I got an original model GBA when the first came out, and I really liked it. The first game I got was Super Mario Advance, and I really liked all of the added content to SMB2. But at this point, I was really sick of dealing with an unlit screen. So when I heard that the SP was coming out, I sold my original GBA to Funco Land to fund the purchase of an SP. Folding design that's more portable, rechargeable batteries, and finally a LIT screen! The only problem was, I wasn't the only one that was stoked for it, and it was impossible to find in stores for a while. I remember that I was going on a car trip, and I really wanted to find a GBA SP but couldn't after checking several stores.
By this time I was in high school, and a portable console just didn't have as much appeal to me anymore. So after not being able to initially find an SP, I just sort of gave up on the GBA. But from time to time I would read about a game, or see footage of a game, and wanted to experience all of these games that I missed out on.
I couldn't even tell you how, but I somehow amassed a good amount of GBAs since then. I now own a couple of original models, one of them was modified with a backlit screen. I own several frontlit SP models. And I own a backlit SP. I've also had a Gameboy Player for a while. I scored carts here and there, and eventually got some of the ones that I always wanted to play.
In my adult years, I prefer to game on a console rather than a handheld. Occasionally I will do some handheld gaming, maybe in bed / on the couch or at my computer desk. But generally I prefer to game on a console instead. And that's where a bunch of problems come in for the GBA. The Gameboy Player works well enough, but the stock software (the start up disc) kind of sucks. And using the Gamecube Controller for GB games really sucks. I knew about that Hori controller, but it was always an expensive option. Pelican made a clone of it, the
Gamecube Retro Pad, and I found one locally. It isn't terrible, better than the official GCN controller at least, but still not ideal. Either way, you still have to deal with the kind of crappy Gameboy Player software.
And on top of that, some of the games that were at the top of my list have washed out colors. So in the early days of the GBA, since the only model had that miserable unlit screen, Nintendo compensated by brightening the colors of some games. So when you play these games on a TV, it just looks horrible. Too bright and all washed out.
So whenever I would try and get into the GBA, I was put off by the Gamecube controller options and the washed out colors in some games.
And the longer I waited, the more and more the prices were going up on the more popular carts, which made me less eager to dive into the library. I have no problem using flash carts, but the Everdrive GBA is $100 and that just seemed like a lot at the time for a console that I've had a hard time enjoying in the past.
But now I've decided to get an Everdrive GBA mini and just dive in and start enjoying the GBA library!