transformation]] layer (which can be rotated and/or scaled), and Mode 2 has two affine layers. The other three are the "bitmap modes" which allow for rendering [[Video game graphics#3D|3D geometry]]: Mode 3 has a single full-sized, fully-colored (32,768 colors) frame, Mode 4 provides two full-sized frames with 256 colors each, and Mode 5 provides two half-sized (160×128 pixels), fully-colored frames. Having two bitmaps allows "page-flipping" to avoid the artifacts that can sometimes appear when re-drawing a bitmap. While the bitmap modes were considered cutting-edge, most games avoided using them because they cost a lot of CPU resources.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /><ref name="gbatek">{{Cite web |last=Korth |first=Martin |title=GBATEK: LCD I/O Display Control |url=http://nocash.emubase.de/gbatek.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621131721/http://nocash.emubase.de/gbatek.htm |archive-date=June 21, 2009 |access-date=January 2, 2014}}</ref>

For sound, the Game Boy Advance features two [[Pulse-code modulation|PCM]] sample player channels, which work in combination with the ''Audio Processing Unit'' (APU), a [[programmable sound generator]] first used by the legacy Game Boy. The APU has four channels: a [[pulse wave]] generation channel with frequency and volume variation, a second pulse wave generation channel with only volume variation, a wave channel that can reproduce any [[waveform]] recorded in RAM, and a [[white noise]] channel with volume variation.<ref name="Copetti 2019" /><ref name="GBA Service Manual">{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Advance Service Manual |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IpKe2BRdcZLUURvhrvxnleMZf3MEI6tc/ |access-date=May 27, 2024 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |page=3 |language=en |edition=2nd}}</ref>

The Game Boy Advance features a [[D-pad]] (directional pad) and six action buttons labeled 'A,' 'B,' 'L,' 'R,' 'SELECT,' and 'START.' The top of the console has a link port that allows it to be connected to other Game Boy devices using a [[Game Link Cable]] or a [[Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter|Wireless Adapter]], or the [[GameCube]] home console with a special [[GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable]].<ref name="Connecting to the Cube" />

=== Technical specifications ===
{| class="wikitable"
!
! Game Boy Advance<ref>{{Cite web |title=Technical data |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Game-Boy-Advance/Product-information/Technical-data/Technical-data-619479.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117035157/https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Game-Boy-Advance/Product-information/Technical-data/Technical-data-619479.html |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=July 15, 2020 |website=Nintendo of Europe GmbH |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=GBATEK – GBA/NDS Technical Info |url=http://problemkaputt.de/gbatek.htm#gbatechnicaldata |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727034359/http://problemkaputt.de/gbatek.htm#gbatechnicaldata |archive-date=July 27, 2016 |access-date=July 26, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CowBite Virtual Hardware Specifications |url=http://www.cs.rit.edu/~tjh8300/CowBite/CowBiteSpec.htm#Text |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918070039/https://www.cs.rit.edu/~tjh8300/CowBite/CowBiteSpec.htm#Text |archive-date=September 18, 2021 |access-date=July 28, 2021 |website=cs.rit.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=GBA ASM Tutorial |url=https://patater.com/gbaguy/gbaasm.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805121744/http://patater.com/gbaguy/gbaasm.htm |archive-date=August 5, 2016 |access-date=July 26, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=GBA Technical Specifications |url=http://nintendo.com/techspecgba |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051003203011/http://www.nintendo.com/techspecgba |archive-date=October 3, 2005 |access-date=December 23, 2018 |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref><ref name="Copetti 2019" />
|-
! Height
| {{cvt|3.2|in}}
|-
! Width
| {{cvt|5.7|in}}
|-
! Depth
| {{cvt|0.9|in}}
|-
! Weight
| {{cvt|140|g}}
|-
! Display
| 2.9-inch (diagonal) reflective [[thin-film transistor]] (TFT) color [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD), {{convert|40.8|x|61.2|mm|abbr=on}}
|-
! [[Display resolution|Resolution]]
| 240 (w) × 160 (h) [[pixel]]s (3:2 [[aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]])
|-
! [[Frame rate]]
| 59.727500569606 [[Hertz|Hz]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=TASVideos / Platform Framerates |url=http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229184750/http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |access-date=February 29, 2020 |website=tasvideos.org}}</ref>
|-
! Color&nbsp;support
| 32,768 colors, up to 511 simultaneously in character mode, all may display simultaneously in Bitmap mode
|-
! [[System on a chip]] (SoC)
| Nintendo CPU&nbsp;AGB
|-
! Processors
| {{Unbulleted list
  | 16.7772&nbsp;MHz [[ARM7TDMI]] ([[32-bit computing|32-bit]])
  | 4.194304&nbsp;MHz / 8.388608&nbsp;MHz Sharp SM83 (custom [[Intel 8080]]/[[Zilog Z80]] hybrid, [[8-bit computing|8-bit]]){{efn|4.194304&nbsp;MHz for Game Boy backward compatibility, 8.388608&nbsp;MHz for Game Boy Color backward compatibility}}
  }}
|-
!Memory
| {{Unbulleted list
  | '''On SoC:''' 32&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Random-access memory|RAM]], 98&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Video Random Access Memory|Video&nbsp;RAM]] (includes 1&nbsp;KB of object attribute memory and 1&nbsp;KB of palette RAM)
  | '''Internal:''' 256&nbsp;KB&nbsp;RAM
  }}
|-
!Power
| {{Unbulleted list
   | '''Internal:''' 2 × [[AA batteries]]
   | <!-- '''External:''' 0.6&nbsp;W at 3.3&nbsp;V&nbsp;DC from 2.35&nbsp;mm&nbsp;×&nbsp;0.75&nbsp;mm [[coaxial power connector|coaxial connector]] -->
   }}
|-
! Battery life
| Up to 15 hours
|-
! Sound
| {{Unbulleted list
   | '''Channels:''' Dual 8-bit [[digital-to-analog converter|DAC]] for stereo sound (called Direct Sound), plus all legacy channels from Game Boy. The DACs can be used to play back streams of wave data, or used to output multiple wave samples processed or mixed in software by the CPU.
   | '''Outputs:''' Built-in [[Monaural|mono]] speaker, stereo [[3.5mm headphone jack]]
   }}
|-
![[Input/output|I/O]]
|{{Unbulleted list
   | [[Game Link Cable]] (512&nbsp;[[kbit/s]] between up to 4 devices)
   | Game Pak slot
   }}
|-
!Controls
|{{Unbulleted list
   | Eight-way [[D-pad|control pad]]
   | Six action buttons (A, B, L, R, Start, Select)
   | Volume slider
   | Power switch
   }}
|}

