Manufacturer | Nintendo |
---|---|
Product family | Game Boy [1] |
Type | Handheld game console |
Generation | Sixth |
Release date | |
Introductory price |
USD$99.99 ¥12,500 €129.99 CA$149.95 A$199.99 £89 |
Discontinued | Yes; date undisclosed |
Units shipped | 43.57 million (as of December 31, 2015 [update]) [5] |
Media |
Game Boy Game Pak Game Boy Color Game Pak Game Boy Advance Game Pak |
CPU | 32-bit 16.78 MHz
ARM7TDMI 8 or 4 MHz Z80 coprocessor |
Display | TFT LCD, 240×160 pixels, 40.8×61.2 mm [6] |
Backward compatibility |
Game Boy Game Boy Color |
Predecessor | Game Boy Color [7] |
Successor | Nintendo DS |
The Game Boy Advance SP [a] (GBA SP), released in Japan on February 14, 2003, [8] is a sixth-generation handheld game console developed, released, and marketed by Nintendo that served as an upgraded version of the original Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in the name stands for "Special". [9] It is the penultimate console in the Game Boy Advance product line before the Game Boy Micro, which was released in September 2005.
The GBA SP launched in Platinum Silver and Cobalt Blue, with the addition of Onyx in Europe and Japan. [2] Later colors include: Flame, Pearl Pink, Pearl Blue, Graphite, Midnight Blue, Charizard Fire Red, Torchic Orange, Venusaur Leaf Green, Groudon Red, Kyogre Blue, Rayquaza Green, NES classic design, and Pikachu Yellow. A limited gold edition with a Triforce and the Hyrule Royal Family crest was available in Europe which included a copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. [11] In 2003, Toys "R" Us sold an exclusive gold edition (without any Zelda symbols) in the US starting on Black Friday of that year, initially with a Super Mario Advance 4 game. [12]
In Japan, it was released in a variety of standard colors and special packages. In most other regions it was released in Platinum Silver and Charcoal Black. Later, a Flame Red version was released. Six special editions have also been released: an NES Classics model with the same color scheme as a classic NES controller (and designed to resemble an NES deck when closed), a SpongeBob SquarePants model, a Pikachu model, and a silver model with a tattoo design printed on it, known as the 'Tribal Edition'. [13] In other regions, such as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, additional colors have been released, such as Pearl Green and Starlight Gold. [14]
Nintendo was planning to have the SP be 3D-compatible, but the resolution of the LCD was too low, resulting in Nintendo scrapping it. [15]
Nintendo removed the TRS headphone jack from the SP, 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, stereophonic [16] adapter that plugs into the same port as the AC adapter. Since the Nintendo DS used the same charging port as the GBA SP, the headphone adapter works with said console.
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 adapters that "split" into two different cords; the power jack on one side, and a TS headphone jack on the other.
In 2005, Nintendo released an improved version of the Game Boy Advance SP in North America, featuring a brighter backlit screen instead of the previous version's frontlit screen. This GBA SP was Nintendo's first internationally-released handheld system to feature an integrated backlight. (However, there had already been a backlit system years earlier with the Japan-only Game Boy Light, which was essentially a Game Boy Pocket with an electroluminescent backlit display.) The AGS-101 was never officially released in Japan, however, as the frontlit AGS-001 models were still available on the market until the end of production.
The new model can be distinguished by the following features:
The North American backlit version comes in three standard colors: "Pearl Blue", "Pearl Pink" and "Graphite" (a greyer version of Onyx Black). There were also two Toys "R" Us exclusive backlit models; a " SpongeBob SquarePants" model [19] and a "Limited Edition Pikachu" model.
In 2006, the AGS-101 backlit model also saw a very limited release in Europe. [20] Few models made it to market, likely due to the release of the Game Boy Advance-compatible Nintendo DS one year prior. The European version was released in "Surf Blue" [21] as well as re-issued in "Pink" and "Tribal" editions.
