But the GBA requires AA batteries.... The SP was the best version of GBA The Micro was the WORST......the original was just THERE I would like to have an unhinged SP though.....just for memorabilia as it reminds me of a better version of the Gameboy Color (even though an unhinged SP didn't exist in my time)
Your videos have inspired me enough to buy everything I need to have a electronics modding station in my house. I hope your channel blows up due to quality
I honestly enjoy your content more then the big guys with hundreds of thousands of subs Bc you’re stuff is just so well edited, sounds great to listen to, and you obviously know what you’re doing. Love coming home from school on Thursdays for this.
Awesome video - I think the OG GBA with IPS screen is the top in my book as well....after watching your videos I ordered IPS screens for all of my GBA and my GBA SP models. Visually, I love the look of the SP models, but since I modded all of them the form factor of OG GBA is the go to reason to use those models. Additionally I’m using the OG GBA as my default gameboy player controllers on the gamecube as well because it is so comfortable.
Just performed my first mod a few days ago adding a new backlit IPS screen to my original GBA and wow its incredible, definitely going to be my preferred way to play all gameboy games from now on!
Pocketability is only relevant if you actually put them in your pocket. All my handhelds are in cases and usually go in specific compartments in my bags, or on a shelf. I'd be more interested in case options. I imagine the OG and SP have plenty.
As someone who also has all of these and sells them on my Etsy, I would like to add something. If you are trying to play as many games as possible for the most affordable price I would recommend getting or refurbishing a ds lite and purchasing a R4 card and Omega flash drive. You will be able to play DS and GBA titles. If money isn't an option or you want to only play GBA, GBC, and GB titles I would get a IPSv2 advance with a rechargeable battery. You will quickly spend the money on AA's that you could have spent on a battery mod. Also side note. There is a drop in ips display that no longer requires trimming a shell or soldering :)
Been browsing through your videos lately because I’ve been in the market for a custom gameboy, 3 days ago I made my choice Ordered a all aluminum GBA with all the sound amp etc features, super excited for it to arrive
My best GBA is my 3DS. Same size as an original GBA when folded...via DS carts, I was able to dump my GBA games onto Virtual Console versions that play flawlessly. GBC was a bit more annoying to dump, but the VC versions are absolutely nostalgic to play in 3D mode. It sounds dumb, but it's my favorite way to play those.
Thank you for this video, this help my decision for a nostalgia purchase, definitely going SP, the only factor for me that pushes it over the top you didn’t mention is a backlight
This video was perfect! I was thinking of purchasing a gba but I couldn’t decide between an sp or a backlit gba. I didn’t even know about the unhinged or the macro!! I really do love the look of the macro but, everything considered, the backlit gba is the one for me. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! 10/10!
This is such a fantastic video. I have spent the past 3 days looking at Gameboy modding not knowing which one to go for. Comfort is a big factor for me so I think I'll go with the original GBA. Plus the ease of adding USB-C charging, and the already included headphone jack.
One item I would have made be its own category would be availability/price. Since I have recently gotten into the gameboy scene, I am now collecting all console generation. I have noticed that SPs are hard to find and are much pricier than the original. Another category I would add would be moddability/aftermarket-support for those looking to fully customize their units. Your video grading was spot on for me. OG GBA is best boi♥️
The two categories I would add are audio and reliability, which is where the original GBA starts to falter a bit. It's very common for original GBAs to have issues related to the power switch and for the headphone jack to become *really* noisy, and the speaker can be too weak if you need fans and/or a window AC on in the summer; it can be really hard to hear anything. These issues are fixable via either repairing it or mods but for some people that can be too much of a hassle, especially if the audio issues involve bad capacitors or something like that. And of course, for maintenance the SP has the hinge while the macro often uses the DS Lite's crappy shoulder buttons, which are known to fail at high rates. I would be surprised if the boxy pixel SP didn't win in that category TBH simply because no hinge and you're replacing all the buttons with high quality ones.
I very much agree the OG GBA is the best. Even more so with the addition of the AGS-101 screen and the VRV2 chip that RetroModding sells. Adds even more brightness and control to the 101 screen!
Thanks for recommending me this RUclips, just what I've needed recently. I have a Gameboy Macro, except it's one of the first run versions back in 2015, it's rough around the edges, but was the perfect revival to my broken DSLite! Yours looks way better than mine, the creator's really come a long way!
Awesome breakdown. only footnote I'd make is the Macros access to the DS card slot. while not useful for DS titles, DS flash carts are very cheap, and give you more options over GBA flash carts.
Been trying to figure out the best way to play minish cap on original hardware for the last week and then I remembered this video! I forgot about the gba macro mod and it's a perfect way to breathe life into my og dslite. Excited for when all the parts come in 🙌🏻 thanks again for the good content!
Hi Tito, very cool comparison. I won’t be able to give you my ranking since I only own GBA and GBA SP, but I would have a hard time ranking them since it’s like picking a kid over the other, they both have a place in my heart hehehe. But joke aside, I guess the GBA is so easy to just pickup and play so I’d prefer this version for me, plus I’ve added many mods, Audio amp, recapped with quality caps, clean audio and all it has to offer as of today :) I also own a stock AGS-101, and this one is my preferred choice over the IPS version for the SP. I guess that having a larger battery life and the overall quality of original pixel on screen brings a nostalgic feeling that all retro enthusiasts look for. But again, this is just my own opinion. Cheers!
Dude thank you for the input as always Jesus! I agree the original is able to handle mods much easier than the others I think. Plus you have the options for AAs! Cheers dude! Great to hear from you!
