Hardware AGS-101 vs Micro

[Chaos Rush]

I can't stand playing GBA games on my DSL, and I can't stand playing GBA games on my SP AGS-001. So I've been thinking about getting an SP AGS-101 (the backlit one), or a Game Boy Micro. I honestly can't decide. Even after reading countless reviews, topics, videos... I still can't decide on which system to get. So I'm just flat out putting up a poll. The reason why I can't decide is because I find possible flaws with both of them:

*GBA SP has clicky buttons
*GBA SP is kinda cramped to hold
*but GBA SP AGS-101 has an awesome backlit LARGE screen

*I'm worried I'll think the Micro's screen is too small
*I'm worried I'll think the Micro itself is too small to hold
*but Micro doesn't have clicky buttons has the buttons feel more like a GBC/DS

Only vote on the poll if you have tried both. And if you have tried both, tell me which one you prefer, and why. And please don't mention "GBA SP has more compatibility", that means absolutely nothing to me, since I play all my GB and GBC games on an actual GB and GBC. I want to know which one is better for playing specifically Game Boy Advance games.

 

[regnad]

I didn't vote because I have both and enjoy both.

I think the clicky SP buttons are the best of any Nintendo handheld, so this is a matter of opinion. The GBM are somewhat like the DS Phat, and nothing at all (thankfully) like the DSL. They have a slight catch and release, but not at all to the degree of the SP.

Both are excellent. I'd rate them #1 and #2 for all Nintendo handheld buttons.

The SP is a tad cramped, it's true. That's a drawback. The GBM, while tiny, feels great.

The GBM screen is in fact very very small, but not to the point where you can't play it unless you are nearsighted. I have no problem with it whatsoever. The backlit SP screen, however, is much more vibrant, especially the purples, and the blacks are deeper. The GBM blacks are a bit washed out. The backlit SP screen is the best Nintendo has produced hands down.

The GBM is fabulously small -- it weighs pretty much nothing, and you won't even notice it's in your pocket. The screen will scratch, though, so make sure you get a pouch with it. You will find, unfortunately, that replacement faceplates are impossible to find, so be sure it's not scratched. The SP, as a clamshell, doesn't have this problem, but it's a bit fatter and will take up more space in your pocket.

 

[Bart Lemming]

I find it a little strange that you can't stand playing GBA on either the DS or AGS-001 but you're happy to play GB(C) on their original hardware - crappy screens and all... Still, each to their own.

Anyway, back on topic; I personally prefer my GBM but if you've never used either the GBM or 101 then both are a step up from the original GBA and 001. I say get whichever one is the cheapest for you. You'll either appreciate the upgrade of your chosen buy or you'll still be looking for the 'perfect' GBA... You won't know until you've tried!

I know that sounds non-committal but at the moment you have neither so any one would be good, right?

 

[regnad]

One more thing I'd add -- the SP + pad and buttons are slightly indented because of the clamshell design. While this doesn't bother me, you may not like it.

 

[Chaos Rush]

I find it a little strange that you can't stand playing GBA on either the DS or AGS-001 but you're happy to play GB© on their original hardware - crappy screens and all... Still, each to their own.

The "crappy screens" is debatable. I don't think they're crappy. The original Game Boy gives a cool "shadow effect" to everything on the screen, and the Game Boy Color has more "natural" colors then playing GBC games on a GBA SP 001. Meanwhile the AGS-001 just has a crappy screen IMO - if you're going to light up the screen it should always be backlit - none of this frontlit crap. Even the Game Boy Light (a limited Game Boy model that was Japan-only) was backlit.

Anyways, I've decided first I'm going to get a GBA SP 101. I guess it doesn't really matter since I know I'm eventually going to get both anyways XD (EDIT: And I'm probably going to eventually get the original unlit GBA too XD)

 

[elgarta]

I tried playing on my brothers AGS-001 to test it after getting my micro (I only owned the GBA Original) and I must say that I prefer the feel of the Micro. Yes yes, the screen is smaller and more crisp and the volume is not so flash (Yay for headphones), however what really got me about it was it's form factor.

