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[Dilbert]

OK...so I'm actually considering springing for a GBA SP, and could use some advice since I'm so late to the party that even the potato chip crumbs are gone. A couple of questions first:

1) How long does the battery last with typical use? (I'm assuming that you play with backlight on at all times.) How long does it take to recharge the battery? How long will a battery pack last before it has to be replaced, and how much does a new pack cost?

2) What accessories are included with the GBA SP, and what other items are in the must-purchase category? Is it possible to buy the headphone adapter WITHOUT also buying another crappy pair of earbuds? (I have more headphones than I know what to do with already...) I don't think I need a link cable at this point since I would be using it for solo play almost exclusively.

3) Other than color preference, is there any difference between the various styles of GBA SP? I'm leaning towards silver...unless there is a reason to pick one of the others. (Is the headphone adapter required for all models? Is a different color more scratch-resistant?)

As for game recommendations, I'd be looking for your opinions on the following games, as well as additional recommendations in the following categories. Unfortunately, I simply DESPISE RPGs, so I'm not looking for anything in that genre. Normally, I'm not a huge RTS player either, but I would probably give Advance Wars a shot since it's so highly recommended.

Puzzle: WarioWare has gotten some rave reviews. Any other ideas, other than Tetris, which is the spawn of Satan? Any games which would be accessible and fun for girls?

Racing: I'm most interested in Mario Kart Super Circuit, but I saw a Crash Team Racing variant in the store which intrigued me since I loved CTR on the PS1 so much. Any opinions about which is better? How is F-Zero?

Adventure: If I've never played a Zelda game before, would I enjoy LttP?

Platform: Is Metroid Fusion or Metroid: Zero Mission better for a beginner? Is Sonic Advance 3 or Super Mario Advance 4 better? Castlevania: CotM or AoS?

Sports: Are ANY of the sports games good? Is there a decent blackjack game for the GBA SP? (I need casino rules, or I'm not interested...)

Thanks for your advice...

 

[Fifty]

1) 8-10 hours. It charges in about 3, max.

2) Nothing is included except for a charger. You should be able to order an official adaptor from NOA online

3) There are no technical differences.

Oh, and if you want blackjack, get "ultimate card games". It really has everything you'd want in a card game comp, and IGN gave it a fantastic review.

Warioware is a must have, and Super Puzzle Fighter is a good puzzle game.

 

[8bit]

OK...so I'm actually considering springing for a GBA SP, and could use some advice since I'm so late to the party that even the potato chip crumbs are gone. A couple of questions first:

1) How long does the battery last with typical use? (I'm assuming that you play with backlight on at all times.) How long does it take to recharge the battery? How long will a battery pack last before it has to be replaced, and how much does a new pack cost?

Long enough. 8 hours is probably about average.

2) What accessories are included with the GBA SP, and what other items are in the must-purchase category? Is it possible to buy the headphone adapter WITHOUT also buying another crappy pair of earbuds? (I have more headphones than I know what to do with already...) I don't think I need a link cable at this point since I would be using it for solo play almost exclusively.

A Charger, IIRC. You'll need to spring for a headphone > SP adaptor.

3) Other than color preference, is there any difference between the various styles of GBA SP? I'm leaning towards silver...unless there is a reason to pick one of the others. (Is the headphone adapter required for all models? Is a different color more scratch-resistant?)

Silver is fine from my experiences.

As for game recommendations, I'd be looking for your opinions on the following games, as well as additional recommendations in the following categories. Unfortunately, I simply DESPISE RPGs, so I'm not looking for anything in that genre. Normally, I'm not a huge RTS player either, but I would probably give Advance Wars a shot since it's so highly recommended.

Advance Wars is hot liquid sex.

Puzzle: WarioWare has gotten some rave reviews. Any other ideas, other than Tetris, which is the spawn of Satan? Any games which would be accessible and fun for girls?

Wario Ware is hot liquid sex, also for girls.

Racing: I'm most interested in Mario Kart Super Circuit, but I saw a Crash Team Racing variant in the store which intrigued me since I loved CTR on the PS1 so much. Any opinions about which is better? How is F-Zero?

Dunno, racing games aren't much fun, IMO.

Adventure: If I've never played a Zelda game before, would I enjoy LttP?

Yes.

Platform: Is Metroid Fusion or Metroid: Zero Mission better for a beginner? Is Sonic Advance 3 or Super Mario Advance 4 better? Castlevania: CotM or AoS?

