Nintendo is probably the best known console manufacturer this world has ever know, the company's hardware legacy began before the video game industry really hit the mainstream. There has always been one thing that Nintendo has always been the master of; releasing new versions of existing hardware/software and tricking the masses into buying it. I mean really, how many companies could have tricked so many people into buying every version of Pokemon just to "catch them all"? I have to admit though, they've tricked me more than once, as I was one of those people who had to own each new version of gameboy as it was released, I now own the original fat gameboy, the gameboy pocket, and the gameboy color; with each one I felt like I was being ripped off, but there's just something about owning the most recently released hardware that just forces me to give in. When rumors began surfacing about Nintendo's latest take on their newest handheld, the Gameboy Advance, I didn't think that they could sucker me in this time; I already own the original gameboy advance, and so why would I need another? I really should have kept asking myself that question as I waited in the checkout line at the store with a platinum Gameboy Advance SP in hand. After getting it though, I don't feel completely ripped off like I did with the others, Nintendo finally got just about everything right this time.
What's Included:
► Gameboy Advance SP Handheld Unit
► Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery
► AC Adapter (For Re-charging Battery)
The System
One thing that you really can't tell from looking at pictures of the Gameboy Advance SP (GBA SP for short) is just how small it is. I was quite surprised with its size after pulling it out of the box and holding it. At first all I could do was hold it and stare, but after getting over its size I had to take even more time to get over just how (for lack of a better word) cool it looks. Nintendo has never really made a piece of hardware that really had the whole "cool" appearance (if you've seen gamecube then you'll know where I'm coming from). Right now I'm just wondering why Nintendo doesn't make a new model of their Gamecube console and enhance it like they did with the Gameboy Advance SP. Despite the fact that the GBA SP looks more technogically advanced than before, it can still be used by small children. Both GBA and your standard Gameboy games snap comfortably into a slot in the front of the unit, and it's just as easy to take them out as it is to put them in.
One of the biggest problems I had with all of the Gameboy reincarnations is the screen, and no, I'm not talking about the lack of a backlight (although that was a bit of a problem), I'm referring to how easily it was scratched. Every single time I would clean off the screen with a soft rag, my shirt, or anything else I could find, the screen would always have a new scratch, they may have been small, but after a while it made it more difficult to look at the screen as the little scratches would become somewhat distracting. For a system that was supposed to conveniently slip into your pocket, it sure didn't pay to carry the GBA around in that manner because of the sensitive screen. Now this is where the Gameboy Advance SP comes in, as the upper part of the GBA SP with the screen folds down over the rest of the unit, this protects it from scratches for sure, but also allows you to fit the unit in a pocket easier than ever before.
Before the Gameboy Advance, Nintendo had always used the same design for their Gameboy units, the unit would always be long vertically, with the screen being at the top just above the buttons. Then the GBA came along and it was quite different, as the unit was long vertically with the screen being located in the center between the buttons, this was much more comfortable than the vertical design of the past. This is why I was skeptic when I first saw the GBA SP, as I figured the unit would be as uncomfortable as the older Gameboys. Surprisingly enough, I found the GBA SP to be slightly more comfortable than the normal GBA, but it's still far from perfect. My hands are about medium size, and I have little trouble hitting the buttons and staying comfortable while in the middle of a game, but the L and R buttons are smaller than they are on the normal GBA, and they just don't feel quite as comfortable anymore.
In what was probably the first thing Nintendo has ever done to benefit gamers, they packed in the only battery you'll probably ever need to get, a lithium-ion battery. What's more is that Nintendo also packaged the AC adapter used to charge it with. Nintendo claims that this battery will support somewhere around 500 charges before it begins wearing down, and each charge offers at least 7 hours of play with the light on, but I've never tried it without using the built in light for at least half the time so I really don't know how much longer a completely charged battery would last if the user did not use the light at all, but I imagine that it would last at least 150% longer. What's really great about charging the battery is that you can actually play while the battery is charging, although the rate of charging will take a bit of a hit.
