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Who Are You? : Nintendo's Game Boy Advance Platform
The Game Boy Advance platform as computational system and cultural artifact, from its 2001 release through hacks, mods, emulations, homebrew afterlives. In 2002, Nintendo of America launched an international marketing campaign for the Game Boy Advance that revolved around the slogan "Who Are You?"--asking potential buyers which Nintendo character, game, or even device they identified with and attempting to sell a new product by exploiting players' nostalgic connections to earlier ones. Today, nearly two decades after its release, and despite the development of newer and more powerful systems, Nintendo's Game Boy Advance lives on, through a community that continues to hack, modify, emulate, make, break, remake, redesign, trade, use, love, and play with the platform. In this book Alex Custodio traces the network of hardware and software afterlives of the Game Boy Advance platform.
Each chapter considers a component of this network--hardware, software, peripheral, or practice--that illuminates the platform's unique features as a computational system and a cultural artifact. Examining the evolution of the design and architecture of Nintendo's handhelds and home consoles, and the constraints imposed on developers and players, for example, Custodio finds that Nintendo essentially embeds nostalgia into its hardware. She explores Nintendo's expansion of the platform through interoperability; physical and affective engagement with the Game Boy Advance; portability, private space, and social interaction; the platformization of nostalgia; fan-generated content including homebrew, hacking, and hardware modding; and e-waste--the final afterlife of consumer electronics. Although the Game Boy Advance is neither the most powerful nor the most popular of Nintendo's handhelds, Custodio argues, it is the platform that most fundamentally embodies Nintendo's reliance on the aesthetics and materiality of nostalgia.
Each chapter considers a component of this network--hardware, software, peripheral, or practice--that illuminates the platform's unique features as a computational system and a cultural artifact. Examining the evolution of the design and architecture of Nintendo's handhelds and home consoles, and the constraints imposed on developers and players, for example, Custodio finds that Nintendo essentially embeds nostalgia into its hardware. She explores Nintendo's expansion of the platform through interoperability; physical and affective engagement with the Game Boy Advance; portability, private space, and social interaction; the platformization of nostalgia; fan-generated content including homebrew, hacking, and hardware modding; and e-waste--the final afterlife of consumer electronics. Although the Game Boy Advance is neither the most powerful nor the most popular of Nintendo's handhelds, Custodio argues, it is the platform that most fundamentally embodies Nintendo's reliance on the aesthetics and materiality of nostalgia.
- GenresGamingGame DesignGames
270 pages, Hardcover
Published October 13, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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June 1, 2023I’m refraining from rating since I don’t know much about tech nor tech studies, but in my mind this is a 2.5. Too many ideas in here and certainly not enough focus on the GBA. I learned stuff but not nearly enough on the subject I had bought this book for.
August 9, 2024
This is an interesting book that presents as an academic study of the Game Boy Advance, the influences that led to it, the influences it exerted over what would come after, and how it fits into its users relationship to technology, nostalgia and the wider gaming ecosystem beyond its "official" lifecycle. It also presents as a fan's love letter to not only the console but things adjacent to it such as Nintendo itself, its other consoles and Fire Emblem (the author really likes Fire Emblem, and I can't blame them, who doesn't). I ended up skimming at times, but I really enjoyed some of its salient points regarding nostalgia and its interaction with the modding/romhack community. I say all this while having several retro emulation handhelds, all of which emulate the GBA brilliantly, close to hand.
November 3, 2021
Not great as a Platform Series entry, not great as a nostalgia piece.
In terms of the former, the focus is too much on the relationship between vanilla consumers and the GBA, and then only in superficial ways, with more of the discussion concerning Nintendo as a brand than the GBA as a specific platform in contrast with any other, Nintendo or otherwise. When the discussion does turn to technical users, it's purely about modders, and even then the technical aspects of the platform are nearly entirely ignored—discussion of non-hobbyist developers and the way in which the (if you like) affordances of the GBA shaped the games created for it, is almost entirely absent. Really, the approach is Media Studies, not Platform Studies, with all the pseudo-intellectual tediousness that entails.
As far as the nostalgia aspect goes, here the issue is one of narrowness—Custodio discusses a few specific games and franchises (Fire Emblem and Boktai, mainly, the latter specifically for its sunlight sensor, which is also when the book comes closest to being interesting), but omits the broad survey that would give it a more general appeal. Obviously as a piece of semi-academic writing this wasn't meant to be a nostalgia piece, but nostalgia is the reason most people will be reading it.
In the larger line-up of the Platform Studies series, Who Are You? isn't even below-average, but Racing the Beam for the GBA it is not.
In terms of the former, the focus is too much on the relationship between vanilla consumers and the GBA, and then only in superficial ways, with more of the discussion concerning Nintendo as a brand than the GBA as a specific platform in contrast with any other, Nintendo or otherwise. When the discussion does turn to technical users, it's purely about modders, and even then the technical aspects of the platform are nearly entirely ignored—discussion of non-hobbyist developers and the way in which the (if you like) affordances of the GBA shaped the games created for it, is almost entirely absent. Really, the approach is Media Studies, not Platform Studies, with all the pseudo-intellectual tediousness that entails.
As far as the nostalgia aspect goes, here the issue is one of narrowness—Custodio discusses a few specific games and franchises (Fire Emblem and Boktai, mainly, the latter specifically for its sunlight sensor, which is also when the book comes closest to being interesting), but omits the broad survey that would give it a more general appeal. Obviously as a piece of semi-academic writing this wasn't meant to be a nostalgia piece, but nostalgia is the reason most people will be reading it.
In the larger line-up of the Platform Studies series, Who Are You? isn't even below-average, but Racing the Beam for the GBA it is not.
