"Are headphones really THAT important? (GBASP)"

Gameboy Advanced SP

Ok before I get down to the nitty gritty and the reviews and what-not let me first say that I have had/played for at least a year all the various Gameboy Models (Gameboy, Pocket, Color, Advanced, and now finally SP). Ok, here we go!

First off, this thing is small! You might have read reviews saying ''Dang! THIS THING IS FRICKIN SMALL!'' or seen pictures comparing it to other objects or whatever. But until you actually see it in real life you have no idea how small it is. I mean I crazily looked at every picture I could find and after each one I thought “Man, that's small!'' When I finally picked one up though I'm like ''Holy crap! This thing is really really really small!'' Not that that's a bad thing though. The small-ness doesn't come at a cost to comfort. I have really big hands. This little thing is dwarfed in my hands and I was sure I was going to get hand craps or something. Surprisingly, I didn't! The buttons are sharp. They are firm as if clicking a cell phone button yet very easy to press. You know when you press it there is no ''Well I thought I pressed it.'' The L and R buttons are very small. We're talking a little less than a centimeter squared here. As long as you don't try to hold it kind of awkward with the tips of your fingers on it, they feel very nice.

Now I'll take you through a bit of a tour through the SP. Folded its ''small'' and is a square. Fold up the screen. I'm told it has about 185 degrees of motion but it has a nice stop in the middle that puts it at a great viewing angle. You can move it closer or farther from that if you wish. Easy to open and close and I have a feeling that if it's in your pocket or whatever it is not going to open on you. On the right side close to you we have the power button, push away from you to turn it on. On the left in the back we have a slider. Yes, a slider. No more crazy wheel thing that is hard as all to adjust. Away from you for loud, close to you for soft. There's no headphone jack but you can buy an adapter. Frankly, I never really play my Gameboy with the sound on so that's really no problem. In the very back you have a link cable. Hey, what's this? There's another plug here too! That's for the battery pack. Battery pack? Yes the SP comes with a screwed in Lithium-Ion battery. Just plus it in the back and into the wall. You can even fold up the little charger thing so that the metal prongs aren't sticking out. It takes the SP 3 hours to charge up. Awwwww, 3 WHOLE HOURS? Yes but then think about it; 3 hours for 10 hours with the light on and 18 hours with the light off and the added benefit that you can play while charging. That's right you play and the pack still charges, mind you it is slower but it still charges. A small orange light on the side will tell you when your SP is charging and will go off once it is done the charge.

10 hours of play with the light on? What ''light''? It is ''the light''! Ok, right below the screen is a little button with a light bulb on it. Press this to light up the screen! Some people have complained about the light having a blue-ish tint or a washed effect to it. I however haven’t experienced this so far. The light is a good one and makes the game easy to see and the colors stand out. The downside is that once you've played with the light on the game looks even darker with the light off. But does this really matter? Just plug it in when you go to bed or if you run your 10 hour charge out in the middle of the day, just plug it right into an outlet and play while you charge! The light is a very welcome addition to the SP and helps with the horrible lighting of the GBA. Hopefully all new handheld systems will feature one thus eliminating the need for a 3rd party light.

The SP can play any Gameboy, Gameboy Color, or Gameboy Advanced game and the cartridge goes in the bottom. This makes it look a lot ''prettier'' then the ugly GBA with a Gameboy cartridge jutting out of the top. Also, it is available now in the United States in Cobalt (Metallic Blue, I have one of these since I think it looks better than Platinum. Also, it is supposedly harder to scratch and has a blue layer of paint under the finish making scratches harder to see) and Platinum (A Metallic Silver). Both are VERY sleek looking. In Europe and Asia I am told they also have a white color and a metallic black. Overall the SP is a very good improvement over the GBA and will hopefully light the way for future handhelds to come!

The Rundown:
Pros:
-Vertical orientation compared to the horizontal orientation of the GBA
-Battery pack boasting 10+ hours of game play per full charge
-Very small!
-Cool, sleek design
-Made for portability and compactness
-Folds in half to protect the screen
-Build in screen
-Games go in the bottom
-Sound slider as opposed to the ''wheel''
-Firm buttons
-THE LIGHT!
Cons:
-No headphone jack
-Some people complain of a washed out or blue light
-Once you are used to the light the screen looks VERY DARK in comparison
-Some SPs are reported to have chipped paint, easy to scratch, dead pixels, or dust trapped under the screen
-Bit pricey as of now

Overall:
I would HIGHLY recommend this new addition to the Gameboy family! It is a bit pricey now at least, epically to those who bought an original GBA when it first came out although some stores will let you trade your old GBA in for money towards buying an SP. I find it is very hard to scratch and is very sturdy. If your SP has dust or whatnot, simply return it to the store and get it replaced. Most will let you open it there to make sure it isn't broken if you return it. Also, if you want a headphone adapter they're only about $5. If your disappointed about the GBA's problems or if your a first time GBA/Gamer, the SP is DEFINITELY RIGHT FOR YOU! Else, I would wait until the price comes down a bit or just forget all about the 5+ minutes of your life I just wasted.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/24/03, Updated 03/24/03