I Adore the GBASP

[The Grimace]

There's something I love about the Game Boy Advance SP I cannot easily express.

This system is amazing. It's a Super Nintendo with all of the fat trimmed out, and it's portable. It fits perfectly into most pockets, and the clam shell design ensures I don't have to worry about screen protection. It's also easy for me to hold with one hand-I can't tell you how many hours of Final Fantasies I grinded while playing with just my right hand or left hand.

I acknowledge that it produces poor sound, with its mono speaker. Game Boy Advance games have diminished sound quality compared to the SNES sound chip, and my bet is they further skimped on the GBASP's sound to make the product cheaper to produce. The system doesn't have a built-in headjack either, requiring some ritualistic pact with Satan to tweak the power plug if players wanted to listen with headphones. The system's backlight was generally poor, but it was beautiful to me just being able to play portable games in the dark without a third party gadget.

I'm sad I never got the chance to fiddle with a Game Boy Micro. It always looked really cute, but for me, its only improvement was the addition of a headjack and everything else about it was worse to consumers.

[Random Encounter]

I think the SP pretty much addressed all the problems of the OG model in a form factor was freaking adorable. I didn't notice the sound being worse on the SP versus the OG, but I also primarily played with sound way down or with headphones. I loved it. Shame about the Micro, though: ambitious design but it was just a little too small.

The DS Lite should also get a shout-out as a big step up from its OG model, and probably the handheld I put the most time in.

[Althena]

I had a Game Boy Micro in the original Famicom colors that they released, SPECIFICALLY because it was the OGVG colors (red and gold). I loved that little thing, wish I hadn't lost it. But yeah, the GBASP and the DS Era were honestly the best time for Nintendo IMO, and it hasn't been the same since.

[Skunkworks]

I was always impressed by the GBA as a platform, but slight disappointed that they opted for 2 face buttons instead of 4 like the SNES. My immediate complaint with the OG (lack of backlit screen) was immediately resolved with the SP. Despite being hesitant of the internal battery, I was happy when I actually used it.

I think I often overlook the GBA (in general) because it stands in a field of giants. It’s not the leap forward for handheld gaming that the original gameboy or the DS was. I still had a lot of fun with it.

[The Grimace]

I think the SP pretty much addressed all the problems of the OG model in a form factor was freaking adorable. I didn't notice the sound being worse on the SP versus the OG, but I also primarily played with sound way down or with headphones. I loved it. Shame about the Micro, though: ambitious design but it was just a little too small.

The DS Lite should also get a shout-out as a big step up from its OG model, and probably the handheld I put the most time in.

Yes to everything here. I always wanted a Micro, but with it being so small and cute, it also looked uncomfortable to see and play. I always wanted a DS Lite, but I dealt with my DS until I eventually got a 3DS years later.

[The Grimace]

I had a Game Boy Micro in the original Famicom colors that they released, SPECIFICALLY because it was the OGVG colors (red and gold). I loved that little thing, wish I hadn't lost it. But yeah, the GBASP and the DS Era were honestly the best time for Nintendo IMO, and it hasn't been the same since.

Hell yeah! I had the NES-colored GBASP for a while. I absolutely adored its design.

[The Grimace]

I was always impressed by the GBA as a platform, but slight disappointed that they opted for 2 face buttons instead of 4 like the SNES. My immediate complaint with the OG (lack of backlit screen) was immediately resolved with the SP. Despite being hesitant of the internal battery, I was happy when I actually used it.

I think I often overlook the GBA (in general) because it stands in a field of giants. It’s not the leap forward for handheld gaming that the original gameboy or the DS was. I still had a lot of fun with it.

Hmm, that makes me think. Another major reason the GBASP was so important to me is because it was revolutionary for me in terms of charging portable electronics. At that age, I had no phone and the GBASP was the first portable I'd ever had with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, and with acceptable battery life. I think that this made it more of a leap in technology for me than the DS eventually did.

Without the ability to easily charge the device, I would not have considered it to be as revolutionary.

[Althena]

Hell yeah! I had the NES-colored GBASP for a while. I absolutely adored its design.

I think I still have this GBA SP around here somewhere. I... Had a problem collecting lots of special edition GBASP and DSes lol

[The Grimace]

Yeah, Nintendo did a good job with their limited edition portables. I held off on getting a Nintendo 3DS until I saw their Link Between Worlds model that came with the game, and I was sold.

I'll say one thing about Nintendo: they know how to market, albeit they do have their missteps like with the Wii U and Virtual Boy.

[Althena]

Power Glove doesn't count, as it was Mattel.

[The Grimace]

In this household, the Wizard is treated as sacred doctrine. Damn, that's another great Rifftrax, too.

[Selbaek]

The Gameboy Advance SP was >the< handheld back in the day. I beat so many games with it in class not paying attention to the actual lesson for the day, and the small format fit in my pockets like nobody's business.

These days, I really rather prefer the original hardware layout for my hands. The SP and the Micro were great back when I was younger and had more hand dexterity, but the original format just fits my hands better these days for any long-term gaming sessions.

Plus, it works the best for the GC-GBA connectivity for games like Four Swords Adventures or Crystal Chronicles!

[Althena]

[The Grimace]

Screen placement and weight are very important for my handheld comfort. The GBASP was a nice size but had fairly equal heft. It didn't hurt to hold for long hours. I like the Steam Deck a lot, but I don't enjoy holding the unit for extended periods of time because it's heavier and bulkier, to make sure it has a large screen.

Sometimes you just long for the simplicity of retro gaming. :)