The Full Wiki

Game Boy Advance SP: Wikis
  
  

Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles.

Encyclopedia

Updated live from Wikipedia, last check: June 01, 2012 01:52 UTC (52 seconds ago)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Game Boy Advance SP
Game Boy Advance SP.jpg
Manufacturer Nintendo
Product family Game Boy line
Type Handheld game console
Generation Sixth generation era
Retail availability JP February 14, 2003
NA March 23, 2003
PAL March 28, 2003
Units shipped 43.54 million (as of June 30, 2009)[1] (details)
Media cartridges
CPU 32-bit RISC-CPU (16.78 MHz)
Best-selling game Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, 13 million combined (as of November 25, 2004)[2]
Pokémon Emerald, 6.32 million (as of March 31, 2007)[3]
Backward
compatibility		 Game Boy, Game Boy Color
Predecessor Game Boy Advance (concurrent)
Successor Game Boy Micro (redesign)/ Nintendo DS

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" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for "Special".[4] The SP was marketed at US$99.99 at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to US$79.99. The SP is accompanied by the Nintendo DS (released in November 2004) and the Game Boy Micro (released in September 2005).

In Japan, it was marketed at ¥12,500 on February 14, 2003. In Canada, it was marketed at CA$149.95 on March 22, 2003. In Australia, it was marketed at AU$199.99 on March 28, 2003. In Europe, it was marketed at €129.99 on March 28, 2003.

Contents

Technical specifications

Physical

  • Size (closed): Approximately 8.4 × 8.2 × 2.44 cm (3.3 × 3.23 × 0.96 inches).
  • Weight: 142 grams (approximately 5 ounces)
  • Screen: Reflective TFT Color LCD.
  • Light source: Frontlight integrated LCD.
  • Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery.
  • Battery Life: 10 hours continuous play with light on, 18 hours with light off; needs at most 3 hours recharging.
  • Hardware colors: Onyx, Flame, Platinum, Cobalt blue, Pearl pink, Pearl blue, Graphite, Midnight blue (backlit), Charizard Red, Torchic Orange, Venusaur Green, NES classic design, and Pikachu Yellow. In September 2005 a Surf Blue edition was sold through Best Buy. A special Pokémon Emerald pack contained a limited edition Green Rayquaza SP and the Emerald game. A limited backlit edition exists. There is also an All Blacks edition.

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 or 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 Game Boy systems. The slot for cartridges has been moved to the front of the system, facing towards the user.

The GBA SP AC adapter comes with the package to recharge its lithium 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.

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. The Six special editions have also been released: a NES Classics model with the same color scheme as a classic NES controller (and designed to resemble a NES deck when closed), a SpongeBob SquarePants model, a Pikachu model, and a silver SP with a tattoo engraved on it, called the 'Tribal Edition'. In other regions, such as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, additional colors have been released, such as Pearl Green and Starlight Gold. Additionally, two new special versions have been released in Asia exclusive to that region.

Internal

  • CPU: 32-bit ARM7TDMI with embedded memory.
  • Co-processor: 8-bit Zilog Z80
  • Memory: 32 kilobyte+96 kilobyte VRAM (internal CPU), 256 kilobyte WRAM (external CPU).
  • Resolution: 240 × 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 Game Boy Color games.

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.

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. Other solutions are an adapter that plugs into the charging port and has another charging port along with the headphone jack.

Backlit Model (AGS-101)

Packaging for the European AGS-101 model, in the colour "Surf Blue".

In September 2005, around the time of the Game Boy Micro's release, 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. The new model can be distinguished by the following features:

  • The box states "Now with a BRIGHTER backlit screen!" to distinguish the new model from the older, frontlit models.
  • The backlit SP has the Model Number AGS-101 on the label on the bottom of the unit, whereas the original frontlit SP has the Model Number AGS-001[5]
  • The switch at the top center of the consoles lower face is now referred to in the manual as the "Brightness Switch" and selects between two levels of brightness, "Normal"(Low) and "Bright"(High) with no off setting. On the frontlit models this switch turned the frontlight on or off only. With the backlight set to "Normal"(Low) the brightness still surpasses the original AGS-001 with the frontlight on.

The North American backlit version comes in three standard colors: "Pearl Blue", "Pearl Pink" and "Graphite" (a grayer version of Onyx Black). There were also two Toys "R" Us exclusive backlit models; a "SpongeBob SquarePants" model[6] and a "Limited Edition Pikachu" model.

