27th March 2003, 9:39 PM
"Save space" eh? I'm sure they could have fit a small hole in there if they worked at it. They just didn't see any reason to work hard at fitting it in I guess...
Anyway, I just now got mine (my GBA "AB" (for after burner) is going to my little sister as I said), and I gotta say it's a nice little thing. Since I wasn't the one who put the screen in, it doesn't have dust or smear problems at all :D. Looks loverly.
However, I will nitpick. I'm rather miffed at the placement of the power plug. The only real problem is using that adapter WHILE using the GBA/GCN link cable (which is likely to be needed should the battery die and you really want to use the link cable feature). However, this isn't so much a complaint on the design of the SP so much as a complaint on the design of the cable. There is no reason it had to take up so much room. Why would they be so worried the connector plug would be yanked? They didn't seem to have a problem with the GBA to GBA link cable being yanked, and that's FAR more likely to occur being out in the real world on the go during a link and all. Had they made the connector to the GBA on that cable the same shape as the normal GBA to GBA link cable, there would be no problem. Well, time to pull out an exacto knife and get to work on my gba to gcn link cable's shape :D (well, that WOULD solve it).
Next issue, the L and R buttons. Why couldn't these have been placed on the back instead of the top? I see NO reason at all why they couldn't be there. Comfort would be fine if they were placed like that. Why, they could even have just changed the buttons so you press "forward" from the back instead of "down" to press the buttons. The buttons do have a nice grooved surface already on the back. I'll get used to it, but I have to say that despite reviews to the contrary, those buttons really are as uncomfortable as I suspected.
I'll once again say it's kinda annoying they didn't put the headphone jack right on the system. I don't even know where to find the adapter (the store I just bought this from didn't have it), and more importantly, does the adapter allow me to use both the headphones AND the power adapter at once? If not, that's another annoyance. Now I can't sit at home with the power constantly plugged in and using stereo sound like I do at times.
Finally, those motion sensor game's control being flipped just annoys me only "because". Maybe if they flipped the hardware inside the system around (the volume and power switch would be on opposite sides, and the cartridge and link plugs would be on opposite sides as well, plus they would have to do some rewiring for the buttons) they would solve the problem. I really don't find the jutting of GB/GBC games from the bottom of the system annoying, so I know I wouldn't find the cable being plugged in on the bottom annoying.
However, to sum it all up, I still love this system if only for the two things it's most known for right now. Recharging battery from the start, and internal light built right in. It's still a great thing I'm glad to have, since 3rd party rechargeble batteries suck. The only thing I need to do now is buy a seperate rechargeble battery so I can have a fully charged battery ready to go should I happen to drain the one in the system and need to go on some trip.
Anyway, I just now got mine (my GBA "AB" (for after burner) is going to my little sister as I said), and I gotta say it's a nice little thing. Since I wasn't the one who put the screen in, it doesn't have dust or smear problems at all :D. Looks loverly.
However, I will nitpick. I'm rather miffed at the placement of the power plug. The only real problem is using that adapter WHILE using the GBA/GCN link cable (which is likely to be needed should the battery die and you really want to use the link cable feature). However, this isn't so much a complaint on the design of the SP so much as a complaint on the design of the cable. There is no reason it had to take up so much room. Why would they be so worried the connector plug would be yanked? They didn't seem to have a problem with the GBA to GBA link cable being yanked, and that's FAR more likely to occur being out in the real world on the go during a link and all. Had they made the connector to the GBA on that cable the same shape as the normal GBA to GBA link cable, there would be no problem. Well, time to pull out an exacto knife and get to work on my gba to gcn link cable's shape :D (well, that WOULD solve it).
Next issue, the L and R buttons. Why couldn't these have been placed on the back instead of the top? I see NO reason at all why they couldn't be there. Comfort would be fine if they were placed like that. Why, they could even have just changed the buttons so you press "forward" from the back instead of "down" to press the buttons. The buttons do have a nice grooved surface already on the back. I'll get used to it, but I have to say that despite reviews to the contrary, those buttons really are as uncomfortable as I suspected.
I'll once again say it's kinda annoying they didn't put the headphone jack right on the system. I don't even know where to find the adapter (the store I just bought this from didn't have it), and more importantly, does the adapter allow me to use both the headphones AND the power adapter at once? If not, that's another annoyance. Now I can't sit at home with the power constantly plugged in and using stereo sound like I do at times.
Finally, those motion sensor game's control being flipped just annoys me only "because". Maybe if they flipped the hardware inside the system around (the volume and power switch would be on opposite sides, and the cartridge and link plugs would be on opposite sides as well, plus they would have to do some rewiring for the buttons) they would solve the problem. I really don't find the jutting of GB/GBC games from the bottom of the system annoying, so I know I wouldn't find the cable being plugged in on the bottom annoying.
However, to sum it all up, I still love this system if only for the two things it's most known for right now. Recharging battery from the start, and internal light built right in. It's still a great thing I'm glad to have, since 3rd party rechargeble batteries suck. The only thing I need to do now is buy a seperate rechargeble battery so I can have a fully charged battery ready to go should I happen to drain the one in the system and need to go on some trip.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)