Player bought a used GBA SP as a gift for her fiancé but found an unpleasant detail; she asked the community for help and got plenty of advice

Buying secondhand items is often a budget-friendly way to find great gifts, especially when it comes to video games or consoles. One player decided to use this approach to surprise her fiancé with a Game Boy Advance SP.

The woman shared her story on Reddit, seeking advice from the community after noticing a detail that, in her opinion, ruined the gift. Without hesitation, gamers stepped in to offer helpful suggestions, while others couldn’t resist cracking a few jokes.

Player buys a GBA SP for her fiancé but gets a surprise

Reddit user Arithmatic412 posted a picture of the silver Game Boy Advance SP she bought online. The console, an older model, showed wear and tear on the bottom, which was expected. However, what upset her was a less obvious issue.

The previous owner had scratched their name into the console, leaving “Kevin” etched near the battery cover. Since her fiancé isn’t named Kevin, she asked the community for tips on fixing or hiding the engraving without making the console look worse.

“I ordered this Game Boy Advance SP for my fiancé online, not realizing until it came that it had 'Kevin' etched into it. Is there a way to cover this up without damaging it or making it look tacky? Thank you!”

The community responded with practical advice, humorous comments, and even nostalgia for this classic device. Below is a picture of the console showing the engraving:

The gaming community to the rescue

Some players suggested the simplest fix: covering the name with a sticker. Others noted that Nintendo originally placed a sticker in that spot, which might have been removed. They recommended buying a replacement label to restore the console's original look.

Others joked that the easiest solution was to rename her fiancé Kevin, making the name on the console a non-issue.

“Change your partners name to Kevin, just a couple of forms to fill in”

Some pointed out that the engraving wasn’t the biggest problem, as the console's shell was quite damaged. They suggested replacing the entire case to give the GBA SP a fresh appearance.

Finally, a few users advocated for leaving the name as is, saying it adds character and history to the console. They believed her fiancé, as a gamer, would appreciate its story and wouldn’t mind the engraving.