43 replies to this topic

[Asaki]

Looks like a first party charger to me.

[Asaki]

Atariboy, on Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:46 PM, said:

And unless you're under the blazing sun, I don't think it's met to be played with the front lighting turned off. When I turn off the backlighting on the original DS (Or is it front lit like the original SP model?), I essentially can't see a thing indoors. I assume the option is there for outside use.

I don't own an original SP (Just the backlit revision of it), but I really doubt if my original DS is any indication that the screen is essentially the same as the original GBA when the lighting is turned off.

The original DS is backlit. The frontlit SP has the same screen as the original GBA. When you turn off the frontlight, it has about the same visibility as the original GBA.

Yeah, the DS is just about impossible to see when you turn off the lighting, even under bright sunlight (and then the sun just reflects off of the silver paint and blinds you!). I have no idea why they even bothered putting the option there.

Edited by Asaki, Mon Oct 3, 2011 7:18 AM.

[Koopa64]

A few corrections are needed here:

1) The DS Phat is frontlit only, though I'd LOVE to hear news of a backlit version, since I can't stand the DS Lite.

2) The GBA SP2 is available in only 3 colors: Graphite, Pearl Pink and Pearl Blue. I've heard there were also two limited edition AGS-101 variants, Special Pikachu Edition and a Spongebob Squarepants version.

3) If your hardware is wearing out, don't throw it away, fix it! Search around, you can probably find NOS contact pads for the Micro somewhere.

[Tr3vor]

Koopa64, on Sun Oct 9, 2011 11:34 AM, said:

1) The DS Phat is frontlit only, though I'd LOVE to hear news of a backlit version, since I can't stand the DS Lite.

I don't think so. The original DS is backlit, but it's not as bright as the DS Lite

If it wasn't backlit, I would be able to play it outside without the light on, like a sp1, but that is not so. it's like the sp2, so I can't see it outside. (backlights are not good for roadtrips, IMO, its too bright in the cars for that.)

[Jess Ragan]

The real pain in the rump is that the special NES-themed Game Boy Advance SP uses front lighting, as opposed to the superior back lighting introduced in later models. I've since moved on to the Game Boy Micro which has the dual advantages of a crisp screen and a tiny size, but it nevertheless would have been nice to have that special edition SP look as nice as the models that were released later.

Also, what the heck happened to my avatar? When AtariAge switched to the new forum software, it must have been left behind in the move!

[madmax2069]

Tr3vor, on Sun Oct 9, 2011 9:29 PM, said:

Koopa64, on Sun Oct 9, 2011 11:34 AM, said:

1) The DS Phat is frontlit only, though I'd LOVE to hear news of a backlit version, since I can't stand the DS Lite.

I don't think so. The original DS is backlit, but it's not as bright as the DS Lite

If it wasn't backlit, I would be able to play it outside without the light on, like a sp1, but that is not so. it's like the sp2, so I can't see it outside. (backlights are not good for roadtrips, IMO, its too bright in the cars for that.)

Yeah the original DS is backlit, It only had on and off for the light and the brightness when it was on wasn't that great. It wasn't till the DS lite where they added 4 levels of brightness (i think level 2 was the same as the DS phat but i could be wrong) and will go brighter then what the original DS would go.

Edited by madmax2069, Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:38 AM.

[Asaki]

Nope. Even the lowest brightness setting on the Lite is brighter than the original DS.

Which can often be quite painful >_<

[Koopa64]

Well, backlit or not, the DS Phat has really bad screens, especially compared to the DS Lite. Not only is the brightness ridiculously low, but the color has nowhere near the fidelity or quality of the DS Lite. In more ways than one, the DS Phat has more things in common with the SP than the Lite. Too bad the Phat and Lite screens don't appear to be compatible, otherwise I'd open up another DS Phat and stick some replacement DS Lite screens in it.

[Tr3vor]

Asaki, on Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:26 AM, said:

Nope. Even the lowest brightness setting on the Lite is brighter than the original DS.

Which can often be quite painful >_<

Actually, I've checked, the lowest brightness on the DS lite is almost exactly the same as the old DS.

[Seob]

Koopa64, on Sun Oct 9, 2011 11:34 AM, said:

A few corrections are needed here:

1) The DS Phat is frontlit only, though I'd LOVE to hear news of a backlit version, since I can't stand the DS Lite.

2) The GBA SP2 is available in only 3 colors: Graphite, Pearl Pink and Pearl Blue. I've heard there were also two limited edition AGS-101 variants, Special Pikachu Edition and a Spongebob Squarepants version.

3) If your hardware is wearing out, don't throw it away, fix it! Search around, you can probably find NOS contact pads for the Micro somewhere.

There is a tribal version of the AGS-101, released in europe.

[Rex Dart]

^ And the surf blue model that's on Wikipedia's article.

[Koopa64]

I can imagine those units are really hard to find. You'd have an easier time buying an SP1 and swapping the cases between them.

[Asaki]

Tr3vor, on Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:26 PM, said:

Actually, I've checked, the lowest brightness on the DS lite is almost exactly the same as the old DS.

Out of every phat model and every Lite model I've seen, the Lite was always brighter.

[Ross PK]

Well, I recieved it in the post a couple of days ago, and I'm really pleased with it.

[Ross PK]

Asaki, on Mon Oct 3, 2011 7:13 AM, said:

Looks like a first party charger to me.

Yup, it is.

I remember someone saying (may have been in this topic) that if I use a UK charger, then the SP will get hotter than normal. I don't really like the sound of that. So maybe I should go for a USB charger, to charge it from my computer, or a step down converter so I can use the American charger.

Edited by Ross PK, Thu Oct 13, 2011 3:28 PM.

[Atariboy]

I imagine the only difference between a European SP and a North American SP is the charger itself.

[Video]

Atariboy, on Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:43 PM, said:

I imagine the only difference between a European SP and a North American SP is the charger itself.

Yeah, and IIRC, isn't europe 220-240 volt? That would definitely get a hotter power supply, though it shouldn't affect your system, at least I wouldn't think so.

[Atariboy]

Yeah, but he'd be using a UK power charger which is designed for handling 220 volts. I assume the output for the charger is the same worldwide (With the SP's being all the same), with just the charger itself being different to account for local conditions (110 volts in the US compared to 220 for the UK, for instance).

[Seob]

UK uses 240V, mainland Europe is switching from 220V to 230V. Output for chargers is always the same, so the hardware manufacture doesn't need to alter his hardware. There are more and more chargers on the market that can be used from 110 - 240 V, even supplied by the manufacture him self.