If you watched the recent Nintendo Direct, then you'll no doubt have seen the Game Boy Advance SP which is featured in the upcoming Switch title, Pikmin 4. It's a nice nod to Nintendo's past, and the company has taken this to the next stage by using the iconic handheld to promote the game in Japan.
As spotted by Twitter user @huajiaodrop, advertising posters for the game feature the clamshell portable console quite prominently – a sign that Nintendo is perhaps hoping that good, old-fashioned nostalgia might help shift a few copies of the game on its current console.
The Game Boy Advance SP is perhaps the most beloved iteration of the handheld console. Released in 2003, it improved on the original model by offering a front-lit display and an internal rechargeable battery.
On the downside, there was no 3.5mm headphone socket – users had to purchase an optional accessory which plugged into the AC adapter port and allowed headphones to be used. That meant you couldn't listen via headphones and charge the device at the same time.
Still, this was a minor complaint when you consider how downright lovely the GBA SP is as an object. Nintendo went one better by releasing the AGS-101 variant of the system, which incorporated a much-improved backlit screen.
Pikmin 4 launches on 21st July, 2023.