Game Boy Micro site launches
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Aug 18th 2005 at 1:30PM }
The Game Boy Micro has been getting a lot of press recently—perhaps more than it should. But seeing as how people appear interested in the device, if not simply to criticize it, we thought we'd announce that the official website has launched. If anything, you can get a sense of just how frickin' small this thing is, even if wrapping your hands around a 2D object is, well, impossible. You can also play around with some of the upcoming faceplate designs. I know Vladimir already has "ladybug" on pre-order.
[Thanks, Sean]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
vidGuy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
It's neat to have a new level of PORTABLE for the handheld games industry, but I couldn't stand the self proclaimed smallest screen in Game Boy history.
I can barely make what's happening on the GBA's screen.
This will likely have only mediocre sales, what with that flood of GB remodels, the DS, and the PSP out.
dvdzandgamez @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Depends on the price. It could sell like hotcakes with the little ones' moms. It's awefully damn cute.
Dignan17 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
That's a tough sell at $100. They're putting a pretty big premium on the small size. If this thing had come out at the same time as the DS, and cost $100 at that point, I think it would have been quite popular. As it is, I don't think it'll do well.
Still, I'm debating whether to buy one myself. I have an SP, and I like it a lot. It is the best physical design of any portable gaming system in history (IMO). But sometimes even that is too big for me.
So the issue is that the screen is too small to play on, but I only really play for short amounts of time. This might be perfect for that use. Still, $100 is too much for me to pay right away. I guess I'll have to wait.
Lesbian Ham @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Nintendo claim they're the "innovative ones" and everyone "steals" their ideas. But the changing faceplates? That kind of reminds me of the 360. Granted, M$ didnt 'invent' faceplates, it just seems nintendo may have been 'influenced'
vidGuy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Lesbian Ham
Nintendo has been releasing different colors of game carts for awhile, and there are many colors available for the N64 and GC. Different looks to the consoles may well be their idea. Maybe not the faceplates, per se, but you get the jist.
And it seems like Nintendo may get to market first with the faceplates, regardless of who came up with the idea.
Buck Q. Fitch @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
"Granted, M$ didnt 'invent' faceplates, it just seems nintendo may have been 'influenced'"
I think you're right. Influenced by Nokia cell phones from 5 years ago.
funkonaut @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
#6, exactly. It's like all these Nintendo bashers just popped out of the womb last week. Those who forget the past are condembed to be labeled a dumbass.
OtakuCODE @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Forget the past? I've been railing on Nintendo ever since their anal retentive lawyers went toe to toe with Galoob and kept a Game Genie out of my 10 year old hands! By the time they were allowed to bring a perfectly legitimate product to market, 4 years of legal fighting later, the NES was on the decline and I barely got to use it before the 16 bit revolution hit. And when it did, you can bet your ass I went with Sega.
Nintendo has made some great games, but to laud it as a company is to deny history. They've been very vicious with their lawyers over the years and have taken several dives with gimmicky product ideas (R.O.B., Power Glove, Virtual Boy, there are lots of others). To believe they only create successes is to turn your back on their many missteps.
I only wish the GB Micro website were as difficult to use as the actual GB Micro will be. 4 pt text in 100x100 resolution might give some people the picture. If only there was some way to actually give website visitors hand cramps and neck cramps, the experience would be complete.
The tradeoff between small size and usability is a real one, and Nintendo pushed it too far with the Micro. RPGs and anything with text will be unplayable. Action games will make your thumbs ache.
But if they make one that looks just like the original NES controller, I'll buy one simply as an homage.
Eran Hawke @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
"The tradeoff between small size and usability is a real one, and Nintendo pushed it too far with the Micro."
Glad your future-glasses allow you to tell how usable the device is without...you know...using one.
I'm willing to give it a chance. I can't remember any Nintendo controller not being the best in its class at the time of release. Unlike Sony, Nintendo worries about usability first, aesthetics second. If this is good enough for them to produce, it is a usable product worthy of a fair trial.
Cyberblade @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
God damnit people, you complain about size but then you turn around and play a cell phone game? WTH!? As long as the GB Micros screen resolution is the same you will have no problem reading the text, and by now it should be quite easy to get a screen of the same resolution. Quit trying to say it will suck before it gets here, because I seem to remember alot of Sony fans slamming the DS, and look which one is selling better now? Alot of people won't care if it's a remake, nor will many realize it. It's just another option, aimed at a totally different adudience then the PSP or DS.
chill @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Talk about redundancy...
yo yo mama @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
those faceplates are lame - a ladybug ?? jeeeze
Mike Spike @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I'm intrigued, nice as the GBA SP is, the screen is still too dark and dodgy once you're used to playing on the DS. Nice as the DS is, it is as unwieldy as concrete underpants and equally comfortable to use.
I think there's a space for the GBA Micro in the marketplace, I'm still working through gba titles when I get the time and there's still a handful of good stuff I've yet to get around to.
DS titles on the other hand have been largely disappointing, to be quite frank, the Touch! novelty has worn off and it will be months before a decent RPG/Strategy game hits the DS. The 3D performance is a shocker too, my pda does better.
So it seems there's life in the GBA yet, if Nintendo had come out with a true PSP rival and a bunch of hot launch titles then we would have said bye bye to the GBA, but it seems that there's life in the old dog yet.
NergiZed @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Well from time to time I've always felt that the SP was slightly big, like when I wear jeans, or trying to sneak one into class (Damn it! Why'd they take off the earphone port from the SP!). Nice that they put back the earphone port, but I can't see if it has a connector cable port, hope they didn't take that off, or maybe it's wireless now.
I like the whole faceplate feature, although I don't think I'm gonna get one named "ladybug", maybe something like "Blaze", "Lightning", or "Blizzard", or some other name that is the name of something destructive.
I'll probably get it, it's not that expensive, and plus now all GBA games are cheap, and I didn't get a chance to play some of the best GBA games.
Well, it looks like Ninty's made the first portable gaming system that can have a "choking hazard" warning lable on it.
A lot of people out there are probably saying "Holy Fuck! That's Frickin' small!" but that's probably the same reaction you got when you saw a SD memory card for the first time, and look at how much it's used nowdays.
Just because it dosen't have the best grphics dosen't mean it won't sell. Again, I will use memory cards for an example, The micro is like an SD memory card, more portable but has less graphics, the DS and the PSP are like portable hard drives, it has better grapgics but less portablility.
Pigeh @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I think it might do pretty well, not great.
Remember when the xbox controllers first came out. I had to use both hands to press the UP and DOWN button. Then they release the smaller controllers and everything went good. Maybe this will happen with Nintendo, but I doubt.
I just dont want to pay $99.99 and get thumb prints all over the screen. The GBA's screen was really hard to get finger prints off. And my finger nail left a huge scratch on it.
But when I see "high definition" games played on it, becuase I know some idiot kid is going to buy one at my school, I will make my choice to buy one.