Game Boy Advance SP

Improvements Over the Past Generation

Nintendo added a number of enhancements to the GBA-SP. The system is still backwards-compatibile with all Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color and Game Boy games, but with a feast of extras.

Front Lighting

Previous systems had no internal light for the screen. In order to see the action, players had to tilt and move the system or sit in awkward positions to get just the right view.

The Game Boy Advance SP has lights sandwiched between glass and the actual screen. When the unit is switched on, the lights illuminate the pixels and allow playing in any light conditions.

Some users criticized the choice of front lighting as opposed to a backlight. In high-contrast situations, a faint "ghost" image can sometimes be seen on the screen. Nintendo addressed these concerns with a new, backlit SP model released in September of 2005. The Game Boy Micro, another upgrade to the Game Boy line, uses a backlit screen, as does the third-tier system the Nintendo DS.

Rechargeable Battery

Previous Game Boy systems used two (or more) AA batteries for power. For the SP, Nintendo opted for a rechargeable lithium ion battery similar to the kind found in laptops. Gamers simply plug the GBA-SP into an electrical outlet to charge the battery over the course of a few hours. The SP can be played for 10 hours on a single charge, or up to 18 hours if the front/backlight feature is not used.

Clamshell Design

Game Boy systems had previously employed a simple design with the screen and buttons on the face of the unit. The Game Boy Advance SP took the screen and moved it to a swivel-top similar to a laptop. Closing the system protects the buttons and screen from damage.

Headphones

A much-criticized move on Nintendo's part, the GBA-SP uses a different headphone type than previous Game Boy systems. Owners had to purchase an adaptor or buy a special headphones to use with their system. The reasons behind this choice were design limitations due to the smaller size of the SP compared to its predecessors.

The Games

The GBA-SP can play all games designed for the Game Boy systems. Older games are shown in rudimentary colors with a slightly adjusted resolution due to the larger screen. Also, because original Game Boy cartridges were twice the size of current Game Boy Advance games, they stick out substantially when inserted.

Because game carts are loaded upside-down at the bottom of the system, older Game Boy and Game Boy Color games that utilize a tilt sensor have their controls reversed. Newer games, such as Wario Ware Twisted! correct this.

Other Game Boy Systems

The Game Boy Advance SP is part of a rich line of Game Boy systems.

• Game Boy
• Game Boy Pocket
• Game Boy Color
• Game Boy Advance (GBA)
• Game Boy Advance SP
• Game Boy Micro

More information about these systems can be found in our Game Boy Systems article.