You think that's bad, try growing up having to scavenge 6 AA batteries for a Game Gear, unless you wanted to be attached to a wall outlet with a short cable length. Eventually both my mother, and father(split when I was 2) had the idea of each getting me a battery pack for my GameGear, with my mother getting me the official SEGA branded one that hanged from your belt buck with a clip, and my dad getting the DOCS branded one that screwed onto the back, and weighed more than the Game Gear itself lol!
I had a set of 8 rechargeable batteries that I would cycle through for like 2 years At the end of it, a set of 2 would have about 30 mins of power in them, maximum.
I absolutely LOVED my GBAsp. I remember getting one and playing Sonic Advance 2 for my birthday in 2003, then playing Pokemon Ruby. I would play in bed (Passed my bedtime) and I would fold it when my mom would check if I was sleeping, then continue playing when she left my room lol.
That battary is amazing. I never had an sp but my husband did. We found his old one in the basement and it powerd on with a full battery, I even played it for an hour and the light is still green after sitting for nearly 10 years.
codebracker I haven’t charged mine in about eight years and it still starts up and plays. I have the charger. I just haven’t used the thing in so long.
I had the original GBA as a boy, but recently bought a GBA SP, the AGS-101 revision, which has an amazing backlight. Combine it with the headphone accessory and you've got the definitive Game Boy experience.
You're right. Now that I think about it, I was actually anti GBA SP when it came out as I already owned the regular GBA. While one of it's selling points, the rechargeable battery, was appealing, I felt the other selling point, the backlight, was something I didn't need. Then perchance on my birthday, my best friend took me to a Best Buy and surprised me by buying me a GBA SP. I gave her my original and let me tell you, there was no going back to the regular model. It truly is one of, if not the best, Nintendo remodel.
Same here, simply for the fact I could use it without a goofy light accessory that never really worked. In fact I was so stoked about the GBA SP I preorded the exact color shown in the video, and my GameStop got in their shipment 2 days early, and remember getting home from work hearing the message on my answering machine, and then soon after getting an after work shower, and something to eat, rushing back out the door to get to GameStop before they closed that night, and playing it all weekend, thankfully the manager in the store had me get the headphone adapter with it, otherwise I don't think I would have liked it as much, since I was still living at my parents place at the time lol!
This is so nostalgic! That little device was basically my childhood, I remember spending so many hours playing with my friends or under a blanket in bed late at night. That backlight was freaking amazing now that I think about it.
The Gameboy Advance was my very first handheld system and my first game a loved was Kirby's Nightmare in Dreamland! I didn't like how it did not have a backlight and had to resort to a cheap small light stand. I was really thrilled when I finally got the SP model and I still play it to this day!
That had to be the smoothest transition into a teardown I've ever seen on this channel. I sat there for 8 minutes "is he going to take it apart..? he's going to take it apart right..? he's not saying anything about taking it apart..?!? ok, ok... he's got a triwing in his hand now ... everything's going to be ok :)"
My cousin found that old blue one in our uncle shop and he gave it to me I've had it since last year and I'm hoping to get a charger for it and some cartridges so that I can play some game cuz you know I'm a gamer and I've Loved games ever since I'm a kid even my big sister
2DS XL for me these days, but yeah I use to throw my GBA, then later on GBA SP in my backpack I used for work, and can remember many lunch breaks playing a few rounds of Tetris worlds, or Mario Advance.
I have a little Game Carrying Case that I can just throw a GBA SP and my New 3DSxl into, toss it around my neck, and I'm ready to go! It even fits a good bit of my games.
Henry Louie I say it’s worth it , But now you can get all the games on your phone or computer now with a emulator. I’m glad I still have one left just for collection lol.
You have no idea how many hours i spent below my hallway light in the floor playing my GBA, and the hundreds of $ spent on AA batteries. When i upgraded to the SP it felt revolutionary 🤣
I missed the backlight, but I stuck with my trusty day 1 original GBA that was my most prized possession. To me, from the comfortable GBA to the square design they used was also a big step back.
The Wiimote and Wiimote+ did have a first party rechargeable battery pack you could use in place of AA batteries. Only thing is it didn't come out until sometime after the Wii U released (about the same time all the Mario themed Wiimote+s came out).
Not gonna lie, as a kid I was pretty salty when the SP came out since I had recently gotten a regular GBA. Now that I'm older and have been able to get an SP, I can agree that it's a great revision to the GBA because of the backlight, and I really like the compact design as well.
Love that you put golden sun music in the background of this video, I recognized it even though I had only played the game for a few days when I borrowed it from a classmate back in 2003, wild how my memory caught that!
Love the background music ❤ Also, I traded in my GBA for an SP as soon as it came out, and I was not annoyed at all. The battery and backlit screen were a godsend!
i love my sp i remember Pokémon Emerald, Mario Kart, Mario Bros, Kim Possible, Findimg Nemo, and i also remember going to recess and trading our gameboy games.
This was the first Nintendo console that used the clampshell design, right? This revolutionized the handheld experience! If this wasn't created, the DS may not have came to fruition.
What’s really amazing is that my 2005 SP’s battery is still good, keeps didn’t play it for a year, still had battery in it and it still lasts many hours when I do play it. My 2009/2010 PSP had to had its battery changed in 2015 and though I bought a fairly high quality replacement it don’t keep a charge very well when left alone for a couple of weeks.
In my opinion, this is the best version of the Gameboy that has existed. I had one of these. My daughter dropped it in the toilet when she was 2. I let it dry out for about 2-3 weeks, and it started right up. No problems at all, except my Metroid Fusion battery got fried, and I couldn't save the games on it anymore. Somehow my GBASP got stolen and I no longer have it. I keep forgetting to buy a new one when I have extra money. But yeah, the compact size, backlit screen, and no goofy menu to have to go through to play a game. The best of old school.
