


Nintendo Announces Wireless GBA Adapter 164
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the Yahoo press release announcing Nintendo is using Motorola technology to produce a wireless adapter for the GameBoy Advance. According to the release, "The 2.4GHz radio frequency (RF) chipset enables up to five players to play each other wirelessly, allowing for flexible, mobile game playing", and it "...will be launched in Japan first half of 2004." Motorola is also hosting a picture of the device, showing how it connects to the GBA.
Data port speed (Score:4, Interesting)
I thought that the GBAs data port was limited to an extremely slow transfer rate. (2kb/s?) Is it faster on the sp? Does anyone have info on this?
Re:Data port speed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Data port speed (Score:2)
What about the Afterburner? [tritonlabs.com]
Re:Data port speed (Score:1)
Sadly, most "common people" don't have the soldering skills required to install an Afterburner nor the patience to go through the eighteen steps required; they'd much rather buy an SP.
Re:Data port speed (Score:1)
Re:Data port speed (Score:2)
Re:Data port speed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Data port speed (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm wondering (like most others here, I'm sure,) if it's Bluetooth.
Re:Data port speed (Score:1)
They may not have invented the "not-invented-here" syndrome, but they sure perfected it.
Re:Data port speed (Score:2)
Re:Data port speed (Score:5, Informative)
Also, for those hoping this technology would be compatible with Wi-Fi because it's on the 2.4GHz range, forget it, the GBA has a minuscule 256KB System RAM, which is just fine when the cartridge's ROM is within the CPU's addressable space, but not enough for anything useful beyond gaming. Keep also in mind this wireless technology needs to have low power consumption.
Hmmm what about checking email??? :D (Score:1)
slaps forehead... (Score:1)
So, how long... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:So, how long... (Score:2)
Who am I kidding, this is Slashdot.
Re:So, how long... (Score:1)
Cool. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Cool. (Score:5, Informative)
While GBA emulators can certainly communicate with each other (via any sort of TCP/IP network, including one over 802.11x), it's going to take some time and some brilliant hacking and RF geekery to get GBAs and PCs talking wirelessly (without special hardware from Nintendo intended for developers).
In the mean time, it would almost certainly be cheaper and easier to interface to the GBA's wired link port - hacking up a USB interface, while not exactly easy, would be child's play compared to getting a 2.4 GHz wireless link with a proprietary protocol working between a GBA and a PC.
More to it than that... (Score:2)
Re:More to it than that... (Score:5, Interesting)
It's how the GBA -> GCN link works. GBAs can boot off of the data port, and this lets you have companion programs included on game discs (which is how FF: CC works.)
It's also how multiplayer, single cart games work. Only limiting factor is that the entire program has to be held in ram.
This is how, incidentally, all the new flashrom carts from HK work. No cart-writer needed, just a USB -> GBA cable. Boots a writer program, stick the cart in, and you're done.
Re:More to it than that... (Score:2)
I had seen a very good explanation as to why this was impossible (written by an emu writer, I believe), but I can't find the link.
Re:More to it than that... (Score:2)
Re:More to it than that... (Score:2)
"Nothing is impossible. Not when you can imagine it. That's what being a scientist is all about." - Hubert J. Farnsworth
Re:More to it than that... (Score:2)
Re:More to it than that... (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.flash2advance.com
While there hasn't been any Emulator written that will connect up to a GBA for multiplayer linking using a Flash2Advance, there is no reason why theoretically it could not be done.
The GBA powers on and checks that port, and what it finds there is totally up to the PC on the other side. With some clever software trickery, it should be no major task to fool the GBA into thinking it's connected to another GBA via a link cable.
Bluetooth (Score:1)
Bluetooth uses frequency hopping TDMA, but it's a bit odd that the press release doesn't mention Bluetooth.
Perhaps the Bluetooth hype - the universal wireless link (which no one actually uses) - has become a liability instead of a selling point.
tetris? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:tetris? (Score:2, Funny)
For that you'll have to wait until some time after 1989.
