Gameboy advance SP AGS 001 and 101 much difference

Ace Attorney

Hello A & R

droppin by to ask you good folks a question about the gameboy advance sp models 001 and 101. Recently ive got an urge to play the minish cap and pokemon fire red and while i could play these via the virtual console / emulation, i would love to play them on their original hardware and have been thinking about droppin a few quid on the SP 101 with the better screen. I see people recommending the 101 over the 001 but is there really that much of a difference that is worth the 50/60 quid extra (my estimation) people seem to looking for them? what does A & R recommend / think?

CiDeRmAn

They are like night and day, but....
There is a vocal group here that prefer the ergonomics of the original GBA and so have had their machines modded or have bought them in that way.
But the cheapest way to play GBA games on a really nice screen is to simply buy a dirt cheap DS Lite, they have the same lovely crisp colour screen as the 101 but feel nicer to hold than the GBA:SP, at least for some.
And a AGS 101 is, as you've pointed out, expensive, a DS Lite is not.

Ace Attorney

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

They are like night and day, but....
There is a vocal group here that prefer the ergonomics of the original GBA and so have had their machines modded or have bought them in that way.
But the cheapest way to play GBA games on a really nice screen is to simply buy a dirt cheap DS Lite, they have the same lovely crisp colour screen as the 101 but feel nicer to hold than the GBA:SP, at least for some.
And a AGS 101 is, as you've pointed out, expensive, a DS Lite is not.

It never even dawned on me to think about the Ds lite, that is a good call, if its a step between the 001 and 101 SP and works out cheaper, its definitely an option to consider! you've also caught my attention about the modded original GBA, ive always preferred the look of the orginal but had my eye on the sp because of the backlit screen. is it more trouble to buy one and get it modded or buy a modded one, is the screen mod closer to the 101?

shane9fingers

Ace Attorney wrote: »

It never even dawned on me to think about the Ds lite, that is a good call, if its a step between the 001 and 101 SP and works out cheaper, its definitely an option to consider! you've also caught my attention about the modded original GBA, ive always preferred the look of the orginal but had my eye on the sp because of the backlit screen. is it more trouble to buy one and get it modded or buy a modded one, is the screen mod closer to the 101?

It won't work out cheaper if you're buying the parts. It is a nice project though, and it does be pretty cool.

I prefer the sp 001 to the 101 because of the reflective screen. If you play in sunlight you'll really appreciate a stock GBA or spags001. Although, if you only ever play in the dark or shade, ags101 wins hands down.

DSLite is a lovely machine but the GBA carts stick out of the bottom. They do have rom carts that fit in it nicely, but they might be hard to get your hands on.

CiDeRmAn

I don't think I ever found the GBA:SP 001 to be superior in any way to the 101, and this is the first time I've seen anybody find the reflective screen an advantage. Ever since the GB Color that type of screen has been a pain in the backside and so hard to see.
The screen, too, is very similar on both the original SP and the original DS, and neither screen is much cop compared to the screens that followed.
But, if you preferred it, that's cool too.

About the DS Lite and the games sticking out, yeah, that's a thing alright, but it's not so bad and the screens are lovely on the DS Lite, plus in general it's a lovely design.
I would suggest investing in a decent one should be cheap enough but pick up a replacement battery on ebay, as those things may not hold their charge like they used to.

I wouldn't bother with flash carts or the like tbh either, the games are out there, plenty for decent money over on Adverts, just watch out for dodgy ones!

shane9fingers

I loved playing GB Colour in the sun. Escpecially Mario Golf! Nothing worse than squinting at a glary screen though. Every BusEireann bus I've been on seems to shine directly on whatever screen I'm trying to look at. There was that vampire game Boktai that required sunlight to play properly too. Never had a go of it, too busy playing advance wars and MarioGolf. Must have a look at ebay for a copy.
Anyways, worth giving the different gbas a go. Saw an AGS001 going for a €10 on Adverts. Probably snapped up straight away, well worth a tenner.

CiDeRmAn

shane9fingers wrote: »

I loved playing GB Colour in the sun. Escpecially Mario Golf! Nothing worse than squinting at a glary screen though. Every BusEireann bus I've been on seems to shine directly on whatever screen I'm trying to look at. There was that vampire game Boktai that required sunlight to play properly too. Never had a go of it, too busy playing advance wars and MarioGolf. Must have a look at ebay for a copy.
Anyways, worth giving the different gbas a go. Saw an AGS001 going for a €10 on Adverts. Probably snapped up straight away, well worth a tenner.

Yeah, the GBC was fantastic, but a gloomy day was a curse!
plus, all the screen shots were from PC/TV grabs, looking all gorgeous, the reality was a little less impressive!
Playing GBC games on a 101 is great, no compatibility with the DS consoles, sadly.
That said, I do use a flash cart in this instance, particularly on my GB Micro, I can play my list of GB/C games on it via emulation there, and they work great even on the tiny screen.

shane9fingers

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

...
That said, I do use a flash cart in this instance, particularly on my GB Micro, I can play my list of GB/C games on it via emulation there, and they work great even on the tiny screen.

There was some great games on that console. In the process of building a rpi into a gameboy pocket, so I'll be deffo revisiting the gameboy color games.

Does the emulation from the rom cart work well? Is it much hassle to get working? I have an EZFlashIV that could benefit from a bigger library. Brutal on the battery though, the orignal carts are much more power friendly.

CiDeRmAn

I have an ancient flash linker thing and it hasn't had it's contents changed in an age.
It's lodged in the GB Micro and has a selection of NES and GB/C titles on it, meaning I can play RC ProAm or Mario Picross 2 whenever or where ever.
The emulators take a little bit of setting up but, once done, work a treat.

shane9fingers

Another project! Hope it's not too tricky. Gonna try those other games too, cheers.

CiDeRmAn

shane9fingers wrote: »

Another project! Hope it's not too tricky. Gonna try those other games too, cheers.

The emulator appears on the the GBA screen like a single game, but when you open it you get a list of NES or GB/C titles.
It runs perfectly after that.
really tidy, and the GB Micro only normally plays GBA games, so it expands the available library considerably.

shane9fingers

Got it working! Nice one! Then tried to get NES and SMS working unsuccessfully. I'll have another bash at those when I'm finished the warios. Cheers again man.