Console Review: GP2X - Page 3

Pick up some rechargeable AA batteries because this gadget doesn't use an internal one. I cannot recommend the rechargeable batteries enough, as the GP2X eats them just as fast as the Game Gear did.

In testing, you will get four to five hours from NiMH batteries when playing games. Alkaline batteries won't last as long. You should see six hours for video and 10 hours for music playback, thought I did not test this fully.

All the buttons should be familiar to anyone with a current handheld. It has four face buttons, L and R shoulder buttons, a d-pad/joystick (which also acts as a button when pushed down), volume control, and a start and select button.

The joystick takes some time to get used to, you have to push it harder then you think you should at first. It loosens up though, and gets easier to use. You can buy a different joystick if you do not like the standard one, plus there are many hacks and other replacements out there.

The speakers are well placed to the left and right of the 3.5" TFT display. They sound good in-game and while playing music and video. If you crank the volume to the max when listening to music, you will hear bad distortion. At that level, it is more than the speakers can handle.

The Screen Cover is replaceable if you get it scratched. It does scuff easily, so be careful. I got a scratch on mine minutes out of the box, but that was mainly due to "user error" (me). It is great that I can replace the Screen Cover if/when needed.

The screen is clear and bright enough for everything I tested. There is no brightness adjustment, but you can make some adjustments in software. For the games it plays, the screen does a terrific job. It does not compare to watching movies on the PSP, but I was not expecting that.

There are plastic covers over the TV-Out, USB, AC, and headphone ports. These push back into place very easily, similar to consumer digital cameras. The system has two LEDs, one for power and one for low battery.

The quality of the hardware meets the price tag. But for $190, I expect to have an AC adapter bundled with it. This is a small oversight, and definitely not a deal breaker.

Article Author: Ken Edwards

Ken Edwards is the Gaming Editor at Blogcritics, and calls Breaking Windows home. Ken works part time for Student Publications at BGSU as the Webmaster and System Administrator. He is also a freelance web developer.

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