New GBA-SP Article in USA Today

[Stark]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techreviews/games/2003-01-06-game-boy_x.htm

The Game Boy Advance SP with a flip-up, lighted color screen will cost $99 when it hits U.S. stores March 23, according to Nintendo.

My prediction came true or at least close. :-D

There is a picture of it in the paper.

[Lady Jaye]

Yesss! And since it was in USA Today, it's unlikely to be a hoax.

Looks like I'll replace my lost GBA in March...

Makes me think of the Game and Watch, for some reason.

[dsullo]

I just paid 150 for a GBA with Afterburner. I am extremely satisfied with it, seems like Nintendo is double dipping. How many folks wil rebuy a new GBA now?

[NvrMore]

It's not a bad looking little machine..

http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2003/01/07/h-103_9865_gbasp.jpg.jpg

http://www.mainichi.co.jp/life/hobby/game/news/news/2003/01/img/07-1.jpg

Edit: Oops, forgot the specs..


* New pocket size and foldable with flip-top screen that enables an even more compact size
* Dimension are 82mm Wx 84.6H x 24.3D and it weighs approximately 143g
* New integrated self-contained LCD screen light
* New built in rechargeable Lithium Ion battery that enables approximately 10 hours of continual game play with approximately 3 hours of recharging time
* When the front light is turned off, the continual play increases to approximately 18 hours.
* Three premium metallic colour variants (silver, black and blue)
* Up to 32,000 simultaneous colours
* Display Size 40.8mm x 61.2mm
* Resolution 240 x 160 dot
* 32 - bit CPU with embedded memory
* Multiplayer mode for up to 4 players with Game Link cable
* Compatible with virtually all existing Game Boy & Game Boy Advance games

[Chunky]

If that's only $99...yeah I'm in. along with one of those GC add-ons.

I take it everything works the same/normal gba.

[kainemaxwell]

Kinda looks like a wide cell-phone or Star trek tricorder actually!

[GENESISNES]

man could I use one of those. nothing pisses me off more than a dim lighted area with an unplayable GBA.

[autobotracing]

yeah I submitted that news to dp earlyer. looks to me nice .

[congobongo]

Sweet. :o

[maxlords]

Yep..I'll be buying one..not only for the backlight, but because the GBA gives me hand cramps!! Sucks that the Afterburner guys will be out of a job tho. Ah well. The only thing I DON'T like about this new game boy is that you can't sqap batteries if you run out...sounds like you HAVE to recharge it. I don't know if I like that so much. May have to leave it charging all the time like a cell phone....

[CrazyImpmon]

Looks like it's time to start selling older GBAs while they are still worth about $50 used. :D

I'd defiantly get one of those as I'm tired of cheap add on light that never works as advertised. I've only gotten one Afterburner light but it has an ugly smudge in the middle due to sloppy handling >:(

The best part is the metallic blue that should be available probbaly matches my metallic blue GBA I pained over a year ago. Maybe I'd open it up and add a few blinky LEDs to make it more like a tricorder. ;) LOL i wonder what's next: a next gen GBA with built in cell phone support? Built in keyboard and Win CE?

For the metric illiterate: the dimension are: 3.2" W x 3.3" H x 0.95" D Judging by the number I think it's with the screen closed so opened, it could come close to the original GBA in height and width.

[buttasuperb]

I'd much rather have my afterburner GBA than that thing, although I probably will wind up buying one sometime down the road.

[Dobie]

Ooh! Comes out on March 23rd!! One week before my B-day!!! I know what I want now. Happy birthday to me! :D

[ManekiNeko]

Boy, Nintendo didn't stick with the horizontal system layout for long. In its own unique way, the Game Boy Advance has gone back to its roots, looking like a miniaturized version of the original system and even closer to its successor, the Game Boy Pocket. I'm still not sure what to think of the change, but I'll probably get one with any leftover tax or college grant money I have left over anyway. That way, I can use the old system as a Frankenstein, adding an Afterburner, a better D-pad, and whatever else I think would improve it.

JR

[Nature Boy]

@Maxlords: go to TRU and pick up some handles for your GBA. It's $10 CAD here, and makes the GBA a *dream* to hold onto. It's like a PlayStation controller after you attach the GBA only a tad bigger.

