The Game Boy Micro

I take a look at the Game Boy Micro.
This video was originally released via Card #14 of the Scott The Woz Collectible Trading Cards in late 2022.
Edited by Dominic Mattero and Scott Wozniak
Main Channel: ‪@ScottTheWoz‬
Twitter: / scottthewoz
Facebook: / scottthewoz
Instagram: / scottthewoz

[@Dairunt1]

Fun fact: Game Boy Micro's 2" screen was NOT commisioned by Nintendo. Sharp used the exact same screen in their digital cameras at the time. They probably had a lot of them lying around, they have the exact same resolution as the GBA, and they managed to make a deal.

[@pengwin_]

Thats the same reason the Switch OLED exists!

[@aikou2886]

That's interesting.

[@movaritowelie]

@pengwin_ Which digital camera has a 7” oled screen?

[@Dairunt1]

@@pengwin_ Sharp still provides screens for Nintendo to this very day. Except for the OLED model. Those are provided by Samsung.

[@sydney1706]

if that's the case, it seems like it definitely could've been a born-to-die product to sell the ds better

[@Bryce_the_Woomy_Boi]

My favorite thing about it is the a and b buttons are in lowercase, cute.

[@ScriptCatz]

GET OUT OF MY HEADDDDDD

[@windownpc39]

I thought I was the only one who cared about that! There are more of you! Hello! 😁

[@silly-goose-127]

@@windownpc39my favorite thing about the wii classic controller

[@sirboglor562]

With the edgiest 2004 font they could find too

[@abaque24]

My fav part is how when it’s plugged in, it feels like a NES controller :D

[@ReaverMoggy]

There were some years I was convinced that a Gameboy Micro + a legit copy of Pokémon Emerald would have fixed my life

[@aturchomicz821]

Pkmn fans arnt beating the depression allegations smh

[@dialga236]

@@aturchomicz821 we never have and never will

[@undeadmedia5343]

Currently have the whole gen 3 gba games and most other gb Pokémon games and a gameboy micro n life is still fucked bro😂😂

[@Yixdy]

Well? Did you ever pick em up? Were you right?

[@aikou2886]

​@@undeadmedia5343I'm missing the 2 "red" versions but itherwise I'd have the gen 3 carts. I so wish I had a GBMicro though. Getting a Supercard flash cart was great so I think this would've been the perfect system for it. Either thatt or a modded GBA with a rechargable battery and backlit screen.

[@fanaticsalt4957]

Its average size I swear

[@mightymouse9001]

Some may say it’s actually too big.

[@SwonC_]

😮‍💨

[@SaintThomasAquinas1]

😐

[@jxun4l3ht10]

Yeah, that's like... more than adequate. Bigger than that would just hurt... your hands.

[@officialpoppyperson]

@@jxun4l3ht10 hey John Omori

[@TheOneNamedMrLife]

For someone who doesn't care about Pokemon that much, Scott really likes using Littleroot Town's theme a lot in his videos.

[@lol24q]

He use to go by Scott the fraud before he changed his identity to Scott the woz

[@Cenriquezm]

Well, I'm exactly like that. I've tried getting into Pokemon like 5 times and always quit at like 5 hours, but simply can't deny that the series has some of the greatest music in videogames. When some new game gets released and all the fanbase is hating on it I'm just groovying to the new tracks without having to play the actual gameplay.

[@mosstits]

​@@Cenriquezm With Scarlet/Violet, people actually loved the soundtracks. It's also one of the few things people loved in SwordShield (especially with Toby Fox!). So safe to say people can hate on the gameplay, but the music will always get a pass.

[@justadude3595]

Man knows his target audience

[@JoaquinBauman]

The Pokémon soundtracks on GBA and DS are 🔥

[@myriadmediamusings]

I’ve seen one in person and I’m utterly shocked at how freaking tiny it is. The GBA Micro almost feels like a Game & Watch in its presentation, which in a way is very fitting and kinda makes thing go full circle in Nintendo’s portable systems with “Game” in them.

[@aikou2886]

I've seen plenty and I've felt regret over not buying one when I could, every single time. I got a PsP instead because the price was similar but… I haven't touched that thing In about half a year since the last time I used it, which was after not using it for like… 10 or so years. Meanwhile, I just got a GBA Supercard that would be great for this console. Ugh…

[@No_True_Scotsman]

​@@aikou2886They're expensive now but not ridiculous. I just got one last week. But I'm warning you, it's very hard to play at that size.

