Homebrew Gameboy Advance Lighting Project 148
palo0019 writes: "I'm sure Slashdotters who picked up Nintendo's new portable have found its screen to leave a little to be desired (Penny Arcade illustrates the point well). Adam Curtis has created a grassroots lighting project called PortableMonopoly.com. I know I would help out if I had any knowledge in the area, I'm tired of playing Castlevania in my bathroom." There's some interesting information about portable video display systems in there as well -- those game designers have some pretty tough compromises to make.
Worm Light (Score:1)
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:1)
Not having a backlight on the GBA is a cop-out, plain and simple. If they did it in Japan for the regular Gameboy (though they didn't release it in the US), they could have for the GBA.
The Website (partial) (Score:2)
June 18, 2001 - posted by Adam Curtis
On an interesting side note, it appears the site has caught the attention of none other than the big 'N'. I'm not surprised, but I thought I would roll out the giant welcome mat for them.
They are visiting often enough that I probably won't even need to ever send them the petition at all.
Seriously, Nintendo - since you are watching the site, I want to say three things (I only post this because so many people wonder about my motivation in this project):
First of all, I want to apologize for the statement I made about the system being "engineered by monkeys". In fact the only problem I have with the system is the fact that you chose a HR-TFT for long battery life as opposed to what I would have considered a more comprehensive visual setup. Though I share this opinion with many, many others - I can respect the decision your engineers/marketing department made.
Secondly, if you get anything from our petition, please recognize that there is a substantial percentage of us that would rather have a internally lit system- even at the expense of battery life. I am sure you already know this. If you are willing, please send me an email [mailto] describing exactly why you chose not to offer two different systems or whether or not there are plans for an internally lit system in the future.
Finally, the real reason I believe you pissed off so many people (including me) with the GBA is your dubious advertisement of the system, 100% of which includes vibrant, bright, gameplay from any angle and with any light - nothing even close to reality. Your TV advertisements and promotional screenshots are gross misrepresentations of the actual system, even at its best. I understand that it would be difficult to sell if you showed the ACTUAL PRODUCT being used, but shouldn't that tell you that something is wrong? Go ahead and throw in a response to this one as well.
June 18, 2001 - posted by Adam Curtis Wow, what a roller coaster ride this project has been the last few days.. I have gone back and forth from thinking this project is impossible to simple about 5 times already. This is, however, to be expected considering my previously limited knowledge regarding LCD technology. I am, with your help and a TON of research, learning quickly - so keep your fingers crossed for me. Here's a rundown of today's results: I talked with a Sharp employee (since I can't use his name, let's call him "Wild Honey " to spice up such a drab write up) extensively about the project and got some valuable feedback. According to him, the "Optical Guide" in the diagram below has not been fully developed yet and a simple plane of translucent material is not sufficient. Rather, the device must be intricately carved with tiny prisms constructed to very high precision - we're talking microns. Wild Honey mentioned that some Japanese companies are working on the device but that none are commercially available yet. I then asked him about another technology we have been considering for this project - something called Monoreflective diode fabrics. Credit for the discovery of this technology goes to Cabanaguy from IGN's forums (if I knew his name I'd mention it). MRD's are very thin, flat, optically clear sheets that have the miraculous capability of emitting light in one direction and allowing light to pass back through in the other. These devices are used in film applications, and would theoretically work quite well for the GBA front light. As you can imagine, the MRD would be placed light-emitting face down. Anyway, Wild Honey said that he had never heard of the technology and said that if it worked as advertised it might be a good solution. According to "Cabanaguy", the material is used at his place of work so he has been able to verify its existence. He is currently finding out who his company's MRD supplier is. As an interesting note, a 10" by 10" sheet of the material costs above $300. Since the GBA lcd is 1 10/16" by 2 6/16", that sheet could be cut to cover 24 LCD's (6 rows by 4 columns). Hence each cut would be $12.50 - a very modest price indeed. Still, the technology has to be considered vaporware until "Cabanaguy" can get us more information on the technology/supplier and do some tests with it. I thanked Wild Honey for his time and hung up the phone, justifiably disappointed with what I had just heard. Nonetheless, determined to the brink of insanity, I plunged forward with further research. Low and behold, I just happened to come across an Asian company that sells not just the "Optical guide" we need, but a complete assembly featuring a thin fluorescent lamp and the guide in one piece! It remains to be seen how much this will cost, but it's yet another very important step in the evolution of this project. Taken from the site: This picture is hard to make out, but this is the wedged polymer plastic "optical guide"from the diagram below combined with a CCFT mini-lamp, all in one piece. I believe the on
the right is the same assembly with three LEDs instead of a CCFT (Thanks CJ Saretto)
This is a real life representation of the diagram posted yesterday. I would post the URL from which this image came, but I would rather not subject the company that created this device to millions of emails subjected :"Frontlight my system please please PLEASE!!!!". Judging from some of the juvenile posts I've had to delete from the message board over and over again, that wouldn't be the worst of it.