Re:tetris? (Score:2)
wireless (Score:3, Insightful)
Like microwaves, and portable phones werent enough.
ISM Bands (Score:4, Funny)
Re:wireless (Score:2, Funny)
Re:wireless (Score:2, Funny)
hee hee
Re:wireless (Score:2)
This combination means that a) the signal is going to be pretty low strength and therefore won't be able to interfere with longer range protocols/signals such as 802.11b/g and b) the device will probably be frequency agile at least along the lines of cordless phones which switch until they find a clean frequency or even potentially like Bluetooth devices
In case the page is hosted on a GBA (Score:1, Informative)
Friday September 26, 12:01 am ET
Wireless Accessory for Game Boy(R) Advance and Game Boy Advance SP Unleashes the Game Playing Experience
TOKYO, Sept. 26
Shoulder buttons? (Score:2, Interesting)
Otherwise, I'm looking forward to it. Too bad it won't ship in time for the Return of the King premiere line-up.
Re:Shoulder buttons? (Score:1)
Anything that did that would be badly designed, and between the GBA -> GCN adapter and the light sensor for "Bokura no Taiyo" there's been plenty of work done on this sort of addon.
Re:Shoulder buttons? (Score:1)
Re:Shoulder buttons? (Score:1)
You squeeze those in to hook and unhook the adapter. Same as on the GBA -> GCN connector.
The L & R will remain fingertip buttons, as they always have been on the SP.
Re:Shoulder buttons? (Score:1)
Re:Shoulder buttons? (Score:1)
What about the headphone jack? This and the GBA->GCN cable seem to cover the GBA SP system's oddly shaped headphone jack.
Re:Shoulder buttons? (Score:2)
Headphones in multiplayer (Score:1)
If you're playing multiplayer, why would you use headphones?
To hear the other players' characters' footsteps so I can sneak up behind them. To avoid the din of several slightly-out-of-sync music engines.
What fun is multiplayer if you can't hear your friends whine when you beat them?
That's why I take one earpiece off at the end of a round.
Re:Headphones in multiplayer (Score:1)
Re:Shoulder buttons? (Score:2)
Of
Re:Shoulder buttons? (Score:1)
I do think that blocking headphone access is really stupid though. You'll piss off alot of people with repetitive music in public places.
But will it work with the GCN (Score:5, Interesting)
The article only mentions this as usable for GBA/GBA connections. I hope that this will also work with GBA/GCN connections, allowing gamecube games which link with the gameboy to finally be free of cabling.
The wavebird took care of this on the controller end, and with upcoming games taking more advantage of the GBA as a supplemental or primary controller, a wireless adapter could really rock (FF: Crystal Chronicals, for example). Considering it's the same port, I don't see why they wouldn't offer it...
Re:But will it work with the GCN (Score:3, Informative)
It would have been a killer idea if the Wavebird RF Receiver could be used because that way there's no need to buy an adapter. But that's impossible because the Wavebird is only one way (GCN receives, never transmits), and it's on the 900MHz band.
Maybe some third-party will see a market for it and release such an adapter, but I'm willing to say the chances that Nintendo would release it officially are n
Re:But will it work with the GCN (Score:1)
Re:But will it work with the GCN (Score:1)
There's always hope with the third-parties, as can be seen by the Pelican rechargable battery pack for the Wavebird (after trying it out on one Wavebird, I now have these in all of my Wavebirds). I'm not going to hold my breath, though.
Well, that's great ... (Score:1)
Will this interfere with 802.11 networking? (Score:1)
Time to buy Duracell stock (Score:1, Funny)
Time to start thinking about buying batteries in bulk!
DUH! (Score:2)
Already done before? (Score:2, Interesting)
Anyone got a link?
Truly? (Score:2)
Re:Already done before? (Score:1)
That was Mobile System GB, and it was pulled for lack of interest.