Unlike the North American release, the European box does not feature any prominent text to distinguish the backlit models from the older frontlit models. In addition, only the "Surf Blue" color was unique to the AGS-101, the other two colors "Pink" and "Tribal" had already been released as frontlit models - for these reasons it can be very difficult to identify a European backlit SP. Apart from the AGS-101 model number on the base of the unit, the only other obvious distinguishing feature of the European backlit model is the large picture of the Game Boy Advance SP featured on the front of the box. (The European frontlit models of "Pink" and "Tribal" only feature small pictures of the Game Boy Advance SP on the sides of the box and Flower/Tattoo patterns on the front respectively.)
The AGS-101 Game Boy Advance SP was the final Nintendo handheld to have backward compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games in North America and Europe.
The Game Boy Advance SP had numerous colors and limited editions.
M. Wiley of IGN called the Game Boy Advance SP "a step in the right direction for Nintendo", praising the system's new redesign over the original GBA and highlighting its inclusion of a backlit screen and rechargeable battery, although minor criticism went towards the system's omission of a headphone jack. [22] Engadget gave it a global score of 84 out of 100, also praising the new features of the redesign while noting the system's lack of a headphone jack. [23] Lawson Wong of Fresh Gear called it "darn close to perfection" aside from the missing headphone jack. [24] Matthew D. Sarrel of PC Magazine suggested it to consumers as an improvement over the original model, praising the backlight and integration of a charger as well as improved visual quality, though he noted that players with larger hands may find difficulty with the system's design. [25]
As of June 30, 2009, the Game Boy Advance series has sold 81.48 million units worldwide, of which 43.52 million are Game Boy Advance SP units. [26]
Date | Japan | Americas | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003-03-31 [27] | 0.82 million | 0.83 million | 0.46 million | 2.10 million |
2003-06-30 | ? | ? | ? | 4.84 million [28] |
2003-09-30 [29] | 2.33 million | 4.32 million | 2.38 million | 9.04 million |
2003-12-31 [30] | 3.14 million | 7.82 million | 4.34 million | 15.30 million |
2004-03-31 [31] | 3.68 million | 8.78 million | 4.70 million | 17.16 million |
2004-06-30 | ? | ? | ? | 19.33 million [32] |
2004-09-30 [33] | 5.02 million | 12.46 million | 6.21 million | 23.68 million |
2004-12-31 [34] | 5.94 million | 16.13 million | 8.67 million | 30.73 million |
2005-03-31 [35] | 6.00 million | 16.69 million | 9.10 million | 31.79 million |
2005-06-30 | ? | ? | ? | |
2005-09-30 [36] | 6.16 million | 18.08 million | 10.08 million | 34.32 million |
2005-12-31 [37] | 6.35 million | 20.40 million | 10.64 million | 37.40 million |
2006-03-31 [38] | 6.42 million | 20.95 million | 10.86 million | 38.23 million |
2006-06-30 [39] | 6.46 million | 21.30 million | 11.08 million | 38.84 million |
2006-09-30 [40] | 6.48 million | 21.95 million | 11.37 million | 39.79 million |
2006-12-31 [41] | 6.50 million | 23.06 million | 11.78 million | 41.33 million |
2007-03-31 [42] | 6.50 million | 23.47 million | 11.95 million | 41.92 million |
2007-06-30 [43] | 6.50 million | 23.78 million | 12.14 million | 42.43 million |
2007-09-30 [44] | 6.51 million | 24.01 million | 12.31 million | 42.82 million |
2007-12-31 [45] | 6.51 million | 24.01 million | 12.51 million | 43.02 million |
2008-03-31 [46] | 6.51 million | 24.00 million | 12.71 million | 43.23 million |
2008-06-30 [47] | 6.51 million | 24.00 million | 12.89 million | 43.41 million |
2008-09-30 [48] | 6.51 million | 24.00 million | 12.97 million | 43.49 million |
2008-12-31 [49] | 6.51 million | 24.00 million | 13.00 million | 43.52 million |
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
Manufacturer | Nintendo |
---|---|
Product family | Game Boy [1] |
Type | Handheld game console |
Generation | Sixth |
Release date | |
Introductory price |
USD$99.99 ¥12,500 €129.99 CA$149.95 A$199.99 £89 |
Discontinued | Yes; date undisclosed |
Units shipped | 43.57 million (as of December 31, 2015 [update]) [5] |
Media |
Game Boy Game Pak Game Boy Color Game Pak Game Boy Advance Game Pak |
CPU | 32-bit 16.78 MHz
ARM7TDMI 8 or 4 MHz Z80 coprocessor |
Display | TFT LCD, 240×160 pixels, 40.8×61.2 mm [6] |
Backward compatibility |
Game Boy Game Boy Color |
Predecessor | Game Boy Color [7] |
Successor | Nintendo DS |
The Game Boy Advance SP [a] (GBA SP), released in Japan on February 14, 2003, [8] is a sixth-generation handheld game console developed, released, and marketed by Nintendo that served as an upgraded version of the original Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in the name stands for "Special". [9] It is the penultimate console in the Game Boy Advance product line before the Game Boy Micro, which was released in September 2005.
