Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter

A photograph of the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter.

Release year:	2004
Manufacturer:	Nintendo
Compatible:	Game Boy Advance
Model no.:	Original: AGB-015 Game Boy micro: OXY-004

The Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter is a peripheral that allows players to play compatible Game Boy Advance games locally with other players who have a copy of the game without having to use a Link Cable. The device was released in 2004; while originally exclusively packaged with copies of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions at that game's release, it was later released as a standalone product at retail.

The product was designed by Masato Kuwahara, who had previously designed the Game Boy Camera. According to him, the idea for a wireless adapter was inspired by a group of employees who would play Diablo II across LAN at work.^[1] Kuwahara created a prototype using a set of Game Link Cables and a wireless module from a mobile phone, and used it to send emails.^[1] The device was originally planned to use Bluetooth, but the engineers could not "overcome the development hurdles at the time" and instead created their own wireless communication system.^[1]

Later in 2004, a special edition version of the Wireless Adapter in Famicom colors was released exclusively to Club Nintendo members for 400 points.^[2]

Because the Game Boy micro has a different Link Cable port than the other two systems, the standard wireless adapter cannot be used with it. Instead, in 2005, a new version of the peripheral was released, the Game Boy micro Wireless Adapter. The Game Boy micro adapter could only be obtained directly from Nintendo.

Features and functionality

The Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter plugs into the system through the Link Cable port on its back, clipping into the two slots on both sides to hold it in place. While the adapter can be used in place of a Game Link Cable, it can only be used with games that are programmed to be compatible with the wireless adapter.

The wireless adapter uses a Motorola chip to communicate with other adapters at a 2.4Ghz signal.^[3] With certain exceptions, up to five systems can be connected locally at one time. The official range of the device is ten feet (three meters)^[4]. The Wireless Adapter also has a search feature; by starting the system without a game cartridge inserted or by holding down Start and Select as the system boots up with a game inserted, the adapter will search for any compatible games that are being played and join single-pak multiplayer games.

The adapter was also built with the ability to download software from a parent unit, but this was never used. A similar functionality would later be used for the Nintendo DS, known as Download Play.^[1]

Compatible games released by Nintendo

Game	Year
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions	2004
Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong	2004
Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros.	2004
Classic NES Series: Ice Climber	2004
Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario	2004
Mario Golf: Advance Tour	2004
Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games	2004
Pokémon Emerald Version	2004
Sennen Kazoku	2005
Mario Tennis: Power Tour	2005
Boundish	2006
dotstream	2006
Dialhex	2006
Coloris	2006
Digidrive	2006
Orbital	2006
Soundvoyager	2006