Trying to FIX: Game Boy Advance SP with MULTIPLE FAULTS

Hi, in this video I attempt to fix a Game Boy Advance SP with multiple faults. The known faults are a faulty game card slot, faulty charging port, faulty right shoulder button AND the strangest fault of all....it plays Game Boy games BUT NOT Game Boy Advance games?????
This was sent in by Mike from 1upGamingLimited over on eBay. Mike has sent in various things throughout the years, and his stuff normally makes for interesting videos. Can this one be fixed or will it be destined to join the promised land of donor boards :-)
If you would like to support these videos, please click here / mymatevince
Remember that this is just for entertainment and I am not an expert in these repairs. The processes in the video may not be the best way, the correct way or the safest way to fix these things. I do love fault finding and trying to fix broken things, so I hope that comes across in this 'Trying to FIX' series. Many thanks, Vince.

[@StezStixFix]

Wow. If I had a hat, I would take it off to you Vince! Where many would have given up and thrown that SP across the room, you kept on going! I have to say, that is the most feeling I've heard in one of your "YES"'s for quite some time. Massive, massive thumbs up! 👍

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks Steve :-)

[@calzonemoto4651]

@@Mymatevince seriously entertaining and very helpful to know that even experienced people make mistakes.

[@wojiaobill]

"Get in there!" -- StezStix

[@stugenz]

Yuy

[@stitchfinger7678]

When it comes to the CPU being the culprit nobody would have faulted you for just calling it a day and binning it Incredible fix

[@shonzee5018]

When life gives you lifted pads, run a longer jumper wire.

[@breaux555]

"I want to know why this isn't working more than actually having a working unit at the end of it because, if I can find out the problem with it, it's gonna help a lot more other people out." Yes my man, yes. Exactly. Great video!

[@Troubledboy88]

This is some dedication to helping others right here! Soldering these micro connections alone is a headache but running a camera and possible trying to solder through the camera view must be such a huge pain. I could feel the exhilaration at the end. Keep up the good work. I wish you the absolute best mate

[@ewanwickward8587]

23:04 This is why I'm subbed to you, Vince. Not only are you showing me and your audience how to do repairs that aren't ecomonically viable you just to help us learn the fix; but you're also helping to teach people how to fix this issue in the future. I haven't watched to see if you've fixed any of the Gameboys or not, but the fact that you're even trying to go the extra mile is worth a like (and a sub, but I'm already subbed) from me! Keep up the great work, long live My Mate VINCE!

[@TheRetroFuture]

I do like GameBoys

[@Ironapple09]

What’s your favorite game buy model?

[@dtop]

I know you asked retro but i would say the gb original its nostalgic

[@Ironapple09]

@@dtop mine is a mix of the original and the gameboy sp

[@badvoiceallnoise]

i love gintendo bame noy

[@mondherbouazizi4433]

Oh really? i have been subscribed to your channels for a long time and it never crossed my mind that you like them!! Is why you buy millions of them from Sendico? I feel like the whole Japan reserve of gameboys is being transferref to UK because of you :D Nice to see you here!

[@kittdigital]

I have a feeling this will be one of the more popular vids, I do like the longer videos. :)

[@abzhuofficial]

Same here

[@MajesticalHonky]

Same. How did you see the video a week ago when it was released today?

[@TheShadow2400]

@@MajesticalHonky Patreon members get early access to videos.

[@MajesticalHonky]

@@TheShadow2400 Makes sense. Thx for the reply!

[@knuxthedee9874]

This has definitely inspired me not to give up when I make mistakes while soldering

[@fbarrera88]

Thank you for actually finding fault and not just swapping out the boards. I feel your pain when dealing with those chips with so many legs. I spent hours working on n64 that had a similar issue with corrosion I lifted a pad too but didn't give up and got it working again. That feeling you get when fixing something is amazing.

[@kacperjestfajny]

I cant deny: trying to fix broken consoles is my favorite series on this channel. Especially when they are broken by wrong use o previous owners.

