The UKFF Retro Gaming Thread

[FLips]

Finally got around to modding my GBA SP.

I can't remember how much detail I went into it on here, but I got a launch model GBA SP a few months back and was really disappointed by the front-lit screen. It barely makes a difference at all compared to having no light at all, and the thought of playing a big game like Golden Sun on it was very unappealing.

You can get these HISPEEDIDO IPS screen kits online, I got mine for about £53 on Ebay and it arrived within 48 hours tracked. LCD display screens that come with touch-screen (or rather you touch the plastic GBA border near the screen) options with 15 brightness settings, 4 display overlays (Pixel effect, scanlines) and 8 colour modes which are great for original Gameboy games or if you're dyslexic/colourblind to make things easier to see and read. Even the lowest brightness on this screen is bolder and brighter than the standard basekit screen.
One of my personal favourite byproduct features is being able to remove the semi-colour filter of playing a black and white GB game on the GBC/GBA and putting the colours back to black and white. Looks nice, though I would have liked maybe a green original GB overlay too.

I spent about just shy of an hour yesterday disassembling my GBA SP and fitting the new screen. It's drop in/drop out with not much in the way of faffing, though the GBA has a lot of tiny screws and the buttons whiff out of the shell when you take it apart. I could have had it done a lot faster but I made three mistakes that resulted in me having to redo steps or slow down.

• The ribbon connecting the screen to the motherboard is held in by little clips either side of the slot, and even though I unclipped the original ribbon I must have accidentally re-clipped them before putting the new screen in, resulting in me mashing the ribbon about into a closed slot for 10 minutes thinking I was doing something wrong before noticing, unclipping them and sliding the ribbon it with no problem after that.
• I reassembled the whole thing and realised I'd not put one of the plastic shell peices that hides the ribbon on the hinge between the top and bottom halves, so needed to take it back apart and screw that back in.
• After reassembling again, the battery cover wouldn't screw in, as if it was threaded. After debating tape or blutack for a while I Googled it to see if there was a better fix, and by luck caught someone mention a nut that it screws into. I got my torch out and looked at the floor and the tiniest little metal square nut was there, so I had to disassemble one last time to fit the nut back in and the battery cover now screwed in flawlessly.

I also had a bit of trouble with one of the rubber covers hiding screws on the screen half and as you'll see below (top left) I chipped a bit out by mistake. Not a huge issue and easily and cheaply replaceable.
There's an optional wire you get with the kit that you can solder onto the board so the aforementioned screen and brightness settings can be controlled with the SP's brightness button and a menu, but I avoid soldering if I can and it's totally optional so I gave it a miss, though it would be nice to have the on-screen menu rather than having to manually cycle through all the settings.

Overall I'm absolutely buzzing with the results. The screen is crisp, bright and really pops. It was cheaper to buy the basekit SP and the IPS screen than it would be to buy the updated model of SP with the backlight built in too. Changing just the screen too means it's still original hardware, no messing with the motherboard or anything so it's a great halfway point between playing them properly but reaping some of the modern benefits of emulated handhelds.

Here's a video showing comparisons between the basekit screen and new IPS screen (as I didn't take a video of my old screen first) but I can't upload any of my own videos because the website is dogshit at uploading anything.

 

Edited November 9, 2025 by FLips

[Dr. Alan Grant]

Paging Mr. @FLips and other tech nerds.

What’s the easiest way of hooking up my PS2 to a modern day tv? Is it just a straight up Scart to HDMI adaptor? I’ve had an inkling to play Splinter Cell, True Crime: Streets Of LA, Simpsons Hit & Run and all sorts of older goodies. I’ve currently got an LG OLED if that makes a difference. 

[FLips]

1 hour ago, Dr. Alan Grant said:

Paging Mr. @FLips and other tech nerds.

What’s the easiest way of hooking up my PS2 to a modern day tv? Is it just a straight up Scart to HDMI adaptor? I’ve had an inkling to play Splinter Cell, True Crime: Streets Of LA, Simpsons Hit & Run and all sorts of older goodies. I’ve currently got an LG OLED if that makes a difference. 

Yeah scart to HDMI is usually your easiest bet and should do the job for just something casual. I imagine there's also dedicated PS2 to HDMI cables out there too but from my experience they're usually specialist shops selling them at a premium, but you do tend to get a better quality with them.