The GBA SP launched in Platinum Silver and Cobalt Blue, with the addition of Onyx in Europe and Japan. [2] Later colors include: Flame, Pearl Pink, Pearl Blue, Graphite, Midnight Blue, Charizard Fire Red, Torchic Orange, Venusaur Leaf Green, Groudon Red, Kyogre Blue, Rayquaza Green, NES classic design, and Pikachu Yellow. A limited gold edition with a Triforce and the Hyrule Royal Family crest was available in Europe which included a copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. [11] In 2003, Toys "R" Us sold an exclusive gold edition (without any Zelda symbols) in the US starting on Black Friday of that year, initially with a Super Mario Advance 4 game. [12]
In Japan, it was released in a variety of standard colors and special packages. In most other regions it was released in Platinum Silver and Charcoal Black. Later, a Flame Red version was released. Six special editions have also been released: an NES Classics model with the same color scheme as a classic NES controller (and designed to resemble an NES deck when closed), a SpongeBob SquarePants model, a Pikachu model, and a silver model with a tattoo design printed on it, known as the 'Tribal Edition'. [13] In other regions, such as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, additional colors have been released, such as Pearl Green and Starlight Gold. [14]
Nintendo was planning to have the SP be 3D-compatible, but the resolution of the LCD was too low, resulting in Nintendo scrapping it. [15]
Nintendo removed the TRS headphone jack from the SP, 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, stereophonic [16] adapter that plugs into the same port as the AC adapter. Since the Nintendo DS used the same charging port as the GBA SP, the headphone adapter works with said console.
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 adapters that "split" into two different cords; the power jack on one side, and a TS headphone jack on the other.
In 2005, Nintendo released an improved version of the Game Boy Advance SP in North America, featuring a brighter backlit screen instead of the previous version's frontlit screen. This GBA SP was Nintendo's first internationally-released handheld system to feature an integrated backlight. (However, there had already been a backlit system years earlier with the Japan-only Game Boy Light, which was essentially a Game Boy Pocket with an electroluminescent backlit display.) The AGS-101 was never officially released in Japan, however, as the frontlit AGS-001 models were still available on the market until the end of production.
The new model can be distinguished by the following features:
The North American backlit version comes in three standard colors: "Pearl Blue", "Pearl Pink" and "Graphite" (a greyer version of Onyx Black). There were also two Toys "R" Us exclusive backlit models; a " SpongeBob SquarePants" model [19] and a "Limited Edition Pikachu" model.
In 2006, the AGS-101 backlit model also saw a very limited release in Europe. [20] Few models made it to market, likely due to the release of the Game Boy Advance-compatible Nintendo DS one year prior. The European version was released in "Surf Blue" [21] as well as re-issued in "Pink" and "Tribal" editions.
