- Game Boy Advance Video
Game Boy Advance Video is a format for putting video onto
Game Boy Advance cartridges. The video is played using the game system'sscreen and sound hardware. These video cartridges are fromMajesco Sales. The video cartridges are colored white for easy identification.History
GBA video paks became available in North America in May 2004. In June 2004, Majesco had expanded its GBA video categories. In November 2004, Majesco started to sell GBA video paks featuring
Disney Channel animated series like: "Brandy & Mr. Whiskers ", "Kim Possible ", "", and "The Proud Family ". Then in November 2005, Majesco started to sell GBA video paks with full length movies like "Shrek 2 " and "Shark Tale ". A special GBA video features the movies "Shrek " and "Shark Tale" combined in one cartridge, this pak costs US$29.99 as of April 2007. As of April 2007, the retail price of original GBA video paks lowered to US$9.95.Copy prevention
GBA Video paks are viewable only on
Game Boy Advance ,Game Boy Advance SP ,Game Boy micro ,Nintendo DS andNintendo DS Lite , as the owners of copyright in the television shows have requested that Majesco prevent people from using theGameCube 'sGame Boy Player accessory to record the shows ontoVHS orDVD (UnlikeSony 'sPlayStation 2 andMicrosoft 'sXbox video game console, the GameCube cannot outputMacrovision gain-control copy distortion signals).Fact|date=August 2007 The paks check for the Game Boy Player, using the same logo authentication method used by GBA games that support controller rumble, and freeze with the message "Not designed for Game Boy Player" if they detect the Game Boy Player. However, there are a fewAction Replay codes for theGame Boy Advance that allowed some GBA videos to be viewed on theGame Boy Player .Fact|date=August 2007Criticisms
Because of the low capacity of GBA cartridges (ranging from 4 to 32 MB) and the length of the video content (feature length movies), video is heavily compressed. The image quality has the appearance similar to early
Cinepak compression, and the "quilting" and color bleeding effect present in many compressed video formats was rampant.Fact|date=August 2007 Also, in the case of which the episode is available as a 45-minute two parter or a 22-minute edited version, the 22-minute version is used.Some fans have criticized the video paks as being inferior to DVDs of the shows in several ways.Fact|date=July 2007 For example, the paks only contain up to four episodes; a single dual-layer DVD can hold as many as twenty-six. Additionally, there has been criticism on the limited amount of shows featured in the collection, all of which are popular kids' cartoons from the time the paks were released. Also, the resolution of the shows was criticized for being low.Fact|date=August 2007
Many sites have weighed criticisms that GBA Video was only playable on a GBA and Nintendo DS, thus forcing consumers to pay twice for the same product to watch it on a full screen (Once on DVD/VHS, once again on GBAV).Fact|date=August 2007 This is similar to the complaints lodged against Sony's UMD media format for movies.
Other Information
GBA video paks were the feature prize in Vol. 183 of "
Nintendo Power " Magazine, as part of its players poll sweepstakes, in which five grand prize winners would receive a GBA SP and twenty GBA video paks. Most GBA video paks cost US$9.95 and feature 40 to 45 minutes of video content. Movie GBA video packs cost US$19.99 and feature a 90 minute movie.Available titles
Available titles come from television shows such as:
* ""
* "All Grown Up! "
* ""
* "Dora the Explorer "
* "Dragon Ball GT "
* "Ed, Edd, n' Eddy "
* "The Fairly OddParents "
* "The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy "
* "Johnny Bravo "
* "Pokémon"
* "Sonic X "
* "SpongeBob SquarePants "
* "Strawberry Shortcake "
* "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
* "Yu-Gi-Oh! "Available titles also come from movies, such as
* "
Shrek
* "Shrek 2
* "Shark Tale
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