_____ __ _ _ _____ _____ _____ __ __

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| |__ / /\ \ | \/ || |__ | |_| /| | | \ /
| _ | / __ \ | || |___ | |_| \| | | / /
|_____|/__/ \__\|__||__||_____| |_____/|_____|/__/
__ _____ __ __ __ __ __ _____ _____
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/ __ \ | | / \ \/ // __ \ | \ || |__ | |___
/__/ \__\|_____/ \____//__/ \__\|__|\__||_____||_____|

Link Cable FAQ

By LordAtomic
http://www.sonicquest.cjb.net

#############################################################################
INDEX
#############################################################################

(Use CTRL + F to quickly and easily find any portion of this FAQ)

1. Introduction
2. What is the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable?
3. Should I buy a Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable?
4. Purchasing the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable
5. How to link systems
6. Single-pak and multi-pak gaming
7. General Questions
8. Thank You's
9. Final Notes

#############################################################################
1. INTRODUCTION
#############################################################################

Hello, and welcome to my Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable FAQ.

The purpose of this FAQ is to educate Game Boy Advance fans everywhere about
Nintendo's Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable. Whether you are just now
learning of this nifty little peripheral or have used it several times in the
past, I hope that this FAQ will have something to offer for you. Please use
the index (located above) to direct yourself to any individual portion of the
FAQ.

This FAQ covers Nintendo's OFFICIAL Game Link Cable. I will not be
mentioning any unofficial 3rd party Game Boy Advance link cables (such as
cables produced by Nuby and Interact). However, it really doesn't matter
since I've yet to find any differences between any of the cables (meaning
that the information read in this FAQ probably applies to any cable you can
buy). Still, Nintendo's Game Link Cable is definitely the best one, as it's
the only officially licensed cable on the market.

Lastly, I'd like to say that the only website that is allowed to have this
FAQ in its database is www.gamefaqs.com. If you find this FAQ anywhere else,
please email me at LordBomb23@cs.com and let me know.

#############################################################################
2. WHAT IS THE GAME BOY ADVANCE GAME LINK CABLE?
#############################################################################
The Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable is a Game Boy Advance peripheral that is
sold by Nintendo. The sole purpose of this accessory is to be able to link
Game Boy Advance units together for multiplayer gaming for 2-4 players.

The cable itself is essentially a long gray cord. There are two plugs at
both ends of the cord - one is purple, one is gray. These plugs are the
actual things that plug into the Game Boy Advance units (see the "How to Link
Systems" section for more details). There is a purple, box-shaped port right
in the middle of the cable that other link cables can plug into for
multiplayer gaming with more than two players.

I will cover how to operate all of these items in the "How to Link Systems"
section.

#############################################################################
3. SHOULD I BUY THE GAME BOY ADVANCE GAME LINK CABLE?
#############################################################################

While multiplayer gaming with the Game Boy Advance is almost always fun, not
everybody should buy this product.

If you don't have any friends that own Game Boy Advance units, it would be a
waste to buy the Game Link Cable. The entire point of multiplayer gaming is
to have someone to play with - if you're all by yourself, this cable will be
of no use to you.

If you have several friends or family members that own Game Boy Advance
units, go ahead and buy a cable. In fact, try to convince your friends to
buy them as well, so that four-player linking is possible (see the "How to
link systems" section for information on how to link more than two systems).

Best of all, if Game Boys are popular at your school, playing multiplayer
Game Boy Advance games at school is great fun, so you should definitely buy
this product if your school allows Game Boys to be used. Just don't play
during class. Y'know, cuz that could be bad.

#############################################################################
4. PURCHASING THE GAME BOY ADVANCE GAME LINK CABLE
#############################################################################

I personally bought my Game Boy Advance link cable at Target for $10.
However, almost every well-known store that is known for selling video games
and video game accessories will definitely carry this product. I recommend
looking for this product at:

- Target
- Best Buy
- Toys 'R Us
- Wal-Mart
- Electronics Botique
- Software, Etc.
- Funcoland

Shop around and try to find a good deal! Usually, it is unwise to pay more
than $15 for it.

You can also buy the Game Link Cable online, if you're more into that. Some
recommended places to buy the link cable online are:
- Amazon.com
- Buy.com
- Half.com

#############################################################################
5. HOW TO LINK SYSTEMS
#############################################################################

The plugs on each end of the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable plug into the
small port on the top of the Game Boy Advance unit. The port is marked
"EXT.", and is right between the L and R buttons of the unit.

To play with a two-person link game, a single Game Boy Advance Link Cable is
required. For a three-person link game, two Game Boy Advance Link Cables are
required. Lastly, for four-person link games, three Game Boy Advance Link
Cables are required.

So, how do you connect link cables together for three/four-player games?
It's all about the purple port box in the middle of the cable. For three-
player games, plug the purple connector of your 2nd link cable into the
purple port box of your 1st link cable. There should now be three available
ports left dangling; all three of these plugs plug into a seperate Game Noy
Advance unit. For four-player games, plug the purple connector of your 3rd
link cable into the purple port box of your 2nd link cable. The purple
connector of your 2nd link cable should still plug into the purple port box
of your first link cable. (Confused yet?) There should now be four
available ports left dangling; all four of these plugs plug into a seperate
Game Noy Advance unit.

