A few new details on the GBA successor

[OB1]

From GAF:

A very quick tidbit on plans Nintendo may have for the successor to their GBA SP:

Nintendo developer Takeshi Kiyuna commented on the plans for the new handheld, saying that it will have a larger screen, with the resolution planned to be at least 300 x 200, in 260,000 colors.

Quick news, but important news, too. A larger screen? My rapidly aging eyes will thank you, Nintendo.


Source: Magic Box

Posted by pizzicato on 7.4.2003

Hmm, I wonder when it'll come out. Nintendo will definitely want to have something to combat the PSP in late 2004. Now let's just hope that Nintendo copies some of the things Sony is doing with their handheld, like using a cheap disc medium instead of expensive carts.

[Great Rumbler]

I still a little skepticle about how well a disc based handheld will work in terms of battery life. Just look at those non-skip CD players, batteries for those only last a few hours, and with the PSP it has to do lots of other things besides just reading the disc. They'll probaby use a battery like the GBASP, but I still think battery life could be a problem.

Nintendo will probably release the successor to the GBA somewhere around the PSP's launch, maybe in early 2005.

[OB1]

The world may never know...

[Weltall]

It better be backwards-compatible. I'm sick of having to buy a new GameBoy every two friggin years.

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, it better be backwards compatible with previous GB games.

[Darunia]

The original GB lasted what, 10 years....? And now they're trying to reinvent the handheld industry every two years since the GBC came out. I don't approve of this at all. I don't want to keep upgrading handhelds as often as I do consoles.

[OB1]

I do. Gameboys are a lot cheaper than home consoles, so it would be better if consoles had a longer lifespan than handhelds. $100 for a new system vs. $300? And it's not like you had to buy the Gameboy Pocket or the GBA SP. Those were just new models of the same handheld. Personally, I like having the choice.

[EdenMaster]

Originally posted by Darunia
The original GB lasted what, 10 years....? And now they're trying to reinvent the handheld industry every two years since the GBC came out. I don't approve of this at all. I don't want to keep upgrading handhelds as often as I do consoles.

Competition with Sony sparked up right around then too, though. When the PSP comes out though, it's gonna be all-out handheld battle. The PSP looks promising, but GameBoy is a powerful name, and will be tough to topple. Everyone probably said that about Nintendos consoles too though.

I'm not sure disks are the best way to go. When you can take disks out of a system, put them in a box and put them on a rack or shelf, that's fine, but this a portable system, and little discs like that may be too fragile for on-the-go gaming.

We'll have to see what happens...

[OB1]

They're not "naked" discs, EM. Here's what they look like:

[geoboy]

Nintendo does what they want, and they want to stick with carts for as long as they can. Nintendo won't switch to a disc medium until developers and consumers start demanding for it, and they won't start demanding for it unless the PSP can prove itself. But who knows. Maybe Nintendo will keep the competition tight and not let Sony get into their market. It ain't likely, though.

I just hope the new gameboy is backwards compatible, can do 3D, has a friggin' headphone jack, has at least four face buttons, one or two trigger buttons (that are actually placed well) and maybe even a joystick! Though a joystick would make the thing less portable. :( Plus a backlit screen and long battery life are a given.

[OB1]

Nintendo stuck with carts the last time Sony entered Nintendo's territory and look where that got them.

[EdenMaster]

Originally posted by geoboy
I just hope the new gameboy is backwards compatible, can do 3D, has a friggin' headphone jack, has at least four face buttons, one or two trigger buttons (that are actually placed well) and maybe even a joystick! Though a joystick would make the thing less portable. :( Plus a backlit screen and long battery life are a given.

You're not asking for much ;).

You're right though, 3D capabilities will be a necessity if Nintendo hopes to keep their iron grip firmly on the handheld industry. Actually, an analog stick may be usable. I'm not engineer for the damn thing so I don't know if this would work, but how about a little one that folds down or even detaches when not in use. That would make it more portable. Stop whining about headphones, buy the measely $5 jack. I never use 'em anyhow :). Are you insinuating that you don't like the placement of GBA/GBA-SPs buttons? I think they're perfect.

OB1: I see what you mean with the disks. That might make them more feasible.

[big guy]

they could do a joystick like the Neo Geo Pocket Color's click stick. works great for both analouge and digital control.

[OB1]

Yup.

[geoboy]

I wasn't writing up a wishlist. Those were just some must have features IMO. And I dislike the placement of the L and R buttons because I don't rest my pointer fingers on top of the GBA, but rather on the back of it. But when I do decide to rest my fingers on the L or R buttons, I frequently press them by mistake. If I could have designed the GBA, I would have made the L&R buttons more like the Z trigger on the N64 controller where your pointer finger can rest comfortably on the trigger without any abnormal muscle strain and without accidentally hitting them.

As for the joystick, I don't know how to explain this, but I've thought of a way to make it portable. Think of a regular D-pad, but now replace it will a ball set inside the GBA with only a fourth of it on top showing (much like an eyeball). This ball feels like a regular joystick in how it always wants to be in center position and resists a little when you move it. Of course there would be a part on the ball that contoors to your thumb and would also have a nice grip. I hope that explains what I'm trying to get at here. :D

[A Black Falcon]

The L and R buttons are okay... I would like X/Y better, but L/R do. Of course X/Y AND L/R would be by far the best... and of course triggers are way better than shoulder buttons but I see no way to fit triggers on a gameboy.

