Sometimes it’s difficult to judge a gaming accessory because there are lots of things that may be good about it, and lots of others that are bad. On one hand, it may be useful, but on the other, the question of practicality may come into play. The industry has tons of third party doo-dads and whaz-its, and at times, it can be frustrating having to wade through all the junk. And there’s a lot of junk out there. We’ve seen it all.
Mad Catz attempts to make playing your GBA SP more comfortable by offering the Ergo Grips SP. Designed to rid gamers of cramps in the hands and fingers caused by extended SP playing, the Ergo Grips is a good example of an idea that does work like it’s supposed to, but has too many drawbacks to be worth the purchase.
The Ergo Grips is a simple rubber sleeve that fits snuggly over the SP, and has a bulbous piece of rubber protruding from each side of the GBA for gripping. Plain and simple, the moment you slip this thing over your GBA, you’ll think about how retarded it looks (just look at the picture!). In a day where you want your gaming gear to look sleek and stylish, the Ergo Grips won’t win any beauty pageants.
The point of the GBA SP is gaming on the go, and the logic behind the folding screen of the SP’s design is to not only increase its portability, but to protect the screen, which is always vulnerable, especially when you plan on carrying it around. The Ergo Grips hurt both. For one, while the Grips are attached to the GBA, you can’t fully close the unit, making the screen more susceptible to damage. Portability is lost too. It’s big enough to give putting the GBA in pockets a problem, and most GBA SP carrying cases won’t be able to accommodate the Ergo Grips, whether on or off the SP. Furthermore, even though the Ergo Grips design allows you to access the power switch, it’s more of a pain to turn the GBA on and off than it should be. It’s harder to exchange game cartridges too for the same reason.
With all there is to complain about, there’s no denying that the Ergo Grips work. During our time with the Grips, we experienced no cramping in our hands or fingers, and we admit that holding the GBA felt more comfortable during gameplay. Especially for those with larger hands, the Ergo Grips work well.
It’s a shame that the Ergo Grips aren’t more ergonomic, because they really do work. It’s just that, despite the fact that the increased comfort is nice and the price isn’t too steep, there are a few missteps that need to be worked out before we can recommend them as a purchase. What we can say is this: if portability of your GBA SP isn’t an issue and cramping during gameplay is too bothersome, you may want to give the Ergo Grips a look. Otherwise, it’s got too many practicality problems to recommend.
