SP still holds it own aganst the DS and the PSP

Author's Rating:

Pros: tons of game, back lit screen on the new ones

Cons: small L and R buttons, keeping track of the adapter.

The Bottom Line: 
GBA SP

Author's Review
I got my GBA SP a year ago when I saw it on sale and since I had been having trouble with my GBA seeing how I broke a piece in the back where the batteries are held using my Pelican recharger. It only worked with the rechargeable batteries and even though I used the recharger more then regular batteries it was a bit of pain on long trips. Besides I wanted to see how good the GBA SP lighting ability is.

I went home and put in a game and I have to say that the GBA SP is definitely worth the upgrade from classic GBA. Even with the DS out it’s worth getting a GBA SP mainly because of a few of the special features that are found on the classic GBA. Which includes the ability to play older GB and GBC games, and the ability to hook up with the Gamecube.

So what’s the GBA SP like.

The GBA is 32 bit which means it’s more powerful then the SNES that was out 10 years ago. The graphics in a lot of games are better then that of the SNES has well. With the exception of screen resolution that is, it’s not quite has good has the SNES in that area but other then that the graphics are better then they where on the consoles 10 years ago. What this means is that we get a lot of good 2d games, a lot of them are ports from the SNES, and a lot of them are games that we haven’t seen since those days of classic gaming.

So what’s new on the GBA SP the answer is a lot. It plays all the titles that the older gameboy advance plays and the screen is the same side but other then that there are a lot of changes, and with the exception of one there are all for the better.

First off comes the biggest improvement and that is the screen lighting. The original GBA took a horizontal screen that was just to dark to reflect enough light to see the bigger screen it provided while it was lying flat. The GBA SP screen sets at an angle so more light hits the screen and bounces back to your eye, the end result the screen is a lot easier to see even without a light.

Yes that’s right the GBA SP is the first GBA to have a light. It’s a light that sits in front and not the back so there is some glare issues playing in fairly normal light, there is some cases when your close to normal light where turning the light on will actually make the game harder to see. But in below to no light the GBA SP works well enough to see the whole screen easy enough. (note: the new GBA SP’s come with a back screen light)

So does it past the Castlevania circle of the moon test, one of everybody’s favorite GBA game, but it had a problem that you couldn’t see it on the classic. Well it’s a mixed bag in that area in normal light the game is still hard to see with the GBA SP, and in normal light the GBA SP light actually makes things worse. But when it’s dark or low light Castlevania comes out perfectly and just has well has it did with the Gameboy player. And when it comes to Castlevania it’s best to play it in the dark anyways.

Next thing they changed is that the GBA SP now has a flip cover. You can close the screen and it becomes really small and it’s easy to fit in almost any pocket. Best of all it makes it easy enough to carry around the unit without scratching or cracking the screen. Because when closed all damage goes to the hard clamshell case that the GBA SP has. I’ve dropped it several times and while the outside has scratches and dents, the area where the screens and controls doesn’t have a scratch on it.

Another thing Nintendo has changed is that they go rid of the need to have double A batteries around. The thing is now entirely rechargeable. It comes with an adapter just plug it in and charge it for 3 hours and it will be fully charged. A fully charged battery lasts about 8 to 10 hours with the light on, longer if you have the light on. The bad part though is that on really long trips you will have to take the adapter and recharge it whenever there is an outlet. And if you loose the adapter your up the creek without a paddle in till you can reorder one from Nintendo.

Finally the controls have changed and this is where the bad part comes in. While the control pad in this is better then the old GBA SP lying flatter and just more responsive then that of the old GBA. Problem comes with the L and R unlike the classic which had the big comfy L and R which where easy to use, the SP has small L and R buttons that go right where your hands go. It’s easy to put pressure on these buttons and get them to activate even when you didn’t mean to press them, and if you have large fingers it can even pinch them a little bit even.

Other then that the GBA SP is definitely a worthy upgrade.

Games.
Ok when it comes to portable gaming you can’t beat Nintendo Gameboy and the GBASP can pretty much play all of them. So what games do I recommend hear is just a few and in random order.
GBA games

Mega Man and Bass.
The last game of the Mega Man series finally arrives on our shores in the GBA, pick either Mega Man or Bass and go out to battle Dr.Wily in this hard has hell but action packed adventure.

