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The Gameboy Micro Reviewed
Advtg writes "Ars Technica has a great review of the Gameboy Micro, which is now shipping in North America. The thing is
amazingly small, but it looks as though worries about the screen being too small and too dim aren't true. But will it sell? From the review: 'You'd think at this point the portable
market would just be saturated with Nintendo products, and the Micro carries a price tag of US$99.99. For just US$30 more you can get a DS, and for US$20 less you can get an SP
with the newly brightened screen. It occupies somewhat of an awkward place in terms of price point and features.'"
How many people bought a Nano even though they had a perfectly fine player at home anyways?
People don't buy on need or feature/function alone.
For me, the biggest selling point is that it is the least toy-like in appearance of the three. The DS may be fun, but I think it looks a little too much like a kid's toy.
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The thing is amazingly small, but it looks as though worries about the screen being too small and too dim aren't true.
Look at the bright side: if they had called it GameBoy Nano, it would have a scratch-prone screen, so it's not so bad...
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
...But remember what the iPod is doing?
It's popular, and it just came out with the Nano, and even that's selling. Size matters there days, when people want to do things on the go, they like what's smallest best.
This makes the original Gameboy seem HUGE.
Reality test... am I dreaming?
Neither the rain nor the wind nor consumer opinion will stop Nintendo(TM) from trying to sell us ANOTHER copy of an already existing product it seems...
Bah.
It's been in my local Wal-Mart for over a week. Two weeks maybe even, and I live in Canada. Northern Canada.
One feature of the micro which may seem trivial but, to me is a great idea, is the replacable faceplates.. it's not so much the customisation aspect, though that is pretty nifty, but the fact that the faceplates include a transparent screen cover.
That means you can stick it in your pocket/bag/whatever, and not worry about screen scratches. When too many scratches accumulate simply change the faceplate for a new one.
This is probably the only portable gaming system I'd consider getting. All the others just seem too bulky for me.. and as an ex Atari Lynx owner (stop laughing!) I'd really rather not go through all that again. The micro looks truly "take anywhere", perfect for those 5-minutes-here, 10-minutes-there gaming sessions, especially if you put one of those backup card thingies in it and load it up with emulators.
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
gameboy.ign.com's review of the Micro is actually pretty positive
Here's the ending summary of it: The GB Micro isn't exactly the ideal way to enjoy Game Boy Advance games, but don't misjudge it by its size. Given the choice between toting a GBA SP in our backpacks or a GB Micro in our pockets, we'll take the Micro. It's tiny, its screen is amazing, and it is surprisingly comfortable to hold.
Sometimes they are virtually throwaway products to get you interested, then think 'gee for just a few bucks more...'.
Not quite 'bait and switch' but damned close.. More like 'bait and pull'...
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Your girlfriend will make it pink. Fair warning.
Haha, he assumes too much.
How long till people port Linux to it?
About... this long
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
Just... why?
Because a gameboy SP cannot be easily fit into a 20-something professional's work clothes.
Because a smaller gameboy can be carried around for casual gaming, like while waiting in line, without being a brick in your pocket.
Because some folk just buy everything that Nintendo sells.
Because Nintendo can do it at a profit.
Although the main problem with the original GBA was the backlight, it was also very prone to getting marks or scratches on the screen. When the SP came out it cleverly removed this problem with the clamshell design.
The only real complaint with the SP was that the controls weren't as easily accessible as on the original. The shoulder buttons were very small and the thin square design wasn't the best for some hand sizes.
Now nintendo is releasing the micro, which keeps the form factor of the original GBA (more or less) but sidesteps the scratching issue with a better protective layer and most importantly removable faceplates.
Yes nintendo is a fan of releasing the same product over and over, but each iteration always has something new to offer and is rarely a step back. Nice to see the standard headphone jack return as well.
They have a history of marketing "repackaged" old stuff with the new. They made the top load NES when they did SNES. They did the Newer gameboy style at the same time as the gameboy color. Etc, Etc. It seems to work for them.
Surviving America
The guys at iPod Lounge did a comprehensive review of this little guy some time ago, with lots of pictures comparing it to the various iPods and previous GameBoys for perspective. Worth checking out.
The Humblest Mollusk on the Net
For just US$30 more you can get a DS, and for US$20 less you can get an SP with the newly brightened screen. It occupies somewhat of an awkward place in terms of price point and features.
