The Gadgets Page

When Nintendo released the DS (Dual Screen) as a response to the PSP, I thought: “They’ve lost it. They don’t understand that their core market is ten year olds who need a cheap, small, rugged game player, not 30 year olds who can afford a delicate $300 toy.” Well, the Game Boy micro shows that they’ve figured that out. After struggling to attract developers and sell the DS for six months, Nintendo has switched tracks and come out with what may be the perfect casual game playing device for grown ups.

At $99, it’s cheap enough for a casual purchase. About the size of an iPod Nano (but twice as thick), the GBA Micro is literally as small as a device could be and still allow me to play it. It’s the same hardware as the Game Boy Advance SP and plays all Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color games. The only difference is that it’s about 1/3 the size and weight. GBA cartridges fit entirely inside the device (the slot occupies about 1/3 of the volume of the device). Battery life is about as good as a GBA SP, surprisingly. The replaceable faceplates are a brilliant idea—no more worry about scratches ruining your device. If the iPod nano had replaceable faceplates, Apple wouldn’t have egg on their face right now over the scratching problem.

My wife instantly adopted the micro—it fits in her purse and pocket easily. While the kids like it, the form factor isn’t nearly as important to them, and frankly the GBA SP is quite a bit sturdier. So I’d consider the Game Boy Micro to be the player for the kid in every adult. It’s small enough to carry with you and play without attracting too much attention.