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GBA

North America

Game Boy Micro

by Vincent Anderson - October 13, 2005, 10:54 pm EDT

9

This tiny Game Boy packs a huge punch.

When the Game Boy Advance SP was first announced everyone went gaga over it, and for good reason. It was the first in the Game Boy family (at least among worldwide releases) to have its own light for easy play in the dark, and it had a sleek flip-top design. It was a huge success for Nintendo, so it's no wonder they went back to the drawing board to see how they could further milk consumers improve on the SP to create another new brand of Game Boy Advance.

Thus, the Game Boy Micro was born. It takes the best features of the original SP and makes them better. Unlike the front-lit SP, the micro features a backlight, which makes playing in the dark even easier. Add to the fact that you can adjust the brightness five levels (by holding the “L” button and using the volume control), and you've got a handheld with just the right amount of light for everyone. Since you can’t turn off the backlight, the only trouble you might run in to when playing the Micro is when you play it in direct light.

Of course, the main attraction of the Game Boy Micro is its incredibly compact design. If you have yet to see a Micro in real life, you’ll be hard-pressed to imagine just how small this thing really is. If you have yet to see any comparison pictures, it’s about the size of one of Nokia’s cell phones. Of course, this means that the size of the Micro’s screen has to be fairly small as well. Luckily, even with such a small screen, the in-game text is still nice and crisp.

Just like with all other variations of the Advance, the Micro features a single speaker located just to the right of the screen. It’s decent enough if you’re playing by yourself in a silent room, but it’s simply not going to get the job done anywhere else. Fortunately, the Micro features a headphone jack right next to the cartridge slot, which should come in very handy.

I only have a few gripes with the Game Boy Micro. With the new backlit Game Boy Advance SP hitting the shelves recently, there’s not much of a reason to own a Micro unless you’re a tech nerd and need to have every new piece of technology that hits the market. The Micro costs more and can’t play regular Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, while the SP can. I also don’t like the fact that to press either of the shoulder buttons on the Micro, you have to press on the inside of the button for it to register. It took me a while to stop pressing the outside of the shoulder buttons, because all other GBA systems allow you to do so.

Another small disadvantage is that the Micro does not use the standard GBA/DS AC adapter for charging. It has a smaller connector, so you’ll have to find another place to charge yet another electronic device. That is more of a personal annoyance, especially if you already own an original GBA, an SP, or the DS.

One advantage the Micro has is in its faceplates. When you buy a Micro you get a standard faceplate already attached, and then you get two more faceplates and a clip to exchange them. Changing the faceplate is an easy thing to do, but if you’re like me then you won’t care too much about which faceplate you have on. The good thing about the faceplate is that if you happen to scratch it where the playing screen is, you can just exchange the faceplate, or buy a new one. The Micro also comes with a nice little carrying pouch. It’s a good thing to have if you don’t like putting electronics in your pocket; the only problem is that the pouch doesn’t have a logo on it or anything to distinguish it from an ordinary pouch.

All in all, the Game Boy Micro is a very good system in its own right. It has a very sleek and compact design made specifically for the gamer on the go. Its screen, while small, still displays everything with a crisp look. Battery life is very good for a game system this small. Basically, the Game Boy Micro does everything you expect it to. The only reason I wouldn’t suggest this system is if you already have a backlit GBA SP or you’re planning on getting one.

Score

Appearance Comfort Quality Value Construction Final
10 9 9.5 9 8 9
Appearance
10

This is the design for handheld gaming machines. Choosing your own faceplate only makes it better.

Comfort
9

For a guy, I have relatively small hands. Still, the Game Boy Micro feels very comfortable, and there is no straining to reach anything.

Quality
9.5

I’ve already accidentally dropped the Micro once, and there wasn’t a scratch to be seen. Everything from the stylized Start and Select buttons to the faceplates all appear to be high quality, which is what we expect from Nintendo. Like all other Nintendo products, expect the Micro to be extremely durable.

Value
9

Except for the aforementioned shoulder buttons, all buttons and switches act like you would expect them to. The face buttons and d-pad feel especially nice to the touch. The faceplates essentially act as a barrier to protect the Micro’s screen

Construction
8

This is the only thing I was worried about when it came to the Micro. At $100, it’s twenty dollars more than a new backlit Game Boy Advance SP, and it has the disadvantage of not being able to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.

Final
9

With its sleek design, improved backlit screen, and just general coolness, the Game Boy Micro is a great system to pick up if you only want to play Game Boy Advance games and have the extra money to spare.

Summary

Pros
  • Backlit screen is easier on the eyes
  • Built-in headphone jack
  • Sexy, compact design
  • Small screen is still easily readable
Cons
  • Not a very good deal if you already have a backlit GBA SP
  • Only plays GBA games
  • Shoulder buttons can only be pressed on the inside
Review Page 2: Conclusion

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Genre
Developer Nintendo

Worldwide Releases

na: Game Boy Micro
Release Sep 19, 2005

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