Game Boy Advance SP, Onyx
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.
Early Adopters Pick: March 2003. As the world's smallest video-game platform, the Game Boy Advance SP is also the first to use a built-in rechargeable battery. Many decried the original Game Boy Advance's reflective LCD screen and its reliance on external light sources. The Game Boy Advance SP's main feature--optional backlighting--fixes this complaint nicely, but it's the wealth of other features that makes this system so surprisingly good. At first look, you might think the SP is a sleek travel alarm clock. When closed, it's just as tall and deep as the original GBA, but only half as wide. Due to its clamshell design, the screen is always protected from everyday scratches. A small button in the center of the console turns on the backlighting element for use in low-light situations, like in a moving car.  The SP comes with a well-designed power adapter that recharges a built-in battery; its prongs fold in for easier storage. Our informal tests found that it takes about four hours to fully charge (you can even play it while it's plugged in and charging), and the battery lasts about 11 hours with the backlighting constantly on--your results may vary. Using the backlighting less often will conserve battery power.
 | | With separately sold cables , you can connect the Game Boy Advance SP to other GBAs for multiplayer gaming (above) or to the Nintendo GameCube (below) to access secret levels, exchange data, or use other special features that vary from game to game. |  |
The quality of the backlighting is very good. It's bright and clear when looking directly at it, but degraded from other angles. This is only a problem for friends who are watching the screen from over your shoulder. But size, power, and affordability do not come without trade offs. There's no headphone jack here, though Nintendo promises an adapter. The system isn't very loud at its highest volume, and the sound can be turned down to socially acceptable levels. The L and R shoulder buttons are a fraction of the size they were on the GBA, and thus are harder to hit. Also, the reduced size of the SP is slightly less comfortable for adult hands than the GBA, but perhaps more comfortable for smaller hands. The cartridge port placement on the lower part of the console is fine for GBA games, since they are flush with the console body, but older Game Boy Color carts will stick out in a way that takes some getting used to. Open it up and the hinge will seek out a preferred, pre-set angle (about 150 degrees), though you can open it a bit wider or narrower for your own comfort. The hinge stands up well to lateral pressure, and over all, the SP seems just as rugged as its predecessor--which has proven to be very rugged, indeed. --Porter B. Hall Unit Specifications - CPU: 32-Bit ARM with embedded memory
- Memory: 32 KB with 96 KB VRAM (in CPU), 256 KB WRAM (external of CPU)
- Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD
- Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)
- Resolution: 240 x 160 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio
- Colors: 511 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768
- Software: Fully compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color game paks
- Light Source: Front light integrated with LCD
- Size (closed): 3.3 by 3.23 by .96 inch
- Weight: Approximately 5 ounces
- Power Supply: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Battery Life: 10 hours continuous play with light on; 18 hours with light off; 3 hours recharging
Game Boy Advance SP, Onyx Accessories
 Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3
For Nintendo DS / Gameboy Advance GBA SP -Home/ Wall/ Travel AC Charger by Eforcity
Pokemon Fire Red Version
Pokemon Emerald Version
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Super Mario Advance
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Pokemon Leaf Green Version
Pokemon Sapphire
Pokemon Ruby
Game Boy Advance SP, Onyx Reviews
Much better then the Game Boy Advance, and better then the DS I think, and theres still alot of good games out for it, so my advice is to get it.
My son is autistic and has an obsession with his gameboy, taking it everywhere he goes. I wanted to write this review to express my joy that this toy, which means so much to my son, could take quite a beating. He was devastated when it stopped working and could not understand why he was no longer able to play it. When I caught him doing this, there was water everywhere, which leads me to believe he had been doing it for a few minutes.
Using a can of compressed air, I blew out water from every opening I could find. I took out the game cartage and the battery and left it all out to dry. A few days later, I put it all back together and gave it a try. I was amazed. The only game I can really comment on is Super Mario Brother Advanced since this is the only game my son wants to play on it. I thought for sure it was ruined.
It worked. Not only was the gameboy itself working, but the game cartage was working too. I enjoy it too when I'm allowed to play. When I took the gameboy out of the water, it was soaked and obviously not working. Not only did it survive a swish through the toilet, it has held up to many falls to the floor. This may be an unusual review, but I had to share.
:-) A few weeks ago, my five-year-old son decided it would be fun to "swish" his gameboy around in our toilet. It is a wonderful product. But, not wanting to throw away an $80 toy, I decided to try to save it.
Eat was very hard to see what I was doing in the light and was really bright at night.I recommend getting the psp or nintendo ds lite. One good thing about it though is that it can run on a fully-charged battery for a long time. The gameboy's graphics are really bad.
Just make sure that you don't scratch the screen. I don't know how NINTENDO invented this. This is awsome.
It's even cheap nowadays, so buy it and you won't regret it. Well, there's a light inside the screen that you can turn off or on (without will save you battery life). So far I own 7 games and I still have fun playing them.
You can take this anywhere you go and you won't need batteries (a huge relief). Overall, this is a system for kids and it's definitely worth it. The Gameboy Advance SP is mainly for kids, seeing that there are alot of kiddie games for the system and it's definitely not breakable (unlike the PSP).
There is a battery inside the Gameboy, so you can just load it up. I've had this system for more than 2 years now and I haven't had any problems period. While playing at night you'll need a light.
It's also easy to get used to.
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