[@MadsterV]

The micro is so cute I get cramps if I play it, which I don't do because I can't see a thing in that tiny screen but it's so cute

[@thomasslone1964]

I bought one from a Muslim kid on my block, he didn't see how great it was and I used it when I was grounded and had my games taken away

[@CharlieKraken]

The sole space this console occupies in my mind is "the thing that Reggie pulled out of his coat pocket once".

[@Mgamerz]

He talked about it in his book and if I recall was against the idea of the device but NoJ went ahead anyways.

[@CharlieKraken]

@@Mgamerz I haven't gotten to that point in the book myself yet but that's cool to know.

[@Big-The-Cat]

There isn't many objects that have the honor to hold that title, you know?

[@lightningmcseed7303]

Iwata once put an entire Wii in his coat pocket

[@OExplosion]

For me it’s that they included the line of “It weighs about as much as 80 paperclips” in the press release for the announcement of this handheld. I never knew why that specific detail had to be included but it was hilarious.

[@almostanonymous247]

My dad found a Gameboy micro on the road while he was driving his tractor in the middle of nowhere. The faceplate was gone, it was scratched and didn’t power on. My dad gave it to me and I was able to get it working by just charging it. So that’s how I got a Gameboy Micro😊

[@No_True_Scotsman]

Wow, your dad found the farm where Nintendo grows Game Boys. I wonder if that's where the Switch Fields are today.

[@alekm5201]

thats a really funny story cause I found one in a dumpster as a kid

[@wukeyuchiha]

I got mine from my science teacher while doing a class dojo point auction lol

[@niplob]

lucky you😢

[@chronossage]

Fun fact about the GBA. It turns out that Gameboy backwards compatibility did in fact take up alot of space. the GBA ran at 3.3v while the older Gameboys ran at 5V so the GBA had a switch in the cart port that switched the system between them. So the micro didn't have space for the 5v PCB traces to let older games work. That said the micro was my favorite as a casual flashcart enjoyer having all the GBA games on one cart with NES, Master System/Game Gear and, GB/GBC emulators so you could still mostly play old Gameboy games on it anyway.

[@ProbablyNotGrady]

The GBA also had a dedicated Z80/8080 based processor just for playing original Game Boy/Game Boy color, while the micro did not, as that would’ve taken up more space.

[@neemiasmuondo4287]

Thank god, scott's carpet is back i was getting worried for a second.

[@TommyDeonauthsArchives]

And all it took was a trading card...

[@violetto3219]

did you know it's just a table with carpet on it

[@D.S.handle]

He’s doing great job vacuuming it. At this point you would expect it to be unclean.

[@odobenusrosmarus9495]

​@@violetto3219 I remember when that tweet first dropped. Reality crumbled on that day.

[@bdiddy1138]

Micro with a flash cart is legit one of my fav travel gaming consoles to this day

[@AdamEllis33]

"cool design but too bad it wouldnt fit in my MASSIVE HANDS" -average 3ds xl user

[@nore5888]

Actually it fits quite well in my hands, and i use a new 3ds xl. Its surprisingly comfy

[@Bionicleforever]

3ds xl isn't even any more comfortable as its still just a slab on the back. idk if yall xl users have that big of hands

[@GriffithFromBerk]

Reviewers saying they had big hands when reviewing the 3DS xl is like the obligatory “Sony cant name things amirite????” Joke for audio/tech reviewers

[@sageoffire3964]

Me

[@ignazachenbach5406]

I use an XL due to my absolute M I T T S

[@nativebaptist]

Scott the point of the micro was to play Mario Kart hidden behind a book in one of the comfy library chairs while you hid from other kids at lunch.

[@GalekC]

during those times in elementary the teachers & staff would very often confiscate them during even recess or lunch. to this day, i still don't rly know why

[@eenco]

Watching him go gremlin mode yanking out the faceplates hits different when you know how brittle the latches for them are and how annoying it is to replace

[@RAHelllord]

That's only for the silver one, the other colors of the main body are more sturdy and less prone to breaking. Seeing him do that still made my skin crawl, though.

[@Dative420]

"ITS NOT SMALL IT HAS A NICE PERSONALITY" -random nintendo micro fan 2005

[@MikeStavola]

I remember when the Micro was announced, they touted it as a do-anything electronic device via add-ons. It was going to have a camera, and an mp3 player, and be able to play videos, and apparently stuff like wireless messages and crap. But we got just the basic aluminum brick with plastic covers. And it's my favorite Advance system.