Mine was stolen as well. Had get one from Ebay Canada (Yes I am from Canada). The body was used somewhat but (had a tech friend verify) brand new screen and motherboard. So its new on the inside....,
The SP was fantastic I defiantly agree with it being one of Nintendos most important and most successful revisions I was blown away when It came out even skived the day of work to get the train to Brum and pick my Japanese launch day one up(took two or three days after the Japanese launch to get here) and when I saw the screen on the AGS101 I nearly fell over, the difference in brightness was unbelievable! Still have all my GameBoys, would love for you to do a screen mod Jon! Great video as ever! M
I definitely would agree that the GBA SP is Nintendo's best revision. It had the first lithium battery, a hinge/clamshell, and a built in light for the screen. I personally didnt care about the headphone jack(i was never in a situation that needed headphones). Atleast the GB micro had a headphone jack.
Really? You never had long trips when you played Game Boy while your parents drove? I definitely wore headphones back then so I wouldn't get on mom's nerves while she drove.
@@dapperfan44 no we never travel that much. In any situation i never really needed my gameboy volume too loud. The only games i can think of that i played where i wanna hear the game is probably super Mario land and the pokemon games for the music.
@@dapperfan44 oh yeah the gba games have amazing sound. I didnt play that many handheld games when i was young. I started playing more gba games when i was in my twenties when the 3DS came out. I love that ambassador program with the 10 Nes games & 10 GBA games on my aqua blue 3DS. Before getting the 3DS i only played Tetris, Super Mario Land, pokemon(blue, red, yellow, silver, crystal), Pokemon the Trading card game, and Yu-gi-oh eternal duelist soul on my flame red GBA Sp.
I liked the SP back in the day, still have mine as well as my second regular GBA. Only thing my mom bought me additionally was a gamepad like grip which is essentially a piece of plastic but it makes the system much more enjoyable to use.
Was it the silver grip, with a black switch on the back to adjust the length of the grip, and also had the attachable buttons and joystick? That’s the one I had, but I didn’t end up using it much X) I still have it too, and attach it to my SP now and then, and then think “nah, I like it without” and take it back off X)
2:28 I actually loved that the gbc games stuck out. It made it more comfortable for me to hold it while laying it bed playing because I could rest the stuck out game on my chest. It propped the game boy up to a great viewing height for me to see vs it being lower on my chest with a gba game in it and me having to hold it up higher.
@@nobodywillcare2 It's really nice. As bright as my phone's screen at like 75% brightness. The only problem is that I didn't wire it correctly, so it flickers between full and medium brightness sometimes.
As someone who upgraded from the GBA to the SP, I can speak first hand to the overall enhancements it made to the portable experience. This was also at a time where portables were relatively pretty cheap, I think this launched at $100, and later got cut to $80, not like a $250 3DS and $200 New 3DSXL. I couldn't tell you how many great memories I have with this thing, Gen 3 Pokemon, Wario Land 4, and Mario Kart Super Circuit (among many others of course). Being able to play comfortably in my bed at night, bringing it to school, just always there to make my day better. Sure it helped this launched at an incredibly impressionable age for me (like 8), but it truly was a phenomenal piece of hardware and something I'll never regret using my birthday gift for.
sp is bomb the backlight one and the og one i had a red one as my first and loved it donkey kong country pokemon megaman battle network / zero etc great system i always kept my volume low it wasn't until ds i used headphones on my consoles and handhelds.
I had a swing out light and a wall adapter for my original GBA since we never had enough batteries, so the SP having a lit screen and being rechargeable felt like a quantum leap. The only issue I had was the ergonomics, which already wasn't super comfortable as a kid and got more cramped as I grew up.
@@ProNerdy oh shit you're right. Those 3d TV's they had a few year back were also a revission of the virtual boy. Oh so are the 3d movies you see in theatres. If you cant tell. Im being very sarcastic
I remember getting an onyx SP for Christmas and being in love. Blew my translucent purple GBA out of the water. ...Then they released the DS the very next year and that became the new infatuation lol.
Wild Gameboy appeared! Nintendo send out Gameboy Advance SP! Go Gameboy Advance SP! *Fight* Gameboys Pack Run Batteries. Headphone Jack. *Light screen* Charge. Gameboy Advance SP used Light Screen! Enemy Gameboy is blinded by the light! *Fight* Gameboys Pack Run Batteries Headphone Jack Light Screen *Charge* Gameboy Advance SP used Charge! It’s not very effective... Enemy Gameboy is blinded by the light! *Fight* Gameboys Pack Run Batteries *Headphone Jack* Light Screen Charge Gameboy Advance SP used Headphone Jack! It’s super effective! Enemy Gameboy ears were murdered and fainted! Trainer Nintendo earned 653 exp! What?! Gameboy Advance SP is evolving! *Gameboy Advance SP freezes.*
I've quite fallen in love with the GBA SP recently! It's such a handy form factor. It's so easy to chuck in a pocket or take it out, flip it open and start playing. I love the Switch base and Lite consoles, but they aren't as effortless to carry around, especially because you have to be careful with the fragile analogue sticks. Taking the carrying case requires carrying a bag which is a bit cumbersome. I never owned that many GBA games, so I didn't appreciate it when it was on the market. I'm gonna mod my AGS-001 soon with an IPS kit. Battery life will of course be a concern! But Retro Modding sells a custom battery that might be good.
