DS Daily: Sad to see the GBA slot go?

by David Hinkle { Oct 2nd 2008 at 9:00AM }

With all of the oooh-ing and ahhh-ing we've done at the recent announcement of the DSi, we are bummed about one thing: the GBA slot being no more. We like GBA games. They're cheap and fun! But, is it worth losing the GBA slot for all of the other goodies on offer? What do you think of the GBA slot going the way of the dodo bird?

Gallery: Nintendo DSi

Tags: dsi, gba, nintendo-dsi

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

C02M0 @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:12AM

since i use a flashcart it dosent really bother me .
i doubt ill buy the new DS anyway .
i want the DS for gaming , not a camera or a music player , and its light enough.

MarTin @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:57AM

Guess what? They're gonna upload the GBA game library to the DSiWare channel and charge you for games that you already own.
Maybe Nintendo think it's clever: I think it's a mere rip-off instead. Just my thoughts anyway.

Haohmaru @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:33AM

Or you could, uh, keep your current DS Phat/Lite and continue playing your GBA games on it whenever you want. I know it's crazy, but it might just work.

LiqwidZero @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:48AM

Maybe Nintendo won't charge for games that you've registered online. I've registered every 1st party GBA game I have.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:53AM

You'd only be charged for games you already own if you buy a game you already own.

The purpose of that is to allow people to get games that they may have wanted but never had the chance to get or to try out classics.

You make it seem as if Nintendo is forcing you to buy games. If you have a problem with it, here's a simple idea: don't buy any!

Jace @ Oct 2nd 2008 5:02PM

What MarTin said has not actually been announced. They have merely announced "Nintendo DSi Ware" and pricing structure with no details beyond that. In fact, this Iwata quote: "We will continue offering Nintendo DS Lite for those who enjoy playing GameBoy Advance software as well." - makes it seem that we will in fact NOT be getting GBA software on DSi Ware.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/conference2008fall/presen/e/02.html

ramuji @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:20AM

I have only one GBA cart, so this isn't a big deal for me. The only other thing I've ever used the GBA slot for is the Opera browser, and since that will be included in the DSi I really have no complaints about losing GBA compatability (although I can certainly understand why others might).

Wouldn't it be cool if DS Ware downloads also included a "GBA Virtual Console"? (Again, maybe not so much for people who already have alot of GBA carts.)

Kenji @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:30AM

It's a big deal to me. I've never owned a DS; the last handheld game system I bought was the original GBA. Backward compatibility with the 27 games I have for it would've been welcome.

B-Rad @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:51AM

Really??? You never owned a DS???

I guess you are not Nintendo's target audience then, so your opinion does not matter

writkat @ Oct 2nd 2008 5:07PM

Uh. I'd have to say that someone who doesn't own a DS *is* probably part of Nintendo's target audience.

That said, you could just buy a DS Lite. They're probably going to go down in price now that the DSi is coming out.

Olivier @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:30AM

Well, for example, what will happen to Guitar Hero without the GBA slot? I doubt a touch-screen interface will work for that game...

acefondu @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:35AM

That is quite a good point. I also thought about Pokemon transferring data and so forth. Very dumb move by Nintendo not to just keep that slot in.

Kaes Delgrego @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:32AM

You know, anytime I want to play a GBA game, I always fire up my SP. It still gets a respectable amount of play time (more than my PSP, anyway). The Lite's Start and Select buttons don't do it for me.

LeMi @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:34AM

I always play my gba games using my psp (I've broken my gba sp and hate to bring gba carts around). So the gba slot is not a problem for me and if some game that needs it comes by I'll play it on my backup ds lite (it will be a backup after I buy a DSi) :D

tamriel @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:37AM

Well, I do own a GBA SP and, maybe it's just me, but I feel more comfortable playing my GBA games on it. Therefore, I think that replacing the GBA slot with a SD card slot is a pretty good move from Nintendo.

The only little beef that I might have with this regards the add-on controllers, like the Taito Paddle or the GH Guitar Grip. However, I own neither of them and I've been made aware that they tear through your battery juice like ravenous raptors. So okay, goodbye; I am much more excited by the music, storage and browser features.

mko @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:44AM

Maybe DSi will have some sort of virtual console allowing Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Advance games to be downloaded?

