Previously, if people wanted to play their GameBoy Advance games on their televisions, they had to purchase a specialty kit, take apart their handheld and pray that their soldering skills were good enough. Now, it looks like Nintendo wishes to take a hold of this potential market to add to their available number of games for the GameCube.

Nintendo has announced the upcoming release of the GameCube GameBoy Player, which will release in Japan in March 2003 for the retail price of 5000 yen. The Player is a one inch thick platform (coming in four colors) on which you set your GameCube. You can then insert GameBoy, GameBoy Color and GameBoy Advance games in it and play them on your television with either the GameCube controller or the GameBoy Advance (you'll need the connector cord for the GameBoy Advance to work). Nintendo also has stated that you will still be able to play 4 player with the GameCube GameBoy Player. Player one will have use of their TV screen, while the other three (through the use of the link cable) will have to use their own GameBoy Advances.

On the subject, Peter MacDougall, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America Inc. stated: "For several years, the video game industry has been pushing forward to new technical frontiersÉwhile at the same time celebrating classic hit games of the past. This new Game Boy Player actually fulfills both desires: it instantly makes your current favorite Game Boy Advance game larger-than-life, and at the same time allows you to see your favorite portable title from a decade ago in an entirely new way."

While Nintendo's announcement didn't state a North American release, there is already word on the internet of a possible release in May of 2003.

So, if you were still having problems finding a light source bright enough to play your GameBoy Advance games on, you're in luck. And, if you hadn't purchased one of the handhelds yet, but still want to play some of the games, you're in luck.

- - Kinderfeld