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How to distinguish a Chinese shell from an original Game Boy Advance SP?
Since the release of the classic Game Boy, Nintendo has been producing various limited-edition consoles. The Game Boy Advance SP was no exception. Over the 10 years of its production, more than 50 limited editions were released.
These editions were related to mythology, game characters, old consoles, and other themes.
They were often released in batches ranging from 1,000 to 50,000 units. Considering that the total sales of the Game Boy Advance SP were 43 million, you can imagine how rare these limited editions were.
These consoles were initially sold at a higher price, but over time, their prices skyrocketed. Some rare limited-edition Game Boy Advance SP consoles can now cost over a thousand dollars.
Over time, Chinese manufacturers learned to produce shells that replicate these limited editions.
In this article, we will figure out how to distinguish an original limited-edition shell from a Chinese counterfeit.
We will compare two consoles. I have an original limited-edition iQue Game Boy Advance SP China Dragon and a regular console "dressed up" as a limited edition.
The easiest way to tell if a console has a new shell is to understand the region it was released in.
Regions
All Game Boy Advance SP consoles were divided into 5 regions based on the labels on the back. They were sold in many countries, with differences only in the packaging and charger. However, the consoles themselves were identical, except for five label variants:
1. Japanese;
2. American;
3. European;
4. Australian;
5. Chinese (from the company iQue).
Although different limited-edition consoles were released in many countries, the vast majority were only available in specific regions.
For example, the Game Boy Advance SP Famicom edition was only released in Japan.
The similar Game Boy Advance SP NES edition was released in America and Europe.
The Game Boy Advance SP Tribal edition was released in three regions: Europe, America, and Australia.
How can you tell in which regions a console was released? Simply go to the catalog of limited-edition Game Boy Advance SP consoles published on our website and check.
Once you understand the regions where the console was released, you can start examining the console itself. As I mentioned earlier, in our case, it will be the iQue Game Boy Advance SP China Dragon.
So, the first step: go to the catalog, open the article with photos of the iQue GBA SP China Dragon, and start carefully examining the photos of the original console. Since I have both consoles, we will compare them in person.
The first thing that catches the eye is the iQue logo on the front of the original console and the Nintendo logo on the second console.
Since limited-edition GBA SP consoles in China were sold by iQue, we immediately understand that the left one is not an original shell. But iQue had few limited editions - this was more of an exception, as in other regions, limited editions were sold with the Nintendo logo. It's important to note that Chinese shells usually come with Japanese region labels. So, we simply flip the console over and check which region's label is on it.
Left is Chinese, right is Japanese label.
And we see that there is no match here either. The original console has a Chinese label, while the console with the new shell has a Japanese label.
But unfortunately, this does not provide 100% certainty. For example, the Game Boy Advance SP Zelda shell came with an American label.
Which, by the way, also does not match the original console. The GBA SP Zelda was only released in Europe, so the label should be European.
Overall, I have seen counterfeit labels for three regions: Europe, America, and Japan. Therefore, we need to pay attention to something else. Especially since labels can be re-stuck.
Buying Online
The main goal of this article is to help you buy a Game Boy Advance SP in an original limited-edition shell online. Most likely, you will be presented with photos of average quality. Of course, there is a chance that the seller will make an effort and post excellent photos, but it is unlikely that they will provide a comparison with a console in an original shell. This means that a detailed comparison of two consoles will not help us.
For example, upon closer inspection, you can see that the image on the top part of the non-original console is made with thicker strokes, and the drawing itself is raised.
Right is the original.
The console itself feels rougher to the touch. But how will this knowledge help you when buying online?
However, the quality of Chinese shells still falls short. They cannot compare to the originals. Let's talk about the two most problematic areas in new shells.
Main Signs
For some strange reason, the Chinese cannot make even holes in the consoles. The Game Boy Advance SP has special holes above the speaker. In Chinese shells, these holes are simply terrible: crooked and different in size.
Right is the original.
The second weak spot is the area around the Start and Select buttons. Notice that in the new Chinese shell, the space around the buttons is very small, while in the original shell, there is plenty of space.
Epilogue
If you want to buy a limited-edition console, you need to prepare thoroughly and study all available information about it.
Usually, the first thing I pay attention to is the space around the Start and Select buttons. In almost 90% of cases, this is enough to determine that the shell is not original.
But you shouldn't dismiss all other signs either. A comprehensive approach is important to ensure that the entire console, including logos, labels, and holes around the speakers, matches the original. Only in this way will you increase your chances of buying a genuine limited-edition console.