[FLips]

Picked up Sega Arcade Gallery on GBA and it's really decent. A four-pack including Outrun, Space Harrier, Super Hang-On and After Burner all made for the GBA from the ground up. Outrun and Hang On are the two breadwinners here, but Space Harrier is a faithful recreation too. Never though much of After Burner and this version doesn't change that.
The GBA versions are quite impressive, Outrun especially looks, plays and sounds fantastic, as do Space Harrier and Hang On. After Burner looks kinda cheap though.
The music is made from scratch too by the looks of it so it sounds slightly different thanks to the GBA's soundfont too, if you're interested in unique mixes.
The main negative is the cart doesn't have a battery so your scoreboards don't save. Thankfully there's no unlockables or anything of importance you can lose, but it does drop replayability without having your own scores to aim for.

All in all worth the £18 I spent. Outrun and Super Hang-on are 10/10 toilet games.

Here's a look at them via the Gamecube's Gameboy Player

 

Edited November 14, 2025 by FLips

[Dr. Alan Grant]

Set my PS2 up today. The Scart/HDMI adaptor works a treat. GTA 3 was still inside the console, so I had a go on that. There’s a little switch on the adaptor to change aspect ratios and to upscale the visuals. Works a treat. But both of my controllers are a bit knackered. The Start and Select buttons on one don’t work and on the other, only the Start and Select buttons work. So now I’ve bought a third party replacement and a few games on Vinted. As if I don’t already have a huge back catalogue of new games to play. Goddamn it.

[Lorne Malvo]

29 minutes ago, Dr. Alan Grant said:

 The Start and Select buttons on one don’t work and on the other, only the Start and Select buttons work. 

Brilliant! It's Grandads TVs on Only Fools all over again.

[SuperBacon]

Watched this the other night.

Really interesting and well made video. I don't remember 90% of these games and I definitely don't remember the Gazza ones.

[hallicks]

Mrs H has been playing Sea Trader: Rise of Taipan for GBA on R36S. Her save game keeps resetting back to an earlier point, even after she’s turned it off and back on and the save was there, then done it again and it’s gone back (if that makes sense). Anyone else had save game issues on the R36S? I did do the SD card switcheroo when I bought it for her so it has a decent one in there. 

[johnnyboy]

5 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

I definitely don't remember the Gazza ones.

Gazza 2 was one of the best football games, actually it was probably the only decent football game*, on my old Amstrad.

*non-managerial.  Tracksuit Manager will always reign supreme on the CPC.

[Jazzy G]

@FLipsI had that Sega Arcade pack on my GBA as well. Brilliant ports. I almost finished Space Harrier on it, and managed all the endings on Outrun apart from the hardest one. Came on a lot of journeys with me. Space Harrier and Outrun are downloaded to my Switch now. The 3DS ports are good as well. That's M2 for you. I wish they'd put their Streets Of Rage and Golden Axe collections on modern consoles. 

Edited November 17, 2025 by Jazzy G

[FLips]

1 hour ago, Jazzy G said:

@FLipsI had that Sega Arcade pack on my GBA as well. Brilliant ports. I almost finished Space Harrier on it, and managed all the endings on Outrun apart from the hardest one. Came on a lot of journeys with me. Space Harrier and Outrun are downloaded to my Switch now. The 3DS ports are good as well. That's M2 for you. I wish they'd put their Streets Of Rage and Golden Axe collections on modern consoles. 

Yeah I have the Switch port of Outrun and it may be currently the best non-arcade way to play it. Really well done stuff.

[Jazzy G]

1 minute ago, FLips said:

Yeah I have the Switch port of Outrun and it may be currently the best non-arcade way to play it. Really well done stuff.

We were playing it using my Mario Kart wheel and pedals the other week. It was a lot of fun. 

[theringmaster]

On 11/16/2025 at 1:53 PM, Dr. Alan Grant said:

Set my PS2 up today. The Scart/HDMI adaptor works a treat. GTA 3 was still inside the console, so I had a go on that. There’s a little switch on the adaptor to change aspect ratios and to upscale the visuals. Works a treat. But both of my controllers are a bit knackered. The Start and Select buttons on one don’t work and on the other, only the Start and Select buttons work. So now I’ve bought a third party replacement and a few games on Vinted. As if I don’t already have a huge back catalogue of new games to play. Goddamn it.

Get on amazon and get the wireless controllers, think it was £19.99 for two. They are brilliant and so much more convenient. 

 

[Dr. Alan Grant]

1 hour ago, theringmaster said:

Get on amazon and get the wireless controllers, think it was £19.99 for two. They are brilliant and so much more convenient.

I ended up getting this one. I don’t mind it being wired. The buttons are solid and it does feel identical to an original controller. I’ve also ordered a few games from Vinted. Two Bond games I haven’t played before, Splinter Cell and Streets Of LA. Simpsons: Hit and Run is a little pricier, so I’m going to hold off on that one just in case this turns out to be a fad and the PS2 ends up back in its box in a month.

[Jazzy G]

They used to do a pad that was identical to the original PS2 pad at Klas Ohlsen for a tenner.