GBA vs GBA SP

[winds]

Backlight models came in Onyx and Pearl-Blue

Ahh yeah I think you're right, I knew there was another. Although Pearl Pink as well had the backlit screen.
And I saw a green model with writing on the box saying "Now with a brighter backlit screen" although it was some rare model.

Edit: actually sorry it was the graphite not the onyx that was backlit

[Reverend]

Definately go with the SP+, it has the backlit screen and not the front or sidelit like the normal SP's. I believe the backlit screen only came on the pearl blue and pearl pink colours, and I've even seen a green model with it, but that is rare.

On another note, you can get this: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.23834
It's kind of cool considering it has 93 built in games, and the cartridge slot DOES work to allow you to play games that way too. But some of the cons are the screen is not widescreen so the image seems a little skewed, the screen is the front lit version, and some games experience some slow downs.

Backlight models came in Onyx and Pearl-Blue

They came in that classic nes style too.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Backlight models came in Onyx and Pearl-Blue

Actually they also came in Pearl Pink, and the Onyx one you mentioned is actually a lighter dark gray color called Graphite.

The easiest way to tell the difference between regular SP and SP+ models is to look at the screen. Regular front-lit SP's have a gray screen when turned off, while back-lit SP+ models have a black screen when turned off and are only available in the aforementioned Graphite, Pearl-Blue and Peal-Pink colors.

[MrPopo]

The frontlit screen is still miles above the original GBA screen. So I wouldn't stress out about finding a backlit screen.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

What we need is for someone to put a back-lit SP+ screen into an Original Advance to have the ultimate in comfort and visibility.

[noiseredux]

Micro doesn't have backward compatibility? Psh.

Yeah I'll definitely go with an SP, cuz I needs to rock the pea-green GB Tetris, as it was meant to be.

[gtmtnbiker]

I'd get a GBA Micro. In fact I did.. Twice...

Ditto for me. I love the size of the unit. The only flaw is that the screen can get scratched if you put it in the same pocket as your keys. Fortunately, the faceplate is replaceable.

[equalsign]

Micro doesn't have backward compatibility? Psh.

Yeah I'll definitely go with an SP, cuz I needs to rock the pea-green GB Tetris, as it was meant to be.

You can get an original Game Boy or a Color for about 10 USD if you really want to rock the old games as they were meant to. With the SP older games will stick out just like GBA games on a DSlite and for me that's just not acceptable. Also, I personally felt my hands were much more cramped on my GBA SP than they are with my micro. The screen is a perfectly fine size. I've never had a problem with it, and neither did the other four of my friends who got one after playing mine. Also, due to a smaller dot pitch games on the micro will look sharper and be lit more evenly. The micro's buttons and d-pad feel more similar to the DSlite's (except bigger and more comfortable IMO) while to SP's feel more like the original DS'.

A huge minus with the SP that everyone seems to be neglecting to mention is the lack of a headphone jack. You can buy an adapter, but that's a really large hassle to me. The micro has its own turds as well though. It needs a special link cable only available through Nintendo and an adapter to connect to older Game Boy systems. Also, it can't connect to a Game Cube.

If you get a micro, get the 20th Anniversary Famicom Edition. It's made out of a much nicer material. I hope this helped somewhat!

[noiseredux]

Thanks equal sign, but I'm going with the SP because my collection consists of a lot of GB, GBC and GBA games. So I like the idea of a handheld that can handle three game libraries.

[gtmtnbiker]

I just picked up the improved GBA SP (AGS-101, pearl blue) today for $20. It's definitely an improvement over the previous SP. I still prefer the micro better but having the larger screen will help for some games. I tried playing the NES Burger Time game on the micro and it was tough due to the small screen size. I had trouble lining my guy at the right position on the ladder to move across.