[@abaque24]

Same and i will die on this hill. I had one special ordered from japan that is near mint in box with pouch and all- it’s a heirloom now :U

[@itswoahfoxy]

I remember my birthday the year this came out my dad got me one and I already had an SP and I explained to him how the DS was different and played GBA and DS games for $50 more, and he drove me to the store that day and I got the Mario Kart red DS. My father was always very tight on money but I never realized it when I was little. A very special memory of my childhood. Great video!

[@deBaer]

Some people just don't understand the appeal of a small device. When the iPod nano came out, it's maximum capacity was 4 GB. A regular iPod at that time had 60 GB! So nobody bought the nano, because you could also have 15 times the number of songs with the regular size for not much more money? No, the nano flew off the shelves because it's great to have an ultra-portable device you could always bring with you even in the smallest pocket. And the same goes for the GameBoy landscape when the Micro was released. Sure, the DS could do so much more, but it was an absolute brick. And the SP was also quite a bit bigger, and it didn't even have a headphone jack, which the Micro does feature. People are also wild about the Miyoo mini even though the much more performance-rich Steam Deck exists. Just because you can take the former with you in your pocket or clutch bag at all time and the latter not so much.

[@Dreadjaws]

All that is true, but people tend to consider pros and cons. The GBA SP was not really that much bigger, it could play many more games, it had a protected screen and it was cheaper. If your system is only going to have one or two pros then they better be game changing and not just mild. Sadly, slightly smaller size and a headphone jack were not game changers.

[@relix7373]

My sister and I had these. They were truly so tiny, pretty incredible. The screen was so much better than my old gameboy, it blew me away. And rechargeable batteries was crazy for us then too. Looking at it as an adult is hilarious because it's almost impossible to use, but that's because it was a product for children.

[@Nerdtendo6366]

Idk why, but I really like this stupid thing. More than the SP and original GBA. Just something about it’s design activates some neuron in my brain

[@ridgenyan-botxv367]

Same tbh. The one I got, I just bought it on a whim. I was just in the bathroom thinking, "hey, the gb micro was a thing, I want that"

[@nore5888]

@@ridgenyan-botxv367unlike other handhelds, you can actually take it anywhere, and actually play it discretely. One time i was playing kirby at work and nobody noticed

[@No_True_Scotsman]

I really like it too. I have a silver one, I just got it. It looks so cool.

[@ricenoodles632]

Me too but with the famicom one

[@SergalCheeseHead]

I think it helps that the Micro is basically a collector's piece now, especially the special ones like that Famicom anniversary addition They're pretty uncommon to see compared to the rest of the Gameboy line Even the OEM Faceplates are ridiculously priced now

[@dansalvato]

I'm a huge fan of the Game Boy Micro-it's one of my favorite Nintendo hardware designs. It's so incredibly sleek, and I think the design really holds up. The buttons feel fantastic as well. Even today, if I was doing a lot of traveling via public transit, I would consider carrying the Game Boy Micro on me. Pop in a flash cart, and those brief moments of downtime can be spent enjoying a library full of masterpieces, rather than squandering it on social media.

[@nore5888]

This is my favorite console design ever, i got the famicom one last year with an ever drive and i play it all the time

[@pokiblue5870]

I wish nintendo kept making nintendo 3ds games 😢 the 3d technology is the reason im playing it. Trully mind blowing technology making the screen beautiful.

[@HouseOfFunQM]

Technically, they also had to put an entire GBA-on-chip inside it, as well as the cartridge slot. Keeping it completely compatible with GBA games was a huge technical hurdle.

[@Yixdy]

On what? The GBA micro or the DS?

[@aikou2886]

​@@YixdyThe DS. This is why it can play every Gameboy game while the DS Lite and GB Micro can only play GBA games.

[@silly-goose-127]

@@aikou2886wait the og ds can play gb(c) games???

[@aquawater5069]

The DS does not play Gameboy or Gameboy color games. It only plays Gameboy advance. ​@@aikou2886

[@LAST_STAND_FAN]

@@silly-goose-127 No.

[@WaketheSheeple]

I actually love this little thing. Love busting it out at work when its slow.

[@omega_blue5009]

The Gameboy Micro is my favorite Gameboy Micro ever produced

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

Thanks for saying absolutely nothing worthwhile.

[@D.S.handle]

Sometimes nothing is more than anything ☝️🧐

[@jajabinx35]

I have like four of the famicom ones, one brand new just collecting dust...

