Size isn't everything... or so I've been told. (Nintendo Game Boy Micro)

Member Name: JamieJCO

Product:	Nintendo Game Boy Micro
Date:	30/04/09 (90 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great screen, loads of great games, attractive to look at, very portable.

Disadvantages: Hard to find, not suited for fast paced games.

The Gameboy Micro was a release by Nintendo in late 2005. The console was a smaller, sleeker version of the Gameboy SP which in turn was an improvement on the Gameboy Advance. The console plays Gameboy Advance games; however it cannot play Gameboy Colour or original Gameboy games due to the lack of supporting hardware installed on the console.

The graphics of the console are obviously limited by the cartridges that it can play, although the screen is superior to both the Gameboy Advance and the SP due to its higher screen resolution, durability of the screen as well as a much better backlight behind the screen to improve visibility in both dark conditions as well as when there is glare on the screen. This allows much easier gameplay without the inconvenience of having to sit somewhere suitable, which is besides the point of portable gaming.

That leads me neatly onto the next point, that the Gameboy Micro is the perfect portable gaming system it is light (only 80 grams without a cartridge inserted) and would easily fit in your pocket. There is a great selection of games that can be played on it, for example Super Mario, Pokémon, Advance Wars and a huge variety of other titles, most of which are now available at a discount price because of the Nintendo DS now proving itself to be a "better" successor. The Gameboy Micro seems like a very delicate piece of hardware at first although using the machine for only a short period of time you can tell that it is a hardy piece of kit that can resist most knocks and bumps to it, meaning you can put it in your pocket and take it with you wherever you go. There is even a 5 hour battery life that means the console if good even for the relatively long journeys and better still it is rechargeable so that you don't have to waste money on batteries which are also harmful for the environment if not recycled. Another good feature, which is infamously lacking on the Gameboy SP is the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, which allows you enjoy the full experience of the game without annoying the people around you.

Gameboy Advance games I have always found are great to play when on the go, even more so than DS titles in my opinion, simply because they are so involving and yet can be played on such a casual basis. Whilst Nintendo DS games require the use of a stylus and even the voice (which can be embarrassing when on the move, especially in public transport) the Gameboy Micro requires no such involvement, it's a quick pick up and play gaming system that can be slid away back into your pocket when you are done.

There are some problems that have been associated with the Gameboy Micro since release however, one of which is the awkward location it's Start and Select buttons, placed on the bottom of the console. This causes difficulty in games which require you to press these buttons at a fast paced, such as some action games. Whilst it doesn't cause too much trouble for most of the popular titles that are featured it may prove challenging for players who enjoy faster-paced games for the Gameboy Micro.

Another problem of this console is that the screen is smaller than its predecessors, measuring a measly two inches in comparison to the original Gameboy Advance's three. However, as the saying goes it's not the size that matters it's what you do with it, and because of the exceptional quality of the screen that is on the Gameboy Micro it allows for great functionality of most titles anyway.

A final problem, albeit not directly related to the design of the console, is that it is hard to find a Gameboy Micro. They are always up for auction on eBay as well as Amazon, however they always fetch prices in excess of £30-40, which for some people is too much to pay for a console which was released over 3 years ago and has since been succeeded by a newer model. The main reason for it's price is the relative rarity of the console, as they didn't sell as well as Nintendo might have expected due to the competitive SP which people were already pleased with and the poor advertising campaign that pre-empted it's release.

In conclusion this is a very good console that is perfect for a casual gamer on the move, and so if you want a console that is both nice to look and features great titles then look no further than the Gameboy Micro, if you can get your hands on one of course.

Summary: A great little console perfect for playing games on the move.