Hopefully Nintendo will correct this problem by using a different paint or something before they release the SP in the US.

I can't believe that Lik Sang did not test this. They put it in a burning fire, kick it against a wall, and dropped it off a the top of a building, but they didn't put it in a cloth sack with a bunch of gba games.

Wow. That's shockingly awful. I just preordered my SP in platinum, too. I mean, this is a Nintendo system, folks. This just isn't supposed to happen. Where the hell was the playtesting department during all of this? I wonder if they'd issue an official statement if pressed...

Considering the AUS $200 pricetag, they had better remedy this problem before March 28th.

One question though, is the SP unit 'textured' ala the GBA 1.0? By this I mean, does it have that slightly sand-blasted plastic, or is it perfectly smooth? Because the Platinum GBA 1.0 was textured, and it never scratched.

A possible correlation?

No offense, but I'm not totally buying this. I'm not saying you're making it up, by any means, but I find it odd that the scratches are isolated to the lower (or upper -- whatever) portion of the SP. Also, to me it looks like the kind of scratch like something pointy rubbed againsts it, like keys or something of that sort. Not to lake a relativaly flat GB cartridge. It's the swiggle circle kind of scrath that has me wondering how a simple little cart coul ddo such a thing.

Then again, I can't really tell by the pictures, and I don't know how certain you are of how the damage was done. Did you have the sack in a pocket, or do you remember scraping it against anything? I know that's unlikely based on what you said. You have to understand my shock. Nintendo stuff is usually indestructable.

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Originally posted by: Mojo
No offense, but I'm not totally buying this. I'm not saying you're making it up, by any means, but I find it odd that the scratches are isolated to the lower (or upper -- whatever) portion of the SP. Also, to me it looks like the kind of scratch like something pointy rubbed againsts it, like keys or something of that sort. Not to lake a relativaly flat GB cartridge.

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Thank you. I thought I made it clear that I'M ANAL WITH MY STUFF. You have no idea how retarded I am about protecting my hardware. This sn't faked. You think I'm going to drop $150 on a system and then slam myself into a wall or something 12 hours out? What, are you mad!? Go ahead. Buy one. See how long you last. I'm just trying to help people out there who are paying this much. BTW....my GB Pocket Silver did the same thing. You'd think Nintendo would figure this out. Kids put these IN POCKETS WITH CRAP IN IT AND DON'T THINK TWICE. AND SO DO I. Jesus. It just sucks.

Sorry, I didn't know I had to hold it in a freakin' gravity free environment.

Wow, I'm glad I decided to get a black one.

I was looking at one of my friend's platinum GBA's and it had no signs of damage whatsoever, yet he treats it horribly. I'm guessing the method of applying paint is different. I may be wrong but the GBA platinum looks powdercoated, so perhaps one of these these chinese manufacturing plants produced some units (or all factories/units) with a cheaper paint application.

I'll repost here when I get my black SP and report any difference.

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Originally posted by: PGC-Agent Cooper
You'd think Nintendo would figure this out. Kids put these IN POCKETS WITH CRAP IN IT AND DON'T THINK TWICE. AND SO DO I. Jesus. It just sucks.
Sorry, I didn't know I had to hold it in a freakin' gravity free environment.

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I wonder if the paint problem is related to the intial GBA SP shortege. Perhaps Nintendo realized that there was a problem, and it affected production.

i've had my silver GBA SP in a felt bag (Sony's standard issue MD case) ever since i got it, but it still managed to fall a mere five inches onto a screw and develop a nasty gash. Nothing horrible, just annoying for something i've owned for less than a day.

Wow... this really sucks. You get all excited about a new, cool looking GBA with a frontlight, but then another problem arises. Typical. Although this is the kind of stupid, overlooked problem that they really have no excuse for overlooking.

Anyway... Are you sure that this is only a problem for platinum SPs? Isn't the method of applying paint the same for all colors?

Beleive it or not, this is probably NOT a paint issue, so much as it is a PLASTIC issue. Seriously, the plastic of the SP is much smoother than the GBA, and the paint simply doesn't have as much surface area to adhere to. Take a look at the plastic of the GBA compared to the WaveBird for example. The GBA is "rougher" than the WaveBird. There have been reports of the paint scratching on Platinum WaveBirds too. Put two and two together. As I said in my comments to the news story, this is likely going to be an issue for ALL SP colors, not just platinum. The scratches will just be easier to see with lighter colored paints.

I think this is a great argument for Nintendo switching the SP from plastic to annodized aluminum (colored chemically/electrically, rather than by paint), though that will jack the cost WAY up. Still, if they're aiming the SP at the older market, it would be a smart thing to do. I'd have paid an extra $50 for a strong metal case dyed rather than painted.

If you want to see how good annodized aluminum can look, check out the colors in that link above.

Blah. This is horrible. I don't take good care of my systems so now my GBA SP will be scratched and stuff. *starts crying*

Audiocubes has the Sony felt pouch, but it's pretty expensive. Wizards of the Coast, Games Workshop, or just about any other place that sells dice should sell a felt pouch that'll fit the SP. i keep mine in the pouch at all times, but i know it's only a matter of time until i drop it on a hard floor...

The headphone adapter comes in a tiny box and the adapter itself is even smaller. What i don't like about the adapter is that it uses the EXT 2 port, which means that a) wrapping my fingers around the SP to use the triggers isn't as easy as i'd hope, and b) you can't charge and use the adapter since they use the same port, though this is a really minor issue. i'm sure a third party will release a cable that'll let you use both. The connections between the headphones and adapter is very snug, although i still think they could've fit the headphone jack in the SP.

Also, a note to those using the GC-GBA link (i'm using Mad Catz's cable); you'll want to use the one with the standard plug, not the one that actually attaches to the GBA. Since the SP's triggers are closer, the adapter will keep them pressed down.

I agree, it sucks, but it's not surprising -- previous `metallic' gameboy stuff had exactly the same problem (e.g., the silver `Gameboy Light'), and I'd already decided to get black for precisely this reason.

I also examined GBA SP display models in Akihabara, which got quite a lot of handling even in the few days since the release, and both the silver and `metallic blue' models showed obvious signs of wear, whereas the black didn't seem to.

Even anodized aluminum can scratch in normal usage, though it's harder than paint (I've got some anodized aluminum electronics stuff that's scratched up). I think if you want real durability, you've gotta go with titanium or something, and that'd certainly do a number on the price ... but man, would it look cool; I'd definitely drop $300 on a titanium GBA SP!

BTW, maybe it's just me, but I find that getting this sort of non-functional scratch can be a good thing -- I'm also anal with new stuff, but once it gets scratched up a bit, after the initial shock I find I stop caring, and am less stressed about the whole issue.

Think of it as a `patina' ...

Hmm... I got a silver one, but no scratches so far. To me- the paint looks awfully similar to the metallic gold and silver paints they used on the just-before-death Tamagotchis- same texture too. I'm worried about the paint rubbing off after long hours of play, too. No scratches yet though- I through mine in my backback on my way to school and it came out fine.

It'd be tougher because of the hinge, but I hope that they start to sell replacement shells for GBA SP also- it'll be worth the trouble. Or maybe Nintendo could off to repaint/recase them for a certain fee. I like the silver, that's why I got it- I would've gotten the black if it'd been available here. (I didn't want to import)

I keep my original platinum GBA in the plastic bag thingy it shipped in all the time. Same for the cartridges...But it seems like doing the same with an SP could actually be bad. A plastic back could easily scratch an SP, especially if you put the thing in your pocket...Oh well, there's no reason for me to buy an SP anyway. I only really play my GBA in my room where there is a lot of light.