It appears that a lucky fan may have accidentally bought a very rare collector’s item on the internet. Reddit user u/dermowli posted on the r/retrogaming subreddit showing what appears to be a pre-production version of the Game Boy Advance SP.
Dermowli was able to purchase the item for only $30, but if it is what we think it is, then it’s definitely worth more than that. The image that the user posted on the subreddit highlights a few interesting things that make their purchase different from the standard console of old.
One of these key differences is the missing “SP” in the logo or the words “Game Boy Advance,” which is placed on the front of the console near the screen. The fact that the “SP” is missing is interesting because this could indicate that Nintendo hadn’t decided on what to call the console yet, or perhaps they haven’t made it public.
Dermowli also included a photo of the back of the console, which shows two signs that what they had purchased was a prototype of the Game Boy Advance SP or at least some kind of non-commercial edition of the product.
First of all, you can see the words “Pre-Production” on the back, which makes it highly possible that this was a preview console that was sent out to publications for testing or for early impressions.
Not only that, but the console is also labeled as “Game Boy Advance DX.” Obviously, this isn’t the final name they decided on for the end product. Here’s a fun fact: “DX” is usually used as a shortcut for the word “deluxe” and Nintendo has actually released a couple of DX versions of Game Boy games.
For instance, there was the Tetris DX and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX that was released back in the late ’90s. The latter actually has a Switch remake, if you’re interested in that.
This Game Boy Advance "DX" – i think I may have bought a rare prototype for around 30$. What do you think about this piece? (details in the comments) from retrogaming
Other Redditors were more than happy to help Dermowli try and figure out what the mystery console is. Sadly, the purported prototype of the Game Boy Advance SP will not turn on, no matter how many times the user tried to power up the battery. Traditionally, the battery for the Game Boy Advance SP lasted significantly longer than that of the Nintendo Switch.
Dermowli admits that they have tried opening up retro consoles before, however, they don’t want to attempt that on this one because doing so might either make things worse or even diminish the value of the item.
No one really knows where the console came from. Some speculate that it was sent out as a dev kit, or perhaps it was given to a Nintendo staff member back then. The Game Boy Advance SP was released all the way back in 2003, so the possibility of us uncovering the truth behind this mystery is close to impossible given how long ago that was.
That being said, the SP is known to be one of the best handheld consoles design-wise. So, even without “DX” and “Pre-Production” conundrum, Dermowli was able to get their hands on one fine piece of hardware.