=== Color variants ===
The Game Boy Advance was available in numerous colors and limited editions throughout its production. It was initially available in Arctic, Black, Orange (Japan Only), Fuchsia (translucent pink), Glacier (translucent blue), and Indigo. Later in the system's lifespan, additional colors and special editions were released, including: Red, Clear Orange/Black, Platinum, White, Gold (Japan Only), [[Hello Kitty]] edition (pink with Hello Kitty and logo on [[bezel (screen)|bezel]]), ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' edition (black with images on bezel and buttons), ''[[Chobits]]'' edition (translucent light blue, with images on bezel and buttons), ''Battle Network Rockman EXE 2'' (light blue with images on bezel), ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' edition (Glacier with Mario and Luigi on bezel), and [[Yomiuri Giants]] edition (Glacier with images on bezel).

Several ''[[Pokémon]]''-themed limited-edition systems were made available in [[Pokémon Center]] stores in Japan. These editions include: Gold Pokémon edition (Gold with [[Pikachu]] and [[List of generation II Pokémon#Pichu|Pichu]] on bezel), Suicune edition (blue/grey with greyscale Pikachu and Pichu on bezel, and a Pokémon Center sticker on the back), Celebi edition (olive green with [[List of generation II Pokémon#Celebi|Celebi]] images on bezel), and Latias/Latios edition (pink/red and purple, with images of [[List of generation III Pokémon#Latias|Latias and Latios]] on bezel).

==Games==
{{Main|List of Game Boy Advance games}}
{{See also|List of best-selling Game Boy Advance video games|List of cancelled Game Boy Advance games}}
[[File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-Cartridge.jpg|150px|thumb|right|The Game Boy Advance Game Pak]]
[[File:Gameboy advance sp cartridge.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Various Game Boy Advance Game Paks disassembled]]

With hardware performance comparable to the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], the Game Boy Advance represents progress for [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]]-based technology. The system's library includes platformers, SNES-like [[role-playing video game]]s, and games ported from various 8-bit and 16-bit systems of the previous generations. This includes the ''[[Super Mario Advance]]'' series, and the system's backward compatibility with all earlier Game Boy titles. Though most GBA games primarily employ 2D graphics, developers have ambitiously designed some [[3D graphics|3D]] GBA games that push the limits of the hardware, including [[first-person shooter]]s like a port of ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'', [[racing game]]s like ''[[V-Rally 3]]'', and even [[platformer]]s, like ''[[Asterix & Obelix XXL]]''.

