Gaming Should I buy a GBA SP model AGS 101?

[Fire_Slasher]

Yo guys! I've been having the urge to buy a GBA SP in the near future, I have questions tho if you guys can help me I'd appreciate it greatly. Here we go:

1- What is the best (still in the market) flashcard for it?
2- How much playtime can I get with a fully charged battery (New and unused battery)?
3- Should I really go for the AGS 101 model or the Micro one?

And lastly, if you know a trusted site that ships worldwide please lemme know.

 

[Joe88]

1) ez flash iv (dont not bother with the supercard as all, on the market are clones and they lag with gba games) also try to get the new microsd model
2) backlit models usually get 5-6 hours battery life
3) sp, micro is just way too small imo
4) ebay? (unless you mean flashcart store)

Also I suggest something like this if you plan on getting the sp http://www.amazon.com/Gameboy-Advance-Handy-Dual-Easier-SO/dp/B002R9OXS2

 

[Fire_Slasher]

I found the micro sd version of Ez Flash IV on a site I trust, it's more expensive than the supercard mini but if it's better I'll gladly pay. And Yeah guess the micro is just too small for longer sessions huh?

 

[VmprHntrD]

How much do you want to spend? Another choice is to get a modded original unit with the 101 screen, but it'll be like $100. You get the comfort of a body built more like a controller, no OEM batteries from Nintendo as it uses AAs, decent battery life still like the 101 does I believe, but ebay would be the place to find those or the gameboy reddit marketplace perhaps.

I second using the ez flash 4, I've had it, it works without problems. I have a GB Micro, it's small but comfortable, just not as comfy as an original GBA body, and it won't run GB/GBC games.

 

[rainparadesamurai]

Yo guys! I've been having the urge to buy a GBA SP in the near future, I have questions tho if you guys can help me I'd appreciate it greatly. Here we go:

1- What is the best (still in the market) flashcard for it?
2- How much playtime can I get with a fully charged battery (New and unused battery)?
3- Should I really go for the AGS 101 model or the Micro one?

And lastly, if you know a trusted site that ships worldwide please lemme know.

1 - wait for everdrive gba, I'm sure there'll be an update on release in the fall
2 - have no idea
3 - Yes, so you can maintain compatibility with gb/gbc cartridges and original peripherals such as the gba-gcn link cable.

 

[Fire_Slasher]

How much do you want to spend? Another choice is to get a modded original unit with the 101 screen, but it'll be like $100. You get the comfort of a body built more like a controller, no OEM batteries from Nintendo as it uses AAs, decent battery life still like the 101 does I believe, but ebay would be the place to find those or the gameboy reddit marketplace perhaps.

I second using the ez flash 4, I've had it, it works without problems. I have a GB Micro, it's small but comfortable, just not as comfy as an original GBA body, and it won't run GB/GBC games.

100$ is a bit outta my league right now so I guess I will stick with the SP but thanks anyways.

 

[Hanafuda]

I love the GBASP AGS-101, own two and bought them both brand new. But if you happen to own a modded Gamecube w/ Gameboy Player (or other method of running homebrew on GC such as the SD Media Launcher), the new "Gameboy Interface" loader provides by far the best GBA experience possible. See here. It's a replacement for the original GB Player disc, and the resulting picture quality is fantastic.

Also FWIW the DSLite is a viable alternative to the AGS-101. The display is lit just as well, but displayed area is a little smaller. But, you can also have a DS card onboard, so that's a plus.

 

[Fire_Slasher]

I love the GBASP AGS-101, own two and bought them both brand new. But if you happen to own a modded Gamecube w/ Gameboy Player (or other method of running homebrew on GC such as the SD Media Launcher), the new "Gameboy Interface" loader provides by far the best GBA experience possible. See here. It's a replacement for the original GB Player disc, and the resulting picture quality is fantastic.

Also FWIW the DSLite is a viable alternative to the AGS-101. The display is lit just as well, but displayed area is a little smaller. But, you can also have a DS card onboard, so that's a plus.

I do have a modded GC which I'm playing Paper Mario on lately, also have SD Media Launcher and whatnot. Will take a look at that link I would love to play GBA games in HD.

 

[Hanafuda]

I do have a modded GC which I'm playing Paper Mario on lately, also have SD Media Launcher and whatnot. Will take a look at that link I would love to play GBA games in HD.

You'll need the Gameboy Player add-on if you don't have one, but they're usually cheaper used if the original disc is not included, and that's fine because you won't need it. Just burn the appropriate version of the Gameboy Interface (I prefer the low latency version for a really crisp picture, but for full screen you need to use the standard version. The ultra-low latency version is just for high-end PVM, BVM type CRT monitors afaik.) Unlike the original GB Player disc, the Gameboy Interface picture quality is pixel perfect, not fuzzy.

 

[Joe88]

1 - wait for everdrive gba, I'm sure there'll be an update on release in the fall

when that ever comes out, its most likely going to be very expensive (probably $120+)

 

[RodrigoDavy]

The ags101 is the best model in my opinion. It's portable, has backlight and retrocompability with gb/gbc. Make sure the L and R trigger are working before you buy one. I got one that has a problem with the R trigger and it can ruin many games.

