I thought I'd start a thread to consolidate information about Game Boy Advance deals similar to the one we have for Dreamcast.

Please post any current deals you guys have found so we can have a good idea where to buy our GBA stuff.

Here is what we have so far.

EB
Trade in 4 old Game Boy/Game Boy color games get a GBA game

Best Buy
Buy 2 games get $10 off
Buy 3 Games get $20 off (see Soybean's post for best deal)
Buy 2 Accessories get $5 off
Buy 3 get $15 off


K-Mart
Mario Advance - 24.99
F-Zero - 24.99
Tony Hawk 2 - 34.99
Fire Pro Wrestling - 34.99
GT Advance - 34.99
Ready to Rumble - 34.99
Namco Classic Arcade - 26.99
Worm Light - 6.99
Carrying case - 6.99
Game Link Cable - 7.99

Target
Game Boy Advance w/free head phones - 89.99
Mario Advance w/free game wallet - 25.88
F-Zero - 25.88 w/free game wallet - 25.88
Chu Chu Rocket - 33.88
Iridion 3D - 34.88
Rayman 2 - 34.88
Earthworm Jim - 34.88
AC Adapter - 16.99
Game Link Cable - 7.99

Wal-Mart
Game Boy Advance - 89.96

I'll update as I learn more.
Please post if you know of other or better deals than the
ones above. Thanks

Hopes this saves you guys some money.

[Edited by cortan on 06-10-01 at 02:02 PM]

Best Buy:

Buy 2 games get $10 off
Buy 3 Games get $20 off
Buy 2 Accessories get $5 off
Buy 3 get $15 off

Actually the Best Buy deal is pretty good if you arrange it right. If you get two first party games (Mario and F-Zero) they'll each be $25. If you get two first party games and a third party title, it'll be $25 for Mario, $25 for F-Zero, and $30 for the third party game. Not bad, eh?

You are correct sir!
Thanks for setting me straight, that does work out to be cheaper overall.

I updated my list accordingly.

Thanks again.

Did the trade 4 get 1 free deal today at EB. Picked up Castlevania, GT Advance, and Fire Pro Wrestling (Tony Hawk 2 was sold out). Now I just need to pick up my GBA on Wed at Target and I will be ready to roll.

About that EB deal: Are there any restrictions? Or can I just go to Funcoland, buy 4 cheap and very crappy GB (not GBC) games, and get a GBA game? I only ask because often when they have trade-in deals some games are not allowed. Oh, one more question: Do you need the box and manual?

[Edited by Soybean on 06-10-01 at 07:01 PM]

Anyone know if the EB's in Canada are doing this trade in for a new GBA game? I just found 2 really old and crappy GB games in a closet and will pick up 2 more at a pawn shop for cheap so I can get another GBA game.

The only restriction they mentioned was every title needs to be different. You can't trade in multiples of the same game. No instructions or boxes are required. I had problems at the first EB I went to. The manager at first said they were selling GBA games, but when I told him I wanted to do the trade in deal he decided they were not selling games until Monday. Not wanting to argue I left and I went to a second EB and traded in my 12 games for 3 GBA games with no problem at all. They did not question any of the games I traded and one of them was the original Tetris. All of the stuff I traded was very old and they didn't question a single title.

Thanks for the info. So you traded in 12 games all at once, huh? That's excellent. I'll try that tomorrow. Thanks.

I hate to ask a stupid question, but will ANY retailers be selling the Gameboy Advance hardware on the announced June 11 release date, or have they all bumped up to June 13? Thanks,

LF

>Or can I just go to Funcoland, buy 4 cheap and very crappy GB (not GBC) games, and get a GBA game? I<

I thought the same thing, but then I went to Funco and they didn't have any very cheap GB or GBC games.. First, they have them all on a rack behind a glass counter so they are not easy to get, and second, even the crappy old games were at least $6.99 or so. That's $24 and it's not worth it for the maybe $5-$10 you would save with all the hastle.

Craig

Can you price match at Best Buy AND get the $20 off 3 games? For example, Mario and F-Zero are $25 and Namco Museum is $27 at K-Mart. Price match at Best Buy plus the $20 off when you buy 3 gets you those 3 games for $57.

If Best Buy won't price match (price would be $70 for the 3 then), you could try at Toys R Us. Price match plus they should have a $10 off $75 coupon in store, which would make it $67.

FYI, TRU is NOT price matching on the system. I don't know what sort of coupons are in the coupon book you get when you buy a GBA there. Anybody know?

Louis: Nintendo usually quotes ship date. So likely the earliest stores will have it is tomorrow the 12th. Everyone lists the 13th because that's reasonable for it to actually arrive in the stores after ship date. Better to say two days after ship than the next day and not have it.

On another note, I wrote up and posted this list on another forum. It's further complete, so I hope it helps people out.

Last Updated - 6/10/01 2:40 pm PST

Babbages/Soft

No Deals

Availability:

Unknown

Best Buy

Game Boy Advance System - $89.99
Buy 2 games, save $10
Buy 3 games, save $20

Availability:

No games or systems available yet.

Circuit City

Game Boy Advance System - $89.99

Availability:

Unknown


Comp USA

Game Boy Advance System w/
Mario Advance & Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 - $169.97

Availability:

Unknown

Electronics Boutique

Trade in 4 GB games, no manual or instructions, get 1
GBA game.