Some cartridges are colored to resemble the game (usually for the ''Pokémon'' series; ''[[Pokémon Emerald]]'', for example, being a clear emerald green). Others have special built-in features, including rumble features (''[[Drill Dozer]]''),<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ja:スクリューブレイカー 轟振どりるれろ {{!}} Wii U {{!}} 任天堂 |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/20010000017727 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427043842/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/20010000017727 |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |access-date=April 27, 2021 |script-website=ja:任天堂ホームページ}}</ref> tilt sensors (''[[WarioWare: Twisted!]]'', ''[[Yoshi's Universal Gravitation]]''),<ref>{{Citation |title=Yoshi: Universal Gravitation - IGN |date=January 12, 2005 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/01/12/yoshi-universal-gravitation |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427043840/https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/01/12/yoshi-universal-gravitation |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Photodiode|solar sensors]] (''[[Boktai]]'').<ref>{{Cite web |author-first1=Jean-Karlo|author-last1=Lemus|date=March 27, 2020 |title=Kojima's GBA experiment—and the sunny island childhood it changed forever |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/03/kojimas-gba-experiment-and-the-sunny-island-childhood-it-changed-forever/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429052157/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/03/kojimas-gba-experiment-and-the-sunny-island-childhood-it-changed-forever/ |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |access-date=April 27, 2021 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref>

In Japan, the final game to be released on the system was ''[[Final Fantasy VI|Final Fantasy VI Advance]]'' on November 30, 2006, which was also the final game published by Nintendo on the system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Final Fantasy VI Advance Release Information for Game Boy Advance |url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/930370-final-fantasy-vi-advance/data |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513220851/http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/930370-final-fantasy-vi-advance/data |archive-date=May 13, 2010 |access-date=September 13, 2010 |website=GameFAQs}}</ref> In North America, the last game for the system was ''[[Samurai Deeper Kyo]]'', released on February 12, 2008. In Europe, the last game for the system is ''[[The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night]]'', released on November 2, 2007. The Japan-only ''[[Rhythm Tengoku]]'', the first game in what would eventually become known outside Japan as the ''Rhythm Heaven''/''Rhythm Paradise'' series, is the final first-party-developed game for the system, released on August 3, 2006.

While those games were the last to be released at the time, a new one is expected to release in 2025. Titled ''[[Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution]]'', it was originally in development until 2004, when work halted due to the lack of a publisher. Development resumed in 2023, using the same code and hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lane |first=Gavin |date=March 13, 2024 |title='The Odds Seemed Just Astronomical' - Reviving Lost Media With Shantae Advance |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/features/the-odds-seemed-just-astronomical-reviving-lost-media-with-shantae-advance |access-date=December 21, 2024 |website=Nintendo Life}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mejia |first=Ozzie |date=April 4, 2024 |title=Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution fits in just fine on the classic Game Boy Advance |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/139376/shantae-advance-gdc-2024-preview |access-date=December 21, 2024 |website=Shacknews}}</ref>

