preview
Does your GBA SP need an armored breastplate?
A mysterious box with the Batman symbol appeared on my doorstep Monday afternoon, and I opened it up to find Batman Begins packages for both the Nintendo DS and GBA SP. The GBA SP package includes a glove-like console case, a skin, a screen protector, and six individual game cases, all emblazoned with art and designs from the upcoming movie.
Starting with the game cases, they seem to be the cheapest of the bunch. Each sports its own Batman art and holds one game. I’m not sure how much good it does me to have a case for one game, especially when the case is not transparent enough for me to tell which game it is. Aside from that, the hinge that closes each case feels so weak that I felt like I almost broke it the first time I opened one.
Next up is the console skin. It seems that there is a variety of “collectible” art designs, which I presume match the game cases. The skin is made of paper so you do have to be careful not to tear it, but aside from that it isn’t any more difficult to apply than any other skin. The adhesive doesn’t leave any residue, and the skin is easy to remove and re-apply later - at least in the short term.
The game case or glove features a rubber impression of Batman’s armored breastplate on the front and the movie logo on the back with fabric edges and clear plastic on the inside. It feels soft and comfy around the edges, but it’s somewhat impractical. Although there are holes cut in the fabric, it’s still a bit difficult to access the power and volume controls. Likewise, the start and select buttons are completely covered over with plastic, and while the rubber hinge in the back has holes for your ports, the way it shifts when open prevents you from being able to play while charging the battery.
I didn’t personally try out the screen protector, but it appears to be like those included in most other kits with the added promise that, like the skins, it won’t leave a sticky residue if you take it off.
In all, the GBA SP package doesn’t have much going for it unless you really dig the artwork on the skins and game cases.
