Exidna wrote:wyatt8740 wrote:The GBA SP original model (the front lit one) was a reflective screen, meaning that no light would pass through the panel, only light striking it would ever impact visibility. The GBA SP revised (backlit) model ONLY makes visibility different based on light passing through the LCD - it does not reflect light.
Though I knew that the original SP had a reflective screen, it has been years since I've seen one in person - probably not since they were first released.
Would it be worthwhile to pick up an SP for outdoor use, or does it just always have that dim, desaturated look?
I can't say that I've really been a fan of color screens that were not backlit, but I'm not sure that I've tried comparing them outdoors on a sunny day.
Yeah, I think it's worth it to have an original SP for bright days / sunlit rooms. It really doesn't look 'washed out' - it looks how it was intended. If anything, I'd claim the backlit GBA SP is
overly vivid. Make no mistake, I love the backlit GBA - but I think the original DS looks closer to how the GBA was intended to look in daylight if you're playing at night than a backlit SP does.
If you want the vividness, it won't _QUITE_ reach the levels of a backlit SP when you're playing in sunlight, but it will look awesome nonetheless.
One complaint that I sometimes have - on the VERY BRIGHTEST of days, or in the light of something insanely bright like a spotlight, you will find interlacing to be noticeable on the GBA if you move it a lot while you play. If you keep it relatively steady, it's no big deal though, and in normal intense light it will not be visible.
I'd say it's worth it, especially when they can be had for $30 or less at used game stores, and probably ebay as well. If you want that washed out look in darker areas, I'd go for an original DS, though remember they won't play GB/GBC games like the SP will - only GBA games.
a beat up model does fine, just be sure that the buttons (particularly L and R) are still in working order. I have seen quite a few SP's with failed L/R buttons. You can always get a new tact switch if you want to replace them, though...
Exidna wrote:Most comparisons I've seen online only show the two SP models indoors in a dim room, rather than outside.
Photos like this one are just as I remember the Micro screen looking (low contrast, low saturation, with smeary LCD motion) and how I remember reflective color LCDs to look - but that is indoors.
Yeah, I think the 'responsiveness' of the NDS screen is a bit better than the micro. It's definitely better contrast. Though I haven't used a micro in many a year because I was younger than 18 when they were being sold and didn't have money anyway.
The saturation on reflective LCD's in the SP's is not at backlit SP levels, but better than you'd expect if you play in sunlight and much better than playing with a frontlight in the dark. The transflective has very nice saturation, though still not quite as saturated as the backlit GBA SP or the DS lite, both of which I consider 'oversaturated' somewhat.
Exidna wrote:It's a real shame that Nintendo dropped the GBA slot from the newer DS models and/or the 3DS, because I really would like one of those newer brighter backlit displays, and to have one system which can play their entire catalog of handheld games.
I'd like to revisit the DS Castlevania titles (still have my games, though not a system for them) and DSi XL's are still available new, and at reasonable prices. (a DSi XL is the largest screen for DS games, outside of emulation)
Personally I don't find the low pixel density of any of the the XL screens to be a problem, and would prefer those over the other models.
Since the resolution is the same, it's not like you have scaling artifacts on the larger display. The image is just as sharp.
Never had anything newer than my original DS myself, though I spent a lot of time playing a friend's lite, so I can claim to know how they look by comparison. When I was younger, hands down I would have taken the 'poppy bright' backlit over my frontlit. Now, however, I think they look like those TV's you see for sale in stores - incorrectly calibrated for the 'WOW' factor that the vivid colors give, to make a sale (I still like my backlit and use it on occasion, but I'm not quite as fond of it anymore, besides that my backlit SP is a pikachu edition one).
I remain absolutely convinced that the original DS is the best model of DS, and I personally have both a backlit and frontlit SP because they are both good in different situations and both have pro's and cons.
