Game Boy Advance SP - wikipedia Game Boy Advance SP Game Boy Advance SP A Cobalt Blue front - lit version of the Game Boy Advance SP. Manufacturer Nintendo Product family Game Boy line Type Handheld game console Generation Sixth generation era Retail availability JP : February 14, 2003 NA : March 23, 2003 PAL : March 28, 2003 Introductory price US $ 99.99 ¥ 12,500 € 129.99 CA $ 149.95 A $ 199.99 Discontinued May 15, 2010 Units shipped Total ( Worldwide ) : 81.51 million GBA and Micro : 37.94 million GBA SP : 43.57 million ( as of December 31, 2015 ) GBA Micro : 2.42 million ( as of March 31, 2007 ) Media ROM cartridges CPU 32 - bit 16.78 MHz ARM7TDMI 8 or 4 MHz Z80 coprocessor Display TFT LCD, 240 × 160 pixels, 40.8 × 61.2 mm Best - selling game Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, 13 million combined ( as of November 25, 2004 ) Pokémon Emerald, 6.32 million ( as of March 31, 2007 ) Backward compatibility Game Boy, Game Boy Color ( GBA & GBA SP only ) Predecessor Game Boy Advance ( concurrent ) Successor Game Boy Micro ( redesign ) Nintendo DS ( successor ) The Game Boy Advance SP ( ゲームボーイ アドバンス SP, Gēmu Bōi Adobansu Essu Pī ), released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo 's Game Boy Advance. The `` SP '' in the name stands for `` Special ''. The SP is accompanied by the Nintendo DS ( released in November 2004 ) and the Game Boy Micro ( released in September 2005 ). Contents 1 Technical specifications 1.1 Physical 1.2 Internal 1.3 Headphone jack 2 Backlit Model ( AGS - 101 ) 3 Reception 4 Sales information 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Technical specifications Main article : Comparison of Nintendo portable consoles Physical Size ( closed ) : Approximately 8.4 × 8.2 × 2.44 cm ( 3.3 × 3.23 × 0.96 inches ). Weight : 142 grams ( approximately 5 ounces ) Screen : 2.9 inch Reflective TFT Color LCD. Light source : Frontlight integrated LCD. Power : Rechargeable lithium ion battery. Battery life : 10 hours continuous play with light on, 18 hours with light off ; needs at most 3 hours recharging. Hardware colors : Onyx, Flame, Platinum Silver, Cobalt Blue, Pearl Pink, Pearl Blue, Graphite, Midnight Blue, Charizard Fire Red, Torchic Orange, Venusaur Leaf Green, NES classic design, and Pikachu Yellow. A limited gold edition with a Triforce and the Hyrule Royal Family crest was available in Europe which included a copy of The Legend of Zelda : The Minish Cap. In 2003, Toys `` R '' Us sold an exclusive gold edition ( without any Zelda symbols ) in the US starting on Black Friday of that year, initially with a Super Mario Advance 4 game. In September 2005, a Blue edition was sold through Best Buy. A special Pokémon Emerald pack contained a limited edition Green Rayquaza SP and the Emerald game. A limited edition backlit edition exists. There is also an All Blacks edition. An Orange and red version was made as a prize for a speed run competition for Metroid Zero Mission. A red SP with a circle with an M in it was created, modeled after Mario 's cap, it also came in a bundle that included the game Mario Vs. Donkey Kong. Main article : List of Game Boy colors and styles § Game Boy Advance SP The GBA SP is slightly more than half the size of the GBA when closed and roughly the height of Nintendo 's Game Boy Color when open. This model of the Game Boy can play all Game Boy cartridges including Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance carts. The clamshell ( or laptop design ) protects the screen from scratches and dust, reminiscent of two - screen Game & Watch units. However, the casing is made from a different material, making it more prone to scratches than previous Game Boy systems. The slot for cartridges has been moved to the bottom of the system, facing down. This makes using special cartridges, such as the Game Boy Camera and Kirby : Tilt and Tumble, very difficult. The GBA SP AC adapter comes with the package to recharge its lithium ion battery, something previous Game Boys did not have ( they usually used commercially available batteries ). This adapter is also compatible with the original version of the DS. The software library and general hardware specifications are identical to those of the Game Boy Advance. In Japan it was released in a variety of standard colors and special packages. In most other regions it was released in Platinum