Game Boy gets new cartoon programs

DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Nintendo is emphasizing its upcoming high-tech DS handheld, but the old Game Boy Advance still has some tricks up its sleeve.
Game publisher Majesco recently started releasing the first of several cartoon programs on GBA cartridges (www.gba-video.com).
It's a cool idea, and I got to view three episodes of "The Fairly OddParents" on a GBA cartridge.
The cartridges look and feel like regular GBA cartridges, and you don't need any extra hardware or software. Just plug and play.
The controls are standard DVD-style, with pause, advance, rewind and so forth, and each cartridge can hold about 45 minutes of full-color video.
And the price is right: $19 per cartridge.
Unfortunately, these cartridges expose the GBA's screen as the low-resolution display that it is.
The picture is a little pixilated and chunky, although if you set your GBA a couple feet away from your face, the jagged edges are less noticeable.
You can use these cartridges in either a GBA or a backlit GBA SP, but the SP is the best way to view these 'toons unless you're sitting directly under a bright light.
The biggest drawback to the Majesco video cartridges is the lack of titles for older fans.
"Strawberry Shortcake," "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Dora the Explorer" are nice for kids, but it would be great to see cartoons like "The Simpsons" or "Futurama."
Majesco's technology also supports full-motion video. But shows with more visual detail may be too taxing for the GBA screen.
Things will get more interesting when the DS, with its higher-quality screens and ability to play GBA cartridges, is released.
Because this is a product officially licensed by Nintendo, maybe this technology will get the marketing support it needs.