Game Boy Advance SP

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Game Boy Advance SP

Manufacturer	Nintendo
Type	Handheld gaming console
Generation	Sixth generation era
First available	^JP February 14, 2003 ^NA March 23, 2003 ^EU March 28, 2003 ^CH November 18, 2004
CPU	32-bit RISC-CPU (16.78 MHz)
Media	cartridges
Units sold	as of September 30, 2006:^[1] 39.79 million (worldwide) 6.48 million (Japan) 21.95 million (Americas) 11.37 million (other)
Top-selling game	Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald
Backward compatibility	Game Boy, Game Boy Color
Predecessor	Game Boy Advance
Successor	Game Boy Micro

The Game Boy Advance SP (ゲームボーイアドバンスSP, Gēmu Bōi Adobansu Esupī^?), released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" stands for Special.^[2] The SP was marketed at $99.99 USD at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to $79.99 USD. The SP is accompanied by the Nintendo DS (released in November 2004) and the Game Boy Micro (released in September 2005).

1 Technical specifications
2 Backlit version
3 Sales information
4 References
5 See also

[edit] Technical specifications

[edit] Physical

Light source: front light integrated LCD
Size (closed): Approximately 3.3" height / 3.23" width / 0.96" depth
Screen : reflective TFT Color LCD
Weight : Approximately 5 ounces (142 grams)
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery.
Battery Life: 10 hours continuous play with light on, 18 hours with light off; 3 hours recharging
Hardware colors: Onyx, Flame, Platinum, Cobalt blue, Pearl pink, Pearl blue, Graphite, Midnight blue (backlit)
In September 2005 a Surf Blue edition was sold through Best Buy.

[edit] Internal

CPU : 32-bit ARM with embedded memory.
Memory : 32 kibibyte+96 kibibyte VRAM (internal CPU), 256 kibibyte WRAM (external CPU)
Resolution : 240 x 160 pixels
Color : Can display 511 simultaneous colors in character mode and 32,768 simultaneous colors in bitmap mode
Software : Fully compatible with Game Boy and Gameboy Color games.

The GBA SP is slightly more than half the size of the GBA when closed and roughly the height of Nintendo's Game Boy Color when open. The clamshell/laptop design protects the screen from scratches and dust, reminiscent of two-screen Game & Watch units. However, the casing is made from a different material, making it more prone to scratches than previous GB systems.

The GBA SP AC adapter comes with the package to recharge its li-ion battery, something previous Game Boys did not have. The software library and general hardware specifications are identical to those of the Game Boy Advance.

[edit] Headphone jack

Headphone adapter for Game Boy Advance SP

Due to form-factor limitations, Nintendo removed the headphone jack, which had been included on all previous Game Boy models. Headphones designed specifically for the GBA SP can be purchased, or standard headphones can be attached with an optional adapter that plugs into the same port as the AC adapter. Any person interested in this accessory could purchase it for $4.25 USD from Nintendo's online store ^[3] or from brick and mortar stores in Japan and Europe.

As both AC adapter and headphones use the same port, it is not possible to charge the SP and listen to headphones at the same time with the Nintendo brand adapter. There are however third-party solutions, such as an adapter that "splits" into two different cords; The power jack on one side, and a normal headphone jack on the other.^{[citation needed]}

Majesco developed officially licensed neckband stereo headphones that plugs directly into the port without the need of an adapter. ^[4]

[edit] Backlit version

In North America in September 2005, around the time of the Game Boy Micro's release, Nintendo released an improved version of the Game Boy Advance SP featuring a backlight instead of the previous version's frontlight. The brightness can be set to low or high. The box says, "Now with a BRIGHTER backlit screen!" to distinguish the new model from the older, frontlit models. In addition, the backlit SP model can be recognized by the AGS-101 model designation on the bottom of the unit. ^[5]

The standard edition of the backlit version currently comes in three colors, Pearl Blue, Graphite, and Pearl Pink. Six special editions have also been released: an NES Classics model with the same color scheme as a classic NES controller, a SpongeBob SquarePants model, a Pikachu model, a red SP with Charizard engraved on the front, a silver SP with a tattoo engraved on it, and a matching green SP with Venusaur engraved on the front. In other regions, such as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, additional colors have been released, such as Pearl Green and Starlight Gold.

[edit] Sales information

Combined sales of all Game Boy Advance hardware units now stand at over 76 million worldwide. According to Nintendo, the GBA SP had sold nearly 40 million units as of September 30, 2006.^[1]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (PDF) 28. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (2006-10-26). Retrieved on October 26, 2006.
^ [1]
^ [2]
^ AGB/AGS/OXY: Game Boy Advance models.
^ [3]

[edit] See also

Early units
Handheld game consoles
See Microvision and Handheld electronic games
Nintendo handhelds
Game & Watch \| Game Boy (Pocket \| Light) \| Game Boy Color \| Game Boy Advance (SP \| Micro) \| Nintendo DS (Lite)
Bandai handhelds
WonderSwan \| WonderSwan Color \| SwanCrystal
GamePark/Holdings handhelds
GP32 \| GP2X \| XGP \| XGP Mini \| XGP Kids
SNK handhelds
Neo Geo Pocket \| Neo Geo Pocket Color
Sega handhelds
Game Gear \| Nomad \| Mega Jet
Sony handhelds
PocketStation \| PlayStation Portable
Other handhelds
Atari Lynx \| Gamate \| Watara Supervision \| Mega Duck \| Game.com \| Gizmondo \| N-Gage \| TurboExpress \| Pepper Pad \| GameKing \| iRiver G10 \| Ez MINI \| OQO Model 2
Comparison