I'll get the new one eventually, I think, but not on launch day or anything. I definitely won't be trading in my existing GBA though. That's what collecting is about :D

[portnoyd]

The best part is the metallic blue that should be available probbaly matches my metallic blue GBA I pained over a year ago. Maybe I'd open it up and add a few blinky LEDs to make it more like a tricorder. ;) LOL i wonder what's next: a next gen GBA with built in cell phone support? Built in keyboard and Win CE?


I wouldn't be surprised at all....... cell phone support would be the next step. A partnership with Motorola would be great for both companies.

And as I said in the last thread, I have an ABed GBA, and am happy with it, but will still get this GBA when it comes out. Any worries with the rechargable battery can be squashed by bringing your old GBA with you :D

Super sweet design, I must say.

dave

[drumguy79]

Don't those buttons look a little too close together to anyone? Plus, when you hold it with 2 hands, your fingers will touch/overlap in the back... it really doesn't look like there is room to grip if the whole thing is just 3 inches wide...

Plus, the USA article says there is

lighting along the screen's edge
That's not quite the same a backlit LCD screen is it? I guess I need to see some pictures of it in action.

[Mr. NEStalgia]

It WOULD be cool and all, but I just got my GBA for Christmas!!!

I ain't lookin' to replace it already! >:(

-=Mr. NEStalgia=-

[leonk]

Here's the best picture:

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20030107-00000980-reu-bus_all.view-000

[Achika]

Hmm, doesn't look like there's any E-Reader support.... :hmm:

[CrazyImpmon]

It's supposed to be able to use all existing licensed devices so it should still have the same standard port for e-Card reader and GBA to GC link. I do know many unlicensed devices would have problem such as that icky Worm Cam as it expects a cart port right next to the link port and probably wouldn't fit at all.

[hamburgler]

I knew nintendo will finally make a backlite gba system.Now i can finally play my games with light built in the system. :D

[Achika]

It's supposed to be able to use all existing licensed devices so it should still have the same standard port for e-Card reader and GBA to GC link. I do know many unlicensed devices would have problem such as that icky Worm Cam as it expects a cart port right next to the link port and probably wouldn't fit at all.

I think it's set up similar to the worm cam. And since the link port is next to the cartridge slot, if the final design looks anything like this mock up, it won't work.

[Lady Jaye]

I'd be surprised if Nintendo didn't make sure that the e-card reader works with the GBA-SP. They've put too much emphasis on the reader to dump it now.

[Sylentwulf]

I think the thing looks dumb. Not to sound like a flamer, but there it is, plain and simple.

And yes, the controls look HORRENDOUSLY close together, and I have no idea how someone is supposed to reach the "R" and "L" buttons.

Doesn't LOOK like there's a way to use the E-Reader (no big loss IMO)

It looks Old. With classic games, that's fine and dandy, but this is a modern system, and it looks like it was designed 20 years ago.

[NE146]

Advance has gone back to its roots, looking like a miniaturized version of the original system and even closer to its successor, the Game Boy Pocket.

And in a strange way even sharing traits with it's much earlier ancestor...
http://www.gameandwatch.com/screen/multiscreen/donkey/images/donkey.jpghttp://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2003/01/07/h-103_9865_gbasp.jpg.jpg
http://www.users.qwest.net/~userid946/i-2.jpghttp://www.users.qwest.net/~userid946/i-3.jpg

[Lady Jaye]

Since the design of the GBA-SP is not likely to change before its launch, I suppose that the only way to use the e-reader with it would be through some sort of cable linking it to the connection port.

[kainemaxwell]

UPN 9 news (here in NY/NJ) is having a segment on the new Gameboy Advance tonight during the 10 o'clock news.

[mitmoe]

just showed it to my wife and she said " I'll get you that for your birthday." My b-day is a couple weeks after that. Kick Ass!! \^_^/

[Michael Thomasson]

What I really fear is that by having a rechargeable battery (like a cell phone) that eventually the battery will forever die down, and render the unit useless in time. For those of us that cherish our older consoles, and play them forever, this is pretty scary stuff.