Risingsun @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:53AM

If it makes the console smaller than i say go for it. Besides we can expect the GBA to be supported forever. If anything, I feel like im ready to move on.

igorponweed @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:58AM

Gba/GB/GBC/SNES/NES/Original DLC pleeze.

dagguis @ Oct 2nd 2008 6:03PM

I think it would, because that other notice about, wii points chaingin to be nintendo points, so they can be used both in ds and wii.

So maybe we�re having gb gba gbc nes and snes games in our ds, without those NOT r4 :)

Mark @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:59AM

I have the rotary controller for Space invaders/Arkanoid as well as guitar hero. So I will miss the GBA slot.
Will this split the DS audience as with so many DSs' out there with GBA slots for such periferals and definetly more Guitar hero games in the future, does this mean that new DS owners will miss out on future game releases and will they be aware of this?
What if games start to use the new features will the existing DS base be left behind? such as in game camera usage.. or greater use of memory.

Why is Nintendo mimicing the less successful PSP? or in the UK not so must have Iphone. which try to do too much only to fall behind.

I look forward to buying a cheap second DS lite for work when they bring out the new model :)

aliquis @ Oct 2nd 2008 12:11PM

I really doubt they put more RAM for games in the DS, just flash-RAM for storage. Would be pretty retarded to give it more system RAM and make them incompatible, better beef up the CPU, graphics and resolution as well in that case.

Puddles @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:00AM

My GBA slot isn't going anywhere because I'm sticking with the DS Lite!

Nigeria @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:01AM

I love my GBA games and I still buy them - most recently Guardian Advance Heroes. And I only got into them when I brought my DS. So a big part of the DS' appeal will be lost with the missing slot.

My opinion is pretty much entrenched now: I won't buy that new DS.

Timerider @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:07AM

This is the opposite of what I wanted. I was hoping for a DS plus of sorts with backwards compatability with even GB games. No GBA slot might be a deal breaker.

Clandaith @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:09AM

I'm sticking with my DS Lite. No need to upgrade yet. Hell, I went from a GBC to the DS. I skipped over the GBA.

s.mario @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:15AM

GBA-Micro and PSP are my handhelds of choice...yeah, I've got a DS (Phat), but other than Zelda, Super Mario RPG's I haven't got that much use out of it...

I'm currently at 98 hours on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA!

Jangles @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:21AM

I have a number of GBA games but I hardly play them anymore as I have all these DS games to play. I was thinking of picking up GH:OT but now I must reconsider. GH:OT is $50 and if the DSi is relesed early 2009 then I will be saving that $50 for the DSi if it looks to be a good upgrade.

I am interested in the music capabilities as my MP3 player will be in need of replacing soon. If I can save that money for the DSi and get a good player at the same time, i will be a happy player. Does anyone know about SD card slots? Are they used to expand the memory of the system as in more memory for music?

Also about the SD slot will that give the DSi PDA like abilities?

Spencer @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:29AM

Yeah, Guitar Hero DS players get shafted. But don't forget about Pal Park in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, which allows you to port Pokemon straight from your GBA cartridge to your DS game. Really boneheaded move considering that Pokemon is one of the Big N's biggest franchises on DS. =/

Elihu @ Oct 17th 2008 7:35PM

I'm assuming Ninty has thought of this thoroughly and has some sort of backup plan for this. Or then again... maybe not.

Granted, I will be sad to see the GBA slot go, but that does not mean that I won't be using my GBA or DS Lite to remedy that.

Thinking of that while regarding the Pal Park, if one had a DS Phat or Lite, couldn't they just use the DS that they already own to use the Pal Park, then just play later on the DSi?

Andy @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:33AM

eh... doesn't bug me too much. After GBA, I kinda switched to PSP for several years until I finally bought a DS lite earlier this year. So I've misplaced most of my GBA games. And I still play my PSP more often than my DS anyway.

Nightstar @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:34AM

It too early to tell if loosing the slot will be a deal breaker. The slot is a easy way to connect external stuff like the controllers or like the control for that one DSLR camera.

