Game Boy Micro Hands-On

The Game Boy Micro is small, but is it just another Nintendo novelty item? Find out as we go hands-on with the tiniest of gaming gadgets.

Today we finally got our grubby little hands on Nintendo's Game Boy Micro, one of the smallest little gadgets the gaming world has to offer. The Micro is the fourth portable system to play GBA games, though it is the first that can truly be described as pocket-sized. It is initially striking just how tiny this thing really is. We all saw it or read about it at Nintendo's E3 press conference in May, but experiencing it first hand is entirely different. And though it looks like a novelty item, Nintendo hardware design packed a hell of a punch into the smallest of packages.

The Little Game Boy That Could
The Micro comes in a classy aluminum package with a charger and a manual. To gauge just how small the Micro is, we took a few pictures for reference. About 3 3/4" long by 1 3/4" wide, by 5/8" thick, the Micro is about half the size of the GBA SP, and is just a tad smaller in surface area than the PSP screen. Hold about 35 normal business cards in your hand, and you're looking at almost the exact size of the Micro, give or take a centimeter or two.

Size is the obvious advantage here and, at the same time, is the player's only real disadvantage. Like the GBA SP, the Micro gets a little cramped, especially with the shoulder buttons. Strangely enough, though, because the Micro is a little bit wider than the SP, it more closely resembles a console controller. To my surprise, I actually prefer the L and R buttons on the Micro to the SP. Because of the added width, the joints in the index fingers fall at a slightly better spot with the Micro.

Smaller and Brighter
Like other Nintendo consoles, the Micro has quality written all over it. The screen is easily the best and brightest of any Nintendo handheld, holds a decent viewing angle, and has a very good refresh rate. And, it is slightly inset behind a protective plastic casing, giving the front of the unit a slightly concave and fluid look. A very nice click button that beeps when pushed, has replaced the SP and DS sliding volume knob. And, the Start and Select buttons (which illuminate red during a game, and blue when the unit is charging) have been positioned at the bottom of the player, and the directional pad is incredibly responsive for its minute size.

The Micro is obviously modeled after the original NES controller, and Nintendo did a great job in creating an overall design the looks like a modern evolution of the latter. Retailing at $100, getting gamers to forgo the SP for another small GBA player might be a tough sell. Too bad it doesn't support Bluetooth or IR --this could've been a freakin' sweet add-on/system controller for the Revolution. Dang.

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