BACK TO THE INDEX.
-By DMG Ice main staff-
-Originally posted May 21th, 2005-
-Edited and revised several times after that-
-There you go!-
Game Boy Micro features:
SPECS
Same as the Game Boy Advance.
Does not appear to be physically compatible with the e-Card Reader. (Raise your hand if you care.)
The screen is 2 inches. The previous systems had 2.5 inch screens.
Apparently a slightly higher pixel resolution. (To which, I say: Huh? Cool.)
Pros:
Removable Custom Face Plates. (Like the Xbox 360. he he.)
Brighter, Sharper Screen with several contrast options.
15+ Hours Battery Life.
Uses standard headphones.
Slightly smaller than an iPod Mini.
Compatible with all 700+ Game Boy Advance games.
Compatible with SD Card Adapter (Play Yan).
Select, Start, L, and R buttons light up blue.
L & R buttons are larger and placed further apart than on the GBA SP.
Built-in Loop for cell phone straps/charms. (I bought The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap Cell Phone Charms JUST for this device feature.)
Small - 4 inches wide, 2 inches tall and 0.7 inches deep
Larger A & B buttons than the Nintendo DS.
Extremely light - about the weight of 80 paper clips (2.8ounces).
Apparently compatible with all the older games as well, although no concrete evidence exists of this.
(IE: A picture of an older GB/GBC game inside the Micro unit.)
Cons:
A bit small for some people.
Needs an adapter to use old Game Link attachments and Cables.
Screen is not covered the way the DS and SP screens are covered.
Easy to steal.
Using the Game Boy Micro:The
on/off switch is on the bottom and the games go in the bottom, just
like the GBA SP. The right hand side is where our volume and contrast
are. They are in the same device. To change the contrast, hold L &
R down and press the side button up or down. As the contrast is
changed, the device beeps. At maximum contrast it will beep three times
to tell you that it is at the maximum. The same goes when adjusting the
volume. The buttons are a bit
bigger than the Nintendo DS buttons, this is a very good thing. The
three lines under the B & A buttons are the internal speaker. The
top port is both the Recharge/AC Adapter Plug and the Link Cable plug.
There will be a specific link cable for the system as well as an
adapter that comes with that cable to maintain links to the GBA/GBA SP
and the GB Player systems. As for Game Cube to Game Boy Micro hookups?
That would require a slightly different connector cable or adapter. But
this can and will be done. The bottom of the unit has strangely slanted
SELECT and START buttons as well as a normal stereo sound hookup.Want accessories? GBA SP and Nintendo DS power back up maker CellBoost has already begun research on the device, and companies like Nubytech, Nyko, Madcatz, Pelican, Logitech, Joytech, and others have already started work on carrying cases, and finalizing contracts for faceplates, and cables. An interesting note is that the idea of putting popular cartoon characters and favorite bands has popped up in many of the discussions. Some future Game Boy Advance titles may include bonus faceplates for the Game Boy Micro. Nintendo Power is already planning to sell a few special edition faceplates in the future via their "Power Source" catalogue. Overall, this system is pretty sweet. I want the Cracked PSP screen style faceplate.
What of price and bundles? My guess is that the Game Boy Advance SP will be slowly phased out at $60 USD and the Game Boy Micro will launch at $80 to $90. If they pack it in with something, expect it to be $110 to $120USD. This is what George Harrison of Nintendo said about the Micro in an interview with Gamespot at E3:
GS: So this is just kind of a remix of the Game Boy, a hipper Game Boy. Is this going to have a different price point?
GH: It may. We're also looking at what the price and bundle combination might be for the fall. One of the things that they've launched in Japan that we're considering is--it's called the Play-Yan and it allows you to play MP3 music or MP4 video files in your Game Boy. We're trying to see how that's doing and if that makes sense to bring out as a companion to this.
