Tag: Game Boy Advance

Pokémon receives two re-releases on Switch and announces the date of the next Pokémon Presents

The Pokémon saga, one of the most iconic franchises in the entertainment world, is preparing to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026. The significance of this event has led The Pokémon Company to announce a Pokémon Presents that will be broadcast on February 27 at 3:00 PM (Spanish mainland time). With a planned duration of 25 minutes, the event will feature a pre-show starting at 2:30 PM, offering fans a special countdown. Two roms with not much substance regarding the originals During this presentation, a long-awaited news will be revealed: […]

The Pokémon saga, one of the most iconic franchises in the entertainment world, is preparing to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026.

The significance of this event has led The Pokémon Company to announce a Pokémon Presents that will be broadcast on February 27 at 3:00 PM (Spanish mainland time). With an expected duration of 25 minutes, the event will feature a pre-show starting at 2:30 PM, offering fans a special countdown.

Two roms with not much substance compared to the originals

During this presentation, a news awaited by many will be revealed: the launch of Pokémon Fire Red and Pokémon Leaf Green for Nintendo Switch. Both titles will arrive on the same day as the Pokémon Presents, priced at 19.99 euros.

The re-releases will maintain the original features of the Game Boy Advance titles, including local wireless communication, allowing players to trade Pokémon and enjoy various mini-games.

In addition, it has been confirmed that these games will have future compatibility with Pokémon HOME, facilitating transfers between different games in the franchise. Pokémon fans have also been informed about an exclusive physical edition that will include both titles along with a figure of the Kanto starter Pokémon. However, the price and availability in the West have not yet been disclosed, leaving many European players in uncertainty.

Expectations have grown around the event, with rumors about the possible presentation of the tenth generation of Pokémon or even unexpected announcements. With the anniversary as a backdrop, this edition of Pokémon Presents is set to be a must-see event for fans of the series, who eagerly await the upcoming news.

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The release date for the remaster of a Game Boy Advance cult classic is announced

Konami has officially confirmed the release of Ninja Five-O, a cult classic from Game Boy Advance, for February 25 on PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC platforms. This game, originally released in 2003 and developed by Hudson Soft, has gained notable popularity in the second-hand market, with loose cartridges reaching prices of up to 300€. It hasn’t been released at a popular price, but getting the physical game would cost you much more. The reissue of Ninja Five-O will be available at a price of 24.99€, although players can take advantage of a 15% discount […]

Konami has officially confirmed the release of Ninja Five-O, a cult classic from Game Boy Advance, for February 25 on PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC platforms. This game, originally released in 2003 and developed by Hudson Soft, has gained notable popularity in the second-hand market, with loose cartridges reaching prices of up to 300€.

It hasn’t been released at a popular price, but getting the physical game would cost you much more

The reissue of Ninja Five-O will be available at a price of €24.99, although players can take advantage of a 15% discount on Steam, which reduces the price to €21.24. For many, this fee may seem high considering that the game essentially consists of a GBA ROM presented in an emulator, but given the cost of obtaining a legitimate copy on the market, the proposed price is relatively accessible.

Ninja Five-O is defined as a fusion between Ninja Gaiden and Bionic Commando, offering a 2D action and platform experience. In this, players take on the role of a ninja police officer who fights against terrorists and unusual creatures while rescuing hostages across various levels, benefiting from mobility options like a grappling hook. Although the game was a completely Japanese production, its release was limited to North America and Europe in quite restricted quantities.

This new version includes additional features such as a time trial mode and a rewind function. However, there are still doubts about the quality of the emulation, as it is using Limited Run Games’ Carbon Engine. Fans hope that this reissue lives up to the legendary reputation of Ninja Five-O, expecting the nostalgia of this title to combine with modern innovation.

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That time Santa Claus was the new Super Mario (or at least he tried)

Forty years ago, back in 1984, everything, in general, was much more innocent. So much so that the world could even afford Santa Claus games without a plot twist turning him evil or a character handing out punches in South Park or in a fight. That’s why things like Special Delivery: Santa’s Christmas Chaos exist, an Atari title where the player controlled everyone’s favorite chubby guy delivering gifts in his sleigh. And if you think it’s the start of a long lineage of Christmas games… think again. Ho, […]

Forty years ago, back in 1984, everything, in general, was much more innocent. So much so that even the world could afford Santa Claus games without a plot twist turning him evil or a character handing out punches in South Park or in a fight. That’s why things like Special Delivery: Santa’s Christmas Chaos exist, a title from Atari where the player controlled everyone’s favorite chubby guy delivering gifts in his sleigh. And if you think it’s the start of a long lineage of Christmas games… think again.

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Ho, ho, ho, what a shame

There are really hardly any Christmas video games, beyond indie titles and phone apps with very (very) little charm. Not everyone wants to risk being criticized by purists for featuring Santa Claus as the protagonist, making it too cheesy, or not fully representing the festivities. That’s why Santa Claus Saves The Earth stands out so much, even if just for the attempt, which appeared in 2002 for Game Boy Advance and PlayStation.

That said, it is one of the worst games in history. You have been warned, just in case you felt like giving it a try. The title was only released in Europe (its American version was rightly canceled) and it was the first created by the Lithuanian studio Ivolgamus, which later devised Barbie, Shrek, and billiards games for Nintendo Wii. Yes, it is one of those studios that provided games to put in the “everything for 3 euros” boxes.

In the game, we control Santa Claus, who must stop an evil fairy named Nilam, who on December 24th has used her magical power to send him to an enchanted land. Will he be able to return in time, traveling through the different lands, and stop Nilam? Keep in mind that, despite what the title says, what Santa is going to save are the Holidays, not the Earth. It’s much less exciting than it seems.

