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The One/Only Gameboy Micro & SP2 thread
Now I know the GBM isn't the most popular thing here on these forums, especially judging by its reaction in other threads, but I can't be the only getting one, am I?
So far, the reviews are actually pretty good. IGN's gave it a positive review: http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/645/645774p1.html I'm very excited about this. I'm not a fan of consoles (I have a PStwo for the sole purpose of playing GTA), but love portable gaming and have the "big 3" - Pearl Blue SP, PSP, and DS. None of them are that comfortable in my pocket, but the GBM just looks amazing in it's shear portability. I know many people are going to say that Nintendo is "milking it", but, so what? If you were running a business, would you not want to get maxmium profit out of your products in order to help pay for development of future products? I don't understand why people complain about Nintendo milking the GBA. It is smart business sense. |
ah, moved to the right forum...
This will probably be the first incarnation of the Gameboy that I don't buy. I've had the original large one, the pocket, the SNES GB player, the GBC, the Advance, the GC GBA player, the GBA SP, and now the DS (which I know is not a GB, or so Nintendo claims). But I won't buy this. I'm perfectly satisfied with the form factor of my SP for GBA-only games. The screen is a nice incentive, but looks similar to my DS screen anyway. That Game and Watch skin is great, though. Of course, I'm probably not the guy they're marketing it too... they might be going after the people who don't already own a GB but want the sleek packaging of this one. And I don't blame them for milking it... this is not much different than the "slim" PS2. I'm not sure how well this is going to sell, or even how well they expect it to sell (I would think they'd be pushing the DS much more). Proponents argue that this will play better games than most cell phones and is about the same size, to which I say that the people who play games on cell phones probably do so because they have to carry a cell phone anyway, and aren't likely to want to lug around another system. But I'm sure Nintendo's not losing money on the hardware, and I'm sure this makes good financial sense to them. People say the Gamecube is the worst of the three consoles this generation, but the bottom line is, it's profitable. |
If Nintendo were to release the Play Yan stateside I'd consider picking one up. I like the idea of being able to switch screens when one gets dinged (granted an old GBA screen new from Nintendo is 3 bucks), but my DS, SP and PSP all have scratches I wish I could erase.
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I still think there was room for Nintendo to partner with Nokia or whoever and release a GBA capable mobile phone (this might have been a better move for nokia than the ngage which they must have spent buckets of money on).
As it is, the SP seems like a better deal and the size of the SP is fine for me. |
A lower price point and a US release of the Play Yan could definitely make me consider the Micro. Its a cool looking device, but at $100 I just don't see it at this point for myself.
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I'd consider buying it for $35 tops.
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it's definitely very cool, saw a video of a guy playing Super Mario World on it. The screen is slick too. Unfortunately i already have a DS and a GBASP. Even though the GBASP stomps on the current top selling consoles (PS2) in sales week after week, believe it or not there are still people out there that don't own a GBA, those are the people who are going to buy this (because if i didn't have one i'd sure as hell buy this, it looks great). And the GBA was the best console last gen.
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IGN has posted shots of the U.S. packaging. Looks nice.