SMA 4 > SA3. AoS > CotM. Both Metroids are kind of sucky, IMO. YMMV.

Sports: Are ANY of the sports games good? Is there a decent blackjack game for the GBA SP? (I need casino rules, or I'm not interested...)

Dunno.

Thanks for your advice...

 

[evil ways]

1) How long does the battery last with typical use? (I'm assuming that you play with backlight on at all times.) How long does it take to recharge the battery? How long will a battery pack last before it has to be replaced, and how much does a new pack cost?

Well the most I usually play my GBA is about 1-2 hours every now and then, and it takes a few days, maybe even a week until the light indicator turns orange/red telling me to recharge.

2) What accessories are included with the GBA SP, and what other items are in the must-purchase category? Is it possible to buy the headphone adapter WITHOUT also buying another crappy pair of earbuds? (I have more headphones than I know what to do with already...) I don't think I need a link cable at this point since I would be using it for solo play almost exclusively.

Just the GBA SP, and the power outlet battery charger. I can really do without both the earphone adapter and the link cable, since I'm getting Zelda 4 Swords and it has one free.

3) Other than color preference, is there any difference between the various styles of GBA SP? I'm leaning towards silver...unless there is a reason to pick one of the others. (Is the headphone adapter required for all models? Is a different color more scratch-resistant?)

I got my GBA SP for free so I really didn't have a choice as far as color(got a blue one), but I would've liked to either get the onyx black version to go with the CG or the recent Nes classic version. And yes every model requires the headphone adapter.

As for games I reccomend:

Castlevania Aria of Sorrow
Zelda ALttP/4 Swords
Metroid Zero Mission
Super Mario Advance 4
Super Mario Advance 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Fire Pro Wrestling 2

 

[Mairu]

Battery lasts 10 hours... Probably takes 2-3 hours to charge to full?

I don't think it's possible to buy the headphone adapter without getting the earbuds that come with it.

Get a NES SP, they're awesome, especially the controller material that's on the button faceplate thing. All SPs require the headphone adapter

If you are only getting one game, WarioWare should be it. It's an amazing game, will keep you playing for an insane amount of hours and is worth whatever price it currently sells for. Mario vs. Donkey Kong is very good as well. I haven't played the GBA Crash Team Racing, but both Mario Kart Super Circuit and F-Zero Maximum Velocity are well worth buying (Less so on F-Zero since I believe the next F-Zero GBA game comes out soon).

You should definitely check out Four Swords... Link to the Past is a fantastic game and it is a disservice to yourself to not check it out.

Zero Mission and Fusion are both fairly easy (Though they have harder modes)

Mario Advance 4 rules, you cannot go wrong with SMB3

 

[AniHawk]

OK...so I'm actually considering springing for a GBA SP, and could use some advice since I'm so late to the party that even the potato chip crumbs are gone. A couple of questions first:

1) How long does the battery last with typical use? (I'm assuming that you play with backlight on at all times.) How long does it take to recharge the battery? How long will a battery pack last before it has to be replaced, and how much does a new pack cost?

2) What accessories are included with the GBA SP, and what other items are in the must-purchase category? Is it possible to buy the headphone adapter WITHOUT also buying another crappy pair of earbuds? (I have more headphones than I know what to do with already...) I don't think I need a link cable at this point since I would be using it for solo play almost exclusively.

3) Other than color preference, is there any difference between the various styles of GBA SP? I'm leaning towards silver...unless there is a reason to pick one of the others. (Is the headphone adapter required for all models? Is a different color more scratch-resistant?)

As for game recommendations, I'd be looking for your opinions on the following games, as well as additional recommendations in the following categories. Unfortunately, I simply DESPISE RPGs, so I'm not looking for anything in that genre. Normally, I'm not a huge RTS player either, but I would probably give Advance Wars a shot since it's so highly recommended.

Puzzle: WarioWare has gotten some rave reviews. Any other ideas, other than Tetris, which is the spawn of Satan? Any games which would be accessible and fun for girls?

Racing: I'm most interested in Mario Kart Super Circuit, but I saw a Crash Team Racing variant in the store which intrigued me since I loved CTR on the PS1 so much. Any opinions about which is better? How is F-Zero?

Adventure: If I've never played a Zelda game before, would I enjoy LttP?

