Gradius Galaxies, a clearanced classic worth the wait
Gameplay: Aside from the fact that it's an intensly hard game to master, it's still a load of fun. Controls can get tough on a full speed power up. I found myself crashing into stuff many-a-time. But, powerups also make the game very enjoyable. Most of the gameplay has you cutting a path through a herd of techno freakish cyborg ships. But, thats all survival. The true fun comes when you get to the bosses.
Graphics: I'll start off by saying you will most likely want to have the back-light on. The graphics are amazing for a GBA SP game, but some parts are dark, and it can be a challenge to pick out all the incoming lasers at low light. Especially if you are going fast. I have seen some pretty cool merge effects for atmosphere, during a level. Such as, you'll be in space, then all the sudden inside a storm cloud. With some eye cany lightning flashes. GBA makes old Nintendo games look so much better on a small screen.
Sound: Sound is very much like you are playing in an arcade. The game is very arcadish in-fact. So, I think the sound effects are good. And music is ok. But, I'll try not to compare it todays games, because that it isn't.
Value: This should last a shooter fan like me a while.