It's been years since I have seen a Gameboy Advance on a retailer's shelf (other then at used game stores), but apparently the GBA is not dead yet. The last time Nintendo actually mentioned the little GBA was a few years ago, if I recall, when they announced they weren't going to be selling the system anymore. So, what happened? Apparently, the GBA is not dead. The GBA is still being shipped world wide, and actually sold 420,000 units in the last fiscal year.

With the Nintendo DS now the undisputed heavyweight champion of the handheld gaming space, we got to wondering: what's become of the humble Game Boy Advance? Is it dead?

Ask yourself: when was the last time you saw a Game Boy Advance on a shelf? Or heard about a new Game Boy Advance game? Or even heard Nintendo mention the console, even in passing?

Exactly. Never. So, fearing for the health of the poor little guy, we contacted Nintendo to see whether the console had been quietly killed off in the middle of the night, its years of loyal service rewarded with naught but an unmarked grave somewhere outside Nintendo HQ.

Nintendo's response was a surprising one. Turns out the Game Boy Advance is not dead. Shipments of the console are still being made to distributors and retailers across the world, and last fiscal year, the GBA sold 420,000 units worldwide, with the vast majority of those sales being made in the Asian and developing markets.

So, there you have it. Reports of the Game Boy's death have been greatly exaggerated!

chaos via kotaku.com »