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Hardware Review - 'Game Boy Advance SP Game Changer'

by Thomas Wilde on May 28, 2004 @ 1:01 a.m. PDT

Radiks Game Boy Advance SP Game Changer is one of those products that, at first blush, you wonder why it was invented. The Game Changer is sort of like a CD turntable for your Game Boy Advance SP. You can plug the SP into it, and up to three games, allowing you to switch between those games with a switch on the side of the unit. We recently had a chance to check one out, read more to find out the final verdict ...

The games in question fit into the back and sides of the Game Changer, while the Changer itself slides into your GBA via its cartridge slot. There’s a groove in the side of the unit so you can reach the GBA’s power switch, and while the GBA is on, you can’t move the game selector switch. Fortunately, as the Changer itself doesn’t really use electricity, it doesn’t affect the battery life of the unit.

If you’re just playing around with your Game Boy in the comfort of your own home, then yeah, this thing’s fairly worthless. It does come in handy if you are a large man, with large man hands, as it doubles or triples the size of your SP, and gives you more bulky, ergonomic handholds.

It’s only when you’re in a cramped airline seat, or perhaps a long roadtrip, that the true benefits of the Game Changer become apparent. I fly a fair amount, and I’ve discovered that while the Game Changer does make the GBA SP considerably less pocket-friendly, it does save me from having to dig through my luggage for a new cartridge. You can simply plug three games into this gadget, and sit down to play.

The other benefit of the Game Changer, as far as I’m concerned, is that it provides something of a handy sleeve for your GBA games. Even if you aren’t using the Changer itself, you can pop the games into it so they’re easier to find if you’re feeling around blind, and protected from the detritus that inevitably collects in the bottom of your backpack, purse, or laptop bag.

For ten bucks, this isn’t a bad buy for serious GBA players. As noted above, it may be best used for the purpose of uncramping large gamers’ hands, but it can come in handy to have three games plugged into your GBA at once. Carry one along the next time you’re stuck on a long, cramped plane flight, and it’ll prove to be useful.

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