Don't fix the real problem with a GameBoy... (Score:5, Funny)
While getting rid of the cable is a step in the right direction, my GameBoyAdvance still don't look like a proper PDA when I pull it up during booring meetings...
Not that it needed it..... (Score:2, Insightful)
N-Gage killer (Score:1)
Shot over Nokia's Bow (Score:4, Insightful)
If Zodiac or N-Gage had some actual first-run games, especially a killer multiplayer game, they might still have a chance, but both platforms have been more interested in licensing tried and true games.. A pity, some competition might produce some better games; the GBA's software has been rife with movie tie-ins, console adaptations and sequels.
Re:Shot over Nokia's Bow (Score:2)
Personally, I would much rather have a gaming PDA with the Zodiacs specs over a 16mhz toy.
Plus the fact that GBA games will be running on the Zodiac soon...uh, forget I said that, mmmkay?
Re:Shot over Nokia's Bow (Score:2)
I have the feeling that the Zodiac is, at best, going to land where the Sega and Atari portables did in the market; beloved, but with only a tiny share.
Re:Shot over Nokia's Bow (Score:2)
Oh, it plays games too (with very nice game controls).
This is a new beast. Take it to meetings, use it for your contacts, play Doom and MAME, listen to MP3s, watch movies, whatever.
Sucks to be Nokia (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Sucks to be Nokia (Score:1)
Not to mention pulling that phone out within 50 miles of anyone guarantees a fist in the teeth.
Bluetooth GBA already in the works (Score:2)
Killer app: VNC (Score:4, Funny)
I can just see the sysadmins in the coffee room, feet on the table, busily tapping on their GBAs
Boss: What the hellare you doing ?!?!
Admin: Working, what does it look like?
this ain't 802.11b, kids. (Score:2, Informative)
Triton Labs [tritonlabs.com] (makers of the afterburner) announced a product very similar to this called the stealth link [tritonlabs.com] several months ago. Maybe they showed their hand a little early.
It's interesting that the press release says 5 players. I
Backwards compatibility...? (Score:2)
Re:Backwards compatibility...? (Score:2)
I wouldn't think so, as the GBA only has one link port, and thus only one link adapter can be attached (wired or wireless). Unless someone puts out a combo adapter, I'd say the two camps will probably have to play in their own sandboxes.
Re:Backwards compatibility...? (Score:1)
Last I knew the limit on the number of players for multi-link games wasn't imposed by the hardware, but by the software. IIRC, when you're daisy-chaining GBAs together there is always going to be an open port into which another link cable can be connected (provided you're not using the 4-way adapter previously mentioned).
Example:
Andy links to Bob.
Chuck plugs into the port on the Andy-Bob cable.
Dave plugs into the port on Chuck's cable.
Four players.
In theory, Fred could plug
Re:Backwards compatibility...? (Score:1)
"As for mix of wired and wireless... unless Motorola makes some sort of pass-through port on this thing, I would say that it's unlikely. But any GB player who buys this thing is probably already going to have a link cable sitting around, too..."
Here's a thought, although it probably won't work. Link 2 GBA's with a cable, and then attach the wireless adapter to the port on the cable.
-----
2.4GHz ... again? (Score:2)
If they've come up with something unique that's all we need. My DECT digital cordless phone has already died with the advent of a WiFi installation nearby. In fact we had to switch our WiFi to get ours usable again.
I recently came close to buying a video sender but at the last moment noticed the dreaded 2.4GHz frequency range again.
How much more stuff is going to sit on this frequency and not play n
2.4 GHz Is Popular Because... (Score:2)
Its easy to generate a signal at reasonable powerlevels. Its easy to build antena/reflectors/repeaters because the wavelengths are long enough (or short depending on how you look). It really is the general all purpose low power transmition frequency of choice.
The N-Gage comments.... (Score:3, Interesting)
I mean... I had high(ish) hopes for the thing and REALLY can't see them battling the Big N on their own territory but this is a terribly designed system and the press keep trying to put a good spin on it but as a games I flat out wouldn't buy one.
