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Game Boy Micro

Game Boy Micro is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The system is the third major redesign of the Game Boy Advance, and is marketed towards the "image conscious" consumer, with emphasis placed on its small size and sleek design. According to Nintendo of America executive Perrin Kaplan, its codename during development was Oxygen. The unit also has a model name of "OXY-001" on the back.

Introduction

The Game Boy Micro was officially unveiled by Nintendo of America's (then) vice president of sales and marketing, Reggie Fils-Aime, at the company's E3 press conference on May 17, 2005. The system was released in Japan on September 13, 2005 and in North America on September 19, 2005. It was released in Europe on November 4, 2005 and Australia on November 3, 2005. It has also been released in China as "iQue Game Boy Micro" on October 1, 2005. It has also been released in South Korea on November 9, 2005.

The system retails for US$99.99 [2], compared to US$79 for the Game Boy Advance SP. The system was originally available in black and silver, and a red 20th Anniversary Edition was later released. During the 2006 "Black Friday" sales, the 20th Anniversary Edition was sold for US$39.99. In Canada, the Game Boy Micro retails for approximately CDN$119 but has sold for as low as CDN$29.99 beginning in July 2006. In Japan, the handheld runs for about only ¥8000. The system sells for €95/£69 in Europe, although as of September 2006 most major high street retailers in the UK are selling the system for £39.99. In Australia, although its retail price is listed as AUD$99.95, it has been selling for as little as AUD$49.95. And in China, it sells for RMB¥880, RMB¥212 more than the iQue GBA SP. In South Korea, it is ₩50000, which is about $45(U.S.)

In mid-2006 the Game Boy Micro cost €49.99 in Belgium.

As of May 2007, the Game Boy Micro is $49.99 in North America.

Design and specifications

The Game Boy Micro retains some of the functionality of the Game Boy Advance SP, losing the ability to play original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, official compatibility with the eReader and other peripherals. but with an updated form factor. It is smaller than previous Game Boy systems. Compared to the iPod mini it is slightly bigger and about two thirds the weight. Additionally, it features a backlit screen with the ability to adjust the brightness so as to adapt to lighting.

The Game Boy Micro features a removable face plate that allows consumers to purchase alternative designs.

  • Dimensions: 50 x 101 x 17.2 millimetres (2 x 4 x 0.7 in). It is almost the size of an average credit card.
  • Weight: 80 g (2.8 ounces) About the weight of 80 paper clips
  • Processor: 32-bit 16.8-MHz ARM processor (ARM7TDMI).
  • Colors: Various
  • Screen: 51 mm / 2 inches (compared to 74 mm / 2.9 in. for the GBA), backlight with adjustable brightness. According to the Game Boy Micro's press release, the "best Game Boy screen ever".
  • Resolution: 240 x 160 pixels.
  • Buttons: The Game Boy Micro has lines on the d-pad. Possibly to match with that of the DS Lite and Wii.
  • Battery: built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery( Up to 5 hours of battery life with the brightness turned up and the sound on max or 8 hours with both features on regular)
  • Headphones: supports standard headphones without additional accessories.

The Game Boy Micro has a two-way switch on its right side for adjusting volume up or down. By holding down the L shoulder button, the switch can also be used to adjust the backlight between five levels of brightness.

In keeping with the system's target market (the "iPod generation"), Nintendo has redesigned their Play-Yan music/video adapter to better fit the Game Boy Micro. This device can play MP3 and digital video files from SD cards.

Software

The Game Boy Micro is compatible with all Game Boy Advance cartridges, including Game Boy Advance Video cartridges. Unlike the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP, however, the Game Boy Micro does not support games made for the original Game Boy or Game Boy Color. The e-Reader card series is also officially incompatible because although the accessory can fit, the design of the e-Reader makes the "Select" and "Start" buttons difficult to access during gameplay. Its size and shape in relation to the system also make it awkward to hold. This can be avoided by removing the E-Reader from the cartridge slot after the game has loaded.

As with the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP systems, there are no regional lockouts on software, so North American games can be played on Japanese or European hardware and vice versa.

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