SN - #2 Advancement of the Gameboy

I believe that today I'd enjoy rambling about my love for the Gameboy Advance.  Truth to tell I recently found one lying around the house where I'm currently living and I was hit with a ton of fond memories soon after. It seems like it's been so long since this particular device was introduced, and I guess really it has been long enough to feel some nostalgia for it. Regardless though, this particular piece of technology is by far one of my favorite channels for recreation.

It's not hard to appreciate this device after thoroughly enjoying it's predecessor the 'Gameboy Color'.  The production and release of the GBA was probably the first impression for me that a hand-held system could really compete against consoles.  I will admit though, I wasn't terribly impressed with some of the early releases, especially launch titles.  However, it didn't take long for some great titles to come along.  At the time of the release, Nintendo was still running strong with great releases for not just the GBA, but their consoles as well.  Developers had less limitations to deal with since the cartridges capacity had a significant increase, and the processing of the device was far superior to any handheld except perhaps the NeoGeo, which most people don't remember anyways.  Naturally though, it did have some bad qualities that weren't remedied immediately.

Several of the initial problems were probably already being solved during the release, but due to deadlines was setback for the first batch of models.  Yes, of course I'm talking about two primary problems that were solved by the Gameboy Advance SP.  The first problem was batteries.  Batteries! Batteries!! Batteries!!! Sure, we came a long way from the original Gameboy Classic, which required a whopping 4 AA's for maybe 3 hours of life if you were lucky. However, the Gameboy Advance was still using 2 AA's for ~4 - 6 hours of lifetime.  If hand-held gaming was ever going to become a replacement of console gaming, it would need a self-sufficient rechargeable power source.  Nintendo recognized this, and implemented a long-life rechargeable battery which opened the door to another solution.  With a stronger, more reliable battery on board, Nintendo realized they could also include a back-light so gaming would be more comfortable and cause less fatigue on your eyes.  This was probably one of the best marketing decisions Nintendo has ever made, in my opinion at least.  I spent countless hours of the night playing games which prior to the SP would have costed me tens of dollars in AA batteries and my parents an increased electrical bill from the lights.

Of course, it was all about the games.  You couldn't have a successful piece of hardware without a decent selection of games to go with it.  Two of my favorites, 'Advance Wars' & 'Fire Emblem' as seen above, were arguably some of the more popular ones.  Of course, they were both designed by the same person, using extremely similar game-play mechanics.  Not to mention the ever popular Pokemon series, which I sadly still play from time to time... despite the fact that I'm nearly 20 years old.  The fact of the matter is though, the GBA sold well, and it had at least 20 unforgettable titles by the end of it's lifetime.  That's far more than I can count for any console I've ever played.


To this day it still holds it's own as a legitimate gaming system, with a bunch of great games.

Heartbroken & Lovesick

Today my Girlfriend is moving, and despite the fact that it's not that far away really, I still feel like crap.  Well maybe not crap, but I'm definitely not feeling 100%.  It's just one of those times where I can't accurately convey how I feel with words.  Prior to this, we had limited opportunity to spend time together due to details I'd rather not get into at this point.  So, you may or may not be able to sympathize with how I feel about increasing the distance between us by 60 - 70 Miles (~1 Hour).  Don't get me wrong though, I'm glad that she's doing this since it'll open more educational doors for her.  The last thing I want is to hold someone back from reaching potential.  I'm sure if I had asked her to stay a few months ago she would have gone through with it, but I don't want to be a selfish boyfriend.  I may or may not get to see her today before she goes; I may not even get to talk to her for a little while. Since I can't say it to her face, I'll say it here... To whoever needs it, not just to her.  If you're feeling Heartbroken, Lovesick, or even just Depressed. I love you.  Because I know exactly... how you feel.  Maybe a little compassion is all we need to get back on our feet.

SN - #1 Not So Smart Phones

With technology perpetually besting itself minute after minute, it's no surprise that we have devices such as smart phones with operating systems that needlessly update weekly.  Today it's not uncommon for a phone to carry enough storage space to rival that of a HDD that you would have seen in best PC's a decade ago.  This entry however is not about the growth and development of cellular phones. What this is really about, is the remembrance of phones that did not have an empire backed OS, Gigabytes of storage, or touchscreens.

Don't get confused though, I'm also not talking about the phones that were... well just phones.  Let's jump back to roughly half a decade ago, it was 2005 - 2006.  Smart Phones were just kicking off, but they sure weren't overthrowing the market.  No, it was the more affordable, and far more common phones like the Nokia 3300 right above this paragraph.  Yes, these old, yet not so old phones are one of the many things oddly enough I find nostalgic.  I'm not sure what it is, but there is something almost charming about the simple interface that can barely pass as an operating system nowadays.  They aren't complex, they have a simple BIOS, the operating systems are probably programmed with a low-level Assembly language, but I have to admit I get a little excited when I still see someone using them.

I think we naturally take old technology for granted, quite often and seldom realize it.  I mean, it's not really a fault that we all possess, it's just that technology is developing so quickly that we don't have time to enjoy the same old device for a decade anymore.  Another key factor is the quality of the device, they are being made with cheaper materials, calculated by a company actuary to save money.  Everything seems as though it's becoming more and more fragile, or in some cases - down right defective.

Let's jump back a few more years, back to the regular keypad era of phones.  These phones are just moving into the text-messaging era. It's late-late 90's, early 2000's.  These phones, much like the Nokia above, are TANKS.  I can't say for certain what material they are made out of, but I can speak with experience that these things are more durable than anything on the market today.  Now I know that, durability is not a good argument when it comes to trying to convince someone who isn't accident prone.  However, accidents are exactly what they are, unexpected.  I've seen so many young parents purchase expensive smart phones for their children who then promptly ruin them.  An old Nokia phone could be run over by a car, and it would still be able to function.  Durability, just one of the appealing characteristics you don't often get out of more modern and sophisticated devices.  Much like the stereotypical genius-nerd character, smart phones are becoming less resilient.

Don't get me wrong though, I love playing with a new Smart Phone just as much as the next geek.  Let's just try not to forget the predecessors that built a solid foundation for Smart Phones as a successful device.  If you neglect the fundamental ideas, you lose the inspiration that opens the road to ingenuity and evolution.

I suppose I'll wrap this up here, since I'm kind of just rambling now.  Of course this was my first real post, hopefully I will develop a more solid post-flow. Right now I'm kind of just typing my thoughts without order, so perhaps I should create a thought routine. Anyways!  Yes, old phones, charming, reliable, durable, nostalgic.  Feel free to share your thoughts on the subject, as well as give me any suggestions for posting.  Everything is appreciated.

New to Blogging - First Entry

This is indeed the first time I've considered blogging as a legitimate pass-time, for myself of course. I often find myself browsing Google for sometimes... Obscure information which is surprisingly found on blogs much like this one which will be covering, not-so-old but nevertheless nostalgic objects, material, literature, artwork, etc. Hopefully someone finds this entertaining, or helpful, but if not that's okay too. I plan on doing this mostly for me, but of course it always helps if you have an audience!

I believe I'll cut this introductory post short here, and plan for the next entry, which will indeed have something which I find to be Nostalgic, but somewhat modern.