Game Boy Advance SP

By JON MINIFIE

(Herald Rating * * * * *)

Game Boy Advance has been a winner for go-anywhere gaming since its release two years ago. Taking over from the Game Boy Color it packed a hefty punch into a sleek, pocket-friendly design that was hard to put down.

Now almost two years later, Nintendo has upped the ante again with the release of the Game Boy Advance SP.

The design of the GBA SP sets it apart immediately, with stylish lines and designer colours putting it alongside other must-have items in the modern mobile lifestyle.

But the change is more than cosmetic. Flick the power, flip up the lid and the performance upgrade is immediately apparent.

The new front-lit LCD screen is a real gem and improves
considerably the game experience.

Backed up with the grunty new Lithium Ion rechargeable battery, players will be able to go longer, with less fatigue, in virtually any lighting conditions.

Despite the radically different physical appearance, vital statistics – weight, screen size and CPU – surprisingly, remain the same.

The GBA SP actually feels lighter, perhaps because the weight of the hinged screen sits over the controls rather than being slung between them, and while the slim case looks small it was a comfortable fit, even for ham-fisted gamers like myself.

Front-lit LCD makes the pixels jump out at you no matter what the conditions and performs consistently even if the light changes, improving even further playability outdoors or sitting next to the bus window.

No more angling the screen to catch the light or losing visibility at critical moments if a shadow falls across you. The hinge design lets you move and set the screen through a full 180 degrees to suit your head/neck angle, which is useful in eliminating reflections and essential in obtaining maximum comfort levels while stretched out on the couch or under a tree.

With more than 28,000 sold here in New Zealand alone, the Game Boy Advance has already been a huge success. Monaco Corporation Ltd, third party distributors for Nintendo products in New Zealand, is confident that the GBA platform has a future alongside the GBA SP.

In the words of Ben Ward, product manager for the category: "The GBA SP is an expansion of the Game Boy Advance line, not a replacement for the current unit.

"We plan to continue to sell Game Boy Advance. We believe the two products, with different pricing and features, will sell well side-by-side for some time.

"The current Game Boy Advance is more than meeting the needs of millions of players worldwide. GameBoy Advance SP is more for those who want game play flexibility in more lighting conditions."

$249.95

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