Then the RG35XX SP is the best idea for said friend. Form-wise, this is a GBA SP with a thicker bottom part, a thinner screen, additional buttons and a brighter screen. Oh, and the option to play 20+ different consoles with hundreds of games for...
With all those different models, I'd love to see GBAtemp throw a giveaway for previous review models, so they can see a new life.
As for the device itself, the RG35XX H/+/SP range is still the top tier for lower prices, but I can see someone...