Game Boy Advance SP: Silver

This is probably the definitive iteration of the Gameboy but you should read this review.It will play all Gameboy games up from the pea-soup generation to the Advance games and it will even colour the BW games (combination of d-pad and A and B buttons during the GB logo).The clamshell design is very 00's as clamshell cellphones were all the rage. I like this as it protects the screen (a big plus in my book) and keeps the unit small. Folded up it's about as thick as my GB color. There are also plenty of vinyl skins for it and molds for you to make your own which is nice as the material these are made of isn't very scratch resistant unlike the older models. It's still ABS plastic but a different kind.The frontlit units provide decent illumination that can be turned off even if the backlit ones are better and the volume is a lot better compared to the Color version. I really like the slider as you know how loud it is before you power it on.The internal rechargeable battery actually holds up a long time even if I hate the idea as when proprietary batteries die you have a hard time getting a new one, not to mention the charger is something extra to carry with you. Not as contained as previous versions which were, partially, why they were so successful.Sadly this unit doesn't feel as solid as the older ones. The buttons are responsive but feel cheap which isn't helped by the fact they are recessed into the body. Understandable but it still feels that way which is something to bear in mind.The lack of a 3.5 audio jack is something I really don't like. There is an adapter so you can use your regular headphones but that's one more thing to lug around and lose.Having bought the unit as a donor to mod my GBC (the frontlight can be used on both) I opened it and I can say it doesn't look like it was built to last. Too many small pieces just hanging there. The more complicated they make the plumbing the easier it is to plug up the drain. The price of progress, of course. This won't last as long as previous generations but I decided to play with it, making use of it's own library of great games, until it dies off and then I'll remove the light and use it on the GBC.People looking into this are people looking for some nostalgia. If you already own a GB, GB Pocket or Color, but want newer games or some lighting solution get this and if you are looking for a cheap system, you could do worse as the games are actually more expensive than this (not too much, still acceptable).Based on the feel of it and the amount of crapped out units I've seen expect the screen and/or hinge to be the first things to give you trouble. They are still Nintendo products and they are tough but the older ones were (and still are) better suited to last. Same thing as a Gamecube in relation to a Wii, the Wii won't usually crap out but it does so more frequently than a Gamecube.Happy retro-gaming.

I would have given 5stars but I was sent the 001 instead of the 101 that was listed, I have decided to keep it even tho abit disappointed, the gba sp itself is in very good condition, has scratches on body but works just fine, I'm rehousing it anyway so that's not a problem, it came well wrapped + arrived in a week, even tho the 001 screen isn't as bright as the 101 its still perfectly playable and can be see just fine, I got a pack with accessories from another seller,in it was a quality magnifier for the screen + I found this really helps, it brings in much needed light so I found a solution to the 001 dimly lit screen as that model has no backlight, but even without that or the magnifier its still a lovely retro handheld games console....

.I bought this for my 8 year old son for Xmas. Along with 4 or 5 games. A vast improvement over previous generations of Gameboy, largely because it is backlit and has a more hand friendly form factor.I'm pleased (unhappy?) to say that my son hardly ever puts it down, sneaking it to bed when we are not looking too.The one down side is the games are typically £30 - hardly any cheaper than the PS2. Perhaps Nintendo have realised that they have a winner on their hands and subsequently are now milking the after sales market.One final good point - you can buy games for this in the US and in the process save yourself 30-50%.

Recieved this product with two cracks near the hinges which then broke when opened the sp.. it sucks for the price but you might get luckier then me, could of happened in transit but not so sure

I had no problems with this the first time I used it. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but - more or less - as described when I purchased it. Later the same day, I turned the SP on and there was no picture displayed on the screen, although I could still hear the game running as usual.The next day, the screen was working again, but the audio was not. The volume would range from perfectly normal to complete nothingness, as well as everything in between. Since then, I've had problems with both audio and fuzzy picture quality (Imagine a layer of static over seemingly random portions of the screen while the game picture is also there).There have been a few moments when it's run as expected but, somewhere along the line, this console has become the complete opposite of how it was described when I purchased it.

The Gameboy Advanced SP is a nice console in itself. I still have my black one from buying it brand new when they first came out. I have always loved it. Well, I got new pokemon games and decided that I wanted to trade between my games, so I ordered this Silver Gameboy Advanced SP in order to link them together for trades.This silver one I ordered used... I knew it was going to have some use to it. But I was very surprised when "minor scratches" turned out to be scratches everywhere and a deep engraving of the name "Darrew" above the A and B buttons. When companies sell used, they really should be honest about the conditions of their products!! This item wasn't "minor scratches" it was more along the lines of "heavy scratches with permanent cosmetic damage", I really expected better. If I went by the standards the used company did, then my used black one would be "Excellent-Like New Condition" instead of "light use and minor scratches" condition.So, Overall I love the console but am not pleased with the condition of the used one I received. I advise anyone purchasing used to go up a condition that they would be okay with since some companies aren't completely honest about their product's condition.