Platform: Is Metroid Fusion or Metroid: Zero Mission better for a beginner? Is Sonic Advance 3 or Super Mario Advance 4 better? Castlevania: CotM or AoS?

Sports: Are ANY of the sports games good? Is there a decent blackjack game for the GBA SP? (I need casino rules, or I'm not interested...)

Thanks for your advice...

1. The battery with the frontlight on lasts about 10 hours. With it off, it's about 15 hours. Recharging lasts 3 hours, and it you can play it as it recharges. Batteries may have to be replaced every 3 years (only figure I've heard), and I thought it was a normal lithium battery (which costs about $5-$10.

2. The charger comes with the system, and that's about it. You can buy the headphone adapter for headphone use.

3. The different colors are Platinum (silver), Flame (red), Onyx (black), Cobalt (blue), and Sexy (NES Classic Edition). All require the headphone adapters.

Puzzle: WarioWare's the only one I can think of. There's also Super Monkey Ball Jr. and another puzzle game from Sega, I believe.

Racing: From what I've heard, the new F-Zero game is better than Maximum Velocity. Mario Kart is alright.

Adventure: You might enjoy ALttP. I played it for the first time in 2000, and I had a good time with it. Check out Link's Awakening DX though if you can.

Platform: You should check out Zero Mission before Fusion. It's easier, and also the beginning of the series. Super Mario Bros. 3 is great if you have the e-reader for the new extra levels... but that can run you up pretty high in price. As far as the Castlevanias go, I've heard great things about all three games, but that AoS is the best on the system.

Sports: There's some Tony Hawk games on the system you might enjoy. I'm sure if you look around, there's some casino games.

 

[sc0la]

1)as advertised the battery lasts about 10 hours with backlight. Takes about 3 hours to fully recharge. They claim 500 recharges, thats 5,000 hours of gameplay with backlight before battery replacement. I forgot the price of a replacement.

2)headphone adaptor, maybe one of those slick pelacin leather covers if you are paranoid about scratches. they look great and cost about $15 at best buy.

3) All models are the same, there is some argument over scratch resistance/scratch standout amongst the different colors. I like my Indigo but the retro NESsp is calling me
again Ill recomend that sweet leather slip, protects scratches and looks cool.

4)
Wario Ware is accesible to girls (got my GF hooked)
Mario Kart is a pretty decent offering if you like the SNES iteration of the Kart games.

Never played a zelda? what are you thinking? Go ahead and pick up LttP, it is one of gamings pure classics.

Metroid ZM and fusion are both fairly easy (by metroid standards) but if you are a newbie to the series I recomend ZM since it introduces a lot of the abilities and the gameplay.

Advance Wars isn't RPG nor RTS, if you do pick it up and enjoy it make sure to check out its sequal and Fire Emblem.

 

[Scott]

Definitely check out "Klonoa: Empire of Dreams," it's one of the best titles on the system IMO.

 

[Defensor]

Beware though, I bought Advance wars( Wario64 and crew are going to hate me for this) and I didn't like it at all.

 

[AniHawk]

 

[Tritroid]

You'll be wanting these:

 

[Soul4ger]

http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=180

Get ^, too.

 

[Naked Snake]

Shame on you for waiting this long to get an SP... with that out of the way, on to your questions:

1) Pretty damn long, I think I charge mine less than once a week.

3) I keep hearing black is most resistant to scratches, I have the Flame (red) one and it has recieved a good amount of abuse and it still looks fabulous, yes it is scratched but unless you're looking at the thing 3 inches away from your eyes, you're not likely to notice them.

Wario Ware is not a puzzle game by any means (except for the included Dr. Wario I guess), but still an excellent game, get it.

F-Zero Maximum Velocity sucks.

I love the 3D Zeldas, but I got bored of ALttP pretty quickly.

Metroid Zero Mission > Fusion, Super Mario Advance 4 > Sonic Advance 3, and Aria of Sorrow > CotM

 

[Ferrio]

I'm about to buy one myself. Didn't care to get one until now. But that retro NES look and Zelda 1 sold me.

 

[Defensor]

forgot this:

 

[Ferrio]

forgot this:

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[Agent Dormer]

If you like the sun, get Boktai!

 

[hooo]

Is it possible to buy the headphone adapter WITHOUT also buying another crappy pair of earbuds?

Unfortunately, I simply DESPISE RPGs, so I'm not looking for anything in that genre.

Adventure: If I've never played a Zelda game before, would I enjoy LttP?

store.nintendo.com has the adapter by itself.

