A Battery Eating Monster But Great For Magnification - GameBoy Super Zoom
Written: Jun 25 '04
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Dual light bulbs so glare is minimal, magnifies screen, works on three GB systems.
Cons: Eats up batteries, bulky.
The Bottom Line: GameBoy screen too small for your taste? Super size it with the GameBoy Super Zoom!
|
|
|
| Freak369's Full Review: InterAct SuperZoom GB |
When it comes to hand held game units, Nintendo is one of the most notable names on the market. With several different versions of the GameBoy still hot sellers, the accessories are something that are still in demand – in some cases outselling the actual gaming units. You can chalk a lot of that up to the fact that most video game stores carry a ton of used games, add on packs and gaming units – something that really appeals to collectors that would otherwise be left out in the cold when searching for these items for the older platforms. I came across the Super Zoom a few years ago and figured that it was just another run of the mill type of magnifier / light deck that clipped on to the back of the GameBoy and gave average results. Well, I was partially right – it serves its intended purpose and gives better than average results but if you are someone that loathes spending money on batteries, this might not be the best pick for you.
InterAct Super Zoom For The GameBoy System
One of the biggest cons to this is that it’s big and bulky and I’ve yet to find any type of case that will accommodate the zoom when it is attached to the GameBoy. Getting it off and on is pretty easy but you have to make sure that it makes a good connection with the unit for it to be properly seated. The magnifying lens doesn’t completely collapse which adds to the bulky size, it does close partially but doesn’t fold flat. The underside of the lens does accumulate dust and lint at an alarming rate, something that can really make game play difficult if you don’t clean it properly. The last con of this is that if you aren’t using the Super Zoom you can’t just swing the lens out of the way, it has to be removed from the GameBoy altogether – this holds true for storing it. You can’t just toss this into a GameBoy back or pack because it simply won’t fit in most of them.
Now for the good – the biggest perk is that this doesn’t run off the power of the GameBoy so even if the Super Zoom dies, you’ll still have a functional game unit. The Super Zoom is powered by two AA sized batteries that load in on the back of the frame, there’s no screw lock on this so make sure you keep it out of the reach of smaller kids. The infrared multi player port on the back, the on and off switch and volume control are all easily accessible when the Super Zoom is attached so you don’t have to worry about removing it when you need to use these. Same goes for the game cartridge slot, it’s wide open and you can remove and insert games with no problem. I fully expected the lens to be loose and wobbly and move around when playing a game but once you position it to the angle that is best for you, it does stay put unless you bump it. Most of the accessories that provide some type of light source do get super hot, this poses a real risk when your kids are playing with it as well as when you want to store it when you are done playing – you run the risk of it melting plastics or case linings if it isn’t given enough time to cool off. This does get warm but not so much so that you can’t touch the lens cover.
The Super Zoom can be used with all GameBoy units with the exception of the GameBoy Advance. We have GB Color as well as the original black and white version and this works on both of them with no trouble. The only thing that you need to be made well aware of is the photo on the back of the package, it shows the unit completely closed – something that is impossible to do due to the fact that there is a plastic port where the GameBoy docks in the way of the magnification lens. To me this is extremely misleading and if someone wasn’t aware of the size of it they might be extremely let down when they purchased it and went to store it away. The weight of the unit is minimal – about ten ounces with batteries but when you add that on to a GameBoy unit it does get a little heavy if you are playing for extended periods of time. The good thing is that you can pause the game and remove the deck without interrupting the game or having to power down and possibly losing your game.
Price
You can find these for about eight dollars, a little less if you are looking to pick one up used. I purchased one of these new and another used and they both performed the same way so if you come across it used don’t be afraid to give it a try to make sure the bulbs work and the lens frame is still nice and tight. This might be a little hard to find new in most stores since it is one of the older accessories but finding one used at a video game exchange should be an easy task. You will want to make sure that there are no scratches on the lens and the battery case cover still snaps tightly. If a store won’t let you try it out before you purchase it then go elsewhere – you are dealing with a used item and regardless of what their policy is about checking things before they resell them, you never know when a lemon is going to slip through.
The Bottom Line
I’ve had this for a few years now and have had no major problems with mine. The boys use theirs a lot more than me and the only complaint they have is that it does go through batteries. We tried using the rechargeable ones but they only worked for about an hour before they were drained. You get about one and a half times magnification with the lens and the fact that you can adjust it to suit your own needs is a definite perk. The bulbs don’t get outrageously hot and they are recessed so there’s not much of a chance of them getting damaged or broken unless something breaks through the protective cover. All in all a good dual purpose game accessory that helps to enhance most games with only a minimal amount of adjustment time needed to get used to playing through the lens. This is a great accessory for those that want a little more from their GameBoy – great for almost all games on the system especially those that see heavy use.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2004 Freak369
Related reviews …
InterAct Dreamcast Memory Card Basic
InterAct FaceMasks
InterAct Game Guard Cases 8 Pack
Nokia N-Gage Console
Radica Trap Light
Pelican RF Switch Adapter
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.