#############################################################################
6. SINGLE-PAK AND MULTI-PAK GAMING
#############################################################################

However, there is much more to linking Game Boy Advance units than just
plugging a single cable into two machines. With previous Game Boy units,
multiplayer gaming was only possible with two players, and both players had
to own the same cartridge. Not anymore! Now, many Game Boy Advance games
offer "single-pak linking", which means that only one person needs a copy of
the cartridge to play the same game with multiple people. However, single-
pak multiplayer usually has some limitations to it, such as missing levels or
characters. To get the FULL multiplayer experience with a selected game, all
players must own the same game cartridge.

To play a single-pak game, first connect all Game Boy Advance units
(explained in the section above). The one player with the game cartridge in
his/her cartridge port must have a purple plug going into his Game Boy
Advance unit; all of the other players must have gray connectors going in
theirs, and no cartridge in their cartridge ports.

To start, all players should turn their Game Boy Advance units on. The
players with no cartridges in their Game Boy Advance units will be taken to
the boot-up screen (with nothing but the word "Game Boy" on it), while the
player WITH a game cartridge in his/her Game Boy Advance unit will we taken
straight to that game's title screen. From there, he/she should go to the
"multiplayer" option menu, and choose "single-pak". All of the other players
(who should still be at a blank "Game Boy" screen at this point) will
immediately "download" the game from the player with the game cartridge, and
the game will then begin.
To play a multi-pak game, all players should have a copy of the same game.
To start, all players should turn their Game Boy Advance units on. All
players will be taken to the title screen, where they should all go to their
"multiplayer" option menu and choose "single-pak". The game will then
immediately begin.

#############################################################################
7. GENERAL QUESTIONS
#############################################################################

Q. Can I play Game Boy/Game Boy Color games on a Game Boy Advance?
A. Yes. They work perfectly with no compatibility problems.

Q. Can I play Game Boy Advance games on a Game Boy/Game Boy Color?
A. No. The GBA cartridges will not fit in the cartridge slots of the Game
Boy/Game Boy Color.

Q. Can you link Game Boy/Game Boy Color games on Game Boy Advance units?
A. Yes, but you will need a different link cable than the Game Boy Advance
link cable. Read the following question for more details.

Q. Can I use the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable to link Game Boy Advance
units playing a Game Boy/Game Boy Color game?
A. No. To link Game Boy/Game Boy Color games on a Game Boy Advance, you
will need the "Universal Game Link Cable", which I believe is no longer sold
in stores.

Q. Can I use the aforementioned Universal Game Link Cable to link Game Boy
Advance games?
A. No. You need the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable to link Game Boy
Advance games.

Q. Will the Universal Game Link Cable work on the Game Boy Advance?
A. It depends. As I stated in the question above, it cannot link Game Boy
Advance games, but you can use it to link Game Boy/Game Boy Color games on
Game Boy Advance units.

Q. Do all Game Boy Advance games have a multiplayer mode?

A. No.

Q. If a game has a multiplayer mode, does it ALWAYS have single and multi-
pak capabilities?
A. No. It can have either single-pak only, multi-pak only, or both.

Q. Can I link together more than four GBAs to play multiplayer games?
A. Nope. No game has a multiplayer mode that allows more than four players.
Buying 43 link cables will NOT let you link 44 Game Boy Advance units.

Q. What's the deal with linking Super Mario Advance with Super Mario Advance
2? I thought that they were different games!
A. Both Super Mario Advance and Super Mario Advance 2 have the "Mario Bros."
minigame, which has both a single and multi-player mode. Since the Mario
Bros. minigame is the same in both Mario Advance 1 and 2, you can link any
two Super Mario Advance games together, whether they are the same Super Mario
Advance game or not.

Q. What's the "Blow Up All Cars" code for the PS2 game "Grand Theft Auto 3"?
A. Well, that's kinda irrelevant...but anyway, it's L2, R2, L1, R1, L2, R2,
Triangle, Square, Circle, Triangle, L2, R2.

Q. Will the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable work work the Atari Lynx?
A. ...o_O;; Of course not...

Q. Well, will it work with the Sega Game Gear?

A. Uhm...no...

Q. How about the-

A. Are you going to ask any intelligent questions, or can I just finish this
section?
Q. Hey, I'm asking the questions here.
A. Oh, sorry.

#############################################################################
8. THANK YOU'S
#############################################################################

Thanks go to...

- Jeff "CJayC" Veasey, for allowing this FAQ to be posted on the website that
single-handedly brings meaning to my boring summer afternoons.
- CVXFREAK, for inspiring me to create this FAQ, and for teaching me how to
create an ASCII "B".
- Nintendo, for creating the products descriped in this FAQ.
- The Game Boy Advance, for being cool.
- You, for reading this. Truly, a winner is you.

#############################################################################
9. FINAL NOTES
#############################################################################

- Please email me at LordBomb23@cs.com to tell me if this FAQ was helpful for

you, or if there are any revisions that should be made (such as organization
issues, false information, etc.) Remember that this is the first FAQ that
I've ever written, and I welcome CONSTRUCTIVE criticism!
- Please check out my Sonic the Hedgehog webcomic at
http://www.sonicquest.cjb.net.
- Thank you for not smoking.

- LordAtomic

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Link Cable FAQ (GBA) by LordAtomic

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*Updated:* 07/30/2002
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