Silver and Charcoal Black. Later, a Flame Red version was released. Six special editions have also been released : a NES Classics model with the same color scheme as a classic NES controller ( and designed to resemble a NES deck when closed ), a SpongeBob SquarePants model, a Pikachu model, and a silver model with a tattoo design printed on it, known as the ' Tribal Edition '. In other regions, such as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, additional colors have been released, such as Pearl Green and Starlight Gold. Additionally, two new special versions have been released in Asia exclusive to that region. Nintendo was planning to have the SP be 3D - compatible, but the resolution of LCD was too low, resulting in Nintendo scrapping it. Internal CPU : 32 - bit ARM7TDMI with embedded memory. Co-processor : 8 - bit Zilog Z80 Memory : 32 kilobyte + 96 kilobyte VRAM ( internal CPU ), 256 kilobyte DRAM ( external CPU ). Resolution : 240 × 160 pixels. Color : 16 - bit RGB ( 16 - bit color space using 5 bits depth per channel ), capable of displaying 512 simultaneous colors in `` character mode '' and 32,768 ( 2 ) simultaneous colors in `` bitmap mode ''. Software : Compatible with all Game Boy and most Game Boy Color games. Game Boy games can be played using the same selectable color palettes as on the Game Boy Color. Headphone jack Headphone adapter for Game Boy Advance SP Nintendo removed the TRS headphone jack from the SP, which had been included on all previous Game Boy models. Headphones designed specifically for the GBA SP can be purchased, or standard headphones can be attached with an optional, stereophonic adapter that plugs into the same port as the AC adapter. As both AC adapter and headphones use the same port, it is not possible to charge the SP and listen to headphones at the same time with the Nintendo brand adapter. There are, however, third - party solutions, such as an adapter that `` splits '' into two different cords ; the power jack on one side, and a TS headphone jack on the other. Backlit model ( AGS - 101 ) The pearl blue AGS - 101 GBA SP model that featured an improved backlit screen. In September 2005, around the time of the Game Boy Micro 's release, Nintendo released an improved version of the Game Boy Advance SP in North America, featuring a brighter backlit screen instead of the previous version 's frontlit screen. The new model can be distinguished by the following features : The box states `` Now with a BRIGHTER backlit screen ! '' to distinguish the new model from the older, frontlit models. The backlit SP has the Model Number AGS - 101 on the label on the bottom of the unit, whereas the original frontlit SP has the Model Number AGS - 001 The mini button at the top center of the console 's lower face is now referred to in the manual as the `` Brightness Switch '' and selects between two levels of brightness, `` Normal '' ( Low ) and `` Bright '' ( High ) with no off setting. On the frontlit models this button turned the frontlight on or off only. With the backlight set to `` Normal '' ( Low ) the brightness still surpasses the original AGS - 001 with the frontlight on. When powered off, the backlit model 's screen is completely black, but the frontlit model 's screen is noticeably lighter. The North American backlit version comes in three standard colors : `` Pearl Blue '', `` Pearl Pink '' and `` Graphite '' ( a greyer version of Onyx Black ). There were also two Toys `` R '' Us exclusive backlit models ; a `` SpongeBob SquarePants '' model and a `` Limited Edition Pikachu '' model. In 2006, the AGS - 101 backlit model also saw a very limited release in Europe. Few models made it to market, likely due to the release of the Game Boy Advance - compatible Nintendo DS one year prior. The European version was released in `` Surf Blue '' as well as re-issued `` Pink '' and `` Tribal '' editions. Unlike the North American release, the European box does not feature any prominent text to distinguish the backlit models from the older frontlit models. In addition, only the `` Surf Blue '' color was unique to the AGS - 101, the other two colors `` Pink '' and `` Tribal '' had already been released as frontlit models - for these reasons it can be very difficult to identify a European backlit SP. Apart from the AGS - 101 model number on the base of the unit, the only other