I got into this debate with my buddy yesterday. He was asking me why I'm bothering with the original GBA to upgrade and why not just get the SP because it's better. Wrong! He's totally wrong! Lol. Everyone has their favorites, but for me the original GBA will always be the best overall for the reasons you mentioned in the video. And you can't beat the form factor. There's a reason why most handhelds go with the wider, horizontal form. It's just more comfortable.
Love the video! You reminded me of that nice teacher everyone had that provided tons of partial credit as long as you do SOMETHING. “Backwards comparability: the micro and maco have none. 5/10.” Lol
I think you should mention the very existence of the two SPs, 001 and 101 earlier in the video, maybe near the start, and how they are identical except the screen. Also, you mention the unhinged one, but didn't really touch on how this and the macro are completely a fan design that has to be built from parts and may require some soldering, and bit more on how the case is metal here, and that there are a few competing designs of this, and since you have to build it regardless, you can choose from them, they all offer complete kits and prebuilds too. I'm glad you mention that a backlit screen is a must.
Love the video. You should look into a ranked sum option for rating these to remove some of the bias aspects. Also I'd have deducted a point in pocket-ability for the original gba because it's awful if you have a gbc or gb game in the slot.
I think having a customizability category instead of portability one would have made things more interesting, but I’m still gonna binge watch all this dude’s content and eventually follow tutorials to mod my own GBA!
I just got a micro and..... I love it! It's my favorite gba of all time .. got it cheap too and the way to customize this little gem of a console are cheap and really cool! Battery pack and different faceplates! Also you forgot that with the EZ flash micro sd card you can play infinite amount of games on the micro making the best portable console ever!
I would like to see a customizability category. How easy is it to upgrade a screen? Does each GBA accept all screen options? Can the battery be updated with a rechargeable one? What about wireless charging? Bluetooth headphones? Adding a headphone jack when there wasn't one from the factory. Stuff like that.
Love the rating criteria you used here. I used very similar metrics for a video I did about the Steam Deck (though my video quality doesn't hold a candle to this ; p
My absolute favorite GBA is the Micro. I love it despite its limitations. I love the size (never felt uncomfortable playing for me). I love the buttons. I love the pixel and color-accurate screen. I played the hell out of mine and still do occasionally now. I don't regret buying it at all when it was still new on the market. With that said, my objective ranking based on original hardware is: 1. GBA SP AGS-101 2. GBA SP AGS-001 3. Original GBA 4. Micro (no bw compatibility really hurts it) 5. DS lite/Macro (the boxy shape hurts my hands during long play sessions) Sorry, I don't have a lot of experience with mods.
I feel like since gameboy modding has become more and more popular, the prices of the agb-001 have really gone up! I was finding that a fully functional agb-001 has matched or even surpassed the gba-001 prices! As always, great video!
Ive been watching your videos not even realizing i wasnt subbed. I just finally hit the button. Great content and production. If i had one suggestion it would just be to talk more like yourself instead of the newscaster style. I think it would give your channel an extra level of personality!
SP, AGB, and then Micro for me. I've yet to build an unhinged sp, it looks really awesome. I would rather fully restore a DS lite than make a macro. I love your content, thank you!
The GBA SP models (Both AGS-101 and IPS screen versions) are better because have they brighter, backlit screens, they are compact and they fold open and shut like laptop computers.
You know.. the Gameboy player actually does have real GBA hardware inside of it, making it essentially a Gameboy advance as well. And it's compatible with the trade link cable as well. Would have been funny to see it included in this video lol.
Ergonomics 9/10, (GC controller is comfy, wireless available) Pocketability 0/10, (what did you expect?) Accessories 5-9/10, (highly setup dependent) Backwards Compatibility, 8/10 (no GBA video unless modded, no tilt&tumble, GameBoy Camera is, well, lol. The aspect ratio and filter kinda sucks in default, too.) Price Point 9/10 (used GameCubes still aren't too high thanks to the Wii, the peripheral was common enough, and the disc is largely available or bypassed with a fairly simple chip and homebrew tutorial.) Overall, 31-35 by these metrics.
Great content! I'm actually agree with almost everything you said except for the GB Macro compatibility, I would say that this depends on the version of the NDS that the person moded
Dude! If you would review more commercial products like full frame cameras or whatever you would have millions of followers. We appreciate your content. Its really great!!
I was actually thinking of getting a gameboy device since I really miss it, this helped me choose one so thanks! I didn't know GBA could play GB games though so that's a surprise. I thought it could only play GBC games (and GBA games but that's obvious) Thinking back at it, I can't believe I ever found a SP comfortable.
I like the way most options were covered. I know I plan to stick with the SP model, so I don't have to worry about damage to the main buttons/ screen when it's thrown loosely into a bag.
my favorite console is the GBA SP, but with the IPS screen mod, 3.5mm jack (just behind the screen), 950mha battery, sound cleaner, louder speaker, and USB-C to charge. Thinking that all that fits perfectly in the original size of the console seems to me the best. I would also like to have wireless charging, but in the back between the screen and the cover because there is more space, instead of in the battery cover.
As a kid my SP was perfect due to my small hands lol but now as an adult with much larger hands my SP feels a whole lot different.. especially those longer sessions when playing Metroid games.. heard a lot of good things about the OG GBA… will be buying one!
One big factor that slapped my face recently is formfactor in relation to the game you are actually playing. I love the DMG form factor so I have been all about my SP Unhinged, I thought that would be my favorite, but I was playing mostly RPGs when I thought that. Flip on a more reaction based game though. Metroid was more or less ok, but the L and R strained my index fingers a little. Only a little.... Flip on F-Zero GP Legend though, and double tapping the R and L on the Unhinged for that game, it hurts just to think back to that. It quickly hurt, and I wasnt even able to race. My hands and wrists are always tired from drawing so maybe its just me, and I don't know how many other games would cause this problem if any at all (Other than other F-Zero games). End of the day, a backlit original GBA is my fav. I have a few that I modded and they are H O T. That wideboy stance is the most comfortable for me. Though the SP Unhinged is amazing for Fire Emblem, FF Tactics, Mario, Pokemon, and I think I played some Drill Dozer.
