I come to you this evening with a plea - yes, yes, I know we all love the Nintendo DS, but don't you think it's time to appreciate the Game Boy Advance hardware and software just a little more, even going into 2007?

Why do I say that? Well, this is partly sparked by the recent NPD results for November, which explained that Nintendo "sold a spectacular 918,000 units of DS" in the U.S., but "...the Game Boy also showed well, with 641,000 units". 641,000? That's more than any of the next-gen consoles or even the PSP sold in November - yet what's the current visibility of Game Boy-specific game software? Practically nil.

In addition, I recently picked up a Game Boy Micro to use on my longish train commute to and from work, and, while I don't think it has taken off like Nintendo intended, can be had for less than $50 on eBay. It's so light and easy to sling around that you can slip it in your pocket without a care. I also found that EB Games really has some good deals on some pre-owned Game Boy Advance games from the last couple of years that are well worth poking at.

And most importantly, when you play GBA titles on the Game Boy Micro's small but well-lit screen, it feels like they're made and perfectly formed for it - as opposed to the DS, where there's a whole separate screen which is unused. I'm aware that the DS Lite has a pretty well-formed hardware approach, but single-screen GBA games should be played on single-screen hardware - and that's my militant attitude!

So, what pre-owned stuff did I pick up that I think everyone should take a look at? It'd be there:

- Sigma Star Saga (WayForward/Namco): Definitely a flawed title overall, but a really interesting blend of RPG, shooter, and awesome art from the folks behind Shantae, with some of the nicest parallax graphics ever implemented on GBA. Shame Namco didn't do Shantae Advance too, though!

- Rebelstar Tactical Command (Codo/Namco): Another interesting original IP Namco title from 2005, this time from the Gollops of X-Com fame - a hardcore Western-designed turn-based strategy RPG. It's a little _more_ hardcore than some might like (Brandon notes that turning to be able to see enemies is super-picky!), but it's one of the deepest GBA titles ever.

- Mario Golf: Advance Tour (Nintendo): Actually a little bit older, from late 2004, but I found a copy cheap when I was back in the UK in September. Golf games already have a good deal on handhelds, what with the completely awesome Hot Shots Golf for the PSP, but this version of Mario Golf has some awesome RPG progression and extremely good basic golf playability.

- Rhythm Tengoku (J.P.Room/Nintendo): OK, not actually pre-owned, and this is a Japanese-only import, of course, but as the 4CR review explains: "From the Made in Wario team and J.P.Room (providing the music), Rhythm Tengoku offers a variety of mini-games similar to what is found in the WarioWare series, but adding some more challenge by asking you to have a good sense of rhythm." And it feels very Game Boy Micro-friendly, too. Awesome.

Anyone got opinions on other overlooked GBA gems from the past year or two? I've heard that Drill Dozer is just one of those, but haven't had a chance to check it out yet. Other hidden delight suggestions welcome - and viva la GBA!