[@tatertot64]

Holy cow I'm mighty impressed!!!! Man I had a huge grin on my face when that Capcom logo showed up. Your patience is admirable; great work!!!

[@nameless5413]

Vince gets way more excited about having found a fault than having the thing work. Pretty fun dynamic there tho, and seems like alot of effort was expanded on fixing it. Looks like tinkerer's dream job to be frank.

[@eightohmmedia]

Brilliant fix Vince.! My heart sank when them pads came off, glad you got it working again

[@bondspy]

I gotta be honest, I didn't think this would come back to life. But you did it! Job well done Vince.

[@therepairsloth]

Absolutely amazing video, Vince. I love how far you dig to find a fault and then repair it. I try to fix and sell games and consoles, as a side business, and your videos have taught me so much. They're greatly appreciated. Now, with buyers being slammed with product, since the US economy in 2022 is so bad, I can actually slow down and take a break. So, now is the perfect time to attempt a repair on an SP that I have with the same fault. Keep cracking on with your excellent content!

[@PrawnCocktailBro]

So happy you managed to fix this, You're a brave man tackling that 156pin chip.

[@Xx-ru3ng]

Ahhhh. Spoiler alert. Lol

[@ianmcalpine5361]

@@Xx-ru3ng why read the comments before watching the video ?

[@markferrick10]

Not sure that repair will last forever, but you did a FANTASTIC job in the repair. Your skills have really grown thru your series. Really enjoyable.

[@11eray]

Him celebrating at the end is simply the best

[@colinfielder6695]

I Love this Vince not only because your channel is interesting but your attitude is to fix things and share your findings as well as faults which is kind of open source KZbin! Please keep up the great work

[@Hounddoggy33]

I was feeling the stress right along with you, Vince! Great job! Glad to see you pulled it off and got it working!

[@Schnort]

This was easily one of the most engaging and interesting videos I have watched recently. I was never bored at all while watching. Good work!

[@joewright9341]

Mate, this is a fantastic video showcasing patience and problem solving, step by step. Absolutely inspiring!

[@1up_Gaming]

Happy to see this is up and running again, if I'd not sent you it, I'd have had half a go at swapping the chip, then chucked it in the bin, I've got "some" patience... but not Vince levels :p

[@amaiorano]

Thanks for sending Vince these great projects for him to share with us!

[@pauric1991]

Hi 1up gaming do u have an ebay page

[@dc_animal]

Well done Vince! I love your perseverance in both troubleshooting and overcoming obstacles when things go a bit sideways.

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

This Chip may was a nightmare, but we got the joy of Vince's yyyyyyeeeeeeeeeessssss!!!!!! Love it

[@MattFixesStuff]

I honestly think this is one of your best fixes to date :) The soldering job was just godlike. Thanks for making our day brighter by doing these ♥

[@ale6242]

amazing Vince! these videos are why i support you on patreon! Cracking fix!

[@dequan916]

This guy never seize to amaze me. I love the longer vids btw:)

[@Isailuck]

Vince I love your reaction when things go wrong and when things go right. That burst of joy! I have learned so much watching your videos. Just wanted to say thank you!

[@partypiggaming9344]

Thank you so so mutch for 32:37. Like you say some people might what to hide that mistake but it makes it possible for me to fix a failed headphone jack mod from a long time ago. You are incredible, keep up good work!

[@squizz-bot854]

Super happy for you on this one Vince, I always love to see you win!

[@Retro_andy_1977]

Well worked vince.your patience paid off and it was well worth it so congratulations.just love these videos

[@MrMaxeemum]

I probably smiled just as much as you for fixing that. Well done Vince.

[@TheTTVert]

Well done Vince! i always smile when you get so excited. I also like the longer videos.

[@RealATU]

amazing result and props for the perseverance - you deserve a lot of praise /thumbsup

[@Lightwaves7984]

Congrats man. That is real patience and glad it worked out for you.