Mega Man Battlenetwork.
Mega Man Battle network takes the classic NES series Mega Man and remakes them into this unique RPG. Rather then being robots there now computer programs called Navi’s that help there users surf and manipulate the net. Mega man his operator Lan are on a mission to stop the evil organization called World 3 from taking over.

Mega Man Zero.
Mega Zero has well has Zero 2 and Zero 3 are all great games. 100 years has past since the X series and Zero has reawaken from 100 years sleep to find an evil clone of X has been wrecking the place. The only hope for reploids to survive this new enemy is him and a strange cyber elf who seems to always appear and lend a helping hand at the right time. These games are all pretty tough so don’t get into them if you don’t like getting your butt kicked.

Metroid Zero Mission.
A remake of the original Metroid game comes off with a lot of improvement over the original. The stage designs now make sense. You have map so you know where to go, and a whole bunch of new items and story lines. The game is a bit on the easy side but the original Metroid game is there to unlock upon completing the remake.

Astro Boy.
It’s sad to see games like Astro Boy bomb so bad. But it’s not to late to pick up this solid action title. In Astro Boy you have to solve a mystery in what causes the world to be destroyed 5 years in the future. After you complete the game the first time Astro gains the ability to stage select and jump back and forth through times. Astro main ability to punch bad guys off the screen. Has he does this he gains power for his big special moves that can be done with the L and R buttons. The game is well balanced to where gaining EX power is has easy to get has it is to use up has some big enemies and bosses require a few blows from Astro guns in order to kill. Astro boy is one title that shouldn’t be missed.

Castlevania Circle of the Moon.
The game was hard to see on the original GBA screen, and viewing it on the GBA SP is only so so inless it’s completely dark with the GBA SP light turn on. And what better way to play this game then in the dark. Your Nathan Graves and your master has been captured by Dracula and is going to be used in a ritual to bring Drac to full power, to make it worse his son who is supposed to be helping you in his rescue has turn to the dark side. Nathan decides to grab a whip and go kick some undead booty. This game has a Metroid type quality has the stages are non linear mazes just like Metroid, and there’s plenty of back tracking.

Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance.
This Castlevania isn’t has good has the other 2 on the GBA but it’s still a solid action title if you keep your GBA SP sound on mute. This time you take the Juste Belmont and once again a friend has been captured and taken into a castle filled with undead monsters. But it turns out there are two castles to explore, one evil and one less evil to explore and find pieces to help put Drac back together so you can tear him apart.

Castlevania Aria of Sorrow.
This takes place in 2035 this time. Your Soma Cruz an exchange student to Japan, when walking to a shrine to meet with your friend Mina your transported to Dracula’s Castle that has been concealed in the eclipsed that has just happen. The only way out is to explore the castle and find a way to get to the throne room. The only problem is there are a bunch of characters in the castle who are looking for Drac’s power. Some to destroy it, others to use it for there own nefarious means and Soma gets caught in the cross fire.

Mario Kart Super Circuit.
Mario Kart invented the kart racing genere on the SNES and Super Mario Super circuit has all these great courses has unlockables, along with a whole lot of new ones. The graphics are also pretty great has well using some of the prerendered racers the N64 did. If you’re into racers then Mario Kart Super Circuit is one great game to get.

Super Mario Advance 2 Super Mario World.
Super Mario world was the launch game for the SNES and is probably one of the best Mario games of all time. And for the most part it is ported well to the GBA, they did dumb down the challenge a bit by giving you two hits when you’re a cape or fire Mario rather then one, has well as easier to get colored Yoshi’s. But the true fun and exploration of the original game is still there, and if you really want a challenge you can play has Luigi you plays incredibly like he does in the lost levels.

