Game Boy Micro

Slick design, impeccably light, comfortable to hold, and tiny enough to fit in your pocket next to a cell phone, iPod, or whatever else you carry.

Game Boy Micro comes to gamers as the third and most expensive version of the Game Boy Advance. It's the fifth system released that plays GBA games (GBA, GBA SP, GameCube+GBA Converter, Nintendo DS, and the new Game Boy Micro).

Everyone and their brother had to have an SP – it was the first front-lit Game Boy released in the United States and made playing those hard-to-see games fun again. The SP retailed for $100 at launch, which was acceptable at the time. Game Boy Micro would've been a steal at any price below $80 (the current MSRP for the SP). With the high price tag of $100 the Game Boy Micro is not for everyone, especially when its benefits are not as much improvements as they are a luxury.

I, however, am a very luxurious gamer (have you seen my GameWorks jacket? I don't mean to brag, but its sleeves are made of 100% faux leather!). As much as I dreaded the thought of spending another hundred on another Game Boy Advance device, my desire to game got the better of me. No, I didn't need it - my SP works perfectly fine. But look at how tiny this thing is!

You just can't put a price on tiny gaming. Nintendo can, but we can't. That's why you'll look at the system and say, "No thanks." See it in person - hold it, touch it, play your favorite game on it, and your opinion will change. The price tag will still seem ridiculous, but you'll have to have one anyway. "Well, if I don't eat this week I might be able to save enough..." Putting games first, that's smart thinking! We've been doing it for decades just because we couldn't bear to put down the controller. Might as well put our addiction to good use for a change and get ourselves a snazzy new handheld.

Quality Control

Firmer buttons, a stronger D-pad, a smaller-but-prettier screen - Game Boy Micro is the system that we should've gotten with the first GBA. There is nothing I would change as far as gameplay goes and anything that affects it. This device runs on a built-in rechargeable battery (charger included) yet it's very lightweight and has fairly long life. As with all handhelds from Nintendo it comes slightly charged to give you a taste before it needs to be plugged in.

The way it feels in your hands is unbelievable. You'd think it'd be too small. This thinking stems from the uncomfortable Game Boy Advance. It was one of the smallest handhelds when it was released. The buttons were high and fun to jam on, just as Micro's are (as opposed to the SP, whose buttons are very responsive but a little too flat). You know the grim story of how dark the screen turned out, and I'm sure most of you remember getting sore index fingers after playing Mario Kart for an hour or two. Those weak shoulder buttons were not meant to be used excessively.

Game Boy Micro eliminates the pain and suffering with flat (but raised) shoulder buttons that have a slight bounce to them. They're very easy to press and did not cause any strain to my index fingers, nor were my thumbs harmed in any way while playing.

Gone are the days of that annoying red light that appears, standing out like a sore thumb every time the battery needed to be refueled. Battery life is now told through the start and select buttons. Blue means you're charged and good to go; red obviously means the opposite. This is a small change - Nintendo did it for the fans who notice and care about this kind of stuff. For the same guy that ran out and bought a second SP when they released the NES color scheme. They also did it for the guy who just has to have an iPod Nano because it's so cool and so small even though he just bought the 40-gig photo model last year.

The screen is smaller and uses a true backlight (the SP is lit from the front), condensing the pixels to the point where you can no longer see that they're there. It's a smooth, solid, consistent image that's brighter and more beautiful than any other Nintendo handheld. No one can deny that the Nintendo DS has better graphics and the potential for producing better games. But as far as screens go the Micro has every handheld beat except the PSP. Anyone who's seen the PSP in action knows that that's an enormous compliment.

Faceplates

This wasn't a selling point for me, but for the "image conscious gamer" (Nintendo's words, not mine), Game Boy Micro comes with three different face plates. I purchased the black model. Its faceplates include: silver, army camouflage, and a fiery red. The silver model includes a black faceplate, one with a blue swirl, and one that’s pink and should never be used by male gamers (unless your alias is “The Pink Panther”). I haven’t seen it yet but the word on the street is that a special 20th anniversary edition has been released. Knowing Nintendo there will be more models and more faceplates in the future.

Something I hadn't even thought of was how much of a lifesaver faceplates could be. Who here likes to have scratches on their game screen? I can't stand them. I never let my PSP out of its soft case for that reason. Game Boy Micro's faceplates don't just cover the front body of the system – they also cover the screen. If something awful should happen and the screen gets scratched you'll always be able to get a replacement. That makes life a heck of a lot easier. It also makes it possible for me to carry the system without storing it in its pouch (included). Still, you know me gamers, there's no chance I'll do that. But I could...

Pros:

• Super-small design

• Super-bright screen

• Superior buttons (A, B, L and R) and a stronger D-pad makes long hours of a fun and comfortable experience.

Cons:

• The price is extreme ($90 - $100 depending on where you shop)

• Not every gamer will care that the screen looks better. All they'll see is that it's smaller.

Verdict: 9.0
Slick design, impeccably light, comfortable to hold, and tiny enough to fit in your pocket next to a cell phone, iPod, or whatever else you carry. It’s not something you’ll need as much as something you’ll want. Those who can afford it without taking away from their DS, GameCube and GBA game funds will not be disappointed. Really though, those who can’t afford it won’t be either – they just might have to make a few sacrifices.