No, Really... How do I switch the back light on? (Nintendo Game Boy Advance)

Member Name: spencer jarvis

Product:	Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Date:	11/08/01 (825 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Games, Nice Colour Screen, Good Battery Life

Disadvantages: No Back Light, Dodgy Colour Cases, Rubbish Sound

I bought my Game Boy Advance shortly after its UK release. On the whole I am very happy with the little tyke but there are a few things that bother me...here we go...

Where the hell is the back light?! Nintendo have chosen not to add a light to the screen in order to extend the battery life which is upto 15 hours from 2 AA's but surely the whole point of a portable games machine is that it should be playable anywhere and I am sure many people buy them for journeys and holidays etc. but the GBA is virtually unplayable inside and you find yourself constantly tilting the screen and squinting trying to find an angle at which you can actually see the screen. Even the manual states that they recommend playing it in bright sunlight well, that isnt available on a coach or in a plane is it? I am sure I speak for a large number of GBA owners when I say that I would have happily swapped half of the battery life for a backlight. I know you can buy the light/magnifier thingys (I have one) but when this device is clipped onto the top of the GBA not only does the weight of it make the console heavy and uncomfortable to hold but it also uses another 2 AAA batteries.
The other point is a small one but a valid one, When I bought my GBA I was told both by the supplier and Nintendos website that the "Clear Red" console would be available in the UK so this is the one I ordered but when I got the flippin' thing it was Pink, Not a redish pink but bright "no doubt about it" pink, how the hell can they call it red? Why would they call it red? maybe because they were worried they would lose some sales from the die hard macho male games players?...hmmmm
Getting back to the points that matter, The console has a great, sharp display which is 50% bigger than the GB or GB Colours. The sound however is still very poor and I would advise getting a set of headphones as soon as possible although you will have to buy some because unlike the old GB the GBA
doesnt come supplied with them. The games on the GBA are excellent and the machine is supposed to run games the same as a Super NES would with the added FX chip.
There are a few points that really concerne me but on the whole this is a excellent machine and a great posing accessory. Blows everything else out of the water. Get one, but not the pink one unless you want ya mates to take the p*ss out of you, trust me I know. ;)

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