One year late commenting on this but I think the micro doesn't deserve to be joint bottom, it atleast deserves 1 more point in the accessories category. You mentioned they did have those accessories made for them so it shouldn't act as a negative score just because they are rarer also price has its own category so the cost of the accessories shouldn't have been considered at this point of the video. The unhinged scored 7 despite not being compatible with all and only having the option for a headphone jack but you didn't take cost of the aux port into consideration on it. Being as the micro is stock and the unhinged is a complete mod should also mean it trumps at the end in my judgement atleast. Great video despite my nitpicking and honesty agreed with the majority of everything else. The gba is my favourite console of all time, it's everything you need for on the go gaming from quick games to longer more invested adventures, I also have the nintendo mp3 player for my micro.
For the macro you can use a micro led instead of a resistor, I actually kept the original faceplate, and connected the hinge holes with a plastic rod with air bubbles, and a micro led glued to one end of the tube. Saw the mod somewhere, can't remember.
For my personal preference (From best to worst) 1.Modded AGB - this is absolutely my favorite for it’s form factor and design, also you can use a rechargeable batteries which can be easily acquire from any local convenience shop 2.Macro - very cheap and easy to modify, all you have to do is just solder a capacitor(330 OHM) to the board and a speaker, I really don’t recommend you to remove the slot-1 though since you can get to play emulate games via Flashcart, the design is pretty sleek and similar to DS Lite (which is kinda comfy imo) 3.SP(include the modded one) - this used to be my favorite GBA experience, however when I think about it this thing is so uncomfortable and the battery is too fast to deplete! (unless you modded this unit with a higher capacity battery) Sadly, I haven’t tried either Micro and Unhinged SP though...
Wild, you put more into this editing than I did completing my bachellor's. Good stuff man. As a viewer and newbie interested in the modding, could you consider doing a video about the ease or complications with it? Like difficulty in assembly, gathering the parts, costs for tools needed for assembly or different costs overall (I imagine a gameboy and ds have different price points for example) and maybe compare it to some more emulator comparisons from things like the Aliexpress mass emulator catalog?
i'm a little late, learning how to solder by restoring myself a nintendo collection from my past. you did a fair job presenting all your points! i see why you made the rankings you did. when i was looking for what gba to go with i had this very debate with myself. when it comes to price i thought of the additional cost the micro and macro would add because i would need to spend the money on a whole extra gameboy unit for the older gen games, i judged much harder for that, it is kinda the main selling point of the gba and gba sp imo, the micro felt like kinda a heartless cash grab imo. but on the point of cost i have mixed feelings. nothing about refurbishing or purchasing old nintendo hardware is really inexpensive. with that in mind and accepting that you will have to spend a lot for something nice and clean and shop a lot to find it vs invest in a custom personal model 9insert rabbit hole here). leaves me to agree with the "best", meaning reasonable and affordable, a standard GBA just to get something to play everything as intended and work with any accessories. however i think second best is a custom unhinged, or a custom advance from boxy then mod the hell out of it. as an adult i have the money to get a nice toy for myself and i will take good care of it. no compromises show piece and a very fair resale value. really like your content so far, very helpful info! thank you !
I still got my anniversary game boy micro from when i was back a 5th grader, got some scratches and turns off randomly but i still love it like i was a kid
I think your rankings are spot on. My personal fav is the Micro and i typically have my Happy Mario with me all the time. For reasons I can quite explain I really dislike the Macro. Probably cause it's blocky looking and probably because the GBA cart sticks out the bottom, but I can understand it's appeal.
Great video. My favourite gameboy advance model (not including the mods) would be the SP 101. Although I have a collection of gameboy micro (including one boxed brand new Japanese famicom edition with the mark II faceplate). I also have the final fantasy IV edition gameboy micro. Although the micro is not really that great to play games on, I just have a connection with them and find it so cool. The SP and original GBA is widely avail and maybe that's why I prefer my GBA micro. Now in regards to modded gba's, I have a IPS sp, it's really nice but I didn't really get that wow factor compared to seeing the ips gameboy color mod for the first time. Keep up the great content. Hopefully you'll do the PSP 1000 ips screen mod one day...
Wow, I was going to perform a live on Twitch tomorrow about the GBA and this video will surely help with some of the infos: I'll mention it for sure! One thing you should have taken i to consideration though is the fact that the original GBA uses AA batteries! That's a very unfortunate con to me, as I have big hands and feel it's still the best anyway in terms of comfort. In order to get the cleanest and most comfortable way I opted for the REVO K101 clone. Despite a small imperfection in the face buttons run, it has screen brightness, is rechargeable, has headphones jack and is retrocompatible.
I tend to favour the Micro despite its shortcomings because of the extreme portability. As a collector though I own many of Nintendo's handhelds and use each based on varying scenarios.
I thought I was an OG Gameboy Advance fan since I was a child. Until I repurchased one, I didn't realize how much my thumbs had grown, blocking a portion of the screen and putting fingerprints on it every time I game. And then there's the mushy buttons that, again, thought I liked more than the SP and DS. Although the SP feels cramped by comparison, it weirdly makes for a better gameboy experience as an adult.
I would have added playtime based on a week or month. Seeing which you preferred using most. The only one I don't have is the unhinged, but I will do my list. 1). SP - I have a few 001 and 101 systems and I honestly like playing the 001 the most. The front light seems to be more enjoyable to me plus the ability to turn it off. 2). Micro - Not really for the everyday experience. It's one I do go to when playing turn based RPGs. 3). Macro - I feel it has the better display over the 101. Mine is still a bit temperamental if a GBA game is not clean. I use it only for fast paced racing and side scrollers. 4). GBA - All of mine are still stock, but it was the first in the line. It does have the better control feel to me, but that's about it.
