Topic: Famicom 20th Anniversary GBA SP

[WindyMan]

Nintendo is giving away 1000 of these babies in a contest, so you'd better high-tail it to Japan if you want one.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the launch of the original Famicom (which we all know and love as the Nintendo Entertainment System), Nintendo is holding a contest to give out special limited edition GBA SP systems to 1,000 lucky Japanese.  The contest requires that people buy GameCube and GBA games from a list and send in the special entry form included with the game.

The games that are part of this promotion are Tales of Phantasia, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Tales of Symphonia, Sword of Mana, Mario Golf, and Legend of Stafi 2.  Gamers are instructed to have their entries in before the end of September, when the drawing will take place.

Unfortunately for us here in North America, it doesn't look like we'll be seeing any of these outside of Japan, so unless you live in the homeland, you're not going to get these, import or otherwise.

To see what the unit looks like, and to view the contest page, click.

[Illustrious Chen]

That thing looks so awesome! A contest I must enter now...

[Grey Ninja]

Heh.  I would really like one.  It's definately a piece of history.

[nitsu niflheim]

I think we should all gang up on Nintendo and tell them to stop giving us Non-Japanese game ethusiasts the shaft all the time.  I think Nintendo should start giving the special edition GCN and GBA's to all other markets because now I am officially pissed here.  Why should I have to resort to importing something when Nintendo could just get off their snobbish asses and give us some good stuff.  


But I guess since they undertake the very boring and tedious chore of translating their games for us Non-Japanese game ethusiasts, they must think they are already doing us a favor and they think "and they want more, how selfish."  Unless Nintendo gives us Non-Japanese game ethusiasts some special GBA's and GCN's I might find it hard to to continue supporting them when they don't think enough of use to give us the same as they give the Japanese.  

[vudu]

Quote
Originally posted by: nitsujdark Unless Nintendo gives us Non-Japanese game ethusiasts some special GBA's and GCN's I might find it hard to to continue supporting them when they don't think enough of use to give us the same as they give the Japanese.

::nintendo calls nitsujdark's bluff::

[Grey Ninja]

Heh.  Nitsu, would you actually buy all the different versions of each console?  We aren't all like Billy you know.  As much as I like Nintendo, I have neither the money or the room to have 6 GameCubes and 12 GBAs.  

[nitsu niflheim]

kingvudu: I have preordered 2 Xbox games in the same number of days.  Maybe my loyalty is already waning.


Grey:  No, hell no.  But it would be nice to have some more flavors available than what Nintendo is shoveling down our throats.  Nintendo of Japan is releasing special edtions GBA's for Final Fantasy Tactics Advace, Sword of Mana, and Botaki (sp?), that Torchic GBA, maybe more.  Special Edition GCN's for Tales of Symphonia and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, anymore?  Hell Japan has the Spice GCN and all we have is the Spice controller.  Something is not right.  Nintendo doesn't have to worry about market shares in japan, Sony is #1 and not going anywhere soon, but else where releasing these special edition GCN's GBA's might make a difference, but will they do that?  NO!!  Because we just seem to be second thoughts to Nintendo.

[Grey Ninja]

Nintendo cares about us, they just don't think that we care as much for those kind of gimmicks as Japan does.  Remember when we were all up in arms about the Zelda bonus disc being only available in Japan?  Nintendo responded by giving us our own disc.  The thing is that the Japanese really like having things such as these, and it's a powerful selling feature in Japan.  Nintendo gives the US a bunch of different stuff, such as cross country tours, and the Cube Clubs.  AFAIK, those things don't really happen in Japan.

[KnowsNothing]

Wow, I think that GBA SP looks drop dead ugly.  

[Djunknown]

Just had to chime because we're getting some interesting feedback.

I mentioned this earlier when the Coffin Case and Red and Black GBA for Boktai was coming out, and I was confused at the target audience. It seems for every top tier Japanese GBA title, there's a special edition GBA to go with it. I ask again, who are they aiming for? Those die-hard fans with enough Yen in their wallets? Or for those who were on the fence, but once [insert game here] comes out, they say "Yep, Imma getting the GBA now!"? Some goes for GC, but to a lesser extent (Pearly White GC w/ Final Fantasy CC, mmmm..)

This time, its the exception as this GBA is dedicated to the Famicom, and its a giveaway, you can't buy it (Though I'm certain there's gonna be somebody who will sell it on Ebay and there will be somebody who will pay top dollar for it) NOA did something akin to this, remember the Platinum GBA? Any one know how that turned it out? I'd like to know, though when GBA SP was announced, that Platinum GBA didn't look so good anymore...

If I was a betting man, I'd bet that NOJ might release a limited edition SP with a Super Famicom theme to it in the future. But we'll have to wait and see.

[Uncle Rich AiAi]

Aw man, I sooooooooooo want one!

[Grey Ninja]

DJunknown, the Japanese are famous for throwing away perfectly good things when they are replaced with something better.  For example, you buy a DVD player, so you don't need your VCR anymore.  Solution?  Throw away the VCR.  You buy a special edition GameCube, so you don't need your regular GameCube anymore.  Solution?  Throw away the old GameCube.  It's very strange, but it seems to happen.

[KnowsNothing]

I would so love to go trash-picking in Japan if that's what happens. Heck, trash picking here in the states is fun, imagine finding something worth owning!  OMFG!  

Really, I can see Japanese buying a new version, an SP version if you will, of any particular item, but they just go throw things like a GBA into a dumpster?  I can see a VCR lying in the trash, but not a GBA or anything else of that value.

And I still think that GBA SP they're giving away is hideous.