Actual unless there something else. Just not fired up over this. Just adding a lot of ram but not increasing screen rez or cpu speed will mean the browser will be like the PSP. Nice but usless for anythign but the store.

Kralos @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:34AM

Don't care. I have two DMG-001s, an ice blue game boy pocket, a game boy color, two GBAs, and my current Lite. Looking to get a DS fat, gold game boy light and famicom GBAmicro, so I'll probably buy this one around next summer, pretty sure i got backwards-compatibility covered, haha. (I'm a chiptune artist and started collect consoles because of it).

For those complaining, you can find a GBA for like 10 bucks on ebay or at a flea market, what's the big deal?

Steve @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:34AM

The GBA slot was taking up space anyway. However, I'm not so sure that refilling that space with 2 cameras is the route that I would have chosen. Any way a portable VC and DS Ware sound cool to me. Bring on the Megaman 9 DS!!

Ravnos @ Oct 2nd 2008 12:18PM

Portable Mega Man 9 would be awesome. It would be even better if it came with an option to play it in the original GB's 4 shades of spinach green. The whole thing is fan service to retro gamers, so the nod to the portable Mega Man games of old would be spectacular, even if I never actually used it.

OuTee @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:38AM

Its a bad thing! No Guitar Hero!!!! :[

DarklighterDS @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:38AM

It seems like the new ds is inferior to the old one. I bought my DS as gaming platform. The new DS seems to be more of a PDA. I think the people who buy the new DS over the current one are the same people who buy brain age, cooking mama, and other casual garbage. . .

I wish that Nintendo would do more with the GBA slot like have DS games that give you bonuses for having the right GBA game in the slot and they need more games that support rumble.

exolstice @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:43AM

So they've replaced the GBA slot with a dollar store digital camera, a subpar browser, and limited music playback? No thanks. I'd expect to see those features in a cheap plastic shell shaped like a Mickey Mouse head.

Michael @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:43AM

Looks neat, and I imagine with the camera they are planning more mii style games where you can put your face on the character or something, but there goes my home brewing for me. I'm a fan of supercard lite but now with the gba slot gone it would be all but useless if i choose to upgrade/a generous family member decides to upgrade for me come birthmass or what not.

My biggest complaint is that I will not likly be able to play aria of sorrow of megaman zero on the DSi. I like my portable gaming to mean carrying as minimal of an amount of things as possible, thus with this system, as i do not have a wii, I'll be limited to ds carts which i only have a few of to start with. Now I imagine that Nintendo Points will also be available from new ds games, but as one who might purchase one or two games a year, I'm left in the dark.

aliquis @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:44AM

Depends, does it have a rumble pack?

I have almost played no GBA titles and I don't have a rumble pack but I don't know, personally I think the GBA thing is a huge benefit actually. And since I have a flash cart I can already use it as audio player and have an SD-slot.

I guess it depends on what Nintendo will use those for.

If it's 0.25" bigger screen vs GBA support I'd say I'd rather have GBA support.

I don't know if there is any decent GBA emulators for the NDS? I guess there have been no need for them until now.

This could had been made to get rid of GBA code at all and therefor kill flashcart solutions if it wasn't that they identify as a real NDS game now, so it won't help for any slot-1 solutions.

Olivier @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:57AM

I have to say that this might be one of the worst upgrade model ever in the sense that it will completely split the DS audience in two.

On the one side, we will have DS Lite games which will require the GBA slot (and not only for GBA games) but, for example, Guitar Hero and other games that use the rumble pak. Nintendo should know that Guitar Hero can bring a lot of gamers to the system, and by getting rid of the GBA slot in the DSi they force these users to have a DS Lite instead of a DSi.

On the other hand, the DSi will lead to the development of new games that will use the camera or music playback capabilities, as well as the online store functions. These games will not be fully-playable on DS Lite, leading to a lot of confusion from buyers (especially parents) who will have to make sure that the games they are buying are compatible with the system they own (and it can be confusing!!).

What Nintendo seems to be saying is that instead of upgrading to the DSi, you should get BOTH a DS Lite and a DSi...

