WHOO BABY! GBA Sp

[WiseSalesman]

So, I got my GBA SP from my preorder today, and I have to same, DAMN is this thing cool. It doesn't suffer from any of the problems I thought it would. It's not too light (I like handheld systems to have some weight to them(, it's not uncomfortable to hode, and the light works like a charm. Of course, without the light, or a direct light source, it's damn near impossible to see, but that's okay. Unfortunately, NO ONE has the headphone adapter yet, so I didn't get to try that out.

When reading the above, please keep in mind that I never had an original GBA, and the only game I could afford for this one was advance wars.

Anyone else got a GBA SP? Post your thoughts.

[Bratwurst]

Have you used the original GBA before, though? Any comparisons to that?

[buttasuperb]

What's funny is that you have to buy an adaper to use headphones.

I'll stick to my afterburner GBA and probably pick one of these up once the price drops to 50 or so.

[WiseSalesman]

I've only used an original GBA for about ten minutes. Although I sort of prefer the hand position on the original, this one isn't uncomfortable at all, if much easier to see, and I like the position of the screen in relation to my hands more as well.

[cheesystick]

Does anyone know when the adapter will come out???
-crispy

[mitmoe]

I got my SP today and LOVE IT!! :rocker: I think I like it better than the original GBA. It's pretty comfy in my hands, my hands are pretty large too! I thought this would be a problem. :D

[cheesystick]

I tried the demo. The tiny shoulder buttons annoyed me. >:(
Otherwise seemed good. They had a cardboard demo also. When opened, it played music. I wanted to steel that thing so bad. Thats the kinda thing that becomes a collectors item in 20 years.
-crispy

[Charlie]

I'm not going to be getting a GBA Sp... what's the point? The Gameboy Player comes out in two months.

[Sylentwulf]

I'm not going to be getting a GBA Sp... what's the point? The Gameboy Player comes out in two months.

Well, I suppose I COULD Get one of those portable screens, a 5 pound battery pack, my gamecube, the gameboy player, and my GC Controller, and carry it around in my pockets after a bit of pant modification, but WOW, they can fit all of that in a little all-in-one unit! Nifty!

[Alex Kidd]

I must say, if I owned a GameCube, I wouldn't even consider the GBA SP.
I mean, the idea of playing CastleVania: CotM and other good ol' 2D games on a big screen TV sounds sweet to me.
Plus I'll always have my GBA for when I actually am on the go.

But... someone mentioned you still need SOME light source BESIDES the GBA SP's own... so does that mean I can't play it curled up in bed with the covers up over my head while the power's out like I do with my Game Gear?

Alex Kidd

[Anonymous]

You can. The SP light all but disappears in well lit areas, in that you can't see it, but basically if you can't see it you don't need it. In pitch black areas, the light works beautifully. And for all those curious:

If you're wondering how a GBA SP feels, go hold your CGB or GB pocket. It's exactly the same. The only difference is that the buttons and D pad are recessed a little bit, and don't feel quite as tensile as the original. As for the L/R buttons, they are much easier to use (remember when you first got the GBA and it felt like the system was going to slip out of your hands when you first pressed the buttons?) in that they are easier to press, but they aren't contoured to your fingers anymore, which might not feel as good, but are easier and more comfortable to use in the long run.

[WiseSalesman]

Yeah, I played my GBA SP in pitch black last night to test it...it works fine.

I'll probably still buy the gameboy player. If I had had a GBA original, I wouldn't have bought this one, but as my first system, eh, what the hell...

[NE146]

If you're wondering how a GBA SP feels, go hold your CGB or GB pocket. It's exactly the same.

Just as I suspected. After all, it folds out into exactly the same shape! What the heck were those people talking about when saying it was too small? :?

[Charlie]

I had to beat Castlevania: Circle of the Moon in my bathroom because it was the only place in my house where I could find good lighting. After that, I was like, fuck it. Granted, COTM has really dark graphics, but I still couldn't see the damn thing anywhere. I got my GBA the day it came out with COTM and that is still the only new GBA game I've bought... from retail. I got Golden Sun brand new for $5 at Goodwill (still can't figure out what it was doing there) and I got a used copy of Bomberman Tournament for $4 used. I'll play catch-up when the Player comes out.

Words can't describe how disappointed I am with the library of the GBA. Most of the games that are considered good are just ports of Super Nintendo games that I already have. The fucking Game Boy had Super Mario 2: Six Golden Coins. The GBA and GBC have PORTS of old games. That pisses me off. If people didn't get rid of every fucking system they have had after the next big thing comes out, then shit like this wouldn't happen. Nintendo needs a big fat kick in the ass for what they've contributed to the system. It's lazy on so many levels, the only game so far that hasn't been a port is Metroid Fusion.