I found your channel yesterday. Your videos are informative and I enjoy watching them, already planning to mod my Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP, and my Game Gear :) Thank you for sharing your experience. Subscribed.
I'm glad I bought my Micro for 30$ over a decade ago. 😅 I've been testing my options recently and as of now I have a great time with playing my GBA games on my 2DS.
First and foremost this was a great comparison video. There are a couple of things I would add. First the SP has the advantage of completely protecting the screen once it's folded. This is why I'm nervous of carrying my Micro without some kind of cover on it. Second the Micro can technically play GB and GBC games if you use a flash cart. I think it makes it a little more comfortable since you don't have to use the ackwardly placed L and R buttons. My favorite Gameboy will always the Glacier Blue original because it was my first Gameboy and my current daily is a pink AGS-101 SP.
I appreciate the slightly more objective approach - but I'd be interested to know which one you consider your favourite, and if there is one you tend to play on the most?
Great video, all of it is personal preference so enjoy what you choose. I still find the SP the most comfortable & the OG Advance awkward to my hands, but most seem to love it. Still want to do the macro mod sometime, but waiting til I find a wrecked DS in the wild.
I’m buying a gameboy micro this week I wanted one for a while now I like how u can just bring it anywhere it’s cool and I have a gameboy advanced cartridge that’s a 369 in 1 so I’m excited to use that with the gameboy micro whenever I’m out waiting for doctors appointments etc
I would pretty much go with what you said, except I like the SP a little more than the original GBA for one reason: tactile switches for buttons, rather than the somewhat softer press of the GBA buttons. It of course depends on the button membranes you go with. My GBA's A and B are fairly solid, but the d-pad is somewhat soft, and Start and Select can be hard to press. The SP uses tactile switches for all of these, so I end up liking it more. And of course, you can play and charge at the same time, out of the box, without needing to buy anything else. It does suck that it's hard to get good quality headphone adapters, though. The one I bought ended up not working with my earbuds, only generic earbuds without a play/pause button, built-in mic, or volume control, while every other model of official Nintendo console works with that kind of headphone set out of the box for hearing the audio. So that is another thing to watch out for. It is not easy to get first party adapters. Excellent video!
I have a GBA I scored for $25 about a month ago. I think the dude thought it was broken but it only needed some alcohol to clean the contact pads and fully working. I plan to mod the screen and battery but, I truthfully want to do a Gameboy Macro just because I love the repurposing.
I had a third party gamecube to gameboy cabke that just plugged in and was not bulky at all. It also had a scond plug for using it as a 2 player cable.
Dude, you have the cleanest intros and product shots on RUclips
Thank you so much! Cheers!
I agree with this so much!!
My immediate reaction was omg that intro didn't have to go so hard!
I saw your comment before I saw the video and Jesus is that an understatement best on the internet
Agree. Production is top notch.
The best way to play in 2021 is like we did in 2001, but with cool backlight. The original GBA is still the best. Such as a nice video as always!
Thank you🙏! So happy you enjoyed it!! Cheers!
It’s 20 years old already?! I’m so OLD!!!!!
The OG GBA has always been the nicest to hold
Normie confirmed
But the GBA requires AA batteries....
The SP was the best version of GBA
The Micro was the WORST......the original was just THERE
I would like to have an unhinged SP though.....just for memorabilia as it reminds me of a better version of the Gameboy Color (even though an unhinged SP didn't exist in my time)
Dude honestly. The quality of your content, editing and intro is just, well and beyond your sub count.
Thank you Joyner! 🙏 much appreciated buddy!
Well and beyond, dude.
wtf... true. never checke it. just Was the opinions that he have 1-2 mil views min.
Just give him time, my friend
I was going to say that. I absolutely love the intro music and the whole vaporwave theme of the channel.
Your videos have inspired me enough to buy everything I need to have a electronics modding station in my house. I hope your channel blows up due to quality
That’s so awesome Dean! Really means a lot to me, thank you! So glad you are enjoying this great hobby! Cheers buddy!!
I honestly enjoy your content more then the big guys with hundreds of thousands of subs Bc you’re stuff is just so well edited, sounds great to listen to, and you obviously know what you’re doing. Love coming home from school on Thursdays for this.
Thank you Jadon! So happy you enjoy the channel buddy! Really appreciated the support! Cheers!
My man’s out here proving himself the most criminally underrated channel with each new video. Thank you for the effort you put into your work, Tito!
Really appreciate it badarts!! Cheers buddy!!
Awesome video - I think the OG GBA with IPS screen is the top in my book as well....after watching your videos I ordered IPS screens for all of my GBA and my GBA SP models. Visually, I love the look of the SP models, but since I modded all of them the form factor of OG GBA is the go to reason to use those models. Additionally I’m using the OG GBA as my default gameboy player controllers on the gamecube as well because it is so comfortable.
personally my favorite is the micro. i love the way it looks, the ability to customize it with swappable face plates, and the pocketability.
I still got mine, black. But im thinking of getting sp just for that folding capability and extra screen. The micro is still cool tho.
Staring at my AGS-101 modded GBA right now and this is exactly the video I wanted.
Bought a SNES shell housing for my SP 001, can’t wait to install it. I miss the good old days; your video gives me nostalgia. Dope!
Just performed my first mod a few days ago adding a new backlit IPS screen to my original GBA and wow its incredible, definitely going to be my preferred way to play all gameboy games from now on!
Would recommend getting the usbc rechargeable battery mod too!
