Handheld Video Game Systems: Game Boy Advance SP. Yes sir, I like it!

Quick Facts:
Game Boy Advance SP Hand Held Video Game system, manufactured by Nintendo in 2003. 2.9 inch screen size, backwards compatible with all GBA and GB games. Rechargable lithium ion battery, system priced about $90 at the time of this review.

Full Review:

I didn't own an original game boy advance. As a proud owner of an Atari Lynx in the early 90's, I was convinced that any hand held system without a built in lighting feature was a waste of time and effort. I had an original Game Boy, but found the lighting of the Lynx to make it so much more enjoyable, that there was no reason for me to have any sort of hand held that did not contain a light. Also, I didn't have much call for a hand held system at the time of the GBA's release, so I didn't think much of it.

In May of last year, I went on vacation to Florida, and decided - what the heck, now's the time to buy Game Boy Advance SP. I was going to be on planes, waiting in lines, in hotel rooms at night... And my new job at the time had me travelling quite a bit as well, on buses, in hotel rooms... I found myself craving a video game system on several occasions.

Unfortunately, the GBA SP had just been released, and was of course, impossible to find. Luckily I had a connection at a regional Electronics Boutique, and I was able to get my paws on one shortly before my vacation. I purchased the GBA, 4 titles, and was set to go.

Like everything else I use, it took me a while to really start to make use of the GBA. I got sporadic use of it on my vacation, and really didn't touch it much until I started travelling for work again in the fall. It was then that I fell in love with my Game Boy Advance SP, and started finding excuses to play it. In the bathroom, before bed, short breaks at my computer while waiting for other things to happen - even commercial breaks during television viewing.

So while there was a 6 month lag time, the GBA is now a major part of my day to day life, and the thing really is incredible. The unit is very small, and it folds together, making it very portable and easy to store - as well as making worrying about damage to it/the screen a thing of the past. There are a variety of cool colors available (Mine is silver), so the thing looks and travels well - without necessarily LOOKING like a video game unit.

The screen is a large 2.9 inches - and backlit, making games easy to play and easy to see. The backlight can be turned off in direct light, though there is no actual brightness/contrast switch, which would have been a nice addition.

Buying hordes of batteries and changing them on the go is also a thing of the past. GPA SP comes with a rechargable Lithium Ion battery that lasts well over 10 hours with each charge, and it takes about 3 hours to charge the unit. The battery is said to be good for about 500 charges, though I am no where near that number at this point.

The SP is also backwards compatible - It not only plays all GBA titles, but all Game Boy and Game Boy Color games as well, on a backlit, larger screen - so you can get your monies worth out of some of your favorite games. My mother still plays her original Dr. Mario on her Game Boy Advance SP. You can use the trigger buttons to stretch out the screen if you want to fill it out, otherwise the games play at the original GB dimensions.

The controls are easy to use, with your standard D Pad, select, start, and A and B buttons. Perhaps the biggest flaw with the GBA SP is the shoulder (L and R) buttons. With the unit being so small, the buttons are uncomfortable located on the back of the thing, which can make manipulating them difficult especially for us so called "adults".

Another complaint about the GBA SP is the lack of a headphone adapter. There is an optional unit available, but otherwise you'll have to rely on the speaker, which is mono - and the volume control. While not a big deal to me, a headphone jack would have been a nice addition. Games always sound different (as does most music) with headphones as well.

It may just be the titles I have played, but for a handheld unit, I have found it very difficult to play several of the games while actually travelling - on buses, trains, planes, whathaveyou. The controls are precise on most titles, and moving and bumping can make it hard to control, and hard to see as things move across the screen. Similarly, fast paced games like Mario Kart Advance move so fast that the screen blurs at times, and it makes the graphics defition hard to make out sometimes. Minor complaints, but complaints nonetheless.

What I liked:

BACKLIT!

Portable, small - secure.

Rechargable built in batteries!

What I didn't like:

Shoulder buttons a tad awkward.

No headphone jack.

Sometimes its tough to play games on the road.

Overall:

I know that Sony has a handheld unit coming out soon, and there are rumors of others on the horizon. But the little handheld that could, Nintendo's Game Boy, has survived and surpassed all challengers thus far. And with an incredible and deep library, picking up an SP is a no lose proposition. If you love games, but sometimes find it hard to find time in front of the Television - or if you find yourself on the road, pick one of these up.

Mr_D