Unlike the North American release, the European box does not feature any prominent text to distinguish the backlit models from the older frontlit models. In addition, only the "Surf Blue" color was unique to the AGS-101, the other two colors "Pink" and "Tribal" had already been released as frontlit models - for these reasons it can be very difficult to identify a European backlit SP. Apart from the AGS-101 model number on the base of the unit, the only other obvious distinguishing feature of the European backlit model is the large picture of the Game Boy Advance SP featured on the front of the box. (The European frontlit models of "Pink" and "Tribal" only feature small pictures of the Game Boy Advance SP on the sides of the box and Flower/Tattoo patterns on the front respectively.)
The AGS-101 Game Boy Advance SP was the final Nintendo handheld to have backward compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games in North America and Europe.
The Game Boy Advance SP had numerous colors and limited editions.
M. Wiley of IGN called the Game Boy Advance SP "a step in the right direction for Nintendo", praising the system's new redesign over the original GBA and highlighting its inclusion of a backlit screen and rechargeable battery, although minor criticism went towards the system's omission of a headphone jack. [22] Engadget gave it a global score of 84 out of 100, also praising the new features of the redesign while noting the system's lack of a headphone jack. [23] Lawson Wong of Fresh Gear called it "darn close to perfection" aside from the missing headphone jack. [24] Matthew D. Sarrel of PC Magazine suggested it to consumers as an improvement over the original model, praising the backlight and integration of a charger as well as improved visual quality, though he noted that players with larger hands may find difficulty with the system's design. [25]
As of June 30, 2009, the Game Boy Advance series has sold 81.48 million units worldwide, of which 43.52 million are Game Boy Advance SP units. [26]
Date | Japan | Americas | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003-03-31 [27] | 0.82 million | 0.83 million | 0.46 million | 2.10 million |
2003-06-30 | ? | ? | ? | 4.84 million [28] |
2003-09-30 [29] | 2.33 million | 4.32 million | 2.38 million | 9.04 million |
2003-12-31 [30] | 3.14 million | 7.82 million | 4.34 million | 15.30 million |
2004-03-31 [31] | 3.68 million | 8.78 million | 4.70 million | 17.16 million |
2004-06-30 | ? | ? | ? | 19.33 million [32] |
2004-09-30 [33] | 5.02 million | 12.46 million | 6.21 million | 23.68 million |
2004-12-31 [34] | 5.94 million | 16.13 million | 8.67 million | 30.73 million |
2005-03-31 [35] | 6.00 million | 16.69 million | 9.10 million | 31.79 million |
2005-06-30 | ? | ? | ? | |
2005-09-30 [36] | 6.16 million | 18.08 million | 10.08 million | 34.32 million |
2005-12-31 [37] | 6.35 million | 20.40 million | 10.64 million | 37.40 million |
2006-03-31 [38] | 6.42 million | 20.95 million | 10.86 million | 38.23 million |
2006-06-30 [39] | 6.46 million | 21.30 million | 11.08 million | 38.84 million |
2006-09-30 [40] | 6.48 million | 21.95 million | 11.37 million | 39.79 million |
2006-12-31 [41] | 6.50 million | 23.06 million | 11.78 million | 41.33 million |
2007-03-31 [42] | 6.50 million | 23.47 million | 11.95 million | 41.92 million |
2007-06-30 [43] | 6.50 million | 23.78 million | 12.14 million | 42.43 million |
2007-09-30 [44] | 6.51 million | 24.01 million | 12.31 million | 42.82 million |
2007-12-31 [45] | 6.51 million | 24.01 million | 12.51 million | 43.02 million |
2008-03-31 [46] | 6.51 million | 24.00 million | 12.71 million | 43.23 million |
2008-06-30 [47] | 6.51 million | 24.00 million | 12.89 million | 43.41 million |
2008-09-30 [48] | 6.51 million | 24.00 million | 12.97 million | 43.49 million |
2008-12-31 [49] | 6.51 million | 24.00 million | 13.00 million | 43.52 million |
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)