obvious distinguishing feature of the European backlit model is the large picture of the Game Boy Advance SP featured on the front of the box. ( The European frontlit models of `` Pink '' and `` Tribal '' only feature small pictures of the Game Boy Advance SP on the sides of the box and Flower / Tattoo patterns on the front respectively. ) Reception `` M. Wiley '' of IGN called the Game Boy Advance SP `` a step in the right direction for Nintendo '', praising the system 's new redesign over the original GBA and highlighting its inclusion of a backlit screen and rechargable battery, although minor criticism went towards the system 's omittion of a headphone jack. Engadget gave it a global score of 84 out of 100, also praising the new features of the redesign while noting the system 's lack of a headphone jack. Sales Information As of June 30, 2009, the Game Boy Advance series has sold 81.48 million units worldwide, of which 43.52 million are Game Boy Advance SP units. Life - to - date Number of units sold Date Japan Americas Other Total 2003 - 03 - 31 0.82 million 0.83 million 0.46 million 2.10 million 2003 - 06 - 30 4.84 million 2003 - 09 - 30 2.33 million 4.32 million 2.38 million 9.04 million 2003 - 12 - 31 3.14 million 7.82 million 4.34 million 15.30 million 2004 - 03 - 31 3.68 million 8.78 million 4.70 million 17.16 million 2004 - 06 - 30 19.33 million 2004 - 09 - 30 5.02 million 12.46 million 6.21 million 23.68 million 2004 - 12 - 31 5.94 million 16.13 million 8.67 million 30.73 million 2005 - 03 - 31 6.00 million 16.69 million 9.10 million 31.79 million 2005 - 06 - 30 2005 - 09 - 30 6.16 million 18.08 million 10.08 million 34.32 million 2005 - 12 - 31 6.35 million 20.40 million 10.64 million 37.40 million 2006 - 03 - 31 6.42 million 20.95 million 10.86 million 38.23 million 2006 - 06 - 30 6.46 million 21.30 million 11.08 million 38.84 million 2006 - 09 - 30 6.48 million 21.95 million 11.37 million 39.79 million 2006 - 12 - 31 6.50 million 23.06 million 11.78 million 41.33 million 2007 - 03 - 31 6.50 million 23.47 million 11.95 million 41.92 million 2007 - 06 - 30 6.50 million 23.78 million 12.14 million 42.43 million 2007 - 09 - 30 6.51 million 24.01 million 12.31 million 42.82 million 2007 - 12 - 31 6.51 million 24.01 million 12.51 million 43.02 million 2008 - 03 - 31 6.51 million 24.00 million 12.71 million 43.23 million 2008 - 06 - 30 6.51 million 24.00 million 12.89 million 43.41 million 2008 - 09 - 30 6.51 million 24.00 million 12.97 million 43.49 million 2008 - 12 - 31 6.51 million 24.00 million 13.00 million 43.52 million See also Nintendo portal List of Game Boy Advance games References Jump up ^ `` Game Boy Advance SP ''. IGN. Retrieved 22 January 2013. Jump up ^ `` Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP review ''. CNET. Retrieved 22 January 2013. Jump up ^ `` N - Europe News : GBA SP Press Release ''. Ashley Jones. 2003 - 03 - 07. Archived from the original on 2010 - 02 - 06. Retrieved 2012 - 03 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Sales Transition by Region '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. February 3, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated sales units, number of new titles, and sales unit forecast '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. April 26, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2016. Jump up ^ https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Game-Boy-Advance-SP/Product-information/Technical-data/Technical-data-619375.html Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Financial Statements '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2004 - 11 - 25. p. 4. Retrieved 2007 - 11 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Supplementary Information about Earnings Release '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2007 - 04 - 27. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Nintendo Company History ''. Nintendo of America Inc. Retrieved 2012 - 05 - 22. Jump up ^ Nintendo - Customer Service Game Boy Advance SP - Frequently Asked Questions Jump up ^ Harris, Craig. `` Legend of Zelda GBA SP ''. Retrieved 26 March 2011. Jump up ^ `` TRU Exclusive Gold GBA SP / Super Mario Advance 4 Bundle for Sale ''. Jump up ^ Tribal Edition GBA SP for Europe Jump up ^ Gameboy Advance SP Star Light Gold Toys R Us Limited Edition ( GFF - 3663 ) Jump up ^ Iwata Asks. Iwataasks.nintendo.com. Retrieved on 2014 - 02 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Game Boy Advance SP Corporate Nintendo ''. Retrieved 2 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP Review - Consoles ''. CNET. Retrieved 27 July 2012. Jump up ^ AGB / AGS / OXY : Game Boy Advance Jump up ^ GBA SP Gets Brighter Jump up ^ Brighter SP coming to Europe Jump up ^ Gameboy Advance SP - European AGS - 101 Model ( Backlit ) Unboxing Jump up ^ M. Riley ( March 20, 2003 ). `` Game Boy Advance SP ''. IGN. Retrieved December 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP review ''. Engadget. Retrieved December 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Sales Transition by Region '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2009 - 07 - 30. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2003 - 05 - 22. p. 27. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2003 - 08 - 05. p. 4. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2003 - 11 - 13. p. 27. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2004 - 01 - 29. p. 4. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2004 - 05 - 27. p. 33. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2004 - 07 - 28. p. 7. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo Co., Ltd. 2004 - 11 - 25. p. 25. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2005 - 01 - 26. p. 7. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2005 - 05 - 26. p. 39. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo Co., Ltd. 2005 - 11 - 24. p. 25. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2006 - 01 - 26. p. 7. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2006 - 05 - 25. p. 30. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2006 - 07 - 24. p. 9. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated financial highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2006 - 10 - 26. p. 28. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Financial Highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2007 - 01 - 25. p. 8. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Financial Highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2007 - 04 - 26. p. 8. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Financial Highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2007 - 07 - 25. p. 8. Retrieved 2007 - 07 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Financial Highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2007 - 10 - 25. p. 22. Retrieved 2007 - 10 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Financial Highlights '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2007 - 01 - 24. p. 8. Retrieved 2007 - 01 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Financial Statements '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2008 - 04 - 24. p. 22. Retrieved 2008 - 04 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Sales Transition by Region '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2008 - 07 - 30. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2008 - 09 - 10. Retrieved 2008 - 07 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Sales Transition by Region '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2008 - 10 - 30. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2009 - 02 - 26. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 31. Jump up ^ `` Consolidated Sales Transition by Region '' ( PDF ). Nintendo. 2009 - 01 - 29. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2009 - 02 - 26. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 31. External links Official website Game Boy Advance at Nintendo.com ( archived versions at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine ) Comparison of GBA SP 101 vs 001 Game Boy line Consoles Game Boy Pocket Light Color Advance family Advance SP Micro Visteon Dockable Entertainment Accessories Afterburner Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter Game Boy Camera Game Boy Player Game Boy Pocket Sonar Game Boy Printer Game Link Cable GameBooster Nintendo 64 transfer pak Nintendo e-Reader Nintendo GameCube -- Game Boy Advance link cable Nintendo Power Play - Yan Super Game Boy Wide - Boy64 WormCam Games Game Boy best - sellers Color Advance best - sellers Super Game Boy multiplayer titles Emulation BoycottAdvance NO $ GBA VisualBoyAdvance