10 Reasons why I prefer the GBA over the DS

Nephilim

Nephilim

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I prefer the GBA SP or Micro over the DS for the following reasons:

1) I don't like using a stylus
2) I prefer the SNES Mario and other SNES conversions over newer games
3) The SP has the same size screen as the main DS screen
4) DS Lite has the hinge thing and will the touch-screen last the test of time?
5) I prefer the SP or Micro form factor for portability
6) The SP and the Micro are cheaper
7) Old School RPG and Stategy games are at home and plentiful on GBA
8) I have a ton of GBA games to get through
9) Playing GBA games on the DS produces the unsightly "cartridge bulge"
10) Holding out for the real "Next Game Boy"

I tried a DS lite for a week and just did not care all that much for the stylus thing. There are some great games for it no doubt.

A few things I really like about the DS Lite

1) The clear shell that is not painted
2) It is sexy
3) Brighter screen than SP
4) Some great games
5) Wi-Fi
6) Those tiny cartridges are cool

So I am sticking with the GBA for the forseeable future. I just always wanted a portable SNES and there are just a ton of other great games for it. With no advantage for the DS other than newer games and WiFi, the GBA will do just fine.

I always felt that the DS was an experiment that just happened to catch on after the PSP sucked and Nintendogs came out. We still don't have a true Game Boy successor and for that I will wait.

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1) I don't like using a stylus
Depends on the game for me. As long as you stay away from games with forced stylus implementation, stylus usage is pretty good.

2) I prefer the SNES Mario and other SNES conversions over newer games
I thought Yoshi's Island DS was amazing, but that's just me.

3) The SP has the same size screen as the main DS screen
Not exactly, but it is close, you are right. Though I would like to point out that the DS in fact has two screens :D

4) DS Lite has the hinge thing and will the touch-screen last the test of time?
Hinge crack epidemic is over, and I've seen multiple videos of people pushing on the touch screen as hard as they can to see if it will break, and it stands up every time. Same can't be said for most handheld screens.

5) I prefer the SP or Micro form factor for portability
Matter of opinion. I always carry around my DSL in my backpack, not my pocket (even though I don't usually carry it around), so the extra bulk does not bother me.

6) The SP and the Micro are cheaper
...but the DS is allegedly superiour. I could also say the GBC is cheaper than the GBA.

7) Old School RPG and Stategy games are at home and plentiful on GBA
Give the DS some time. RPGs and Strat games are coming out more often as its life span elongates.

8) I have a ton of GBA games to get through
Well, nothing to say to that.

9) Playing GBA games on the DS produces the unsightly "cartridge bulge"
I'm not terribly vain, so that never bothered me. To each his own, though.


I wouldn't say the DS isn't a successor to the gameboy. Not every game uses the touch screen...many just use buttons and in that way play as a successor to the gameboy would.
 
[quote name='DsLiteBoy']This thread is lame and I bet that guy is too poor to buy a DS.[/QUOTE]
The OP thoughtfully expressed his opinion. You, on the other hand, can't even verbalize why you disagree, only call him names and insult his financial status.
 
Honestly I do like the GBA sp more than the DS, and I hope there will be a true Gameboy successor one day, but the DS is still great, much better than the PSP.
 
meh... lame thread... DS can play both GBA and DS so pretty much no reason to prefer GBA over DS..move along CAGs nothing to see here.
 
[quote name='FlipSide']meh... lame thread... DS can play both GBA and DS so pretty much no reason to prefer GBA over DS..move along CAGs nothing to see here.[/QUOTE]


Dude, you're totally missing the point.
 
Still my favorite system of all time:

SPandBoxFront.jpg


Come on, where else you gonna play all those GB/GBC classics?

Zelda Links Awakening DX, & Oracle of Ages/Seasons, Super Mario Land 1-3, Battletoads, Kirby, Kid Icarus 2 just to name a very few.

IMO, there's no reason not to have both a GBA and DSL.
 
I just wished the DS allowed GBA games to play multiplayer wirelessly

I would give anything to play 4 swords on my ds
 
[quote name='FlipSide']meh... lame thread... DS can play both GBA and DS so pretty much no reason to prefer GBA over DS..move along CAGs nothing to see here.[/QUOTE]

This is a DISCUSSION forum dude, if you don't have anything useful to add, YOU move along.
 