Personally, I would have preferred for the DSi to keep the DS Lite size (going from a 3.0-inch to a 3.5-inch screen is not a great gain), the GBA slot and include all the new features (for the critics, both cameras are nowhere close to the GBA slot, and the SD card reader could integrated with that GBA slot using an adapter).

This obviously is not well-thought from Nintendo and sounds like the firm rushed into it when it saw the sales of it DS Lite weaken in Japan.

A owner of all portable systems developed by Nintendo, it's the first time since 1991 that I am disappointed with Nintendo.

MarkShark @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:58AM

Looks like I'll need to get myself a new SP whenever I finally get this. But I just got a new Lite, that of which if it (or a later replacement for it) is still alive at the time this comes out, I'll wait.

Zealot @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:00AM

Losing the GBA slot wasn't a dealbreaker for me. Considering that I already have a GBA, GBA SP, and GB Micro, the DS makes the fourth (well, fifth if you count my Gamecube's Game Boy Player) device I own that can play GBA games, so I have an array of options should the need to play something arise. I had no idea so many people were still actively playing GBA games. It's not that there's not always still something out there to try, but you just can't find 'em on the shelves anymore! To those of you apparently living in GBA-abundant regions, throw copies of Ninja Five-O and Tactics Ogre my way.

atastysammich @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:02AM

They can take my GBA slot when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

sockatume @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:18AM

I only use mine for the DS Browser, and that's going to be built in, so it's not an issue.

Igor @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:18AM

OMG Guy! how will I get my libra bonus at the start of FFTA2 now that the GBA slot is gone!

religiousjedi @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:20AM

I still transfer me Pokemans ya know, Nintendo!

iDS...er, DSi is impressive, but it went from must buy to probably not with that decision. My iPhone and DS Lite are happily married.

Michael Williams @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:28AM

Personally, I dont mind. But then again I still have a DS phat with a broken L button meaning I really wanted a lite but seeing how this DSi has been announced then I may aswell wait in there to get that seeing how I dont really play GBA games [And if I got the urge then I have my GBA and GBMicro]

But it better have WPA, cos if it doesnt then no sale

Gonzo @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:48AM

As a huge fan of the GBAMP, yea I'm bummed.
It does have the built in music player which is the single most used function of my GBAMP but I have a feeling they overlooked the second most used function of my GBAMP: ebook reading & bookmarking.

My pockets are a lot lighter during my commute since I replaced the gbaSP, mp3 player, and a book with the GBAmicro and a GBAMP. I'll just have to keep the micro with me on my longer trips with the DS.

MechaBouncer @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:53AM

I was hoping it wouldn't ditch the GBA slot, but sure enough it did. For now, that's a deal-breaker for me (that and I recently replaced my DS Lite anyway). I don't have a GBA, so I've used my DS to play all the great games that came out for it.

From the sound of it, the DSWare store is going to be a place to download GB, GBC, and GBA games from. Great, except I do have an old GBC that can play them all too. So this doesn't interest me unless it can also tie into the Wii's Virtual Console and play NES, SNES, Genesis, TurboGrafix-16, and Neo Geo games on it. I was hoping that the larger screens would allow for that, but alas they appear to be the same resolution as the DS has always had. That's been one of the main problems with emulation since the screen resolutions don't match up.

What's more, what will this mean for homebrew? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that all this new downloadable content and built-in SD card are going to be locked-down with a firmware that requires frequent updating. Nintendo's done a good job at locking out piracy and homebrew on the Wii, so now they're going to turn their efforts to the DS.

So what do we really get out of all this? A DS Lite with the same functionality that's been available from homebrew for a while, the potential loss of homebrew development, the ability to repurchase our old games all over again (and maybe some new games), a locked-down SD slot, minutely larger screens at the same resolution, and a couple cameras. Considering that there will most likely be a camera accessory made for the GBA slot anyway, the only thing this really has going for it is potential games over DSWare. Whether any of those will be killer apps remains to be seen.

No, I think I'm going to stick with my DS Lite for the foreseeable future. In the very least, I will keep it around for the GBA and homebrew capability even if I do get a DSi by some chance. However, I think I'd rather wait for the DS's true successor or even a PSP than get the DSi at this point.