100$ is a bit outta my league right now so I guess I will stick with the SP but thanks anyways.

I feel your pain... Dollars are so expensive these days.

 

[Hanafuda]

The ags101 is the best model in my opinion. It's portable, has backlight and retrocompability with gb/gbc. Make sure the L and R trigger are working before you buy one. I got one that has a problem with the R trigger and it can ruin many games.


I feel your pain... Dollars are so expensive these days.

Almost always can be fixed. You have to open up the back, carefully remove the R button, retaining pin, and spring (while paying attention to how they go in there) and then clean the microswitch out. This is best done with electronics contact cleaner. I don't know where you'd go to get that in Brazil. Used to be Radio Shack was the place in the US, but they went out of business. Now, it's Amazon I guess.

Like this stuff Anything sold as 'electronics contact cleaner' will do. Just make sure you don't buy stuff that includes lubricant (i.e. light machine oil). That might sound like a good thing, but nope. Not for this.

Good for cleaning cartridge connections, USB connections, anything. For the GBA/DS shoulder buttons, just use the little red straw to concentrate the spray, blast the microswitch and work it a few times before the cleaner evaporates.

Shoulder button microswitches circled in red

 

[zerofalcon]

1.- Ez flash IV
2.- It depends, if the battery is an original one, new and fully charged it will last 6-7 hours on AGS-101 (normal brightness).
3.- GBA SP AGS-101 all the way.. it's the perfect gba system. I did a mod replacing the innards of a backlit SP into a GBA SP NES edition and it is one of my favorite handhelds.

 

[RodrigoDavy]

Almost always can be fixed. You have to open up the back, carefully remove the R button, retaining pin, and spring (while paying attention to how they go in there) and then clean the microswitch out. This is best done with electronics contact cleaner. I don't know where you'd go to get that in Brazil. Used to be Radio Shack was the place in the US, but they went out of business. Now, it's Amazon I guess.

Like this stuff Anything sold as 'electronics contact cleaner' will do. Just make sure you don't buy stuff that includes lubricant (i.e. light machine oil). That might sound like a good thing, but nope. Not for this.

Good for cleaning cartridge connections, USB connections, anything. For the GBA/DS shoulder buttons, just use the little red straw to concentrate the spray, blast the microswitch and work it a few times before the cleaner evaporates.

Shoulder button microswitches circled in red

Wow, thanks! I just did what you said, luckily I had a contact cleaner in my house. Now the R trigger is so much better! I really appreciate your help!
It's still not perfect though, I have to press it all the way down for it to work, while with the L trigger a simple gentle press is enough. Do you have any clues?

 

[Hanafuda]

Wow, thanks! I just did what you said, luckily I had a contact cleaner in my house. Now the R trigger is so much better! I really appreciate your help!
It's still not perfect though, I have to press it all the way down for it to work, while with the L trigger a simple gentle press is enough. Do you have any clues?

I've never had one not go back to working like new after cleaning it like this. 'Clean it again' would be the first advice I would give you. You can also try some isopropyl alcohol, but try to use the highest percentage stuff you can find (like 91%). Really work that little plunger on the switch while the cleaner is still wet. But if the microswitch is genuinely broken, I gave the same advice in another thread once where someone had found replacement pieces. Here's that discussion and here is the link to the switches for sale. As you can see I am quite the preacher for the contact cleaner lol.

 

[Jayro]

But if you happen to own a modded Gamecube w/ Gameboy Player (or other method of running homebrew on GC such as the SD Media Launcher), the new "Gameboy Interface" loader provides by far the best GBA experience possible. See here. It's a replacement for the original GB Player disc, and the resulting picture quality is fantastic.

Thank you so much for this, I could never get my 'Cube with Swiss to boot from either burned GB Player disc or .iso/.gcm. Now I can shelve the original disc forever, maybe scalping the shit out of it another decade or two down the road.

 

[Fire_Slasher]

The ags101 is the best model in my opinion. It's portable, has backlight and retrocompability with gb/gbc. Make sure the L and R trigger are working before you buy one. I got one that has a problem with the R trigger and it can ruin many games.


I feel your pain... Dollars are so expensive these days.

Ah yeah, think it's similar to how my DS's L and R stopped working, I did more or less what @Hanafuda said, used an electronics contact cleaner and it got better.

Being a fellow countryman I'm sure you feel my pain when it comes to the current price of dollar here.

 

[Drud1995]

Also, if you want to save money, it is cheaper to buy an AGS 101 in bad condition and fix up with a new shell. It is very easy to do with a Philips head and a Triwing screwdriver and you can get them on eBay for pretty cheap! I remember buying my 101 for like $25 in banged up condition and getting a new shell for $10 to restore to a like new condition.

 

[Joe88]

thats what I did with mine, bought an 101 in really crappy quality for $32 and did a shell swap with my onyx 001

 

[Fire_Slasher]

One thing that's been bugging me is how can the supercard mini not have a 100% compatibility with GBA and has some issues like slowdowns and such that I have been seeing in videos? I mean, supercard DStwo runs pretty much all the DS ROMs on a DS or 3DS with no prob....if it was emulating the software but it kinda isn't since the games are native to the GBA no?