I remember preordering this exact color from GameStop, and an employee calling me on a Friday 2 days before it officially released saying their shipment had came in, and being so very stoked picking it up that night after work. Loved that little sucker, except like you said it being cramped somewhat, also I never had any issues with the Madcatz headphone/power adapter other than it being a bit loose over time. Wish I had never traded in mine back in at the same GameStop, but was for a good cause, so I could help my oldest niece get a DS Lite with a couple of games in which she still has to this day.
Also no, if you’re talking about the pure backlit screens, they did not come from the game boy advance SP but the original DS had a backlit first then the Game Boy micro, after that we got the AGS-101 models of the SP.
Ok. #1: Thank you for making this video!☺️ Your knowledge on gaming hardware is quite excellent, not to mention that you do a great job on providing info that is simple to understand for the general public, while still maintaining an aura of “yeah, I know my stuff, but why don’t I help you know it too?”😄 So from one gaming tech enthusiast to the next: thank you for not only this video, but your whole channel-not to mention yourself for being who you are. Keep it going, bro! #2: I know that you’ve said in the past that certain consoles/handhelds were/are a pain to work on; despite this, have you considered creating a series focused solely on refurbishing retro consoles? I ask this because: 1) There are hardly any videos, let alone channels that are of decent, entertaining, and highly professional quality on RUclips, save for channels like The Retro Future. 2) Your experience with refurbishing consoles and handhelds (as well as your personality) alone would very well likely bring more viewers and subscribers, which-since dedicated series and channels on refurbishing gaming tech that are of high quality, professional, and entertaining are hard to come by-your channel would definitely benefit from such a series, even if by a bit at first. And if necessary, you could just do it exclusively on twitch and have it uploaded either on here -or if need be- on a separate channel solely dedicated for archiving. That seems to work for some people (e.g. a youtuber/twitch streamer that goes by SomeCallMeJohnny). In any case, I only hope that you may either consider my suggestions, or-if it inspired you to do so-create more content in general, because if there’s two things I’ve always been good at-they’re: a) recognizing excellence, and b) recognizing potential. You have both, so never stop doing what you love. And if one day you’re all like, “I’m done with RUclips” for whatever reason it may be, be sure to channel that excellence and potential into whatever else you enjoy doing, even if you’re not good at it. Also if anyone besides Mr. Spawn Wave here got to this last bit (including him; sorry for not knowing your name), know this: quite a lot of people believe that aren’t good at anything, or, if they are good at something, that it’s a useless talent or skill that won’t get them anywhere in life. Does it make you feel anything positive about yourself? Does it make someone else feel anything positive about themselves? Even if it’s something like snapping your fingers completely out of sync with a song-literally just that-it can be the greatest thing to someone who might not have fingers in the first place; I actually knew a dude who was amazed at the fact that I could snap my fingers somewhat to the beat of a song, because he literally was incapable of snapping his fingers. Yes, he had all 10 of them; he just had no idea how to do it. He wasn’t lacking any intelligence, either. Anyways, point is: you’re good at something; you just have to realize it, and do the best you can with it. Also, it’s rarely ever pure talent that people have: most of the time it’s a skill that at first, it’s so weak it only *seems* like it’s useless. But given enough time (days, months, years), a skill or trait that may seem about as useful as a boring looking rock that most people ignore can actually be turned into something as beautiful and valuable as an amethyst geode. So don’t give up!
Back then, the GBA was my primary gaming system since I didn't have a dedicated setup for gaming. And I explicitly remember thinking how perfect the redesign was. The screen and the form factor were just perfect, and the rechargeable battery was awesome. I even thought that they were taking a step back when they introduced the DS, because of how great the SP was.
Dude, you could start taking apart toasters on this channel and it would still be some of the most interesting content on this whole site. The GBA SP is still probably the system that I play the most to this day. There’s just so many great games across the GameBoy, GameBoy Color and GameBoy Advance libraries, plus the screen on the AGS-101 is gorgeous.
Some dude I don’t know whipped one of these out at a party I was at today literally 2 hours before you uploaded this. I love this system so much and I might go hunting for a bargain on one for me soon.
I own the legend of Zelda Game Boy advance SP model AGS 101 and it's my favorite Game Boy out of the whole series. I love the compact nature and the beautiful backlit screen. I love it even more than the newer DS models. I think it's compact nature makes it more portable than the DS and I love how it was backwards compatible with Game Boy color and original Game Boy games! It was just hands down an epic deal!
The SP made me pretty envious, having the OG advance. The battery, hinge, and light seemed so futuristic for a kid in 03. Just ended up getting the DS phat when it came out.
I had every game boy as a kid and the SP was my absolute favorite for all the reasons you mentioned. I wasn't mad at all that my GBA was less than 2 years old because I gave that thing plenty of use. I remember the Christmas my parents got me the SP and I was so excited that I stayed up all night playing it. 😂
I am one of those kids whose parents can't afford any Nintendo handheld. So recently I've been buying a few half broken SPs to repair and now 3 is fully working. I love these, easy to work on. Also Minish Cap is a beautiful game.
I agree because in my opinion the Gameboy Advance SP with the brighter screen is the most comfortable and best way to play any Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance game. Also in my opinion the New 3DS XL is the best way to play anything from the DS up. So you only really need those two consoles to be able to enjoy any Nintendo handheld game ever created.
I got my first GBA SP back in 2011-2012 when I was 17 years old. When I got my first stable job in 2014, I had to take 2 buses in order to go to work, so I started playing it a lot and found the lack of a headphone jack kind of annoying. So instead of buying a headphone adapter, I modded it to have its own headphone jack, right above the volume slider. I had to realocate a capacitor though, and because the headphone detection works differently in the GBA SP, I had to give up the internal speaker to give it the headphone jack. It was a cool mod though, and it still works like a charm to this day.
