While at the mall today, I couldn’t resist the urge to go and try out the Game Boy Advance demo unit at Electronics Boutique. And after having played it for a few minutes, all I can really say is: “Wow.”

First of all, the thing is small. I was expecting to see something the size of my old Sega Game Gear, but not only is the GBA far slimmer, its footprint isn’t all that much larger than that of the current Game Boy Color. And despite the fact that its screen has no backlight, the graphics are nonetheless amazingly clear; yes, granted, they’re a bit dark (especially in games that are in themselves rather dark, such as Castlevania), but even then the screen is much brighter than I’d have anticipated.

And no, just in case you’re wondering, I’m not planning on getting a Game Boy Advance as soon as they’re officially released on the 13th. I can wait, and I’m by no means a spendthrift. But once the selection of games has become reasonably large, I might be tempted to go and buy one after all…