After I verify that the unit will work I will let everyone know where it can be purchased. It is very well possible that we might have to set up some sort of group purchase if they only sell in large quantities. Some have suggested that I offer a complete modification kit - if this works out as planned, I might very well do that. Anyone have $100,000 to loan me? ;)
Thanks again for all of the great emails I have received from you, sorry for the delay in replying - I am going to respond to all of them right now. I am very happy with the results this site has been producing, 350+ petition signatures and a thriving forum are a nice surprise. Thanks so much to those who have been getting the word out about portablemonopoly.com and the sites posting our news.
Of course if anything happens you will all be the first to know right here.
June 18, 2001 - posted by Adam Curtis
There are a few miscellaneous questions I have been receiving a lot that need to be answered:
"Why are you backlighting the device? Game Gear tried that and it sucked down battery life. duh!"
The Game Gear was released more than 10 years ago and employs a highly inefficient halogen bulb backlighting system. duh!
"I want to backlight my device, I took my GBA apart and did this.. how do I..."
Backlighting the GBA will not work. Because the Sharp LCD is employs is reflective only, any light that passes through the LCD will not illuminate any pixels but simply wash them out. It is unfortunately as simple as that. A transmissive or transflective LCD will facilitate backlighting.
Now you know why we are attempting a front lighting solution in this project.
If you wanted to try and replace the LCD in the unit with a transflective or transmissive screen, you might have a chance. But I have as of yet been unable to find a replacement of equal size and resolution, and personally have no idea how to modify the GBA's LCD data ribbon to work for a different LCD.
"What about EL (electroluminescence)?"
Again, since the LCD is non-transmissive, an EL layer behind the screen will not work.
"How much battery life will your final system have?"
I am estimating 3-4 hours of battery life, but that remains to be seen depending on the light source we use. If a cold cathode fluorescent tube is used, we are looking at less battery life but a more vibrant display. LED's would have an opposite effect and would probably result in at least 8 hours of battery life. I would personally be more than satisfied with any battery life > 2 hours - especially since we will have a on/off on the switch to only use the light when needed. 2-4 hours of battery life might be a problem with any game that doesn't have battery backup to allow for the replacement of batteries or a rechargeable unit, but for those games the light can simply be turned off.
Note that these numbers are straight out of my (@#$) and could end up being lower or higher. I am optimistic that battery life will be salvaged to a very acceptable degree.
"Why does your forum block profanity?"
I originally didn't intend to implement something that lame but there were so many idiotic posts it was a necessary evil. Sorry!
"This is the most retarded site I have ever seen... I don't want to sign the petition, here's why... You guys are wasting your time.. blah blah blah"
Enough already! I don't care whether or not you think what I am going is a waste of time. If you think this site is pointless or retarded, dear God save me the bandwidth and take your ass elsewhere.
