vadimio's Full Review: Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP White Console
Ever since I can remember, Nintendo has always dominated the portable games market. NeoGeo tried, Sega put up a good fight, yet Nintendo’s Game Boy always came away as the winner. I never played the original Game Boy and only got a little playing time on a friend’s Game Boy Pocket, but after the release of Pokemon franchise in the US, I got my very own portable system – the Game Boy Color. That nifty system lasted me a good three years, but after the Game Boy Advance came out I quickly got one by trading in my old partner. Then, slightly over a year ago, the sleek and innovative Game Boy Advance SP was shipped to retailers, and although it took me some time, I laid my hands upon mine own and quickly fell in love with it. Now, after the announcements and showcasing of the upcoming PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS, two portable systems that have me drooling, I have decided that this is the perfect time to review my latest (only until the end of the year) Game Boy.
Let’s start with the size and weight of this system. When closed, it measures at 3.33" x 3.23" x .96", which is considerably smaller than the original Game Boy Advance. This smaller size means it is more portable and easily fits into any pocket. The weight is five ounces, which is less than a 15 GB iPod.
One of the reasons as to why the Game Boy Advance SP costs $30 more than the Game Boy Advance is the battery. Prior to the GBA SP, all Game Boys were powered by two AA batteries, however the GBA SP runs off a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion batteries are very commonly found in cell phones, laptops, PDAs and MP3 players due to their fairly cheap cost and long-lasting battery power. To charge the GBA SP, you must hook up an AC adapter (that comes with the GBA SP) to the Game Boy and to a power outlet, and a fully depleted battery will take a bit less than three full hours to recharge.
The screen on this bad boy is the same size as the GBA screen – a 2.41" x 1.61" LCD. However, the folks at Nintendo actually listened to the complaints of the fan base and included something that everyone wanted – a backlight. The GBA SP screen is actually frontlit, which means that the GBA is lit from the left and right internally, which allows any gamer to play their GBA SP under any lighting conditions. No matter rain or shine, night or day, you can play your GBA SP. This is the main reason as to why the GBA runs off a rechargeable battery; otherwise the AA batteries would be used up in no time. With a fully charged unit, I can squeeze in 9-10 hours of gameplay, but if you turn off the backlight, you actually get about 6 hours extra.
If you look at the system specifications, you can see that the GBA SP is in no way more powerful or graphically capable than the GBA, games only seem to look better on the SP. I know that some people thought that the GBA SP was more powerful and handled three-dimensional games better; yet this is not the case. The GBA family is not really meant for 3D games, you will have to wait for the upcoming new generation portable consoles for that. Although the GBA SP is not different from the GBA internally, it is completely different externally.
From the picture at the top of this page, you can see that the GBA SP is foldable (similar in shape to a laptop), and this design is known as a clamshell design. Not only is this design very attractive and makes the system more portable, it also protects your system nicely. There’s nothing worse than finding out that your Game Boy screen has a scratch or two on it, as it not only looks bad, but also distracts you when you are playing. By placing your GBA or GBC in your pocket or bag, you are running the risk of obtaining a scratch. However, with the innovative clamshell design, you negate the risk of damaging your precious screen, this is extremely worthwhile. The screen itself can be set at nearly any position that you wish, as it rotates about 180 degrees.
The GBA SP’s design is considerably different than that of the GBA. The GBA was elongated horizontally, while the GBA SP is like a large rectangle that can be folded in half at the hinge. The right side of the GBA SP has the on/off button, while the volume control is located on the left side. Almost directly below the screen you will find a small button, which is used to toggle the backlight on and off.
The button layout is similar to that of the Game Boy Color, as the directional pad and A and B buttons are considerably closer than their positioning on the GBA. The start and select buttons are located on the bottom middle, and all of the buttons are the same size yet a bit more sensitive than previous Game Boys. The internal speaker is positioned right about the start and select buttons. Some people have complained that the GBA SP does not have an audio jack, but this does not bother because I always either have my volume on low or off. You can buy an audio adapter for $5, but this is not a necessity for me, although one could say that this is the largest con of the GBA SP. Finally, the R and L buttons have been redesigned, and they are much smaller in size and have a cube-like shape. Honestly, I am a bigger fan of the old shoulder buttons and am slightly unaccustomed to the new ones.
There are two jacks on the back of the GBA SP – one is used primarily to plug in the AC adapter and charge the unit, while the other is used for GBA/GC connectivity. By purchasing a special cable and by connecting the two Nintendo consoles, some games will unlock extra features. Also, a GB player has been released, which allows you to play your Game Boy games on the big screen via the GameCube.
There aren’t too many accessories for the GBA SP. Although most GBA accessories will work with the GBA SP, the majority of them are external lights or rechargeable batteries, which you no longer need. A link, which is used to link two GBAs, could be a worthwhile investment for multiplayer fun. The only add-on that I recommend you purchase is a case or pouch to hold the GBA SP and a few games and its accessories.
The current game selection is amazing. You can play basically all of the GBA, GBC and GB games on the GBA SP; therefore the library of games is more than one thousand strong. Recent amazing games for the GBA that were released include Donkey Kong Country, Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town. The system has plenty of awesome first party titles including Mario, Zelda, Metroid and even Wario games, as well as a multitude of third party titles. The upcoming Kirby, Mario Golf and Sonic releases are all quality games that will add to an enormous amount of great games.
Overall, the Game Boy Advance SP is a nifty little system. It is a very sleek and portable system, as is definitely the best Game Boy system to date. At a price of $99.95, you get a unit that can not only play games, but comes with a rechargeable battery and a backlight – two features that previously Game Boys sorely lacked. As you can see there are plenty of features, yet the real reason as to why you should invest in this system is the enormous and quality-packed game collection. There are hundreds of games for every genre, and the fact that you can play all these games on the go is what makes this system magical. Until the Nintendo DS, with its two screens, touch-screen and three-dimensional graphics that considered far better than the N64 and slightly worse than the GameCube, comes out and the end of this year, the GBA SP will definitely be a great gadget that will bring me and many others hours of entertainment.
This incredible redesign features a fantastic flip-screen; unopened, the unit fits easily in your pocket When it's opened, gamers are in for a treat -...More at Amazon Marketplace
A completely redesigned version of the popular Game Boy Advance, this system has a new illumination feature and a sleek, flip-screen design making it ...More at eBay
This incredible redesign features a fantastic flip-screen; Unopened, the unit fits easily in your pocket When it's opened, gamers are in for a treat -...More at Amazon Marketplace
AUCTION IS FOR ONE BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED FACTORY SEALED BOTH ENDS - NEVER OPENED SILVER Gameboy Advance SP SYSTEM POWER ADAPTER/ CHARGER INCLUDED F...More at eBay
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