Mario & Luigi is highly recommended particularly if you don't like the BS level up redundancy nor the many mindless battles in most rpg's.

Forget Lttp, play the oracle games particularly Oracle of Ages. Greatest 2d zelda ever.

 

[jedimike]

Shouldn't there be a price drop this fall? I say wait a couple months.

 

[jarrod]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Shame on you period, this game rocks. Best handheld KoF by far and a serious contender for best handheld fighter period.

 

[KingGondo]

I recommend picking up the NES edition--I traded in my Platinum SP for it, and it was completely worth it. Also, don't forget the Game Boy Color and original games! These are all great:

Zelda: Oracle of Ages
Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Kirby's Pinball Land
Tetris (duh)
Metal Gear Solid
Mario Tennis
Mario Golf

Also, I hear that Donkey Kong '94 is fantastic, if you can find it.

 

[Wario64]

Wario Ware Inc. and River City Ransom are some good GBA games! If you can import, try to find Kuru Kuru Kururin.This game rox!!! It's like Super Monkey Ball sorta...you have to guide this rotating stick through a maze without touching the sides. Very addicting!

 

[Mermandala]

You should add Mr. Driller 2 along with Kuru Kuru Kururin for import fun. This game shows up on ebay and can be gotten cheap.

 

[belgurdo]

Whatever you do, don't buy Golden Sun (either part), Lunar, or Lufia. If you need RPGs, get a strategy title (Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or Advance Wars will do) or Megaman Battle Network instead.

 

[Wario64]

Also, get Fire Emblem! Game rox! RPG-ish with strategy put into the mix

 

[Mashing]

If you guys are talking to the original poster.. he specifically stated he DESPISES rpgs...

Just a FYI

 

[ourumov]

My recommendations are the following:

-Gekkido Advance (if you find it you will experience happiness...I was dumb enough to not buy it and now I regret).
-Castlevania AOS/HOD/COTM... Circle of the Moon can be avoided though...
-Street Fighter Alpha 3...Who doesn't need another port of it ?
-Konami WAI WAI Racing...I liked it more than Mario Kart:SC.
-

 

[Dilbert]

Thanks for all the suggestions...I'm taking notes frantically.

Why is the NES version of the GBA SP supposed to be such a good thing? As far as I can tell, it just LOOKS different...and since I didn't have an NES, I don't have any particular sentimental attachment to that appearance.

 

[explodet]

Why is the NES version of the GBA SP supposed to be such a good thing? As far as I can tell, it just LOOKS different...and since I didn't have an NES, I don't have any particular sentimental attachment to that appearance.

There's no difference, other than the looks. A different-colored SP will be fine if you don't care about the whole NES thing.

(My version was a limited edition gold. )

 

[NetMapel]

 

[Hero]

Street Fighter Alpha 3 is hot.

Tetris Worlds is fun as well.

Wario Ware is a must have.

 

[BobbyRobby]

My recommendations are the following:

-Gekkido Advance (if you find it you will experience happiness...I was dumb enough to not buy it and now I regret).

-

It's that good? I was tempted a few times by the copy at my work.

 

[ourumov]

Graphically it's one of the most impressive GBA games...you can say it has SF3-level animation.
I enjoyed it a lot...my main complaint is sound-related since the partirure could be more varied...

 

[ballhog]

I just picked up a NES style SP a few minutes ago, probably no real advantage aside from it looking slick. But the sticker on the inside is probably pretty durable. And definitely get Wario Ware.

 

[Dilbert]

Well, I bought the GBA SP tonight. Thanks again for all the recommendations!

Two more questions:

1) Is there any way to find a new (affordable) copy of Advance Wars at this point, or will I have to luck into a used copy in good shape with a manual? Any ideas on which brick-and-mortar stores might be good places to check?

2) If not, can I enter the series with Advance Wars 2, or will I really be missing out by not playing the first one?

 

[Agent Dormer]

Well, I bought the GBA SP tonight. Thanks again for all the recommendations!

Two more questions:

1) Is there any way to find a new (affordable) copy of Advance Wars at this point, or will I have to luck into a used copy in good shape with a manual? Any ideas on which brick-and-mortar stores might be good places to check?

2) If not, can I enter the series with Advance Wars 2, or will I really be missing out by not playing the first one?

Enter with Advance Wars 2! $15 at Circuit City this week.