1 - The screen is tiny and vertically mounted - it just doesn't work for games. Sonic was damn annoying as the width of the play area is too wide for the screen. It's clear enough but WAY too small.
2 - The keypad SUCKS!! It's useless for gaming although it could be useful for strategy games. You hit just about every other button on the keypad before you hit the onw you want and the surface is so smooth you really have to concentrate on where your fingers are - and thus not the game. The D-Pad is said to be excellent but I found it too smooth and flat - too easy for a thumb to slip off - too hard to detect any response...
3 - There are no L and R buttons even though that's exactly where your fingers are.
4 - There are lots of other buttons on the keypad such as "phone/sms etc" if you accidently push on of these whilst playing a game your gaming experience seems to just stop....
5 - YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE DAMN THING APART TO CHANGE GAMES!!
6 - Nokia's marketing monkies are spewing BS everyday talking about the GBA being a "kiddies toy" (they're trying to make there product look "cool" in a PS sort of way. However most people I see playing GBA are 20/30/40 somethings on tubes and trains playing stuff like Advance Wars. IMNSHO Nokia's marketing line is BS.
7 - THERE ARE LOADING SCREENS!! WTF!! I played a coupla games (some pseudo 3D platformer and a motorbike racer) and there were HUGE (30seconds to a minute) loading screens. DAMN IT! I want to play this on a 10 minute tube journey!!
8 - WHY DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT APART TO CHANGE GAMES!!!
9 - The frame rates on a lot of the games are just NOT very good at all. Sonic plays at about 10 to 15 and seemed to have some SERIOUS slow down. As did a lot of the other games (esp. the pseudo 3D stuff)
10 - And this is the one that will kill the N-Gage. People upgrade phones like they change underwear. This thing is going to last 2 years MAX and at that point Nokia have to release an upgrade OR incorporate this functionality into all their phones.
11 - Don't ever believe the Big N is asleep. The games on the Nokia system just feel unfinished and unpolished - frame rate skipping - cheesey loading screens - by contrast when Nintendo launched the GBA a whole chunk of polished gaming came with it.
The wireless adapter isn't a bad plan from Nintendo but it is just a peripheral - not everyone will buy it (in fact few will) but it will give Nintendo a little bit more knowledge to prepare for the onslaught of PSP (which I reckon is going to get screwed because any graphically decent games will drain the battery in about 30 minutes.... but we'll see about that!)
Matthew.
Re:The N-Gage comments.... (Score:2)
Re:The N-Gage comments.... (Score:1)
The loading time really grabbed my attention, it seemed out of place on a 'cartrigge' system.
Some flash card standards such as SmartMedia and MMC aren't designed for high throughput; they trade off throughput to reduce pin count, which reduces the size of the overall card. CompactFlash, on the other hand, is based on ATA and would look and act more like a "real" game cartridge.
20 second juggling act
Compare with a 3 second juggling act (I just checked) to take Tetanus On Drugs out of my GBA and put
Re:The N-Gage comments.... (Score:2)
What really gets me about this particular wireless adapter is that it'll never be used for what it should be; good P2P games. Instead, it'll be used for stuff like Pokemon, so kids don't have to mess with cords.
What do I mean by P2P games? I mean, something like, a game where each cartridge has a semi-unique ID number, or something. And each time you pull it out and play it, it scans the surrounding area to see if anyone is around that you haven't
very pokemon, thnx Nokia (Score:2)
and of course it's also a milestone on the road to a GBA SP2 with integrated wireless capabilites, some GP 32 [lik-sang.com] way.
Well I think we can thank N-Gage for that, even if at Nintendo they will swear that they were in no way inspired by Nokia.
Long Distance Playing (Score:2)
"Iwata also mentioned that events or stores can have special base stations installed and connected to the Internet for players to transfer data from distant locations."
