Review
- Modified GBA Using Afterburner Internal Lighting Kit
(
Added July 19th 2002 - By Eric)
Introduction
Although the GBA is a success, the major complain
among the millions that bought the system was the fact
that it wasn't backlit. To keep the cost down and ensure
good battery life, Nintendo opted instead to use reflective
TFT screen technology. All well and good, considering
the battery guzzlers that were the Sega Gamegear and
Nomad. Unfortunately though, the reflective screens
are terrible in less than optimum lighting conditions
and many a frustrated GBA owners were left literally
in the dark. Since then, there has been a slew of external
lighting accessories for the GBA, but unfortunately
again, many of these have done little to solve the problem
of the GBA's screen quality...that is, until now!
Introducing The Afterburner
The Afterburner is basically a do it yourself kit
which when installed correctly, will make you the proud
owner of an internally lighted GBA. The most important
component of the kit is a low power backlit film which
is placed over the GBA's LCD. This is the "magic"
of the Afterburner, and the "thing" that gives
out the light to light up your games even in complete
darkness.
As you can see, my tech-speak is pretty lame, which
is in direct proportion to my technical abilities, and
so I did not attempt to install the Afterburner myself.
Instead, I ordered a GBA which already had one pre-installed.
Of course, if you're handy with a soldering iron and
just love to tinker around with resistors, then you
could probably install the Afterburner
yourself. Alternatively, you can send your GBA to have
it doctored by an expert and then sent back to you.
There are places on the net that offer this service
so do a little searching.
Purpose Of The Modified
GBA
As mentioned, the modified GBA is internally lighted,
unlike a regular GBA. As such, its purpose is simple
i.e. enhanced screen visibility when playing games even
in absolute darkness.
Using The Modified
GBA
The modified GBA is no different than a regular GBA
and will do everything the same. The only addition to
a modified GBA is the inclusion of a brightness control
dial. As you can see from the picture, the dial on the
modified GBA is placed at the side. The dial is used
to control the brightness of the lighting from high
to low but not off. Actually, mine has been on the high
position since I've got it, and to tell the truth, I
don't see the need for a brightness control. To me,
the high setting is perfect for both daylight and nighttime
conditions. If you do order a modified GBA, you can
opt not to have the brightness control, or maybe wait
until they have it fixed with an "off" setting.
Pros Of The Modified
GBA
Well, the biggest pro is that the GBA's screen is
visible in nearly any lighting condition. When I first
turned on the GBA and adjusted the brightness dial,
I was very impressed by the uniform light that illuminated
the screen - there was no glare and no corners were
left in the dark, unlike external lighting attachments
which always leave the bottom half of the screen in
shadows. Moreover, the modification is truly unobtrusive,
since it is internal, and no one can tell from a glance
that you are using a modified GBA, until of course they
notice how bright and clear the screen is.
Cons Of Modified
GBA
There is unfortunately a little "wash-out",
meaning that the brightness of the screen will tend
to de-contrast the color in some games. In my experience,
the washed-out look only occur in certain games with
darker color palettes, but look fine with everything
else. This is a minor con, definitely better than not
seeing anything at all.
Another small quibble is that battery life will depreciate
a little when using the brightness control on the highest
setting. Battery life is always subjective, and as for
me, I didn't really care that much since it wasn't that
much of a drain. I could still get close to over 10
hrs of continuous use, and the joy of being able to see everything
in that time was reward enough for the slightly shortened
playing time.
Also, don't expect any sort of warranty from Nintendo
when you purchase a modified GBA. The place you get
it from might offer some form of limited warranty, so
remember to ask before you buy. The same goes if you
install the kit yourself or get someone to do it for
you, although from what I've read on the net, the chances
of damaging your GBA with an Afterburner installed is
mighty slim as long as you're careful and follow the
kit's instructions.
Final Comments
Currently there is no other lighting solution that
can beat the Afterburner. I'm really happy with my modified
GBA, although I'm a little embarrassed that I was not
able to install the kit myself. I heartily recommend
the modified GBA, especially to those who aren't technically
inclined or who like me, are using a limited edition
GBA and do want to open it up. Buying a modified GBA
might be a little expensive, but worth every penny as
soon as you fire it up in some dark corner and realize
that you can actually see what's happening on the screen.
Priceless!!!
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