As for the next gameboy, it MUST have 8 buttons. It also must have a headphone jack. Having a analog stick of some kind, probably with a dpad too, would be great too...

[OB1]

The GBA SP feels better to me.

[A Black Falcon]

It might, I haven't used it much... but it would be nice to have the classic GB layout again. The GBA is okay but I like the vertical design more...

And the GBA desperately needs a louder speaker. The standard GBA is the same as a GBC in its weakness...

[OB1]

You really should have gotten the SP.

[A Black Falcon]

Its just not worth $45-$50 more (once you add a headphone adaptor)! Not for what you get...

[Weltall]

Originally posted by A Black Falcon
Its just not worth $45-$50 more (once you add a headphone adaptor)! Not for what you get...

Oh yes it is. Unless you happen to own a portable sun to provide a light source. That built-in light makes a world of difference. I don't know how I ever managed to play an unlit GBA before.

Having a headphone adaptor wasn't that important to me anyway. What I DON'T understand is why they again failed to re-implement the wireless infrared system the GBC had. I don't know why they removed it in the first place for the original GBA, but they still left it out. Suckers.

[A Black Falcon]

Headphones not important? But GB sound is SO much better with them! The difference really is dramatic...

Oh, and the IR port is gone because it wasn't very useful.

Also... I still just don't see why a light is so vitally important most of the time... I don't use my wormlight very often, GBC or GBA.

[OB1]

The GBA screen is a lot darker than the GBC or SP screen, and the only good external light available is the floodlight, which is real heavy and requires a lot of batteries. And the headphone adapter is $5. Oooh! So you'd have to pay $45 more for an SP, which is how much you're going to pay for batteries before the year is up. Verrrry poor decision, ABF.

[A Black Falcon]

Floodlight? Why in the world would I buy a new light when my (original-style) wormlight works well enough for the very small amount of use it gets?

[OB1]

Have you trying playing Circle of the Moon yet? Get back to me when you do. Oh and try playing some of your GBC games.

Even if there was no light in the SP (which makes a huge difference), the amount of money you save on batteries alone more than makes up for the price difference.

[Dark Jaguar]

Not for me! You assume I actually use anywhere near even 10 dollars in batteries a year. Here's a secret. Most people will give you batteries freely if you ask nicely in their house :D.

[OB1]

[Dark Jaguar]

No really! It's like it's polite. It doesn't even seem to matter what it's for, you can even SAY it's for your game boy! Just ask, they give, they don't mind at ALL. I know, I did the same thing without realizing it when someone else asked for some and I didn't feel the slightest bit put out! It's amazing really. Can't do the same with lightbulbs though for some reason...

[Great Rumbler]

my (original-style) wormlight works well enough

Wormlights are for fools!!

[OB1]

Well for those of us that don't like to mooch off of other people, the SP will save you lots of money. :shakeit:

[Dark Jaguar]

You need to learn to either enjoy life or make some actual JOKES. Really, the "come back" is so passe. The best way to make yourself look funnier is to EXPAND upon the previous joke! That's the funny way!

[OB1]

The butt smiley should have told you that I was also joking. You see, to beat the joker (you), you (me) have to play their game and go along with the whole thing (the joke).

[Dark Jaguar]

Missing the point again Graham?

[OB1]

No you're missing the point! I've beaten you at your own game!

Daniel: 1

Karen: -3

[Great Rumbler]

*makes a witty comment about the situation* *OB1 explodes because he brain cannot comprehend the subtle wit* *DJ appears unfazed due to something that involves Fairies*

[Weltall]

Wormlights suck. When I had one with my old GBA I had to replace the batteries twice a week. Now with the SP I can go almost a week without even needing to charge the battery... and I NEVER play without the light on. Even in well-lit areas, you have to tilt the thing to get a proper light source without the light.

However, I almost bought a second regular GBA last week because my store was selling the Arctic ones for only $25 to kill the stock!

[OB1]

As they say, "Once you go SP you can't go gback!"

Hahaha! I just made that up....


....



me:

EdenMaster:

Great Rumbler: :shake:


...


me:

[Weltall]

Me: :stupid:

[OB1]

Me: :cry:

[Great Rumbler]

Originally posted by OB1
Great Rumbler: :shake:

Yep, that's me exactly.

[Weltall]

Sorry... it's just that that particular smiley is so tempting to use, regardless of the circumstance.

It's scary how often it can be used....

...ESPECIALLY SINCE OB1 AND ABF ARE THE BIGGEST POSTERS HERE *budumpish!*

I kid, I kid :p

[Dark Jaguar]

Fairy? Where the fairy?! *readies bug catching net*

[Great Rumbler]

There is no Fairy. The Fairy is only in my mind.

[Dark Jaguar]

You keep a fairy in your MIND eh? *readites bug catchin hatchet*

Oh come on deep down when you typed that you KNEW it would come to this!

[Great Rumbler]

Mind is a totally different thing from brain...

[OB1]

Indeed.

[Great Rumbler]

Indeed.

What do you mean by THAT?! Indeed? What deed might that be? And what in it is so important that you decided to comment on it?! WELL??!!

[Dark Jaguar]

Oh, right... *readies bug catching psyonic hatchet*

[Great Rumbler]

Do you see how my mind works?! It's like a laser!

[Dark Jaguar]

.... fairy laser?