Your weekly update of GBA news and screens.

After 3 weeks of darkness, news has started pouring in again. Thus, you're looking at yet another issue of Advance Weekly.

The week started with Nintendo informing the industry that they've had enough of us all writing the name of their precious handheld incorrect. 'Gameboy Advance', 'gameboy' and even 'Game Boys' (plural) are no longer tolerated. From now on, it's 'Game Boy Advance', 'Game Boy' and 'Game Boy' (again: plural). This might look as easy as eating pie, but I wonder whether I'll manage to keep up with these rules throughout the remainder of this article...

Konami held the 'Konami Gamers Day' in which they announced a few new games and showed some aswell. First of all, they issued a few new screenshots of their upcoming soul-stealing-action-game Shaman King.

Konami also showed the previously announced Yu-Gi-Oh World Championship Tournament 2004. Over 1100 cards to play with, dozens of characters known from the TV-series, etc. Anyway, if anyone can really see any differences between the images below and the previous versions of the Yu-Gi-Oh games: great work!

If one developer or publisher tries to show off, then it's almost a law that others follow. Vivendi came along and put three GBA titles on their list: First of all, there will be something called Barbie Entertainment. Since the previous Barbie-titles weren't exactly exciting, I wouldn't expect too much of this one. Barbie Entertainment is currently planned for both the PC and the Game Boy Advance (correct spelling this time). The second title on the list is "Crash 6". It's obvious we're talking about another version of Crash Bandicoot here. A PS2, XBox and Game Boy Advance version are scheduled for 2004.

Third and last title on Vivendi's list is another follow-up: "Spyro 5". PS2, XBox and Game Boy Advance versions on the list, so don't count on a GameCube-link.

And then there was Shining Force, which caused a lot of fun. Accidentally, some screenshots originating from Shining Soul II were published instead of those from the Force-series. Various websites already claimed Shining Force to be the European name for Shining Soul II, until the real screenshots appeared two days later.

Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon is a strategic RPG battle game with incredible graphical detail and unique strategic battle system originating from the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The scenario has been written by the staff worked on the original Version to guarantee the quality of the storyline.

Two more newly 'announced' games. First of all, Disney Interactive has registered the brand name 'Disney's Home on the Range' for the Game Boy Advance handheld. Not much is known about the game itself, except that it'll be based on the movie carrying the same name. The movie is about a farm destined to be sold to an (what else?) evil villain. The residents of the farm (some cows and a horse) try to save the farm by capturing the villain, getting a cash-reward for turning him in and thus saving the farm. The game is currently set for a release on April 2, 2004.

The other 'announced' game is Driv3r. Atari has opened up a GBA (and a GC) specific minisite for the third installment of Driver. No real information was given yet, except for some promotional talk about how great the Driver-series is supposed to be.

But now for the biggest Nintendo Game Boy Advance news of the week... On Saturday the 14th of February, Nintendo of Japan will release the Game Boy Advance SP 'Famicom-edition'. Don't mix this one up with the previous GBA SP based on the Famicom colors (which was only available during a certain contest in Japan for Club Mario-members): this version has a slightly different design, as you can see in the image below.

But that's not it. Nintendo also revived 10 of the best-selling games from the Famicom era. Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Excite Bike, Legend of Zelda, Ice Climber, Pac-Man, Xevious, Mappy, Bomberman and Star Soldier will become available as the 'Famicom Mini'-series.

The Game Boy Advance SP 'Famicom-edition' will be put on the Japanese market on the 14th of February for a price of 12500 Yen (about 93 euro's). The games from the 'Famicom Mini'-series will hit the stores on the same day and will cost you 2000 Yen (15 euro's) a piece, which isn't that much for these great games. Not a word yet on a European release.

Like every week, I'll end with a small list of screenshots:

• Kirby: Great Labytinth of the Mirror (1 screen)
• Metroid: Zero Mission (screens + movies)
• Shaman King (screens)
• Shining Force (screens)
• Yu-Gi-Oh 2004 (screens)
• GBA SP 'Famicom' (photo's)

And that was really everything for this time. Comments (especially positive ones) are always welcome, so send them along.

Dennis Stam (aka Blackbird on the boards)

[email protected].