June 18, 2001 - posted by Adam Curtis
Site.. can't.. take much more. I should have known better than to try to host this site off of the DSL lineJune 17, 2001 - posted by Adam Curtis I have discovered a very uplifting diagram from a presentation made by a Sharp employee. It represents exactly what we need to do with the prototype to effectively light the screen. I have the name of the creator of this presentation and I will be in contact with him on Monday.
June 17, 2001 - posted by Adam Curtis Our project has just hit a major snag - one that is probably going to be the most difficult aspect of our work. It appears that lighting the Sharp LCD in the GBA directly from the side will not work on its own - light is not effectively reflected off of that screen until your light source is reflected about 20 degrees above the horizontal. This obviously would not be feasible because we would have to have the light sticking out from the screen about 2 inches at least - defeating the purpose of internal lighting. The technology exists to solve this problem, however, and it is just a matter of finding it. In the Compaq I-paq, there is a thin, plastic, refractive layer of some sort that refracts light from the side-lights downward into the LCD at a 90 degree angle. We need to find out what this is. And so a cry for help comes out from me to all of you - if we can find out where to get such a layer, the project will have overcome its greatest hindrance. Anyone who finds out what this is gets their name in 20 point times at the top of this page.. Click here for older information [portablemonopoly.com]The diagram of how the GBA could theoretically be lit from the side by a CCFT
(which is used in the IPaq I believe) or an LED. No mirror would be needed in
this schematic due to the way the optical guide is positioned.
This image shows the difference in power consumption between classic Transmissive LCD's
(Game Gear, Nomad, Turbo Express) and this design using a single CCFT or one or two LEDs.
Why not hack a handheld? (Score:2)
Rather than worry about battery usage, I'd rather just spring for a rechargable (or two) anyway.
Wormlights don't work very well. Perhaps there's a transparent coating available that diffuses reflections, as is available for eyeglasses.
Re:Hack a Sega Game Gear (Score:1)
What's beyond me is why they started making GameBoy Colors.
Re:of course, I'm pushing LED lights... (Score:2)
Is there enough space below the screen to add one without too much trouble?
(I don't yet have a GBA, so I don't have anything to reference to see if something like this is feasible...it *looks* like there might be though...and if it's not that tough to disassemble/reassemble...)
Re:I can't wait to see this guy's face.... (Score:2)
I don't work for them for benefit in any way from you using them, but they are the *best* web host..
Service simply can't be touched, full open source love available.
Re:I can't wait to see this guy's face.... (Score:2)
You're paying for service as well as straight setup time.. You can beat Pair on price, but you can't beat them on service..
I'll admit, they may not be ideal for porn hosting.. They rock the party for my needs..
Uh... (Score:1)
Erm, I can understand surfing pr0n in the bathroom, but playing Castlevania? You need to get out more often....
Some Ideas or Notes (Score:2)
The Nyko wormlight does work on the GBA but produces rather unsightly glare. A glare screen (like on monitors or the film on glasses lenses) could help for that.
3M has many many different films that do nearly what you are proposing for the LED side-lighting system. I believe solutions can be manufactured to the specific angles needed as well. (A related technology is used in holography, and on those traffic signals you can only see from one lane). Their site is a bit hard to get around so I recommend contacting a rep.
Here's a Quick Thought.... (Score:1)
Re:Hack a Sega Game Gear (Score:2)
My heart hurts (Score:2)
Re:Hack a Sega Game Gear (Score:2)
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:2)
My spiffy new Sony CLIÉ [sonystyle.com] has the same style display. Their solution is a front-light that shines up from underneath the graffiti area. Looks great in all lighting conditions. (Though I admit that I never turn the light off unless I'm in bright sunlight.)
If battery life is a concern, you really should be using rechargables. Or, like I did with my son's GameBoy Pocket, velcro a couple of D-cells to the back of the thing. That sucker lasts for months now!
Chelloveck
Re:Contrast control also discovered (Score:2)
Nintendo says, "Don't touch it [ign.com]!"
