Last week I sat down to wait for the PS5 reveal and swapped out the shell on a beat up old tribal GBA SP. Of course I got way too into it and actually missed the reveal, but honestly it seems like a fair trade. That thing looks like a router wearing a coat.
But back to the Gameboy.
Here’s a little gallery of the process and then a little review of the shell so you can decide if it’s worth yourself doing the same to refurbish your own SP.
I can’t fault the looks of this shell at all, it’s definitely got the approval of my girlfriend who owns the console. Top score for looks.
The shell feels nice to hold, there doesn’t seem to be too much difference – if any – in the quality of the plastic between this and the original. There was a slight sharp edge on the front screen bezel but nothing that I couldn’t sort with a nail file if I wanted.
Not to say there aren’t any real faults with it there definitely are.
The battery cover is ever so slightly warped, just enough so that it rattles if you nudge it while playing. The shoulder buttons and power switch are also slightly sticky/stiff, which yes could be fixed with a file the same as the screen bezel but this could effect gameplay and that ranks as more of a fault in my eye than the bezel.
As a side note, it’s important to be aware, this didn’t come with the hinges so remember to keep your own because most shells don’t include them.
Overall I’m pretty happy with how this came together. With the shell being so cheap and me being a DIY kind of person, I don’t mind there being a few things to fix. This shell will work well for the console and looks great for the money.
If you want buy this shell for yourself (it’s not just in yellow) you can find our affiliated link here and be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
