GBA is dead to retailers.

Last week (4/16/07-4/20/07) I decided to visit the local retailers and check out their used GBA selections, while also keeping an eye out for the TMNT game. I also have a mental list of about ten other games I'd buy new if I saw them, but consider that unlikely due to how old they are. I thought I'd share my findings to show why I believe the GBA is dead.

The stores aren't listed in the order I visited them. Also I refer to "interesting games" which for me is mostly strategy RPGs, side-scrollers (castle, metroid, sonic, mario, etc), and puzzle games.

GameStop - Prudential Center, Boston, MA

They had about two dozen used GBA games and about the same number of new games. No interesting new games and only a few interesting used games. I didn't notice any GBA SP's for sale when I looked. I didn't ask though to confirm. The fact they didn't have them out like other systems says enough.

Strawberries - Downtown Center, Boston, MA

Dozens of new games and used games, but mostly due to multiple copies of the same games. The impression I got was the same as I got from other places. It seemed like leftovers they were waiting to run out of and weren't ordering any new stock/games. I didn't even look for new GBA SP's, but knowing the store I'd say its 50/50 shot they have one or two.

EBX - Copley Plaza, Boston, MA

No longer there. Moving on...

Newbury Comics - City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA

I didn't see any GBA games for sale. But even when GBA was current system they only carried a small number of games. No GBA SP's for sale.

Target - Cambridge, MA

They had a bunch of new games and a few GBA SP's for sale. Nothing that really interested me though. 

KB Toys - Cambridgeside Galleria, Cambridge, MA

They had six games, which they keep underneath the counter where nobody can see them. All Spongebob and Barbie. No GBA SP's for sale, but I didn't see other systems either really.

Sears - Cambridgeside Galleria, Cambridge, MA

They had a few dozen games. Nothing much interesting, but their "leftover" games were different than what other stores had so I'm glad I checked. No GBA SP's for sale.

EB Games - Cambridgeside Galleria, Cambridge, MA

They had about a dozen new games (but again mostly unpopular older games), and a couple dozen used games. They only had used GBA SP's for sale and didn't know when/if they'd get any new ones again.

Best Buy - Cambridgeside Galleria, Cambridge, MA

They had a few dozen new games. The only retailer to have the TMNT game (more than ten copies even). No GBA SP's for sale, but they recently re-opened after months due to water pipe damage and were low on stock for other systems as well.

Other notes:

I didn't see any Castlevania or Metroid games.

I saw very few RPG games.

I saw very few Super Mario games.

I saw only one Wario game (Twisted, new).

Every store had Pokemon games.

Out of the games on this site that have 9.0 or higher (15 of them) I only saw one copy of four different ones available.

I saw no Advance Wars or Fire Emblem.

Only two places had any Final Fantasy's (VI if I recall correctly).

That's it. The overall impression I got was the stores are pushing the GBA games into corners to make room for DS and such on the more obvious shelves and that they stopped ordering new games a while back or at least didn't order many. The almost complete lack of highly rated or popular games as new or used was kind of sad.

Even if the GBA is dead, which is still up for debate of course, its not ever going to be obsolete in my eyes anyways. 2d games never get old and I prefer simpler graphics on a handheld screen size. These are the ones I picked up in my travels, in case your still reading this and curious.

TMNT

Mario vs Donkey Kong

Golden Sun 2

Namco Museum

I still play pokemon games but on my psp. Put alot of hours in this system... it had a good run.

I still play pokemon games but on my psp. Put alot of hours in this system... it had a good run.

oo i wish i could do that... damn firmware...

o and ur post was very depressing TC 

 

 

 

 

i-likecookies

I still play pokemon games but on my psp. Put alot of hours in this system... it had a good run.

 

 

 

 

i-likecookies

The GBA isn t really "dead" but it s dying. Too bad, it was a great system while it lasted.Setsa

I'm pretty sure it's just about as commercially dead as it's ever going to get. There's not much left to disappear from shelves, and what's still there is largely crap.

Last week (4/16/07-4/20/07) I decided to visit the local retailers and check out their used GBA selections, while also keeping an eye out for the TMNT game. I also have a mental list of about ten other games I'd buy new if I saw them, but consider that unlikely due to how old they are. I thought I'd share my findings to show why I believe the GBA is dead.