Waiting for my sp unhinged to arrive, quite exited.
Oh boy hope it isn't boxypixel's for your sake. See makho's video
Pocketability is only relevant if you actually put them in your pocket. All my handhelds are in cases and usually go in specific compartments in my bags, or on a shelf. I'd be more interested in case options. I imagine the OG and SP have plenty.
Great point! Thanks you SaneGhoul!
I like to have mine at all times. So in the pocket they go. However I keep extras in better condition haha
I'm waiting on parts for the Unhinged, but my IPS modded original is doing it for me. I never thought I'd see Emerald in such clarity 👌🏻
As someone who also has all of these and sells them on my Etsy, I would like to add something. If you are trying to play as many games as possible for the most affordable price I would recommend getting or refurbishing a ds lite and purchasing a R4 card and Omega flash drive. You will be able to play DS and GBA titles. If money isn't an option or you want to only play GBA, GBC, and GB titles I would get a IPSv2 advance with a rechargeable battery. You will quickly spend the money on AA's that you could have spent on a battery mod.
Also side note. There is a drop in ips display that no longer requires trimming a shell or soldering :)
The micro also has an adapter that allows it to connect to an SP or AGB link cable as well.
A very expensive adapter if I remember correctly
Been browsing through your videos lately because I’ve been in the market for a custom gameboy, 3 days ago I made my choice
Ordered a all aluminum GBA with all the sound amp etc features, super excited for it to arrive
My best GBA is my 3DS. Same size as an original GBA when folded...via DS carts, I was able to dump my GBA games onto Virtual Console versions that play flawlessly. GBC was a bit more annoying to dump, but the VC versions are absolutely nostalgic to play in 3D mode. It sounds dumb, but it's my favorite way to play those.
Thank you for this video, this help my decision for a nostalgia purchase, definitely going SP, the only factor for me that pushes it over the top you didn’t mention is a backlight
If you ever redo this ranking, I would add a ranking for how hard it is to assemble.
This video was perfect! I was thinking of purchasing a gba but I couldn’t decide between an sp or a backlit gba. I didn’t even know about the unhinged or the macro!! I really do love the look of the macro but, everything considered, the backlit gba is the one for me. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! 10/10!
This is such a fantastic video. I have spent the past 3 days looking at Gameboy modding not knowing which one to go for. Comfort is a big factor for me so I think I'll go with the original GBA. Plus the ease of adding USB-C charging, and the already included headphone jack.
I just love the intro on your videos…. Not only is it great to look at but I always know some seriously good content is about to follow!
One item I would have made be its own category would be availability/price. Since I have recently gotten into the gameboy scene, I am now collecting all console generation. I have noticed that SPs are hard to find and are much pricier than the original. Another category I would add would be moddability/aftermarket-support for those looking to fully customize their units. Your video grading was spot on for me. OG GBA is best boi♥️
The two categories I would add are audio and reliability, which is where the original GBA starts to falter a bit. It's very common for original GBAs to have issues related to the power switch and for the headphone jack to become *really* noisy, and the speaker can be too weak if you need fans and/or a window AC on in the summer; it can be really hard to hear anything. These issues are fixable via either repairing it or mods but for some people that can be too much of a hassle, especially if the audio issues involve bad capacitors or something like that.
And of course, for maintenance the SP has the hinge while the macro often uses the DS Lite's crappy shoulder buttons, which are known to fail at high rates. I would be surprised if the boxy pixel SP didn't win in that category TBH simply because no hinge and you're replacing all the buttons with high quality ones.
I very much agree the OG GBA is the best. Even more so with the addition of the AGS-101 screen and the VRV2 chip that RetroModding sells. Adds even more brightness and control to the 101 screen!
dont know how this channel isnt more popular good job as always
Thanks for recommending me this RUclips, just what I've needed recently. I have a Gameboy Macro, except it's one of the first run versions back in 2015, it's rough around the edges, but was the perfect revival to my broken DSLite! Yours looks way better than mine, the creator's really come a long way!
Bro, please never get rid of this retro Renee intro, love it
Awesome breakdown.
only footnote I'd make is the Macros access to the DS card slot. while not useful for DS titles, DS flash carts are very cheap, and give you more options over GBA flash carts.
Thank you for the head up! That’s a great point!
That INTRO THOUGH!!! If i could Max Headroom w this... hella RETRO!
Been trying to figure out the best way to play minish cap on original hardware for the last week and then I remembered this video! I forgot about the gba macro mod and it's a perfect way to breathe life into my og dslite. Excited for when all the parts come in 🙌🏻 thanks again for the good content!
I just recently found you on youtube and I can say your channel is my favorite when it comes to retro handhelds. You deserve more subs!
Hi Tito, very cool comparison. I won’t be able to give you my ranking since I only own GBA and GBA SP, but I would have a hard time ranking them since it’s like picking a kid over the other, they both have a place in my heart hehehe. But joke aside, I guess the GBA is so easy to just pickup and play so I’d prefer this version for me, plus I’ve added many mods, Audio amp, recapped with quality caps, clean audio and all it has to offer as of today :)
I also own a stock AGS-101, and this one is my preferred choice over the IPS version for the SP. I guess that having a larger battery life and the overall quality of original pixel on screen brings a nostalgic feeling that all retro enthusiasts look for. But again, this is just my own opinion.
Cheers!
Dude thank you for the input as always Jesus! I agree the original is able to handle mods much easier than the others I think. Plus you have the options for AAs! Cheers dude! Great to hear from you!
I got into this debate with my buddy yesterday. He was asking me why I'm bothering with the original GBA to upgrade and why not just get the SP because it's better. Wrong! He's totally wrong! Lol. Everyone has their favorites, but for me the original GBA will always be the best overall for the reasons you mentioned in the video. And you can't beat the form factor. There's a reason why most handhelds go with the wider, horizontal form. It's just more comfortable.
