3. Game Boy Advance SP
The Game Boy Advance SP is a solid example of Nintendo being able to please its customers. While the Game Boy Advance was already a huge success Nintendo recognized that it could be improved upon.The SP, which stands for special, offered a few structural differences that made this the must have handheld when it released in March of 2003 in North America.
The ability to play games from the original Game Boy and the Game Boy color more than justified the purchase of a Game Boy Advance. Add to that the shoulder buttons and the availability of bigger, prettier games and you had no choice but to come up with a reason for why your parents should buy you one. Unfortunately the Game Boy Advance suffered from some of the same problems as its elders, problems the Game Boy Advance SP aimed to fix.
The Game Boy Advance SP came with a lithium ion battery and a charger right in the box. No more did you have to worry about having to buy a fresh pack of batteries every other day. It was also fold-able making it much easier to carry around in your pocket than the original design and keeping your screen safe from any pocket debris. But one of the best features of all was the option to light up the screen so you could play in the dark.
No more did you have to rely on some crazy contraption to view your Game Boys Screen or have to open it up to install some upgrade. Everything needed was built right in making this the base for Nintendo’s next handhelds. Compact, portable and playable almost everywhere.