Availability:

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

Fry's Electronics

Purchase a GBA, get a free pack and two Game Boy Color games
AC and Car Power Adaptor Free after Rebate
Super Dodgeball - $29.95
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 - $29.95
Fire Pro Wrestling - $34.99
Chu Chu Rocket - $34.99
Pinobee - $34.99
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - $34.99

Availability:

Fire Pro Wrestling
Chu Chu Rocket
Pinobee
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure
Advance GT

K-Mart
Game Boy Advance System - $89.99
Game Case (E3 one) - $6.99
Wormlight - $6.99
Official Link Cable - $7.99 ($14.99 at Circuit City)
Official AC Adaptor - $17.99

Super Mario Advance - $24.99
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity - $24.99
Iridion 3D - $34.99
Rayman Advance - $34.99
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 - $34.99
Ready to Rumble Boxing 2 - $34.99
Fire Pro Wrestling - $34.99
Advance GT - $34.99
Namco Museum - $26.99

Availability:

Unknown

Kay Bee Toys

Deals - Unknown

Availability:

Unknown

Media Play

No Deals

Availability:

Unknown

Target

Game Boy Advance System - $89.99
Free GBA headphones with purchase

Super Mario Advance - $25.88
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity - $25.88
Free Gamewallet with purchase of Mario or F-Zero

Chu Chu Rocket - $33.88
Iridion 3D - $34.88
Earthworm Jim - $34.88
Rayman Advance - $34.88
Ready to Rumble Boxing 2 - $34.88

Availability:

Earthworm Jim
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
Iridion 3D
Ready to Rumble Boxing 2
Rayman Advance
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure
Advance GT
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

Toys R Us

Purchase a Game Boy Advance System by 6/16,
get a free shoulder case ($20 value) and a coupon
book with $100 in savings.

Availability:

Unknown

Wal-Mart

No Deals

Availability:

Unknown

What kills me about this whole shipping date is, Nintendo announces shipping dates as availability dates, and then proceeds to continue to promote the date as the in store date. I just got an official email from Nintendo saying today is the day (June 11) the GBA is on store shelves!!

I'm glad I imported and don't have to deal with this.

I just got word of a new deal...

Software Etc., at least near me (NY area) will give you a free Game Boy Advance game if you trade in your Game Boy Color. Personally, I think this is HIDEOUS and barely a deal. I'd much rather use EB's deal, but for the sake of completeness, you might want to include this.

-LF

I had reserved a GBA at KB and they just called to say it was in. They also tried to have me reserve games and accessories. They mentioned Super Mario, Castlevania, and Iridion.

Also, Meijer (a supermarket chain in MI, OH) is selling the GBA for 89.96. No real deals on games there though.

Perhaps the deals list could be combined into one post to make this thread shorter.

[Edited by harperr on 06-11-01 at 08:16 AM]

I called my Wal-Mart, they won't have them until the 13th. I'll check in at some other stores, KB, Sears, K-mart to see if they have them. EB and Gamestop probably have them in, but more than likely only got enough to fill pre-orders.

I picked up Rayman, Earthworm Jim, and Namco Museum
at Best Buy this afternoon.

They wouldn't pricematch AND give the $20 off, and
as the $20 off was the better deal that's what I did.

Prices were then:

Rayman Advance $33.32
Earthworm Jim $33.32
Namco Museum $23.32

Best Buy did not yet have Super Mario or F-Zero.

Saw them today when they came in at my work.

Four cases total--two cases of Glacier units (48 total), one case each of Indigo and Arctic (24 units per case).

Saw Super Mario Advance and F-Zero as well.

The only launch game I haven't seen yet is Super Dodge Ball Advance.

The Game Boy Advances went on sale at Electronics Boutique this morning. But only pre-orders were fulfilled except for a few extra units that were sold while I was there.

I picked up my GBA with Tony Hawk, Castlevania, and Chu Chu Rocket. I believe these to be the best launch games available. Others close to same level are possibly Krazy Racers and F-Zero.

I didn't get Iridion 3D due to its utter lack of any game play or variety.
And GT Advance got left out cause the cheap whores at THQ took out the save battery and replaced it with a horrible password save. Totally unacceptable so I'm importing and I suggest all of you do the same. That'll teach THQ. Jerks.

Happy hunting those Game Boys guys.

Is there any place I can go and trade-in for a GBA system??

I noticed the password crap with GT Advance. I am returning it for something else. No way I'm writing down a stupid password everytime I stop playing. I haven't done that in a game since 1994.

darkside: Get the Japanese version. It's in English and it has the battery save. For some reason they removed it in the US version. Otherwise I hear it's a pretty good racing game. I think you can pick up an import for $44.

To update my above post, Sears didn't have any, but KB Toys did. I didn't check EB or Gamestop as I was already set. The only game I picked up was Mario, going to dig through my old GB games and find some to trade in for Castlevania and maybe Rayman or F-Zero tomorrow.

Found a killer deal for GBA games. If you pick up the newest issue of Nintendo Power (Yellow, with the GBA on the cover) there is a Best Buy coupon for $5 any GBA game (limit of 3). If you use this coupon along with Best Buys Buy 3 save $20 you will save $35 off 3 GBA games. Sweet!!