Gameboy Micro

[ComicKaze]

Well, in the midst of all this hardware news explosion, here is the Gameboy Micro:

It's like 2x4 inches or something like that, with a real backlit LCD screen (like the DS) instead of the washed out, passive reflectivity, frontlit TFT like we had on the GBA SP...also, a real headphone jack.

I think it looks great, except for the damn curves. Seriously, what's with all the new systems and curves? The Xbox looks like it's squashed in the middle and the PS3 looks like it has a hump-back.

The only cool system in the lot is the Revolution, which hilariously looks more than the PS3 than the actual PS3.

[Zentrandude]

im guessing the screen is going to be all scratched up like my psp.

[bigkid24]

Are there shoulder buttons or is this a throwback to the old Gameboy Color?

[ComicKaze]

Are there shoulder buttons or is this a throwback to the old Gameboy Color?

Yes, there are shoulder buttons, they are silver.

Edited May 17, 2005 by ComicKaze

[VF-19]

Er... But why? Honestly. It's a tiny GBA SP. With no screen protection. And perhaps a smaller screen.

I don't mind the frontlight on my GBA, it works great, and it doesn't wash out the image too much anyways.

[Anubis]

I forsee that hurting a lot after a while. The GBA SP already hurts my hands after a while. I've almost gone and bought the grips for it. I'm still happy with the GBA SP though. The screen is big and looks good, and the screen is nice and protected.

[nightmareB4macross]

Looks very retro.

[Agent ONE]

I play 8 bit Nintendo games on my Cell phone... FULL functionality, I just beat the Legend of Zelda, and come close in Mike Tyson's Punchout.

After having this I will never go and cary around some other piece of equipment to play games.

[MrDisco]

that looks pretty cool. too bad i just got a GBA SP :|

oh well i hope that means more GBA games will come out.

[Commander McBride]

I play 8 bit Nintendo games on my Cell phone... FULL functionality, I just beat the Legend of Zelda, and come close in Mike Tyson's Punchout.

After having this I will never go and cary around some other piece of equipment to play games.

Haha, I just got Rainbow Six 3 on mine. What service do you have, I didn't see a lot of NES games on Sprint.

[Effect]

I think it could be more about image then anything else. You know those people that think they are "too cool" to be seen playing a video game in public. Something this small might be better for their "image". Could possibly be a reason to make it so small or for those really on the go and think that the current GBA SP is to big for the clothes you wear(again about image).

Also it could simply be another test of their hardware. The Nintendo Revolution looks really small and was said to be even smaller in it's final version. So the GBA mini could be a test for them to see exactly how small they can go with things. How well they can compress technology and even data.

I wouldn't get one for fear of losing it to be honest. Though I wonder what the price would be. If I had the extra cash I'd blow money on it for one of these situations where I don't take any bags with me and I just carry my wallet and this could fit without being noticed.

[JB0]

*sighs*

Untill I saw the size, I was actually interested.

If the screen size was consistant with other GBAs(and thusly, the whole system was a fair bit larger), it'd be the best of all worlds.

The image quality of the DS with the comfort (and presumably 8-bit compatibility, though that's not proven) of the original GBA.

I HATE the SP.

My original GBA is more than visible enough to balance out the pathetically bad image quality of a lit SP(and good luck playing it unlit).

The SP is furthermore massively uncomfortable due to it's small size(a sin sharred by it's Micro sibling).

And I'm not paying extra for headphone compatibility, which is a necessity for portable gaming(the speakers they put in those things are abominations, aside from the lack of stereo speakers in everything but DS and PSP).

Edited May 18, 2005 by JB0

[mikeszekely]

I think the Micro is kind of cute. But why in the hell would I want to shell out money for this when I've already bought a GBA, an SP, and a DS? This is hardly the Gameboy that people were hoping for when they were looking for something to go up against the PSP.

Well... I might get one, if they're cheap enough, just for the sheer novelty.

