my mum recently dug out all our old GBAs (two that used to belong to me and my sister, and also the GBA SP i got later) and the cartridges and gave them to me, mostly thinking I could find a way to sell them. I've been going through em and unfortunately most of the cartridges don't seem to run, no idea if it's because they're broken or because the gameboys are.
the main thing i'm struck by is, like, remember how games used to have wildly different versions on different consoles? like the GBA version of lego star wars was more of an isometric action game as opposed to the more puzzle platformer style console versions, or how the star wars episode 3 game was a side scroller on GBA and a 3D action game on consoles.
(fuckin loved that game as a kid lol)
i think the weirdest one for me when i was a kid was LOTR the Third Age. i remember renting the ps2 version as a kid and being caught off guard at how it was basically a final fantasy game set in middle earth.
the main reason i was confused was because i played the GBA version first and that was basically fire emblem.
like even the animations for when characters attack each other look like fire emblem animations lol
i guess there isn't much reason to do things like this anymore since handhelds aren't really a thing and most consoles are close enough in power to run the same game. still, it's neat and i kinda miss it.