# Game Boy Advance > Nintendo's Game Boy Advance succeeded the Game Boy Color in 2001 and sold over 81 million units. GBA emulators now cover almost every feature of the system. Web page: https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/ Page updated: 2026-09-30 - Developer: Nintendo - Released: 2001 - Processor: ARM ARM7TDMI (32-bit) - Processor Speed: 16.8 MHz - RAM: 128 KB - Video RAM: 256 KB KB - Co-Processor: Zilog Z80 (8-bit, used for GameBoy emulation) - Co-Processor Speed: 4 MHz or 8 MHz - Audio Processor: Dual 8-bit DAC - Audio Output: Built-in speaker (mono), or headphone socket (stereo) - Resolution: 240 x 160 pixels - Colors Available: 32,768 (15-bit) - Max Colors on Screen: 512 in character mode | 32,768 in bitmap mode The Game Boy Advance, often abbreviated to GBA, is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It kept Nintendo at the top of the handheld market, selling 81.51 million units worldwide. Like its predecessor, the Game Boy Advance is backwards compatible, so it plays both Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. This gave it a large library of quality games from day one, and meant anyone upgrading from a Game Boy Color could keep playing their existing games. The Game Boy Advance was redesigned twice. The first redesign, the Game Boy Advance SP, moved to a clamshell design, later carried over to the Nintendo DS, and added a front-lit screen that made the console much easier to play in different lighting and made colours look more vibrant. The second was the Game Boy Micro, a much smaller version of the console. It kept the improved lit screen but dropped a major feature: it cannot play Game Boy or Game Boy Color games. The Game Boy Advance cemented Nintendo's position as the company to beat in the handheld market. ## Game Boy Advance Emulators - [ares](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/snes/emulator/ares/index.md): ares is an open source multi-system emulator focused on accuracy and preservation, covering the NES, SNES, N64, Sega consoles and more. The successor to higan. - [Mednafen](https://emulationking.com/sega/saturn/emulator/mednafen/index.md): Mednafen is an open source multi-system emulator, controlled from the command line, known for accurate Sega Saturn and PlayStation emulation. - [Mesen](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/nes/emulator/mesen/index.md): Mesen is an open source multi-system emulator for the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and more, with a built-in debugger, for Windows, Linux and macOS. - [mGBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/mgba/index.md): mGBA is a fast and accurate open source Game Boy Advance emulator that also runs Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, on desktop, mobile and even other consoles. - [Visual Boy Advance](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/visualboyadvance/index.md): Visual Boy Advance-M (VBA-M) is an open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance emulator for Windows, macOS and Linux. - [GBE+](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gbc/emulator/gbeplus/index.md): GBE+ is an open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color and GBA emulator by Shonumi, known for custom graphics support and emulating obscure peripherals. - [no$gba](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/nocashgba/index.md): no$gba is a freeware GBA and Nintendo DS emulator. It was the first GBA emulator with multiplayer link support and the first to run commercial DS games. - [NanoBoyAdvance](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/nanoboyadvance/index.md): NanoBoyAdvance is a cycle-accurate, open source Game Boy Advance emulator focused on hardware research, with an enhanced audio mixer and save states. - [SkyEmu](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/skyemu/index.md): SkyEmu is a low-level, open source Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and DS emulator by Skyler Saleh, with highly accurate GBA emulation. - [BatGBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/batgba/index.md): BatGBA is an early, long-discontinued GBA emulator. It needed the GBA BIOS to run some games, though work had started on emulating the BIOS itself. - [BoycottAdvance](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/boycottadvance/index.md): BoycottAdvance is a discontinued GBA emulator that was once one of the better options, known for good performance on the modest PCs of its day. - [DreamGBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/dreamgba/index.md): DreamGBA is an early, long-discontinued GBA emulator from the team behind DreamGBC. It needed the GBA BIOS and ran a handful of games with sound. - [higan](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/nes/emulator/higan/index.md): higan is a multi-system emulator by Near (formerly byuu), best known for its highly accurate SNES emulation, which puts accuracy ahead of speed. - [RascalBoy Advance](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/emulator/rascalboyadvance/index.md): RascalBoy Advance is a discontinued GBA emulator that once rivalled Visual Boy Advance, and was one of the first to support four-player link play. ## GBA Games - [Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/games/dragonballzbuusfury/index.md): Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury is a 2004 Game Boy Advance action RPG covering the Majin Buu saga, the last in the Legacy of Goku series. - [Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/games/fireemblemthesacredstones/index.md): Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is Intelligent Systems' 2004 tactical RPG in which the twins Eirika and Ephraim fight to save Magvel. - [Mario Kart: Super Circuit](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/games/mariokartsupercircuit/index.md): Mario Kart: Super Circuit is the 2001 Game Boy Advance kart racer with 20 new tracks, all 20 Super Mario Kart courses and link-cable multiplayer. - [Mega Man Zero](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/games/megamanzero/index.md): Mega Man Zero is Inti Creates' 2002 Game Boy Advance action game in which the reawakened Zero fights for the Resistance against Neo Arcadia. - [Pokémon