Customer Reviews

Game Boy Micro - 20th Anniversary Edition

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought a GameBoy micro the first day I could find one and it has been a near-constant companion ever since. Although the price for the early adopter was high, I was in love with the small size and amazing screen - the brightness and clarity were new at this time (nearly a year before the DS lite). After using it on a near-daily basis for over two years and buying a second one so that I might always have one ready to go, I can tell you pretty much everything you need to know about the GameBoy micro.

The first thing you notice is the size. It's tiny. The size of a small cell phone. With my GBA SPs or the DS (and even the DS lite), I needed to dedicate a pocket for the device. Not at all so with the micro. It easily fits into my pocket with my phone. I can take this anywhere.

The second great feature is the removable faceplate. I don't really care about the looks of the device, although I must admit that it is nice to have a change of pace every once in a while. The real function of the faceplate is to protect the screen. Wanna put the micro in the same pocket as your keys? This is not a problem. Should the faceplate get scratched up, just toss it and put on a replacement. While the 20th Anniversary micro only comes with a single faceplate, the Silver and Black versions have three. Replacements can be ordered from Nintendo's online store or picked up in person at Nintendo World in New York.

The third great feature is the screen. It is bright and it is pretty. I was a tad apprehensive about the size of the screen, thinking that text would be difficult to read. Not so. After spending hundreds of hours playing Pokémon, Final Fantasy and several other text-heavy games, I have no complaints whatsoever about the screen. Text is crisp and legible, and games really come to life with the bright backlight. (One extremely notable example is Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. It looks like an entirely new game on the micro.)

The final really great feature is that it's durable. I wouldn't dream of dropping my PSP but I have literally drop-kicked the micro across the room to demonstrate its toughness. I also regularly stuff this into my keys pocket and the micro must be coated in magic because I do not have a scratch on either of mine.

Not everything is perfect, however. The major annoyance is that it has a proprietary charger. My DS and SP use the same charger, but the DS lite and the micro have separate chargers. Couldn't the DS lite and the micro share with each other, if not with the SP and DS as well? I have retired my old DS, but my better half has not, so we have three separate chargers for the three separate handhelds. The decision to use a different plug for the DS lite and micro baffles me to this day.

The only other complaint that I have is that the volume control is a rocker switch, not a slider. This is fine is most scenarios, and it allows the rocker a dual use - hold down the L trigger and use the rocker to adjust brightness. However, if you are heading to the bathroom at work and want to get in some Final Fantasy while you're at it, you will hear the system chime on powerup unless you have thought ahead and turned the volume down beforehand. (You cannot adjust the volume while the system is off, unlike the DS, DS lite or GameBoy Advance SP.) Thankfully, the volume setting persists, so if you turn it down, turn the system off and then turn it back on, your volume will be where you left it.

Overall, the GameBoy micro is my favorite handheld gaming system for its portability, its excellent software library and the sheer joy it is to play. If you are looking true gaming on the go, it is very hard to top this system.

For a casual gamer who wants to pick up a game of tetris or the sims while waiting for an oil change, etc- this is the best product out there. Screen is bright, crisp, and highly visible. Gameboy advance library is vast, with a lot of great options. Nintendo has stopped making these, which is very unfortunate. get one while you can!

I love this little thing!! Well its 2011, so why would I want a gameboy? I just missed it! This thing is really small, fits right in my pocket, which is what I wanted. I've had it for a month and I'v,e had no trouble with it, the battery life is great, screen brightness is adjustable, the screen is small BUT its not a problem for me, its really crisp and i can read everything on the screen easily I've been playing a game that requires a lot of reading so I would know. The only things that I don't like is that the speaker isn't very good, I mean it works fine but its not .very loud, and it doesn't play gameboy color games! But anyway, overall I love this version of the gameboy.

Im very happy with the perfomrance of this system for its size you can play all your gameboy advance games in a small system which is great for travel fits on your pocket realy easily the only complaint i have is sometimes it hurts your hands if you play really long but for the most part its really great for the size and it has good batery life so for someone who wants a quick game system to pull out of there pocket this is wonderfull

I bought this for my husband for Christmas because he is a video game collector and avid player. before I gave it to him I had a sneak peek at the game play on it and I fell in love with this little game boy. the games look great even on the small screen and it fit so perfectly in my small hands I'm going to buy him the other micro so he can play that one and have this one for his collection.

After owning an older model GB Advance SP for some time now, I was growing tired of the dim screen. In addition, the battery could no longer hold a charge for more than an hour.

These issues gave me a brilliant excuse to pick up the Game Boy Micro Famicom Edition. This version looks even more beautiful in person. Nintendo made some super sexy hardware. The screen is smaller, but the increase in resolution and brightness means I don't miss any real estate of the SP. I'm currently playing through Golden Sun and the text is sharp and the whole world looks more vibrant.

The only issue I've had with the Micro is the speaker output at max volume will crackle a little bit, which doesn't surprise me for such a small unit. I don't have these problems on a lower setting. Thankfully, Nintendo used a 3.5mm jack for this model as well!

It's hard to justify buying a handheld that will only play GBA games. For roughly the same price, you could pick up a DS Lite. I didn't care, once I saw the Famicom version, I had to buy it. It's gorgeous and definitely gives you a feeling of nostalgia every time you pick it up.

Also, it got me laid.

Just got the Micro delivered to my doorsteps today and I'm pretty excited. First note is that this is the Japanese version. Meaning that the instruction booklet and all supplemental materials are in Japanese(Most people don't bother with the manual but collectors usually pay attention to these things).

It plays all my U.S. GBA games just fine. I've had the original GBA since it first came out. I play it occasionally and of course the screen is dimmer than a dark alley. The difference with the Micro's screen is astonishing. Bright, clear, and beautiful to view. My old games look brand new on the Micro.

The system itself is small and sleek. The buttons feel nice and sturdy. They are responsive during gameplay. I love the 20th Anniversary design; it harkens back to the days of those LCD static handhelds that I enjoyed so much. Terrific improvement over the original GBA and a great collectible item.

The Game Boy Micro was everything I wanted in a very small package. The screen is 2 inches but the resolution on the screen is very good. I been playing "The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap" and there is text to read and surprisingly enough the text looks very sharp and I had no problem reading it. I would recommend this handheld for its size because you can carry it in your pocket with no problem.

I got one of these back in 2005 and 2006. Then i got one here at amazon again. I love this thing. the color and screen quality are sooooo much better. the color and crispness of the screen make you feel like Megaman Zero 4 is a different game after having beaten it on the GBA SP.

The responsiveness of the d-pad makes playing brutally hard games like Megaman Zero possible. I also play Street fighter Alpha 3 on my mirco this is another example of the quality of the micro's d-pad. i can pull off any move with any character on the 1st try. I have never been able to say this with any other game control system.

But on to the system its self. It is beautiful beyond description. Every one will come up to you and ask what it is. I would play it in the break room at my old job. people never knew what it was and yet 4 people went out and bought one after seeing mine. Chicks digg it too.

Overall this is the best Gameboy to be released & the last gameboy to be released. I have owned every gameboy to ever be released. starting with the original grey gameboy. This some what is influenced by the fact that my birthday is in march the month nintendo always drops there new handhelds.

with the high quality buttons and screen this is a definite purchase. Buy one while you can.

My son earned up enough money to buy one and talked me into getting it early to "beat the Christmas rush". Got it just in time for a snow day off school. He said it was the best day of his life! He loves it! The screen is much brighter than other Game Boys and easier to see. Small size is fun too. Actual color of system is funky too.