Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy Advance was, in essence, a Super Nintendo in your pocket — and that was exactly what millions of players wanted. Launched March 21, 2001 in Japan, the GBA represented a massive generational leap from Game Boy Color: 32-bit ARM7TDMI processor, 240×160 pixel screen with 32,768 colors, and graphical power rivaling or exceeding the SNES. For the first time, 16-bit graphics were available in pocket format.

The design was most controversial: the screen had no backlight, nearly unreadable in dim lighting. This drove Nintendo to release the GBA SP in 2003 — a clamshell redesign with lit screen and rechargeable battery solving every problem and becoming the definitive version. In 2005 came the Game Boy Micro, an industrial design jewel the size of a gum pack.

The GBA library is extraordinary in depth and variety. JRPGs flourished: Golden Sun, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy re-releases, and the Pokémon saga with Ruby and Sapphire. Metroidvanias lived their golden age with Metroid Fusion, Metroid Zero Mission, and Koji Igarashi's three Castlevanias. Platformers reached peaks with Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Wario Land 4, and Kirby & the Amazing Mirror.

The GBA was also the proving ground for franchises that would explode: Fire Emblem debuted in the West here, Advance Wars introduced turn-based strategy to new audiences, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap proved Capcom could make Zelda as well as Nintendo.

With 81.51 million units sold, the GBA was the last Game Boy — replaced by the DS in 2004. But its library, with over 1,500 games, is unanimously considered one of the finest in portable gaming history.