Emerald](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/games/pokemonemerald/index.md): Pokémon Emerald is Game Freak's 2004 Game Boy Advance update of Ruby and Sapphire, adding the Battle Frontier and a story centred on Rayquaza. - [Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/games/pokemonfireredandleafgreen/index.md): Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are Game Freak's 2004 Game Boy Advance remakes of the first Pokémon games, returning to Kanto and the Sevii Islands. - [Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/games/pokemonrubyandsapphire/index.md): Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire are Game Freak's 2002 Game Boy Advance RPGs set in Hoenn, adding double battles, abilities and 135 new Pokémon. - [The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/games/legendofzeldatheminishcap/index.md): The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is the 2004 Game Boy Advance adventure in which Link shrinks to the size of the tiny Minish to stop Vaati. ## Game Boy Advance Homebrew - [a Werewolf Tale](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/awerewolftale/index.md): a Werewolf Tale is a deliberately hard GBA homebrew action game from the developer of Holy Hell and PowerPig. Expect a lot of game overs. - [Agent GBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/agentgba/index.md): Agent GBA is a small homebrew GBA game by Nuance and Genesis Project, made for the Gravedigger Compo at Nordlicht 2016. - [Anguna](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/anguna/index.md): Anguna is a well made action RPG homebrew game for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, developed by Bite the Chili Productions. - [Balanced Diet](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/balanceddiet/index.md): Balanced Diet is a simple but addictive GBA game by Sebastian Mihai, made as a tech demo for his smgbalib library. - [Beerjeweled](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/beerjewled/index.md): Beerjeweled is a GBA homebrew take on Bejeweled that swaps the jewels for alcoholic drinks. It was shown at Evoke 2013. - [Broken Circle](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/brokencircle/index.md): Broken Circle is an RPG for the Game Boy Advance that never found a publisher. 7 Raven Studios released the finished ROM for free in 2007. - [Drago – Dumpster Divin’](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/dragodumpsterdivin/index.md): Drago – Dumpster Divin' is an unfinished GBA game by Nuance and Genesis Project with strong art and animation. It won the Nordlicht 2013 Gravedigger Compo. - [Flappy Bird GBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/flappybirdgba/index.md): Flappy Bird GBA is a port of the hit mobile game Flappy Bird. It plays in portrait mode, so the console is held sideways, just like the original. - [Gorf](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/gorf/index.md): Gorf GBA is a faithful Game Boy Advance port of Midway's 1981 arcade game, with all five original stages, the voice effects and a new challenge mode. - [Holy Hell](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/holyhell/index.md): Holy Hell is a charming and addictive GBA homebrew game that its developer calls a manic shoot-'em-up puzzler, inspired by Mr. Driller and Ikaruga. - [Hyper Armageddon GBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/hyperarmageddongba/index.md): Hyper Armageddon GBA is an unfinished shoot-'em-up prototype by Widdy, made for the Nordlicht 2015 Gravedigger Compo and showing plenty of polish. - [Locomania](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/locomania/index.md): Loc-O-Mania is a simple GBA puzzle game by Michael El-Baki. You switch the junctions on a railway to guide trains safely to their stations. - [MazezaM Challenge GBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/mazezamchallengegba/index.md): MazezaM Challenge GBA is a puzzle game by alekmaul, based on MazezaM by Malcolm Tyrrell. Push rows of blocks left and right to reach the exit. - [Pocket Meat](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/pocketmeat/index.md): Pocket Meat is a Game Boy Advance remake of Super Meat Boy that captures the feel of the original and makes for a fun, challenging platformer. - [Pocket Raider 1 and 2](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/pocketraider/index.md): Pocket Raider and Pocket Raider 2 are GBA games by John A. Reder, inspired by Will Wright's Raid on Bungling Bay (1984) and featuring very large maps. - [Powder GBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/powdergba/index.md): Powder is a polished roguelike for the Game Boy Advance, designed from scratch for the handheld, with good graphics and lots of replay value. - [PowerPig](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/powerpig/index.md): PowerPig is a puzzle-platformer for the GBA by genecyst, the developer of Holy Hell, in which a pig uses a coin-powered gravity gun. - [Rick Dangerous GBA](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/rickdangerousgba/index.md): Rick Dangerous GBA is a homebrew port of the 1989 platformer. Each level is full of traps that you have to learn and plan your way around. - [ShooterThing](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/shooterthing/index.md): ShooterThing is an unfinished side-scrolling shooter for the GBA by Genesis Project, which won first place in the Nordlicht 2014 Gravedigger Compo. - [Star Fortress Dendron](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/starfortressdendron/index.md): Star Fortress Dendron is an isometric RPG for the GBA by Scott Lininger. It is very playable, though a few bugs were never fixed. - [Super Mario: The Last GBA Quest](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/supermariothelastgbaquest/index.md): Super Mario: The Last GBA Quest is a short but well made Super Mario fan game for the GBA by YodaJr and Omg, with eight levels to beat. - [Waimanu: Grinding Blocks Adventure](https://emulationking.com/nintendo/gba/homebrew/waimanu/index.md): Waimanu: Grinding Blocks Adventure is a GBA homebrew puzzle-action game by Disjointed Studio, ported from DS, in which a penguin slides blocks onto enemies.