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Gameboy Advance SP NES Edition – Video Game Consoles as Art

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The NES special edition of the Gameboy Advance SP

The iconic design of the classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), aka the Famicom in the US, has been applied to everything from belt buckles to iPhone cases, such is it’s lasting appeal to the gaming public.  It was therefore only a matter of time before Nintendo applied this design to another console – the Gameboy Advance SP, as a special edition.

Only in Japan could you come up with a product called the “Gameboy Advance SP Nintendo Entertainment System Edition”

Classic NES Clamshell Design

The colours and graphics mirror the design of the original NES console and its seminal “D Pad” controller with a simple A / B button layout and “select” and “start” options.

GBA SP NES / Famicom Special Edition

As a handheld that had already been released in many colours and designs, there was no default configuration for the Gameboy Advance SP, but the NES colour scheme held fond memories for gamers, it was an instant hit on release.

I have several Nintendo Gameboy handhelds in my collection but this is by far my favourite design, almost begging to be picked up and played.  I can think of nothing better than firing up this console with a copy of Legend of Zelda:Links Awakening DX for an authentic retro gaming experience.

Buying A Gameboy Advance SP NES Edition – how much?

The classic NES edition remains a highly desirable version for collectors today, along with the Mario Red and Zelda Gold editions that were released towards the end of the console’s life.

There was however a large production run of this GBA SP model, and they can readily be found on auction sites for as little as £20 / $40 at the time of writing. Buyers however need to take into account the wear and tear on these items, where the paint in the clamshell is prone to crutches and general damage, as is the control panel, so make sure you pick the right one.

This is the latest in a series of pictures I have taken of my own retro gaming collection, spurred on by the need to have some quality photos to accompany my retro reviews.  I used a Nikon D60 digital SLR for these pictures, which I hope make a welcome change from stock product photos found on the internet.

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Legend of Zelda for the NES – The Best Video Game Media

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In this series of blogs I’m highlighting the best of physical game media of all time – the next generation of games could be download only, so enjoy these fantastic objects while you can, they won’t be making any more of them.

Legend of Zelda Gold Cartridge for the NES / Famicom
Legend of Zelda Gold Cartridge

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) had the biggest of all the physical video game cartridges, with simple cardboard boxes to hold them. Almost all of the cartridges were a standard battleship grey, with games being differentiated by the sticker with the game title and artwork. There was one game however that bucked the trend, and it did so in style, with a solid gold cartridge – or at least that’s what it looked like.

Gold Cartridge version of The Legend of Zelda for the NES
The Legend of Zelda for the NES

The Zelda series requires little introduction, but only gamers of a certain age will recall the excitement generated by the release of the original game in the series, the Legend of Zelda for the NES. The game came packaged in a gold box, with a cutout to reveal the gold cartridge beneath, immediately making the game stand out as something special. Inside the box the game featured a world map, something that many gamers at the time would had welcomed. The map of Hyrule negated the need to draw your own as you played through the game.

The game itself was a revelation, very much doing justice to the ostentatious packaging, not an exercise of style over substance. Subsequent Zelda games on later consoles often featured the Gold cartridge, but it was the NES version that was the original and best.