Of all the old handheld consoles that are now often played through emulation, the Game Boy Advance is quite difficult to emulate efficiently. For this reason, machines such as the Retron SQ have a very limited compatibility list of GBA games that work with the hardware. There are a few flash carts available for the GBA and like with other systems these options make playing games on old hardware much more convenient and easy. The Everdrive brand, known as the most efficient and feature-heavy of all emulation carts, has released the GBA Everdrive Mini. This cart is smaller than some of the previous versions, so will fit flush in a Game Boy Advance Micro, SP, or any other official GBA console. It is a great emulation device with support for emulators. However, is it the best GBA emulation device available? Read on for a short review of the GBA Everdrive Mini.
Menu and Operating System
Similar to other Everdrive carts, especially the Game Boy’s Everdrive X7, the Everdrive GBA mini has a clean menu with the installed files in a simple row. Installation is not hard to do. The user installs the operating system, emulators, and folders, which include ROMs for specific systems, and that’s it—you’re ready to go. Once you start up your system and begin playing, you’ll realize what a streamlined experience it is. Games boot fast and load quickly and I’ve had no problems in this regard. However, there seems to be no way to navigate back to the main menu once you start a GBA game. To return to the main menu you must power cycle the system (turn it off and back on). This is unlike the premium Game Boy Everdrive X7 and I think the reason for the lack of this feature is the GBA’s more complicated architecture. It doesn’t remove much from the experience, and unlike flash carts like the SuperCard, with the Everdrive GBA Mini, you won’t deal with freezing and unintended reboots. The operating system of the Everdrive Mini also includes a real-time clock which of course is good if you play Pokemon games (of which there are many compatible with this device).
Features – Emulators
Speaking of Pokemon games, if you download a GB/GBC emulator and install it into the ’emu’ folder of your initial download, then add your ROMs, you can play the original two generations of titles as well as the titles that were released on GBA. You can also add emulators for the NES, Sega Game Gear, and Sega Master System to the GBA Everdrive Mini. This puts the number of available games easily into the thousands. Moreover, you’ll have access to unofficial titles such as ROM hacks and translated games. The homebrew and indie scene on GBA (and GB/GBC) is still alive and well with a big title, Shantae Advance due to release at the start of next year.
For all these options there is one major downside to the Everdrive GBA Mini. That is there is no save state option. Save states can be good for resuming games in difficult in-game areas and for games with no in-built save feature. It’s slightly puzzling as to why save states aren’t an option, since they’re available on the Everdrive GB X7 (for GB/GBC games), and on the main competition for the mini, the EZ Omega flash cart (for GBA). I think that the reason for the absence of save states must again be the GBA’s complicated architecture. Regardless of this, the wealth of games available to play on the Everdrive GBA mini means that this is one of the best options to play Game Boy-related games.
The Look of the Device
Physically, the cart itself has a premium feel to it and uses a hard plastic that has no chance of accidentally breaking. Unlike the EZ Flash Omega, which included an extra shell that was smaller, and designed so that the cartridge could fit flush in a Game Boy Macro (an unofficial, modded Game Boy made from a Nintendo DS Lite), the mini does not come with any extra shell. This means that you can’t adapt it to fit flush in a Game Boy Macro. However, from what I have heard, the mini’s physical configuration is smaller than the previous model, which protruded out of the original GBA model. Overall, the look of the device is solid and it fits flush in all official Game Boy models. The convenience of what is in the cartridge itself means that in theory, you’ll rarely have to change cartridges ever again.
Conclusion
Despite the Everdrive GBA mini lacking a save state option, the impeccable ease of use, lack of issues running games off the cart, and clean menus make the Everdrive GBA mini easily one of the best GBA flash carts available. When you include into the argument that emulators can be installed on the cart, including from the early Sega systems, the amount and diversity of games available mean that the Everdrive is well worth the investment. The cart itself looks good and is crafted from top-quality material which means that it is a durable product. The Everdrive name is a brand known for quality and the Everdrive GBA mini is a good addition to the developer’s portfolio. However, whether the mini is the best flash cart available for the GBA is still arguable, considering that the EZ Flash Omega has a couple of features that are lacking in the Everdrive GBA Mini.
BongoBongo123 is an avid Zelda fan who also likes the odd game of Smash. His interests in gaming are broad but he loves a good Metroidvania or action RPGs.
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