Jethro
Hey dumbass (Score:2)
"target=new"??
Look, jerk, if I wanted a new browser window, I'd make one myself.
Stop trying to be clever and just post the link normally, like so [dieselsweeties.com].
Re:I can't wait to see this guy's face.... (Score:1)
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Nyko and GB(C|A), so happy together... (Score:3)
Hebrew Gameboy Advance Lightning Project! (Score:1)
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Re:I can't wait to see this guy's face.... (Score:1)
The Original Poster's Comment... (Score:1)
Granted, that part of PA is no longer there, since he updates that every two days and deletes the old stuff... but still.
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Caimlas
Better comic about it: (Score:3)
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Aha! (Score:1)
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:1)
http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/corp/pressRele
Does this mean they're unloading it? Is OLED just Not Going To Work Out?
Stay tuned! Same OLED-time, same OLED-station!
-grendel drago
Eep. (Score:1)
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/produ
-grendel drago
Ooh! (Score:1)
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/produ
Okay, I think that's all.
-grendel drago
Its not a Contrast control (Score:2)
And they don't suggest you play around with it.
http://boards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=6974116&re plies=12 [ign.com]
No, you are wrong. Read the link. (Score:2)
And if thats not enough;
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/50/19891.h
Specificly;
"The 'contrast control' that you are referring to is actually a flicker control. "
This is a quote from Nintendo.
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:1)
So if you played on the GBA for 2 hours a day on average, then the device would last 3 years, however I imagine that the blue deteriorates over time, it doesn't just stop working at 2000 hours, so the half life of a GBA would be 1.5 years in this case.
When 240x160 OLED displays cost $5 and can be slot-in replaced, then the screen is a non-issue in my opinion, and OLED should be used. Until that time, use a technology that is proven to work.
hyperbole (Score:2)
where do you people live, caves? in THE WORLD, we have LIGHTING, both via filament and the excitation of certain noble gases. and then, oh, wait, i almost forgot THE SUN. perhaps, on the side of the box, nintendo should have pointed out places where you can GET LIGHT.
it's hard to see in certain places, but it's fine on the bus, the subway, in the office, in the park -- the only place where i don't get enough light is in my den, WHICH IS WHY I KEEP MY PS2 THERE. it's a great product -- in fact, the only decent product, in many circumstances -- hardly the same as unusable. you pay $100, and you feel inclined to complain because you don't get an organic display, infinite battery, 10/100 port, bump mapping on the chip, and a built-in taser?
three words: wah, wah, wah.
Re:hyperbole (Score:2)
as far as wrists, i remember the glove thing -- there's a usability testing anecdote, for you. who would have predicted that that many kids would all react the same way to gameplay mechanics? but whatever problems the gba has, they're not particular to the gba -- and in fact i trust nintendo's control design team to do right by me more than i trust sony's or ms's.
as far as eyes go, you're right -- are moms today telling their kids not to play kirby in the dark, like my mom did with reading? they should...
Re:Why not hack a handheld? (Score:1)
Re:GBA contrast control (Score:1)
In other GBA news... (Score:2)
-motardo
Two problems with lighting the GBA screen (Score:1)
1) The plastic film over the screen is highly reflective, causing lots of glare.
2) The light source must be placed within a certain range of angles in front of the screen to achieve a reasonable level of reflection off the screen itself.
External lights (such as the Nyko WormLight) solve the second problem nicely, but they only amplify the first problem.
I'm thinking of trying various anti-glare filters (like the ones sold for computer monitors, or other simple polarized filters) over the GBA's screen in combination with a home-built external light (one that uses multiple white LEDs behind a translucent plastic film to help diffuse the light to lower the bright glare spot). I believe this will be the best solution.
Any attempts to light the GBA from inside the unit (with LEDs mounted inside the unit to the side of the screen, etc) will fail because they won't achieve the necessary angle for adequte reflection, and because there simply isn't enough room inside the unit to add lighting around the perimeter of the screen.
