History and Development of the GBA - 1994 - 2001
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Take a deep dive into the development history of the GBA, starting in 1994, and ending with its release in 2001! Find out about prototypes, dev kits, unreleased console variations and more! Enjoy.
Video contents:
00:00 Intro / Background
00:45 1994 - Arm and the Atlantis Project
05:48 1996 - Game Boy Life Support... / Competition Approaches!
06:31 1998 - Game Boy Color releases, GBA Development Begins!
09:44 1999 - Dev Kits Sent Out / Preparing For Launch!
11:33 2000 - Spaceworld / ECTS Reveals!
14:48 -2001 - The GBA Is Finally Here! Launch / My Memories
The Game Boy Advance is one of the most iconic handheld gaming consoles of all time. Launched in 2001, it was Nintendo's first 32-bit handheld and boasted an impressive library of games. But the GBA's development story is a fascinating one, with a rich history dating back to the mid-1990s.
In 1994, Nintendo began talks with British chip manufacturer ARM to supply new chips for their next generation handheld, codenamed Project Atlantis. The rumors at the time were ambitious, suggesting the console would feature a 32-bit CPU, 3D graphics rivalling the PlayStation and Saturn, and a 30-hour battery life. But after a while, the rumors began to fade away, and Nintendo continued to release upgraded versions of the classic Game Boy line.
By the late 1990s, however, the technology was looking outdated, and competitors were beginning to emerge. In 1998, the Game Boy Color and SNK's Neo Geo Pocket both released, prompting Nintendo to officially begin work on the Game Boy Advance. It took the next two years to develop and finish the GBA internally, and it was finally released to the public in 2001.
The GBA was actually the direct successor to the cancelled Project Atlantis, rather than the Game Boy Color. It also used an ARM processor, the ARM7DMI, which was an upgraded version of the 710 that was going to be used in Project Atlantis. The GBA also had four buttons instead of the GBC's two, with the X and Y buttons swapped for shoulder buttons instead.
Nintendo began sending out GBA development kits to potential developers in 1999, and by the end of the year, they had already sent out over 1,000 boards. Gaming news website IGN got a hands-on with one of these boards for an article at the time, giving us a glimpse of what developers would have been working with.
In 2000, Nintendo publicly announced the GBA at a conference at their own show called Spaceworld in Japan. The event spanned several days and was open to the public as well as the press. There were several unreleased color variants of the system shown off, including clear with blue buttons, silver with blue buttons, and clear purple with orange buttons. There was also a berry red variation, which while not shown off at Spaceworld, was given out with Dev kits.
Finally, in 2001, the GBA was launched worldwide. It was the first console many people got on launch day and had a library of games that many still hold dear today. Its legacy can still be felt in the world of handheld gaming, and it's a testament to Nintendo's ability to create consoles that stand the test of time.
If you enjoyed this video, please consider subscribing!
See the pinned comment for references!
Check out my Discord server to join my amazing community and chat between these videos! Discord: discord
Support me on Patreon: Patreon: retrobreak
#GamingHistory #RetroGaming #GBA
Video contents:
00:00 Intro / Background
00:45 1994 - Arm and the Atlantis Project
05:48 1996 - Game Boy Life Support... / Competition Approaches!
06:31 1998 - Game Boy Color releases, GBA Development Begins!
09:44 1999 - Dev Kits Sent Out / Preparing For Launch!
11:33 2000 - Spaceworld / ECTS Reveals!
14:48 -2001 - The GBA Is Finally Here! Launch / My Memories
The Game Boy Advance is one of the most iconic handheld gaming consoles of all time. Launched in 2001, it was Nintendo's first 32-bit handheld and boasted an impressive library of games. But the GBA's development story is a fascinating one, with a rich history dating back to the mid-1990s.
In 1994, Nintendo began talks with British chip manufacturer ARM to supply new chips for their next generation handheld, codenamed Project Atlantis. The rumors at the time were ambitious, suggesting the console would feature a 32-bit CPU, 3D graphics rivalling the PlayStation and Saturn, and a 30-hour battery life. But after a while, the rumors began to fade away, and Nintendo continued to release upgraded versions of the classic Game Boy line.
By the late 1990s, however, the technology was looking outdated, and competitors were beginning to emerge. In 1998, the Game Boy Color and SNK's Neo Geo Pocket both released, prompting Nintendo to officially begin work on the Game Boy Advance. It took the next two years to develop and finish the GBA internally, and it was finally released to the public in 2001.
The GBA was actually the direct successor to the cancelled Project Atlantis, rather than the Game Boy Color. It also used an ARM processor, the ARM7DMI, which was an upgraded version of the 710 that was going to be used in Project Atlantis. The GBA also had four buttons instead of the GBC's two, with the X and Y buttons swapped for shoulder buttons instead.
Nintendo began sending out GBA development kits to potential developers in 1999, and by the end of the year, they had already sent out over 1,000 boards. Gaming news website IGN got a hands-on with one of these boards for an article at the time, giving us a glimpse of what developers would have been working with.
In 2000, Nintendo publicly announced the GBA at a conference at their own show called Spaceworld in Japan. The event spanned several days and was open to the public as well as the press. There were several unreleased color variants of the system shown off, including clear with blue buttons, silver with blue buttons, and clear purple with orange buttons. There was also a berry red variation, which while not shown off at Spaceworld, was given out with Dev kits.
Finally, in 2001, the GBA was launched worldwide. It was the first console many people got on launch day and had a library of games that many still hold dear today. Its legacy can still be felt in the world of handheld gaming, and it's a testament to Nintendo's ability to create consoles that stand the test of time.
If you enjoyed this video, please consider subscribing!
See the pinned comment for references!
Check out my Discord server to join my amazing community and chat between these videos! Discord: discord
Support me on Patreon: Patreon: retrobreak
#GamingHistory #RetroGaming #GBA
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