The GBA is basically the love child of SNES and the Sega 32X hardware?

[ThePixelatedGenocide]

It does look like GBA ARM 7 CPU where way easier to develop for then the 32X SH2 CPUs. Not helped that it need to co-work with the outdated Mega Drive/Genesis 68000 did no favorites either. Also the GBA ARM 7 is more powerful then the 3DO ARM 6 even though 3DO had better GPU and CD storage advantages, but was held back by the ARM 6 CPU. Also according to someone on Neogaf they say ARM is the modern equivalent of the Motorola 68000 which they are kind of right on.

Aye. And that's not the only similarities to the Genesis hardware. The GBA's sprite sizes are far more flexible than the SNES - you're no longer limited to just two sizes per screen, and you have more size options to begin with. It's why most SNES games have a look that's very controlled compared to some of the wilder scenes on the Megadrive, and why something like a Gunstar Heroes sequel was finally possible on a Nintendo platform.

Along with the many Sega arcade tributes in that game, each of them showing off how far we'd come since even the Sega CD's primitive scaling.

But now,that I know you're looking for more in-depth conversation, here's my question for you, in return: Would the graphics technology of the 3DO have worked better than the usual three sided polygons + textures that the PS2 was working with? Because the PS2 brought the speed and horsepower that idea called for, yet struggled with texture complexity compared to the other systems available at the time. Exceptions like FFXII sacrificed raw polygon count to do it, no matter what the modern remaster would have you believe.

Or did the porcelain textures help the PS2 age gracefully, compared to the competition's obsession with unobtainable realism? I've heard many different opinions.

Also, if not the PS2, was there ever a time when the 3DO's approach to graphics technology was the best option available? Or was it always destined to be an evolutionary dead end?

Finally, are you familiar with Gekido on the GBA? It's not a very good game, due to painful repetition, but as a demonstration of the GBA's 32-bit sprite capabilities, without any consideration of the available cart size? It really gives you a rough idea of what might have been, had the same technology used a CD drive instead.

[Sonicx9]

Aye. And that's not the only similarities to the Genesis hardware. The GBA's sprite sizes are far more flexible than the SNES - you're no longer limited to just two sizes per screen, and you have more size options to begin with. It's why most SNES games have a look that's very controlled compared to some of the wilder scenes on the Megadrive, and why something like a Gunstar Heroes sequel was finally possible on a Nintendo platform.

Along with the many Sega arcade tributes in that game, each of them showing off how far we'd come since even the Sega CD's primitive scaling.

But now,that I know you're looking for more in-depth conversation, here's my question for you, in return: Would the graphics technology of the 3DO have worked better than the usual three sided polygons + textures that the PS2 was working with? Because the PS2 brought the speed and horsepower that idea called for, yet struggled with texture complexity compared to the other systems available at the time. Exceptions like FFXII sacrificed raw polygon count to do it, no matter what the modern remaster would have you believe.

Or did the porcelain textures help the PS2 age gracefully, compared to the competition's obsession with unobtainable realism? I've heard many different opinions.

Also, if not the PS2, was there ever a time when the 3DO's approach to graphics technology was the best option available? Or was it always destined to be an evolutionary dead end?

Finally, are you familiar with Gekido on the GBA? It's not a very good game, due to painful repetition, but as a demonstration of the GBA's 32-bit sprite capabilities, without any consideration of the available cart size? It really gives you a rough idea of what might have been, had the same technology used a CD drive instead.

GBA was nuts with it unique hardware that long dead. And mind you I was not crazy about PS2 graphics compared to the Dreamcast and GameCube. But even then the unique hardware is what separated them apart. But now with X86 it lead to lazy devs looking at you Battlefield 4.

[Sonicx9]

I'm no expert on the subject. If you want to know the Jag's technical details I might suggest browsing AtariAge's Jaguar forum. Cavet: read up on the console's technical issues before asking questions. If you ask the wrong question you will start an argument, or get cut down.

Thanks for the info, but yeah comunities are toxic.

[Hardcore Sadism]

I've seen someone compare it to a PS1 and I just think that's the nostalgia buttering it up.

The GBA is the most accidental and poetically applied "what-if" scenario: What if the 32X even had a chance at being successful, and produced a handheld successor in the start of the early 2000's? Would Nintendo have had competition in the handheld space, had Sega experienced prolonged success with both the Genesis and Saturn?

Probably, but not in a way that'd matter considering Sega's attempt with the Game Gear.

I loved the VMU way, way too much but that doesn't count as their swan song of handheld consoles.

[Sonicx9]

I've seen someone compare it to a PS1 and I just think that's the nostalgia buttering it up.

The GBA is the most accidental and poetically applied "what-if" scenario: What if the 32X even had a chance at being successful, and produced a handheld successor in the start of the early 2000's? Would Nintendo have had competition in the handheld space, had Sega experienced prolonged success with both the Genesis and Saturn?

Probably, but not in a way that'd matter considering Sega's attempt with the Game Gear.

I loved the VMU way, way too much but that doesn't count as their swan song of handheld consoles.

That would have been cool if Sega did make a portable with Sega 32X equivalent specs to compete with GBA as Nintendo was dominate in the handheld space during the 5th and 6th gen, it was not until the 7th gen PSP onward that competition came.