In 2006 the AGS-101 backlit model also saw a very limited release in Europe[7]. Few models made it to market, likely due to the release of the Game Boy Advance-compatible Nintendo DS one year previous. The European version was released in "Surf Blue"[8] as well as re-issued "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)

So far the European AGS-101 model has only been reported in Germany and Italy so may not have been released in all European countries.

Sales information

As of June 30, 2009, the Game Boy Advance series has sold 81.48 million units worldwide, of which 43.54 million are Game Boy Advance SP units.[9]

Life-to-date Number of units sold
Date Japan Americas Other Total
2003-03-31[10] 0.82 million 0.83 million 2 2.11 million
2003-06-30 4.84 million[11 ]
2003-09-30[12 ] 2.33 million 4.32 million 2.38 million 9.04 million
2003-12-31[13 ] 3.14 million 7.82 million 4.34 million 15.30 million
2004-03-31[14 ] 3.68 million 8.78 million 4.70 million 17.16 million
2004-06-30 19.33 million[15 ]
2004-09-30[16 ] 5.02 million 12.46 million 6.21 million 23.68 million
2004-12-31[17 ] 5.94 million 16.13 million 8.67 million 30.73 million
2005-03-31[18 ] 6.00 million 16.69 million 9.10 million 31.79 million
2005-06-30
2005-09-30[19 ] 6.16 million 18.08 million 10.08 million 34.32 million
2005-12-31[20 ] 6.35 million 20.40 million 10.64 million 37.40 million
2006-03-31[21 ] 6.42 million 20.95 million 10.86 million 38.23 million
2006-06-30[22 ] 6.46 million 21.30 million 11.08 million 38.84 million
2006-09-30[23 ] 6.48 million 21.95 million 11.37 million 39.79 million
2006-12-31[24 ] 6.50 million 23.06 million 11.78 million 41.33 million
2007-03-31[25 ] 6.50 million 23.47 million 11.95 million 41.92 million
2007-06-30[26 ] 6.50 million 23.78 million 12.14 million 42.43 million
2007-09-30[27 ] 6.51 million 24.01 million 12.31 million 42.82 million
2007-12-31[28 ] 6.51 million 24.01 million 12.51 million 43.02 million
2008-03-31[29 ] 6.51 million 24.00 million 12.71 million 43.23 million
2008-06-30[30 ] 6.51 million 24.00 million 12.89 million 43.41 million
2008-09-30[31 ] 6.51 million 24.00 million 12.97 million 43.49 million
2008-12-31[1] 6.51 million 24.00 million 13.00 million 43.52 million

