Activision Anthology for GBA ! ! !

[PongHit]

I read a report from someone who attended the Austin Gaming Expo on Saturday -- he says he tried out an early version of the Activision Anthology for the GBA! He said the games he played ran great, & said the final product is supposed to have over 60 games! ASPYR is doing the GBA version: http://www.aspyr.com There doesn't appear to be any info about AA on the ASPYR site yet, but a company rep said they are planning the release for this October! WOW, I think this is great news!!

 

-PongHit

 

[Redcurrie]

Years ago, I bought the cd of Activision games for the computer as I remembered them as being my favorites from my Atari days. Although they played fairly well, it just wasn't the same. As I now have an Atari again (thank god), I can play any the "real way" that I can get my hands on. One of the GBA games that I played (very briefly might I add) was Namco museum but everything was too small. Maybe I'm just too old.....anyway, on the flipside, it would be nice to be able to play some of the games that I've only heard about because they are rare carts.

[foxglove9]

Wow, this is great GREAT news, I've been dying to play some atari games on my GBA. Let's just hope the conversions are fairly on target, and that is has a battery to save high scores. Wooo!

 

[Frostbite Z]

Years ago, I bought the cd of Activision games for the computer as I remembered them as being my favorites from my Atari days.  Although they played fairly well, it just wasn't the same.  As I now have an Atari again (thank god), I can play any the "real way" that I can get my hands on.  One of the GBA games that I played (very briefly might I add) was Namco museum but everything was too small.  Maybe I'm just too old.....anyway, on the flipside, it would be nice to be able to play some of the games that I've only heard about because they are rare carts.

 

I probably bought the same CD and had pretty much the same reaction. What it did do, however, was rekindle the fondness for the Activision games as well as prompt me to once again collect the games.

 

I just bought the Activision Anthology for the PS2 this week and am very impressed with it. Not all of the games play well, but it is a very well done collection. I love the patches and commercials extras, a very nice, nostalgic touch. My six-year-old son is also enjoying the games, which is a nice bonus.

[surfnmadness]

Yet another reason to blow the dust off my GBA besides long plane flights.

[+SpiceWare]

I didn't try it, but did watch a few people play it. It looked well done.

[+Random Terrain]

I still don't have the money to buy a GBA, but maybe later this year I will and reading this latest news makes me want to get it even more.

 

 

Which GBA do you guys recommend? The GBA SP:

 

http://www.nintendo.com/news/news_articles...?articleID=7901

 

or the the older GBA:

 

http://www.nintendo.com/news/news_articles...?articleID=6729

 

 

Seems like the older one would be easier to hold in your hands.

[rasty]

Hi!

 

Which GBA do you guys recommend?

Definitely, no doubt, 100%sure, positive, can't go wrong: the SP version!

 

I have the original one and I risked permanent blindness several times due to the amazingly dark screen! It is now resting in a drawer..

 

AfAIK anyway, the biggest issue with the SP is the lack of an headphone jack, but they do sell adapters for it...

 

Regards,

Rasty.-

[+Random Terrain]

OK, thanks rasty.

[rockman_x_2002]

I agree with Ratsy. You can't go wrong with the GBA SP. There's just so many extra goodies that the old GBA doesn't provide.

 

Of course, if you want to go the less expensive route, you might be able to find a regular GBA used for about $30 or $40 right about now (Check local pawn shops and the like. That's where I found these prices.). But even if you get one of these, I'd still say it's worth your while to save up for the SP.

[JB]

 

Which GBA do you guys recommend? The GBA SP:

 

http://www.nintendo.com/news/news_articles...?articleID=7901

 

or the the older GBA:

 

http://www.nintendo.com/news/news_articles...?articleID=6729

 

 

Seems like the older one would be easier to hold in your hands.

I feel your analysis is spot-on.

The SP is too damn small.

 

 

A comparision:

 

Original has crappy d-pad. SP has what feels like microswitches.

YAY FOR THE SP! Alas, this is the only unconditional plus I can give it.

 

SP has lights, original does not.

Non-issue IMNSHO. Only game I've seen it matter on is Circle of the Moon.

 

Original has no AC adapter jack. SP does.

It's a proprietary plug, but still better than nothing.

 

Original is wide, SP is narrow.

Gods, I hate the SP. Words cannot describe how happy I was that the GBA had brokent the vertical format of older Gameboys. Especially after the Pocket and Color, which were so much smaller than the GBO.

The SP is back at GBP/C width, and less deep to boot.

 

Original uses 2 AAs, SP uses a proprietary rechargable battery pack.

