With the full unveiling of GameCube just a matter of days away, many Nintendo fans are looking forward to being dazzled by beautiful graphics and true next-generation gameplay. While I’m also looking forward to seeing Wave Race, Mario, and Rogue Squadron on GameCube, I am equally eager to learn what Nintendo has in store for the Game Boy Advance’s ability to connect with the GameCube. It’s been touted by Nintendo as being a special feature since before Space World 2000 and could be a large factor in the success of the GameCube. The idea has certainly captured my imagination and hopefully that of developers around the world.

However, it’s not using the GBA as a play book selection device in football or unlocking secret characters in Perfect Dark 2 via the GBA that has me excited. While using the GBA as a more advanced version of Sega’s VMU and as a special key to unlock hidden characters are common examples of GBA-GCN connectivity, they seem to be the most basic of ideas. My main problem with these ideas is that they fail to take advantage of the fact that 2 systems capable of playing full-fledged games are being connected. Sure, the GBA as a private play book selector is quite practical and is ideal in games where strategic decisions should be confidential and do not need to be made in real-time, but it mainly uses the Gameboy Advance’s screen and little else. This is interactivity at its simplest.

Handheld games that unlock hidden extras in their console counterparts are also marginally interactive. They too fail to take advantage of the 2 distinct gaming systems. Most games in this example interact on a level outside of the actual game worlds. The extras also tend to be limited in what they can do since this would otherwise risk cheapening the experience of playing a game without its companion. If the unlocked bonuses really add a lot to the console game, then a gamer may only get the handheld game for the sole purpose of accessing everything on the console game. It’s essentially a $30 password (though I suppose the frugal gamer only rents the game for $4), hardly a worthwhile investment for both the gamers (who pay the full price of a game for a few extra goodies) and the developers (who spend the time on a game only to have it used as an expensive password).

The character swapping in Pokemon games and Pokemon Stadium comes a little closer to realizing the connective potential of a console and handheld system. These games take advantage of characters used from one system and allow them to be used in another. The disappointing part of this, though, is that the games only employed a mono-directional relationship, meaning that Pokemon could only be raised in the GBC games to be used in the Pokemon Stadium games. A more dynamic approach would allow both games to develop Pokemon. As they were designed, Pokemon was really just connecting the GBC to the N64 but not the other way around. Hopefully GBA-GCN games will be much different.

One idea for GBA-GCN connectivity that I’ve read and actually like involves the downloading of a mini-game from the GameCube to the Gameboy Advance. Interaction like this essentially allows a portion of the GameCube game to be taken on the road. Unlike the personal screen idea, this actually creates a more interactive experience. Of course (you there’d be a catch didn’t you?), this is again turning the GBA into a glorified VMU or Pocket Station. Sure, compared to the VMU and Pocket Station, the GBA is a better gaming device with its 4 buttons and larger color screen and as a dedicated game machine the GBA should provide a much better experience than either of the 2 could ever hope to do. But then, that’s exactly the point! You have a system that’s fully capable of playing games that are at least equally as compelling as the best Super Nintendo games and it’s being used to play a mini-game? I don’t mean to criticize this idea too much, because I do like it, but I think this should be seen as a simple form of GBA-GCN connectivity.