GP32
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| Manufacturer | Game Park |
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| Type | Handheld game console |
| Generation | Sixth generation era |
| Retail availability |
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| Media | SmartMedia |
| CPU | Samsung S3C2400X01 |
| Memory | 8 MB of RAM |
| Successor | GP2X |
The GP32 (GamePark 32) is a handheld game console developed by the Korean company Game Park. It was released on November 23, 2001, in South Korea only.
The overall design is not unlike the original version of the Game Boy Advance. The GP32 is based on a 133 MHz ARM CPU and 8 MB of RAM. Unlike other hand held gaming systems, which tend to be proprietary cartridge-based, the GP32 uses SmartMedia cards (SMC) for storing programs and data, making it accessible for amateur developers as no further development hardware is required.
The console has a four-way mini-joystick controller, two main buttons ('A' and 'B'), two shoulder buttons on each side of the SMC slot ('L' and 'R') and two other menu buttons on each side of the screen ('SELECT' and 'START'), made from a softer, translucent rubber. The console also has a USB 1.1 port for connection with a host computer, a serial expansion port, a 3.3 V power adapter input, a headphone connector and a rear compartment which holds two AA sized batteries.
There are three main commercial versions of the unit characterized by different display types. Commercial units are white in color with either grey or white buttons and trim. There are also a number of differently colored promotional units, and several prototype units with different designs.
The original GP32 was the no-light unit (NLU) which relied on an external light source to view the screen.
In late 2002, Game Park introduced the frontlight unit (FLU) as a factory modified (by Hahotech) version of the NLU. It provides its own illumination via a transparent panel between the LCD display and the plastic screen cover. The extra hardware resulted in a slightly raised display frame when compared to the NLU and BLU variants. The frontlight could be turned off with a switch mounted on the back of the GP32 case (to save battery). The GP32 FLU's name was derived from a sticker added to the front of the GP32 packaging differentiating it from the standard non-light versions.
In mid-2004, Game Park introduced the backlight unit (BLU). The new BLU LCD was compatible with the NLU (and FLU) and provided superior screen display in poor lighting conditions. At the end of 2004, Game Park also released a second version of the BLU, which had a different LCD to the first version BLU units. The new BLU+ LCD was not 100% compatible with the original LCD screen and so software required special handling to support both LCD versions. The backlight could be disabled by holding the SELECT button for 5 seconds. The BLU models also had a slightly different USB port connector and better quality micro switches for the controller.
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Wikipedia