The enemies are unfair, the bosses laughable, the levels a mess… But there’s some decent track in the soundtrack! Hey, it’s better than nothing for Christmas! Since there’s not much else to choose from in the genre, maybe it’s time to dust off this cheesy platformer and try to save Christmas. Or at least, have a laugh while your uncles talk about economics and politics during dinner.

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A classic trilogy of games arrives on Nintendo Switch Online… with a catch

Starfy llega por primera vez a occidente con sus tres primeros títulos para Game Boy Advance en Nintendo Switch Online, con una pega bastante notable.

Nintendo has a problem with most of their works: they rarely make the effort to do what is fair and necessary. Not when it comes to something other than a new video game. That’s why many times, their ports, remasters, and remakes can end up leaving much to be desired. Even if it’s not always the case and it’s one of the big three that makes the most active efforts to keep their legacy relatively fresh, that doesn’t mean they do it too well. As they have shown this week.

This week, three new Game Boy Advance games have arrived on Nintendo Switch Online, only for Expansion Pack members. The most interesting thing is that these three games belong to the same franchise, forming a trilogy that had never seen the light outside of Japan: Densetsu no Starfy, Densetsu no Starfy 2, and Densetsu no Starfy 3.

Although in the West we got to see the fourth and final game in the series, The Legendary Starfy, we had never seen the original three games officially. The only way to play them was through Japanese import copies and anyone who wanted to understand the story or what the characters say in general, relied on an excellent translation of the first game made by Megahog2015. And we fear that anyone who wants to understand what happens with the adorable Starfy, prince of the stars, will still have to rely on this fan translation.

Although they have been released on the service, Nintendo has not translated the games. In perfect Japanese, they are playable, but the story and all playable indications are lost. Something that may not seem too tragic for a platformer, but we would be mistaken. The story and dialogues of, at least, the first Densetsu no Starfy are hilarious and help a lot when it comes to advancing in the game, making it lose a great part of the experience not being able to experience them.

Being able to legally play the original trilogy of The Legendary Starfy is a blessing, but the way to do it is not the best. Although they are indeed games with a lot of text, they are not games with so much text that the translation would be a problem for Nintendo, and releasing them in this way conveys laziness and lack of enthusiasm. Something you don’t want to convey when working with your legacy. Not even when you are Nintendo and you are the best at it among your competition.

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22 years later, a highly anticipated Game Boy Advance game has appeared

There was just one problem: no one wanted to publish it. The cost of releasing it themselves on Game Boy Advance cartridges was unaffordable, and the project ended up forgotten in a drawer.

Year 2002. The world was still trying to recover from September 11th, Internet was taking its first steps and the consoles fighting were the GameCube, the PS2 and the Xbox. And, of course, the Game Boy Advance, which had been released the previous year. It was in that context that a group of Italian friends started developing their video game for Nintendo’s handheld console, ‘Kien’. Today, in 2024… they have finally finished it.

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The cursed game

When they started developing ‘Kien’, an action and platform game with RPG elements, none of them had the slightest idea of how to make video games. But they made an effort, suffered, learned, and finished it on time. There was only one problem: no one wanted to publish it, the cost of self-publishing it on Game Boy Advance cartridges was unaffordable, and the project ended up being forgotten in a drawer.

Finally, only one of the three friends remained with the dream, Fabio Belsanti. The others pursued different careers but he believed in the title. So much so that he ended up creating a company of educational video games but always with ‘Kien’ in his mind. And suddenly, one day, looking at the retro trend that has come back with strength, he decided it was time to turn his own nostalgia into the present of the industry.

He partnered with a distributor called Incube8, specializing in releasing new games for old consoles (like ‘Génesis 2’ for Game Boy or ‘Gunship DX’ for Game Boy Color) and together they finally released ‘Kien’, for $59.99. 23 levels, endless action and the promise of a constant challenge “that will please many and others not so much”. If I spend almost $60 on a game from 22 years ago, honestly, I hope I like it a lot.

And if you don’t have a Game Boy Advance but you want to play it to see what it’s about, you can get a digital file to play it on an emulator. No matter the variety.

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Kirby's most original game comes to Switch… if you have a Switch Online subscription

The fabulous Kirby and the Mirror Maze comes to Nintendo Switch, with local and online multiplayer, to the delight of all Kirby fans.

Nintendo is not the company that most pampers its old catalog, but it is slowly working to allow us to play some of the key titles of its history. Thanks to Nintendo Switch’s library of classic console games, you can play excellent games in adapted versions with new features. All a pearl in sweet that finishes rounding out the catalog of the console. And although Nintendo has just announced a single title, the one it has announced is an absolute classic that is still a joy to play today.

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Kirby and the Mirror Maze will arrive in the Game Boy Advance library of Nintendo Switch on September 29. It thus joins other games such as Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the four Super Mario Advance, Kuru Kuru Kururin or the highly sought-after Metroid Fusion on the second-hand market.

Originally released on Game Boy Advance in 2004, Kirby and the Mirror Maze is a game developed by Flagship in collaboration with Dimps and that would have a very marked particularity for a Kirby game: it is a metroidvania. That is not its only particularity. It is also the only installment of the franchise where King DeDeDe is not only not the villain of the story, but does not appear in the game. That coupled with the fact that it’s a game that could be played in up to four-person co-op, played as four Kirbys, makes it one of the most idiosyncratic games in the franchise.

This version for Switch allows you to play cooperatively both locally with a single Switch and over the Internet. In any case, to enjoy Kirby and the Mirror Maze, in addition to waiting until next September 29, you will need to have a Switch Online subscription with the Expansion Pack, which is €39.99 per year.

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