My new GBA SP just arrived! The battery is charging now, but I snuck in a few minutes of playtime to test it out.

Pretty impressive! The light is bright and evenly distributed on the screen. It’s lighter and smaller than the original GBA, and much easier to transport without worrying about scratching the screen.

The buttons all feel very weird though. Not much pressure is required to activate them, and they make little ‘click’ sounds when they’re pressed. Also, the A and B buttons seem to be spaced farther apart. It takes some getting used to, but it’s altogether a much more pleasant experience than the original GBA.

I’ve got a first-generation flash cartridge (one of the tall ones) and it almost didn’t fit in the slot! I really had to jam it in there, but it’s working fine now.