Re:Two problems with lighting the GBA screen (Score:1)
By the way, I'm very curious to know if anyone out there has tried removing the clear plastic protective film that is mounted on the surface of the GBA (about 1/4" in front of the screen) to see how that reduces or eliminates glare. If you're worried about permanently altering your GBA, you could instead just find a way to take the unit apart and then try powering it up without the front half of the case attached to see what it looks like.
I strongly suspect that if you peel or cut off that plastic film, you'll reduce glare significantly. The only trick then is to find a better substitute material to protect the screen.
If you check out this Edmund Scientific 17 x 19.5" Gray Light Polarizer [edmundscientific.com], it appears to be a thin polarized plastic film you could cut to the right size and use as a substitute. I'm thinking of calling them to verify that the "Gray Light Polarizer" is what I think it is, since the product description is a little vague and there is no photo.
Re:Two problems with lighting the GBA screen (Score:1)
I've also found some white LEDs you can purchase online from Radio Shack for experimentation with your own external lighting devices:
3mm Ultra-Bright White LED [radioshack.com]
5mm Ulrta-Bright White LED [radioshack.com]
5mm High-Intensity White LED [radioshack.com]
5mm White LED [radioshack.com]
Re:Polariser flaw? (Score:1)
You can test this out yourself using a pair of polarized sunglasses and the GameBoy screen--if you rotate the lens over the screen you can watch it become opaque at a certain angle.
Using a polarized filter won't be a problem for two reasons: (1) I plan on using a circular polarized filter, which doesn't suffer from this problem; and (2) if you were to use a linear polarized filter, all you would have to do is mount it at the right angle of rotation in relation to the screen.
Playing in the bathroom (Score:3)
I'm tired of playing Castlevania in my bathroom.
Isn't that part of the point of a GBA?
:)
--Ty
Take Yoga (Score:1)
Re:Homebew (Score:1)
I think I'm giving Slashdot editors too much credit, though.
Re:I can't wait to see this guy's face.... (Score:1)
Sorry!
You and all your friends wanted to see this site -- All your friends got here first.
-Todd Klindt, MCSE (Minesweeper champion, solitare expert)
Needless to say, the server is smoking. The site should be up again shortly. If you would like to mirror the site, please email adam@portablemonopoly.com. Thanks!
--The Management
Re:Nyko and GB(C|A), so happy together... (Score:1)
psxndc
UPDATE!!:Re:Nyko and GB(C|A), so happy together... (Score:1)
psxndc
Nyko and GB(C|A), so happy together... (Score:4)
For the hardware hackers out there, IGN has an article how to adjust the contrast on your GBA (and Neo Geo Pocket. w00t): Game Boy Advance Too Dark? [ign.com]
Sorry if this is all redundant, portablemonopoly is /.'ed and I can't get to it
psxndc
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:2)
Polariser flaw? (Score:2)
See, two polarising filters that are aligned at 90 degrees to each other prevent any light getting through. LCD pixels "twist" the polarisation of light thru 90 degrees, so when mounted between two filters they can be flipped between blocking and passing light (try rotating one of the filters in an old digital watch and watch the display change between black on white to white on black).
Anyway, my point is; I know the filter would completely block the screen one way round, but would it work the other way round? I guess it depends on how they've set it up. Anyone know any more about this? Apologies for my poor recollection of my Physics A-Level.
My experience with the GBA, and The Worm Light. (Score:1)
Here's what will happen if you try and use it with a Worm Light. [epinions.com]
And here [epinions.com] are my impressions of the system in general.
If they were just going to make it so you couldn't see...they should let you hook it to a TV or something.
You know this may not be a mistake... (Score:1)
This is such a huge point that everyone who works at our location has had to watch a 10 minute training video all about how to sell accessories and games with the system, especially to people who, well, have no intention of doing so.
So it comes as no surprise to me that there is a "flaw" in the system which is most easily solved by (*gasp!*) buying an accessory. An accessory which, I might add, is not backwards compatible with the old game boy systems, so you have to buy a new one.
