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Triton Labs Afterburner review
Let me start by thanking Adam at Triton Labs (formerly "portablemonopoly.com") for pursuing the idea of internally lighting the GBA. Although the AB ("AB" = afterburner) is not perfect, it is as close as possible for most games until nintendo releases an "official" lighted GBA. Rating: 8/10
Installation
I had been dreading the installation process since horror stories first started to appear on the Triton Labs installation forum, but actually it wasn't that bad. My main delay was trying to find a potentiometer(dimmer) that "clicked" off. In the end though I used a simple on/off switch from a Pelican LS and I'm glad that I did; I really see no occasion where I'd want the AB to be any dimmer than it is at full power.
Rather than give a "blow by blow" installation write-up, I'll just mention the main processes and comment on each one:
- Soldering: by far the EASIEST part of the whole process. Even someone who has had no experience with soldering would be able to do a fine job in this department if they have the right equipment and take their time. Note: You'll need a very fine tipped iron to solder the "S2" point on the GBA's mainboard. Also, try to use flux if possible, it's been my experience that rosin-core solder makes far weaker joints opposed to using separate flux and solder.
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Cutting the plastic: This was the most pain in the ass part of the whole installation IMHO. I have an extensive dremel setup but actually resorted to using a heated exacto knife for the process. I won't go into the terrifying details that I experienced :) , just remember to take your time, and in the end you'll probably be glad that the plastic screen cover hides the section that you'll be cutting ;) Warning: this step looks simple in the manual, but once you start measuring (assuming you strive to be EXACT) you'll find out that it's going to be nearly impossible to get the dimensions EXACT. I think that in addition to the measurements given, 2 more measurements should have been listed in the manual that weren't: see picture.
I also believe that a plastic or cardboard template of the AB light guide would have been EXTREMELY useful when checking for the correct fit. I really didn't feel comfortable having to keep placing the actual light guide into the case to check the size :(
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Applying the AR sheet: This step was a lot easier than I expected after reading all of the horror stories, but there is an IMPORTANT note that should definitely be added to the manual: once you remove the black cushion from the front of the LCD you should remove all of the residue that is left behind or you will get bubbles on the edges! I've seen many pictures where people have rough edges on their install and I'm POSITIVE that this is the reason. It's possible that when Adam was writing the manual that the GBA he had did not have residue on it, but here's my theory: If you're using a newer GBA it's probably less likely that there would be residue left from the cushion since the unit was most likely manufactured not too long ago and hasn't been "weathered" yet. Now, If you're installing on an older GBA -say one from around launch time, and it's been in the sunlight, cars, heat, etc... there's a much greater chance that the black cushion has chemically broken down a little and would be more likely to leave residue on the LCD's edges. Other than that though I had no problem with bubbles in the center or dirt underneath the AR film. Just take your time.
Operation
So after a successful install what can you expect? When I first switched the AB on I was pretty impressed: nice, even, uniform light that left no corner dark and no glare present.
It's a little on the dim side, but that can be remedied with substituting a lower value resistor into the installation.
There is definitely some visual "artifacting" going on such as the "trapezoid" effect and slight rainbow effects if you look at the screen at the right angle. Also, note that once you install the AB you'll probably not be satisfied with using an external light such as a light shield see picture to understand why. Also, I'm not sure what is causing it, but there is a slight purple/violet reflection present under bright lights once you've installed the AB. See picture. I'm assuming this is a property of the AR film or the AB itself. Please note that these are simply visual "effects" that are only visible at certain angles, they do not interfere with gameplay.
Now the issue of "washout", yes, some games definitely have a washed out look. These are predominantly the darker games such as castlevania, tactics ogre, gradius, etc... Hopefully companies will start/continue to develop games with brighter palettes.
I believe that the extent of the washout is determined by 2 factors (assuming that the AB has been CORRECTLY installed and all protective films have been removed from all components): - 1. the particular game
- 2. how each particular GBA's LCD is calibrated from the factory. That is, whether it's a little darker, or a little lighter.
I have personally had "hands on" experience with GBA's that have the supposed newly manufactured LCD sreen by panasonic, and I also have had hands on (obviously) with launch time GBAs. I honestly do not believe that there is a difference between the 2 types of screens having seen multiple examples of each. I believe that the difference lies in how much/less each individual GBA's LCD voltage adjustment is calibrated at the factory. So what does this mean? It means that you're actually better off if you have one of the "darker" screens and plan on installing the AB :)
Conclusion:
All in all, there is nothing out there that is commercially available that compares to how the AB lights the GBA. That is not to say that it is "perfect", but that is to say that if you want to be able to see the game you're playing on your GBA in ANY lighting condition, do not want glare, and do not want an add-on light then the Afterburner is hands-down the
"be all, end all" solution at this time.
Final comments and pictures:
The Afterburner is definitely worth the price!
Give yourself as much time to complete the install as possible, it's not a race!
Note that the "trapezoid" effect that is present in the above screenshots was caused by the angle that the pictures were taken at. In "real life" you simply view the screen head on and it looks perfectly fine :)
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