=== Launch games ===
In Japan there were 25 launch games, 17 in North America and 15 in Europe.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title
! [[Japan|JP]]
! [[North America|NA]]
! [[Europe|EU]]
! Notes
|-
| ''[[Army Men Advance]]''
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| [[Top-down shooter]] 
|-
| ''[[Air Traffic Controller (video game)|Boku wa Koukuu Kanseikan]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Simulation game]]
|-
| ''[[Castlevania: Circle of the Moon]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| [[Platform game]] in the ''[[Castlevania]]'' series
|-
| ''[[ChuChu Rocket!]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| Port of the 1999 [[Dreamcast]] game
|-
| ''[[Earthworm Jim (video game)|Earthworm Jim]]''
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| Port of the 1994 [[platform game]]
|-
| ''EZ-Talk Shokyuuhen 1-6 Kan Set''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| One of the first games developed by [[NDcube]]
|-
| ''[[Fire Pro Wrestling (video game)|Fire Pro Wrestling]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| Top-down wrestler
|-
| ''[[F-Zero Maximum Velocity]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| [[Racing game]], first ''F-Zero'' game to be released on a handheld game console, one of the first games developed by [[NDcube]]
|-
| ''[[ESPN Final Round Golf 2002|Golf Master: Japan Golf Tour]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Sports video game|Sports game]]
|-
| ''[[GT Advance Championship Racing]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| [[Racing video game|Racing game]]
|-
| ''[[Iridion 3D]]''
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| Quasi-[[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[Shoot 'em up#Tube and rail shooters|rail shooter]] [[video game|game]]
|-
| ''[[List of J.League licensed video games|J. League Pocket]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Association football|Soccer]] game
|-
| ''[[Konami Krazy Racers]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| [[Kart racing game]]
|-
| ''[[Kuru Kuru Kururin]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| [[Puzzle video game|Puzzle game]]
|-
| ''[[Mega Man Battle Network (video game)|Mega Man Battle Network]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Real-time tactics|Real-time]] [[Tactical role-playing game|tactical RPG]]
|-
| ''Momotaru Matsuri''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Role-playing video game|Role-playing game]]
|-
| ''Monster Guardians''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Role-playing video game|Role-playing game]]
|-
| ''[[Mr. Driller 2]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| Port of the 2000 [[Arcade video game|arcade game]] 
|-
| ''[[Namco Museum]]''
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| Compilation consisting of ''[[Ms. Pac-Man]]'', ''[[Galaga]]'', ''[[Galaxian]]'', ''[[Pole Position]]'', and ''[[Dig Dug]]''
|-
| ''[[Napoleon (video game)|Napoleon]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Real-time strategy game]] 
|-
| ''[[Pinobee: Wings of Adventure]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| First game developed by ''[[Artoon]]''
|-
| ''[[Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure]]''
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| Port of the 1994 [[platform game]]
|-
| ''[[Silent Hill (video game)|Play Novel: Silent Hill]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Visual novel]] based on the 1998 [[horror game]]
|-
| ''[[Power Pro Kun Pocket|Power Pro Kun Pocket 3]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Baseball]] game
|-
| ''[[Rayman Advance]]''
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| Port of the 1995 [[platform game]]
|-
| ''[[Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2]]''
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| Portable version of the 2000 boxing game
|-
| ''[[Super Dodge Ball Advance]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| [[Sports game]]
|-
| ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2#Super Mario Advance|Super Mario Advance]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| Remake of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' (1988) and ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' (1983)
|-
| ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2]]''
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| {{ya}}
| Portable version of the 2000 [[skateboarding]] video game
|-
| ''[[Top Gear GT Championship]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| [[Racing video game|Racing game]]
|-
| ''Total Soccer Manager''
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| Soccer manager
|-
| ''[[Tweety and the Magic Gems]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{ya}}
| Last ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' game published by [[Kemco]]
|-
| ''Winning Point''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Horse racing]] game
|-
| ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters]]''
| {{ya}}
| {{na}}
| {{na}}
| [[Dice game|Dice]]-driven tactics [[video game|game]]
|}

===Compatibility with other systems===
[[File:GameCube-Game-Boy-Player.jpg|thumb|202x202px|[[Game Boy Player]] under a [[GameCube]]]]
An add-on for the [[GameCube]], known as the [[Game Boy Player]], was released in 2003 as the successor to the [[Super Game Boy]] peripheral for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. This add-on allows Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color games to be played on the GameCube. However, some games may have compatibility issues due to certain features requiring extra hardware; for instance, ''[[WarioWare: Twisted!]]'' would require the console to be rotated manually due to its nature as a tilt sensor game.

The GBA is the last Nintendo handheld system to bear the Game Boy name. Games developed for it are incompatible with older Game Boy systems, and each game's box carries a label indicating that the game is "not compatible with other Game Boy systems." Conversely, games designed for older Game Boy systems are compatible with the Game Boy Advance, with options to play such games on either their standard [[aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratios]] or a stretched fullscreen using the shoulder buttons.

Game Boy Advance cartridges are compatible with [[Nintendo DS]] models that support them with a dedicated GBA cartridge slot beneath the touch screen (specifically the original model and the [[Nintendo DS Lite]]), although they do not support multiplayer or features involving the use of GBA accessories due to the absence of the GBA's external peripheral port on the DS. They can also be used to unlock original content found in Nintendo DS games. The [[Nintendo DSi]] and [[Nintendo DSi#Larger model|Nintendo DSi XL]] lack a GBA cartridge slot, and therefore do not support backward compatibility with the GBA.