[quote name='briansraregames']
Come on, where else you gonna play all those GB/GBC classics?
[/quote]On my GB. :D

I am sadly going to sell my Zelda Oracle games, though, since I don't plan on buying another GBA at any point. Ah well.
 
The question of the durability of the touch screen may be valid. Mine is definitely dying. It worked fine for many months, but within the past 3-4 months it has been progressively been getting worse, especially near the edges of the screen. Luckily, it's still under warranty so it'll be going back to Nintendo one of these days to be replaced.
 
The reason I like the DS over the GBA? I can shut the DS and it pauses and goes into sleep mode. Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
[quote name='Nephilim']1) I don't like using a stylus
[/quote]
Depending on the game, it's not like you HAVE to use a stylus.

2) I prefer the SNES Mario and other SNES conversions over newer games
Click to expand...
And the DS can play those games just fine too.

3) The SP has the same size screen as the main DS screen
Click to expand...
So they're equal on this point?

4) DS Lite has the hinge thing and will the touch-screen last the test of time?
Click to expand...
I think the hinge thing was a manufacturing problem that really only happened to the first few batches. Mine was one, but they replaced it, and it's been going strong since.

5) I prefer the SP or Micro form factor for portability
Click to expand...
Fair enough.

6) The SP and the Micro are cheaper
Click to expand...
And the orignal GB is cheapest of all!

7) Old School RPG and Stategy games are at home and plentiful on GBA
Click to expand...
And the DS, thanks to backwards compatibility.

8) I have a ton of GBA games to get through
Click to expand...
And the DS can play those too.

9) Playing GBA games on the DS produces the unsightly "cartridge bulge"
Click to expand...
Only on the Lite. Of course, Boktai bulges on everyone.

10) Holding out for the real "Next Game Boy"
Click to expand...
This isn't a reason at all. I'm still holding out for the true successor to Gameboy Pocket, and I'm afraid the SP is just too bulky, and the Micro doesn't play GB/GBC games.

No offense, but of your 10 reasons, you only actually have 3(points 5,6, and 9). Whereas you have 6 reasons for liking the DS.

If you don't like the DS, fine. But try not to support your arguments with criticisms that don't work.
 
[quote name='briansraregames']

Come on, where else you gonna play all those GB/GBC classics?

Zelda Links Awakening DX, & Oracle of Ages/Seasons, Super Mario Land 1-3, Battletoads, Kirby, Kid Icarus 2 just to name a very few.

IMO, there's no reason not to have both a GBA and DSL.[/quote]

Yeah, if my DSL could play my older GB/GBC games, I'd be less interested in hanging onto it. I got a Micro for cheap, so I don't even play GBA games on the SP anymore, it's basically became my girlfriend's Zelda machine (I'm slowly converting her, but she still won't touch traditional RPGs!).
 
[quote name='Nephilim']I always felt that the DS was an experiment that just happened to catch on after the PSP sucked and Nintendogs came out. We still don't have a true Game Boy successor and for that I will wait.
[/quote]

Weren't the PSP and DS released relatively close to one another? If I remember right, in North America, the DS had a good 4 or 5 month jump on the PSP, so this is a moot point.
 
[quote name='botticus']On my GB. :D

I am sadly going to sell my Zelda Oracle games, though, since I don't plan on buying another GBA at any point. Ah well.[/QUOTE]

I'm interested in these Botticus.

Some interesting replies here. Certainly I don't take issue with the DS being a good system, but I thought I would see what others here think.
 
I like the GBA because it plays all original GB and GBC games. Other than that I can't think of a real advantage a GBA has over the DS. I own a GBA and DS and I love 'em both.
 
I feel DS is the superior system due to it having superior games. Regarding which system has better design, portability, screen brightness, etc. take a back seat to the overall fun of the games.

If Nintendo doesn't kill the Game Boy line, I hope they don't make the next one like a portable N64 or GC (which seems like the next logical step). Instead I want a more powerful 2D system capable of Street Fighter III graphics. A 2D Mario or FF game in that fashion would blow my mind.
 