Love the video! You reminded me of that nice teacher everyone had that provided tons of partial credit as long as you do SOMETHING. “Backwards comparability: the micro and maco have none. 5/10.” Lol
I think you should mention the very existence of the two SPs, 001 and 101 earlier in the video, maybe near the start, and how they are identical except the screen. Also, you mention the unhinged one, but didn't really touch on how this and the macro are completely a fan design that has to be built from parts and may require some soldering, and bit more on how the case is metal here, and that there are a few competing designs of this, and since you have to build it regardless, you can choose from them, they all offer complete kits and prebuilds too. I'm glad you mention that a backlit screen is a must.
Love the video. You should look into a ranked sum option for rating these to remove some of the bias aspects. Also I'd have deducted a point in pocket-ability for the original gba because it's awful if you have a gbc or gb game in the slot.
I think having a customizability category instead of portability one would have made things more interesting, but I’m still gonna binge watch all this dude’s content and eventually follow tutorials to mod my own GBA!
I dont have much to spend but if I did have a huge chunk of spare change, as the saying goes...Gotta catch'em all.
As always, top notch video again.
Another factor I would definitely add would be the battery life of each console.
thats hard to rank due to all the customizable battery options
Just ordered parts to finally mod my GBA!! Loving the channel dude thank you for the inspiration!
Was amazed to notice no Virtual Boy content on this channel. Its not truly a portable system, but it shares some similarities to portable systems.
I'm expecting the micro to be last on this list, but that's okay, I love mine personally :)
Can't wait for you to do a video on the Gacha SP. It should be in this shootout!
Awesome video. I have the SP and the Micro but now I want the OG!
I just got a micro and..... I love it! It's my favorite gba of all time .. got it cheap too and the way to customize this little gem of a console are cheap and really cool! Battery pack and different faceplates! Also you forgot that with the EZ flash micro sd card you can play infinite amount of games on the micro making the best portable console ever!
I would like to see a customizability category. How easy is it to upgrade a screen? Does each GBA accept all screen options? Can the battery be updated with a rechargeable one? What about wireless charging? Bluetooth headphones? Adding a headphone jack when there wasn't one from the factory. Stuff like that.
Love the rating criteria you used here. I used very similar metrics for a video I did about the Steam Deck (though my video quality doesn't hold a candle to this ; p
My absolute favorite GBA is the Micro. I love it despite its limitations. I love the size (never felt uncomfortable playing for me). I love the buttons. I love the pixel and color-accurate screen. I played the hell out of mine and still do occasionally now. I don't regret buying it at all when it was still new on the market. With that said, my objective ranking based on original hardware is:
1. GBA SP AGS-101
2. GBA SP AGS-001
3. Original GBA
4. Micro (no bw compatibility really hurts it)
5. DS lite/Macro (the boxy shape hurts my hands during long play sessions)
Sorry, I don't have a lot of experience with mods.
I feel like since gameboy modding has become more and more popular, the prices of the agb-001 have really gone up! I was finding that a fully functional agb-001 has matched or even surpassed the gba-001 prices! As always, great video!
It's unfortunate. They cost as much as rarer systems like the Neo Geo Pocket Color!
What’s the difference in gba and agb
@@bennelles1393the AGB-001 is the original GBA, and the AGS-001/GBA-001 is the original sp.
your intro sequence/music are so epic lol
Ive been watching your videos not even realizing i wasnt subbed. I just finally hit the button. Great content and production. If i had one suggestion it would just be to talk more like yourself instead of the newscaster style. I think it would give your channel an extra level of personality!
love your content man!
Thank you Leonard! 🙏 Cheers buddy!
SP, AGB, and then Micro for me. I've yet to build an unhinged sp, it looks really awesome. I would rather fully restore a DS lite than make a macro. I love your content, thank you!
The GBA SP models (Both AGS-101 and IPS screen versions) are better because have they brighter, backlit screens, they are compact and they fold open and shut like laptop computers.
You know.. the Gameboy player actually does have real GBA hardware inside of it, making it essentially a Gameboy advance as well. And it's compatible with the trade link cable as well. Would have been funny to see it included in this video lol.
Ergonomics 9/10, (GC controller is comfy, wireless available)
Pocketability 0/10, (what did you expect?)
Accessories 5-9/10, (highly setup dependent)
Backwards Compatibility, 8/10 (no GBA video unless modded, no tilt&tumble, GameBoy Camera is, well, lol. The aspect ratio and filter kinda sucks in default, too.)
Price Point 9/10 (used GameCubes still aren't too high thanks to the Wii, the peripheral was common enough, and the disc is largely available or bypassed with a fairly simple chip and homebrew tutorial.)
Overall, 31-35 by these metrics.
Great content! I'm actually agree with almost everything you said except for the GB Macro compatibility, I would say that this depends on the version of the NDS that the person moded
I don't see how. No Nintendo DS can play any other Game Boy cartridge other than the Advance.
@@Cheez-It92 I just looked it up and Idk why but I had in my mind the image of an original ds playing gb and gbc games xD
That intro was pretty dope, so I’m gonna rate it a 10/10
Dude! If you would review more commercial products like full frame cameras or whatever you would have millions of followers. We appreciate your content. Its really great!!
I was actually thinking of getting a gameboy device since I really miss it, this helped me choose one so thanks! I didn't know GBA could play GB games though so that's a surprise. I thought it could only play GBC games (and GBA games but that's obvious)
Thinking back at it, I can't believe I ever found a SP comfortable.
I knew the original was gonna win heheh, it's just so perfect
No spoilers, please. 😛
Such a good design even anakin couldn’t help but play it in Star Wars episode 3
The best GBA to game on is the one you've got with you. Great video as usual, Tito. Thank you!