Re:esr dead wrong (Score:1)
Re:I can't wait to see this guy's face.... (Score:1)
Slashdot got it!
From site:" Sorry! You and all your friends wanted to see this site -- All your friends got here first. Needless to say, the server is smoking. The site should be up again shortly. --The Management"
You know you do to much SQL when you type "From" and then "site" and you automatically try to capitalize the from so it reads "FROM Site S" lol.. I typed that anyways
Jeremy
Fault of Game Designers (Score:1)
Now, if I look at my GBA when it is completely off, the whole screen looks white and is quite viewable. So, colors are darkening the screen.
If game designers did more testing on the GBA screen (instead of on CRT monitors), they would adjust the colors in their games to be a little lighter, and thus let more light through.
So why isn't anyone blaming the game designers?? I am!!!
Re:Ooh! (Score:2)
Re:Better comic about it: (Score:2)
Why GB Advanced? (Score:1)
Is there something I'm missing or is the world just loosing their minds (more than usual)
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Re:Why GB Advanced? (Score:1)
The SNES was technically superior, but you're comparing apples to oranges yourself. The sega genesis was around years before anyone ever heard the words 'super nintendo'. Obviously the newest product is going to be technically superior, but it's still the games that make a machine worth the price, and I far prefer the games on the Genesis. That's why I got a nomad in the first place.
In fact, I still have a Sega master system (8-bit) that I've repaired and play many games one (shinobi, Out Run, Wonder Boy, etc) so no system ever truely dies.
The size of the Genesis carts is really a trivial point as they are a small fraction of the size of the total bundle. As far as being a souped up SNES, I'd see your point if the hundreds of SNES games could be played on it, but since they canot, I've got a huge selection of dirt cheap games for my color handheld that's been around for years, and you've got to pay high prices for the handful of GBA games that currently exist (yes it's a minor exaggeration, but you started it).
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Re:Why GB Advanced? (Score:1)
As scary as it may seem, it wasn't long ago that Sega stopped making new games for the Sega Master System (8-bit Genesis predesessor). The point is, games are still being made for the Genesis. I don't particularly like the new ones, and they certainly aren't mainstream, but there you have it. New games=not dead by your definition.
The GBA only has a handful because it literally just launched, but oh wait, let's exaggerate this the way you did-- the GBA already has more titles than the Sega Genesis. How, you ask? Easy. It plays old Gameboy and Gameboy Color titles.
GBA does not have more titles than the Genesis any way you look at it (Genesis plays Master System games, SegaCD and 32X games as well)
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Re:Twisting words? (Score:1)
And you call me crazy...
---=-=-=-=-=-=---
Comparison anyone? (Score:1)
Re:Comparison anyone? (Score:1)
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:1)
So presumbaly the worm light shines due to the power of love and so doesn't suck up any battery juice from the GBA then? :)
WTF is the issue here folks? (Score:1)
HUH?????????????????
Ok, question. Why didn't nintendo just make the GBA's screen the same as the GameBoy Color's screen? The GBC has NO problems with lighting as far as I can tell, I get perfect results in VERY low light conditions. Even under moderate flourecent lighting I do good, and I can even play it outside on overcast/cloudy days. If the GBA used the exact same screen technology as the GBC but with a slightly enlarged display, I would be able to get the same gazzilion hour battery life out of it, last time I checked it is well over 12hrs, likely closer to 16 (I've left it on overnight and still been able to play it for a few weeks without needing to change the batteries!) and the damn thing just ROCKS!
Why did Nintendo change the type of LCD screen they use?
Re:WTF is the issue here folks? (Score:1)
If the GBA is no differnt from the GBC (which is far brighter then the GB if you ask me, of course that could just be the fact that colors are naturaly lighter then, err, black on black with some gradiated black
Re:hyperbole (Score:2)
What are the words you put in all caps? I find that, for the most part, I am unaware of their meanings. From "light", however, I can only assume you are referring to the things above the desks at work which all of the programmers leave off. I hear it's different in the other building, but we try not to go over there.
and you feel inclined to complain because you don't get an organic display, infinite battery, 10/100 port, bump mapping on the chip, and a built-in taser?