[@doslover]

That genuine excitement at the end. Nice work, I know that wasn't an easy one. Side note for the future, you can often tell if it can't read the game before it starts up because the "Nintendo" on the screen is all garbled. Granted that went away once you got to the chip fault, just a tiny note for the future. Again nicely done, that GBA was all kinds of messed up!

[@JosephPBD]

43:28 oooh i love to see you happy and satisfied!

[@zok4e]

Thats how you do it, find the problem not just swap the board like most on YT do. Great job Vince.

[@bluethingfan5]

Great job Vince. After a long week at work your positivity is always a great relaxation method.

[@ChrisTreleaven]

Great repair! You’re getting this ‘like’ because of how happy you sounded when it finally worked. 😂👍🏼

[@Magicman8508]

Wow, i remember some of your early videos, you got so good at fixing. It always a pleasure watching it.

[@Danny.._]

all i did was watch vince do all the work and it still feels so rewarding to see it work in the end

[@Kevin-op3on]

OMG that was so suspenseful in a way! It was exciting till the end! Well done, that was a tough job!

[@elenium115]

I wonder who gave you thumbs down? You are putting so much effort to find faults. You have a master level of persistence.

[@BeefJerkey]

This is why I watch these repair videos, to learn more about things like this. I learned from a different channel that the ROM chip pins can sometimes lift off of the boards in cartridges, and then was able to fix two non-working ones myself. So you gave me another very useful bit of information. However, the one I'm trying to fix is actually missing an inductor coil, which took me some time to solve, but should be easier than this repair was!

[@Vyker]

Up there as one of your best fixes. Epic. I felt the buzz too! Keep it up Vince!

[@hamishspencer]

Mega satisfying fix. Well done, Vince.

[@Rastan350]

You are the man Vince! Best fit it videos on youtube. So enjoyable to watch.

[@jaredl2239]

So happy to see the MMV Massive growing! Thank you guys very much for making videos like this possible

[@manuelgrijalva2934]

This is officially my new favorite My mate Vince video, thank you very much for the content

[@alanhennessy9196]

Well done Vince, delighted you got that sorted. A real punch the air moment. Keep up the great work!

[@strnadik]

that pure HAPPINESS when he turned it on after swapping the chips!

[@speedwaynutt]

Hearing Vince frustration is always hard i kinda just want a jump into the video and give him a hug and tell him it's going to be ok

[@thayt1m]

What a ride this video was. I laughed, I cried and then laughed again. Not bad at all mate, massive thumbs up!

[@blaydezilla]

Never been so happy for someone for something to work! Well done Vince

[@positivetouch2796]

well done vince, been watching your videos a while now...i love your enthusiasm and desire to fix things...i always wait for your "YES" and clap when you fix things....your videos are brilliant...keep up the excellent work

[@moepilator]

Man that was a wild ride for one of your fix videos, kept the tension up right until the end

[@Hiberniust]

You are a real magician, and your patience is legendary! I raise my hat to you Sir!

[@pspmad247]

Amazing job vince. I always look forward to your video’s popping up on my youtube from MMV

[@justinboonstra3906]

👏👏 what a great find on the broken trace. Terrific fix!

[@momoster69]

anyone else explode with happiness at the same time vince did?

[@adamconroy6255]

I really liked watching this video I'm new to repair and modding you and others are giving me great ideas and teaching me new things every time I watch thanks for everything you do

[@bostongeorge4839]

Good job getting it going Vince I usually enjoy the learning aspect of your videos but today u made me laugh keep up the great content in the future

[@etiennevanharen3893]

What an amazing fix Vince. Patience and keep on trying have conquerred the fault again. Great video

[@stephencunliffe3062]

God what patience you have Vince. Keep up the good work love watching your video's. Top man.

[@ginmil3436]

I'm still struggling with the same issues this video is all I've got. This was so brilliant!!!

[@bugcatcherjoey3848]

this entire 50 minute video is worth it, just for that authentic excitement at the end.

[@bullshitdetective1]

awesome dedication vince, well done.

[@abesmith8642]

fantastic repair really like the longer videos well done

[@SpeedyJoe.]