Sonic Advance.
Ok lets face it the Sonic games on the 3d consoles aren’t as stellar as his Sega Genesis years. But Sonic does it right on the GBA and Sonic Advance is one fast pace action platforming ride. Choose from 4 different characters as you go around and destroy robotnicks creation.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
Despite my no recommendation FFTA can be an addictive game that caught me stuck playing it pretty much every waking hour for 2 weeks. It’s to bad that a stupid little trap that Square Enix put in the game almost made me start over made me lower it’s ratings a lot. Just say no to saving on the final stage and you’ll want have my problems with the game. Anyways the game is about Marche a young boy in the town of St Ivalice, when he and his friends read a magic book and wish to be in the world of final fantasy the book grants there wish. Marche wakes up the next day in the world of Final Fantasy and must now go on a quest to find a way back to his world.

Pokemon Sapphire.
In Nintendo’s upgrade to the GBA gives us 100 more of the little creatures to capture and battle plus a huge over world to explore. If you’re a fan of the Pokemon series then this will defitnley give you a lot to do.

Pokemon Leaf Green.
An update on Pokemon Blue throws in the orginal map and adventure from the orginal along with the all new Pokemon from gold and silver. And while there are plenty of been there and done that situations there are a few suprises to keep any Pokenut on there toes. A must have game for the GBA.

Yugioh 7 trails to glory.
The Yugioh games have been a mixed bag, either they have the correct card game down to a tee but have next to no presentation to them, or they have a story adventure quest and they screw up the card game part of it. 7 Trails to Glory shows that Konami is at least attempting to give us a little bit of both. In this you’re an unknown duelist that is allow to walk around challenge people to duels and earn money to buy cards and enter tournaments. With the exception of a few bugs in the game the card game formula is followed to the letter, and to keep you on the toes the cards that are restricted changes from time to time. If your fan of the Yugioh card game then you might want to put your money down on this.

Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.
The original Kingdom Hearts for the Ps2 turned out to be one of the best games this generation. Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories is a side story that connects the original and it’s Ps2 sequel. In this one Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy wind up in a mysterious castle where all the memories of the Disney worlds they visit come alive in the castles wall. All there magic and attacks have been turned into playing cards. And worst there starting to loose all there memories the higher they go. What’s causing this and how can they stop it.

GBA games that shouldn’t be touched.
The GBA is a good system with lots of good games, but there are lots of game that belong in the trash can and not just the bargain bin. Stay away from these games.

Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase.
A mediocre platform that gets dull and tedious fast. Your goal is to go through each computer generated world and find clues to who created an evil cyber virus. Every time you die you loose a character from the mystery inc gang. But the platforming gets old fast has the rest of the game just goes around collecting Scooby Snacks. But on the bright side you get Daphne in a bikini.

Iridion 3d.
For those of us who like to argue gameplay over graphics Iridion 3d is a perfect example. This game was released with the original GBA and proofed to any skeptics that the GBA was not the GBC with a bigger screen. The graphics push the GBA to its limit and created simulated 3d environments for this gradius like shooter. Problem is that the power ups don’t do anything and with the exception of a few stages there is nothing in the environment to interact with. After the flash wares out so will the fun in Irdion 3d

Masters of the Universe.
I like the old cheesy classic cartoon series, and I liked the remake that CN made a few years ago. But this game is pretty mediocre. The stages aren’t that exciting, jumping over pits are impossible. And it takes several hits for He-Man to kill enemies or break through stuff, I always knew that the strongest man in the universe was a self proclaimed title.

X-men raise of the apocalypse.
This arcade like brawler proofs disappointing. The graphics are a mix bag while some stages and backgrounds are well done, the rest are done poorly. Same thing with character design, some characters are animated well while the rest are done poorly. Add in the stages go on forever and that large characters come on screen and just fill it up with punches and kicks that it’s impossible to move, stages go on forever. It’s a game to avoid.

NFL Blitz 2002.
Now I am not talking about the smooth, hard hitting action that the console games offer, I am talking about the crappy games that grace the GBA with the same name. The action is slow, the character art is laughable, and the game can’t even remember what yard you’re on. I recommend buying this game only if your interested in what a microwave can do to a GBA game.

Dragon Ball Z the Legacy of Goku.
This game belongs in the HFIL, or uncut version Hell. The game is rather short but you’ll be passed out from boredom long before this game is done. Basically you play through the Sayian and Frieza sagas from the DBZ series. The game play is terrible you can only move in the 4 compass directions and the hit detection is horrendous. Add in some stupid fetch quest that has you blasting evil squirrels (don’t ask) to level up this game should be skipped.