Thn sony portable scares Nintendo (Score:2)
Re:Thn sony portable scares Nintendo (Score:2)
1 - A HUGE catalogue of games already out there
2 - A HUGE number of devoted Nintendo fans
3 - The price of the PSP is going to be set far higher than the GBA.
4 - Battery life - a full 3D game running off mechanical optical media is going to eat batteries. Nintendo have always pushed battery life as a key feature and indeed it is.
5 - Nintendo are not asleep at the wheel
Re:Thn sony portable scares Nintendo (Score:1)
To address your points:
1 - A HUGE catalogue of games already out there
-- Of which 90% suck. Most GBA titles are shovel-ware and people know it.
2 - A HUGE number of devoted Nintendo fans
-- That may be the case but they will go where the good games are. (note the lack of GC success Nintendo has)
3 - The price of the PSP is going to be set far higher than the GBA.
-- Only about 100 more and when people can have PS2 level graphics in a small form factor at tha
Re:Thn sony portable scares Nintendo (Score:1)
1 - A HUGE catalogue of games already out there
-- Of which 90% suck. Most GBA titles are shovel-ware and people know it.
Hasn't hurt Sony on the PS1/2 side, has it?
2 - A HUGE number of devoted Nintendo fans
-- That may be the case but they will go where the good games are. (note the lack of GC success Nintendo has)
Notice how well the PS2 vs. GC arguments swap sides with PSP vs. GBA. The GBA's current sales are higher than the PS2's. The GBA has a catalogue (and back catalogue) th
What about headphones? (Score:2)
I actually think the gameboy advanced SP is too small. It would be nice if they made it just a little bigger and integrated wireless and such into the unit.
Re:What about headphones? (Score:2)
Advanced Wars 2 is pretty good if you like strategy games. I play it when I'm on the train and you can't hear the sound without headphones.
Already exists. (Score:2, Interesting)
Of course, X-Trafun's quite a small shop, so they haven't been able to market their product sufficiently to get much real attention. Unfortunately, although they were first, they're now going to be thoroughly stomped out of the market by the power
Re:Already exists. (Score:1)
In other words, Motorolla and X-Trafun aren't even competing here. If people want PDA functionality and internet access on their GBA, the Motorolla accessory isn't going
bathroom multiplayer (Score:1)
Nothing like playing some mario kart with your "stallmates"
Nintendo does it again (Score:1, Interesting)
NOT backwards compatible (Score:2)
Only with certain games... (Score:2)
The Fire Red and Leaf Green Pokemon games are the only two that are currently known to support Nintendo's new wireless GBA multiplayer adapter, but Nintendo has stated that it will announce more compatible titles in the future.
So this will *only* work with new games... which sorta stinks. The game has to support it. Which I imagine new ones will... but don't jump on the bandwagon yet.
The problem with wep (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:wep? (Score:4, Insightful)
Frankly, I would believe that I live in a world where even evil terrorist hackers have better things to do than to try and hack into someones handheld game...
You don't frigging need any security when all you do is trying to outwit your mate in Pokemon. It's not like it's a critical system, or contains personal information. Leave it unsecure, it'll leave bandwidth and CPU power to what matter - the game.
Re:wep? (Score:1)
Hey, we just MUST... (Score:2)
I'm waiting for a decent Quake port to Gameboy too - with spare CPU power of 4 GBAs extra, it should be able to generate 3d gfx easily. On one of them only, true
And when will Nintendo release a TCP stack for GBA? I want to start a portable pocket webserver!
Contiki (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:back on the market (Score:2)
oh well better luck next time.
Re:US techies unite (Score:2, Insightful)
Commoodre (before it went belly up) liked to release in the UK.
America is good for inovation but extreamly bad for first release of new technology.
Commodore did release one thing in the US first...
The Commodore 128.
Ops.
Oh yeah and that CD entertainment thing that was the death of Commoodre.. that was released in the US first.
Japan is more willing to pay over inflated prices just to get *defective* bleading edge.
So when are they going to start selling in america first?