A great system for the Nintendo hardware collector.

At this point in time, the Game Boy Micro is really more of a collector's item than anything else. It's not quite as versatile as the GBA SP (which can play both GBA and older GB/GBC games) and it's not quite as comfortable as the original GBA (some might find this model just too small), but it's still a great piece of hardware. It's backlit, unlike the original GBA SP (although a later backlit model does exist) and it's as bright as the DS Lite and later DS models. It has five adjustable brightness levels, and the brightest setting easily takes away the biggest problem of the original GBA, that the screen was just too dark to see anything. The screen is a little smaller than the earlier two GBA models, but has the same resolution, which means games look a little sharper, a plus as far as I'm concerned. Sound is adjusted via digital buttons, which some may not like, especially as the earlier GBA models had analog tuners (a wheel and slider, respectively.) As for the buttons, they have a mushy, "pressy" feel, completely different from the harder, "clicky" feel on the GBA SP and original DS. Some gamers prefer one feel over the other, but I find it doesn't really make much difference, at all. Finally, note that the shoulder buttons depress inward (towards the center of the unit), rather than outward (like on the original GBA) or straight down (like on the GBA SP). The Micro is a great handheld and has an incredible library of games. There are hundreds of GBA games to choose from, including great first-party Nintendo titles to many fun third-party titles. The Micro also has customizable faceplates, a first for Nintendo's portables, which means you can mix and match to create just the look you want.Read full review