It could be that I have become spoiled by handhelds that are formed in a lengthway rectangular style like the PSP and DS..
| [ ] | vs {+[ ] ;}
| + ; |

...but I just couldn't get the feel of the SP in that way. I also uncovered an old GBC when I was cleaning out recently and popped an old cart into it and just found it to feel so foreign. The SP is by no means bad, if that one had a speaker port and backlit screen I would've been tempted to try getting it off my brother, but I just found it uncomfortable compared to the micro.

 

[Xoo00o0o0o]

I loved my GBA Micro to death but still preferred my GBA SP because it had a bigger screen.

 

[GreatCrippler]

Have both. Play my AGS-101 a lot more.

 

[DanTheManMS]

I don't have both, but I do love my AGS-101. It would be nice if I could turn the backlight off entirely, like when using it to play music or chiptunes or something, but the battery lasts a long time anyway.

Just remember that you'll need a headphone adapter since it doesn't have a standard headphone port.

 

[regnad]

I don't have both, but I do love my AGS-101. It would be nice if I could turn the backlight off entirely, like when using it to play music or chiptunes or something, but the battery lasts a long time anyway.

Just remember that you'll need a headphone adapter since it doesn't have a standard headphone port.

Yeah, that lack of a standard headphone port was a poor choice by Nintendo.

Is it my imagination, or does the GBM battery last longer? I feel like the GBM battery lasts an extraordinarily long time.

 

[Todderbert]

SP AGS-101 all the way. I love the micro but its screen is too small for gaming long periods of time. The screen size on the SP is perfect and its portability is not that bad at all. I love the button feedback on both, but if I had to choose the Micro has the best response. I noticed my scores going up playing warioware on the micro vs the sp because of the buttons. I get better battery life from my SP vs my Micro, usually an hour or two more.

 

[Chemowski]

I have a SP. AGS-001. It has never failed on me like so many other technical things has. I'm happy with it.

 

[Icealote]

So what did Chaos Rush end up getting?

 

[Chaos Rush]

So what did Chaos Rush end up getting?

I got a used AGS-101 from Amazon, in bad condition. However, I happen to already have an AGS-001 that I got for Christmas in 2004, and because I have a lot of childhood memories of it, I wanted to keep playing it. So I opened up both SP's, and I placed the AGS-101 motherboard and screen into my childhood SP. But because the AGS-101 I got had a screen in terrible condition, I took off the screen cover and replaced the screen cover from my childhood SP (which I somehow managed to keep in great condition after all these years).

The result, I now have an AGS-101 in a color that was only available with an AGS-001, and it's in wonderful condition.
http://i1151.photobu...sh/IMG_0634.jpg

http://i1151.photobu...sh/IMG_0635.jpg

http://i1151.photobu...sh/IMG_0636.jpg

You can't tell from the first pic, but the sticker says, "AGS-001". However, when you turn it on, it functions as an AGS-101, as seen in the second and third pics. I'm quite satisfied with my investment, despite the SP I got from Amazon being in terrible condition, after doing some shell swapping I now have a wonderful AGS-101 in great condition. I don't know if I will ever get a Micro, since I'm satisfied with my backlit SP.

 

[Icealote]

My eyes hurt trying to see the words on that backside haha So there was never a blue colour for AGS 101? Or is that purple I cant tell :S
Congratulations on doing that! Is it difficult swapping the housing? I'm wondering if I should fix my right shoulder button on my SP. It just feels a tad loose and not as tight as my left shoulder button.
I hope you took a look at Todderbert's collection of Micros ahah Since seeing that. I'm scoping to find a cheap Mother3/Final Fantasy one ahah Don't know if I will get those yet

 

[jimmyemunoz]

The AGS-101 I got had a screen in terrible condition, so I took off the screen cover, and replaced the screen cover with the one from my childhood SP. (I somehow managed to keep it in great condition)

Ok, I am wondering how the screen cover replacement was done? What did you do exactly? What tools did you use? Was it easy? I can get new covers from ebay and I was planning on doing it on my AGS-101. Please respond

