The Shock and Rock plugs into your battery compartment (say goodbye to that stock battery cover), and enhances the grip on your GBA by adding extra bulk below and behind it. The extra bulk is welcomed, as it makes the GBA feel more like a regular controller. Some gamers will like the ergonomic changes more than others, but I felt like it made the shoulder buttons easier to use. It also gives a little more to grab onto during those sweaty-palmed sessions on THPS2.

The recharging function is very good on the Shock and Rock. The battery gives you about 10-12 hours of play time, which isn’t bad. What makes it an even better rechargeable battery than many others, though, is that you can play while the unit is charging. There is no reason to stop playing your GBA, even to recharge. Charging takes about eight hours or so, and you’re cautioned to not leave the unit plugged in for more than 12 hours, but those are standard stipulations for rechargeable batteries.

The Shock and Rock also gives you a new set of stereo speakers for your GBA as well as an amplified headphone jack. The auxiliary speakers sound better than the GBA speaker, but you won’t notice a lot of stereo effect until you plug in some headphones. It does amplify the headphones a bit more than the GBA does on its own, but this is the least impressive aspect of the Shock and Rock. To compliment the enhanced speakers is a force-feedback rumble system. This is a very minor rumble, more like a DC rumble pack than the Dual Shock system. It also sounds a lot like a vibrator when rumbling, which is mildly embarrassing. Still, if you’re into rumble the Shock and Rock allows you to adjust the force-feedback to fit your mood.