I still have my Advance SP, that thing and playing Wind Waker on Gamecube with the adaptor cable absolutely blew my mind at the time. Those teenage years were the best.
I remember getting so excited as a kid about the light in the SP. XD My parents told me I wouldn't have to use the clip-on light I used for my Gameboy Color and I was so happy about that alone. LOL.
You have no idea how happy my parents were when I stopped stealing Game Boy batteries from the TV remotes.
You think that's bad, try growing up having to scavenge 6 AA batteries for a Game Gear, unless you wanted to be attached to a wall outlet with a short cable length. Eventually both my mother, and father(split when I was 2) had the idea of each getting me a battery pack for my GameGear, with my mother getting me the official SEGA branded one that hanged from your belt buck with a clip, and my dad getting the DOCS branded one that screwed onto the back, and weighed more than the Game Gear itself lol!
@@CommodoreFan64 Wasn't really a Sega fan so I never had a Game Gear, but that big grey brick would drain 4 AAs like no ones business.
I had a set of 8 rechargeable batteries that I would cycle through for like 2 years
At the end of it, a set of 2 would have about 30 mins of power in them, maximum.
Hahaha.. Me..
V K Classic
GBA SP was THE handheld to topple all handhelds. I remember owning one of these as a kid,, so many great memories with it.
Yes Nathaniel at was great
I agree
OMG I LOVE UR VIDS DUDE
yep
Then 1 year after sony realeased psp
I absolutely LOVED my GBAsp. I remember getting one and playing Sonic Advance 2 for my birthday in 2003, then playing Pokemon Ruby. I would play in bed (Passed my bedtime) and I would fold it when my mom would check if I was sleeping, then continue playing when she left my room lol.
She knew you were playing. All of our mother's knew we played after bedtime.
Same that's me right now watching RUclips
Nostalgia my friend
The Good Old Dayz
I used to do the exact thing with Super Mario Bros. and Power Rangers Time Force/Ninja Storm. 😆
That battary is amazing. I never had an sp but my husband did. We found his old one in the basement and it powerd on with a full battery, I even played it for an hour and the light is still green after sitting for nearly 10 years.
I still have my original SP. I adore it.
I lost my charger and both of my games, but I bet it still works
codebracker I haven’t charged mine in about eight years and it still starts up and plays. I have the charger. I just haven’t used the thing in so long.
@@jacoobyslaps yeah but I spent the battery on listening to the jingle... DING
@@codebracker nice
I had the original GBA as a boy, but recently bought a GBA SP, the AGS-101 revision, which has an amazing backlight. Combine it with the headphone accessory and you've got the definitive Game Boy experience.
I put so many hours and never noticed the lack of headphone jack 😂
Me too
I just got the dongle but I don’t really care about no headphone jack on it because I’ll still blast mine 😈
I just blast mine in the backseat on a long car ride. I didnt caress
Me just realizing had sound the whole time I just never turned it up
@@TheMissSerena you are truly evil
the SP was the biggest upgrade feeling I have ever got from a system, I went form GBC to the SP.
That Golden Sun background music is making me feel so nostalgic :(
Xizfu i love the golden sun series
golden sun was amazing for being on the gameboy
Man I'm gonna go plug my Wii u in for the first time in years so I can play again now
Ikr.
We need a new entry in the series on the Switch, or a remake of the original. They need to actually put effort into though, and make it good.
Nintendo was first, removing the headphone jack before apple.
So true.
This was actually the first thing I though of when I heard about Apple doing it.
Actually, Sega. The Mega Drive/Genesis had a headphone jack, but the revision did not.
@@TheSignatureK Ok but who needs a headphone jack on a console
I had the dongle lol, but yeah wish it had the jack.
Golden Sun was shown more love in this 15 minute video than Nintendo has shown it in the last10 years.
You're right. Now that I think about it, I was actually anti GBA SP when it came out as I already owned the regular GBA. While one of it's selling points, the rechargeable battery, was appealing, I felt the other selling point, the backlight, was something I didn't need. Then perchance on my birthday, my best friend took me to a Best Buy and surprised me by buying me a GBA SP. I gave her my original and let me tell you, there was no going back to the regular model. It truly is one of, if not the best, Nintendo remodel.
I love the SP. I still play mine sometimes to this day. Love me some Mega Man Battle Network 3 and Pokemon Emerald.
The nostalgia is real
Boktai solar boy Django is where its at
Battle network 3, 5, and 6 were amazing. Also the MegaMan zero series; epic.
Micah Vincent 5 was my shit. team protoman !!
Ayyy MMBN good shit
The gba sp was my most played console ever. It converted me into primarily hand held gaming over home console
The SP was such an amazing system I didn't even mind having to buy another after buying the original
Same here, simply for the fact I could use it without a goofy light accessory that never really worked. In fact I was so stoked about the GBA SP I preorded the exact color shown in the video, and my GameStop got in their shipment 2 days early, and remember getting home from work hearing the message on my answering machine, and then soon after getting an after work shower, and something to eat, rushing back out the door to get to GameStop before they closed that night, and playing it all weekend, thankfully the manager in the store had me get the headphone adapter with it, otherwise I don't think I would have liked it as much, since I was still living at my parents place at the time lol!
I got the AGS-101 later on, way better screen than the DS phat. Truly the pinnacle of GBAs.
@April Lambert Wow, such impressive trolling at the level of an 8 year old. 🙄
RXBEL Trillest still a great system to use and have fun can’t agree more love it.