Couldn’t have said it better! Thank you Dan! Cheers buddy!
Unhinged is the way to go. I just built mine and absolutely love it! Your build video helped me a ton, thanks bro!!
I like the way most options were covered. I know I plan to stick with the SP model, so I don't have to worry about damage to the main buttons/ screen when it's thrown loosely into a bag.
my favorite console is the GBA SP, but with the IPS screen mod, 3.5mm jack (just behind the screen), 950mha battery, sound cleaner, louder speaker, and USB-C to charge. Thinking that all that fits perfectly in the original size of the console seems to me the best. I would also like to have wireless charging, but in the back between the screen and the cover because there is more space, instead of in the battery cover.
As a kid my SP was perfect due to my small hands lol but now as an adult with much larger hands my SP feels a whole lot different.. especially those longer sessions when playing Metroid games.. heard a lot of good things about the OG GBA… will be buying one!
One big factor that slapped my face recently is formfactor in relation to the game you are actually playing. I love the DMG form factor so I have been all about my SP Unhinged, I thought that would be my favorite, but I was playing mostly RPGs when I thought that. Flip on a more reaction based game though. Metroid was more or less ok, but the L and R strained my index fingers a little. Only a little.... Flip on F-Zero GP Legend though, and double tapping the R and L on the Unhinged for that game, it hurts just to think back to that. It quickly hurt, and I wasnt even able to race. My hands and wrists are always tired from drawing so maybe its just me, and I don't know how many other games would cause this problem if any at all (Other than other F-Zero games). End of the day, a backlit original GBA is my fav. I have a few that I modded and they are H O T. That wideboy stance is the most comfortable for me. Though the SP Unhinged is amazing for Fire Emblem, FF Tactics, Mario, Pokemon, and I think I played some Drill Dozer.
One year late commenting on this but I think the micro doesn't deserve to be joint bottom, it atleast deserves 1 more point in the accessories category. You mentioned they did have those accessories made for them so it shouldn't act as a negative score just because they are rarer also price has its own category so the cost of the accessories shouldn't have been considered at this point of the video. The unhinged scored 7 despite not being compatible with all and only having the option for a headphone jack but you didn't take cost of the aux port into consideration on it. Being as the micro is stock and the unhinged is a complete mod should also mean it trumps at the end in my judgement atleast. Great video despite my nitpicking and honesty agreed with the majority of everything else. The gba is my favourite console of all time, it's everything you need for on the go gaming from quick games to longer more invested adventures, I also have the nintendo mp3 player for my micro.
For the macro you can use a micro led instead of a resistor, I actually kept the original faceplate, and connected the hinge holes with a plastic rod with air bubbles, and a micro led glued to one end of the tube. Saw the mod somewhere, can't remember.
For my personal preference
(From best to worst)
1.Modded AGB - this is absolutely my favorite for it’s form factor and design, also you can use a rechargeable batteries which can be easily acquire from any local convenience shop
2.Macro - very cheap and easy to modify, all you have to do is just solder a capacitor(330 OHM) to the board and a speaker, I really don’t recommend you to remove the slot-1 though since you can get to play emulate games via Flashcart, the design is pretty sleek and similar to DS Lite (which is kinda comfy imo)
3.SP(include the modded one) - this used to be my favorite GBA experience, however when I think about it this thing is so uncomfortable and the battery is too fast to deplete! (unless you modded this unit with a higher capacity battery)
Sadly, I haven’t tried either Micro and Unhinged SP though...
this video is just so useful
i was undecided till now thx!
Wild, you put more into this editing than I did completing my bachellor's. Good stuff man. As a viewer and newbie interested in the modding, could you consider doing a video about the ease or complications with it? Like difficulty in assembly, gathering the parts, costs for tools needed for assembly or different costs overall (I imagine a gameboy and ds have different price points for example) and maybe compare it to some more emulator comparisons from things like the Aliexpress mass emulator catalog?
What was your degree if you dont mind me asking?
i'm a little late, learning how to solder by restoring myself a nintendo collection from my past. you did a fair job presenting all your points! i see why you made the rankings you did. when i was looking for what gba to go with i had this very debate with myself. when it comes to price i thought of the additional cost the micro and macro would add because i would need to spend the money on a whole extra gameboy unit for the older gen games, i judged much harder for that, it is kinda the main selling point of the gba and gba sp imo, the micro felt like kinda a heartless cash grab imo. but on the point of cost i have mixed feelings. nothing about refurbishing or purchasing old nintendo hardware is really inexpensive. with that in mind and accepting that you will have to spend a lot for something nice and clean and shop a lot to find it vs invest in a custom personal model 9insert rabbit hole here). leaves me to agree with the "best", meaning reasonable and affordable, a standard GBA just to get something to play everything as intended and work with any accessories. however i think second best is a custom unhinged, or a custom advance from boxy then mod the hell out of it. as an adult i have the money to get a nice toy for myself and i will take good care of it. no compromises show piece and a very fair resale value.
really like your content so far, very helpful info! thank you !
I still got my anniversary game boy micro from when i was back a 5th grader, got some scratches and turns off randomly but i still love it like i was a kid
I think your rankings are spot on. My personal fav is the Micro and i typically have my Happy Mario with me all the time. For reasons I can quite explain I really dislike the Macro. Probably cause it's blocky looking and probably because the GBA cart sticks out the bottom, but I can understand it's appeal.
Dude, I didn't know what an unhinged SP was before this and now I'm really interested in having one
im upgrading my advance 100%. ordering it all now!!!
I just want to know how you make your gravity defying thumbnails. Seriously some excellent work.