When Nintendo was thinking up the GBA they knew that their fans wanted a built in light, but Nintendo refused, most likely because it would cost them extra to manufacture the lights, but they always used the same excuse, saying that battery life would be too short, but I never believed that was the reason for a second. Luckily, Nintendo decided to include a light in with the GBA SP, and this just warms my soul to no end. Now I can play anywhere I want to without having to seriously tilt the screen so that I can see. The light works great, and you can actually turn it on and off as you please with the push of a button. The screen illuminates nicely; no longer is staring at the screen a chore. When I first saw someone playing the GBA SP with the light on in person I had a hard time seeing the screen from an angle, and so I thought that it would be as difficult to see when looking head on, but I was wrong.
There is one thing that Nintendo noticeably left off of the GBA SP; the headphone jack. Never before has a handheld in the Gameboy line not come with one of these built right in. I've heard that there is an adapter out there that plugs right into the AC Adapter slot, but I haven't been able to find one, as I'm guessing it's not out yet. Never fear though, as you can still listen to the music through the built in speaker in the GBA SP.
The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same
If you go into a store you won't find any Gameboy Advance SP specific games, as the GBA SP plays the same exact games as the older GBA does. What this means is that if you have a perfect shape GBA around the house than you really won't need to get yourself one of these babies unless you really want the backlight (even though it isn't technically a backlight) function. Personally I would have to say that the GBA SP is much better than the original, but to tell you the truth it feels like Nintendo should have originally made the GBA like this. The extra $30 for the GBA SP really is worth it though, trust me.
Peripheral Support
The GBA SP supports most peripherals that were made with the GBA in mind. You can use pretty much every peripheral that came out of Nintendo themselves, everything from the E-Reader to the Link cable works fine, the only accessories that don't work for the console are the ones that were shaped to fit around the GBA, like the bumpers and handles.
Gameboy Advance Games
Here is some information on games that have already been released for the handheld that anyone new to the GBA should check out.
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Advance Wars was easily been the best Gameboy Advance game, but part 2 improves on what I believed to be a game that couldn't be made any better than it already was. Advance Wars 2 is, without a doubt in my mind, the best strategy game ever conceived, and I've only had the game for a short while. This is one game that you'll be coming back to forever, as the multiplayer is like a whole game in it's own; I would have bought this game even if it only offered battle modes between human players. Any fan of strategy games should look into this game, you will not be disappointed, how could you be?
Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World
Developer: Nintendo
Super Mario World is my favorite of all the GBA Mario games, even though I completely played through it 11 years ago. While there have been a couple of enhancements to the game, there's nothing that will stop you from recognizing it right away, and it's still just as fun as it was when I was a kid. I really don't like companies that continually port their older SNES games to GBA, but this is one of the few cases when I'm glad that they did it, mostly because of the nostalgia I have with this game. No collection should be without this game, that's for sure.
Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$
Developer: Nintendo
Nintendo has always been a fairly innovative company, but who is to suspect otherwise when it's the company who developed the direction pad we're talking about? Wario Ware really surprised me, but in a good way. In recommending this game by no means am I saying that it's a deep experience, or that you'll spend hundreds of hours on it, but it is strictly fun, and definitely easy to get into. Wario Ware is a game chock full of mini games, yet you only play these mini games for a short time each, but with there being over 200 of these bad boys you'll be coming back again and again.
Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire
Developer: Nintendo (Game Freak)
With what began as a simple idea, Nintendo spread it's handheld dominance even more across the world. The word Pokemon is enough to scare any potential handheld manufacturing company. Nintendo has released so many versions of Pokemon that it isn't even funny, but trust me when I say this; Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are definitely the best of the bunch. These games introduce a whole new world to Pokemon, and as expected, even more cute little creatures, but at the same time, Nintendo took out a bunch of their classic monsters, but it's no biggie. Definitely for anyone who is willing to give the series a chance.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
Developer: Nintendo
Another SNES port, but this game has aged pretty well throughout the years, and it now makes for one of the best experiences on the GBA SP. As the second best Zelda title ever, this newer release even includes an addictive multi-player mode referred to as the 4 swords, but good luck setting up a game, as everyone needs a copy and a normal GBA or SP. Hacking up monsters, solving puzzles, and saving maidens is still just as fun as it used to be, but now you can do it even when you're in the car. Simply put, if you own a GBA SP and not this game then I'm disappointed in you.
Upcoming Games
Admit it, you can't really make an educated purchase without first knowing whats to come in the future, and so I'll try to help you here.
Sword of Mana
Developer: Square-Enix
Expected Release: November 2003
Even before Squaresoft and Enix merged together Square pledged full support for the GBA, but it wasn't until later that we first learned which games they were developing for the system. Sword of Mana is a joint venture between Nintendo's own second party Brownie Brown and Square-Enix, I believe that Sword of Mana is not a remake of Secret of Mana, but rather it's a remake of the original Seiken Denetsu which was known as Final Fantasy Adventure in the US. This is easily one of my most anticipated titles for the advanced little handheld.
Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Developer: Nintendo
Expected Release: Sometime around September 2003
One of the greatest games ever (best selling and most hyped too) is due for release in the US in September, I'm just glad that Nintendo finally announced it officially. This game is 2-Dimensional greatness in itself, and few side scrollers have ever been able to match it's sheer quality. Mario Advance 4 introduced the art of flying into side scrollers, and it had more powerups than you can shake a stick at. Go out now and get yourselves hyped for this game, I'm gonna go out right after I finish this review and watch The movie The Wizard.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Developer: Square-Enix
Expected Release: Unknown
Not only do we get a remake of Seiken Denetsu, but Square-Enix is also bringing the love with a brand new Final Fantasy tactics game. This is the first time since the Square branch has decided to follow up their highly acclaimed strategy RPG with a sequel, and I couldn't be happier with the way it's turning out. This is another game to mark for greatness, let's just all thank Nintendo licensing Square to develop GBA games. Now if only Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for Gamecube showed as much promise as this one.
Mario and Luigi
Developer: Nintendo
Expected Release: Unknown
Now here's a game with real potential; Mario and Luigi is a follow up to Paper Mario on the N64, only this time you'll be able to control Luigi in the game. From what I've read, the demo for this game was extremely fun to play through at E3, and it might even be able to top the slightly overrated Paper Mario on the N64. From what I've seen, the games look much alike each other, but this certainly is not a bad thing at all. If everything goes well then you can expect this game to turn out to be a top notch RPG.
Sonic Battle
Developer: Sega
Expected Release: Early 2004
Out of everything the media reported on from E3, this game has intrigued me the most. Sonic Battle is a 4 player fighting game, in a close arena each player (or computer controlled character) fights off each other and tries to knock enemies out. This game is played from a semi 3-D view, with a rotating camera and the like. Players will be able to select their character and super moves for the fight. Obviously the best thing about this game will be it's link cable mode, I can't even imagine how frantic the game would be if four players were linked together duking it out.
Final Recommendation
The Gameboy Advance SP is the best handheld system currently on the market. Buying one of these is a good investment; the Gameboy Advance SP will be number one for a long time, probably until Nintendo releases the next version, as I don't even see the future release of the Playstation Pocket taking any serious market share from Nintendo in the handheld department. If you were considering picking up a standard Gameboy Advance because it's $30 cheaper than let me tell you this; you'll save that much just on the batteries. The Gameboy Advance SP is the first thing Nintendo has done right in a while.
The Nintendo Write-Off
This is a submission to the 3rd annual Nintendo w/o hosted by Rock_on. Please check out his profile for a list of the participants.
Can't Make Up Your Mind? Check Out My Nintendo DS and Sony PSP Reviews:
Sony PSP Review
Nintendo DS Review