===Digital re-releases===
{{see also|Virtual Console}}
{{Confusing|section|date=February 2024|reason=Satoru Iwata ''actually'' announced the GBA games on Wii U in 2013, and later confirmed them in February 2014, both as part of [[Nintendo Direct]]}}
Since the Game Boy Advance was discontinued, many of its games have been [[re-release]]d via [[digital distribution]] on later Nintendo consoles, mainly in the form of [[Video game console emulation|emulation]]. As part of an Ambassador Program for early adopters of the [[Nintendo 3DS]] system, ten GBA games, along with ten [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] games, were made available free for players who bought a 3DS system before the price drop on August 12, 2011.<ref name="Pricedrop">{{Cite press release |title=Nintendo 3DS Price Drops to $169.99, as Great Value and New 3D Games Come Together |date=July 28, 2011 |publisher=[[Nintendo|Nintendo of America]] |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110728005623/en/Nintendo-3DS-Price-Drops-to-169.99-as-Great-Value-and-New-3D-Games-Come-Together |quote=By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like ''Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3'', ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'', ''Metroid Fusion'', ''WarioWare'', ''Inc.: Mega Microgame', and ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong''. These games were made available to Ambassadors, and Nintendo has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future. |access-date=May 18, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518192933/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110728005623/en/Nintendo-3DS-Price-Drops-to-169.99-as-Great-Value-and-New-3D-Games-Come-Together |archive-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> Unlike other [[Virtual Console]] games for the system, features such as the Home menu or save states are missing, since the games are running natively instead of via emulation. In January 2014, Nintendo President [[Satoru Iwata]] announced that Game Boy Advance games would be released on the [[Wii U]]'s Virtual Console in April 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wii U - Virtual Console |url=https://www.nintendo.com/wiiu/downloads/virtual-console |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140124122013/http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu/downloads/virtual-console/ |archive-date=January 24, 2014 |access-date=July 26, 2016}}</ref> The first set of GBA games, including ''[[Advance Wars]]'', ''[[Metroid Fusion]]'', and ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'', were released on April 3, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Michael |first=Jay |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Wii U Virtual Console News: GameBoy Advance Classics Arrive in April; Nintendo Announces Metroid Fusion, Advance Wars, and More. On the DS there is a slot for GBA games. |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/wii-u-virtual-console-news-gameboy-advance-classics-arrive-in-april-nintendo-announces-metroid-fusion-advance-wars-and-more-117137/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085707/http://www.christianpost.com/news/wii-u-virtual-console-news-gameboy-advance-classics-arrive-in-april-nintendo-announces-metroid-fusion-advance-wars-and-more-117137/ |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |access-date=April 3, 2014 |website=Christian Post}}</ref> All Virtual Console releases are single-player only, as they do not emulate multiplayer features enabled by [[Game Link]] cables.

In February 2023, Nintendo added Game Boy Advance games to the [[Nintendo Classics]] library for its [[Nintendo Switch Online]] service, exclusively to those with the ''Expansion Pack'' tier.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Webster |first=Andrew |date=February 9, 2023 |title=Game Boy games make Nintendo Switch Online feel like the ultimate retro subscription |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/9/23592549/nintendo-switch-online-retro-subscription-game-boy-gba |access-date=February 11, 2023 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> For the first time, players are able to play multiplayer games in their emulated form, online. This application emulates the [[Game Boy Player]], meaning that games that support GameCube controller rumble work with the vibration of the Switch controllers.