This is so nostalgic! That little device was basically my childhood, I remember spending so many hours playing with my friends or under a blanket in bed late at night. That backlight was freaking amazing now that I think about it.
Baby Jiren what about with your friends under a blanket ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
@@TheMissSerena Bruh
@@TheMissSerena lol sexualizing children, fuck off
I just realized I love you're enthusiasm /content keep it up, with it being nostalgic and modern.
The Gameboy Advance was my very first handheld system and my first game a loved was Kirby's Nightmare in Dreamland! I didn't like how it did not have a backlight and had to resort to a cheap small light stand. I was really thrilled when I finally got the SP model and I still play it to this day!
That had to be the smoothest transition into a teardown I've ever seen on this channel.
I sat there for 8 minutes "is he going to take it apart..? he's going to take it apart right..? he's not saying anything about taking it apart..?!? ok, ok... he's got a triwing in his hand now ... everything's going to be ok :)"
I had that exact blue one. Best Christmas gift I have ever received. I will never forget
My cousin found that old blue one in our uncle shop and he gave it to me I've had it since last year and I'm hoping to get a charger for it and some cartridges so that I can play some game cuz you know I'm a gamer and I've Loved games ever since I'm a kid even my big sister
I carry an SP to work every day.
2DS XL for me these days, but yeah I use to throw my GBA, then later on GBA SP in my backpack I used for work, and can remember many lunch breaks playing a few rounds of Tetris worlds, or Mario Advance.
I have a little Game Carrying Case that I can just throw a GBA SP and my New 3DSxl into, toss it around my neck, and I'm ready to go! It even fits a good bit of my games.
Me too!
Yes please do a Game Boy Advance SP 101 replacement in a original Game Boy Advance please and thank !
@@thumbtackj
I actually tried it, it did not go well.
By the end I had no longer working GBA and a backlight that didn't work either.
@@JohnDoe-wq5eu thats a shame but you should try it again. you could have just had a bad connector
So stoked seeing that golden sun cartridge 🙌🙌 that was my favorite game of all time growing up
I freaking loved that franchise as a kid. Haven't played it in sooo long.
My friend let me borrow that game once, I got stuck. But I remember thinking this game looks amazing
I remember I was so happy when my dad got me this with Pokemon sapphire good times
Henry Louie I say it’s worth it , But now you can get all the games on your phone or computer now with a emulator. I’m glad I still have one left just for collection lol.
You have no idea how many hours i spent below my hallway light in the floor playing my GBA, and the hundreds of $ spent on AA batteries.
When i upgraded to the SP it felt revolutionary 🤣
I missed the backlight, but I stuck with my trusty day 1 original GBA that was my most prized possession. To me, from the comfortable GBA to the square design they used was also a big step back.
I still actually play that. That's how I play the old Zelda and Mario games.
Man so many memories, I used to be the coolest kid on the block walking around playing on this, megaman battle network was the best
I actually bought this system at Circuit City and took to Iraq in 2003. The memories I had with this system 👍🏼
Dude are you playing golden sun ost in the background??!! Legend bro
I still have my GBA branded headphones with the power port connector on it instead of the standard 3.5mm plug.
The only unit I haven't used ur vids for reference. XD
Used common sense to repair it and disassmble it based off ur other vids.
Thanks for these!!!
8:15 SP made a huge leap from GBA to have a backlit screen. It was the perfect handheld at the time and still holds up today
I remember getting the Gameboy Advance on Christmas and that it didn't have a backlight.
And the SP is the best revision ever, I wish I had one again.
Gameboy SP (2003) - chargeable
Wiimote (2006) - AA batteries
good thing that changed with the switch lol
Xbox one X (2018): AA Batteries.
Oh how we are going backwards in every parts of the industry
@@mspeter97 "im sorry we didnt bother to develop rechargeable controllers"
But they work now, wjthout custom batterie replacement.
The Wiimote and Wiimote+ did have a first party rechargeable battery pack you could use in place of AA batteries. Only thing is it didn't come out until sometime after the Wii U released (about the same time all the Mario themed Wiimote+s came out).
Not gonna lie, as a kid I was pretty salty when the SP came out since I had recently gotten a regular GBA. Now that I'm older and have been able to get an SP, I can agree that it's a great revision to the GBA because of the backlight, and I really like the compact design as well.
Same with me and my 3DS when the 3DS XL came out
Early enough that 360p is the max resolution. Oh well, I’ll just pretend it’s the early 2000s again and I’m watching in high quality
Pretend you're watching on an SP screen lmao
330p 144p squad. Sorry would have been earlier but a RGT video caught me off guard. Love your stuff
Love that you put golden sun music in the background of this video, I recognized it even though I had only played the game for a few days when I borrowed it from a classmate back in 2003, wild how my memory caught that!
The Gameboy Micro was one of our best handhelds
you mean the worst handheld ever
Is that really you sir, if it is, bring Mother 3 to the U.S.
Doug Bowser Come on Doug, give us Mother 3!
Doug, how about a retro modern GBA re-release? Maybe it could play GB, GBC, & GBA carts, and or come preloaded with some classics?
Yes, arguably the best lit screen of them all.
Love the background music ❤ Also, I traded in my GBA for an SP as soon as it came out, and I was not annoyed at all. The battery and backlit screen were a godsend!
Wow... It's weird being one of the first in the comment section.
Guess the bell is working
Listen carefully and you can hear it ding!
That lack of a headphone Jack was a deal breaker for me back in the day. I had the OG GBA and I still play it to this day.
Man, it's that easy? I think I still have my old SP with a broken screen laying around somewhere. I should do a swap.
