Hi all,

I've had my Gameboy Micro for a good two weeks now, and I thought I'd
share my thoughts on it with anyone who might be thinking of picking up
this new system.  I should mention ahead of time that I was not
planning on buying this system when I heard about it.  Unfortunately
for me, my SP was stolen, and I needed a replacement.  I do have a DS
that I could use to play my GB carts, but I only carry that around if I
have my briefcase on me.

I'm going to say off the bat that the micro is in my opinion the best
portable system that I have owned.  I was surprised to discover that to
be the case actually.  I'll itemize my reasons:

1)  It's truly portable - My SP fit in a pocket, but bulged quite a
bit.  I definitely knew it was there.  The DS and PSP don't fit in a
regular pants pocket.  The micro is the most unobtrusive of the systems
mentioned.

The fact that the clam-shell form factor has been dropped in this
iteration of the GBA isn't a concern either.  The faceplate concept,
while definitely gimicky (I don't care if my system has a camo design
on it or whatever) actually contributes to the systems portability
factor.  When keys or coins or whatever scratch up the system, put a
new faceplate on.  In case people didn't know, the faceplate has a
built in screen protector, so the actual screen of the micro will never
get scratched as long as you have a faceplate on it.

2)  Great screen - The screen on the micro is really good.  It's not
too small.  I have horrible vision and wear contact lenses with a heavy
prescription.  I don't have a problem making out what's on the screen.
Viewing it in direct sunlight is not a problem either.  The brightness
is adjustable, but the lowest setting has been more than fine for me so
far.  It's not as good as the screen on my PSP, but markedly better
than any of the other GBA models and even the DS.  I still have an
original GBA and I compared the way Castlevania Circle of the Moon
looked on that to the way it looks on the Micro.  It was literally like
night and day.

3)  Battery - I think I'm getting somewhere between 6 and 8 hours.

4)  Standard headphone jack - This really only contrasts with the SP.
The DS and PSP have this.  It's a key thing for a portable system
though.  When you are out in public, it's just plain courteous to use
headphones or else mute the sound.

5)  Game library is not an issue for me - all of the major handheld
platforms I'm comparing here have games I like.

Here I'll detail while my other handhelds just aren't as suited for a
portable gaming system as the micro:

DS -  The DS has the battery life, and the good screen visibility.
Honestly though, it's just not portable.  Yes, it's a handheld, but
like I said at the beginning of this post, it required a bag of some
kind to bring it along.  When I travel for business I do bring my DS.

SP - The second best portable system - for me at least.  The frontlit
screen is adequate, but not as good as the DS.  Also, using headphones
requires an adapter.  The new version of the SP with the backlit screen
addresses the former point, but the real reason why I prefer the micro
to the SP is the portability of the micro.  It's just that much more
comfortable and convenient to bring out and about.

PSP - Out of all of my handhelds, my PSP gets the most play time.  As a
portable system though, it gets zero playtime.  The short battery, the
delays of optical media, and its' large size just don't lend it for
being brought around.  I use my PSP around the house when I'm relaxing.
 I don't disturb anyone else who might be watching TV in the living
room by asking if I can use the TV to game. It really is a great
handheld. And for all the polygon junkies out there, it definitely
blows the other systems out of the water in the graphics department.
BUT, like I said, it's a stay at home gaming handheld for me, not a
portable system.

So, I'll close by saying that anyone who wants or needs a new GBA,
should definitely consider the micro.  It's too bad that the system was
released in the latter years of the GBA platform's lifecycle.  As I
said earlier, had my SP not been stolen, I would never have bought the
micro.  I should also say that other than for replacement buyers and
people new to the GBA platform, the micro is a good choice for people
that may have a DS or PSP but want a system that they can actually take
with them pretty much anywhere.

Ollie