==Accessories==
{{See also|Game Boy accessories#Game Boy Advance}}

===Official===
[[File:Game-Boy-Advance-Wireless-Adapter.jpg|thumb|right|The Wireless Adapter was packed in with ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''.]]
Nintendo released several add-ons for the Game Boy Advance, including:
* [[Nintendo e-Reader|e-Reader]]: A scanning device released in Japan (2001) and North America (2002) that read specialized cards allowing classic games to be played (like ''[[Donkey Kong (arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]'' and ''[[Excitebike]]'') or unlocked in-game content in Game Boy Advance (like ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3|Super Mario Advance 4]]'' and [[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire|''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'']]) and GameCube titles (like ''[[Animal Crossing]]''). It was compatible with the Game Boy Advance SP and Game Boy Player but did not fit into the Nintendo DS.
* [[Game Boy Advance Video]]: Special cartridges featuring select feature films (like ''[[Shrek]]'' and [[Shark Tale|''Shark Tale'']]) or two episodes of an animated series (like [[Pokémon (anime)|''Pokémon'']] and [[SpongeBob SquarePants|''SpongeBob SquarePants'']]). These cartridges were blocked from playback on the [[Game Boy Player]] to prevent unauthorized recording.
* [[GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable]]: Enabled connectivity between the Game Boy Advance and GameCube for select games, such as  ''[[Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]]''.<ref name="Connecting to the Cube" /> It also allowed the Game Boy Advance to function as a controller for some titles.
* [[Mobile Adapter GB]]: Connects the console to a [[mobile phone]], utilizing its [[cellular network]] for online interactions via the Mobile System GB service, most notably for ''[[Pokémon Crystal]]''. Limited game support and high costs led to low adoption. The service ended on December 18, 2002, and it was never released outside Japan due to wireless incompatibilities.
* [[Play-Yan]]: A MP3 (audio) and MPEG4 (video) player featuring a headphone jack and [[SD card]] slot for media playback. Initially released in Japan, it later launched in Europe as the Nintendo MP3 Player (minus video functionality) but never in North America.
* [[Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter|Wireless Adapter]]: Attached to the back of the Game Boy Advance, replacing the [[Game Link Cable]] for multiplayer connectivity. It was priced at {{US$|20|2004|round=0}} and was bundled with [[Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen|''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'']]. Due to its late release, fewer than 20 games support it. A special version was released for the [[Game Boy Micro]] which maintains full compatibility.

===Unofficial===
Other accessories for the Game Boy Advance include:
* [[Afterburner (modification kit)|Afterburner]]: An internal [[frontlight|front-lighting]] system by Triton Labs, requiring disassembly, case modification, and soldering for installation. It resembled the Game Boy Advance SP's original front-lit display. Despite voiding the system's warranty, the Afterburner was highly popular, with demand exceeding supply during the 2002 holiday season.<ref name="GBA 2.0">{{Cite web |date=January 6, 2003 |title=Enhanced GameBoy coming |url=https://money.cnn.com/2003/01/06/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209100036/http://money.cnn.com/2003/01/06/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm |archive-date=December 9, 2017 |access-date=December 8, 2017 |website=[[CNN|CNN Money]]}}</ref>
* Glucoboy: A blood glucose monitor with integrated games, released in Australia to support children with [[diabetes]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 22, 2008 |title=Top 10 Strangest Health Gadgets |url=https://au.pcmag.com/gallery/17905/top-10-strangest-health-gadgets |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117094417/https://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,3253,l%3D224759%26a%3D224758%26po%3D1,00.asp |archive-date=January 17, 2016 |access-date=September 30, 2012 |website=PCMag.com |publisher=[[PCMag]]}}</ref><ref name="glucoboy">{{Cite web |date=October 28, 2018 |title=Game Historian Explains Blood Testing Devices For Nintendo Handhelds |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/10/game-historian-explains-blood-testing-devices-for-nintendo-handhelds/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605040427/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/10/game-historian-explains-blood-testing-devices-for-nintendo-handhelds/ |archive-date=June 5, 2022 |access-date=June 5, 2022 |website=Kotaku Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref>
* WormCam: A [[Nyko]]-manufactured camera that attached to the top of the Game Boy Advance and connected via the link port. Images could be transferred to a computer using a USB cable and software.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 20, 2002 |title=NYKO WORMCAM REVIEW |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/20/nyko-wormcam-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525133928/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/20/nyko-wormcam-review |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |access-date=May 25, 2019 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2002 |title=Nyko WormCam |url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/4020/nyko-wormcam-game-boy-advance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525133929/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/4020/nyko-wormcam-game-boy-advance |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |access-date=May 25, 2019 |website=Nintendo World Report}}</ref>

==Revisions==
===Game Boy Advance SP===
{{Main|Game Boy Advance SP}}
[[File:Game-Boy-Advance-SP-Mk1-Blue.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Game Boy Advance SP]]
In early 2003, Nintendo introduced a new form-factor for the handheld, known as the [[Game Boy Advance SP]] (model AGS-001). The redesigned unit features a [[clamshell design]] that resembles a pocket-size [[laptop]] computer, including a folding case approximately one-half the size of the original unit. It has a rechargeable [[lithium-ion battery]], a significantly brighter [[Liquid-crystal display|LCD]] screen, and an internal front-light that can be toggled on and off. The redesign was intended to address some common complaints about the original Game Boy Advance, which had been criticized for being somewhat uncomfortable to use, especially due to a dark screen.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robbs |first=Matt |title=Can You Make The Gameboy Advance Screen Brighter? |url=https://retroonly.com/can-you-make-the-gameboy-advance-screen-brighter/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125142208/https://retroonly.com/can-you-make-the-gameboy-advance-screen-brighter/ |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |access-date=January 25, 2022 |website=Retro Only |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=IGN Staff |date=June 11, 2001 |title=Game Boy Advance: System Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/11/game-boy-advance-system-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111091706/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/11/game-boy-advance-system-review |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |access-date=January 8, 2022 |website=IGN}}</ref>