Classic GB games.
GBA SP will probably be the last portable console to support the older Gameboy games and there are a lot of classics worth taking a look into.

Super Mario Land.
Super Mario Land was the first Mario game to be released on the classic gameboy and it’s a classic Mario platformer for the old black white portable.

Metroid 2 return of Samus.
In this one Samus sent to the Metroid home planet to destroy every last one of them. Unlike the previous Metroid the maze is more progressive, after you kill a certain amount of metriods the lava in the areas shrink and allow you to continue.

Donkey KongDonkey Kong.
Don’t think the arcade game or even the home ports when you think about this quirky puzzle game from the early 90’s. While the first few stages are from the arcade after that it becomes an action puzzle game. The idea of the game is to stop DK and rescue Pauline and after the first few stages the Ape runs into whole new areas. From there Mario will have to find keys and figure out ways to get them to the door ways. Especially since he can’t climb ladders while holding keys. There’s plenty of traps and other scenarios that the plumber will have to avoid to make it through.

Gameboy Color
The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening DX
A classic GB game got a GBC remake in the late 90’s and the colors really suit the game well. When Link’s ship gets destroyed in a violent storm he is shipwrecked on Koholint Island. The problem is that even though the island is inhabitant the idea of a world outside of the island is strange to these people and there is no ship off the island. Has Link explores for a way off the island he is informed about the wind fish a creature that might help him in his quest if Link could find a way to wake him up, the problem is that Koholint is part of the dream of the wind fish so what will happen if Link wakes him up.

Dragon Warrior 1&2
Back in the 80’s when Nintendo was on the top to hype there new magazine Nintendo Power they offered a deal where you could subscribe and get a free game, that game was Dragon Warrior. I got DW about 10 years later when I found it at a used game store. In the late 90’s Enix released DW along with it’s sequel DW II for the GBC. It has improved graphics and definitely a better interface then the original. A must pick up for RPG fans.

Mega Man Xtreme
A GBC remake of the original Mega Man X and MMX2. The graphics in the game are pretty good for GBC standards and the gameplay from the two game shine through.

Mega Man Xtreme 2.
Xtreme 2 takes stages from 1, 2, and 3 of the Mega Man X series and puts them on the GBC. Like its predecessor the graphics mimic the stages from the SNES games rather well seeing how it’s on the limited GBC. And this time you get to play has Zero.

Super Mario Bros DX.
The game that saved the entire video game industry back in the mid 80’s. Super Mario Bros is a magical game that can withstand the test of time and Super Mario Bros DX is a great port of the NES game to the GBC. Since this the GBC game and the sides had to be cut out Nintendo made it possible to change the slide by pressing the up and down buttons. While the GBA game didn’t have this problem it also lacked the huge amount of extras that SMB DX gave us. This includes small cut scenes, unlockable content, and the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros 2 (also called the lost levels). If you want to use your GBA SP backward compatibility this is the game to get.

Game and Watch 2.
Back before Nintendos late creative genius Gunpei Yokoi created the Gameboy he helped Nintendo rule the portable market with his LCD game and watch portable games. Game and Watch vol 2 is a collection of those games. Each game has two modes a classic mode that keeps the simple LCD sprites and gameplay. And a modern mode that uses the characters from the Mario universe playing the games. The modern mode also mixes things up a bit by changing the lay out on the Donkey Kong game, or letting you feed Yoshi in the chef mini games.

With the GBA micro and the Nintendo DS out is it still worth getting a GBA SP? The answer is yes if you’re a hard core gamer looking for a portable game system. While the Nintendo DS looks to be an initiative new portable hand held from Nintendo and it does play the GBA games, it doesn’t play the older Nintendo games. It also won’t hook up to the Gamecube to unlock content on some games and to play a good game of Four Swords. The new GBA Micro will be good for those casual gamers who are looking for a good portable hand held has well but like the Nintendo DS there will be no back support for the GBC or older Gameboy games in that one either.

Final Recommendation.
For about 80 dollars you really can’t find a better hand held then GBA. Yeah the PSP and the DS are the newest in the market but the GBA is still holding a lot of weight in the market and still is getting the best games if you ask me then it’s more powerful competition.