http://pocketmedia.ign.com/pocket/im...715121-000.jpg http://pocketmedia.ign.com/pocket/im...713746-000.jpg source: IGN.com |
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/fun.gam...eut/index.html
New Game Boy Micro makes solid debut Tuesday, September 13, 2005; Posted: 10:34 a.m. EDT (14:34 GMT) TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Nintendo Co.'s new mobile phone-sized game console, Game Boy Micro, attracted better-than-expected orders on its debut on Tuesday, though less than Game Boy Advance SP had done, retailers said. Nintendo, known for software titles featuring characters such as Mario, Donkey Kong and Pokemon, launched what it said was the world's smallest console in Japan a week before the U.S. launch with a price tag of 12,000 yen ($110). Nintendo dominates the portable game industry with a market share of about 94 percent, and aims to strengthen its grip with the Micro as it goes up against Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable. Sony will introduce new white consoles in Japan on Thursday in an effort to boost sales. Previously the consoles were only available in black. Nintendo, based in the western Japan city of Kyoto, hopes to draw women, casual gamers -- those unwilling or unable to spend hours playing games -- and older players with the new compact and stylish device. "Despite (the Micro's) functions being the same as the existing models, it is popular," said Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Enterbrain, which publishes leading game magazine Famitsu. "Consumers lately have tended to buy particular hardware because it is stylish or fashionable," he said, adding the popularity of the Micro reflects that trend. Local retailers, including Japan's biggest discount home electronics retailer, Yamada Denki Co., said the Micro was enjoying solid orders. "The orders have been going well," said a Yamada Denki spokesman. "Especially, the Famicon color version is really popular." The Micro is available in Japan in silver, purple, black and blue, with a fifth "limited edition" design in the color of the once-popular Famicon game console aimed at attracting adults who played with the Famicon as children in the 1980s. An electronics store clerk in Tokyo said it received advance orders for 70 percent of its Micro stock, mostly for the limited edition. Orders were brisk but less than when the Game Boy Advance SP made its debut in 2003, the clerk said. The store sold all of the SP consoles through advance orders at the launch. Shrinking market Japan's video game hardware and software market has shrunk 30 percent to $4 billion since 2000, according to the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. Nintendo has been trying to draw new and returning players with the Micro and its DS portable game machine, launched late last year, to expand in a Japanese industry expected to face further deterioration due to the country's falling birthrate, which could erode the game sector's customer base. The company said the Micro has been attracting its target consumers -- young adults aged around 25 to 35. It declined to reveal the total initial shipment volume. Nintendo aims to sell 4 million units of the Micro worldwide by the end of its business year to next March. "The company aims to expand the gaming population, and with the Micro it wants to attract adult players, especially those who used to play games but stopped because they got busy or for other reasons," said analyst Yuta Sakurai at Nomura Securities. "Adults have different budgets (from kids)," he said. Sakurai said the Micro would compete well with games played on mobile phones, which are increasingly popular in Japan, because it has better quality and is more stylish. Some analysts have said the price, which is over 2,000 yen more than the Game Boy Advance SP in Japan, is too high, but Sakurai said it was appropriate considering the target customers and its features. The Micro, whose screen has adjustable brightness levels, will play the same games as the current Game Boy Advance SP. It weighs just 80 grams (2.822 ounces), although it is heavier than Apple Computer Inc.'s new iPod Nano digital music player, which weighs 1.5 ounces. Nintendo released three Mario games, featuring the popular character from "Super Mario Brothers," on Tuesday, the 20th anniversary of the release of the original "Super Mario" game. Nintendo plans to release the Micro in Europe on Nov. 4 in silver, pink, green and blue, at a recommended price of 99 euros ($122), while U.S. versions, due on Sept. 19 for $99, will be available in black and silver with three removable faceplates. The prices are the same as for Game Boy Advance SP in those markets. Nintendo said in May it expected to sell a total of 10.2 million Game Boy Advance devices worldwide this business year, including Game Boy Micro. Shares in Nintendo closed up 1.3 percent at 12,440 yen, outperforming a 0.04 percent rise in the Nikkei average. |
I don't want one.. but I want to give one a try.
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I'd want the black system, but with the camo cover that comes with the silver one. However I don't plan on buying one so it doesn't really matter to me.
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Has there been any rumblings of the Micro's release prompting a price drop on the SP? I've been wanting to pick up a cheapy handheld for the random times where I'm waiting somewhere with nothing to do, but didn't really want to pay more than say $50 or so for one.
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Looks like Neo-Geo Pocket.
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iLounge has an article up on the GBM with some cool comparison pics:
http://www.ilounge.com/images/uploads/1gbm1.jpg source: iLounge |
Fuckin' Apple. Fuckin' Nintendo. Putting out updated models I have no need for but now want.
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The GBM looks great. Way overpriced, though; I'll definitely grab one once it comes in under $50.
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I don't know how recent this is, but there is now also a backlit GBA SP (as opposed to the rest, which are frontlit).
A couple comparison shots: <img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a349/BK_Public/noo_gbaB.jpg"> <img src="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a349/BK_Public/noo_gbaF.jpg"> |
damn thats bright! I have one pre-ordered at work and while I really want it Im not sure I'd be willing to part with things in order to afford it I really hate trading things in.
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How much does the backlit SP go for?
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Yes, please give more info on the backlit SP!!
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How long are they going to squeeze blood from the GBA stone with these different versions. :lol:
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However long people keep buying them.
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Originally Posted by Gallant Pig
How long are they going to squeeze blood from the GBA stone with these different versions. :lol:
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If these GBAs keep selling why should Nintendo stop making them and updating them. I'm the first one to say its not worth $100, but the things are selling very well in Japan so more power to them.
