Game Boy Advance SP - Platinum

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.

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

The new Game Boy Advance SP works essentially the same way previous Game Boy Advance models have--and plays the same selection of games--but adds a number of thoughtful features to the design. The most obvious difference you'll see is the lighting feature built into the screen, so you can play in low-light situations without bulky external game lights that too often leave a hot spot on the screen or fail to reach the corners. You can shut off this internal light to squeeze a little more playing time out of the power source if you're in a situation with enough light to see the SP's reflective screen.

Speaking of power sources, the SP comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides between 10 and 18 hours of gameplay from a three-hour charge. Also, the new clamshell design will offer protection for the screen from scratches when it's all closed up. --Porter B. Hall

- Nouveau format de poche grâce à l’écran supérieur rabattable qui permet une taille encore plus compacte.
- Dimensions : 82 mm x 84,6 mm x 24,3 mm (L x H x P) pour un poids d’environ 143 g.
- Nouvel écran à cristaux liquides rétroéclairé commutable.
- Incorporation d’une nouvelle batterie rechargeable au lithium Ion qui permet environ 10 heures de jeu en continu pour près de 3 heures de temps de recharge.
- Si le rétroéclairage n’est pas utilisé, l’autonomie augmente et passe à environ 18 heures de jeu.
- Trois couleurs métallisées disponibles (argent, bleu et noir).
- Affiche jusqu'à 32.000 couleurs simultanément.
- Dimensions de l’écran : 40,8 mm x 61,2 mm.
- Résolution 240 x 160 pixels.
- Processeur 32 bits avec mémoire intégrée.
- Mode multijoueur possible jusqu'à 4 joueurs grâce au câble Game Link.
- Compatible avec la quasi-totalité des jeux Game Boy et Game Boy Advance existants.

Le Game Boy Advance SP est vraiment de la taille de votre poche, avec une profondeur de 84,6 mm, une largeur de 82 mm et une épaisseur de seulement 20,3 mm. Nintendo n’a pas seulement redessiné son Game Boy Advance, il y a ajouté des innovations majeures : il dispose désormais d’un écran rétroéclairé rabattable et une batterie au lithium comparable à celle des téléphones portables et offrant plus de 10 heures d’autonomie. Si le rétroéclairage n’est pas utilisé, l’autonomie augmente et passe à environ 18 heures de jeu.

La console possède les mêmes capacités techniques qui ont permis au Game Boy Advance de connaître un immense succès en Europe et sera disponible dans une gamme de trois couleurs métallisées : argent, bleu et noir.

Tous les jeux pour Game Boy Advance sortis et à venir sont compatibles avec la nouvelle console. De même, le Game Boy Advance SP est rétrocompatible, ce qui signifie qu’il peut fonctionner avec quasiment tous les accessoires et jeux sortis sur Game Boy.