Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP to launch March 23 (The Inquirer)

Blane

Blane

1
BETTER PROCESS technologies have been shrinking transistors for years, leading to greater profits for firms and lower prices for consumers. The Nintendo Game Boy has been updated steadily since the 1989 original version, including the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Colour, and the Game Boy Advance. Now Nintendo will use this trick again, this time on the Game Boy Advance.

The new version, dubbed the Game Boy Advance SP (SP for SPecial, not XP for eXPerience), is a redesigned version of the popular Game Boy Advance. Building on the significant improvements and refinements already introduced in the current Game Boy Advance, the new Game Boy Advance SP features a revolutionary Front Light Screen making game play easy in any lighting condition. This new illumination feature and sleek flip-screen design make it the most compact and portable Game Boy system ever.

Shrinking transistors have led to less power consumption as well. Many readers will remember the original bulky Game Boy and the constant need for new batteries. The Game Boy Colour only exacerbated the situation.

Worry about the cost of batteries no more. The Game Boy SP is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that is rated for about 10 hours of game play, and approximately 18 hours of continuous play when the Front Light Screen is turned off. Thankfully, it only takes three hours to recharge.

Nintendo thinks the Game Boy Advance SP will become an instant "must-have" gadget when it launches in North America on March 23, 2003, for an estimated retail price of $99.95. It will launch in metallic cobalt and platinum, with more colours expected.

All current and future Game Boy Advance games are compatible with the new system. And similarly, Game Boy Advance SP is backward compatible with virtually all games and accessories previously released in the Game Boy line going back to the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. This library includes over 700 titles in all.

Nintendo will continue to manufacture and sell its current Game Boy Advance system in all of its many colours. Over 12 million units have been sold in North America alone since its launch almost two years ago. Over 120 million Game Boys of different iterations have shipped since 1989.
 
ABCMan

ABCMan

1
closed they are small, open they are the size of a gameboy colour.

you cant use power and headphones at the same time or power or headphones whilst using a gc link cable. the battery is a li-on unit that cant be changed for a set of "aaa"'s if it runs out, its dammned uncomfortable to use with the older or larger flash cards, the e-reader is horrid in use on it and most other accessories either dont fit or are now positioned so badly as to make the unit uncomfortable to use.

if you have fingers much larger than a 10 year olds i'm afraid the tiny l+r buttons vanish under the flip screen resulting in you "clicking" the base of the scren rather than the triggers. the metalic colour units scratch badly with the greatest of ease so try to get a blue or white or black unit rather than the better looking platinum one.

on the plus side the screen is excellent and the buttons/pad are less spongy than the gba ones.
 
Blane

Blane

1
A friend of mine got his from japan 2 weeks ago but, I haven't had a chance to see it yet. He says that the lit screen is alittle brighter than the one he has with the afterburner in it.
 
VIPER_1069

VIPER_1069

1
@ABCMAN i think we crossed that point about accessories in the other thread :)

thanks for the info on the SP tho will consider carefully before laying money out as the GBA original has dropped in price to just £50 new and just £30 for second hand :)
 
ABCMan

ABCMan

1
no in dreamcatcer its memory warehouse they are on about but its too close and such an odd expression i could only think he got it from there.
 
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