Did you end up swapping it ?
So much memories! I remember playing fire red, sapphire, and kirby games on it; it was my only handheld until I got a 3DS xl in 2017.
Golden Sun, I know you were a man of culture and taste!
i love my sp i remember Pokémon Emerald, Mario Kart, Mario Bros, Kim Possible, Findimg Nemo, and i also remember going to recess and trading our gameboy games.
This was the first Nintendo console that used the clampshell design, right? This revolutionized the handheld experience! If this wasn't created, the DS may not have came to fruition.
If you don’t count Game & Watch then yes
What’s really amazing is that my 2005 SP’s battery is still good, keeps didn’t play it for a year, still had battery in it and it still lasts many hours when I do play it. My 2009/2010 PSP had to had its battery changed in 2015 and though I bought a fairly high quality replacement it don’t keep a charge very well when left alone for a couple of weeks.
did you just damage the top left blue rubber screw cover ? oh boy
In my opinion, this is the best version of the Gameboy that has existed. I had one of these. My daughter dropped it in the toilet when she was 2. I let it dry out for about 2-3 weeks, and it started right up. No problems at all, except my Metroid Fusion battery got fried, and I couldn't save the games on it anymore. Somehow my GBASP got stolen and I no longer have it. I keep forgetting to buy a new one when I have extra money. But yeah, the compact size, backlit screen, and no goofy menu to have to go through to play a game. The best of old school.
Mine was stolen as well. Had get one from Ebay Canada (Yes I am from Canada). The body was used somewhat but (had a tech friend verify) brand new screen and motherboard. So its new on the inside....,
I had the game boy advance sp tribal edition
Roadhouse
What tribe was it from?
I still have the NES version. It's so scratched up, but the screen is still pristine thanks to the clamshell design
Grh welcome back from ban roadhouse
@@dustinp120 I think it was based on Maori designs, don't quote me or @ me though if I'm wrong.
I had a red sp roadhouse
The SP was fantastic I defiantly agree with it being one of Nintendos most important and most successful revisions I was blown away when It came out even skived the day of work to get the train to Brum and pick my Japanese launch day one up(took two or three days after the Japanese launch to get here) and when I saw the screen on the AGS101 I nearly fell over, the difference in brightness was unbelievable! Still have all my GameBoys, would love for you to do a screen mod Jon! Great video as ever! M
I definitely would agree that the GBA SP is Nintendo's best revision. It had the first lithium battery, a hinge/clamshell, and a built in light for the screen. I personally didnt care about the headphone jack(i was never in a situation that needed headphones). Atleast the GB micro had a headphone jack.
Really? You never had long trips when you played Game Boy while your parents drove? I definitely wore headphones back then so I wouldn't get on mom's nerves while she drove.
@@dapperfan44 no we never travel that much. In any situation i never really needed my gameboy volume too loud. The only games i can think of that i played where i wanna hear the game is probably super Mario land and the pokemon games for the music.
@@JordanDC87 oh ok. I always had to have sound. It's just too good, especially with games like Super Mario Advance.
@@dapperfan44 oh yeah the gba games have amazing sound. I didnt play that many handheld games when i was young. I started playing more gba games when i was in my twenties when the 3DS came out. I love that ambassador program with the 10 Nes games & 10 GBA games on my aqua blue 3DS. Before getting the 3DS i only played Tetris, Super Mario Land, pokemon(blue, red, yellow, silver, crystal), Pokemon the Trading card game, and Yu-gi-oh eternal duelist soul on my flame red GBA Sp.
I liked the SP back in the day, still have mine as well as my second regular GBA.
Only thing my mom bought me additionally was a gamepad like grip which is essentially a piece of plastic but it makes the system much more enjoyable to use.
Was it the silver grip, with a black switch on the back to adjust the length of the grip, and also had the attachable buttons and joystick? That’s the one I had, but I didn’t end up using it much X) I still have it too, and attach it to my SP now and then, and then think “nah, I like it without” and take it back off X)
@@nuderedfinger Not at all, mine was a grip made of blue plastic with nothing fancy to it.
However, being so minimal made it easy to deal with too.
Really all it needed was a headphone jack...
rushi kakkirala You can get an adaptor but agree.
The GBA SP AGS 101 was my first handheld and I still go back to it from time-to-time
By the way the AGS 101 screen takes less power then the screen of the original advance
Pretty sure it doesn’t woth the backlighting on though, which the way to play an sp
This video is awesome I need to replace my shell on my ags 101 and your video will help immensely when I get around to doing it.
No headphones whattttt, Nintendo is ahead of their time OMG !!!
i get it
Love these videos. You definitely need to do a back light video on the Advance
I loved all the gameboys. had to get em all
2:28 I actually loved that the gbc games stuck out. It made it more comfortable for me to hold it while laying it bed playing because I could rest the stuck out game on my chest. It propped the game boy up to a great viewing height for me to see vs it being lower on my chest with a gba game in it and me having to hold it up higher.
So early, the quality sucks.
EDIT: Also, I modded my Gameboy Advance with an AGS-101 model backlit screen from an SP and I love it so much lol.
I'm getting ips I heard it's a bit better. How's your 101?
I still need to replace the screen on my GBASP
@@nobodywillcare2 It's really nice. As bright as my phone's screen at like 75% brightness. The only problem is that I didn't wire it correctly, so it flickers between full and medium brightness sometimes.
Where did you buy your screen from? I’m looking to replace mine
@@rlheffner724 I just bought an AGS-101 model off ebay.
Golden Sun game in the foreground and music in the background... ahhh nostalgia and crushed hopes of ever having a remaster.
