Nintendo
Nintendo has been in the portable game business since 1989, so they know what works and what doesn’t. That’s why Gameboy Advance is the most popular console in the world. Here’s a breakdown of all of Nintendo’s portable gaming systems, their strengths, weaknesses, and competitive analysis.
Nintendo Gameboy Advance
Design: The most popular gaming system in the world, the Nintendo Gameboy Advance packs a lot of fun in a tiny box. The original GBA has a few flaws though, and almost all of them come in its design. The most glaring omission is a backlight. Like the original gamebody (circa 1989) it’s almost impossible to see the screen in a slightly darkened room, or an oddly lit room, or in direct sunlight… there’s some issues with lighting. Another complaint is the “immature” design of the GBA. It’s a bit squat, and a bit Tyco-toy looking. The indigo casing doesn’t particularly help. Interface: Stick the game in and hit go. It’s a portable gaming system and that’s what it does. Nothing complex, only 4 buttons (which, from a design perspective has its positives and negatives, NES only had two buttons, but damn was that thing fun). Features: The biggest feature of this system is fun. The games are great, quirky, have the indispensable Nintendo sensibility that we’ve come to love over the decades. Another great feature is its backwards compatibility with all of your old gameboy games. It doesn’t do anything else, however, except play the games. But it’s a portable game system, what more do you want? Graphics: The graphics and power are close to the SNES, which is to say they’re great and can do a lot in a 2d environment, but when it comes to 3d, it just isn’t there. That being said, the designers at Nintendo and their partners do a great job utilizing the GBA to its fullest potential delivering great games with creative graphic design. Still, the system’s graphics suffer from the lack of a standard backlight. Hardware and Support: So pick up an external light. The Light Shield Advance is nice too. The system doesn’t have wireless support, but does have old fashioned wire-hook ups to go head to head with up to 4 players. Battery life is supplied by double As, and lasts practically for two days. There are so many great games that are supported by the GBA, especially when you consider the backwards compatibility, and that’s the most important support of all. It is important to note, however, that the machine itself is obsoleted by the GBA SP, so there’s little reason to by this model unless you’re looking for a deal, or like the squat design.
Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP
Design: The GBA SP solves many of the design problems from the original Advance. Right off the bat, the screen is now illuminated, so there’s the biggest design flaw eliminated right away. The squat, plastic-y design has been outmoded by a square, clamshell design with the controls on the bottom and the screen on the top. One great thing about the design, is it makes it even more compact/portable. Another great thing about this design is the protection offered by simply closing the clamshell. It really helps prevent scratches. Interface: Apart from the above differences, the SP is basically just like the original GBA, which means it’s got the same 4-button, no-nonsense interface we know and love. Just stick the game in and hit go! Features: Again like the original GBA, it plays games and nothing else. This is fine by us however; it is a portable game system after all. Graphics: Now with lighting, the GBA SP’s 2d graphics can really shine. Like the GBA, the graphics and power are close to the SNES, which is to say they’re great and can do a lot in a 2d environment, but when it comes to 3d, it just isn’t there. That being said, the designers at Nintendo and their partners do a great job utilizing the GBA to its fullest potential delivering great games with creative graphic design. Hardware and Support: One strange omission to the GBA SP is the lack of a standard headphone jack. You can purchase an adapter, but it costs extra. The lithium battery lasts about 10 hours before it needs recharging, and is user-replaceable if the need should arise. And of course, the SP is backwards compatible and has a ton of amazing Nintendo games.
Nintendo GBA Micro
Design: This neat, little portable is even smaller than an iPod mini. Now that’s small! An old-school design reminds us of the original NES controller, which is awesome as far as we’re concerned, we’ve always wanted a gaming system packed into the size and shape of the NES controller. One drawback to the micro-design is the micro-screen however, which is 2”, a bit small for our tastes. On the upside, it is Nintendo’s “Brightest screen to date.” Interface: Pop in the game, and you’re good to go. Couldn’t be simpler. Features: It’s a gameboy, so it plays games and not much else. One notable feature is its small size. The Micro is probably the most portable game system yet to debut, next to the Tamagachi key chain, that is. Graphics: Some people say that the GBA Micro has inferior graphics to the SP and original Advance, but this is merely an illusion created by the small screen. The graphics, resolution, and innards are identical the SP. However, the illusion of poor graphics and the reality of poor graphics are really the same thing when practically applied. Hardware and Support: As with all Gameboy systems, the Micro is backwards compatible, giving it access to an extremely wide library of games. The omission of a standard headphone jack has been fixed on this model, too.
More information will be available this Fall when the Micro debuts in stores.
Nintendo DS
Design: The clamshell/dual screen design is pretty cool. It may not be James Bond style or iPod cool, but it is Nintendo through and through. The downside of this design, however, is that the DS is rather bulky and probably will not fit into your pocket. Interface: This is one of the coolest parts of the Nintendo DS. Besides its 6 function buttons, there are other ways to interact with your DS. One way is the touch screen. The bottom screen is a PDA-style sensitive screen that you can interact with in various ways by using the included pen and thumb styluses. Another unique way you can interact with the DS is through its microphone, which registers sound. In terms of getting to the games and playing them, the DS is as simple as any other gameboy: you just plug in the game and go. The difference is how you play the games: the stylus and microphone are often important parts of the controls. Features: The two screens are the most notable feature. The top screen is a display screen, sometimes showing game status or mini videos, and sometimes allowing the game’s level to spill upwards onto the top screen. Possible applications include vertical levels, multiple views, and expanded views. The DS also has great wireless connectivity, able to interact with other systems in the area of up to about 150 feet! There is a dual-slot design as well, that allows backwards compatibility with Gameboy Advance titles, for an expended library. Graphics: The graphics are pretty good, about the same as an N64. The PSP has it licked however, with both a larger screen and better graphics. Even if you do hack the DS to play movies etc., the graphics would not be as good as the PSP’s, which have those features natively. Hardware and Support: As of yet, the DS does not brows the web, play movies, or play mp3s, but there are a number of third party companies that provide accessories to allow some of these options. One feature that is almost certainly in the DS’s future is software that allows it to act as a PDA, organizer etc. That could be very cool.