[bargora]

If you're wondering how a GBA SP feels, go hold your CGB or GB pocket. It's exactly the same.

Just as I suspected. After all, it folds out into exactly the same shape! What the heck were those people talking about when saying it was too small? :?
Maybe they were trying to play it without unfolding it? @_@

[Achika]

I love the SP, just got mine today. The only complaint I have is that when I hold it, I start to get a Charly Horse in my hand still.

The light is wonderful, but I wonder: is the speaker improved? It sounds a little louder. Or is it because your thumb doesn't cover it up like the GBA?

[Arcade Antics]

If people didn't get rid of every fucking system they have had after the next big thing comes out, then shit like this wouldn't happen.

Apples and oranges.

The thing to keep in mind is that the GBA's purpose is to be a PORTABLE system. Why is it a problem for Nintendo to port their hit-SNES games to a portable format? If someone wants to play Yoshi's Island on the plane, it sure as hell isn't gonna happen with an SNES, regardless of whether or not they traded it in for a Saturn or PSX. You want to play the same games on your SNES at home and read the newspaper on the plane, then great! Everybody wins.


Nintendo needs a big fat kick in the ass for what they've contributed to the system. It's lazy on so many levels, the only game so far that hasn't been a port is Metroid Fusion.

More original first party titles would definitely be nice. :) But FWIW, I wouldn't mind a nice, lazy port of Super Punch-Out!! for the GBA.

[Six Switch]

I have had my black import one for some time and I love it!Worth the cash if you don't have one. :D

[Achika]

Didn't one of the first stories about the SP say that it wouldn't work with Kirby's Tilt N Tumble? I popped it in today, and had no problems....

[NE146]

Didn't one of the first stories about the SP say that it wouldn't work with Kirby's Tilt N Tumble? I popped it in today, and had no problems....

I'm sure the game "works", but can you roll it around in the same way? The whole thing of why it wouldn't work is because the cartridge is upside down so when you tilt it right, it thinks it's being tilted left and vice versa :P (or is it tilted up and it thinks it's being tilted down).. one or the other

[hamburgler]

I still deciding if i want one or not.

[Achika]

Didn't one of the first stories about the SP say that it wouldn't work with Kirby's Tilt N Tumble? I popped it in today, and had no problems....

I'm sure the game "works", but can you roll it around in the same way? The whole thing of why it wouldn't work is because the cartridge is upside down so when you tilt it right, it thinks it's being tilted left and vice versa :P (or is it tilted up and it thinks it's being tilted down).. one or the other


Oh? Is THAT why Kirby was defying gravity? Duh me.....

[leonk]

I have the best girlfriend in the world!

For our 4th anniversary (1 week from today) she got me an early gift! She baught me the gameboy advance SP (platinum one)!!

WOW! I feel great.. this is even better than our 3rd anniversary gift (which was Ray Ban polorized sun glasses!)

WOO HOO!

LK

[WiseSalesman]

For our 4th anniversary (1 week from today) she got me an early gift! She baught me the gameboy advance SP (platinum one)!!

Whoa! O_O And I thought my girlfriend getting me the Perfect Blue DVD and a giant, lmited edition Ranma poster was cool.....

[GrandAmChandler]

I have that cardboard demo that plays music! :-) Its pretty neat, hopefully like it was said, it will be a collectors item!

[zemmix]

I got mine today at Target and it came with a free copy of Driver 2! There in lies the Woot.

[Starcade]

I plan on getting an SP new, in maybe 6 or 7 months, when the price drops to $90 or below. I won't open it, just put it in a corner in my closet and forget about it. I will just play my regular GBA, I don't mind the lighting, or lack of it. I want an SP as a collectors item, not to play.

[Chunky]

the first thing i thought as i got it home was WOW, this is what the games are supose to look like! very impressed.

[Neb]

I picked up a GBA SP today. I have NO regrets! I love the back lit screen, I could never see the screen before with the terrible lighting in my house. I also like how it folds up, protecting the screen when I throw it in my pocket. I thought I wasn't going to like the size, but it feels fine in my hands. The only thing that I would change with it is the buttons. The resistance they give remind me of the buttons on a cell phone, unlike the GBA. It took some getting used to, but the GBA SP is worth the bucks!

[leonk]

The thing about the SP is that it's SO CUTE! Especially when it's closed..

Also, the GBA was my first gameboy ever, but I find the SP much easier to hold and play games with then my GBA.. (the only thing I regret is that they changed the control pad to something simpler, and one just needs to get used to it).

