Topic: Should I Buy GBA games at GameStop or Wait Until They're Released as Digital Downloads

Because they still sell GBA games at GameStop for around $5-20 and I was wondering if it's worth it or not or should I wait until Nintendo announces a Virtual Console for the DSi?

Yes.They will most likely be less expensive than when they become downloadable.

On the other hand if you wait and download them you can have multiple games on one handleheld and you wont have to switch the carts.

Just get what you can for a good price. Who knows how long it'll be for them to become available for download, if ever.

Pokemon Emerald's still $40!

I've already ran out of space for small DSiWare games. I don't see entire GBA games fitting on here. If a VC is ever put on DSi, it'll likely not be for GBA games. I know the rumor sometimes includes GBA, but the rumor so far has turned out to be pretty darn wrong.

Do I really have to wait until 2020 just to play GBA games on the DS3?

I have had good luck buying there in the past for GBA games.

For all we know, they could never become downloadable. Buying them at Gamestop (or another, better store if the option is available...) is your best bet, especially considering that many of them are uber-cheap now.

I have no idea when, how, or if you will be able to download GBA games, Good. I'm just saying that it seems unlikely on this handheld.

Yup, get real carts when you can afford them. Most of them will never reach any VC, and they are nice to have in your shelf too!

Get the GBA games, as a Virtual Console service for the DSi won't be coming any time soon (unless you count Game & Watch). It'd be great to have, but it'd have to be a second generation DSi before it could handle games like that.

Still, I've already generated prices.

Game & Watch: 100 points
Game Boy: 250 points
Game Boy Color: 500 points
Game Gear: 500 points
Game Boy Advance: 800 points
Neo Geo Pocket: 800 points
Atari Lynx: 800 points
Neo Geo Pocket Color: 1000 points

i'd just go for the GBA carts if I were you. you can always resell them down the line if you wind up replacing them with a digital download. there's no telling if we'll actually ever see a Virtual Handheld anyway, and you also never know how long it'll take them to release the GBA games you actually want (or if you'll ever see them released on such a service at all).

As far as we know, GBA games as digital downloads are not happening. It's possible, but there seems to be %0.5 chance of it happening. Just go with what Mickeymac said.

Wow, so we should forget about GBA games like they never existed. What about NES, SNES, and N64. We had to wait about 15-20 years to see re-releases of them in digital downloads so we'll wait another 10-15 years until we see GB and GBA games or a Virtual Handheld. Ok makes sense to me.

Why Nintendo is dragging its foot on this GB/GBC/GBA DSi Virtual Console is beyond me, but considering some of their past dumbass decisions, I guess I shouldn't be too shocked. Let's hope this console success hasn't gone to their heads.

I'd go with the carts just to be on the safe side. Besides, as Des said, you can always sell them later on.

@Starfox, just wanted to point out that the DSi still has the Arm7 cpu of the regular DS, and probably still retains it's GBA mode. Just because the slot isn't there doesn't mean the internals aren't. So really all there needs to be is a flag in the downloaded game to tell the DSi to revert to GBA mode, it wouldn't have to be emulated as with other handhelds. In fact this seems like a logical reason for removing the slot in the first place, cause I'm sure they could re-sell some classics such as the three amazing Sonic Advance games that I'm sure a lot of people may have missed out on.

Getting rid of the GBA slot in the DSi was a stupid, stupid design choice. Way to screw up the peripheral slot!

And with my library of GBA games, this ensures I'll stick with my DS Phat for a while longer.

Why nintendo got rid of the gba cartridge i will never know...

I wouldn't count on the GBA VC anytime soon, if at all . Knowing the odds, I say definitely grab those games while you can, especially if it's a bargain. I've managed to snag some overlooked gems like Drill Dozer for 8 dollars, Rayman 10th Anniversary (a cartridge which contains both Rayman Advance and Rayman 3 GBA) for 5 dollars, and Gunstar Super Heroes for 3 dollars(!!!). Those are all steals on very good games! I always check the used GBA rack if I stop by: Gamestop often mistakes gold for copper when a game doesn't have a huge name like Mario or Pokémon slapped on it .