The GBA, not bc it has fancy features like the Wii, but bc the mods deliver an experience I couldn’t otherwise have.
Sure, running ripped games on a PS1 or full-on Slippi on a Wii is nice, but I wasn’t locked out of those experiences. I could use a PC or even my phone these days to get a similar experience.
However, GBA hardware mods are all about making the GBA the best it can be, not just doing something in yet another place like the Wii mods.
For instance, in the form factor of the GBA (i.e. the landscape form that is far superior to the SP), you can:
- Install a beautifully bright LCD (these days a display better than what came on the SP)
- Switch over to a rechargeable battery via USB-C
- Replace the awful mushy membrane buttons (which have, unfortunately, taken over the gaming industry) with tactile clicky push buttons
- Run any game you want off with a flash cart (if you’re rich enough for one).
With those mods and the extensive and wonderful GameBoy/GameBoy Color + GBA library, you get a truly elite handheld experience.
Sure I can play GBA games on my phone, but I can’t play them with a device that feels so good to hold like this. A dedicated distraction free gaming experience on the go as well. It’s personalized and practical and beautiful.
So yeah, loading backups from SD on a Wii is cool, but to me, nothing beats perfecting an already great device through hardware mods!






I like Ardour. It’s got everything you need. It’s what I’ve been using for the past couple years now. It even supports VST2/VST3 plugins through WINE
I also recommend using yabridge to set up Windows plugins to work on Linux, but be warned there is risk of compatibility issues with plugins on Linux when buying new ones!
EDIT - Resources:
Wait a little while and low key Audacity 4 might release a fully capable DAW as well now that it’s adding better clip support, plugin support, non-destructive editing for some effects like compression, reverb, etc. Of course, it will be mainly for if you do a lot of recording. For electronic, Ardour would probably be better even after Audacity 4 releases.