See also

Nintendo portal

References

  1. ^ a b "Consolidated Sales Transition by Region" (PDF). Nintendo. 2009-01-29. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e0812.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-31.  
  2. ^ "Consolidated Financial Statements" (PDF). Nintendo. 2004-11-25. pp. 4. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2004/041125e.pdf#page=4. Retrieved 2007-11-11.  
  3. ^ "Supplementary Information about Earnings Release" (PDF). Nintendo. 2007-04-27. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2007/070427e.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-15.  
  4. ^ Nintendo - Customer Service | Game Boy Advance SP - Frequently Asked Questions
  5. ^ AGB/AGS/OXY: Game Boy Advance
  6. ^ GBA SP Gets Brighter
  7. ^ Brighter SP coming to Europe
  8. ^ Gameboy Advance SP - European AGS-101 Model (Backlit) Unboxing
  9. ^ "Consolidated Sales Transition by Region" (Portable Document Format). Nintendo. 2009-07-30. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e0906.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-30.  
  10. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2003-05-22. pp. 27. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2003/030522e.pdf#page=36. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  11. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2003-08-05. pp. 4. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2003/030805e.pdf#page=3. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  12. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2003-11-13. pp. 27. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2003/031113e.pdf#page=27. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  13. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2004-01-29. pp. 4. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2004/040129e.pdf#page=3. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  14. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2004-05-27. pp. 33. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2004/040527e.pdf#page=33. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  15. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2004-07-28. pp. 7. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2004/040728e.pdf#page=6. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  16. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo Co., Ltd.. 2004-11-25. pp. 25. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2004/041125e.pdf#page=25. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  17. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2005-01-26. pp. 7. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2005/050126e.pdf#page=6. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  18. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2005-05-26. pp. 39. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2005/050526e.pdf#page=39. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  19. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo Co., Ltd.. 2005-11-24. pp. 25. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2005/051124e.pdf#page=25. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  20. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2006-01-26. pp. 7. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2006/060126e.pdf#page=6. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  21. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2006-05-25. pp. 30. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2006/060525e.pdf#page=30. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  22. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2006-07-24. pp. 9. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2006/060724e.pdf#page=8. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  23. ^ "Consolidated financial highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2006-10-26. pp. 28. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2006/061026e.pdf#page=28. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  24. ^ "Consolidated Financial Highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2007-01-25. pp. 8. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2007/070125e.pdf. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  25. ^ "Consolidated Financial Highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2007-04-26. pp. 8. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2007/070426e.pdf#page=21. Retrieved 2007-04-26.  
  26. ^ "Consolidated Financial Highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2007-07-25. pp. 8. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2007/070725e.pdf#page=8. Retrieved 2007-07-25.  
  27. ^ "Consolidated Financial Highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2007-10-25. pp. 22. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2007/071025e.pdf#page=22. Retrieved 2007-10-25.  
  28. ^ "Consolidated Financial Highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. 2007-01-24. pp. 8. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/080124e.pdf#page=8. Retrieved 2007-01-24.  
  29. ^ "Consolidated Financial Statements" (PDF). Nintendo. 2008-04-24. pp. 22. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/080424e.pdf#page=22. Retrieved 2008-04-24.  
  30. ^ "Consolidated Sales Transition by Region". Nintendo. 2008-07-30. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e0806.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-30.  
  31. ^ "Consolidated Sales Transition by Region" (PDF). Nintendo. 2008-10-30. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e0809.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-31.  

External links

Nintendo video game hardware
Consoles
Handhelds
Arcade
Peripherals
Technology
Handheld game consoles
Early units
Bandai
Game Park/Holdings
Nintendo
Sega
SNK
Sony
Other handhelds
Comparison

Strategy wiki

Up to date as of January 23, 2010
(Redirected to Category:Game Boy Advance article)

From StrategyWiki, the free strategy guide and walkthrough wiki

Game Boy Advance
The console image for Game Boy Advance.
Manufacturer Nintendo
Active 2001—present
Total Games 948 (253 present)
← Game Boy Color Nintendo DS →
Popular guides
  1. The Legend of Zelda
  2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  3. Super Mario World
  4. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
  5. Pokémon Emerald
  6. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
  7. Pac-Man
  8. Donkey Kong
  9. Metroid
  10. Final Fantasy VI

The Game Boy Advance plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. There are two redesigns, the Game Boy Advance SP and the Game Boy Micro.

Game Boy Advance SP
The console image for Game Boy Advance SP.
Manufacturer Nintendo
Active 2003—present

The Game Boy Advance SP plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. There are two other versions of the Game Boy Advance SP, the Game Boy Advance and the redesign of the Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Micro.

Game Boy Micro
The console image for Game Boy Micro.
Manufacturer Nintendo
Active 2005—present

The Game Boy Micro is the second redesign of the Game Boy Advance, the first was the Game Boy Advance SP. It is much smaller and the screen is much brighter then when the Game Boy Advance SP was first released (now the Game Boy Advance SP also has a brighter screen if it was bought new). The Game Boy Micro does the same things as the Game Boy Advance, except has much nicer features. One drawback however, is its inability to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.


(previous 200) (next 200)

Subcategories

This category has only the following subcategory.

C

Pages in category "Game Boy Advance"

The following 199 pages are in this category, out of 252 total.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

  • Kid Icarus
  • Kidou Senshi Z-Gundam: Hot Scramble
  • Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
  • Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
  • Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced

L

  • The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night
  • The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
  • The Legend of Zelda
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  • User:Teddy/LTTP
  • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
  • The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  • Legends of Wrestling II
  • Lego Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge
  • Lego Racers 2
  • Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
  • Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Game Boy Advance)
  • The Lost Vikings
  • Lufia: The Ruins of Lore

M

M cont.

N

O

P

R

S
(previous 200) (next 200)

Gaming

Up to date as of February 01, 2010
(Redirected to Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP article)

From Wikia Gaming, your source for walkthroughs, games, guides, and more!