====Backlit model (AGS-101)====
{{main|Game Boy Advance SP#Backlit model (AGS-101)}}
On September 19, 2005, Nintendo released a new version of the SP, model AGS-101, that features a brighter backlit display. The switch that controls the backlight now toggles between two brightness levels.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 23, 2005 |title=Brighter SP coming to Europe |url=http://eurogamer.net/articles/news230905brightersp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612135413/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news230905brightersp |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |website=eurogamer.net}}</ref>

===Game Boy Micro===
{{Main|Game Boy Micro}}
[[File:Game-Boy-Micro.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Game Boy Micro]]
In September 2005, Nintendo released a second redesign of the Game Boy Advance. This model, dubbed the Game Boy Micro, is similar in style to the original Game Boy Advance's horizontal orientation, but is much smaller and sleeker. The Game Boy Micro allows the user to switch between several colored faceplates to allow customization, a feature which Nintendo advertised heavily around the Game Boy Micro's launch. Nintendo also hoped that this "fashion" feature would help target audiences outside of typical video game players. Unlike the previous Game Boy Advance models, the Game Boy Micro is unable to support [[Game Boy]] and [[Game Boy Color]] titles. The Game Boy Micro did not make much of an impact in the video game market, as it was overshadowed by the [[Nintendo DS]], which also played Game Boy Advance games through the GBA cartridge slot.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Corporate Management Policy Briefing – Q&A |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/kessan/060607qa_e/03.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220021407/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/kessan/060607qa_e/03.html |archive-date=December 20, 2008 |access-date=December 6, 2008 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] Co., Ltd. |page=3 |quote=The sales of Micro did not meet our expectations ... However, toward the end of 2005, Nintendo had to focus almost all of our energies on the marketing of DS, which must have deprived the Micro of its momentum.}}</ref>

==Reception==
Upon its North American release, [[IGN]] praised the Game Boy Advance's graphical capabilities and battery life, but criticized the system's shoulder button placement and noted the system's high price tag which "may be a tad bit too high to swallow", ultimately scoring the system with an "8.0" out of 10. They also pointed out the system's lack of a backlight which occasionally got in the way of playing games.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 11, 2001 |title=Game Boy Advance: System Review |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/11/game-boy-advance-system-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207020206/http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/11/game-boy-advance-system-review |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref>
[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] praised the Game Boy Advance's graphics, grip, and larger screen, stating that "You've never had as much fun playing old games."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mazza |first=Edward |date=June 11, 2001 |title=Review: Nintendo's Game Boy Advance |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98508&page=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206203317/http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98508&page=1 |archive-date=December 6, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref>

Reviewing for [[CNET]], Darren Gladstone scored the system with a 7.0 out of 10, praising its graphical performance and backward compatibility, but being considerably critical of the system's lack of a backlit screen, noting that it makes it "nearly impossible" to play in normal lighting conditions. Gladstone ultimately recommended the sleeker and backlit [[Game Boy Advance SP]] instead, despite noting that the cheaper price of the original model may "appeal to gamers on a lower budget."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gladstone |first=Darren |date=October 10, 2002 |title=Nintendo Game Boy Advance review |url=https://www.cnet.com/products/nintendo-game-boy-advance/review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207015848/https://www.cnet.com/products/nintendo-game-boy-advance/review/ |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=[[CNET]]}}</ref>

[[ROM hacking|ROM hacks]], fan games, and [[Homebrew (video games)|Homebrew games]] are developed for the GBA.