 

[Chaos Rush]

My eyes hurt trying to see the words on that backside haha So there was never a blue colour for AGS 101? Or is that purple I cant tell :S
Congratulations on doing that! Is it difficult swapping the housing? I'm wondering if I should fix my right shoulder button on my SP. It just feels a tad loose and not as tight as my left shoulder button.
I hope you took a look at Todderbert's collection of Micros ahah Since seeing that. I'm scoping to find a cheap Mother3/Final Fantasy one ahah Don't know if I will get those yet

Ahaha sorry for the pic quality, it was taken with my iPod touch.

My SP is dark blue. AGS-101's were only released in:
*Pearl Blue (it's a light silver/grayish color with a subtle blue tint)
*Pearl Pink (it's shiny pink)
*Graphite (it's like the black AGS-001, but with lighter buttons I think)
*Spongebob

But AGS-001's were released in a bunch of colors, one of them being the dark blue one I have.

The motherboard + screen swapping isn't that hard, but you need to have a tri-wing screwdriver, which aren't usually sold in stores (you can easily get one from amazon & ebay, however). It took me about 30 minutes. But because the AGS-101 had a screen cover that was scratched up, it annoyed me, so I had to take apart my blue SP a second time and I replaced the screen cover with the AGS-001 (the screen covers on both models are the same).

For anyone that wants an AGS-101, I recommend getting a cheap one in shitty condition, then swapping out the shell with your color of choice (like the awesome colors that the AGS-001's came in). In my opinion, the colors for the AGS-101 suckkkk

 

[Chaos Rush]

The AGS-101 I got had a screen in terrible condition, so I took off the screen cover, and replaced the screen cover with the one from my childhood SP. (I somehow managed to keep it in great condition)

Ok, I am wondering how the screen cover replacement was done? What did you do exactly? What tools did you use? Was it easy? I can get new covers from ebay and I was planning on doing it on my AGS-101. Please respond

Well, since I was inserting AGS-101 hardware into my AGS-001, I had to take apart the screen on both of them anyway. Then I simply peeled off the scratched up screen cover from the backlit one, and then I peeled off the screen cover from my original SP that I kept in much better condition. Then I simply placed the good screen cover onto the AGS-101 screen. The sticky stuff that holds the screen cover is part of the screen, not the screen cover, so it's really easy to swap them.

So what tools did I use? My fingers.

But to actually take apart your SP, you need a "+" screwdriver, and a tri-wing screwdriver, and a pocket knife or something similar (for the tiny rubber pads on the SP screen).

 

[Todderbert]

My eyes hurt trying to see the words on that backside haha So there was never a blue colour for AGS 101? Or is that purple I cant tell :S
Congratulations on doing that! Is it difficult swapping the housing? I'm wondering if I should fix my right shoulder button on my SP. It just feels a tad loose and not as tight as my left shoulder button.
I hope you took a look at Todderbert's collection of Micros ahah Since seeing that. I'm scoping to find a cheap Mother3/Final Fantasy one ahah Don't know if I will get those yet

AGS101 screens are godlike compared to the 001...so much of a difference...the one saving grace for the 001 is I actually like playing it with the light off under a strong lamp or sunlight, it looks pretty good then.
BTW, should I put up a picture of my SP collection?

 

[Chaos Rush]

My eyes hurt trying to see the words on that backside haha So there was never a blue colour for AGS 101? Or is that purple I cant tell :S
Congratulations on doing that! Is it difficult swapping the housing? I'm wondering if I should fix my right shoulder button on my SP. It just feels a tad loose and not as tight as my left shoulder button.
I hope you took a look at Todderbert's collection of Micros ahah Since seeing that. I'm scoping to find a cheap Mother3/Final Fantasy one ahah Don't know if I will get those yet

AGS101 screens are godlike compared to the 001...so much of a difference...the one saving grace for the 001 is I actually like playing it with the light off under a strong lamp or sunlight, it looks pretty good then.
BTW, should I put up a picture of my SP collection?

Yes, I'd like to see