Wzonka - Lad → Nintendo DS family Nintendo video game hardware Consoles Home NES Famicom Titler Twin Famicom NES - 101 Sharp Nintendo Television NES Classic Edition accessories Super NES New - Style SF Naizou TV SF1 Super NES Classic Edition Nintendo 64 iQue Player GameCube Panasonic Q accessories Wii Wii U Nintendo Switch Handheld Game Boy Game Boy Color Virtual Boy Game Boy Advance SP Micro Dockable Entertainment Pokémon Mini Nintendo DS Lite DSi Nintendo 3DS 2DS New 3DS New 2DS XL Dedicated Home Color TV - Game NES Classic Edition Super NES Classic Edition Handheld Game & Watch Mini Classics Pokémon Pikachu Arcade VS. System PlayChoice - 10 Super Famicom Box Nintendo Super System Peripherals Add - ons 3D System Data Recorder Disk System Satellaview Super NES CD - ROM ( unreleased ) Super Game Boy Game Boy Camera Game Boy Printer 64DD Rumble Pak e-Reader Game Boy Player Connectivity NES Four Score NES Satellite Game Link Cable GCN - GBA Link Cable Controllers Family BASIC NES Advantage NES Zapper Power Pad R.O.B. Speedboard SNES Mouse Super Scope Nintendo 64 controller GameCube controller WaveBird Wireless Wii Balance Board Wii Remote Classic Controller MotionPlus Wii Zapper Third - party accessories Wii Speak Wii U GamePad Wii U Pro Controller Joy - Con Networking Family Computer Network System Teleplay Modem XBAND Satellaview Nintendo Wi - Fi USB Connector Other Nintendo Power Nintendo DS & DSi Browser Amiibo Technology Media NES Game Pak SNES Game Pak N64 Game Pak Game Boy Advance Video Nintendo optical discs Nintendo game card Processors 2A03 PPU 5A22 S - APU GSU RCP Gekko Broadway Hollywood PICA200 Espresso Erista List of products Video game consoles ( sixth generation ) Types Home video game console list Handheld game console list Microconsole list Dedicated console list Generations First ( 1972 -- 80 ) Second ( 1976 -- 92 ) Third ( 1983 -- 2003 ) Fourth ( 1987 -- 2004 ) Fifth ( 1993 -- 2005 ) Sixth ( 1998 -- 2013 ) Seventh ( 2005 -- 17 ) Eighth ( 2012 -- ) Sixth generation Home DISCover Dreamcast GameCube Panasonic Q Nuon PlayStation 2 V. Smile Xbox Handheld Game Boy Advance family Game Boy Advance Advance SP Micro GP32 N - Gage QD Neo Geo Pocket Color Tapwave Zodiac Dedicated Pocket Dream Console ← Fifth generation Seventh generation → Emulator Game History List Manufacturer Handheld game consoles Bandai LCD Solarpower Design Master Senshi WonderSwan Game Park / Holdings GP32 GP2X XGP GP2X Wiz CAANOO Nintendo ( comparison ) Game Boy line Game Boy Color Game Boy Advance family Advance Advance SP Micro Virtual Boy Pokémon Pikachu Nintendo DS family Nintendo DS Lite DSi Nintendo 3DS family Nintendo 3DS 2DS New 3DS New 2DS XL Switch Nokia N - Gage N - Gage QD Sega Game Gear Nomad SNK Neo Geo Pocket Neo Geo Pocket Color Neo Geo X Sony PlayStation Portable Xperia Play PlayStation Vita Tiger R - Zone Game.com Other handhelds 1970s Microvision 1980s Select - A-Game Entex Adventure Vision Nelsonic Industries Electronika Epoch Game Pocket Computer Atari Lynx 1990s TurboExpress Game Master Gamate Barcode Battler Watara Supervision Mega Duck 2000s Tapwave Zodiac GameKing GPANG service Didj Leapster Gizmondo Coleco Sonic Dingoo V - Smile Pocket 2010s JXD devices Pandora DragonBox Pyra Shield Portable GCW Zero GPD XD GPD Win Early units List Comparison Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Game_Boy_Advance_SP&oldid=815643174 '' Categories : Products introduced in 2003 Backward - compatible video game consoles Game Boy Advance Game Boy consoles Discontinued products Regionless game consoles Sixth - generation video game consoles Handheld game consoles IQue consoles Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from January 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Use mdy dates from January 2017 Pages using deprecated image syntax Articles containing potentially dated statements from December 2015 All articles containing potentially dated statements Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2007 Articles containing Japanese - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Español Euskara Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenčina Suomi Svenska Tagalog Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 16 December 2017, at 03 : 25. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did the gameboy advance sp come out
Answer: February 2003