===Sales===
Nintendo hoped to sell 1.1&nbsp;million Game Boy Advance units by the end of March with the system's Japanese debut, and anticipated sales of 24&nbsp;million units before the end of 2001; many marketing analysts believed this to be a realistic goal due to the company's lack of major competition in the handheld video game market.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 21, 2001 |title=Nintendo launched new GameBoy |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1233379.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206221424/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1233379.stm |archive-date=December 6, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=[[BBC]]}}</ref> Within the first week of its North American launch in June, the Game Boy Advance sold 500,000 units, making it the fastest-selling video game console in the United States at the time. In response to strong sales, Nintendo ordered 100,000 units to ship to retail stores, hoping to ship another half million of them by the end of June.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eng |first=Paul |date=June 21, 2001 |title=Game Boy Advance Breaks Sales Records |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98471&page=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206142248/http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98471&page=1 |archive-date=December 6, 2017 |access-date=December 5, 2017 |publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]}}</ref> The Game Boy Advance also became the fastest-selling system in the United Kingdom, selling 81,000 units in its first week of release and beating the [[PlayStation 2]]'s previous record of 20,000 units.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Branwell |first=Tom |date=June 26, 2001 |title=Record-Breaking GameBoy Advance sales |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_30834 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206154931/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_30834 |archive-date=December 6, 2017 |access-date=December 5, 2017 |website=[[Eurogamer]]}}</ref> In 2004, the system's sales in the United Kingdom surpassed one million units.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahey |first=Rob |date=January 27, 2009 |title=UK Game Boy Advance sales top 1 Million In 2004 |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/uk-game-boy-advance-sales-top-1-million-in-2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209044236/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/uk-game-boy-advance-sales-top-1-million-in-2004 |archive-date=December 9, 2017 |access-date=December 8, 2017}}</ref>

On December 1, 2006, Nintendo of America released launch-to-date information indicating that the company had sold 33.6&nbsp;million units of the Game Boy Advance series in the United States.<ref name="sales release 12 01 2006">{{Cite web |last=Behrens |first=Mattie |date=December 1, 2006 |title=Nintendo sales through end of November revealed |url=https://www.nsidr.com/archive/nintendo-sales-through-end-of-november-revealed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224173657/https://www.nsidr.com/archive/nintendo-sales-through-end-of-november-revealed |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |access-date=April 7, 2021 |publisher=N-Sider Media}}</ref> In a Kotaku article published on January 18, 2008, Nintendo revealed that the Game Boy Advance series had sold 36.2&nbsp;million units in the United States, as of January 1, 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Michael McWhertor |date=November 12, 2013 |title=Who's Winning The Console War In The US? |url=http://kotaku.com/346301/whos-winning-the-console-war-in-the-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302102900/http://kotaku.com/346301/whos-winning-the-console-war-in-the-us |archive-date=March 2, 2008 |access-date=January 19, 2008 |publisher=Kotaku |quote=UPDATE: Nintendo was nice enough to forward on GBA figures, just so we can see how the ''other'' last-gen, still-on-the-market platform is holding up.}}</ref> {{As of|2009|12|31|df=US}}, 81.51&nbsp;million units of the Game Boy Advance series have been sold worldwide, [[Game Boy Advance SP#Sales|43.57 million]] of which are [[Game Boy Advance SP]] units and [[Game Boy Micro#Release and sales|2.42 million]] of which are [[Game Boy Micro]] units.<ref name="Micro sales">{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2007 |title=Consolidated Financial Highlights |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2007/070426e.pdf#page=21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070512022627/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2007/070426e.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2007 |access-date=April 26, 2007 |publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd. |page=8 |format=PDF}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Visteon Dockable Entertainment]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Game Boy Advance}}
{{Wikibooks|GBA Development}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110128120244/http://www.gameboy.com/ Official website] (archived)
* [https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/gameboyadvance/faq.jsp Game Boy Advance] at Nintendo.com ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070810144102/http://www.nintendo.com/systemsgba archived versions] at the [[Digital time capsule|Internet Archive Wayback Machine]])
* [https://fs-prod-cdn.nintendo-europe.com/media/downloads/support_1/game_boy_advance_4/GBA_Manual_UK_DE_FR.pdf Game Boy Advance Manual (UK, DE, FR)]

{{Game Boy Advance line}}
{{Nintendo hardware|Game Boy Advance}}
{{Sixth generation game consoles}}
{{Handheld game consoles}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|2000s|Video games|Electronics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Game Boy Advance}}
[[Category:Game Boy Advance| ]]
[[Category:2000s toys]]
[[Category:ARM-based video game consoles]]
[[Category:Backward-compatible video game consoles]]
[[Category:Discontinued handheld game consoles]]
[[Category:Game Boy consoles]]
[[Category:Handheld game consoles]]
[[Category:IQue consoles]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 2001]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 2010]]
[[Category:Regionless game consoles]]
[[Category:Sixth-generation video game consoles]]