[quote name='Kendro']If Nintendo doesn't kill the Game Boy line, I hope they don't make the next one like a portable N64 or GC (which seems like the next logical step). [/quote]

They already did. It's called the DS. Mario 64 DS wasn't a tipoff?
 
GameBoy is pretty much dead. Nintendo has no reason to strangle the market with two different portable systems out at the same time, and considering the much greater success of the DS....it's pretty obvious to me what they're going to do come next generation.

But the way I see it, the only reason to have a GBA is to play the old GB games the DS can't play.

[quote name='Kendro']If Nintendo doesn't kill the Game Boy line, I hope they don't make the next one like a portable N64 or GC (which seems like the next logical step). Instead I want a more powerful 2D system capable of Street Fighter III graphics. A 2D Mario or FF game in that fashion would blow my mind.[/quote]

If they made a system that had more powerful 3D, they would also be making a system that had more powerful 2D. Just look at the new Paper Mario coming out on the Wii!
 
Regarding the touch screen, I'll have had my original DS two years this upcoming April (In one day, now that I think of it) and the touchscreen is still perfect unless you purposely look for scratches under a light.

And I was addicted to Meteos forever.

So, yeah, on that point I can assure you that if you use a stylus instead of a knife and don't throw hissy fits when you lose, your touch screen will last.
 
I really don't understand this thread. The DS does everything the GBA can, and more. What's not to like? We've gotten mostly past the gimmicky uses of touch screen and most games have traditional alternative controls. The battery life is exceptional, the software library is incredible..

I keep my micro around for GBA games anyway, cause it's so portable.
 
[quote name='jer7583']I really don't understand this thread. The DS does everything the GBA can, and more. [/quote]

Almost everything. The DS can't play GB/GBC games, and the Lite can't hold an entire GBA cartridge(on the other hand, the GBA can't hold an entire GB/GBC cart).
 
I prefer a GBA SP or Micro to play GBA games on.

But I also love my DS and its games.

Since Micros can be had for $35, I have both. The best of both worlds.

Put if you put a gun to my head and made me choose one system, I'd have to go with the DS (lite).
 
[quote name='cochesecochese']Ok. But I heard from my uncle they're gonna stop making games for GameBoy so you really need to get over this.[/QUOTE]

Your Uncle? Good Grief I had no idea. Thanks!
 
[quote name='craven_fiend']Weren't the PSP and DS released relatively close to one another? If I remember right, in North America, the DS had a good 4 or 5 month jump on the PSP, so this is a moot point.[/quote]his point was that the DS caught on after that, not that hte DS came out at that point.
 
I love my Micro for several of those reasons, but thats mostly because I can't afford a DS.:roll:
However, theres no way I could go back to an original (frontlit) SP after the micro - I turned on my old one a while back and it was horrible (really dim and fuzzy with an obvious blue tint).
 
I couldn't disagree more. Not that the GBA is a bad system, but the game quality, for my tastes, is generally better on the DS. Sonic Rush > Sonic Advance, NSMB > Redone Mario games where he won't shut up! The GBA just doesn't have anything that can compare to Mario Kart DS, Tetris DS, Meteos, Ouendan / EBA, Kirby Canvas Curse, or, of course, Electroplankton.

But to each his own. If I'm going to play a GBA game, it's nice that the DS will play them, but I do prefer to play them on the SP if I have it handy.
 
[quote name='Nephilim']Are you sure about that?[/quote]
Have you read the thread? How many of the people had to re-send in a DS lite?

I got my DS Lite about a month before street-date, it got a crack in July, I sent it in for repairs, and my new DS lite is crack-free ever since.

And of course, no one's heard anything about the Black or Pink DS lite having cracks, which is just more indication that the probems were with the initial batch.
 
Too each his own. I don't mind the GBA cart bulge with the lite and can play both DS and GBA games on it (and it fits in my pocket fine) so going with the lite is a no-brainer for me.

Wireless local multi-player is just so much better than the GBA's cable mess. I picked up SMB2 (w/ Mario Bros Arcade included) for GBA off the shelf this weekend and thought that I'd probably count it as a must own if it was on the DS with single-cart mutiplay for MB Arcade. I loved that game.
 
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