Forget Palm, the Game Boy Advance is the True King of Hand-Helds

by Chris Connor

Taking Handheld Gaming to the Next Level

After more than ten years of Nintendo's {NTDOY} Game Boy dominating handheld gaming and putting competing portable games systems out of business like the Atari Lynx, Sega's {SEGNY} Game Gear, and NeoGeo Pocket Color, the Game Boy Advance will hit U.S. shores on June 11 (after having already launched in Japan). Although the Game Boy has changed its size and color in the past, the Game Boy Advance marks the first time that the Game Boy will have a true sequel performance-wise.  This sequel will not only enjoy a quantum leap in graphics (8 to 32 bits) over Game Boy Color, but it will also feature a larger screen.  According to Game Boy.com, the Game Boy Advance performs 17 times faster, extends battery life by 50 percent longer, improves picture resolution by 66 percent, and displays over ten times the number of colors (onscreen) than the Game Boy Color.  Furthermore, Game Boy.com says that the Game Boy Advance can deliver a better picture than "current 32-bit and 64-bit consoles playing on a 27 inch television".  Now that is what I call a performance boost!  These improvements should serve to make handheld gaming more enjoyable and popular, because handheld gaming has been hampered somewhat by rudimentary graphics and small screens. 

Although the Game Boy Advance's performance will not rival that of Sony's {SNE} PlayStation, which is also 32 bit, the Game Boy Advance can outperform older game consoles like the Super NES (Nintendo Entertainment System).  Obviously it won't be possible to play Super NES cartridges on a Game Boy Advance because of the size difference of the games and the systems, but don't be surprised if a plethora of former Super NES games or Super NES style games make their way on the Game Boy Advance.  Being able to play Super NES caliber games would definitely be a giant step up in the game play department as opposed to former Game Boy games.  

Furthermore, the Game Boy Advance will let gamers "talk" to Nintendo's next generation console, the Game Cube.  Gamers can connect the Game Boy Advance to the Game Cube via a cable and then use the Game Cube as a controller.  This adds new functionality such as the ability call an offensive football play in total secrecy, constantly having an off-screen map available for games like Zelda, or continuing a game that was originally started on the Game Cube (e.g. a gamer could start an adventure game at night, transfer the data to the Game Boy Advance and then re-enter the game the next morning while on the subway).   Though the original Game Boy does allow gamers to transfer data to and from the Nintendo 64, the actual ability to communicate came from the game cartridge itself, not the actual system.  The Game Boy Advance marks a dramatic evolution because the ability to communicate is built into the system itself and not a peripheral device or third-party cartridge.  This functionality presents a strong marketing argument and is likely to be a key driving force for the sales of both the Game Boy Advance and the Game Cube. 

Which Game Maker Will Benefit the Most from the Game Boy Advance?

Activision {ATVI} presently has the most exposure to the Game Boy Advance with its widely popular Tony Hawk 2 scheduled to be released on same date as the Game Boy Advance's U.S. launch.  In addition, ATVI has several games, including Spiderman, X-men, and Doom, scheduled for release in the U.S. after the launch (if they can't meet the launch date).  Doom may rival even Tony Hawk 2 in popularity on the Game Boy Advance because it is one of the most popular games ever, will be very similar to the original, and will be the first major first person shooter on a handheld.  Until now, playing a 3D shooter like Doom on a Game Boy would have been a ridiculous experience because of the original's systems many limitations.  Now, the Game Boy Advance ushers in an era where shooting monsters and friends in 3D is now possible on a handheld.  Imagine being able to play Doom in all its original glory on a long flight or when waiting at the doctor's office.  Given the ability to network up to four Game Boy Advances at once, fans of the immensely popular first person shooter genre will likely jump at the chance to buy Doom on the portable gaming system. 

THQ {THQI} appeared at first glance to have had a comparable lineup, but so far, no dates have been set for a U.S. release for any of the company's games (this will likely change in the future).   3DO {THDO}, however, will be active right from the U.S. launch with its Army Men Advance.

Stock Exposure Breakdown for the Game Boy Advance