Plus, this kills it on roadtrips, since when your battery is drained, it can't be recharged while on the move. No battery option whatsoever (sigh)

Does anyone out there no more about these batteries?

[Zaxxon]

They do sell replacement cell phone betteries. You can just buy a new batery and continue using the phone. I'm sure they'll sell replacement batteries for this and I'm sure some 3rd party will come out with an adapter to allow you to use throwaway batteries.

[CrazyImpmon]

Since GBA operates on 3v (and I'm sure it's the same for GBA-SP as well) a car adapter to play on the road should come along at launch time as well. Never heard of a car that has less than 3v through the lighter.

I'm really sure Nintendo would have made sure the e-Card reader works since that's still new (not even 4 months yet) and I'm sure the customer line don't want to handle zillion 'why won't the e-card reader work in GBA-SP?) complaints.

One last thing, why SP? Why not call it GBA-G&W since it looks like the old G&W flip game. And almost as small as one!

[NE146]

Yeah I think it's resemblence to the old flip Game & Watches is really hitting a chord with me.. since I keep looking at it and.. slowly.. slowly.. wanting one!!

[crivit]

Planet gamecube has a brief hands on report today. http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?action=item&id=3828


All accessories work with it, everything. Including the e-Reader.

It also goes on to say that tilt games will not work with it, but rumble games will.

[Achika]

All accessories work with it, everything. Including the e-Reader.


But I'm not understanding HOW. Look at the damn thing. The cartridges go in the front while the link ports are on the back. Unless you saw off portions of your e reader or there's a special docking station or link cable.... :? :bad-words: @_@

[CrazyImpmon]

If the eCard reader is like the Worm cam in that coinnector, yeah a sawed off part may be needed. I don't have the SP yet (who does anyway?) and most of the pictures I've seen looks more like mocks rather than the real thing so it's possible the connector on the back would be low enough the cart tab would not hit the SP.

[chocobokick]

James Kochalka posted this link on his forum, www.americanelf.com
http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~nanko/im5/733.jpg Someone couldn't wait to have one in their hands :)

[jonjandran]

Seems like it's for real. Amazingly I got an e-mail from the afterburner guys saying that "response was so good for the afterburner that they are rewarding the customers by lowering the price to $25.00". Aren't they just the nicest people ever x_x . I guess their REIGN OR TERROR is over :P But seriously , I have 2 GBA's with afterburners and I love em. Sorry to se them go. But they did say they were working on 2 Awesome non light accessories that were going to "blow us away". We''ll see !!!!!!!!!

[dchavez2]

All accessories work with it, everything. Including the e-Reader.


But I'm not understanding HOW. Look at the damn thing. The cartridges go in the front while the link ports are on the back. Unless you saw off portions of your e reader or there's a special docking station or link cable.... :? :bad-words: @_@


Just look here:
(from IGN.com)

One of the biggest questions that's been on seemingly everyone's mind since the announcement of the Game Boy Advance SP: Is the new system compatible with the e-Reader card scanning peripheral? The answer: Absolutely. Even though Nintendo announced that it was compatible, many people still didn't believe it, because of the extra bit that plugs into the link port on the original Game Boy Advance system.

Before heading out to Las Vegas, I made sure to bring along my own e-Reader to test. During my hands-on with the Game Boy Advance SP system, I whipped out my e-Reader and plugged it into the cartridge slot at the bottom of the unit. The designers obviously constructed the Game Boy Advance SP system with the e-Reader in mind (or vice versa), because the pass-through link port doesn't even touch the surface of the system. To link the Game Boy Advance SP with e-Reader to the GameCube or another Game Boy Advance, players simply plug their cable into the link port at the top of the SP system...the link port built onto the e-Reader is not used.

And, if you need proof...
http://pocketmedia.ign.com/pocket/image/gameboyadvancesp_010902_ereader.jpg
Here's some videos:
http://pocketmovies.ign.com/pocket/video/gameboyadvancesp_010903_ereader1.mov
http://pocketmovies.ign.com/pocket/video/gameboyadvancesp_010903_ereader2.mov

[Achika]

THANK YOU! It all comes together now.


But damn, way it awkward to hold?