38 replies to this topic

[Rhindle The Red]

Honestly, I play my GBA (Gold "Pokemon" edition) mostly in the bathroom. (Hey, what can I say, it's the truth.)

The lights good, so no problem there. I've also rarely found myself in a location where I wanted to play the GBA but found the light inadequate.

My eyes are quite a bit more sensitive than most, so maybe that's part of it.

Anyway, I'll get a GBAsp when they are cheap or there's a really good deal available. I've got every Game Boy so far except the Game Boy Light, so I'm not gonna go forever without the sp.

The only real bitch I have about my GBA is that since it's a special edition, I can't replace the screen without ruining the unique look of the thing. So I have to live with seeing a stupid little scratch I put in the screen every time I play it. I evenually stop noticing it, but man, that annoys me.

[liveinabin]

Rhindle The Red said:

The only real bitch I have about my GBA is that since it's a special edition, I can't replace the screen without ruining the unique look of the thing.  So I have to live with seeing a stupid little scratch I put in the screen every time I play it.  I evenually stop noticing it, but man, that annoys me.

yeah, that bugged me about my GBA (Pokemon Center Japan, Suicine Blue). Still, I have an SP as well now (which is great for 2 player link ups as, when you're facing each other, chances are only one of you will have adequate light from behind).
I didn't think I'd find the SP a great imrovement over the GBA (which I was going to get 'Afterburnered') but I use it a lot more. It's truly great how this model actually closes shut (protecting the screen) and really DOES fit in your pocket. I miss being able to just change batteries when the power runs low though.

[bargora]

liveinabin said:

I miss being able to just change batteries when the power runs low though.

Since it's a Li-Ion battery inside the SP, you should just charge the thing up at night if you used it for more than a couple of minutes during the day. Li-Ion batteries will give you a greater total service life if you charge after shallow discharges, rather than running it down and waiting for the orange "lo-batt" light to come on before charging. It's not like the old Ni-Cd cells that would develop a "memory" if you charged them before they were empty.

And since you can get, what, eight hours of lighted play on a charge, there's really not much chance of running a fully charged SP down in a single day, unless you're travelling, or you're obsessed, or you play GBA games for a living.

If any of those apply, however, I believe you can buy a second battery that you could swap in if the first battery runs dry.

[Major Havoc 2049]

AtariDude said:

Ok. Confession time. I figured out why it was not fitting. I was putting it in backwards. I thought the face label had to be in front of the GBA. Now that I see NE146's picture did I realize that I was putting it in backwards. Oh well. At least now I can play the game.

I also got myself a magnifier for the GBA so that I can play Medal Of Honor: Underground because on the GBA it was really hard to see the screen well. Now the magnifier makes it look more like a normal game.

How do you like Medel of Honor: Underground for the GBA? I almost bought it the other day, but it looked really low-res. So, how is it?

[JB]

bargora said:

liveinabin said:

I miss being able to just change batteries when the power runs low though.

Since it's a Li-Ion battery inside the SP, you should just charge the thing up at night if you used it for more than a couple of minutes during the day. Li-Ion batteries will give you a greater total service life if you charge after shallow discharges, rather than running it down and waiting for the orange "lo-batt" light to come on before charging. It's not like the old Ni-Cd cells that would develop a "memory" if you charged them before they were empty.

Actually, fully discharging a ni-cad pack can DESTROY it, since diffrent cells discharge at diffrent rates, and the cell that drains fastest gets slaughtered by the current forced through it by the others.

The "memory" problem is actually caused by overcharging the battery as opposed to charging it before it's dead.

[AtariDude]

Major Havoc 2049 said:

AtariDude said:

Ok. Confession time. I figured out why it was not fitting. I was putting it in backwards. I thought the face label had to be in front of the GBA. Now that I see NE146's picture did I realize that I was putting it in backwards. Oh well. At least now I can play the game.

I also got myself a magnifier for the GBA so that I can play Medal Of Honor: Underground because on the GBA it was really hard to see the screen well. Now the magnifier makes it look more like a normal game.

How do you like Medel of Honor: Underground for the GBA? I almost bought it the other day, but it looked really low-res. So, how is it?

I really had a hard time playing the game on the small screen of the GBA. I went to a game stop and got a magnifier for the screen and now I am better able to play it. I haven't had time to play it too much so I have only completed the first board. I am playing Commander Keen more than Medal of Honor.

