Nintendo Australia Game Boy Micro

You've got to hand it to Nintendo, when they are on to a good thing; they sure know how to run with it. In the never ending quest to make consumer electronics smaller, sleeker, and sexier Nintendo have released their Game Boy brand in a new incarnation, one that is smaller and more attractive than ever.

The Game Boy micro plays all of the nearly 700 Game Boy Advance (GBA) titles on the market on its tiny, two inch screen. Unlike the GBA SP the micro has a headphone jack which fits any standard set of headphones. Why Nintendo didn't include one in the SP line is still a mystery to us.

As with all Nintendo products, the micro is perfectly designed with a metallic finish which extends to the two shoulder buttons and the start and select buttons. The entire unit is rather sturdy and only four inches wide, making it smaller than most mobile phones. One of the downfalls of other systems like the original GBA and the PSP is that the screen has no cover and is frustratingly susceptible to scratching. The micro has this problem too but it also has the ability to snap off the faceplate and snap on a new one. This is ideal for people wanting to customise their micro or those who have damaged their current faceplate.

The micro uses the same processor as the GBA and GBA SP but has employed new screen technology which gives the same quality crystal clear images while also allowing the player to change the brightness of the image to accommodate for the play environment. Outdoors the unit does well, even in sunlight, and indoors the screen is bright and consistently high quality.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem with the micro is the very thing it was designed to be. Its size means that the screen is a little too small and the controls tend to cramp your hands during extended play. This may not be a problem for some people with smaller hands but our ape-like paws couldn't quite handle the micro without discomfort.

The unit is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery cell which charges in about 2 hours with a lifespan of about 10 hours of game play. This is an appealing package for style conscious gamers and comes with a lanyard to hang the micro around the neck. Also, while the stock micro has a silver faceplate, the pack does come with a striking glossy black faceplate as a backup, which we much preferred to the silver.