There's a saying on "Good things come in small packages."
Although that's not always true, Nintendo makes it certain this time around with its newly redesigned Game Boy Advance SP, which launches in North America Sunday.
No bigger than a folded dollar bill when closed (though it is 1 inch thicker), this little gizmo is truly a tiny work of art.
Not only does the SP make it the first truly portable Game Boy because of its compact size thanks to a flip-screen design, but Nintendo has also thrown in a number of other new features that really make it "shine" above anything the company - or its competitors has put out before.
People can now slip the SP into a pocket and take it anywhere without scratching the screen.
Want to play? Just flip it open and it's now roughly the same size of older Game Boys only much, much thinner.
The sleek, slim design makes it a little awkward to hold at first, especially if you have big hands. Fortunately, you quickly get a feel for it and can't believe how you ever lived without it.
The best feature by far, aside from its notable new design and size, is the front light screen that makes playing possible in any lighting condition.
Unfortunately, it slightly bleaches some colors normally vibrant in natural light, but it's a very minor difference only noticeable if you look very closely. Being able see what you're doing without fiddling for an external light source makes it a completely trivial issue. Having it far outweighs what it was like before. It's a welcome addition that's long been due since the Game Boy came out back in 1989.
Another exceedingly excellent innovation is the rechargeable battery. It's been a week and I've only recharged it once and played it for more than 20 hours. Charging only takes three hours with the neat little AC adapter that has a side-folding plug, making that compact, too. Cute.
With the front light turned on, a full charge usually lasts around 10 hours. Don't need the light? Switch it off and the battery life span increases up to 18 hours - which is simply wonderful. Unfortunately, there is no indicator to let you know when the light is on so you might waste battery life in sunlight and not know it.
Since the system is smaller, the buttons are too and stick out much less than before. This might turn some people off, regardless that they don't feel loose anymore making for much tighter controls. The triggers are probably the most significant change as they're a quarter of the size of the original Advance's. This and the new sliding volume switch are the only features I had a hard time adjusting to.
The volume switch, instead of previous turning dials, isn't as sensitive as it should be as sound doesn't come on until it's moved past the halfway point. Either way, people only want sound on or off so it still does its job. There's no headphone jack, either. Gamers have to buy an additional cable if they want privacy. The speaker, now located in the middle of the system, emphasizes every sound squeezed into games adequately. The screen size is unchanged from the original Advance, which is good.
Like the original Advance, the SP plays all previous Game Boy games and peripherals, such as the e-Reader, without problems. As the game cartridge slides in from the bottom instead of the top, it's a little strange having an original Game Boy or Game Boy Color game sticking out between your hands, but it's no big deal.
The SP is simply amazing and worth its $99.95 retail price. If you already own the original Advance, the front light alone is worth trading it in. The battery and sleek design are bonuses - and great ones at that.
Also, systems sold out in Japan within minutes and it's safe to say that might happen stateside, too. Don't dabble and go get one on Sunday because this thing is awesome.
Overall: 5 stars
Attractiveness: 5 stars
Compactness: 5 stars
Sound: 5 stars
Quality: 5 stars
