It was last Christmas that I was given a GameBoy Advance (GBA)? It was a total surprise, I had wanted one for ages ? but certainly didn?t expect to actually get one!

I ripped the packaging off? tossed the instruction manual aside? placed the batteries in? plugged in the game I had been given. (Oh yes, I got a game too!)

And turned it on?
And then it happened? or didn?t happen as the case was?

I couldn?t see the screen very clearly? it was so dark. And I mean SO dark?If you have a mobile phone? you know how when the back-light goes out? you can?t really see anything ? behold that is the GBA.

Yep ? I couldn?t believe it either? I then searched the instructions for how to turn the light on ? but there isn?t one? A complete joke!!!

I sat under a light, with a window behind me? and if I titled to just the right angle? I could just about? see, kind off? but not properly!

Later in the year they released the GBA SP ? which does have a light! How disappointing was that for all us lucky Christmas people last year!

There is a company though ? that produces a product called an ?AfterBurner? which actually puts a light inside the old GBA ? I had this done ? and now my GBA is beautiful!!! Really ? perfect. :-) I had to send away for it? and I lost my warranty with Nintendo ? but it is the only way I could get my GBA to be usable.

Other GBA stuff? There are SO many games out ? that it will be hard to choose things for it!! No really! I thoroughly recommend Lord of the Rings 2, and the Zelda game is supposed to be superb. If there aren?t enough games for you.. it also plays all the other older Gameboy games, including the original, pocket and pocket-colour version!! So if you are upgrading hang on to your old games!

It runs of 2 AA batteries.. which are readily available!
It is typically available in Red, White, Blue and Purple ? although other special colours are released from time to time ? s
uch as Platinum!

But would I buy one now? well? the cheapest way to get on the GBA scene would be to buy a second-hand one, and have it AfterBurned. This version also has a head-phone socket ? something the GBA SP doesn?t have? who knows why???

If you have the money buy the GBA SP ? which comes with the light ? and a warranty, but no head-phone socket ? but I think you can buy an adapter!!!
(Don?t worry the GBA and GBA SP all play the same games!)