GBC vs. GBA resolution question

Hoddy Krishnuh

Hey, I use a GBA SP to play my GB/GBC games. One thing I want to know is whether or not the resolution is the same when playing classics on GBA or if its slightly smaller like GBA is on DS Lite. I know some people play these games with a frontlight modded GBC unit, so I can't recall when I owned one how big the difference was. Let me know.

CZroe

GBA has a slightly higher vertical resolution and a noticeably wider horizontal resolution, which is why you can use the L&R buttons to stretch horizontally but there will still be some unused screen area on top and bottom. When GB/C games are played on a a standard GBA they will be smaller and you will see a distracting effect that almost looks like interlacing lines. On a GBC the image will be larger and more stable. If playing GB/C games without a front or backlight the GBC is undeniably superior.

Hoddy Krishnuh

Are you talking about the original GBA or the GBA SP?

arch_8ngel

Originally posted by: Jeckidy



Are you talking about the original GBA or the GBA SP?

GBA and GBA SP are the same screen resolution.



They are both native GBA devices and should treat GB/C games the same way, and will both have the same issues (albeit lacking the backlight with a GBA rather than the SP is obviously less desireable)





I wouldn't relate it, at all, to how GBA shows up on the DS.



All three sets of systems have different resolutions, and different ways of handling the previous generation of games for backward compatibility.

CZroe

Originally posted by: arch_8ngel

 

Originally posted by: Jeckidy



Are you talking about the original GBA or the GBA SP?

GBA and GBA SP are the same screen resolution.



They are both native GBA devices and should treat GB/C games the same way, and will both have the same issues (albeit lacking the backlight with a GBA rather than the SP is obviously less desireable)





I wouldn't relate it, at all, to how GBA shows up on the DS.



All three sets of systems have different resolutions, and different ways of handling the previous generation of games for backward compatibility.

Yep.

Well, the backlit GBA SP probably looks better for GBC games than a real GBC (unlike the front-lit one) but GBC is still a smaller area of the display.



The front-lit GBA SP image quality doesn't look any better for GB/C than an original GBA would. The front-light would only be arguably superior due to visibility, but that's not a factor when we are trying to compare to what a GBC would look like with a front light mod.