 

The stores aren't listed in the order I visited them. Also I refer to "interesting games" which for me is mostly strategy RPGs, side-scrollers (castle, metroid, sonic, mario, etc), and puzzle games.

 

GameStop - Prudential Center, Boston, MA

They had about two dozen used GBA games and about the same number of new games. No interesting new games and only a few interesting used games. I didn't notice any GBA SP's for sale when I looked. I didn't ask though to confirm. The fact they didn't have them out like other systems says enough.

 

Strawberries - Downtown Center, Boston, MA

Dozens of new games and used games, but mostly due to multiple copies of the same games. The impression I got was the same as I got from other places. It seemed like leftovers they were waiting to run out of and weren't ordering any new stock/games. I didn't even look for new GBA SP's, but knowing the store I'd say its 50/50 shot they have one or two.

 

EBX - Copley Plaza, Boston, MA

No longer there. Moving on...

 

Newbury Comics - City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA

I didn't see any GBA games for sale. But even when GBA was current system they only carried a small number of games. No GBA SP's for sale.

 

Target - Cambridge, MA

They had a bunch of new games and a few GBA SP's for sale. Nothing that really interested me though. 

 

KB Toys - Cambridgeside Galleria, Cambridge, MA

They had six games, which they keep underneath the counter where nobody can see them. All Spongebob and Barbie. No GBA SP's for sale, but I didn't see other systems either really.

 

Sears - Cambridgeside Galleria, Cambridge, MA

They had a few dozen games. Nothing much interesting, but their "leftover" games were different than what other stores had so I'm glad I checked. No GBA SP's for sale.

 

EB Games - Cambridgeside Galleria, Cambridge, MA

They had about a dozen new games (but again mostly unpopular older games), and a couple dozen used games. They only had used GBA SP's for sale and didn't know when/if they'd get any new ones again.

 

Best Buy - Cambridgeside Galleria, Cambridge, MA

They had a few dozen new games. The only retailer to have the TMNT game (more than ten copies even). No GBA SP's for sale, but they recently re-opened after months due to water pipe damage and were low on stock for other systems as well.

 

Other notes:

I didn't see any Castlevania or Metroid games.

I saw very few RPG games.

I saw very few Super Mario games.

I saw only one Wario game (Twisted, new).

Every store had Pokemon games.

Out of the games on this site that have 9.0 or higher (15 of them) I only saw one copy of four different ones available.

I saw no Advance Wars or Fire Emblem.

Only two places had any Final Fantasy's (VI if I recall correctly).

 

That's it. The overall impression I got was the stores are pushing the GBA games into corners to make room for DS and such on the more obvious shelves and that they stopped ordering new games a while back or at least didn't order many. The almost complete lack of highly rated or popular games as new or used was kind of sad.

 

Even if the GBA is dead, which is still up for debate of course, its not ever going to be obsolete in my eyes anyways. 2d games never get old and I prefer simpler graphics on a handheld screen size. These are the ones I picked up in my travels, in case your still reading this and curious.

 

TMNT

Mario vs Donkey Kong

Golden Sun 2

Namco Museum

lifepawn

I would say that the GBA is more getting replaced, as opposed to dying. The system itself was replaced once the DS was able to play GBA games, and the games, while most of them were better than a lot of the DS games out right now, are just slowly starting to fade away, or be turned into DS games. All of the new games are being developed for the DS, because thats what the big craze in handhelds is right now.

Sadly, I will miss the days of the GBA, but atleast over the years that it was out, they gave us some of the greatest RPGs to date, much like the Super Nintendo did. While a lot of the good games are hard to find now, ebay will always be a great place to get those, and I'm sure that the next generation of the DS or Nintendo's next handheld system will be able to play the GBA games, so we'll still be able to enjoy them for years to come. 

Wait for E3 Nintendo will unvail the next Gameboy that should be as powerful as a gamecube. Nintendo said that the DS is not the replacement for the gameboy advance. They will unvail it this year at E3 or at E for all Expo...... yes that is a gameing convention that i did not made up.Ardain

Yes I remember that, too.

Buty will it become a reality? I hope so.

A portable device with a GC power looks great.

