GBA is still better than 3DS - Retro Forum

ollietaro · 2014-04-25T13:34:09+00:00

In the era of the 3DS, sprite-based games still win out over 3D games. The Game Boy Advance was a personal experience for me since I got one in 2002-3 (?) Not only was it an experience I could tap into and shut out the world when life's not-too-great moments happened, but it offered such fantastic array of quality games that I treasure to this day and consider better than the new games coming out for 3DS. To compare, and granted that 3DS is still young in its lifespan, the GBA offered you RPG epics such as: Final Fantasy's I-thru-VI minus III which was on DS Golden Sun 1 and 2 The Shining Force remake Final Fantasy Tactics Mario Tennis and Golf were fantastic RPGs to play in their own right Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald (which saw the birth of the endlessly entertaining Battle Frontier which extended the gameplay infinitely) Fire Emblem and Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones These games showed that the 32-bit handheld console could offer so much depth in its games. The 3DS is still young but in terms of RPGs I can think of only Fire Emblem: Awakening, Bravely Default, Rune Factory 4, Etrian Odyssey I and IV, and Shin Megami Tensei. I don't know if other fans feel this way, but Fire Emblem: Awakening still leaves me feeling empty even after the loads of content and updated Fire Emblem game design. Is it just me? I do think the stories were better in the GBA FE games. I've held out on getting Bravely Default if only because it looks simply like it is just a 3D version of Final Fantasy: 4 Heroes of Light on DS. I consider the GBA experience far better than DS, personally, for reasons I've previously mentioned and also for reasons I won't share. Please say below which experience was/is your favourite. More great games: Advance Wars 1 and 2 offered so many hours of strategy and you can't deny the characterization in those games. There is still not an AW game on 3DS. The four Super Mario remakes - Hey, some of us never played these before. The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past and The Minish Cap - Even A Link to the Past was remade for 3DS. The four Mega Man Zeros - No Mega Man game yet on 3DS except Azure Striker Gunvolt is announced which is essentially Mega Man Zero 3D. The three Castlevanias - Castlevania 3DS was not developed by the original dev for the GBA and DS games. Make of that what you will. Gunstar Super Heroes The Harvest Moons - How many were there? The two Kirbys Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories I also feel that 3DS games have been streamlined to accommodate a maximum audience which may be good for sales but less so in the experience. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is my absolute 3DS favourite and yes, that would never have been able to come from GBA but still, we're talking about experiences here not graphical powerhouses. Please list the GBA games you had great times with and why.

Topic: GBA is still better than 3DS

Posts 41 to 46 of 46

41
unrandomsam
Thu 8th May 2014

Dezzy wrote:

I'd say the GBA is probably the better at this point in time. It's hard to say what the 3DS will look like in 4 years time though. This year is looking a bit quiet for the 3DS really, especially compared to last year. Nintendo do have a habit of working in spurts.
If we get another 3 years of the kind of output we had in 2013, I think the 3DS will definitely be the better system overall. However, if they've already done their best work on the 3DS and we can only look forward to 2 or 3 big exclusives a year (what 2014 is looking like!), I'd go with the GBA.

If that happens then the 3DS will have absolutely loads in about 3/4 genres same as it does now.

(It has zero in most genres at the moment). The DS has about 2/3 good games in every genre. The GBA has about 10 in every genre.

“30fps Is Not a Good Artistic Decision, It's a Failure”
Freedom of the press is for those who happen to own one.

42
10-zx
Sun 11th May 2014

GBA was like a companion to the Gamecube. For instance, it had a Super Monkey Ball Jr / Super Monkey Ball and Metroid Fusion / Metroid Prime and in a way, Advance Wars / Pikmin. I cant think of anything else. I'm sure Advance Wars is good, I need to get a GBA, and yes, GBA is better than 3DS.

[Edited Sun 11th May 2014 by 10-zx]

43
Filth_Element
Mon 12th May 2014

Just got a 3DS so time will tell...

Still, it is way too early to compare the two though!

Some of Mario Odyssey is seriously giving heart palpitations.... that plumber is trying to kill me!

44
Joeynator3000
Mon 12th May 2014

Wow....this STILL going on? lol

My Monster Hunter Rise Gameplay
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzirEG5duST1bEJi0-9kUORu5SRfvuTLr

Discord server: https://discord.gg/fGUnxcK
Keep it PG-13-ish.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Joeynator3000

45
CaviarMeths
Mon 12th May 2014

tl;dr

3DS is better than the Portable SNES Advance at this stage in its life cycle.

So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.

46
SMEXIZELDAMAN
Mon 12th May 2014

GBA for life yea! I've been firing up that beast lately as well and playing some of my old favourites. Too bad the battery life for that thing is now only like 3 hours

Check out SUBLIME GAMER, my YouTube Channel
God loves you

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