The SP is ten times better then the original. The backlight alone makes it worth the price to upgrade.. plus you get a built in battery, and it looks so damn cool. Much nicer then the original GBA. Now it doesn't look like a toy anymore!
As for the controls, they're great. I think they're even better then GBA's. The buttons might be smaller, but you get used to them after only an hour.
I'd definately recommend the SP over the GBA.