Portal: Game Insustry Around.png Game Boy Advance SP at
Nintentopedia
A black GBA SP in closed and open mode.

Contents

The Game Boy Advance SP (GBA SP), released in March, 2003, is an upgrade to Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" stands for "Special"—not "Special Project" as some assume.[1]

Improvements over the original Game Boy Advance include an internal frontlight (backlight on later models), a rechargeable lithium ion battery and a clamshell design. The GBA SP is approximately half the width of the GBA when closed and roughly the height of Nintendo's Game Boy Color when open. The clamshell design also protects the screen from scratches and dust. Due to form factor limitations, Nintendo removed the headphone jack, which had been included on all previous Game Boy models. Headphones can only be attached with an optional adapter that plugs into the same port as the charger/AC adapter. It can be found at Nintendo's North American Online Store, and is available for purchase in brick and mortar stores in Japan and Europe.

The battery is similar to that of most mobile phones and lasts approximately 18 hours with the light off and 10 hours with it on.

Nintendo claimed that technological advances made it possible for the SP to include an internal light and a rechargeable battery and launch at the same price as the original had launched at in 2001 ($99.99 USD). An additional motivation may have been a need to respond to Triton Labs' Afterburner aftermarket internal light kit, which proved that the original GBA could support an internal light with an acceptable drop in battery life.

In September 2004, Nintendo announced that the Game Boy Advance SP's price would drop to $79.99 USD.

The GBA SP has been accompanied in the marketplace by the Nintendo DS; Nintendo has described the latter system as a "third pillar" alongside its home console line and the Game Boy range (with the GBA's marketplace successor to follow at a later date).

Technical specifications

Physical

  • Size (closed): Approximately 8.4 × 8.2 × 2.44 cm (3.3 × 3.23 × 0.96 inches).
  • Weight: 142 grams (approximately 5 ounces).
  • Screen: Reflective TFT Color LCD.
  • Light source: Frontlight integrated LCD.
  • Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery.
  • Battery Life: 10 hours continuous play with light on, 18 hours with light off; needs at most 3 hours recharging.
  • Hardware colors: Onyx, Flame, Platinum, Cobalt blue, Pearl pink, Pearl blue, Graphite, Midnight blue (backlit), Charizard red, Venusaur green, Pikachu yellow. In September 2005 a Surf Blue edition was sold through Best Buy, and also they made a limited Spongebob Squarepants edition.There is also an All Blacks edition .

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 or 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 Game Boy systems.

The GBA SP AC adapter comes with the package to recharge its lithium 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.

In most regions it was released in Platinum Silver, and Charcoal Black. Later a Flame Red version was released. The Six special editions have also been released: a NES Classics model with the same color scheme as a classic NES controller, a SpongeBob SquarePants model, a Pikachu model, and a silver SP with a tattoo engraved on it, called the 'Tribal Edition'. In other regions, such as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, additional colors have been released, such as Pearl Green and Starlight Gold.

Internal

  • CPU: 32-bit ARM7TDMI with embedded memory.
  • Memory: 32 kibibyte+96 kibibyte Video RAM (internal CPU), 256 kibibyte WRAM (external CPU).
  • Resolution: 240 × 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 Game Boy Color games.

Headphone jack

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. This accessory is available on Nintendo's online store for US$4.25 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.

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

References

  1. ↑ Nintendo Customer Service FAQ

See also

Nintendo Hardware
Home Consoles: Color TV Game | NES | Super NES | Nintendo 64 | GameCube | Wii
Portables: Game & Watch | Game Boy | Game Boy Light | Game Boy Pocket | Game Boy Color | Game Boy Advance | Game Boy Advance SP | Nintendo DS | Game Boy micro | Nintendo DS Lite | Nintendo DSi
Arcade: Nintendo Classic | Vs. UniSystem/DualSystem | PlayChoice-10 | Nintendo Super System | Triforce (Arcade Board)
Misc devices: Super Game Boy | Super Game Boy 2 | Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak | Game Boy Printer | Virtual Boy | Game Boy Player | iQue | e-Reader

This article uses material from the "Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP" article on the Gaming wiki at Wikia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.







Got something to say? Make a comment.
Your name
Your email address
Message
Please enter the solution to case below
45-15=