Average Rating: 
Rating:  - GBA
I must say I was somewhat disappointed in the GBA. The graphics are outstanding, but there is still no backlight, which makes it difficult to see. I have a qorm light, but it's annoying and only lights the ceter of the screen. By not backlighting, Nintendo is increasing battery life, but I don't think that is nearly as important as game play.My other complaint is game selection. So far I have only played two games worth buying, although I own four. One is Tony Hawk Two, and the other is Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Both are outstanding games one can play for hours, and are the reasons of my four star rating. Other than these, however, there are very little. Overall, I would recommend this if you travel a lot or want something to play when not at home, but otherwise just buy a console. I recommend Xbox, but gamecube would be better for younger gamers, as are all nintendo products.
Rating:  - Style, sound, and hours of fun.
I'm way too old for video games and as a rule, I have never bought any. Until now. I remember playing Super Mario on and old Nintendo system when I was a kid about 10 years ago and deep down in my mind there was a longing for something better - then Gameboy Advance came along and I knew I just had to have it. I am now a proud owner of a Glacier Gameboy Advance with a Super Mario Advance pack and it is quite enjoyable (if not time-consuming). I am considering purchasing Super Mario Deluxe for Gameboy Color, as GBA is completely and utterly backwards compatible, which is a great plus. Overall, the playing experience is better than I expected for a tiny little game console. It doesn't hurt to hold it for long periods of time, the buttons are in perfect spots, and the extra buttons on top allow you to see more of the world you're in while playing SM2. The batteries are provided with the system, and I'm already halfway through the game and they are still functioning without a problem. The sounds is awesome and doesn't have that weird distorted sound like old beat up electronic equipment tends to have. The only drawback is lack of a backlight screen. It is very difficult to play in areas without really good light. I heard it gets even worse for "darker" games. Apparently the worm light is a must. I give GBA 5 stars for the ability to amuse me for long periods of time. It is a great distractions from the troubles of reality and if you're feeling escapist at all or are just after cheap entertainment, GBA is a solution for you.
Rating: - A Well-Designed Upgrade to the Game Boy
The Game Boy is the best-selling video game system ever, and the Game Boy Advance is a good demonstration of why this is true. All Nintendo-made products have been of high-quality and well designed. This is true for the GBA.The GBA has a 32-bit processor, just like the Playstation (the Game Boy Color had only an 8-bit processor). It has very good screen quality. In fact, the image resolution on the Game Boy Advance's screen is greater than that of some HDTV's. The Game Boy Advance has incredible sound and the speakers can play louder. The sound is even better with headphones. A nice added touch is the power light--It is green with new batteries, but turns red when there is 20-30% battery left and the light slowly fades out. All these improvements are very helpful and amazingly have virtually no effect on the size. The GBA still fits easily in your pocket and is only about a centimeter or longer and wider. In addition, the GBA has two shoulder buttons on top that aid in game-play. The game paks are half the size of old game boy games but the GBA still plays all 1000+ Game Boy games already released. Due to the smaller size of the new games, the old Game Boy games stick out the top half-way, which is disappointing. I would say that the Game Boy Advance is a very well designed portable gaming system and definately well worth its low price.
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