toptenmaterial Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I'm thinking of getting a GBA SP clone. Has anyone bought or played one? Here is a link that popped up on google, I'm sure there are many more clones. http://www.k1gba.com/gba-console-c-22.html?osCsid=9bb5496ccd7e2123219342596190d4fd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Why a clone at those prices? Why not a original used GBA SP? Just curious..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Or if you are going to go for a clone, pay a little more and get a comparable device that emulates it along with other platforms. Otherwise I'd go for original hardware and a flash cart on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 (edited) I've almost bought their other design a few times. The main reason I haven't sprung for a clone is that the screen on them has a different resolution which causes sharpness and/or stretching issues. From what I understand, a number of games also have slowdown or sound glitches. gbatemp has very extensive reviews of both units. It's not for people who are picky about quality, but honestly most of nintendo's original hardware has its down side too. Whether it be the lack of backlight, washed out colors, or having the wrong screen refresh rate. Edited November 24, 2014 by Reaperman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 It's not for people who are picky about quality, but honestly most of nintendo's original hardware has its down side too. Whether it be the lack of backlight, washed out colors, or having the wrong screen refresh rate. Which official hardware has refresh rate issues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhomaios Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I have a GBA clone with a nice backlight. Otherwise, you really are better off getting an original SP101. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 (edited) Which official hardware has refresh rate issues? Backlit SP AGS-101. 50hz vs 60hz. I found it nearly impossible to ignore the issue on anything with scrolling. Edited November 24, 2014 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Backlit SP AGS-101. 50hz vs 60hz. No kidding? That would drive me nuts, too. I had been thinking about picking up a 101 but now I'll have to consider that. Thanks for the warning. So is there a best solution for GBAs? Is the DS Lite the way to go, then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 (edited) No kidding? That would drive me nuts, too. I had been thinking about picking up a 101 but now I'll have to consider that. Thanks for the warning. So is there a best solution for GBAs? Is the DS Lite the way to go, then? DS lite does well, though it bugs me that the cart sticks out the bottom so far and the top screen is blank. A half-height gba flashcard helps with the first issue, but introduces its own set of problems. Personally, I have a bunch of Game Boy Micros I use. The smaller screen makes them look really sharp, and they're small enough to actually be portable, which I like. Their buttons start getting mushy after a few thousand hours (I haven't found rebuild kits), and the faceplates are expensive. Edited November 24, 2014 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Well, you can have it display on the (sharper) top screen if you like. Is the problem the same on either screen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Well, you can have it display on the (sharper) top screen if you like. Is the problem the same on either screen? It's not a problem, it just bugs me that one of the screens is blank I'm a little picky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 It's not a problem, it just bugs me that one of the screens is blank You can always yank the upper screen off. Can't find the link now, but somebody did one that actually looked decent... filled in the gaps with custom-cast resin, I think. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toptenmaterial Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 For some GBA games (like the Classic NES Castlevania) I much prefer the button layout of the SP to the DS. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 For some GBA games (like the Classic NES Castlevania) I much prefer the button layout of the SP to the DS. A DS Lite has much nicer buttons though if you ask me. They aren't super stiff like on a GBA SP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I prefer an original GBA or SP, because you loose GB/GBC BC once you go to the lite. That's a good reason not to modify a DS lite, though those are nice in themselves, the shoulder buttons suck on them. (three systems and the shoulders are shot on all of them) If you just want to emulate, there's some good stuff for PSP.... though you could get a flash card and use real hardware. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famicommander Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 It isn't the refresh rate that's different on the backlit SP, it's the response time. It has a lower response time screen which is what causes the blurring/ghosting. The colors are also oversaturated. The Game Boy micro is the only backlit solution that has a high response time screen. It also has no washed out or oversaturated colors, and the sharpest screen due to being smaller (higher pixel density). The DS Lite has a low response time screen too, the original SP is frontlit, and the original DS is frontlit. The DSi is backlit and has a high response time screen, but it doesn't have the GBA slot. The Game Boy Player has a timing issue that causes you to drop a frame every so often. The frontlit systems have washed out colors. The original Advance has no lighting at all. And the micro is expensive, and doesn't play Game Boy or Game Boy Color games. So all of them really have their strenghts and drawbacks. I use a Game Boy micro for GBA games, a DSi for DS games, and a Super Game Boy 2 or frontlight modded Game Boy Color for Game Boy games. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famicommander Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I prefer an original GBA or SP, because you loose GB/GBC BC once you go to the lite. That's a good reason not to modify a DS lite, though those are nice in themselves, the shoulder buttons suck on them. (three systems and the shoulders are shot on all of them) If you just want to emulate, there's some good stuff for PSP.... though you could get a flash card and use real hardware. A lot of the time it's just dust getting caught in there preventing good contact. Try blowing into the opening between the buttons and the casing, while working the button up and down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland p Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 (edited) I'm really happy with my original GBA with upgraded AGS-101 screen. It also plays GBC games natively, which is a huge pro since Zelda Link's awakening (I haven't played the gbc Zelda's yet) . The blurring doesn't bother me, and the ergonomics are way better than the lite, which gave me cramps. Edited December 4, 2014 by roland p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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