Despite Nintendo's wishes, the battery IS changable, with the use of a 3rd-party battery pack.

It's a lot easier to walk into the nearest store and grab a pair of AAs, IMNSHO. Though if you have a few charged batteries and a screwdriver on you, it doesn't matter.

 

Original has a headphone jack. SP does not.

Both have a horribly crappy speaker, as is the handheld way. Headphones are a necessity. Being able to use headphones without buying a 5$ part off Nintendo's website or from an import game company is a VERY large plus for the original.

[Agent X]

This was an unexpected surprise!

 

Will the games be emulated from the 2600, or ported (recreated)? In some ways (mainly having to do with screen resolution and aspect ratio), it might be better for them to do a new GBA port of the original code, rather than trying to emulate the 2600. Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced on the GBA is a good example of how to properly port the games over.

[AtariDude]

I already have the Anthology on my PS2 and it would be great if I could have it on my GBA but only if it is done right. I agree that the Konami advanced version was well done although I think Time Pilot must have had the difficulty setting wrong cause I have a hard time with it and not as hard a time on the PS2 with the same game.

[Albert]

Will the games be emulated from the 2600, or ported (recreated)? In some ways (mainly having to do with screen resolution and aspect ratio), it might be better for them to do a new GBA port of the original code, rather than trying to emulate the 2600. Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced on the GBA is a good example of how to properly port the games over.

 

The games are emulated on the GBA using the actual binaries. From what I've seen over the past few weeks, the emulation is coming along very nicely, and it is being written by someone with a good deal of 2600 experience. I can't wait until the finished product is released!

 

..Al

[ZylonBane]

Given that the GBA emulator doesn't have to be a general-purpose emulator, I'd bet that the binaries have been "pre-recompiled" into GBA native machine code. Would speed things up a lot, as then the GBA only has to emulate the audio/video system.

[+Random Terrain]

Thanks rockman_x_2002 and JB.

 

JB, when I first saw the width of the original GBA, I thought it might be nice since it looked so wide (easier to grab and hold both sides of the game). I hate tiny hand-held games such as the old Gameboy where you feel like a little rat holding a tiny bit of cheese between your paws. Nintendo acts like humans weigh about 50 pounds and are three feet tall. I know many Japanese people are smaller than most Americans, but they're not that small.

 

I didn't know that GBA SP was so much smaller than GBA. I guess I'll buy the older GBA later this year so I won't squeeze the life out of my heart and lungs just to hold onto a hand-held game. Thanks.

[NE146]

Get a friggin SP.. it's the best ever. Small Schmall.. you can squeeze it all you want. Just play it for a while and once you get used to it, it's the best. I guess if you want the original GBA then go for it.. but why would you want something where you CANT NORMALLY SEE THE SCREEN? Of course, I have both.. Matter o' fact I have 2 original GBA's (one Pokemon version ). But I doubt I'll ever break their battery-eating butt out again.

 

Anyway, yeah I guess I dig the fact that Activision Anthology is coming out for the GBA, but yknow.. I'm already tired of the Activision games. There are a lot of other 2600 stuff I'd like to play.. like Gravitar or video pinball. You get the jist. Now having the multitude of 2600 games available.. now THAT would rock.

 

I wonder if there's a chance the rom could get hacked where you could inject your own binaries... heheheh

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I'd bet that the binaries have been "pre-recompiled" into GBA native machine code.

Yes, that or a JIT compiler.

[Pete Perpetua]

The best way to play GBA Games is on the Game Boy Player.

[+Random Terrain]

The best way to play GBA Games is on the Game Boy Player.

 

I don't doubt that, but it's hard to drag your TV and everything to a doctor's waiting room or other places where you might need to play a game to keep yourself from going nutty.

 

Thank God for portable, hand-held games. Right now I have an Othello game, a Connect Four game, a Monopoly game (that might be wider than the original GBA), and a couple of other handheld games and they are better than a humiliating kick in the crotch, but not as good as playing Super Nintendo quality games when you are away from home and have nothing to do. Playing Atari 2600 games away from home will be cool too.

 

Thanks to everyone who added their vote for which GBA is better. I need to find a place that has both GBAs so I can compare them and see which one I like the best. Maybe by the time I have the money to buy either one, a new GBA that is better than both of them will be on store shelves.

[brendan]

I definitely recommend the original GBA - you can always add a backlight (actually, it's a frontlight, but it's internal). See my web page for some pics and some tips to install the Afterburner light, along with my reasoning to not trade in my GBA on a GBA SP, which was a preorder option at the time:

 

http://www.polylith.com/~brendan/VideoGame...fterburner.html

 

Of course, what I really want is a portable Atari like I've seen folks build...

