PC Magazine tipped us off that they've put together
a review of the Game Boy Micro. We'll probably never receive another tip from PC Magazine as a result of what we're
about to say, but we say it to serve our readers. As is often the case with traditional media coverage of video games,
we're underwhelmed.
The review of course nails all of the product stats: size, weight, battery life test results, buttons and button placement. Getting the facts straight is a start, but only a start.
The review falls flat because it's just not critical enough. Answer us these questions: How do your hands feel when you play the device for two or three hours straight (and not just vague "long stretches")? When you shake the device, do the buttons rattle loosely like a cheap toy (the Game Boy Micro that we got our hands on at E3 exhibited this behavior). Hand the device to a room of eight- to ten-year-old kids and see how long it takes them to break it. Do the buttons jam or stick? How many times did you drop the unit before it broke? Does lint get behind the screen when you shove it into a book bag?
It all comes down to this: the Game Boy Micro is a portable device and needs to be reviewed in light of realistic gamer use patterns.
View the rest of our Game Boy Micro coverage here.
