The GameCube Game Boy Advance cable is a
video game accessory
A video game accessory is a distinct piece of hardware that is required to use a video game console, or one that enriches the video game's play experience. Essentially, video game accessories are everything except the console itself, such as Game ...
manufactured by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
which is used to connect the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
(GBA) handheld console to the
GameCube
The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
(GCN) home console. Depending on the games it is used with, the cable may facilitate transferring data between related games, unlocking additional content, or turning the GBA into a controller or
second screen.
Development
The concept of a cable that allowed for the transfer of data and second-screen gameplay was originally conceived for the
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
as the "
64 GB Cable", a device designed by
Marigul Management which would allow certain
Nintendo 64DD
The is a peripheral developed by Nintendo to expand the capabilities of the Nintendo 64 with floppy disk, rewritable magnetic disks and online connectivity. Announced in 1995 before the Nintendo 64's 1996 launch, it faced multiple delays before ...
games to connect to compatible
Game Boy Color
The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
cartridges.
However, the device was never released—interactivity between Nintendo 64 and Game Boy games was limited to those that supported the
Transfer Pak
The Transfer Pak is an accessory for the Nintendo 64 (N64) controller. It features a cartridge slot compatible with Game Boy or Game Boy Color (GBC) games. When plugged into the controller's expansion port, it allows for the transfer of data bet ...
, released in 1998.
Compatibility
Systems
The cable has one end that plugs into a GameCube controller slot and another end that plugs into the GBA's extension port. The cable is compatible with the GameCube and the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
on the console side; and the Game Boy Advance,
Game Boy Advance SP
The Game Boy Advance SP (SP stands for "Special") is a 32-bit handheld game console made by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on February 14, 2003, and to international markets in March. This model is an upgraded version of the Game Boy Advance ...
,
Game Boy Player
The is a GameCube peripheral developed by Nintendo which enables it to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance ROM cartridge, cartridges, allowing those games to be played on a television.
It connects via the high speed parallel por ...
, and
e-Reader
An e-reader, also called an e reader or e device, is a Mobile computing, mobile electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital e-books and Periodical literature, periodicals.
Any device that can display text on ...
on the portable side. When used with the
Game Boy Player
The is a GameCube peripheral developed by Nintendo which enables it to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance ROM cartridge, cartridges, allowing those games to be played on a television.
It connects via the high speed parallel por ...
accessory, the Game Boy Advance system can be used to control any Game Boy game played through the GameCube.
Because the
Game Boy Micro
The Game Boy Micro is a 32-bit handheld game console made by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 13, 2005, and to international markets later that year. It is a miniaturized version of the Game Boy Advance. The console was the last in ...
has a differently-shaped link port, the official cable does not work with it, but enthusiasts have been able to hack together homemade versions which does.
It is also incompatible with the
Nintendo DS family, as the original
Nintendo DS
The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
and
DS Lite's
backwards compatibility
In telecommunications and computing, backward compatibility (or backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, software, real-world product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with Input ...
for the Game Boy Advance does not extend to its accessories, lacking the necessary extension port.
Games
The following is a list of compatible GameCube games, with the corresponding Game Boy Advance (GBA) game or ''N/A'' if no GBA game is required.
Support for the accessory was also planned for ''
Donkey Kong Plus'', ''
Roll-O-Rama'', and ''
Stage Debut'', though none of these games were ever released.
[
]
See also
* Transfer Pak
The Transfer Pak is an accessory for the Nintendo 64 (N64) controller. It features a cartridge slot compatible with Game Boy or Game Boy Color (GBC) games. When plugged into the controller's expansion port, it allows for the transfer of data bet ...
* Game Boy Player
The is a GameCube peripheral developed by Nintendo which enables it to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance ROM cartridge, cartridges, allowing those games to be played on a television.
It connects via the high speed parallel por ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gamecube Game Boy Advance Cable
GameCube accessories
Game Boy accessories