[bargora]

JB said:

bargora said:

liveinabin said:

I miss being able to just change batteries when the power runs low though.

Since it's a Li-Ion battery inside the SP, you should just charge the thing up at night if you used it for more than a couple of minutes during the day. Li-Ion batteries will give you a greater total service life if you charge after shallow discharges, rather than running it down and waiting for the orange "lo-batt" light to come on before charging. It's not like the old Ni-Cd cells that would develop a "memory" if you charged them before they were empty.

Actually, fully discharging a ni-cad pack can DESTROY it, since diffrent cells discharge at diffrent rates, and the cell that drains fastest gets slaughtered by the current forced through it by the others.

The "memory" problem is actually caused by overcharging the battery as opposed to charging it before it's dead.

Yes, cell reversal in battery packs is a bitch, although I had thought that NiCd cells were more tolerant of such abuse than, say, NiMH cells. And I agree that overcharging sucks too (no matter what kind of cell you use), although I had not heard that that was the primary generator of the "memory" effect. It would make sense, though, if you had a dumb timed charger and you plunked a lightly discharged battery into it, as it would get overcharged in that case.

But since the GBA SP Li-Ion battery uses a smart charger, it avoids the latter problem (overcharge); so you can charge frequently and avoid the former problem (deep discharge --> cell reversal).

[JB]

bargora said:

JB said:

bargora said:

liveinabin said:

I miss being able to just change batteries when the power runs low though.

Since it's a Li-Ion battery inside the SP, you should just charge the thing up at night if you used it for more than a couple of minutes during the day. Li-Ion batteries will give you a greater total service life if you charge after shallow discharges, rather than running it down and waiting for the orange "lo-batt" light to come on before charging. It's not like the old Ni-Cd cells that would develop a "memory" if you charged them before they were empty.

Actually, fully discharging a ni-cad pack can DESTROY it, since diffrent cells discharge at diffrent rates, and the cell that drains fastest gets slaughtered by the current forced through it by the others.

The "memory" problem is actually caused by overcharging the battery as opposed to charging it before it's dead.

Yes, cell reversal in battery packs is a bitch, although I had thought that NiCd cells were more tolerant of such abuse than, say, NiMH cells. And I agree that overcharging sucks too (no matter what kind of cell you use), although I had not heard that that was the primary generator of the "memory" effect. It would make sense, though, if you had a dumb timed charger and you plunked a lightly discharged battery into it, as it would get overcharged in that case.

But since the GBA SP Li-Ion battery uses a smart charger, it avoids the latter problem (overcharge); so you can charge frequently and avoid the former problem (deep discharge --> cell reversal).

Everyone should love smart chargers. Dumb ones should be outlawed.

[A2600]

Lets vow a moment of silence for forgetting the Pocket and Original Game BOY!

I have those 2 but crave for an SP (Fami-Style)

[AtariDude]

I used to have one of those original gameboys. Used to love playing the Ninja Turtles game a lot! My sister finally wound up with the system. I have no idea what happened to it over the years.

[NE146]

A2600 said:

Lets vow a moment of silence for forgetting the Pocket and Original Game BOY!

I still got an original Gameboy, I like to break it out now and then for kicks. I used to have a pocket GB.. but I gave that to my then 4 year old nephew when I got a GBC.. who knows where it's at now

[SS]

NE146 said:

A2600 said:

Lets vow a moment of silence for forgetting the Pocket and Original Game BOY!

I still got an original Gameboy, I like to break it out now and then for kicks. I used to have a pocket GB.. but I gave that to my then 4 year old nephew when I got a GBC.. who knows where it's at now

My original gray GB and the original style green one that I replaced it with died years ago; the screens on those things sucked. I sold my first GBA when I picked up a SP (maybe a mistake ). Still have my silver PocketGB, purple GBC, and cobalt GBA-SP and still play 'em all.

[JB]

A2600 said:

Lets vow a moment of silence for forgetting the Pocket and Original Game BOY!

I have those 2 but crave for an SP (Fami-Style)

Man, but I'd love the FamiCom-style GBASP.
Too bad it won't make it to a production run...


There's actually TWO original gray brick GBs in my house.

[A2600]

I would actually would pay a sweet buck for that fami-style just just an original FAMICOM