wtf.. my GBA SP broke!

[NE146]

Gawdammit... I was playing my GBA SP happily playing Mario & Luigi, put it on a stool and when I got up I accidentally knocked it to the tiled floor where it landed open face down. Now the display is gone! The light still comes on and the game is playing (you can hear the sounds) but the display is pretty much blank/black. I've tried mucking around with since last night but it seems like it's pretty much DOA.

The thing is... I've had/have pretty much most all iterations of Gameboys from the original on down.. and they usually ALWAYS seem to stand up to the roughest treatment! I've seen a GBC still work after being left out overnight in the rain. I've dropped GB's on concrete floors from higher elevations. They ALWAYS still worked! They're usually built like muthafuckin TANKS! But I guess that's not the case with the SP because the fall it did was nothing! O_O But here it is.. broken from a 2 ft. fall.

So just FYI, if you're used to treating your GB's like indestructible plastic toys... be forewarned the GBA-SP seems to be just a little more delicate than usual :(

On the brighter side, I guess this means I can now get the NES version when it comes out wheras before I was going to pass on it before :D

[bluberry]

GBA SP is really not durable at all. Ther triggers are BEYOND prone to breaking, the screen bulb everntually dims, and dust sometimes gets under the screen. The battery will also die out, although not for a while.

GBA > SP in every way except the light and screen protection of folding up.

[Bratwurst]

That's a shame, I remember reading on a GBA dedicated forum before I came here that the original iterations took abuse fairly well. Could be that the screen of the SP is encased in a smaller, thinner chunk of plastic and just doesn't absorb shock as well.

[tholly]

the plastic casing is also very easy to scratch....i dont even know how, but my top surface has two scratches in it that under certain llight conditions look like shit.

[captain nintendo]

Yeah, this new version of gameboy doesnt look as tuff. I havent bought one yet, have a sp "retro" on pre-order :D So look on the bright side....At least you get a better looking (IMO) model now ;)

[PyroPenguin]

I've dropped mine a few times before, usually on asphalt or my garage, and it still plays the same as the day I bought it. But I figured it couldn't take the heat like the original gameboy.

[Jasoco]

That sucks, dude.

I have an SP. It's red. I'm very careful with it, but at the same time, I'm very afraid that something will happen to it. I always close it when I put it down. At least that way I can protect the screen.

But, I did do something really dumb and regretful. A few weeks ago I was playing a game and having trouble on one part of a level. I kept dying over and over. Eventually, I got frustrated and bit the top flap. I put a tiny tooth-mark in the red plastic. It's so small, and there's only one, but it's front a tooth that's pointier than the rest so it leaves an impression. And sits there as a reminder. Since then, I've been able to stop myself. And believe me, I get to the point I want to bite it again many times.

That plastic's soft. Very soft. So you gotta be careful. I'm afraid with time, my thumb prints will fade the plastic like they've done to my first generation 2000 Microsoft Optical Intellimouse Explorer. There are marks where my thumb and two fingers sit. It's funny. And the plastic is smooth in the thumb mark. I'm afraid the same will happen to my GBA over time.

[whoisKeel]

But, I did do something really dumb and regretful. A few weeks ago I was playing a game and having trouble on one part of a level. I kept dying over and over. Eventually, I got frustrated and bit the top flap. I put a tiny tooth-mark in the red plastic. It's so small, and there's only one, but it's front a tooth that's pointier than the rest so it leaves an impression. And sits there as a reminder. Since then, I've been able to stop myself. And believe me, I get to the point I want to bite it again many times.

hahaha

there are MANY toothmarks in my original nes controllers from when i was a kid...sadly those controllers dont' work so well anymore (one you have the MASH the a button, the other one, start button doesn't work).

i wish i could remember which games they were...but i'd bet on castlevania or faxanadu.

[spoon]

I have also dropped my GBA SP from higer than two feet and had no problem. Mine does have dust specs under the screen though. My SP also suffers form the "rubbed out" look. I wish I would have held out for a black one.

[PapaStu]

the plastic casing is also very easy to scratch....i dont even know how, but my top surface has two scratches in it that under certain llight conditions look like shit.

Totally. Mines got some scratches on it that dont look all that good, and the paint being worn off the top corners, and though its a grey plastic underneath, it still looks uggggg.

My first GBAsp was a launch day one and it only lasted 2 or 3 days. Something was up with the D-pad, and Samus really only liked to run looking down even when it wasnt being pushed. Those first boss battles were horrible. I took it back and argued with them about getting an exchange, they thought I was bluffing, I wasnt, got it switched. Other than the scratches that my current "launch" GBAsp has, theres nothing wrong with it at all.

[NE146]

I just wanted to report that because of DP member Oobgarm, who went above and beyond the call of duty (and much more than I could have ever expected), I now have a nice working replacement GBA! I am happily starting to play Metroid Zero. If you're contemplating any trades/deals.. let me just say the guy is top notch! Mucho props my brutha!

And to the rest of you... treat those GBA SP's nicely! :D

[Jasoco]

Good for you, Anyone Fourty-six.

I sure hope nothing bad ever happens to my GBA. I must say Nintendo's products usually are super durable. But the SP just seems really fragile. So I have to keep making sure it's closed because I know if I don't, I WILL accidentally bent it or drop it or put something on top of it.

And I only have a month left on my return time... if I can find the receipt.

[Ed Oscuro]

This makes me want to save for that e-Reader/GBA (glacier is probably what I'd get) combo. $70 is a lot, but I don't really care for the look of the other version...AND whenever I go into a store it seems the GBA SP displays are all dim, probably due to dead lights from being on all the time...

[jonjandran]

I just wanted to report that because of DP member Oobgarm, who went above and beyond the call of duty (and much more than I could have ever expected), I now have a nice working replacement GBA! I am happily starting to play Metroid Zero. If you're contemplating any trades/deals.. let me just say the guy is top notch! Mucho props my brutha!

And to the rest of you... treat those GBA SP's nicely! :D

Do you still have the broken GBA SP ?

I'll take it off oyur hands if you do, I have one with a good screen but bad board . :(

[Cmosfm]

Good for you, Anyone Fourty-six.


I think it's Anyone Four Six (Anyone For Sex)

I could be wrong though.

[neuropolitique]

I had my SP sitting on my lap at the movies last night. About half way through, it fell of my lap. The noise it made was horrible. The crashing and bouncing, it seemed like it lasted for ever. The worst thing was I couldn't look for it, because I didn't want to disturb anyone. The rest of the movie it was all I thought about. When the film finally ended, I got on my knees and searched around for it. Found it under my girlfriends seat. It looked ok, but the was no cart! I finally found that under a seat a row ahead of me. After some blowing and caressing, I placed the cart back in my SP and turned it on. Praise be to Bira Bira, it still worked fine. Nintendo still makes some sturdy hardware.