Still my favorite portable game system
As someone who upgraded from the GBA to the SP, I can speak first hand to the overall enhancements it made to the portable experience. This was also at a time where portables were relatively pretty cheap, I think this launched at $100, and later got cut to $80, not like a $250 3DS and $200 New 3DSXL. I couldn't tell you how many great memories I have with this thing, Gen 3 Pokemon, Wario Land 4, and Mario Kart Super Circuit (among many others of course). Being able to play comfortably in my bed at night, bringing it to school, just always there to make my day better. Sure it helped this launched at an incredibly impressionable age for me (like 8), but it truly was a phenomenal piece of hardware and something I'll never regret using my birthday gift for.
sp is bomb the backlight one and the og one i had a red one as my first and loved it donkey kong country pokemon megaman battle network / zero etc great system
i always kept my volume low it wasn't until ds i used headphones on my consoles and handhelds.
I had a swing out light and a wall adapter for my original GBA since we never had enough batteries, so the SP having a lit screen and being rechargeable felt like a quantum leap. The only issue I had was the ergonomics, which already wasn't super comfortable as a kid and got more cramped as I grew up.
The 3ds was sort of a revision of the Virtual Boy.
Also, can you make a video on the Virtual Boy?
No. No it was not. Not even close.
Not really. The Virtual Boy was meant for VR gaming which the technology at the time wasn't ready for it. The 3DS is not a VR system.
@@skilarbabcock 3D:
@@ProNerdy oh shit you're right. Those 3d TV's they had a few year back were also a revission of the virtual boy. Oh so are the 3d movies you see in theatres.
If you cant tell. Im being very sarcastic
@@skilarbabcock 🤗
I remember getting an onyx SP for Christmas and being in love. Blew my translucent purple GBA out of the water. ...Then they released the DS the very next year and that became the new infatuation lol.
Wild Gameboy appeared!
Nintendo send out Gameboy Advance SP!
Go Gameboy Advance SP!
*Fight* Gameboys
Pack Run
Batteries.
Headphone Jack.
*Light screen*
Charge.
Gameboy Advance SP used Light Screen!
Enemy Gameboy is blinded by the light!
*Fight* Gameboys
Pack Run
Batteries
Headphone Jack
Light Screen
*Charge*
Gameboy Advance SP used Charge!
It’s not very effective...
Enemy Gameboy is blinded by the light!
*Fight* Gameboys
Pack Run
Batteries
*Headphone Jack*
Light Screen
Charge
Gameboy Advance SP used Headphone Jack!
It’s super effective!
Enemy Gameboy ears were murdered and fainted!
Trainer Nintendo earned 653 exp!
What?! Gameboy Advance SP is evolving!
*Gameboy Advance SP freezes.*
You actually took the time to make this comment, and yet it’s so underrated, I applaud.
Alter Nan aw thanks, it’s just a comment I did for fun, I think I did a good job.
3 years latter and I am still finding value in this video. Thanks!
Me: i was born in... _2001_
Everyone: and...?
Me: and I've never played GBA...😔
Bruh I was born in the '00s and all I played until like 12 years old was a GameBoy, but yeah I also was low income lol.
It's never too late.
@@SpawnWave true💪👍
YOU WEREN'T A CHILD, YOU WERE BORN!
@@NoelleSmash my mom & dad actually said that whenever i was born, they said that technology was getting more better
Yesss... it'll be very interesting (and fun) to see you build a back lit original gameboy advance..
If pokemon was still made on gameboy I would still play it. Like if u agree
Yea they are. They are called fan made pokemon games for the advance.
golden sun theme song in the background,i loved that game, still play to today
Very slow gaming news day then. 😶
Sunday
Jesus do you people not pay attention. He does news every WEEK day
I've quite fallen in love with the GBA SP recently! It's such a handy form factor. It's so easy to chuck in a pocket or take it out, flip it open and start playing. I love the Switch base and Lite consoles, but they aren't as effortless to carry around, especially because you have to be careful with the fragile analogue sticks. Taking the carrying case requires carrying a bag which is a bit cumbersome.
I never owned that many GBA games, so I didn't appreciate it when it was on the market. I'm gonna mod my AGS-001 soon with an IPS kit. Battery life will of course be a concern! But Retro Modding sells a custom battery that might be good.
I remember preordering this exact color from GameStop, and an employee calling me on a Friday 2 days before it officially released saying their shipment had came in, and being so very stoked picking it up that night after work. Loved that little sucker, except like you said it being cramped somewhat, also I never had any issues with the Madcatz headphone/power adapter other than it being a bit loose over time. Wish I had never traded in mine back in at the same GameStop, but was for a good cause, so I could help my oldest niece get a DS Lite with a couple of games in which she still has to this day.
Fun facts: the frontlit GBA SP's shoulder buttons are smushy and the backlit GBA SP's shoulder buttons are clicky.
Also no, if you’re talking about the pure backlit screens, they did not come from the game boy advance SP but the original DS had a backlit first then the Game Boy micro, after that we got the AGS-101 models of the SP.
