Game Boy Advance SP

The SP is all you’ve ever wanted in a Game Boy and more.

I remember several years back when a Game Boy was a slightly portable behemoth with a black and green monochromatic screen.  My friends and I all had one, but we complained because the screen was black and green and the thing was hard to see.  As the years have gone by, Nintendo has slowly (but surely) introduced some very important additions to the Game Boy line, from smaller size to color screen and increased graphical capabilities.  And now, Nintendo has released the Game Boy Advance SP, and in one fell swoop, effectively mended anything we’ve ever had to gripe about.  The SP is sleek, small and very cool to look at.  More importantly, the SP has an internal backlight to make the GBA’s pain-in-the-butt screen completely visible in any light.  All in all, the SP is the Game Boy we’ve all been waiting for.

The Game Boy Advance SP features a clamshell design that allows the screen to be folded down (like a laptop) when the system is not in use.  This is a great touch, as it not only shrinks the system’s footprint to about an inch by three inches when closed, but also protects the screen from foreign objects.  The screen hinge also locks at about 170 degrees, which is a perfect game viewing angle.

The most important addition to the GBA SP has to be the backlight.  While the light isn’t quite a backlight (it runs along the side border of the screen) it provides enough even lighting distribution to be called one.  The light is a godsend, making the once too-dark screen visible is any lighting.  Plus, there is a button underneath the screen that allows you to turn the light on or off, making it much easier on the battery.

Another great touch is the internal rechargeable battery in the system. The SP runs on a lithium ion battery, providing up to 10 hours of gameplay with the light on and 18 hours with the light off.  The battery can be charged with the AC adapter that is shipped with the system, and typically takes about 3 hours to charge.

The SP has two external input jacks.  The first one is used for Game Link cables and GameCube link cables, basically the same applications as the external jack on the other Game Boy Advance.  The second external jack is reserved for the AC Adapter or the headphone jack adapter.  That’s right, the system doesn’t have a plug-in for headphones.  Some may see this as a huge problem, but the headphone jack can be purchased at stores for a measly five bucks and it is quite small and easily transported.

The buttons are nicely placed.  The D-pad has a much tighter feel than the loose D-pad on the old GBA model, and both the pad and the face buttons have a very responsive clicky feel to them.  The shoulder buttons are now much smaller and are placed at the edge of the unit and feel pretty natural overall.

As I stated earlier, the SP looks very cool.  The clamshell design makes it very easy to carry around and the backlight is a great addition that was a long time coming.  However, the changes are primarily aesthetic.  The internal hardware of the SP is the same as the normal GBA.  This and the SP’s hundred-dollar price tag make it hard to recommend it to anyone who has recently laid down 70 bucks for the old model.  However, those who are uninitiated to the GBA (probably holding out for the now-available backlight) should jump on this chance to own the best handheld system ever made.

Pros:
The Game Boy Advance SP is small, sleek, and just plain very cool overall.  The clamshell design is a nice idea that shrinks the system and protects the screen, the backlight is incredible and makes the system playable in any light, and the rechargeable battery is great and will ultimately save on batteries.

Cons:
None.

Verdict: 9.7
With its small size, backlight and rechargeable battery, the Game Boy Advance SP takes a great handheld system to another level and makes it the best portable gaming system ever.  While I can’t really recommend anyone who has recently dropped 70 dollars on the older model to buy this system, anybody who has yet to invest in a GBA should definitely pick this one up ASAP.