GBA SP and Player won't tilt

By Tom Bramwell Published 28 January, 2003

But there will be 300,000 of them.

Source: The Magic Box

Nintendo of Japan has pointed out that neither the forthcoming Game Boy Advance SP nor the Game Boy Player peripheral will work with games that use the built-in tilt sensor. This means that writers' favourite Koro Koro Kirby (Kirby's Tilt 'n' Tumble to you and I) will be off limits.

'GBA SP and Player won't tilt' Screenshot gbaspb

Unless you plan to play games hanging upside down, the GBA SP will not be suitable for Kirby's Tilt 'n' Tumble

Why? Well, the GBA SP's cartridge slot is the wrong way up (you insert the games into the front of the bottom half of the unit, facing down), which is bound to confuse the sensor inside the cartridge. And as for the Game Boy Player... well, tilting requires movement, doesn't it?

Nintendo also hastens to point out that the GB Player will not work with the Panasonic Q GameCube/DVD hybrid. Physically.

In slightly more exciting news, Ninty has announced plans to ship 300,000 units of the new GBA SP to Japan for its February 14th release.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (30) Latest comment 9 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Errol #1 9 years ago

    But then, what is these days ?

  • Alastair #2 9 years ago

    Koro Koro Kirby - is that the fabled link game between GBA and Cube, where the GBA is the controller and you can drop from TV screen onto GBA?

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #3 9 years ago

    The very same!

  • Razz #4 9 years ago

    NOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo.......... //fades into oblivion

  • Blerk #5 9 years ago

    nor the Game Boy Player peripheral will work with games that use the built-in tilt sensor.

    Ho ho - of COURSE it wouldn't! I can't really see people tipping their Cube upside down and side to side to play. :-)

    Not that it really matters. All the 'tilt' games sound cack.

  • Alastair #6 9 years ago

    When are we ever going to see Koro Koro Kirby? Surely it's not out already.....

  • Blerk #7 9 years ago

    Lol! Spong just reported this as well and said this:

    This means that such games as Kirby’s Tilt ‘n’ Tumble will not work with the machine, hinting at what many have whispered since the SP was unveiled: it contains a substantially different set of innards than its predecessor.

    Right... a substantially different set of innards.... OR it might just be that the cartridge goes in the other way around! :-D

  • #8 9 years ago

    uh.. PGC had this on their GBA SP page weeks ago. *sighs*.

    In future tilt games there won't be any problems though, all they have to do is reverse the input for the SP. It will obviously not work on the GC player .. unless you tilt the whole thing.

    again.. *SIGH* at EG news.

  • Blerk #9 9 years ago

    Not sure, but I seem to remember Kristan mentioning this as a possibility in the original write-up of the GBA-SP when it was first announced. I guess this is just the first official confirmation...

  • Nemesis #10 9 years ago

    ........alternatively put a mirror on your lap, turn GB-SP upside down, play via the reflection.

    Sorted.

  • otto #11 9 years ago

    Quick straw poll, who's going to get one of these puppies? On reflection, I've decided to stick with my olde worlde GBA, unless I can accidentally break it or something.

  • Blerk #12 9 years ago

    I'm getting one, but only because I don't have a 'standard' GBA.

  • Nemesis #13 9 years ago

    The 'frontlight' feature is tempting, we shall see how funds are...

    ..this year, I'm going to be a stingy git and not spend so much money on gaming.

  • pjmaybe #14 9 years ago

    "The 'frontlight' feature is tempting, we shall see how funds are... "

    This is precisely why I don't want one. A frickin' front light! For god's sake, that's going to be about as effective as no light at all! A backlight, behind the LCD panel, just like mobile phones have - how frickin' difficult would that have been to implement for god's sake!!!

    Peej

  • eviltobz #15 9 years ago

    i'm tempted, but i'll probably wait until i've had the chance to use one before forking out for it.

  • Pirotic #16 9 years ago

    I'll wait for nintendo to release the GameBoy Advance SPX, which is the SP, but with headphone socket and a backlight, and shoulder buttons which are actually reachable by human hands without the need to have some joints removed

  • Alastair #17 9 years ago

    'This is precisely why I don't want one. A frickin' front light! For god's sake, that's going to be about as effective as no light at all! '

    Well, the afterburner is pretty damn effective, so I guess one that is specifically designed and built in could be even better/more effective.
    As far as I remember the afterburner is based on the tech used in some PDAs.
    Edited by 1 at 28/01/03 @ 16:38

  • otto #18 9 years ago

    er, which was precisely his point.

  • binky #19 9 years ago

    no mr Otto. i shall not be getting one of these. The only times i play GBA seems to be in places where the light source is plentiful. im really not that bothered. strange but true.
    The only game that i ever found light to be a problem was Castlevania.

  • pjmaybe #20 9 years ago

    "I'll wait for nintendo to release the GameBoy Advance SPX, which is the SP, but with headphone socket and a backlight, and shoulder buttons which are actually reachable by human hands without the need to have some joints removed"

    Heh, and I'll be waiting for the Gameboy Advance SPSSX - the one where the frickin 20 year old frickin games don't frickin' well cost frickin' 35 frickin quid!!!

    Peej

  • otto #21 9 years ago

    binky, I agree with you on the light issue, only recently has it been something of a problem, during Metroid Fusion. In every other game I've played it's been fine.

  • Alastair #22 9 years ago

    Heh, and I'll be waiting for the Gameboy Advance SPSSX - the one where the frickin 20 year old frickin games don't frickin' well cost frickin' 35 frickin quid!!!

    Calm down Peej. Take a few deep breaths or something....

  • Tyronne #23 9 years ago

    funny thing is that pjmaybe does have a point...its the games of yesterday at tomorrows prices....

  • AnotherMartin #24 9 years ago

    Quick straw poll, who's going to get one of these puppies?

    I'm getting one, but only because I don't have a 'standard' GBA.

    ditto

    erm, or maybe

    i'm tempted, but i'll probably wait until i've had the chance to use one before forking out for it.

  • mal #25 9 years ago

    I'll probably get one, although it does depend on how much I'm using my existing GBA by the time it gets released. Having just picked up Metroid for it, it's getting quite a lot of use though it does go through dead periods. I never really did go back to those games which I found unplayable before I got an afterburner, such as Mario Kart.

  • lee3p0 #26 9 years ago

    I just stuck a front light in my GBA, I think I`ll stick with that.

  • otto #27 9 years ago

    well based on this straw poll it's not exactly a ringing endorsement for the thing is it?

  • Nemesis #28 9 years ago

    Yay, but once the baby SNES is out there, I bet there'll be more impulse buys from the boys ;-)

  • beep #29 9 years ago

    And as for the Game Boy Player... well, tilting requires movement, doesn't it?

    So my grand idea of a backpack style contraption, which holds the Cube and the GB Player, where you swivel your hips for movement, is not feasible?

  • #30 9 years ago

    I'll have to have a go, but probably.

  • AnotherMartin #31 9 years ago

    Lol! Spong just reported this as well and said this:

    it seems they have realised their mistake now and owned up to it, which I suppose we should give them some credit for, they also almost make up for it with a nice little comment about Kirby being incompatible with all GBA's, linkage

  • #32 9 years ago

    "I guess this is just the first official confirmation."

    nope. pgc asked nintendo reps at the us version of the unveiling about it and got the answer that, no. won't work.