 

Cheers,

Brendan

[JB]

Get a friggin SP.. it's the best ever. Small Schmall.. you can squeeze it all you want. Just play it for a while and once you get used to it, it's the best.  

Getting used to it didn't help the fact that the GameBoy Color was too small for my hands to rest comfortgably on it.

Now if the GBASP is SMALLER than the GBC, it stanads to reason that it is ALSO too small for me to comfortably use, regardless of whether I give myself time to adjust.

 

I guess if you want the original GBA then go for it.. but why would you want something where you CANT NORMALLY SEE THE SCREEN?

That's just bull.

The screen is perfectly visible 99% of the time.

 

I wonder if there's a chance the rom could get hacked where you could inject your own binaries... heheheh  

*gets an idea*

*checks*

Nope, no one's coded a VCS emu for GBA yet.

On the other hand, there ARE VCS emus for the GP32(a korean handheld system).

[privateers69]

I believe Mad Catz makes a handle made of rubber that attaches to the gbasp to make it feel like your holding a console sized controller. ahh found the picture in Best Buy.

[NE146]

That's just bull.

The screen is perfectly visible 99% of the time.

 

Look... we both know that of course you can see the original GBA screen otherwise they wouldn't have sold it And we wouldn't have played it all that time since it's release. Like I said, I have two originals and I enjoyed them immensely while I played them. Not to mention I still have them and will never get rid of them.. (holy crap now that I think of it, I got a small army of GB/GBC's/GBA's )

 

But anyway, it's far from a myth that the GBA screen glare is notoriously bad. About the only decent place I could play mine was sitting on the crapper where I had a nice bright heatlamp overhead Yes you CAN see it.. But if you're sitting on a halfway lit room on a couch or anywhere where it's semi dark/barely lit (which can be often when you're indoors) it's just a simple fact that it's hard to see! That's just the facts jacks Personally, the rechargeable battery and the ability to play anyplace (especially in the dark) makes me really like the GBASP

 

But yeah if the GBC was uncomfortable for you, then the GBASP will be moreso It's up to you.. Heck, I say just get em all

 

[JB]

That's just bull.

The screen is perfectly visible 99% of the time.

 

Look... we both know that of course you can see the original GBA screen otherwise they wouldn't have sold it And we wouldn't have played it all that time since it's release.

Well, knowing Nintendo I have my doubts.

They failed to notice that the Virtual Boy gave people headaches(50 Hz refresh, BTW).

 

 

Like I said, I have two originals and I enjoyed them immensely while I played them. Not to mention I still have them and will never get rid of them.. (holy crap now that I think of it, I got a small army of GB/GBC's/GBA's   )

I love the GBO. Sure the screen was crap, but it was comfortable.

 

But anyway, it's far from a myth that the GBA screen glare is notoriously bad. About the only decent place I could play mine was sitting on the crapper where I had a nice bright heatlamp overhead Yes you CAN see it.. But if you're sitting on a halfway lit room on a couch or anywhere where it's semi dark/barely lit (which can be often when you're indoors) it's just a simple fact that it's hard to see! That's just the facts jacks

Wait...

Glare gets WORSE with brighter lights.

It's also been a problem on every handheld game system I've ever used.

 

Hell, I have glare problems on my Vectrex. It's in just the wrong place to catch light from the ceiling fan and throw it back in my eyes.

An internal light's never really helpd that in my experience(see: my laptop, my TV occasionally).

 

 

The initial complaints with the GBA were the screen was too DARK.

Those complaints also seemed tied to people singing about how fun Circle of the Moon was.

 

The glare complaints came about after people realized the screen WASN'T that dark if you changed the cartridge.

 

 

I KNOW that was a Circle of the Moon example. I think they actually admitted that later.

 

And yes, that particular game IS that bad. Black on black on really dark gray is just STUPID for a GBA game.

Most games use lighter colors to avoid that problem.

...

I'm worried that as the SP becomes more popular, dark games will become common, since people'll quit worrying about the unlit screen of the original.

 

Circle of the Moon is a showcase game for the SP, as well as a shining example of why you should try a game on actual hardware in real-world conditions before you release it.

Most of those initial brightness complaints could've been avoided had someone at Konami loaded it onto a real GBA instead of a dev kit with 12 diffrent ways to interface to a CRT, powered it up, and gone "Holy crap, I can't see this!"