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Name Of Product:
Sun Filter - For The GameBoy
Marketed Or Distributed By:
Suncrest Japan
Cost Of Product:
Yen 500 - Approx. US$4.
Available:
At reputable import shops.
Reviewer:
Eric
Japanese Text Translation:
Shoji
Rating:
Usability - 5/5
Desirability - 5/5
Introduction
Protective cases that are available for the GameBoy these days offer adequate protection against the inevitable
nick or scratch. Some do a good job, while others are just cosmetic or simply inappropriate. The thing I hate most
about these cases, however, are the added bulk, and the fact they don't usually offer any protection for the GameBoy's
screen. Some cases do of course offer screen protection, but most of them employ cheap plastic overlays that are
too milky to see through clearly or reflect way too much light for comfortable viewing.
For most of us, especially me, nicks and scratches on our GameBoy is endurable, but any that land on the screen
is damn well sacrilegious. After all, the GameBoy screen is where all the action takes place, and anything that
hampers our ability to see clearly is not only annoying but deadly, since it effects game play and most importantly,
stage completion and high scores. Despite the deluge of GameBoy protective cases and so-called screen protectors
on the market, none have been able to properly address the problems of screen scratches and glare. Thankfully,
Suncrest, a Japanese company, has released a product that not only addresses the problem, but corrects a few others
that I wasn't even aware of. What is the product? The Sun Filter, of course!
Purpose
What is the Sun Filter? Outwardly, the Sun Filter looks like a cheap piece of clear plastic that's shaped like
the GameBoy screen. Suffice to say, I was momentarily disappointed, thinking that it was was going to be another
of those so-called protective adhesive screens from Taiwan that will give me nothing but glare, scratches and aggravation.
A part of me, however, didn't want to accept that notion. The Sun Filter is a Japanese product after all, and everyone
knows that Japanese products are almost always impeachable. I was right, thanks to Shoji our Japanese correspondent,
who sent me an English translation of the Sun Filter's user manual.
Sun Filter For TVs & Monitors
Well, like I said, the Sun Filter looks like a cheap piece of clear plastic, but
that's where all similarities end. Yes, it's still plastic, but according to the Sun Filter's manual, it's specially
treated plastic, the kind that's used in anti-glare and ultraviolet protection screens. These screens, which I'm
sure some of you might have seen, are usually employed on computer monitors and televisions to prevent glare, and
in sunglasses to minimize ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Now, thanks to Suncrest, it's available for the GameBoy
as well.
Features
- Special coating that is anti-glare and anti-reflective
- Special hard coating that prevent minor surface scratches
- Special coating that reduces ultra-violet rays
- Strong non-mess adhesive for instant and prolonged adhesion
Using The Sun Filter
From the pictures below, you can see that using the Sun Filter is as easy as pie. It doesn't replace the original
screen, but serves as stick-on protection. Before sticking on the Sun Filter, however, I would recommend that you
clean the GameBoy screen first and remove all visible oil, smudges, finger prints and dirt. Then, for better results,
use a small blower (the kind that's found in a camera lens cleaning kit) to blow away any fine dust particles from
the screen. Trust me, this is crucial for any type of adhesive protection screens for the GameBoy, and will save
you a lot of heart ache and hair pulling later on. Other than that, there's noting remotely difficult about using
the Sun Filter.
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Peel back the adhesive covering.
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Stick it over the GameBoy screen.
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Pros Of The Sun Filter
Honestly speaking, any cheap piece of plastic will suffice as protection for the GameBoy's screen. In fact, if
you wanted, you could even cut out a piece of Plexiglas or just use plain plastic to cover your GameBoy's screen.
So, do you really need to spend the dough on a Sun Filter?
Well, from my testing, the biggest advantage of the Sun Filter is its anti-glare and non-reflective coating, something
you won't find in regular, untreated plastic. Squinting or propping the GameBoy at odd angles just to reduce glare
is thus greatly minimized. Doing a test with Nyko's Worm Light, showed that the Sun Filter actually diffused light
at various angles. I don't know how to describe this in scientific terms, but without the Sun Filter, any direct
or reflected light on the GameBoy screen made it impossible to see the action. But with the Sun Filter in place,
even direct light and reflections didn't seem as distracting, and I was able to see the action on the LCD clearly.
I also did a scratch test with the blunt edge of a pen, and found that the Sun Filter was true to its specifications.
The pen glided effortlessly over the surface, even with exerted pressure, and though there were scuff marks (you
can wipe these away easily with a piece of cloth), it did not leave a scratch, thanks to the Sun Filter's special
"hard" coating. Of course, nothing will save your screen if you purposely used something sharp like a
pen knife to scratch it, but I doubt any of us would have that problem in normal conditions.
Cons Of The Sun Filter
To be honest, I couldn't find anything wrong with this product. Of course, it's only available in Japan and import
shops, but aside from that, it's almost flawless in purpose and execution. Although the manual did say that the
Sun Filter also offered protection against ultraviolet rays, I wasn't about to test it by leaving my GameBoy out
in the sun. It's nice knowing, however, that those harmful UV rays can't hurt my GameBoy's LCD panel.
Final Comments
In my opinion, the Sun Filter is an indispensable product. Some of you might not
need it, and some would just scoff and say that you could always buy a replacement screen from Nintendo. Well,
I've always believed that prevention is better than cure, and for my beloved GameBoy, the Sun Filter is the kind
of preventive medicine that I'm willing to part money with anytime. Remember, the Sun Filter doesn't just protect
your GameBoy's screen, but also greatly reduces glare and reflection, something that Nintendo's own original screen
can't attest to. Now, if only Suncrest and Nintendo got together to make Sun Filter screens for the GameBoy Advance.
Man, would that rule!
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