On June 18, 2004, Nintendo launched a new version of the Game Boy Advance SP exclusively in Europe. This so-called Tribal Edition was a standard silver SP, but covered in ‘tribal’ tattoos—and the result is an object that exudes pure, unfiltered early 2000s energy. The designs, ‘based on ancient designs originating from Polynesian and Indian culture’ according to Nintendo, were slapped on the console’s clamshell lid, as well as inside in the spaces between the buttons. In hindsight, it’s one of the ugliest consoles Nintendo ever released. But people weren’t exactly thrilled by it at the time either.
