Game Boy Advance Retrospective

Comments · 476

• MA

  @matthewconte · 1 month ago

  Hey there, rad video. I was lead programmer on THPS2 GBA and built the engine and was responsible for the bulk of the port of the logic, UI, progression, and feel. I don't know how you unearthed the historical fact about me convincing Nintendo that yeah, you can do C++ on GBA, but that was critical for the project. Alex Rybakov is to be credited for the gouraud-shaded 3d skater renderer tech that made everything possible. (I later moved it to affine texture-mapping in THPS3 for more detail, and it ended up being faster as well!) I also wrote the voxel renderer for Finding Nemo and was lead on Crash Nitro Kart. I think CNK turned out well but the occasional slowdown always stuck in my craw, but it was an insanely short project. We probably didn't spend enough time on tools to reduce sprite data transfers so we ended up overloading the chip in certain scenarios. Cheers.

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• OK

  @Okla_Soft · 1 month ago

  i Just wanted to let you know that out of all the youtube video game retrospectives creators out there, yours hits closest to my own heart and i hear myself the most when i listen to you unload your thoughts on these various games.<br><br>i’d say my hobby these days isn’t even really playing video games, but enjoying endless stories and content and personal accounts that surrounded a truly magical time in the nascent industry.<br><br>you and other inspired me to make my own videos. they’re nowhere near your level, but it’d something

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• AT

  @Atriatic · 1 month ago

  The &quot;no matter the shape or size&quot; framing really nails it — the tiny carts and 2-AA battery limits forced devs to get the core loop right immediately, which is exactly why something like Advance Wars or Minish Cap still feels so tight to pick up today. Easily one of the most quietly influential handhelds Nintendo ever made.

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• KI

  @KingoftheBashful · 1 month ago

  This is the nostalgia talking, but I love how the GBA and DS did sprites. Stuff like Mario &amp; Luigi Superstar Saga, the Sonic Advance Trilogy, and the Megaman Zero and Battle Network series have some of my favorite sprite animations of all time. It&apos;s like the perfect blend of SNES/Genesis and Saturn/PS1 era sprite qualities.

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• GL

  @gluedtogames · 1 month ago

  I think you&apos;re probably quite a bit younger than some of us old heads who saw the rise and ascension of Nintendo&apos;s gaming, but you have managed time and time again to not only create entertainment, but create thoughtful and deep retrospectives. I appreciate the amount of work and time you put into this, it really reflects your passion.

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• ES

  @Esauofisaac · 1 month ago

  I do believe the Game Boy Advance is THE pinnacle of handheld gaming. It is the most compact, with a durable but comfortable design. And the games were expansive enough that you could occupy yourself as long as you wanted without worrying about getting bored. Bit of a tangent but given this is a wonderful retrospective I figured I might as well share: I was a kid when the 2003 Cedar Fires happened in southern California, and because they got so close we lost power for days. I remember the nights with all the soot in the sky completely blotting out everything, you couldn&apos;t see more than a few feet in front of you. And they&apos;d have the generator chugging outside while listening to the news, while I was sitting next to a flickering lamp playing my Game Boy Advance. It&apos;s one of those memories that always comes across my mind out of the blue.

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• EN

  @EnigmaticGentleman · 1 month ago (edited)

  The GBA library feels to me like the SNES/Genesis era in design philosophy, but made during a time when devs just had a better grasp on how to make games

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• BJ

  @bjmw93 · 1 month ago

  Here&apos;s what you should know Liam. Just got home from a long day at work, plopped into the bed getting ready for a nap, checking out YouTube. I saw this upload and audibly said to myself &quot;oh yessss!&quot;. <br><br>Its always a good day when a Liam Triforce upload goes up

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• NO

  @NogiSonobro · 1 month ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_mPD40sFCM&amp;t=5052">1:24:12</a> That&apos;s me. I&apos;m glad that Riviera has reached you. Great game, great series.

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• KE

  @kennibal · 1 month ago

  I’m stuck in the hospital over the weekend and this is sustaining me more than the food! Thanks!

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• MO

  @MoonSpiritChannel · 1 month ago

  Just want to pop in and I checked the hidden gems. I am so happy you included Astro Boy: Omega Factor. That is an absolute gem!

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• CE

  @celly-XD · 1 month ago

  I love all the variety of games shown here and the gorgeous pixel art. In an era where most developers were focusing on 3D graphics only, it was nice to see sprites still being improved upon.

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