November 2, 2020
An interesting take on the 20 (or so) year old GBA. "Who Are You" continues the high quality seen in the other books in the Platform Studies series, and builds off them. The previous exploration of the SNES is particularly relevant here.
The hardware variations of the system are explored, as are the systems ancestors and descendants, where relevant. This was on point without being terribly technical. I wouldn't have minded a little bit more here, but I suppose I could be the minority there.
I found the discussion of the impact of use on the system's materials interesting, but may need to agree to disagree with the author on particular points.
There's a chapter on the social aspects of the system next, which I found acceptable.
The sections on platformizing the experiences and the ways in which fans are contributing to the continued life of the system are the best chapters, by far.
Overall, I enjoyed "Who Are You, " learned a moderate amount about the system, and appreciate the insight and thought that went into the social and societal study of the GBA.
The hardware variations of the system are explored, as are the systems ancestors and descendants, where relevant. This was on point without being terribly technical. I wouldn't have minded a little bit more here, but I suppose I could be the minority there.
I found the discussion of the impact of use on the system's materials interesting, but may need to agree to disagree with the author on particular points.
There's a chapter on the social aspects of the system next, which I found acceptable.
The sections on platformizing the experiences and the ways in which fans are contributing to the continued life of the system are the best chapters, by far.
Overall, I enjoyed "Who Are You, " learned a moderate amount about the system, and appreciate the insight and thought that went into the social and societal study of the GBA.
November 2, 2021
"Who Are You?" is an apt question for the book itself - Custodio doesn't seem able to decide if he is writing a love letter to the GBA, writing a dissertation on the system, or writing about Nintendo as a whole. What results is too many ingredients and too many foci; this could have easily been two separate books, which would have been better than the one we got. There are some good insights scattered throughout, but they're stuck between rambling, drawn out passages. Custodio clearly appreciates the GBA, but it's difficult to recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about the system or Nintendo in general.
August 30, 2025
Finally finished this! Overall I enjoyed this exploration of the Game Boy Advance that discusses how people engage with the platform in both intended and unintended ways; it gets help, I’m sure, from my familiarity with the GBA as one of my key childhood consoles.
My only knock against the book—and this may sound silly—is how intensely “academic” the writing style is. (Are things reified in this book? Are they deterritorialized? They are!) I know this is, in fact, an academic book published by MIT Press. But that style of writing is still grating to me!
My only knock against the book—and this may sound silly—is how intensely “academic” the writing style is. (Are things reified in this book? Are they deterritorialized? They are!) I know this is, in fact, an academic book published by MIT Press. But that style of writing is still grating to me!
May 18, 2025
A good book with far much detail about the GBA there was almost too much. I actually found it a bit of a slog and its hard to pinpoint why.
I think the difficulty is that the author was clearly a master of his subject and a very smart individual but was too eager to show it on the page. There were levels of detail here that were just too much for me and a use of language that was so intense it began to feel like he was showing off. Like a lawyer using all the Latin words where just the arguments would get the job done better. Sometimes less is more.
The shame is the subject is fascinating from the development of the console to its modding life. The insights into the culture of Nintendo were interesting as well.
It was a slog, I nearly didn't finish it. But if you persevere there is a really interesting book in here, it just feels like its been buried in intellectualism a little bit.
I think the difficulty is that the author was clearly a master of his subject and a very smart individual but was too eager to show it on the page. There were levels of detail here that were just too much for me and a use of language that was so intense it began to feel like he was showing off. Like a lawyer using all the Latin words where just the arguments would get the job done better. Sometimes less is more.
The shame is the subject is fascinating from the development of the console to its modding life. The insights into the culture of Nintendo were interesting as well.
It was a slog, I nearly didn't finish it. But if you persevere there is a really interesting book in here, it just feels like its been buried in intellectualism a little bit.
September 13, 2022
4.5/5. While sometimes indulging in the over explanation of the simple, Custodio most often presents a depth of analysis missing from most video game discourse. Well recommended to anybody interested in Nintendo, in copyright, or in the cultural history of media.
I appreciated that Custodio’s coverage extended beyond the physical hardware of the GBA and acknowledged that the experience of GBA play is distributed and extended throughout time by emulation (and more), through both official channels and passionate fans. This aspect was so good that I can’t help but guess that Custodio has the ability to write a whole book on this subject more generally. In some weird way, this book’s focus on the GBA holds Custodio back!
I loved how they subtly debunk the masculinity of the GBA (an association often communicated directly by Nintendo): from interviews with women as players, to obliquely noting that the developer of mGBA (the most robust GBA emulator) is a woman as well. Lastly and most frivolously, I can feel and appreciate Custodio’s clear Fire Emblem fanaticism. It was a joy to see FE7 screenshots as figures in an academic work. Alex, if you're ever in Ottawa, I'll buy you a beer. Excellent work.
I appreciated that Custodio’s coverage extended beyond the physical hardware of the GBA and acknowledged that the experience of GBA play is distributed and extended throughout time by emulation (and more), through both official channels and passionate fans. This aspect was so good that I can’t help but guess that Custodio has the ability to write a whole book on this subject more generally. In some weird way, this book’s focus on the GBA holds Custodio back!
I loved how they subtly debunk the masculinity of the GBA (an association often communicated directly by Nintendo): from interviews with women as players, to obliquely noting that the developer of mGBA (the most robust GBA emulator) is a woman as well. Lastly and most frivolously, I can feel and appreciate Custodio’s clear Fire Emblem fanaticism. It was a joy to see FE7 screenshots as figures in an academic work. Alex, if you're ever in Ottawa, I'll buy you a beer. Excellent work.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews