At this point, Microsoft had just entered into the video gaming world with its introduction of the XBox. The XBox was competing with Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Cube. Each one of these systems was unique in its own way and had its own popularity like I explained in the previous blog entries. The XBox was released in 2001, just one year after the release of the other two systems. Just a year later, Nintendo decided to put another system on the market. This system was known as the Nintendo Game Boy Advance.
The Nintendo Game Boy Advance was a handheld gaming system. Nintendo had many other handheld gaming systems, but the last one was released in 1998. The release of the Game Boy Advance in 2002 was another turning point in video gaming. The gaming system has the unique feature to play old video games that were made for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. One of the best features of the Game Boy Advance was its LCD screen. With this screen, over 32,000 different colors could be displayed, making the picture crystal clear and the gaming experience extraordinary.
A similar version of the Game Boy Advance would be the Game Boy Advance SP. The "SP" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for "special". The only real difference in the "SP" than the regular Game Boy Advance would be that the Game Boy Advance SP features a lithium ion battery that is rechargeable and a folding case for the system. The Game Boy Advance SP was released in 2003. It was also about half the size of the original Game Boy Advance. It also was the first handheld gaming system that folded over onto itself. Although the original system came with an LCD screen, the Advance SP came with a much brighter LCD screen making it extremely easy to see the game as you were playing.
Nintendo may not of released a big time gaming system for your TV, but it was surely dominating the handheld video gaming world. Nintendo's handheld systems not only appealed to the average aged gamer but also to younger children. I remember seeing my 7 year old cousin walking around playing with a Game Boy Advance. I never had anything like that when I was that age, but the games they make now are also appealing and age appropriate for younger children and therefore they are alright. Sales were up for Nintendo and at this point, they were not as worried about releasing a video game console for the TV. However, they were working on a system that would change video gaming forever. This system would not be released for several more years. Keep reading The Evolution of Video Gaming to find out about this system.
3 comments:
The Gameboy Advanced is truly a high-powered little handheld. I have one, and I play it a lot. But not as much recently, I usually play it on long trips and bring some extra batteries for hours of entertainment. One thing that I've noticed is that a pair of batteries in a GB Color last like 8hours, while the GBA only lasts 3 or so. You ever noticed that? Anyway, I like this entry. It's informative and makes me feel nostalgic. Good job!
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