exodus This brings up something I’m super micro-managey about! I’m very picky about which revision of GBA hardware (or which GBI color matrix) I feel like using on a day-by-day, game-by-game basis. Jumping out of a plane? Bring the micro, for sure. Going to the park or beach? Just an AGB-001, maybe bring the worm light just in case.
This is one reason why I always prefer to organize my games by release year, too. Specifically, for my GBA games, I have them organized by year, and if a new hardware was released that year, I have that in parenthesis as well!

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m only going to stick to the hardware of the period, it’s just there for reference!
But more often than anything else, I use my CRT setup. Especially since I have a portable solar setup, only time I use a portable is when I am waiting in line somewhere, taking a break out in nature, or solar battery is too low.
The back of the MOTHER 3 box had an image of every different device you could use to play it on, I thought that was very interesting! Who played through Mother 3 entirely on an unlit AGB-001, I wonder? Did anyone?
I’ve said before I love the feeling of the unlit, reflective LCD on a sunny day. I need to do a full write-up in defense of these screens everyone is throwing away. I certainly played a lot of weird stuff on the AGB-001 when that was all I had, so now I still like to use it for stuff that feels at home on it. I really like that the GBI includes tons of color matrixes that no one asked for, like Gameboy Color or PSP colors. The washed-out colors really feel nice, imho.
It’s ridiculous how I micro manage my experience by choosing from my swath of every GBA revision though….. But hey, it’s a mood!
Another crazy thing that makes me feel guilty: Playing certain games on specific color variants.
Hamtaro? Gotta be on a yellow GBC.
Gotta match the GBC color to your version of pokemon/ your outfit for the day.
Playing NES ports, gotta be on an NES SP.
Just examples, lol. Same disease effects my controller choice.
Maybe I should just stay playing games in isolation and not post about my meticulous hardware choices.