GameBoy Micro Review

I am still of the opinion that the Gameboy Advanced SP (or as we call it, the "G-BASP" is the best handheld game system ever made. Don't get me wrong. I love my Sony PSP - it is an amazing machine that plays games I never imagined would be on a handheld form factor. But the G-BASP is the best balance of playability, portability, and battery life that I have ever seen. A single charge lasts me a week of gaming, and I can go 6 months without playing it, and come back and find it with enough of a charge to play several hours of gaming. Plus, it plays Gameboy Advanced, Gameboy Color, and original Gameboy games which means you can access most of the portable games ever made. The Nintendo DS on the other hand is a huge disappointment (not the worst, I think the VirtualBoy takes that prize.) Its battery is not as good as the G-BASP. The screen is fine. The games are lacking in quantity and quality. And frankly a touchscreen is not the best interface for the kinds of games one plays on a Gameboy.

Well, now Nintendo is trying to correct the mistake of the DS with the new Gameboy Micro. And IGN has up a review the unit which gives one hope that Nintendo is not entirely hopeless. The new device is essentially a tiny Gameboy Advance. It is so small, in fact, that I suspect that many users will find it hard to see details on the screen. And, unfortunately, it does not play previous Gameboy games (nor Nintendo DS games, but that is no great loss). But it is pocket-sized, with a long battery life, and a high quality screen. I'd prefer a little more visibility and a little more compatibility (so I am not going to buy one) but this is definitely a road on the right path.