Apparently, rumours of a new GBA SP with a brighter screen turned out to be absolutely true...

Nintendo, likely in order to keep attention focused on the Micro launch, quietly released a new version of their best-selling GBA SP earlier this week (at least in America). This new and improved SP enhances the screen with a backlight (as opposed to the original's frontlight) that puts the unit's screen brightness at the level of the sleek new Micro. The small button which once toggled the frontlight on or off now switches between two brightness settings. Early user accounts give the new SP a big thumbs-up, easily placing it ahead of the DS (which first revealed the joys of backlit GBA games to portable fans.)

The new SP is not perfection however. For one, a side-effect in the new screens is that the refresh rate is at times noticeably slower resulting in an occasional blurry picture as objects and backgrounds move and scale. Reportedly it is not a big issue at all, but existent nontheless. Also, it should be noted that this new SP did not fix the most glaring omission of the original...yes, there remains a lack of a headphone jack.

Nintendo of America released the new SP in two colors, Graphite and Pearl Blue, for the same price of $79.99. The packaging of the new versions are easily picked out from the old as they now proudly declare "Now with a BRIGHTER backlit screen!" in bold on the front of the box.