Also, anyone notice that the games on the SP are a heck of alot more viewable, but the games are not as "sharp". With the GBA I could literlaly notice the pixels that make up the screen, with the SP, the pixels are washed together more..

Lastly, the color of the light is not 100% white.. it has a small bluish tint to it..
but I still love playing the thing at night!

:)

[jaybird]

I haven't owned an original GBA, but bought the SP today since it looks more like an adult toy than previous versions.

Out of curiosity, I turned the light off the unit. If that's how you have to play games on the original, then that's really sad. It makes the SP a must-buy unless you have an Afterburner. I can't imagine the amount of light you have to have burning down over your shoulder just to see half of what is on the screen

I'm absolutely thrilled with it so far. I only have 2 games, but playing today it has convinced me I need to get some of the must-haves.

[Boboduo]

Gotta say that I'm impressed with the SP. I've had mine
for two days, don't think that I've played the regular
GBA this much. It's a tad on the small side but,
the frontlight is awesome!

[DREW]

Picked one up today (Blue ver.) and was concerned the e-reader would not work since the cart slot is in the front and the ext1, which the reader also plugs into is not, but happy to report it still works although I see no way to use the communication feature through the e-reader and not sure if that could be a problem later if I decide to link to another device

Surprisingly even though the reader is in the front it does not seem to hinder the use, it even seems to balance out the weight

[pokobocket]

I bought one this morning... :D This is a pretty nice unit - A definate keeper.

[WiseSalesman]

Drew-
To use the e-Reader communication feature you plug the e-Reader cartridge in normally, and then plug the link cable in the back of the SP, and the Sp has software already included to let it pass through, as it was designed with the e-Reader in mind. I don't have an e-Reader, but I did my homework before picking up the SP, because I knew I'd want one someday.

[CrazyImpmon]

Didn't one of the first stories about the SP say that it wouldn't work with Kirby's Tilt N Tumble? I popped it in today, and had no problems....

I'm sure the game "works", but can you roll it around in the same way? The whole thing of why it wouldn't work is because the cartridge is upside down so when you tilt it right, it thinks it's being tilted left and vice versa :P (or is it tilted up and it thinks it's being tilted down).. one or the other


Oh? Is THAT why Kirby was defying gravity? Duh me.....

Have you tried using Gameshark Color/Pocket with that game? I know the GS will rotate the cart so it should "play" correctly. I don't have that Kirby game so I can't tell for sure anyway.


Drew-
To use the e-Reader communication feature you plug the e-Reader cartridge in normally, and then plug the link cable in the back of the SP, and the Sp has software already included to let it pass through, as it was designed with the e-Reader in mind. I don't have an e-Reader, but I did my homework before picking up the SP, because I knew I'd want one someday.

Actually the eReader has a passthrough link port, eReader doesn't use it at all. I have the eReader and I took it apart. You could pull the link cable out of the eReader, it would still work.

[Eternal Champion]

All right people--
I want feedback here! For those of who have done the Afterburner mod at www.yourhappyplace.com, is it worth it? Do you like it? He seems to do a good job...

If you've done that and have tried the SP, how does it compare? Quality of the screen, the backlight, etc.
I've been reading these boards, and I tell ya, I'm undecided. I REALLY want a backlit GBA, but I love the shape of the original GBA, and the screen is crystal clear--I see every friggin' pixel.
Having to buy a separate accessory for headphones is ridiculous. :grumble:

[leonk]

As a member of the Triton Labs forum (the maker of the afterburner) and reading up about it for the longest time (and coming really close to getting it). Here's the differences that most people notice between the SP and the GBA + Afterburner:

- there is almost 100% chance that there will be some small dust specs inside your GBA. GBA SP has no dust since they're produced in clean rooms.
- Afterburner suffers from trapozoid effect. These are visible rainbow color lines that are visible diagonally from the corners to 1/2 way down to the middle. SP doesn't have it.
- SP light is brighter. (There is talk one can do this with afterburner by using smaller resistor..)
- SP will give you 1 year warranty.. afterburner will void your warranty

The only thing the afterburner has going for it is cost. But that also goes to nil if you need to send it out. (Cost of afterburner + cost of install + digital chip if you don't want your GBA chopped to get switch installed + shipping cost) comes to almost the same cost as GBA SP!

Consider buying the SP and selling the GBA.. cheapest thing.

LK

[Eternal Champion]

Thanks for the informative tip!
I think I'll get the SP. There's a game place here (Mpls) that will give $40 trade-in towards the SP, although I wonder if I could sell my GBA for at least that much, as it's practically new...