The GameBoy Advance was a major step forward in the Nintendo GameBoy series with much more power and a bigger screen. But, many people would also call it a step backward with the lack of a back light and a screen that’s close to impossible to see under low light conditions. I recently won two GameBoy Advances off of eBay and am currently using the Flood Light on one and have a successful Afterburner install on the other. Well, successful after a replacement screen and light guide which is to be expected for the first install. I've also tried two types of worm lights and a light magnifier combo and found they do not compare to the Flood Light. But, which is better? Here I will review the Flood Light and how it compares to the Afterburner internal light.

Lighting
The Flood Light snaps on to the screen using the top and bottom bracket edges on the GBA. It does not block anything, but comes close to blocking the Start and Select buttons.

The Flood Light uses a micro-fluorescent tube that works well, produces a lot of light to completely illuminate the screen without shadows and, when positioned properly, without glare. But, you have position the light tower properly over the screen to avoid the glare from the light. If you tilt the GameBoy as you play, you could get the glare and have to be careful not to.

Overall, the light is excellent, is almost seems like the screen is back-lit and makes game play much better.

Power
The Flood Light uses 3 AA batteries that it comes with, but also seems to go through fast, about 6 hours. This can get expensive after awhile. Also, changing the batteries is a pain because you need a screw driver to open the lid. There's one screw securing the battery lid.

Size and Weight
This is my major complaint about the Flood Light, it's big, heavy and awkward. It adds a lot of weight to the GBA, so much so that my wrists start to ache after playing for 15 minutes. It is also big and when in use, there's this tall light tower sticking out the top of the GBA. When not in use, it folds down over the GBA screen for storage, but is still bulky enough to possibly prevent it from fitting in many GBA cases.

Better than the Afterburner internal light?
In case you aren't familiar with the Afterburner, it's an optional internal light that can be purchased from Triton Labs (http://www.tritonlabs.com/) and other game retailers for about $35. It adds and internal light to the GBA that lights up the entire screen and does not change the size, weight or appearance of the GBA (when installed properly). It only reduces the battery life by 5 hours, a sacrifice many are willing to make, considering most lights either reduce the battery life or take additional batteries. The only major flaw with the Afterburner is the installation process, a delicate procedure that requires the GBA to be separated into many pieces, a clean environment to prevent dust and fingerprints and wires to be soldered inside the GBA. It will require someone with experience and a lot of patience to install it. Expect a few problems with the first installation, but most of the parts that can be damaged during the installation are pretty cheap to replace and worth the cost.

It can also be installed with some options. One, you can install just the light and it will always be on at the brightest level, which is okay except for some sunlight conditions. Two, you can also install the included dimmer switch to dim or turn off the Afterburner if needed, but this requires a hole for the switch to be put somewhere in the external casing. Three, you can add a Stealth Dimmer Chip (sold separately, usually costs $15.00) to the main circuit board of the GBA, which adds the dimming feature to the existing buttons.

You can also purchase a GBA with the Afterburner already installed from vendors such as www.Lik-Sang.com and www.PortableMonopoly.net. Or, I have seen many for sale on eBay, but make sure it's a good installation by checking the seller's feedback and/or if they guarantee the installation. www.PortableMonopoly.net will also install an Afterburner on your existing GBA, but there’s usually a long waiting list for this service, like six weeks.

In my experience, I found the Afterburner to be better than the Flood Light. But the Flood Light is the best external lighting you can buy for the GameBoy Advance. When installed properly, the Afterburner is much brighter, does not add weight to the GameBoy Advance and uses significantly less power. Average battery life of the GameBoy Advance with 2 AA batteries is 15 hours, with the Afterburner installed, it's 10 hours, the same as the GameBoy Color without a light. But, if you already have a GBA and don't want to spend a lot of time and/or money to brighten the screen, then the Flood Light is the way to go.

I will be adding an Afterburner light to my second GBA as soon as the modified faceplate I want is available from www.Lik-Sang.com.

Recommended: Yes