When talking about things like palms this sort of note makes sense since really everyone would rather have the most expensive palm for the cheapest price. Same story when it comes to the same line of mp3 player with different storage capacities. But here I don't think that is the case. It seems these 3 products have different values for different customers. If somebody wants something small there aren't going to go for a DS even if it is the same price as the micro. If someone really wants the DS features instead of the extra portability they'll get the DS. And for someone like me who doesn't want something as big as a DS but finds the SP more comfortable to play they will get an SP, even if again all 3 are at the same price.
Instead of having 3 compromises of price and features Nintendo actually has 3 different products, although clearly they are competing against each other. but at the same time prefers the size of the SP
Yeah, and its also just like if Apple decided to release some sort of smaller iPod along with the regular iPod. It just doesn't make sense.
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I think it's more than likely due to the sheer volume of games available, along with a lot of middle of the road buyers who wouldn't go for the DS, and want a simple "least number of moving parts to break" gaming system. Both the GBA SP and GB DS have hinged setups, which for many, are inconvenient. Ribbon cables can break, hinges can break, the backlight on both handhelds will obviously consume battery power far quicker than what the Micro would, and on an economical basis, the screen on the Micro is far cheaper to produce in the long run.
Besides that, it's the "small is good" mentality beyond everything else, the GBA, GBA SP and GB DS are all the size of a wallet. The Micro is the size of a keychain. Like at a LAN party, which would garner more interest? Lugging a suitcase size PC in, or carrying in a 17" LCD with a mini ITX box attached that's the size of a Mac Mini?
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
Nah -- think ipod nano. nothing new but the form factor, and they're going to sell, by my calculations, on the order of one zillion of them this holiday.
let's not underestimate this sort of usability/aesthetic/convenience factor. i have 88 pockets for my various devices, but normal humans don't.
god is just pretend.
They are marketing it as a fashion statement. There's an ad for it in the new Transworld Skateboarding mag. It shows a kid with a nose ring wearing all camo clothes with a camo GB Micro connected to strap across his chest. There's a slogan "make it yours" at the top. I'll keep my SP.
Apparently if you want to play multiplayer with an SP or connect the Micro to your Gamecube you need to buy a converter cable.
I'm disappointed that they couldn't keep with the standard connector. It's not the end of the world, I'd just prefer not to worry about one more tiny accessory.
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You spend over $100 for a game system and can't be sure which one you bought? Early on-set Alzheimer's?
The battery is replaceable too. And the standard headphone jack is great, compared to SP. The only drawback is that it only plays GBA games, which is fine by me, but I'm sure others would have loved the ability to play GB/GBC games.
The DS isn't really appealing to me, this is. When playing a portable system, simplicity is really the main thing for me. The stylus stuck me as something I would lose while jumping from the train after having almost missed my stop because I was too engrossed in the damn game.
Recently I had to choose between a PSP and an iPod nano (choose because I don't make enough damn money). I chose the Nano and I'm glad I did as now I can get a sexy little game system to match it. All for the same price as a PSP (less if you consider the price of a memory card big enough to use the PSP as an MP3 player). The games are cheeper too.
Cool art gallery, if you're into that sort of thing.
...discretely playing Golden Sun 2 on my GBA Micro wondering how anyone could have problems imagining why they'd be popular. Any time I want a break at work off I go without even the slightest telltale bulge in my pocket to give away what I'm doing. Unfortunately I think the person in the next stall might have just spotted the laptop that I'm using in here to post this comment...
This just means more confused geriatrics wandering aimlessly around an electronics store searching for that "new fangled game thing my grandson wants." That isn't good for anyone.
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I have never really liked handheld gaming. The only reason I own a Gameboy is because my brother wanted one of the original Gameboy's for Christmas when they first came out and my father didn't want to get him one and not me. I think I played Tetris and one Raiden like game on the thing; I just never really liked it. To this day, the only portable game system I have owned is that original Gameboy. However, I now find myself wanting a Gameboy Micro. I want one to play all of the classic SNES games (e.g. Super Mario World, A Link to the Past, etc.) whenever I get bored somewhere away from home. But, I don't want to have to carry some huge, and I include the GBA SP in that statement, gaming machine around with me. The Micro is small enough that it won't get in the way and the screen has a decent enough resolution that I would be able to use it for while without straining my eyes.
So there is one reason for all the "whys" being posted. Classic gaming on a platform that is easy to carry around.
I am 28. It fits easily in my blue jean pocket. The screen is a wee small but damn bright and clear. The sound (via headphones) is really impressive. Was playing metroid on it the first day and was in love.
