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Game Boy Advance facts for kids

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Game Boy Advance
Gameboy advance logo.svg
Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-Purple-FL.jpg
The indigo version of the original Game Boy Advance.
Developer Nintendo R&E
Manufacturer Nintendo
Product family Game Boy line
Type Handheld game console
Generation Sixth generation
Release date Game Boy Advance:
  • March 21, 2001 BRA
  • AUS June 20, 2001
Game Boy Advance SP:
AGS-001:
  • February 14, 2003 CAN
  • AUS April 10, 2003
  • CHN December 1, 2003
  • KOR January 18, 2004
AGS-101:
  • CHN 2003
  • September 19, 2005 NA
Game Boy Micro:
  • September 13, 2005 NA
  • AUS November 3, 2005
Retail availability 2001–2010
Discontinued
  • 2008 NA
  • AUS May 16, 2009
  • 2009 KOR
  • 2009 EU
Units sold 81.51 million (as of June 30,  2010 (2010 -06-30))
Media ROM cartridge
Power 2 × AA batteries
CPU ARM7TDMI @ 16.78 MHz, Zilog Z80 @ 8 or 4 MHz
Memory 32 KB internal, 256 KB external, 96 KB VRAM
Display TFT LCD, 240×160 pixels, 40.8×61.2 mm
Best-selling game Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, 16 million combined
Backward
compatibility
Game Boy
Game Boy Color
Predecessor Game Boy Color (1998)
Successor Nintendo DS (2004-2014)

The Game Boy Advance, commonly abbreviated as GBA, is a 32-bit handheld video game console. It was manufactured by Nintendo. The predecessors to the Game Boy Advance were the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. The Game Boy Advance was eventually succeeded by the Nintendo DS.

The Game Boy Advance was released in Japan on 21 March 2001. Nintendo later released it in North America on 11 June 2001, in Australia on 20 June 2001, and in Europe on 22 June 2001.

Other models

Game Boy Advance SP

Gameboy-advance-sp
A Game Boy Advance SP.

The Game Boy Advance SP (announced in 2002) is one of the two Game Boy Advance variations, first released in Japan on February 14, 2003, in Europe on March 23, 2003, in North America on March 28, 2003, and in Australia on April 10, 2003. It is similar to the original model, but it has a "clamshell" design, meaning that it can be folded to open and close. The Game Boy Advance SP has a rechargeable battery, and it does not run on two AA batteries. The Game Boy Advance SP has a backlit screen, meaning it has a bright screen (older versions of the GBA SP have a frontlit screen). Like its predecessor, it is backwards compatible with GB and GBC games.

Game Boy Micro

Gameboy-micro
A Game Boy Micro.
Wikipedia gameboy micro
The Game Boy Micro is the size of a Nintendo Entertainment System controller. The control pad is similar to the Nintendo DS Lite system.

The Game Boy Micro is one of the two variations of the Game Boy Advance and is the last model in the Game Boy Line (alongside the AGS-101 model of the SP) announced at E3 2005. Development of the Micro began in 2004. It is smaller than most handhelds and is designed to fit inside coin pockets. It retains a rechargeable battery and backlit screen from the Game Boy Advance SP. The Game Boy Micro removed backwards compatibility with original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games as it is not compatible with accessories made for the GBA and SP. It also is incompatible with the Nintendo e-Reader. The Game Boy Micro also has a removable face plate for alternative designs. The Micro did not sell well as it was overshadowed by its successor, the Nintendo DS, which also plays GBA games.

  • Size: 50×101×17.2 mm (2×4×0.7 in)
  • Weight: 80 g (2.8 oz)
  • Processor: 32-bit 16.8 MHz ARM processor (ARM7TDMI)
  • Colors: various
  • Screen: 51 mm / 2 inches, backlit with adjustable brightness.
  • Resolution: 240×160 pixels
  • Battery: built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It has up to five hours of battery life with top brightness and sound and eight hours with both features on default.
  • Headphones: standard 3.5mm headphone jack

The Game Boy Micro has a switch on its right side to make the volume lower or higher. If the player presses the L shoulder button, it can be used to adjust the backlit screen between five different brightness levels.


Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Game Boy Advance para niños

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