Let's see a show of hands, how many of you think of kids when you hear someone mention a Game Boy? It's true that these handheld game machines from Nintendo are primarily marketed towards children. But guess what? Adults can love them too! I know I do. Having owned the original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color, I was extremely interested when I first read the news about the Game Boy Advance SP. It finally included the features I'd been waiting years for. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. How about a quick history lesson first...

The original Game Boy unit was first introduced in Japan in 1988 (1989 in the USA). It had an 8bit Z80 based processor, 160x144 pixel, 4 gray scale screen, 4 channel sound and ran 15-30 hrs on 4 AA batteries. In 1996 the Game Boy Pocket was introduced. This model was smaller in size, had a better contrast screen and ran for 10hrs on 2 AAA batteries. Then in 1999 the Game Boy Color was released. It had an 8Mhz Z80 based processor, 160x144 pixel, 56 (out of 32000) color screen, 4 channel sound and ran 13 hours on 2 AA batteries. Two years later in 2001, the first radical change to the Game Boy design was released with the Game Boy Advance. It sported a larger screen, 240x160 pixel, horizontal layout and a faster processor. Now, it's 2003 and Nintendo has added another new model to their collection. The Game Boy Advance SP.

Hardware Specifications:

CPU: 32-Bit RISC with embedded memory
Memory: 32 Kbyte + 96 Kbyte VRAM (in CPU), 256 Kbyte WRAM (external of CPU)
Screen: 2.9in diagonal, reflective TFT color front lit LCD, 240 x 160 pixels capable of displaying 32,768 simultaneous colors in bitmap mode
Size: (closed) 3.3 x 3.23 x 0.96 in.
Weight: 5 oz.
Power: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery, 10 hours continuous play with light on, 18 hours with light off, 3 hours recharging time

Are you wondering what the "SP" in the name stands for? It stands for special. Though the performance is exactly the same as that of the original Game Boy Advance, the new Game Boy Advance SP has a compact folding design, rechargeable batteries and finally a back light for the display! Other than these three changes, this new unit has the same functionality as the regular Advance unit. Both can play the entire library of Game Boy games.

Physically, the SP reminds me of an original Game Boy that has been folded in half. It has a boxy shape with rolled edges. Available in Platinum or Cobalt case colors, I chose Platinum. When closed the unit is very small. Small enough to easily fit in a pocket or bag. The case is very solid and stood up to my patented (ok, I haven't patented it - yet) squeeze/creak test.

The game cartridge slot is at the bottom front of the unit. Game Boy Advance carts fit flush with the front of the casing. Older original carts stick out about 1.25 inches. Although this looks awkward, the carts don't get in the way of your hands as you hold and play with the unit.

On the left side is a small slider switch that controls the volume level of the speaker. On the right side is an On/Off power switch and 2 status LEDs. The top LED glows green while the unit is powered on and changes from green to red when the battery life drops to 30% - 20%. The LED below it is the battery charging LED. It glows amber while the batteries are charging, and turns off when charging is complete.

On the back of the unit is the AC adapter and External Extension connectors. The AC adapter connector also doubles as the headphone jack. Yeah, it doesn't look like any stereo jack that I've ever seen either! Unfortunately, to use the Game Boy Advance SP with headphones, you're going to have to purchase an adapter separately (less than $5). This adapter will give you a 3.5mm jack that any standard set of earphones can plug into. There is a caveat, you won't be able to charge the batteries and listen through headphones at the same time. Pffft! The External Extension connector allows you to use a link cable to link Game Boy units for multiplayer games, or interact with a GameCube.

On the 'shoulders' of the SP are 2 spring loaded Left and Right buttons. These buttons do different things depending on the game cartridge loaded in the slot. One cool feature that I discovered when using the SP with old original Game Boy games is that pressing these buttons changes the display from regular to wide screen format. It stretches the image to fill the screen. Older games were only 160 x 144 pixels.

left to right: normal mode, wide screen mode

Opening the cover reveals the screen, buttons and speaker grill. Although the screen isn't held closed with a latch, it will not fall open on its own, even if you shake the unit when it is upside down. When opened, the screen folds back approximately 140 degrees which is a great viewing angle for playing games.

Sound-wise, the front speaker is loud enough in most situations. For noisy environments though, you're going to want earphones...

The button layout is pretty much classic Game Boy. The 4 way navigation pad is on the left and the A / B buttons are directly across from it. Above these buttons is the screen light toggle and below them are the Select and Start buttons. Playing games on the SP is great. The unit is comfortable to hold, and the buttons have very good tactile feedback, and are easy to press.

The frontlit display is the best new feature of the SP as far as I'm concerned. Now you can enjoy playing games in any lighting condition. You don't need an overhead light to allow you to see the screen like you had to have with the Game Boy Color and original Advance units. The new front light makes the screen as bright as playing with an unlit screen in a bright room... if that makes any sense. The only thing I wish is that the light was just a little brighter and that there was a way to adjust the brightness / contrast. The only display adjustment that you have available to you now, is On or Off. The display on the SP isn't as bright as a Pocket PC on its brightest setting. It's about as half as bright. Playing outside in the direct sunlight is great too! In bright sunlight, you can use the light toggle button to turn off the light to save your batteries.

I love this little game machine. I can put it in my bag, and have it with me anytime I'm in the mood to hack and slash with the Lord of the Rings. Not having to buy batteries for it, is a real plus as well! Should you buy the Game Boy Advance SP? At $100, if you already have the Advance and don't mind not having a lighted screen, then I would say no to upgrading. But, if you don't have a Game Boy unit at all, and are looking to buy one, then definitely get this one! It's compact, fun and not just for kids!

Price: $99.99

Pros:
Frontlit screen
Compact size
Rechargeable battery
Plays all games

Cons:
Doesn't have a standard earphone jack. Must buy an adapter separately
No brightness / contrast control