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Darkness falls with “Halo” Innovation’s new GBA accessory
The good old days of playing video games without eyestrain have returned! Q-Mark and Innovation Technologies have released an easy-to-install accessory that encases your GBA with light.
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Night is not as pretty as day. For it brings a wall of darkness that cannot be easily broken. Many failed attempts made us fear that darkness would soon consume us, dimming our lights and blackening our colors with a disease that has no cure. It seemed like all hope was lost…
Until the day that a shining knight appeared. Having no fears, the knight fought gallantly. Unable to succumb him with darkness, the Dark Night began to slowly turn to day, and all was well in the land of portable gaming once more.
The shining knight that saved us from a world of gloomy gaming is none other than Halo. Developed by Q-Mark Technology (for Innovation), Halo is a front light that glues to your Game Boy Advance. The GBA’s lens was made to be removed very easily (in order to replace it if any large scratches are made), so Q-Mark took advantage of that by creating a lens with a light built right into it.
After testing the Halo light with several games (including Pokemon Ruby), it’s clear that this is by far the best light accessory ever developed for a Game Boy system.
Although the war was won, the battle against darkness was not an easy win.
GameZone Online went to a dark and secluded place to meet up with Q-Mark President William Chen. During our meeting, Mr. Chen went over Halo’s development process, its ability to encase the GBA’s screen with light, and what affect it has on battery life.
Q: How exactly does the Halo light manage to brighten the GBA's entire screen? Please explain.
William Chen: We are using the same technology as the cell phone. But with some modification!
Does the Halo light add any weight to the GBA?
WM: No, it is only about 10g.
How severely does it affect the GBA's battery life?
WM: Yes, it does affect the battery 's life. But we have an on and off switch on it as well as a switch for the brightness.
This is a great example of what the Halo light is capable of!
What is the recommended age for installing the Halo light? Could a six-year-old do it?
WM: It is very easy to install. But the recommended age will be 12 years old.
Should a gamer have the need to get his GBA serviced, or suppose he decides to buy a new one. Can the Halo light be removed easily and safely enough to transfer it to a new unit?
WM: Yes, it can be removed easily and safely from one GBA to another GBA. Also you can change it back to the original GBA by putting back the screen lens.
How does the Halo light stack up in complete darkness?
WM: It is almost same as the GBA SP.
When did you first begin working on the Halo light? How long did it take to complete the design and get it up and running properly in a Game Boy Advance?
WM: In MAY of 2002 and that took us 7 months for this product.
Who came up with the concept for the Halo light?
WM: The idea came up by [a] team [at] Q-MARK.
Does the Halo light have a pass-thru port so that you can still use multiplayer cables and other GBA accessories?
WM: Yes, the link cable port is still available.
The Halo light looks nice, but are multi-colored Halos being planned for gamers who absolutely must have purple (or glacier) everything?
WM: Yes, we have all the colors for the consoles. But for our standard packing that will base on light black for this item. (Same color as the GBA screen lens.)
Installing the Halo light is about as easy as
looking at this picture.
Other than online retailers such as EBgames.com, where will gamers be able to go to purchase the Halo light? Will they be able to find it at Electronics Boutique stores?
WM: This will depend on the local reseller. In the USA, Innovation has the right it to sell any shops in [that region]. Q-MARK is also accepting orders from other countries.
Are any game shops (online or offline) going to be offering GBA/Halo light bundles with the Halo light pre-installed?
WM: This all depends on the local seller. But Q-MARK will not do this on our production line because the installation is too easy to do. Why should we get the end user to waste the money for this service?
What are your thoughts on the Game Boy Advance SP?
WM: Yes, the GBA SP has solved the biggest problem for the current GBA. But with the GBA HALO, we are able to solve this problem for the current GBA and there is a huge number on the market now.
Now that you've solved the GBA's biggest problem, what do you plan to tackle next? Any new peripherals in the pipeline? Maybe something for the Game Boy Advance SP...?
WC: Yes, we are still working on the new products for the current GBA, ALSO ON THE GBA SP!!!
Cool! I look forward to seeing them.
Thank you for your time, Mr. Chen
For more information on the Halo light, check out GameZone’s full review.
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