The Nintendo Game Boy Micro allows me to play Pokemon Ruby Version on the go.

Author's Rating:

Pros: Smallest Gameboy console ever made, bright full color LCD screen

Cons: Proprietary AC Adapter, short battery life

The Bottom Line: 
If you like gaming anywhere and want the smallest possible handheld then the Nintendo Game Boy Micro is your obvious choice!

Author's Review
One of the most remarkable things about electronics is that some devices remain popular, years or even a decade after they were first produced and sold.  Today, I want to pinpoint one of these electronic gizmos.  The Nintendo Game Boy Micro Handheld Console which was first released on September 19, 2005.  One of the primary reasons for this is that it can fit comfortably be hidden in your pocket.  Secondly, the Micro handheld will play any Nintendo Gameboy Advance game so you can sneak in some playing time on those popular titles like Yggdra Union for Game Boy Advance (GBA).  Finally, the handheld has great color depth and resolution for its 2" screen.

The Nintendo Game Boy Micro measures approximately 2" deep x 4" long x .75" high when placed in the palm of your hand and weighs about 2.8 ounces or 80 grams.  For a point of reference, the Micro is smaller than the Game Boy Advance by at least 2".  You even place it inside a Coca Cola can without any problems!  Initially, that is what caught my attention because I needed a way to play Pokemon Ruby Version without carrying around a large Gameboy Advance with me.  The physical case of the Gameboy Micro is made of metal and very resistant to falls off tables. 

The coolest part of this handheld is the strong resemblance it has to the classic NES controller.  How many times have you wished that they just put a LCD screen in the middle?  Well they did!  The D-Pad and buttons themselves are quite responsive to game play commands.  If you ever played with the classic NES controller then you will quickly become adept at playing Metroid or Metal Slug games on this product.

Nintendo GameBoy Micro Console Faceplate Customization Options
The faceplate on the Nintendo Gameboy Micro is held securely in place to the top with four little plastic clips.  To remove it, simply pry up the old faceplate with a butter knife and insert the new one.  You still find many different types of faceplates on the internet or in your local game store.  They come in a variety of colors to suite your gaming mood.

LCD Display Quality And Brightness
The display on the Gameboy Micro has a screen resolution of 240 x 160.  In contrast, the Nintendo DS Lite offers a screen resolution of 256 x 192 plus it is much larger.  You would think that playing on the 2" screen of the handheld gaming device would be challenging but I was able to adjust to it quickly.  The bright screen and crisp color reproduction make it quite easy to play.  I can easily play it for two hours straight without any eye tiredness.  The screen refresh rate is so good that I often prefer playing Dynasty Warriors Advance for Game Boy Advance (GBA) over any other console that I have because you can quickly dodge attacks or see enemy specials.

Audio Quality Of The Nintendo GameBoy Micro
My chief complaint about the Nintendo Gameboy Micro Handheld Console is its audio quality.  The device does support stereo output but even with that it is still lacking the ability to accurately reproduce MIDI based audio.  The single, built-in speaker is located on the front, bottom right corner.  At maximum volume you can only hear it from about 10 ft away if pointed directly at your head. 

The GameBoy Micro also has a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack.  When connected to powered headphones like the Monster Beats By Dr. Dre, the audio quality of the Nintendo Gameboy Micro takes a nose dive though.  When the volume level is set to low, a loud electronic hissing sound can be clearly heard.  As you turn the volume level up, the hissing is still there but drowned out by the music from the game you are playing, like Sim City 2000 for Game Boy Advance (GBA).

Battery Life
One of the most important factors for any portable gamer is battery life.  Ideally, I want my handheld console to run for hours on end without charging so that I never have to worry about recharging it but in the real world that is not necessarily the case.  Instead, we have to conserve battery usage in anyway possible.  With the Nintendo Gameboy Micro, the battery life has averaged at less than six hours for me.  After, the battery has run out for a continuous use, I can play for an extra 10 minutes after letting it rest for an hour.

5:15 am - 10:50 am ~ maximum brightness while in a game of Pokemon Ruby Version
5:39 am -  3:28 pm   ~ lowest brightness setting while in a game of Pokemon Ruby Version

You should also look at the lights in the start and select buttons on the Game Boy Micro.  They can flash blue and red with bright LED flashes.  As the console runs out of power, the lights will blink red to let you know it is time for a recharge.  While recharging the handheld, the lights shine with a bright blue until the Game Boy Micro is fully charged.

Power Consumption While Charging And Recharge Time
The Gameboy Micro uses a special, proprietary charging adapter supplied with the purchased handheld.  The Nintendo OXY-002 AC Adapter can output 5.2 VDC at 320 ma but the problem is that it can only be used with the Game Boy Micro.  As a result, the power adapter remains plugged into my wall amongst an ever growing assortment of other Nintendo power accessories.  I used a P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt meter to measure the power consumed while charging the Nintendo Gameboy Micro.

5:15 pm - 8:19 pm ~ fully drained battery, pulled less than 0.00 Kwh
6:05 pm - 9:10 pm ~ fully drained battery, pulled less than 0.00 Kwh

After three more recharging sessions, I was finally able to register a total power consumption of 0.01 Kwh.

Product Specifications
Display Size:  2"
Resolution:  240 x 160 pixels
Color : Can display 511 simultaneous colors in character mode and 32,768 simultaneous colors in bitmap mode
Processor:  32bit 16.8 Mhz ARM processor, ARM7TDMI
Memory : 32 Kbyte + 96 Kbyte VRAM (in CPU), 256 Kbyte WRAM (external of CPU)
CPU Frequency:  16.8 Mhz
Audio:  Single speaker, Mono or Stereo through headphone port.

Game Compatibility
You can only really play Nintendo Gameboy Advance games with the Nintendo Game Boy Micro.  Some of the accessories and games that are not compatible would be:  Game Boy Camera, Advance e-Reader, Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, Game Boy Advance Game Link cabling, Game Boy Color games and original Game Boy game paks (grey ones).  The biggest problem is that the Game Boy link cables do not work with the Micro.  

Summary
My chief complaint about the Game Boy Micro is its proprietary power charging port.  If Nintendo had made it the same as the one on the Nintendo Gameboy Advance, I would have been able to use this nifty little gaming device more often.  The 2" display on the handheld gaming device is actually a joy to use due its back light and fast refresh rate.  Buying options are limited to used versions of this handheld right now since Amazon.com and CDW.com no longer offer this product in original packaging.  You can find the Nintendo Gameboy Micro on Ebay.com today for about $45 and that price usually includes a few Gameboy Advance games as well.

In all I give the Nintendo Gameboy Micro two thumbs up.

Here are some other Nintendo gaming products that you should try:
Nintendo DSi XL Console
Nintendo DSi (0.26 GB) Console