A bundle with the SD Card Adapter would be sweet. Considering that the screen on the Game Boy Micro is really nice, this would be a definite bonus. If priced correctly, it would effectively cut into the sales of many other MP3 players. 1GB and 2GB SD cards are fairly inexpensive, and none of the other MP3 players in the same price range that the Micro would fall into have the ability to play video. One of the more interesting things to note about the screen is how flipping sharp it really is. Combine this with the SD Card Adapter and you have an EXCELLENT PMP. PMP stands for Personal Media Player. If the SD Card Adapter could display pictures, it would be even better. Thankfully, the Game Boy Movie Player already displays pictures and text files. The price range and/or bundle options are not yet finalized for the device. The abilities for bundles are virtually endless. For example, a bundle which included Tales of Phantasia and a special edition faceplate. Or a faceplate that came with one or two NES Classic games and made the Micro look like a little NES pad. For the Nicktoon savvy, a SpongeBob SquarePants faceplate would make their Game Boy Micro look like it really belongs in a pineapple under the sea. The ability to play MP3s off of the system is another large bonus. Why NOT have a Game Boy Micro that looks like the cover to Dark Side of the Moon, or brandishes the latest album art from your favorite band? You can buy stickers and put those on your iPod Shuffle, but stickers leave residue and are not as tough as a faceplate.
How does the Micro stack up to similar personal media player products?
| Name |
(1 GB) I-Pod Shuffle |
Game Boy Micro With Play-Yan Bundle |
Sony PSP |
| Price of Unit |
$150 |
$110 (Most likely) |
$250 |
| 1GB of Music | Included |
$70 extra |
$150 extra |
| Firmware Upgrades? |
NO |
YES (For Play-Yan) |
YES |
| Plays Movies |
NO |
YES |
YES |
| MP3 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
| MP4 |
NO |
YES |
YES |
| Plays Games |
NO |
YES |
YES |
| Screen | NO |
YES |
YES |
| Faceplates |
NO |
YES |
NO |
| Size |
SMALL |
SMALL |
LARGE |
| Total Investment |
$150 |
$180 (Most likely) |
$400 |
The Game Boy Micro is a bit more expensive in the long run for playing MP3s, but it does play movies at a much more cost effective price than the PSP. For the price of a Sony PSP and a 1GB memory Stick Pro Duo, you could buy a Game Boy Micro/Play-Yan Bundle and about 11 games.
But does anyone make GBA games anymore?The short answer is a resounding YES, don't be a dumbass. With games like Donkey Kong Country 3, Donkey Kong: King of Swing, Mario Tennis Advance, Riveria: The Promised Land, Screw Breaker, One Piece, F-Zero 3, Alien Hominid, Earthbound 2 (Mother 3), and more still being worked on and headed for the GBA. The GBA has support all the way up into the Fall of 2006. Many other games are just sitting on Nintendo's shelves for opportune times. Items like the third NES Classics series, Earthbound Collection, Magical Vacation, etc. Some games are holed up in retailer disputes like Payback and more games that have yet to be announced. There are also exists more games that are import only, like a 3D Asterix game. Needless to say, you will NOT run out of anything to play on this device.
What about GBA Video? Well, the SD Card Adapter kind of makes that a moot point as it completely destroys the GBM, Actimagine, and GBA Video formats with its use of MPEG4. Yes, the exact same format the PSP uses. Converting stuff into the format and size used on the SD Card Adapter is easy to do too.
On a strange note,
I have followed Nintendo for a long time and -as of recently- Nintendo
enjoys a huge amount of symbolism in their advertisements. The reason
for this is that Nintendo believes their fans are far smarter than the
average video gamers. They had fake "news" sites for Majora's Mask, and
Perfect Dark. Kind of like how Microsoft had the rather funny OurColony
and ILoveBees sites. Nintendo not only enjoys making weird stuff like
that; but they also enjoy subliminal advertisments in their booth. This
is readily apparent in the design of the booth the Game Boy Micro was
housed in at E3. The booth had two sides to it and was built like a
small tunnel. Going into the tunnel, you would hear some strange techno
music and see the logos for the Game Boy Micro plastered along the
ceiling of the tunnel. Both sides of the tunnel had windows. One side
was an arrangment of eight units in a circle and the front part was
built with smaller windows arranged along a stick figure outline. The
"face" of the stick figure had two Game Boy Micro's as eyes that
displayed the trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess in MP4
format on the Nintendo Play Yan. To say it was sharper than the
Actimagine designed DS trailer for the game is a bit of an
understatement. The "hands" of the stick figure were five Game Boy
Micros running a demo reel of the game Digitylish, which was not on the
floor. Essentially, the demo reel was the games attract mode. The irony
is that the Micro units were arranged like fingers, or "digits." The
ladies who were in front of the place to let people try the game out
were dressed in white, silver, and light blue similar to the booth. The
games they had available for play on the unit were Dynasty Warriors
Advance, Pokemon Emerald, and Donkey Kong Country 3. An Action Game, an
RPG, and a pre-rendered side-scroller. Or for those who read more into
it: A game which has a PSP version, an already released game, and an
exclusive title for the future.What does Nintendo say?
