Publisher: Nintendo
Ages:
seven and up.
Family
Rating:
Parental
Advisory:
None
When I first heard that Nintendo was producing a new Game Boy Advance, my initial reaction was, "what are they thinking?" At the time, I thought, Nintendo had this amazing DS platform with its dual LCDs and touchscreen, but had few games. I couldn't imagine why Nintendo would be investing resources into the older Game Boy Advance technology.
Since then, I have raved about Nintendogs for the DS, an amazing, fun and innovative game, and I've also had a chance to use the new Game Boy Micro. To my surprise, I like this smaller portable gaming device. For now, all seems well at Nintendo.
Game Boy Micro (GBM) eschews the clamshell design of the SP and looks much like a small version of the original Game Boy Advance. It measures just 4 inches wide by 2 inches long by 0.7 inches thick-roughly the size of a small cell phone or an iPod Mini. And it weighs 2.8 ounces. Since the device is wide, it's fairly comfortable to hold and play. I like the addition of its headphone port and rechargeable battery.
GBM features a 2-inch screen, which is significantly smaller than that of the Nintendo SP. On the other hand, the LCD is brighter so you don't necessarily lose anything. However, for some, games heavy on text may be difficult to read.
The portable comes in both silver and black versions, each with three removable faceplates so users can personalize their Micro. The faceplates serve a secondary function to protect the GBM's screen. The GBM boasts the same power as previous Game Boy Advance models, complete with the ability to play all Game Boy Advance games, a library of some 700 titles.
While the Game Boy Micro still feels much like a step backward for Nintendo, it's a first rate product. Is it strong enough to make you give up your SP or original Game Boy Advance? Only you can decide.
10/05/05 Daytrum.com Editorial Staff
