Game Boy Advance SP Overview
April 6, 2003

On April 23, 2003, Nintendo released their latest version of Game Boy: The Game Boy Advance SP. I bought mine for a mere $99 plus tax. I assure you it's worth every penny.

Here is the GBASP closed. It measures about 3x3x1 inches in this form. It comes in two colors: Platinum and Cobalt. I opted for the Cobalt, reasoning that Platinum would be easier to scratch. The GBASP plays all GBA games, and almost all Game Boy and Game Boy color games, with the exception of Kirby's Tilt and Tumble. But who cares, right?

Here is the GBASP open. What's the difference between GBA and GBASP?

First off, and most importantly, is the front-lit screen. Visibility is no longer a problem. You can play in direct sunlight or in a dark cave all alone. Of course the light can be turned on and off via the center button closest to the screen.

Then there is the rechargeable lithium ion battery. Instead of using AA batteries, you can just charge the GBASP and play for 10 hours with the light on or 18 hours with the light off. Approximately three hours are required for a full charge.

Here's the AC adaptor connected to the GBASP. As you can see, the prongs flips down for better portability.

And here is the charger prongs up. Supposedly the battery can be charged 500 times. I've only charge mine twice: when I first bought it, and then 9 days later. The battery actually comes charged when you purchase it, but the instruction booklet advises you to charge it before the first time you use it. After playing for a couple of hours, I decided to charge mine, even though the battery wasn't low.

If you are really concerned about not having enough battery life, you can buy extra lithium ion batteries and even a charger to give you virtually infinite play time. There's even a cigarette lighter adapter for those long road trips.

Believe it or not, I actually find the unit the most comfortable Game Boy yet. It's the first Game Boy I have owned, but I have had extensive play with my cousin's original Game Boy Advance, and I find this version much more comfortable.

Besides not giving the user the ability to fly, the only real flaw the GBASP has is the omission of the headphone jack. The headphone adapter is available at Nintendo's online store for $5.

Unfortunately, shipping is also $5, so I went ahead and bought the link cable at no extra charge for shipping.

And since there was no tax, I bought the GBA to GameCube cable. This allows the Game Boy to be hooked up to the GameCube and unlocks special features in games. For example, if you connect Metroid Prime to Metroid Fusion, you can play the original Metroid for NES.

I bought my GBASP at Best Buy. They gave me a free carrying case.

While it is free, it is also quite small. I can fit the GBASP, the AC adapter, the headphone adapter, and a few games in it. That's it, though. Perhaps in the future I will buy a larger case to fit all my cords and such.

I bought two games: Mario Kart Super Circuit, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I've only played Mario Kart so far. I keep Zelda unopened in a safe place and I have vowed not to play it until Easter Break or until all my projects are done.

And if playing video games wasn't enough for you, you can pretend the GBASP is one of the three arena creatures from Attack of the Clones. Stage your own battles between Mace Windu and the Reek!

Or use it as a laptop computer for your Mark Wahlberg action figure.

Mark: "My version of Planet of the Apes only gets a 5.8 on the Internet Movie Database? That's outrageous!"

If nothing else, use the GBASP as a bill and pretend you are a duck.

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