That was an awesome learning experience 👏. Thank you for the video!

[@vgplayersandhaters518]

Great Fix and nice to see you not give up on it.

[@ericbernard8864]

Impressive, really good work and patience!

[@ItsTeezoUBZ]

His excitement is great 👍🏼

[@schvabek]

I just wanted to say that I had an SP which had similar faults. It was somebody’s parts machine and they’ve taken off many caps and resistors. After replacing them, all of it worked, but the GBA games were flakey. After deciding on taking a look at the main IC, I’ve messed it up beyond repair - pins and traces broke off. Most difficult repair I ever attempted. Granted, I think I would have better chance next time, but this has taught me just how difficult these SMD four-sided ICs are to work on. Hats off.

[@stevespeck3586]

A massive emotional rollercoaster with a happy ending. No, not an option at a dodgy massage parlour but one of Vince's TTF videos...

[@djbarbee]

I love watching your fix it videos

[@littleengine1303]

I've been a long time follower of your work and love the videos! A tip on the brushes you use, since I see you have the same problem with the fibers coming out as me. If you have a wire crimping tool, put it on one of the biggest settings and give it two back to back crimps right where the fibers come out of the handle. It will be alot stronger after that!

[@andrewpeat6342]

I felt that excitement for you as well. Great fix and video

[@philernest4851]

Fair play for leaving the bodged chip removal in. We've all been there, so great to see you keeping it real. Thanks.

[@brentpolk2431]

Congratulations on another fine repair!

[@jesuslovesyou5819]

Great job Vince! You inspire me to "FIX" the kids stuff at home 😊

[@MichaelBritt23]

Fixing game systems are my favorite of your videos.

[@86nomorepain]

Such a roller-coaster but I do enjoy the video!

[@MrStereoify]

Great fix as always Vince. Had a Gameboy Pocket which was as interesting to fix (broken traces hidden under the cartridge port) so I know the "yes" feeling well!

[@tommyis13]

Great fix Vince. Appreciate the content.

[@Hodor_70]

Well done Vince! I watched you loose the will to go on, but then find it again!

[@huynhtien123]

thanks Vince. It brings back many memories, good old days.

[@jeremyoverman4907]

One of my favorite videos yet. I tried some electronics repairs years ago and got discouraged when I had major mistakes like you had with the caps and pads. Watching you make those same kinds of mistakes, getting frustrated with yourself, then fixing it and fixing the console really makes me want to get back into it. It’s so easy to watch people do everything right the first time and get discouraged, but showing the mistakes along the way really gives me hope. Thank you.

[@jasonakamrdaddy5433]

Excellent work vince i absolutely love the long videos!! I just repaired a old 1984 toshiba rt-90s ghetto blaster i got off ebay for the bargain price of £2.20...inspired by you..it looks brand new now! (Apart from the chrome plastic rings around the speakers they are a little chipped) It really helps me to de stress for some reason lol cant wait for the next video!

[@TinkerManMick]

Was never a fan of these devices, but well done here, nice video mate! 👍

[@nicholas790]

Hate to admit it was captivating! I don't even like electronic games! I didn't think you were going to "pull off" this repair! But there you go...."brilliant"!

[@j.a.styles547]

This kind of vids are the best.... I learned something ... Subbed

[@PeteChrichard]

Great video - well done, Vince!

[@scottysaphir]

Perfect job Vince 👏 👌 I always like to find out fault even if It can't be fixed myself love watching your videos

[@captainwasel8377]

this is just very satisfying. You are a legend bravo man.

[@andrewsmith1204]

Dang. You earned that thumbs up dude. If it were me and I saw those surface mount caps strewn about I'd give up.

[@BronxLockPicker60Rodriguez]

Fantastic workmate. After hours of your hard work, I'm very excited for you. When I saw that you had fixed it, I jumped for joy. I'm a big fan of yours. Keep up the AMAZING work. God bless!

[@turbotoblast4]

Amazing video Vince! Also, love the GBA SP, so I loved to see a video on one of those.