There's no 10/100 port!? How am I supposed to h4x0r it to run Lunix? (Or is FreeBSD the cool one these days?)
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:3)
Systems are being sold with less and less to reduce cost. No more bundled game; just one controller. But Nintendo seems to be taking a page from PC game manufacturers-- no usable product in the box (WW2Online and UO:Renaissance, for example, if you bought them the week of release).
I'm sure not including the screen itself would cut down on battery consumption, but they still included that. If they're not going to include an essential part of the system, they should say so, just like with batteries: "2 AA batteries required (not included), worm light required (not included)". Instead, both people I know who bought it got it home, said, "fuck! It's unplayable!", then went back to the store to discover the good wormlights were sold out. Go figure.
Is it me.... (Score:1)
I can't wait to see this guy's face.... (Score:5)
I can't wait to see his face after today...
--
Speaking of GBA... (Score:1)
Re:I can't wait to see this guy's face.... (Score:3)
Re:aahahh! (Score:1)
Re:aahahh! (Score:1)
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:1)
Re:hyperbole (Score:1)
I'm more concerned with what this thing is doing to my eyes and wrists as I squint and tilt it at odd angles to play the games properly. I certainly wouldn't want to give one of these to any of the children in my family. They're doing enough damage to their eyes by sitting 2 inches from the TV as it is.
Nintendo had to give away free gloves the last time let a design flaw slip by the wayside. Somehow I doubt they can afford corrective eyewear for all the gameboy players.
Re:Comparison anyone? (Score:1)
The problem people are having stems from the fact that the GBA can display a lot richer colour.
It doesn't sound like a problem until you realize that with fewer colours you tend to have more contrast between them, so objects are easier to see & differentiate from the background.
I still didn't like the screen on the GBC, though it wasn't TOO bad playing those limited-colour games on it. They look and play the same on the GBA (though you can now play them widescreen if you like)... but GBA games can be painful. Games that use the brighter colours help, but that's not much of a solution.
Re:aahahh! (Score:1)
That plastic guard will reflect most of it right back into your eyes in an oh-so-enjoyable glare.
Re:Fault of Game Designers (Score:1)
Too bad the plastic screen cover reflects it glaringly right into the player's eyes before it has a chance to illuminate the LCD.
The game designers probably fell for it hook line and sinker like the rest of us.
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:5)
Any light shone through the back will only succeed in "washing out" the colour due to the properties of the LCD. Personally I would have preferred an organic electroluminescent display (OLED) [kodak.com] to this darkened LCD nightmare. OLEDs produce their own light and are more energy efficient than LCDs, let alone LCDs with backlighting.
Re:Hey dumbass (Score:1)
Game Boy Advanced and the such. (Score:2)
Also, Speaking about Penny-Arcade, which got me thinking about web comics, which reminded me of Diesel Sweeties, which provoked me visiting it, which caused me to discover this [dieselsweeties.com]. It's Cowboy Neal if he were a pixely cartoon.
I feel your pain. (Score:2)
I bought an el cheapo Wormlight Plus, and it helps some, but the GBA experience still rather sucks with it, IMO. To get it where it actually looks good you do need a bright overhead light. It might as well require you to plug it into a wall. You can't really leave your Well-Lit Gaming Area(TM) with it anyway.
of course, I'm pushing LED lights... (Score:2)
Sigh. At least IBM got it right with its LED-based keyboard light for its laptops.
Re:Will no one be happy? (Score:2)
I don't mean to come off as an ass, but I'd rather (than your options) have Nintendo add a backlight to the GBA and then add an on/off slider to the system so you can turn it off to save battery life.