[VF-19]

I think the Micro is kind of cute. But why in the hell would I want to shell out money for this when I've already bought a GBA, an SP, and a DS? This is hardly the Gameboy that people were hoping for when they were looking for something to go up against the PSP.

Well... I might get one, if they're cheap enough, just for the sheer novelty.

Actually one good thing about this micro-GBA SP. The regular SP will drop in price, and I'll be able to pick up a backup GBA SP for cheap. That way, when the first SP gives out (hopefully never), I'll have another ready to go.

Of course, I'll take the battery out for long term storage. Won't do to have battery leakage destroying the unit before I can use it.

Only gripe about the SP is the position of the headphone/recharger jack. With the headphone adapter in, it makes for a very uncomfortable unit.

Another thing: I don't like the smaller screen. Sure it boosts battery life (smaller screen usually equals less power drain), but it'll be a drain on my eyesight. Games with plenty of text (Golden Sun, and any other RPG) probably will have some clarity issues with text.

[Solscud007]

Its cool. But I like my retro styled GBA SP.

[bandit29]

Did we really need another version of the GBA? Especially since, according to reports, the screen is smaller than the GBA SP. Maybe young kids will buy this. I know this old man won't lol

[Commander McBride]

Did we really need another version of the GBA? Especially since, according to reports, the screen is smaller than the GBA SP. Maybe young kids will buy this. I know this old man won't lol

Screen is obviously much smaller, just look at the cart next to it.

[Radd]

So is the Micro nothing more than the Advance line's Gameboy Pocket? I was expecting something with DS quality graphics, but at a more practical price point and sporting longer battery life than the PSP. This is an unexpected move for Nintedo given that the portable market has been so important to them.

However, if they lighten up on the touchscreen requirements for DS developement, and drop that handheld's price a little, they could still keep their lead just because the PSP is trying to do what so many other handhelds have tried. Going with better graphics, but a much shorter battery life and a much higher price.

"They tried and failed?"

"They tried and died!"

[Zentrandude]

don't know psp would die, sony is advertising kind of hard on tv commericals. I don't even see anything from nintendo except for like 1 game once in a blue moon.

I don't mind its a smaller screen since its should be the same res as the older model.

If its gb/gbc compatable and cost like 20 bucks I may fetch one, my gba is getting old the outer plastic has deep scratches, the on/off switch acts funny at times but weirdly the buttons are still good.

[ComicKaze]

This is how insanely small it is. It's chic but R & L will kill your fingers. What would possibly be a cool thing would be if it came with an NES controller faceplate but DAMN, this thing looks like half the size of an NES controller. Wouldn't it be awesome to mod it into an actual NES controller and fill a flastcart full of NES roms?

Edited May 18, 2005 by ComicKaze

[Zentrandude]

heh its about the size of a typical keychain float. if you own a boat you proly know.

wonder if it has the wireless thing built in or you have to plug that weird thing on the top

[JB0]

I think the Micro is kind of cute.  But why in the hell would I want to shell out money for this when I've already bought a GBA, an SP, and a DS?  This is hardly the Gameboy that people were hoping for when they were looking for something to go up against the PSP.

Well... I might get one, if they're cheap enough, just for the sheer novelty.

Actually one good thing about this micro-GBA SP. The regular SP will drop in price, and I'll be able to pick up a backup GBA SP for cheap. That way, when the first SP gives out (hopefully never), I'll have another ready to go.

Of course, I'll take the battery out for long term storage. Won't do to have battery leakage destroying the unit before I can use it.

What's gonna kill you is the LiIon battery pack has a ... I think it's 10-year life... from date of manufacture. After that time, they're pretty much useless, no matter how well you cared for it(even if you maintained it at it's optimum 2/3s charge for every second of it's life).

Fortunately, Nintendo seems to be using the same LiIon pack for the DS, so the SP has gotten a new lease on life. With luck, they'll stick with the same pack through the forseeable future.

[Zentrandude]

yah the battery pack is a great design (im been thinking to mod my mini-z overland to run on two or three of them). Its abit sucky that the sp can't run off the charger alone but that defeats the purpose of a portable device.