I'm really curious about the new backlit SPs. I really don't want to replace my NES one, but I would love a backlit screen. |
More info on the backlit GBA please :D
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http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/sys...dvance/faq.jsp
Why doesn't the Game Boy Advance use a backlit screen? When Nintendo created the Game Boy Advance, we wanted to provide our consumers with the most powerful hardware at the best possible price. As we've done with all of our earlier Game Boy systems, we decided to use a reflective screen, rather than a backlit screen, for several reasons: Flexibility. Reflective screen technology allows users to have greater control over their lighting choices. With a backlit screen, images tend to get washed out and may be difficult to see when viewed outdoors or in well-lit areas. With reflective technology, the brighter the light the better it looks. For low light conditions, players may use overhead lighting or optional light accessories to provide the light they need. Cost. The use of the reflective screen technology allows Nintendo to offer the Game Boy Advance at a much lower cost than it could have using a similar, backlit screen. Portability. Reflective screen technology is the best way to display games on a portable system in terms of cost, screen resolution, colors available and excellent battery life. Other portable systems that have used backlighting required a great deal more power and had a much shorter battery life. Performance. The new Game Boy Advance reflective screen is larger, provides finer detail, and displays a much wider range of colors than any other Game Boy system. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...71311?v=glance Looks like amazon has it. The difference is in the description from "reflective screen" to "Front light integrated with LCD" but in the description it says... "The SP comes with a well-designed power adapter that recharges a built-in battery; its prongs fold in for easier storage. Our informal tests found that it takes about four hours to fully charge (you can even play it while it's plugged in and charging), and the battery lasts about 11 hours with the backlighting constantly on--your results may vary. Using the backlighting less often will conserve battery power. The quality of the backlighting is very good. It's bright and clear when looking directly at it, but degraded from other angles. This is only a problem for friends who are watching the screen from over your shoulder" :shrug: Same price as the others, it looks like. |
Originally Posted by Gallant Pig
How long are they going to squeeze blood from the GBA stone with these different versions. :lol:
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Originally Posted by kvrdave
The quality of the backlighting is very good. It's bright and clear when looking directly at it, but degraded from other angles. This is only a problem for friends who are watching the screen from over your shoulder"
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The new backlit models are just hitting stores. For now only the pearl blue and graphite colors are backlit.
From what I've gathered the light button on the new backlit GBA SP no longer turns the light on or off, it changes the brightness from full brightness to half brightness; there is no longer a setting to turn it off. I was thinking about picking up the GB Micro for the screen alone (and the novelty) but will probably trade up to one of these backlit GBA SP's instead now (as soon as I can find one)! -- fab |
Holy shit. So they're real? I'm SO replacing my current one. *dances* Yay!
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Yep, they're definitely real. IGN says this:
Nintendo is, apparently, changing out the front-lit LCD screens on the Game Boy Advance SP systems in favor of much improved, sharper, and brighter backlit ones. According to the rumors, the company's getting a better deal using the newer LCD technology since it's already being employed in the Nintendo DS and the Game Boy Micro. |
Sweet. I'll be looking for a Graphite this week (as opposed to the original black model, Onyx).
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So the DS screen looks as bright as the new SP?
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Dave, probably. The IGN article states they're putting them in SP because they've got a deal going from putting them in DS and Micro. Apparently, if you want to get the new back-lit SP look for Graphite or Pearl Blue colors, the other colors are the older front-lit models. Of course, I'm just assuming they're in stores already based on the comparison pictures and that Amazon states they're ready to ship. I'll check it out Friday.
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A couple more pics:
<img src="http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/7677/gbasp0026zg.jpg"> <img src="http://img280.imageshack.us/img280/6262/gbasp0035vp.jpg"> |
*drooling*
That's.. beautiful, man. Come on Friday! |
So how does the screen brightness and image quality compare to the DS? Any comparison shots with old and new GBAs, GBA micro, and DS?
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Originally Posted by sdcrym
So how does the screen brightness and image quality compare to the DS? Any comparison shots with old and new GBAs, GBA micro, and DS?
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Originally Posted by Jeremy517
See post 17 for GBA to GBA comparison shots.
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Originally Posted by PixyJunket
*drooling*
That's.. beautiful, man. Come on Friday! |
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