GameBoy Advance SP COBALT & FLAME $63.99 OUTPOST

[fwacce]

Cobalt

http://shop3.outpost.com/product/3593754


Flame

http://shop3.outpost.com/product/3684765

[Nephilim]

hmm, I wonder if these frontlit screen models are going to be reduced as they integrate the new backlit models.

My Pearl Blue screen is just friggen amazing. There is no going back to the old SP after seeing the new screens in the Graphite and Pearl Blue models.

[spacemanvt]

how would we find out?

[GunstarRed]

hmm, I wonder if these frontlit screen models are going to be reduced as they integrate the new backlit models.

My Pearl Blue screen is just friggen amazing. There is no going back to the old SP after seeing the new screens in the Graphite and Pearl Blue models.

The new screen is that good? I've been trying to get feedback on the new backlit screen vs. the old frontlit screen.

They had a Spongebob Squarepants TRU exclusive backlit GBA SP out now too.

That's still a good deal for the old frontlit, but it might be worth the extra for the newer model from what I've been hearing.

[Prepster]

These are the same price in Frys stores aswell, so if you have one by u, you can save yourself the shipping and pick one up there if you are looking to get one.

[Nephilim]

Yes it is that good. It is a backlit LCD, not frontlit, way brighter and more vibrant colors, you don't know what you have been missing until you try it.

Oh, and I believe that the Spongebob model has the newer screen. The box will say "New Brighter Backlit Screen" on it.

See this thread:Anyone else seen the new backlit SP? (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67461)

Here is my post from that thread:

I bought the Graphite model and compared it side by side with my Onyx SP. The difference is incredible. Even on the low brightness on the new model, the old SP frontlit screen looks washed out, colorless, and dim.

I thought I would want to keep an old model, but honestly after seeing the new screen, there is no going back. For instance I booted up 2 copies of Metroid Fusion simultaneously on both systems in the dark. The new screen reveals colors and detail that you cannot even see on the old screen. The opening cinema of the sky on the old model shows a slight blue cloud and some stars, but the new screen shows a multi-blue hue of colors all over the screen, incredible difference.

Then I tried 2 copies of Pinball of the Dead. The old screen does not even reveal the correct colors represented on the new screen. For instance on the table with the clock on the bottom, the old screen had everything brown. The new screen revealed a vibrant green color as well. The red table was a whole new experience on the screen as well. The vibrant colors of the new screen are really night and day to the old one.

Now for the Motion Blur issue.
There is definately some motion blur going on, but not alot. It seems that you only notice on certain images depending on the background. For instance there is an area in Super Mario World where it was very noticeable. I have finished the game so the Dragon coins have an image of Princess Peach on them. These coins are especially noticeable on the new screen as they seem to shimmer as you move past them. this is as they move in and out of the pixels. These Dragon Coins have fine lines in them so the shift is quite noticeable. So, I booted up the old SP, went to same spot and tried to notice the difference. It was not as obvious but it was difficult to tell because the old screen is so dim and washed out in camparison.

I remember reading that the old SP did have some motion blur but never noticed it. I think this is because it is so dim, and the colors so washed out that it is hard to see. The old SP screen in my opinion hides the motion blur.

Now for the slowdown issue.
YES, there is some slowdown that I noticed on Super Mario World that is not there in the old screen. The screen kind of jerks as the pixels fill in the vertical lines on some of the images. It is mildly annoying, but not a big deal.

So, I played Mario World for a while on the new screen. Then I played the same level on the old screen. The now noticeable motion blur and slight slowdown are totally worth the trade off for a proper LCD screen. You are just seeing so much more of the colors and images. I am seeing stuff on every game that I never knew was there, and I always play in low light. I bounced back and forth between the systems, and the old one just plain sucks in comparison.

The new screen lets you see the colors and graphics as they were meant to be seen. There is so much more detail and the colors just jump at you.

I now feel that the frontlight was a band-aid and this is the screen that should have been released all along.

Now the Battery Life issue.
The AC adapter for the new model is smaller and specific to this model. You cannot use the old SP adapter, but you can use the DS one. Battery life on the new model is stated in the manual at 13 hours on the low setting. I can't see ever using the brighter setting except in sunlight, so this is 3 hours longer than the old model. I havent looked at the battery, but it may be the 1000mha one that Japan had as an add on a while back, but they may have found a way to get the same 700mha battery to work for 13 hours with this screen.

In conclusion, yes there is motion blur and a tad bit of slowdown, but the trade-off for correct and vibrant color, brightness, and image clarity make it totally worth it. I can't go back to frontlit model. With each game I put in, it is like a whole new experience. Finally Nintendo gets it right. Oh, and the Micro screen is too small compared to this. Now that this new screen is in here I am gonna pass on the Micro.

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I am quite sure that all new model GBA SP's will have this new screen. I assume there will be a phase out of the frontlit models after the Holidays. They may just start making the Onyx, Cobalt and Flame with the new screen, but who knows.

I guess we will just have to look for the boxes with the NEW BACKLIT SCREEN text.

For now it's Graphite, Pearl Blue, and the Toys R Us Spongebob models with the new screen. Hopefully we will get some more new colors in the next year of so. Nintendo is famous for Ltd Editions and bundle packs, so keep an eye out. I want an Orange one.

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http://pocketmedia.ign.com/pocket/image/article/652/652641/gba-sp-goes-brighter-20050921020333956-000.jpg
http://media.gameboy.ign.com/articles/652/652641/img_3086341.html
http://www.crunkgames.com/junk/noo_gbaD.jpg
http://pocketmedia.ign.com/pocket/image/article/652/652641/gba-sp-goes-brighter-20050921020330737-000.jpg

[BULL_Ship]

So have you tried it in bright sunlight the advantage of the sp with the frontlight is that you retained the ability to use the sun to illuminate the screen. For example it is near impossible to play on my psp in the sunlight even with the playgear case because the screen gets totally washed out. I would imagine that the sp with the backlit screen would share this same problem.

[Nephilim]

The new SP screen uses the light button to change between bright and brighter. on the brighter setting I had no trouble seeing the screen in sunlight. But I have never played it in the sun except to test this.
Is it as good as the old screen in sunlight? I guess the old screen looked 'different' than the new one, but they looked pretty similar to me in the sunlight.

I play indoors mostly and the fact that you get to actually see all the graphics and colors makes it worth it for me.

[Concealed Identity]

As far as the new screen vs. the old screen, the new one is way better, but I never really found myself wishing the old screen was brighter when I had it...so it is really just what you make of it.

And as far as sunlight goes, I don't think there would really be much of a difference...when I used my old SP in the light, it didn't look any different with the brightness on or off; I'd assume it's a similar case with the new one.