[Seven]

Interesting. You could probably fit that whole thing into the 8 bit Nintendo's cartridge slot!

[Black Valkyrie]

I like it, besides a portable games system in the first place it about fun and game play and it doesn`t need to be like a PSP. I might get it.

[Bub]

In the future. Humans will need to wear glasses at an early age.

[Agent ONE]

I play 8 bit Nintendo games on my Cell phone... FULL functionality, I just beat the Legend of Zelda, and come close in Mike Tyson's Punchout.

After having this I will never go and cary around some other piece of equipment to play games.

Haha, I just got Rainbow Six 3 on mine. What service do you have, I didn't see a lot of NES games on Sprint.

I have a Treo 650, Cingular service. All I have is an NES emulator program that runs on Palm OS... I can play any and all games. I think I have like 30 games on it.

[Gunbuster]

After playing 10 minutes with the gameboy micro, I'm difinitely picking it up (even though I have a DS, a SP, and a GBA). The unit is really cool! and the screen is big enough to read text, Nintendo had some action/adventure/RPG game on it so I can tell the texts are readable.

Edited May 19, 2005 by Gunbuster

[Akilae]

So this being an evolution of the GBA... does it also play cartridges all the way back to the original GB?

[Gunbuster]

I didn't ask them that, I got rid of all my old GB games awhile ago ;;

[Commander McBride]

I play 8 bit Nintendo games on my Cell phone... FULL functionality, I just beat the Legend of Zelda, and come close in Mike Tyson's Punchout.

After having this I will never go and cary around some other piece of equipment to play games.

Haha, I just got Rainbow Six 3 on mine. What service do you have, I didn't see a lot of NES games on Sprint.

I have a Treo 650, Cingular service. All I have is an NES emulator program that runs on Palm OS... I can play any and all games. I think I have like 30 games on it.

Ah, I had a Treo 600 for over a year, liked it, but the wireless functions crapped out and I was just past warranty.

[Renato]

So this being an evolution of the GBA... does it also play cartridges all the way back to the original GB?

If it does, I might get it. This thread right here is the first I've heard of it, though, so I'm gonna find out a bit more about it first (Like when it's coming out!).

[Renato]

OK, I was surfing for more info on this thing and I also found out about a new peripheral that came out a few months ago called the "Play Yan" made by Nintendo and Panasonic, which lets you watch movies and listen to MP3s on the GBA SP and DS. According to Nintendo's site here, it is not compatible with the normal GBA (however, some sites like Gamespot, I think, claim that it IS in fact compatible with the GBA, as well as the GC's Game Boy Player).

The thing that's got me thinking at the moment is whether or not this Game Boy Micro will be compatible with the Play Yan, or not. If so, I'm totally sold. I've been meaning to get my hands on that Super Robot Wars game with Macross in it for a while, and now I can have it along with a cool mp3/video player, all in one package.

Battery life is a concern, though.

[Agent ONE]

I play 8 bit Nintendo games on my Cell phone... FULL functionality, I just beat the Legend of Zelda, and come close in Mike Tyson's Punchout.

After having this I will never go and cary around some other piece of equipment to play games.

Haha, I just got Rainbow Six 3 on mine. What service do you have, I didn't see a lot of NES games on Sprint.

I have a Treo 650, Cingular service. All I have is an NES emulator program that runs on Palm OS... I can play any and all games. I think I have like 30 games on it.

Ah, I had a Treo 600 for over a year, liked it, but the wireless functions crapped out and I was just past warranty.

What did you get to replace it?

[JB0]

So this being an evolution of the GBA... does it also play cartridges all the way back to the original GB?

I'd bet no, though it's just a guess.

Not supprting the 8bit GBs means they can scrap a processor(the z80-ish thing isn't available in GBA mode), as well as ditching the hardware needed to sense 8bit games and supply 5v to the cart slot instead of 3.3(if I recall the voltages right).