The GameCube Game Boy Advance cable (DOL-011) is a cable used to connect the

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

(GBA) to the

GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...

(GCN). Depending on the games, the cable may facilitate unlocking additional content, turning the GBA into a

second screen A second screen involves the use of a computing device (commonly a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet) to provide an enhanced viewing experience for content on another device, such as a television. In particular, the term commonly refer ...

, turning the GBA into a separate controller, or transferring in-game items between related games.

Development

The concept of a cable that allowed for the transfer of data and second-screen gameplay was originally conceived for the

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...

as the "GB Connection Cable", which would allow certain

Nintendo 64DD The is a magnetic floppy disk drive peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console developed by Nintendo. It was announced in 1995, prior to the Nintendo 64's 1996 launch, and after numerous delays was released in Japan on December 13, 1999. The ...

games to connect to compatible Game Boy Color cartridges. However, the device was never released—interactivity between Nintendo 64 and Game Boy games was limited to those that supported the

Transfer Pak The Transfer Pak is a removable accessory for the Nintendo 64 controller that fits into its expansion port. When connected, it allows for the transfer of data between supported Nintendo 64 (N64) games and Game Boy or Game Boy Color (GBC) games. B ...

, released in 1998.

Compatibility

Systems

The cable has one end that plugs into a GameCube controller slot and another end that plugs into the GBA's extension port. The cable is compatible with the GameCube and the

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...

on the console side; and the Game Boy Advance,

Game Boy Advance SP The Game Boy Advance SP (GBA SP), released in Japan on February 14, 2003, is a sixth-generation handheld game console developed, released, and marketed by Nintendo that served as an upgraded version of the original Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in ...

Game Boy Player The (DOL-017) is a GameCube peripheral developed by Nintendo which enables it to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges, allowing those games to be played on a television. It connects via the high speed parallel port at ...

, and

e-Reader An e-reader, also called an e-book reader or e-book device, is a mobile electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital e-books and periodicals. Any device that can display text on a screen may act as an e-read ...

on the portable side. When used with the

accessory, the Game Boy Advance system can be used to control any Game Boy game played through the GameCube. Because the

Game Boy Micro The Game Boy Micro is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on September 13, 2005 as a smaller, lighter redesign of the Game Boy Advance. The system is the last console in the Game Boy l ...

has a differently-shaped link port, the official cable does not work with it, but enthusiasts have been able to hack together homemade versions which do. It is also incompatible with the

Nintendo DS family The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

, as the original

Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

and

DS Lite The is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It is the second iteration of the Nintendo DS and is slimmer, brighter, and more lightweight than the original. It was announced on January 26, 2006, more than a ...

backwards compatibility Backward compatibility (sometimes known as backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with input designed for such a system, especially in ...

for the Game Boy Advance does not extend to its accessories, lacking the necessary extension port.

Games

The following is a list of compatible GameCube games, with the corresponding Game Boy Advance (GBA) game or ''N/A'' if no GBA game is required.

References

External links