Yeah, its small. But I played for over an hour the other night, holding the right shoulder button through Toularian (Mother brain land) almost the whole time.
No regrets. No AA batteries to replace.
Why not buy the DS? Never buy the first edition of a Nintendo product -- they always come out with a better version in 6 months to a year. Compare the original GBA to the new SP. The DS is currently molded like a kid's toy, but I expect that to change. For now I have a large library of GBA titles available to me. When a new, improved DS comes out I can give the micro to my wife (-:
I bought it because the screen was significantly better than the original Gameboy advance (The fact that the GBA screen was WORSE than my Gameboy Color was what prevented me from buying one at first).
I bought it because it was smaller, it fit in a shirt pocket, or well, any pocket. A GBA wouldn't have (in fact I think the GBA SP was the first portable system that would).
I bought it because of the clamshell design, which protects the screen when not in use.
The Gameboy Micro does two out of three better than the SP. That ain't too shabby.
"They have a history of marketing "repackaged" old stuff with the new. They made the top load NES when they did SNES. They did the Newer gameboy style at the same time as the gameboy color. Etc, Etc. It seems to work for them."
Well, to be fair, this is partly because of demand. Portable systems, for example, have differing requirements depending on the user's individual needs. The Game Boy Pocket, for example, was considerably smaller than the original Game Boy. (plus it had a better screen.) It was still B&W and it had a slightly higher price tag. If you wanted to save a few bucks, get the bigger one. If you wanted a more mobile one, pony up the extra $10. The Game Boy Color introduced 'color', and the games started to take advantage of it. If you were getting a new Game Boy (considering 100 million or so were sold over the last like 15 years, it was easy to find new customers...) then this was an attractive option. The Game Boy Advance was great because it had SuperNES like capabilities. The SP had a backlight and had a different form factor which was more appealing to some. (in my case, I bought the SP and then gave my sister the original GBA...) And, finally, the Micro. That thing is much smaller with a much better screen.
To answer the question of "why?", the answer is simple: Existing customers have a reason to buy it since it has a smaller size and a better screen. New customers have another choice that may better suit them. In the case of the Game Boy, choice is good. I don't want a Micro, but I don't play my GBA on the go. It doesn't appeal to me, but I can think of a handful of people off the top of my head that'd love it.
As for the top-loading Nintendo, there were two reasons that was launched: 1.) People were still buying NES's and this system was much cheaper to build. 2.) The top loading feature was less prone to 'blinking'.
I think what the gpp isn't considering is that these are mass-market products being sold to people with a wide variety of tastes. If I had to summarize my point down to one sentence, I'd just say "supply & demand."
"Derp de derp."
I'm very interested in testing the GBA Movie Player cartridge on this new device. It works fine on bot the GBA and GB/SP but the screen on the GBA is pitifully dull, and the lighted GB/SP screen isn't bright enough.
For those who don't know what the GBA Movie Player is, it is a GBA cartridge w/Compact Flash slot. It can play videos, music, images, ebooks, and NES game ROMs. Not bad for a $15 cart.
If this works as well as I hope, then it'll make a nice little mobile entertainment system. ;)
I own a PSP and its to big to bring around every day in my pants pockets, since it requires some sort of case due to the fact that it is rather delicate and has a huge unprotected screen, it usually has to go into the backpack. Add to the fact that its a pain to get in and out of my pants the fact that it takes time to boot up and play games, I actually want a Gameboy micro, since I can bring it anywhere and get my game on quickly. I actually cant wait for winter in New York because that means I can wear a Jacket with extra pockets so I can actually bring around my PSP without having a huge bulge in my pants. What amazes me even more is that the Nintendo DS is even larger than the PSP, and that was a important consideration when buying the PSP, while I can bear bringing the PSP around with me, it does not fit into some of my pant pockets. I could not even imagine fitting a brick like the Nintendo DS in my pocket, which is sad because I actually think that system has better games than the PSP, I am waiting eagerly for the Nintendo DS - Micro or at least a shrunken version of it, I am glad that at least nintendo is coming to their senses and making a portable game system that fits in the pocket and doesnt take over 30 seconds to boot.
I got some kind of computer abut 24 years ago. I can tell you the model and price, plus the software that came with it. And I was 7 at the time.
You didn't get any gameboy you trolling twat, because a) you didn't and b) the games typically don't suck.
Only big ligs use sigs.
It got a built in lithium-ion pack, but it is replaceable by the user.
Jan