Mejilan said:
Man, when the GBA SP first came out EVERYONE was as pleased as punch. I don't recall reading any review or comment on a forum grumbling that the screen was front lit when it should have been back lit.
True, for the most part. I read a few comments about it not being backlit (because earlier handhelds like Lynx, TurboExpress, and Game Gear had backlit screens), but the vast majority of people accepted the front lighting solution anyway (especially since you could disable it if it wasn't needed, to extend battery life).
I'll admit that I very rarely turned off the light, except when playing outdoors in bright sunlight.
Mejilan said:
So what if Nintendo decides to use somewhat updated and readily available new screens to quietly update an older product?
See, if there was only the GBASP and no such thing as DS or Game Boy Micro, then I don't think there would be much complaining. However, what Nintendo has done here with the GBASP v2 affects their entire handheld product line. Read on and I'll explain why.
Mejilan said:
If you JUST bought a new GBA SP, go and return the damn thing at the store, and exchange it for one of the updated ones. If you just bought a DS, well the wtf? You can now play the shit-ton of GBA games out there on a fantastic screen, plus all of the great DS games coming out.
If you just bought a Micro, well fucking enjoy the better screen (looks better than the DS and SP both, updated or not) and has a headphone adaptor as well (something even the new SP lacks.)
I just don't see the reason for the whining.
This is the problem, and this is why a lot of people are complaining about Nintendo right now. They have no focus. They appear to be in their "Sega 1994-1995" phase, where's they're flying anything they can up the flagpole just to see if people will salute.
It was already confusing enough for consumers, with the DS that could play GBA games, but had no multiplayer support for them, and could not play GB/GBC games at all. Then you got the Game Boy Micro, which could play GBA games with a better quality screen than either GBASP or DS, but smaller, and couldn't play GB/GBC games.
Now we have the GBASP v2, which has a better screen for GBA games than either the DS or the GBM, and can also play the GB/GBC games. It's also cheaper than both the DS and GBM. This makes GBASP v2 the ideal solution to play GBA games.
There's virtually no reason to buy a GBM now. It costs $20 more, has a tiny postage stamp of a screen, and it doesn't play GB/GBC games. The only reason to get it is if you're
really cramped for space, but I doubt many people are in such a situation where they can pocket a GBM but not a GBASP.
There's also no incentive to buy a DS if you're mainly interested in playing GBA games on it, since it's bulkier than the GBASP and can't link up for multiplayer games (thus the kids who love those Pokemon games still need to keep their old GBA or GBASP around just to link up with their friends).
Even more ironic is the fact that the DS is Nintendo's top-of-the-line handheld from a "power" perspective, but has the lowest-quality screen of their entire handheld product line. This brings us to the next question:
When does the new and improved Nintendo DS v2 come out, featuring "BRIGHTER backlit screens" on it?
I'm willing to bet Nintendo makes this announcement soon...oh, let's say around the second or third week of January. Why? Well, look at when they announced the GBASP in 2003, and the DS in 2004. They waited until the holiday shopping season was over, and most retailers' return periods were up, so people couldn't return their newly purchased (but soon to be comparatively obsolete) handhelds to the stores. It's like, "Thanks for buying our new system...wait a moment, we've also got an even newer one coming in a few months! We hope you'll buy that one, too!"
That's why if I were in the market for a DS (something I haven't ruled out buying, with the new
Castlevania and a few other games that I might want coming out soon), I'd be leery. I don't think I could buy a DS, knowing Nintendo's recent history of frequent revisions to their handheld hardware. At this point, I'd just rather wait it out and see if Nintendo really does announce a DS v2 soon. I'd advise anyone else considering a DS purchase to do the same, too.
(or whatever the hell that game is)
