Does GBA use emulation to play GB and GBC games?

[crazydean]

I just completed a backlight and bivert mod on my Gameboy Pocket, and I'm very happy with the results.

I'm trying to decide the best way to play GBC games, but the GBC can only be frontlight modded. It's not the worst but not the best either. I'll probably get the Advance SP AGS-101. I just don't know if it uses emulation to play GBC games or not.

Thanks in advance!

[ClodBuster]

As far as I know, it doesn't use emulation. It pretty much has a GBC chipset inside for full backwards compatibility, similar to how the PS2 plays PS1 games.

[Winniez]

No, it has the full chipset as Clod said. Micro lacked the GB/GBC support since they wanted to save space by removing the chips.
And as far as I know this is true for every backward compatible Nintendo system, both portable and home systems. And also the SNES and GC GB-players. (athought the first revision of SNES GB player was clocked incorrectly)

[Winniez]

And without modding by far the best choice for GB/GBC games is the AGS-101, with modding one interesting option is the original GBA system modded with the AGS-101 screen. Strangely though I find the GBA SPs headphone output (and I'm using 1euro chinese adapter) to be far superrior than the headphone outputs on both the normal GBA and the Micro. Maybe the lack of the port is a blessing in disguise.

For GBA games there are many great options, AGS-101, Micro and DS Lite.

[HuMan]

As already said, the GBA has the GBC chipset integrated in it. The GB Micro and DS had it removed, along with the physical push-button switch in the GBA cart slot to control GB/GBC mode.

The stock GBC system doesn't need a light, unless you're playing at night. The screen is incredibly reflective and easy to see, perhaps the most of any Game Boy.

My preferred options for GBA are the AGS-001 and the DS Phat. Both have screens that aren't eye-searingly bright and have very low LCD latency, keeping any scroll ghosting to a minimum. The best part about them is they allow for turning the backlight off, which you can't normally see in daylight conditions.

Any AGS-101 I've owned had very noticeable scroll ghosting, made all the pixels look deformed, always bugged the hell out of me.

[crazydean]

Any AGS-101 I've owned had very noticeable scroll ghosting, made all the pixels look deformed, always bugged the hell out of me.

Interesting that you say this. You're the only person I've heard say this anywhere.

[johnnykonami]

I love my 101, I can't say I'm bothered playing GB games on it at all which is what I primarily use it for.  I aso got a Super Gameboy 2 a little while ago and love playing games on that too, though I've noticed some differences in games between the two.  For instance, in Link's Awakening, there's a dungeon with these vacuum devices that suck you into a hole in the middle of the floor.  On the SGB2, there is definite slowdown there which might have been present on the original brick GB, I am not sure (I am using the DX version of the cart), but on the AGS-101 there is no slowdown and much harder to avoid getting sucked in.  Oh!  And there is a game-breaking bug on the 101 which is understandable since I'm playing it on backwards compatible future hardware - Link blinks when you get hit, but very often he will disappear entirely and you can only see the floating sword until you switch screens.  Happens a lot in boss fights and then it's really difficult to dodge.  Just a curiosity.  But get a 101 if you can, the upsides outweigh any downsides for sure.

[HuMan]

I don't know why people don't notice the slow LCD on the AGS-101, maybe Nintendo had more than one kind of LCD for it. It's most noticeable in a B&W Game Boy game, because the pixels are very easy to see. Try walking forward or crawling in Wario Land 1, the pixels look misshapen, very distracting.

Link's Awakening DX is a GBC game and is optimized for that system, the SGB2 is still technically a DMG derivative, no GBC support.

[SignOfZeta]

Yeah, the GBC adds a bit more horsepower as well as the color screen.

[johnnykonami]

I have the original version of the Zelda cart too, I will have to try it sometime.  I suppose the slowdown from the DX version was expected with the updated code made to run on newer hardware, and maybe isn't present in the original.  The black carts like Zelda DX are backwards compatible with the original set of hardware, and I figured all that would be different for the most part was a palette swap.  I guess they rightfully assumed that most would be playing with a GBC and could take advantage of the spec boost.  I've been playing on the SGB2 mostly since the GBA has the bug I mentioned and for me the GBC screen is impossible to see.  But sadly the color features are omitted on the Super Gameboy.  On the upside, I get to play it on a TV!  Zelda really isn't my focus, I just never finished it back in the 90's when I bought it and listened to a recent podcast (I think Cane & Rinse) that got me started on it again.  I think I've reached the same "bored halfway through" stage that I reached originally and I'm more interested in perfecting my Mercenary Force game.  I also just picked up Heiyankyo Alien to complete my Meldac GB set (I think) and Parodius.

[Winniez]

i think the ghosting issue is way exaggerated, yes the screens on AGS-101 systems are propably a tad slower but I think its a good trade off. Its also worth noting that the ghosting is more visible on better quality screens. After playing on the backlit screen there is no way I atleast would be willing to go back to the supposedly faster frontlit screens.
Reminds me about the whole TN vs IPS screen debacle with the New 3DS.

[crazydean]

i think the ghosting issue is way exaggerated, yes the screens on AGS-101 systems are propably a tad slower but I think its a good trade off. Its also worth noting that the ghosting is more visible on better quality screens. After playing on the backlit screen there is no way I atleast would be willing to go back to the supposedly faster frontlit screens.
Reminds me about the whole TN vs IPS screen debacle with the New 3DS.

I don't see the quality of screen having anything to do with the amount of ghosting. The original Game Boy (DMG), was pretty bad with moving images. Even worse was the Game.com. Neither of these had good quality screens. As much as everyone loves the DMG, it was designed from the ground up, to be of old technology.

[Winniez]

I just meant that it would be more visible on a better quality screen. The original Gameboy was indeed the worst in that sense. I have had Gameboy, Gameboy Pocket and Gameboy Color back when they first came out. And I'm not willing to go back to anything other than backlit screen at this point.

[HuMan]

I still play my Game Boy Pocket regularly, take it with me lots of places, the screen is still very usable.

In daylight (especially outdoors), you cannot normally see the backlight on a backlit LCD, or even frontlit ones. If it's something recent like the 3DS, the screen is so naturally dark that you have to crank up the backlight to maximum, that just kills the battery life. I especially love the AGS-001 (SP frontlit) and NTR-001 (DS Phat) for this reason, you can turn the lighting off for when it's completely unnecessary. I hate taking my 3DS out of the house, it's not ideal for daylight use.

Then there's the Game Boy Pocket and Color, they are very easy to see in most lighting conditions and have always been easy on batteries, even better if you like using rechargeable cells. It's not a big deal to me that they can't be played in the dark.

Eventually I'll have a Game Boy Light in the mail, it'll be neat to try it out after years of Game Boy Pocket and Color usage.

If the DMG counts as a guilty pleasure, then I refuse to feel guilty.

[Winniez]

Gz on the Gameboy light, my childhood dream
I still enjoy my Gameboy Pocket for nostalgia from time to time. I much prefer its design over the Color. I remember back in the day I used to visit all my local gamestores regularily just to ask if they have any Gameboy light units in stock. The answer was always the same, never heard of it but we have plenty of Pockets available. Much later I found out that it was only released in Japan.

Regarding the 3DS I think the TN screens are fine on the XL units but I have a regular size New 3DS with TN panels and it feels a real step down from the XL screens (both TN and IPS), the colours are dull, brightness poor and the overall look just not appealing. Out of all DS-line machines I think I like the screens on my DSi XL the most.