 Nice topic anyway.

Bye. 

GBA isn't dead. It's still selling well, it's still produced, and it has good third-party support. Plus, I see new GBA SP's everytime I go to Toy's R Us, EB Games, Wal-Mart, Zellers, and Best Buy along with 30+ GBA games in each store.

GBA isn't dead people.

Here (Antwerp, Belgium) I haven't seen new GBA SP's for 4-5 months now. Last time I saw one was before Christmas. The only GBA I saw this year was a single GB Micro at a toy store. When it comes to games, however, most stores still carry them in quite large amounts. Those good games are still pretty common: Mario Kart, SMB 3, Fire Emblem Sacred Stones, Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald/LeafGreen (dunno why I can't find FireRed anywhere), Final Fantasy IV and V, Metroid Fusion, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis. I also picked up the original WarioWare for 10 euros a few weeks ago. So here the GBA is dead, but the GBA games aren't dead at all.migulic

I've noticed that too. They have alot of gba games at the local EB Games 

I just sold my X-box360 and got a Gameboy Advance instead :)cjfuka

 Kind of an odd trade, but ok.

Retailers are pushing GBA out to make room for the DS? Welcome to 2005.

Well I think the GBA is slowly dying, but recently it has gone a bit more alive, my friends and I started to bring in Nintendo gameboys and stuff, played the heck out, traded games, sold / bought gameboy advances / sps, and yep! Recently I have seen much more people trading micros for SPs or buying SPs or Advances for from 40$-80$!

 I would sure like it if they would start selling them gameboy sps again, I'd like to buy ANOTHER sp for myself, because I currently have an original sp, and I want the backlight sp, as it shows more colour.

Well I think the GBA is slowly dying, but recently it has gone a bit more alive, my friends and I started to bring in Nintendo gameboys and stuff, played the heck out, traded games, sold / bought gameboy advances / sps, and yep! Recently I have seen much more people trading micros for SPs or buying SPs or Advances for from 40$-80$!

 I would sure like it if they would start selling them gameboy sps again, I'd like to buy ANOTHER sp for myself, because I currently have an original sp, and I want the backlight sp, as it shows more colour.

Civicster

they still sell them

I agree I think GBA is just about dead to retailers. There are 2 Gamestops in my town I go to the one near my house. This past week when I went into Gamestop I noticed they had moved the GBA used game display case. I did not see it so I thought they no longer had. I went back to the same store at the end of the week. They had moved the GBA display case to the other end of the store. They had around 60 used GBA games. None of which I wanted. Also, when I look at the video game section at Wal-Mart they don't have a very good selection of GBA games. I did manage to find Super Mario World & Super Mario Bros 3. though.

I hate to see the GBA games dying out because it seems like the only Nintendo system (or any video game system) that uses the good reliable cartridge is the Nintendo DS. One thing I hate about the game discs is that if it gets scratched or dusty the game is mesed up. Game cartridges are the ones I prefer.  

Just my two cents.  

not really I live in Rhode Island and I see a bunch of GBA games like Final Fantasy, Super mario, zelda, metriod, RPG's etc but however its slowly dying. some of the newer games arent at the Gamestop across from EB Games trick6952

you're actually very lucky because i've been meaning to rebuy metroid games, but none of the gamestop/EB have them where i am. 

I know, I hate when there are no games they have for sale (I man good ones).

Last weekend, I randomly felt like going to EB to see what they might have, and I got Pokemon Leaf Green and I bet they must of been laughing or something because my age but so far it is entertaining me thoroughly, I find that the Pokemon games are great RPG's to entertain you.

And then I even bought Castlevania Double Pack, and omg was I shocked to see them have one. So I got both of those incredible castlevania games now.

So I thought it was a great day for me. Hopefully if I go there again sometime I can find some more great games.

It shouldnt be dead its outselling PS3

I live in Milwaukee, there are 4 Gamestops close to my house. I can go to any one of them and find good RPGs and side scollers.:Dweltall1028

rofl-cakes.  that seems like overkill, but i'd imagine you have an easier time getting access to new game consoles when they come out LOL.

about topic: Fry's still seems to have a hefty collection of GBA games, albeit games that cater to the younger demographic...but there's also still a few i've been meaning to pick up......