 

[Fatalah]

Any good HOCKEY games on the SP? Sorta reminiscent of EA's 97 hockeygame?

 

[Spiritreaver]

I'm with everyone suggesting SFA3, but I just thought I'd give you a tip. The game is slightly hard to find, and NEVER buy it used.. it has no means of a data erase so if everything's unlocked it's kind of not as fun. :\ Especially since it has tons of unlockables.

 

[Myoclonic Jerk]

1 game that you HAVE TO BUY


Fire Emblem 2003's GBA GOTY

 

[Eggo]

Congrats on the purchase. My two cents on various issues:

1) My first time charging the GBA seemed to be more than three hours. Maybe closer to six, but only the initial charge. I tend to charge it overnight, and that doesn't happen often since the battery life is long (8-10 hours). I've never heard of anyone replacing their GBA SP battery since it hasn't been out that long. Also, most people have already bought more than one version of Game Boy Advance. I have 3 so far and am scheming of ways to get an NES colored one. By the time your battery dies, if you really like the system, there's a good chance you'll just want to buy another one instead, since it's pretty cheap.

2) As far as accessories go, there is a GBA SP starter pack by Nyko I believe it is at Frys Electronics for $15 or $10 (got mine on sale for $10). It has everything you need: an SP carrying case, game cases, link cable, headphones, adaptor, wrist strap, etc. It's like 8 peripherals in one kit and the price is hard to turn down. I highly recommend it for starters. Should be all you need in terms of peripherals.

While you're at Fry's, you should check out the price of Advanced Wars 2. I bought it from the Manhattan Beach store for $14 maybe a month ago. I'd recommend playing 2 before 1, since that may be hard to find. If you're adamant about playing the first one, try a local Funcoland, or else drive up to Game Dude in North Hollywood. They will most likely have it for cheap (maybe call in advance to make sure). You will appreciate the second one more if you played the first, but the second one should be fine for first time players as well. Also the game is turn-based, not real-time. I really liked both games.

I suggest trying out Aria of Sorrow if you're going to play a Castlevania. I think it's the worst of the three, but it's the easiest to find and has the best graphics. Good starter Castlevania. If you like it, you might dig up the others for a price. Zelda LTTP is great, but Castlevania is more non-RPG-ish if that makes any sense. I say try both out.

Wario Ware was GOTY material for me, but know that a lot of people do not like the game. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Mario vs. Donkey Kong. It's part platformer and part puzzle game. I think it's fun, though it may be too easy and too short (taking my time finishing it). Other puzzle games to try are Columns and Bust a Move. I'm also thinking of buying Ultimate Card Games, but I can't pull the trigger on that as a $29.99 purchase. If you shop around or wait, you can usually find GBA games for less than that.

 

[Gattsu25]

1) ~8~10 hours, i'd say -- Takes ~2 hours to charge it (think the initial charge is longer)
2) A Battery Charger -- None...headphone adapter maybe...but nothing more is needed
3) not that i know of. NES > Silver > all
Games) you're on your own

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

Metroid Fusion was nothing but shooting blocks at random and hoping that one would disappear or reveal the next path. Every room you go in to, you have to shoot the walls, floor, and ceiling until you're sure that you didn't miss anything. It gets better once you have a room -clearing super-bomb but I found most of the game annoying as hell.

Castelvania Aria of Sorrow still has Metroid style play, but is much less annoying and has more unlockables.

Also consider Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo. It took many months for that cart to leave my GBA.

 

[tedtropy]

(runs away, laughing manically...)

 

[Ollie Pooch]

kuru kuru kururin is great fun, and the music is cool too.. is that the japanese box art in the post up above? this australian one is awesome lots of little cartoony bird.. things.. with helicopters.. but yeh if you can manage to find it, its addictive as hell and HARD in the later levels (by this time the 'smashing' noise of your rotating stick-thing hitting the sides will be like nails on a blackboard to you...but not so frustrating as to turn you off playing it ;p)

i prefer fusion to zero mission (though i haevn't played all the way through zero mission yet). had a real creepy vibe to it that zero mission doesn't really have, imo.

i have a silver gbasp but ive just been suckered in by the NES SP, have ordered from lik sang scratches show up on the silver one but not much. ive had it ages and its held up pretty well - just get a case for it...

probalby the two games that have got the most play time on my GBA so far have been mario kart and possibly advance wars - which is a great game even though i really suck at it..