Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP

Game Boy Advance SP is a handheld console released by Nintendo in 2003. The word SP stands for special. And indeed, it was a special handheld since Nintendo made a lot of changes.

The design changed again and with the on/off screen reminds some consoles from Game & Watch series. This design protects the screen from dust and scratches. The cartridge input relocated to the bottom of the console, facing down, instead of facing up at the top of the console. The backlit version (AGS-101) was the first handheld console that Nintendo released outside Japan with a backlit screen. However, Game Boy Light has a backlit, but it was released only in Japan. Nintendo also included an adapter and a rechargeable lithium ion battery in the package for the first time. The battery can give 10-18 hours of game play, depending if the backlit is on or off and is recharged after 3 hours. In the previous consoles of Game Boy Family there is a headphone jack in every unit, however, in Game Boy Advance SP there is no such a jack. Special headphones for GBA SP can be purchased or a stereophonic adapter can be bought that plugs into the same port as the AC adapter.

Game Boy Advance SP has two versions, one with a frontlit and one with a backlit and both versions have backwards compatibility with Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games.