Every time someone says GameBoy AdvancED instead of AdvancE a little Pikmin dies! 😜
Ok. #1: Thank you for making this video!☺️ Your knowledge on gaming hardware is quite excellent, not to mention that you do a great job on providing info that is simple to understand for the general public, while still maintaining an aura of “yeah, I know my stuff, but why don’t I help you know it too?”😄 So from one gaming tech enthusiast to the next: thank you for not only this video, but your whole channel-not to mention yourself for being who you are. Keep it going, bro! #2: I know that you’ve said in the past that certain consoles/handhelds were/are a pain to work on; despite this, have you considered creating a series focused solely on refurbishing retro consoles? I ask this because: 1) There are hardly any videos, let alone channels that are of decent, entertaining, and highly professional quality on RUclips, save for channels like The Retro Future. 2) Your experience with refurbishing consoles and handhelds (as well as your personality) alone would very well likely bring more viewers and subscribers, which-since dedicated series and channels on refurbishing gaming tech that are of high quality, professional, and entertaining are hard to come by-your channel would definitely benefit from such a series, even if by a bit at first. And if necessary, you could just do it exclusively on twitch and have it uploaded either on here -or if need be- on a separate channel solely dedicated for archiving. That seems to work for some people (e.g. a youtuber/twitch streamer that goes by SomeCallMeJohnny).
In any case, I only hope that you may either consider my suggestions, or-if it inspired you to do so-create more content in general, because if there’s two things I’ve always been good at-they’re: a) recognizing excellence, and b) recognizing potential. You have both, so never stop doing what you love. And if one day you’re all like, “I’m done with RUclips” for whatever reason it may be, be sure to channel that excellence and potential into whatever else you enjoy doing, even if you’re not good at it.
Also if anyone besides Mr. Spawn Wave here got to this last bit (including him; sorry for not knowing your name), know this: quite a lot of people believe that aren’t good at anything, or, if they are good at something, that it’s a useless talent or skill that won’t get them anywhere in life. Does it make you feel anything positive about yourself? Does it make someone else feel anything positive about themselves? Even if it’s something like snapping your fingers completely out of sync with a song-literally just that-it can be the greatest thing to someone who might not have fingers in the first place; I actually knew a dude who was amazed at the fact that I could snap my fingers somewhat to the beat of a song, because he literally was incapable of snapping his fingers. Yes, he had all 10 of them; he just had no idea how to do it. He wasn’t lacking any intelligence, either. Anyways, point is: you’re good at something; you just have to realize it, and do the best you can with it. Also, it’s rarely ever pure talent that people have: most of the time it’s a skill that at first, it’s so weak it only *seems* like it’s useless. But given enough time (days, months, years), a skill or trait that may seem about as useful as a boring looking rock that most people ignore can actually be turned into something as beautiful and valuable as an amethyst geode. So don’t give up!
Back then, the GBA was my primary gaming system since I didn't have a dedicated setup for gaming. And I explicitly remember thinking how perfect the redesign was. The screen and the form factor were just perfect, and the rechargeable battery was awesome. I even thought that they were taking a step back when they introduced the DS, because of how great the SP was.
Dude, you could start taking apart toasters on this channel and it would still be some of the most interesting content on this whole site.
The GBA SP is still probably the system that I play the most to this day. There’s just so many great games across the GameBoy, GameBoy Color and GameBoy Advance libraries, plus the screen on the AGS-101 is gorgeous.
Some dude I don’t know whipped one of these out at a party I was at today literally 2 hours before you uploaded this. I love this system so much and I might go hunting for a bargain on one for me soon.
I own the legend of Zelda Game Boy advance SP model AGS 101 and it's my favorite Game Boy out of the whole series. I love the compact nature and the beautiful backlit screen. I love it even more than the newer DS models. I think it's compact nature makes it more portable than the DS and I love how it was backwards compatible with Game Boy color and original Game Boy games! It was just hands down an epic deal!
The SP made me pretty envious, having the OG advance. The battery, hinge, and light seemed so futuristic for a kid in 03. Just ended up getting the DS phat when it came out.
Great tech wave video Jon(SW). The SP was a cute neat little system from Nintendo, abit on the small side but was very cool back then then tho guys.
I had every game boy as a kid and the SP was my absolute favorite for all the reasons you mentioned. I wasn't mad at all that my GBA was less than 2 years old because I gave that thing plenty of use. I remember the Christmas my parents got me the SP and I was so excited that I stayed up all night playing it. 😂
I am one of those kids whose parents can't afford any Nintendo handheld. So recently I've been buying a few half broken SPs to repair and now 3 is fully working. I love these, easy to work on. Also Minish Cap is a beautiful game.
I agree because in my opinion the Gameboy Advance SP with the brighter screen is the most comfortable and best way to play any Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance game. Also in my opinion the New 3DS XL is the best way to play anything from the DS up. So you only really need those two consoles to be able to enjoy any Nintendo handheld game ever created.
I love my GBA SP NES edition. Such a great design-and quite the looker, too!
I got my first GBA SP back in 2011-2012 when I was 17 years old. When I got my first stable job in 2014, I had to take 2 buses in order to go to work, so I started playing it a lot and found the lack of a headphone jack kind of annoying. So instead of buying a headphone adapter, I modded it to have its own headphone jack, right above the volume slider. I had to realocate a capacitor though, and because the headphone detection works differently in the GBA SP, I had to give up the internal speaker to give it the headphone jack. It was a cool mod though, and it still works like a charm to this day.
I still have my Advance SP, that thing and playing Wind Waker on Gamecube with the adaptor cable absolutely blew my mind at the time. Those teenage years were the best.
Buy a refurbished or try to find a used original? Any tips what to look for and where to buy?
Backlight an original GBA for a project and then also get a hold of the last GBA revision & maybe do a tear down/comparison video of the screens.
I remember getting so excited as a kid about the light in the SP. XD My parents told me I wouldn't have to use the clip-on light I used for my Gameboy Color and I was so happy about that alone. LOL.
2:17 ahh I see you’re a man of culture as well, I too overly indulge and enjoy Golden Sun
When John doing a much more tech related stuff than some guy who named himself ReviewTechUSA