As a Game Boy Advance enthusiast, I decided to create a website showcasing the best GBA games of all time. I wanted a simple, responsive, and aesthetically pleasing design, and for that, I chose Next.js for the frontend framework and Tailwind CSS for styling.
In this article, I'll walk you through how I built this website and why I chose these technologies. I'll also share some insights into the development process.
Why Next.js?
Next.js is a React-based framework that offers several benefits, including:
Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Next.js is perfect for SEO because it supports server-side rendering, meaning pages are pre-rendered on the server before they reach the browser. This boosts SEO performance and user experience.
Static Site Generation (SSG): With Next.js, you can statically generate pages at build time. This is an excellent choice for static content like a list of GBA games.
Routing: Next.js handles routing out-of-the-box, making it easy to set up dynamic routes for individual games and pages.
Optimized Performance: Next.js provides automatic code splitting, ensuring fast load times by loading only the required JavaScript for each page.
Why Tailwind CSS?
Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that allows you to create designs without writing custom CSS. Some reasons I chose Tailwind include:
Flexibility: Tailwind gives you full control over your design. You can easily customize the appearance of elements using utility classes.
Rapid Development: With Tailwind, you can create complex layouts quickly without having to deal with complex CSS. Its extensive documentation and community make it easy to pick up.
Mobile-First: Tailwind is built with mobile-first design in mind, which is perfect for responsive layouts. I made sure the site looks great on all devices, especially since a lot of users may access the site on their phones.
The Site Layout
The site consists of a few key sections:
Homepage: This page features the top-rated GBA games with large, vibrant images and game titles. I used Next.js' Image Component to optimize the loading of images.
Best GBA Games List: The main page where all the games are listed. I included filters so users can search by genre and popularity. This was implemented using simple query parameters.
Game Details Pages: Each game has its own page featuring more details, such as release year, genre, and developers.
Online Play: I embedded an emulator so users can play their favorite GBA games directly on the site. I used a third-party JavaScript emulator for this functionality, providing a seamless play experience.
Features of the Website
Search and Filter: The website allows users to filter games by genre and search through a collection of the best GBA titles.
Responsive Design: Using Tailwind's responsive utilities, I made sure the website works well on mobile devices, offering a smooth experience whether you're using a phone or desktop.
Dark Mode: Given the nostalgic feel of GBA games, I opted for a dark theme for the website, which looks great on both desktop and mobile.
Game Play: By embedding an emulator, I gave users the ability to play GBA games directly on the site.
Challenges
Dynamic Content: Since the list of GBA games is constantly growing, managing content dynamically was a bit challenging. I used a JSON file to store game data, which is easily expandable.
SEO Optimization: Next.js' server-side rendering helped a lot with SEO, but fine-tuning the meta tags for each game page was time-consuming. I used next-seo to manage metadata.
Conclusion
Overall, the combination of Next.js and Tailwind CSS allowed me to build a highly responsive, feature-rich website that showcases the best Game Boy Advance games in a visually appealing way.
If you're a fan of GBA games or just want to try out some of the classics, check out the website here.
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