The force is strong with me 😉😁
Great video. My favourite gameboy advance model (not including the mods) would be the SP 101. Although I have a collection of gameboy micro (including one boxed brand new Japanese famicom edition with the mark II faceplate). I also have the final fantasy IV edition gameboy micro. Although the micro is not really that great to play games on, I just have a connection with them and find it so cool.
The SP and original GBA is widely avail and maybe that's why I prefer my GBA micro.
Now in regards to modded gba's, I have a IPS sp, it's really nice but I didn't really get that wow factor compared to seeing the ips gameboy color mod for the first time.
Keep up the great content. Hopefully you'll do the PSP 1000 ips screen mod one day...
Wow, I was going to perform a live on Twitch tomorrow about the GBA and this video will surely help with some of the infos: I'll mention it for sure!
One thing you should have taken i to consideration though is the fact that the original GBA uses AA batteries! That's a very unfortunate con to me, as I have big hands and feel it's still the best anyway in terms of comfort.
In order to get the cleanest and most comfortable way I opted for the REVO K101 clone.
Despite a small imperfection in the face buttons run, it has screen brightness, is rechargeable, has headphones jack and is retrocompatible.
I tend to favour the Micro despite its shortcomings because of the extreme portability. As a collector though I own many of Nintendo's handhelds and use each based on varying scenarios.
How come the Micro gets a 5/10 for backwards compatibility, when it has no backwards compatibility at all? Great video though, very useful, thank you.
Due to the EZ Flash Omega flash cart
@@MachoNachoProductions ahh, of course! Thank you for your reply.
Thank you my dude I’ve been trying to figure this out for forever
I thought I was an OG Gameboy Advance fan since I was a child. Until I repurchased one, I didn't realize how much my thumbs had grown, blocking a portion of the screen and putting fingerprints on it every time I game.
And then there's the mushy buttons that, again, thought I liked more than the SP and DS. Although the SP feels cramped by comparison, it weirdly makes for a better gameboy experience as an adult.
That intro was clean as fuck. That said, why are you using a backlit original SP? The lack of backlight is a huge disadvantage.
I would have added playtime based on a week or month. Seeing which you preferred using most. The only one I don't have is the unhinged, but I will do my list.
1). SP - I have a few 001 and 101 systems and I honestly like playing the 001 the most. The front light seems to be more enjoyable to me plus the ability to turn it off.
2). Micro - Not really for the everyday experience. It's one I do go to when playing turn based RPGs.
3). Macro - I feel it has the better display over the 101. Mine is still a bit temperamental if a GBA game is not clean. I use it only for fast paced racing and side scrollers.
4). GBA - All of mine are still stock, but it was the first in the line. It does have the better control feel to me, but that's about it.
Thank you for the list NuBatman!! Great ranking! Really appreciate the response! Cheers buddy!
thank you I have been waiting quite a while for a video like this comparing the pros and cons of several kits
You’re most welcome James!
I found your channel yesterday.
Your videos are informative and I enjoy watching them, already planning to mod my Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP, and my Game Gear :)
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Subscribed.
Awesome! So glad you found the channel and are enjoying the videos! Cheers buddy!
I'm glad I bought my Micro for 30$ over a decade ago. 😅 I've been testing my options recently and as of now I have a great time with playing my GBA games on my 2DS.
First and foremost this was a great comparison video. There are a couple of things I would add. First the SP has the advantage of completely protecting the screen once it's folded. This is why I'm nervous of carrying my Micro without some kind of cover on it. Second the Micro can technically play GB and GBC games if you use a flash cart. I think it makes it a little more comfortable since you don't have to use the ackwardly placed L and R buttons. My favorite Gameboy will always the Glacier Blue original because it was my first Gameboy and my current daily is a pink AGS-101 SP.
I appreciate the slightly more objective approach - but I'd be interested to know which one you consider your favourite, and if there is one you tend to play on the most?
Great video! My results are kinda the same. Love the GBA tough for second either Macro or SP
Great video, all of it is personal preference so enjoy what you choose. I still find the SP the most comfortable & the OG Advance awkward to my hands, but most seem to love it. Still want to do the macro mod sometime, but waiting til I find a wrecked DS in the wild.
I’m buying a gameboy micro this week I wanted one for a while now I like how u can just bring it anywhere it’s cool and I have a gameboy advanced cartridge that’s a 369 in 1 so I’m excited to use that with the gameboy micro whenever I’m out waiting for doctors appointments etc
I would pretty much go with what you said, except I like the SP a little more than the original GBA for one reason: tactile switches for buttons, rather than the somewhat softer press of the GBA buttons. It of course depends on the button membranes you go with. My GBA's A and B are fairly solid, but the d-pad is somewhat soft, and Start and Select can be hard to press. The SP uses tactile switches for all of these, so I end up liking it more. And of course, you can play and charge at the same time, out of the box, without needing to buy anything else.
It does suck that it's hard to get good quality headphone adapters, though. The one I bought ended up not working with my earbuds, only generic earbuds without a play/pause button, built-in mic, or volume control, while every other model of official Nintendo console works with that kind of headphone set out of the box for hearing the audio. So that is another thing to watch out for. It is not easy to get first party adapters.
Excellent video!
I have a GBA I scored for $25 about a month ago. I think the dude thought it was broken but it only needed some alcohol to clean the contact pads and fully working. I plan to mod the screen and battery but, I truthfully want to do a Gameboy Macro just because I love the repurposing.
I like the video. But the cost score should incorporate what you get for the cost. IMO. keep up the great work. 🤙🏻
My parents bought me a Gameboy micro when i was a kid i remember having the 999 in 1 cartridge games so much fun back then🥰
I had a third party gamecube to gameboy cabke that just plugged in and was not bulky at all. It also had a scond plug for using it as a 2 player cable.