The entire original press release that Nintendo issued.
"The original Game Boy Advance fits comfortably into the pocket of a backpack. The retooled Game Boy Advance SP fits into a coat pocket. Now Nintendo takes aim at the pocket of your tightest jeans with the tiny Game Boy Micro system, quite simply the smallest and sleekest Game Boy product that Nintendo has ever created. It’s thinner than a cell phone, as chic as an MP3 player and as fun as a Game Boy. In an instant it attracts attention and positions the image-conscious player as someone on the cutting edge of cool.
The sporty, silver metal Game Boy Micro measures a mere 4 inches wide, 2 inches tall and 0.7 inches deep, allowing it to sit comfortably alongside today’s hippest technological gadgets. It weighs an astonishing 2.8 ounces, or about the weight of 80 paper clips. Yet Game Boy Micro has the same processing power and plays the same games as Game Boy Advance SP models, complete with standard face controls and gleaming shoulder and Start/Select buttons that literally shine.
With Game Boy Micro, everyone plays with style. A removable face plate gives owners the option to buy replacements to customize the look of their systems again and again with new colors and designs. Most notably, its 2-inch backlit screen shines with incredible power, rendering games in startling clarity with fantastic colors on the best Game Boy screen ever. For the first time, users can adjust the brightness of the screen to adapt to indoor lights or outdoor sunshine.
"We're making the gorgeous Game Boy Micro for image-conscious folks who love video games, the ones who want the look of their system to be as cool as the games they play on it," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Because of its diminutive size and industrial-hip look, Game Boy Micro immediately identifies the person playing it as a trendsetter with discriminating style."
Game Boy Micro represents the latest evolution in the image of the Game Boy Advance line, but it is not a successor to any current system. Game Boy Micro will be released this fall. The system comes with a built-in, rechargeable lithium-ion battery and supports standard headphones.
The Game Boy Advance line remains tied for the most popular video game system of this generation. More than 28 million units have sold in the United States, yet Game Boy Advance launched a full eight months after PlayStation 2. Video game fans clearly appreciate great game play and portability. Nearly 700 games are now available for Game Boy Advance.."
Enthusiastic, are they not?
The Face Plate I crave: "The Broken PSP screen."
What Our Editors Say:
Philip says: The more I edit and add to this article, the more I want this thing. I love this thing and want it now. The resolution on it is just fine for what I intend to use it for. The L & R buttons work well for me, because I have long fingers. Combine this with the GBA Movie Player or the Play Yan device and you suddenly have a very sexy alternative to a few movie players. In fact, San Disk announced a 2GB SD Card a bit ago, how is that for a bit of sliced gold? Play-Yan has upgradeable Firmware as well, so more formats of video may be supported by it in the future. You and I both know we want it to support WMA or MOV. Maybe in the future.
Chris says: New, Sexy. Baby. Psyduck. Also, butts. lol.
Adam says: Conveniently Unnecessary.
Don says: My hands will enjoy the pain, yes they will. I just hope I don't eat it by accident. Accident, yes...
Now for something completely un-needed.
How to use your Game Boy Micro with iTunes.
Why? Why not? Open iTunes and now select the option called EDIT. From
there, select PREFERENCES and open that. First select IMPORTING and
change the option that say IMPORT ENCODER to MP3 ENCODER. Now select
ADVANCED. See the option that says "iTunes Music Folder Location"? Click on CHANGE
and then make sure your SD card is attached to the computer. Select the
drive that the SD card is on from the menu that pops up. Now use iTunes
as normal. When you import songs from an audio CD, they will go
directly to your SD card. Take the SD card out when you are done and
just put it into your Play Yan. Yes, that was pointlessly wordy.
A simulation of how games look on the unit.. but no where near as sharp,
vibrant, or easy to see as the game would look on the Micro unit..
Article by Philip Wesley, Adam Pearson, Chris Glass, and Don Komarechka
Sources are stated with in the article.
Property of DMG Ice, dmgice.com, and the original authors as expressed in the by-line.