I'm not too sure how much such a setup would cost though, but if it'd only raise the retail price by $50, I think it's worth it. (Hell, if they only want to release a 'special edition' with this feature for $200 instead of $100, I'd bite.. backlit displays look SO much better.)
Re:Comparison anyone? (Score:2)
Having an original Gameboy (yicky green), Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance I can say that the GBA's screen is about the same as far as poor lighting and reflectivity of the screen as the Gameboy Color. It might be a *little* worse, but you have the same issues as with the GBC; holding the system at proper angles so you don't have to deal with reflections, also holding it so light hits the screen enough so you can see the image, etc. The only game I have a difficult time seeing is Castlevania: Circle of the Moon-- games like Super Mario Advance and F-Zero: Maximum Velocity play fine at most angles and without a lot of effort to get the lighting right.
If you plan on playing it on the road a lot, or in dark environments though, use the same logic you'd use with your GBC-- buy a worm-light or other light if you need one for your GBC, pass if you don't.
Oh, and BTW.. you'll love this system. It's really the best portable out there, and finally something that's better than the Turbo Express or Atari Lynx.. =)
Re:Contrast control also discovered (Score:5)
Or people can get to the meat of the story by just going to http://pocket.ign.com/news/35946.html [ign.com], which has full details on where the control is and how to access it. I'd rather buy the special screwdriver and take the thing apart than puncture the sticker on the back of my Gameboy Advance, but still, it's nice to know where it is if I'm desperate. =)
Re:Why not hack a handheld? (Score:2)
Or if you're a Palm owning Gameboy fan then try Liberty [gambitstudios.com] or PalmBoy [suburbia.com.au] (free).
There is also a GBA [pocketmatrix.com] emulator for the PocketPC apparantly. Although I've not tested it and there was a rumour of one of the GBA emulators being a hoax.
Biggest problems are that:
- Battery life in a pocketpc is low enough as it is without having a game hammer it even more
- You can't press two buttons at the same time with an iPAQ, possibly others too
At the end of the day its not perfect, if you want perfect, buy a portable, but for a bit of fun then it's reasonable.--
GBA contrast control (Score:3)
Re:Uh... (Score:4)
Murphy's Law of Copiers
This is classic... (Score:2)
Cracked-my-ass-up! Sorry! You and all your friends wanted to see this site -- All your friends got here first.
Needless to say, the server is smoking.
"I've seen plays that were more exciting than this.
Re:Next Generation of Portable Gaming... (Score:2)
Or was the rumor he was using PlayStation2's... q:]
MadCow.
Contrast control also discovered (Score:4)
---
Re:Its not a Contrast control (Score:3)
Re:Why not hack a handheld? (Score:2)
You can however, do what you described just fine on the Casio E-125, EM-500, EM-700 and (if you can stand the low clock rate) the HP Jornada.
For a complete list of PocketPC emulators, go to Pocketgamer.org [pocketpcgames.net]. These have allowed me to emulate, on my Pocket PC
- NES
- Gameboy
- SNES
- Sega Genesis
- Sega Master System
- MAME
- Palm
- DOS (Ultima IV is running happily)
- Sega Game Gear
The ability to emulate
- Atari
- Commodore
- Colecovision
- TurboGrafx
   and
- Spectrum
also exists
For the real handheld gamer, these are the machines to have.
Will no one be happy? (Score:4)
Ah yes...battery consumption! Take a look at the Sega Game Gear(4 or 6 AA), Sega Nomad(6AA), Atari Lynx(4 AA plus a 6 D battery expansion pack), Turbo Express(6-8 AA I think and the best handheld ever). Those all had backlight displays! You also were only able to play a maximum of 4-8 hours depending on the system before the batteries were dead.
Now I don't know about any of you, but I'd rather pay $5 for a little clip on worm light for the system(which works quite well), and still have my 20 hours of gameplay on the GBA.
Hack a Sega Game Gear (Score:2)
Re:Speaking of GBA... (Score:2)
Re:aahahh! (Score:2)