Editing Game Boy Advance

{{Infobox information appliance
| title        = Game Boy Advance
| logo         = Gameboy_advance_logo.png
| logo_size    = 250px
| image        = Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-Purple.jpg
| image_size   = 250px
| caption      = The indigo version of the Game Boy Advance.
| manufacturer = [[Nintendo]]
| family       = [[Game Boy line]]
| type         = [[Handheld game console]]
| generation   = [[Sixth generation of video game consoles|Sixth generation]]
| releasedate  = JP: March 21, 2001<br />NA: June 11, 2001<br />EU: June 22, 2001
| discontinued = May 15, 2010
| lifespan     = 2001–2010
| unitssold    = 81.51 million <small>(2010-6-30)</small>
| media        = [[ROM cartridge]]
| power        = 2 × AA batteries
| cpu          = [[ARM7TDMI]] @ 16.78 MHz, [[Zilog Z80]] @ 8 or 4 MHz
| memory       = 32 KB internal, 256 KB external, 96 KB [[VRAM]]
| display      = [[TFT LCD]], 240×160 pixels, 40.8×61.2 [[Millimetre|mm]]
| topgame      = ''[[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire|Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire]]'', 16 million combined
| compatibility= [[Gameboy|Game Boy]], [[Gameboy Color|Game Boy Color]]
| predecessor  = Game Boy Color
| successor    = [[Nintendo DS]]
}}

= Introduction =

The '''Game Boy Advance'''{{efn|{{nihongo|ゲームボーイアドバンス|Gēmu Bōi Adobansu|lead=yes}}}} ('''GBA''') is a 32-bit [[handheld game console|handheld video game console]] developed, manufactured and marketed by [[Nintendo]] as the successor to the [[Game Boy Color]]. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001, and in [[mainland China]] on June 8, 2004 as iQue Game Boy Advance. Nintendo's competitors in the handheld market at the time were the [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]], [[WonderSwan]], [[GP32]], [[Tapwave Zodiac]], and the [[N-Gage (device)|N-Gage]]. Despite the competitors' best efforts, Nintendo maintained a majority market share with the Game Boy Advance.

As of June 30, 2010, the Game Boy Advance series has sold 81.51 million units worldwide. Its successor, the [[Nintendo DS]], was released in November 2004 and is also compatible with Game Boy Advance software.

= Specifications =

The technical specifications of the original Game Boy Advance are, as provided by Nintendo:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Size:
| approximately {{convert|14.45|cm|abbr=on}} x {{convert|2.45|cm|abbr=on}} x {{convert|8.2|cm|abbr=on}} (LxWxH), {{convert|140|g|abbr=on}}.
|-
!Screen:
| 2.9&nbsp;inches reflective [[TFT LCD|thin-film transistor (TFT) color LCD]].
|-
!Power:
| 2× AA batteries
|-
!valign=top|Battery life:
| approximately 15 hours on average while playing Game Boy Advance games (also dependent on the Game Pak being played, volume setting and any external peripherals being used - e.g. a screen light)
|-
!CPU:
| 16.8&nbsp;MHz 32-bit [[ARM7TDMI]] with embedded memory. 8.4 or 4.2&nbsp;MHz Sharp LR35902 ([[Intel 8080|8080]]-derived)
coprocessor for Game Boy backward compatibility.
|-
!Memory:
| 32 kilobyte + 96 kilobyte [[Video RAM|VRAM]] (internal to the [[CPU]]), 256 kilobyte [[dynamic random access memory|DRAM]] (outside the CPU).
|-
!Resolution:
| 240 × 160 [[pixel]]s (3:2 [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]]).
|-
!valign=top|Color&nbsp;support:
| 15-bit BGR (5 bits depth per channel), capable of displaying 512 simultaneous colors in "character mode" and 32,768 (2<sup>15</sup>) simultaneous colors in "bitmap mode".
|-
!Sound:
| Dual 8-bit DAC for stereo sound (called Direct Sound), plus all legacy channels from Game Boy. The new DACs can be used to play back streams of wave data, or can be used to output multiple wave samples processed/mixed in software by the CPU.
|}

Backward compatibility for [[Game Boy]] and [[Game Boy Color]] games is provided by a custom 4.194/8.388&nbsp;MHz [[Zilog Z80|Z80]]-based coprocessor (Game Boy Advance software can use the audio tone generators to supplement the primary sound system), while a link port at the top of the unit allows it to be connected to other devices using a [[Game Link cable]] or [[Nintendo GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable|GameCube link cable]]. When playing Game Boy or Game Boy Color games on the Game Boy Advance, the L and R buttons can be used to toggle between a stretched widescreen format (240×144 pixels) and the original screen ratio of the Game Boy (160×144 pixels). Game Boy games can be played using the same [[Game Boy Color#Color palettes used for original Game Boy games|selectable color palettes]] as on the Game Boy Color.
Every Nintendo handheld system following the release of the Game Boy Advance SP has included a built-in light and rechargeable battery.

The Game Boy Advance and [[Nintendo DS]] 2D graphics hardware have scaling and rotation for traditional tiled backgrounds in its modes 1 and 2 and scaling and rotation for bitmaps in modes 3 through 5 (used less often on the GBA because of technical limitations). On each machine supporting this effect, it is possible to change the scaling and rotation values during the horizontal blanking period of each scanline to draw a flat plane in a perspective projection. More complex effects such as fuzz are possible by using other equations for the position, scaling, and rotation of each line. The "character mode" supports up to 4 [[tile map]] background layers per frame, with each tile being 8x8 pixels in size and having 16 or 256 colors. The "character mode" also supports up to 128 hardware [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] per frame, with any sprite size from 8x8 to 64x64 pixels and with 16 or 256 colors per sprite.

= Hardware Modificaton =

== Case ==

Tutorial by ''The Games Shed'':

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzOuzQCpaHo How to replace a Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP Housing]

== Back-Lit Screen ==

Tutorial by ''The Games Shed'':

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciGEdRL9oI0 GBA SP AGS-101 Cheap Modding Tutorial!]

[[Category:Nintendo handhelds]]