[@SherlockLogic1]

@@jajabinx35 Be happy to help dust one of ‘em off!

[@poptheweasel100]

I used to own a Famicom one that my older brother found at a Goodwill a long time ago. Played a lot of a Mother 3 repro on it, until I lost my save file. I do regret selling it even if at the time I didn't have a job and wanted the money, but MAN I loved that little thing for what it was.

[@wmascolin]

I was enchanted by these as a kid, only because the face plates were EVERYWHERE like stacks of them but I never saw a single one actually for sale at any store. I started to wonder if they were even real.

[@Freak80MC]

This and Apple's ipods really makes it feel like the 2000s had a fixation on miniaturization. The technology was there and they knew they could do it and what once felt impossible was now able to be done, so of course they would try it. The whole race of technology up to that point was making it as small and portable as possible. But while sad that devices have been getting bigger in recent years, it makes sense, you need a screen to be as big as possible while still being *just* portable enough to carry around. I hope the advent of AR glasses can bring back on that competition to miniaturize our tech again because at that point we won't be limited by physical screen size.

[@Roach_tm]

I love my Game Boy Micro :) I just recently finished all the Super Mario Advance games on mine.

[@Samsonimages]

Still got my Micro and I love it. When I travelled Thailand I opted taking it with, with 4-5 games, over my DS (travelling light). It’s simplicity makes it so nifty and just looks so sleek. If they bought it out again with downloadable games I’d be all over it.

[@willb6194]

The Game Boy Micro has a special place in my heart. When I was 8 my parents took me to a pawn shop and picked up the famicon edition for 50 dollars. Back then it felt a lot bigger than it looks now- I definitely played the crap out of it too as it was my first ever handheld system.

[@Aura-Of-Syrinx]

I had the special edition gameboy micro! I loved it's form factor for taking to school, using on the bus, staying up way too late under covers, and of couse back of car. Sure I had the SP but it was a lot bigger and did not stay open under covers. I honestly miss that thing, they're so stupidly expensive now

[@Dad_Shoes]

10:04 Uh-oh, that's a Micro, not an SP. I think the Wii U videos he's been working on finally got to his head.

[@RobotacularRoBob]

It wouldn’t be the first Scottflub. In his new 3DS video he states that new 3DS tracks users eyes while it actually only tracks the position of their heads.

[@ErenTheWarcriminal]

@@RobotacularRoBobdamn

[@SirNarax]

Fun fact the DS actually was not meant to replace the Gameboy. The DS was intended to just be something Nintendo can throw out to compete with the PSP while the next gamebow was in development. The DS was backwards compatible because it essentially was just an upgraded gameboy cobbled together in 2 years. Those plans changed when the DS became the huge success it was.

[@kgpz100]

This sounds totally made up lol

[@SirNarax]

​@@kgpz100 This is according to interviews made with Satoru Okada for a French magazine called Retro Lazer Magazine. Satoru Okada was the general manager of Research and Engineering at Nintendo from 1996 to 2012. A testimony from the lead of the project is what you would call a primary source on the matter.

[@SirinGaming]

​@@kgpz100lowspecgamer has a video about it

[@nyarlathotep616]

i mean the ds was called the 3rd pillar which sounds like insurance in case the ds failed

[@SirNarax]

@@kgpz100 Gah! KZbin never let me send a response. This is all according to interviews made with Satoru Okada who was the general manager of Research and Engineering at Nintendo from 1996 to 2012. These interviews were made for a French publication called Retro Lazer Magazine. The way he put it the next generation gameboy was in a constant state of experimentation and two screens was one such experiment. When the PSP was announced Nintendo felt pressured to release a next gen portable console to compete. They called it a third pillar because they didn't want to undermine the bigger plans they had for the gameboy but ultimately would be tossed aside. Features of that gameboy would end up in the DSI and eventually the 3DS however.

[@rufusrepublic6910]

I had a GB-micro growing up and I loved it. The clamshell is overall a better design like you said, but the screen was so great on the micro, especially as a kid.

[@MattiusHawkEye]

When I used to collect GameBoy stuff years ago, there was two white whales for my collection: the Micro and the NES controller version of the SP. I did manage to get a Micro, in a rather lurid pink hue, but never did get to own that NES SP. Did get to hold one at a convention so I've at least gotten to hold one.

[@ufobestuurder]

I had this one as a kid and i loved it, it felt so premium and although the display was small it was so nice to look at.

[@thirdhelix]

I absolutely love the Gameboy Micro, I still have my original one! I really like how it's made with metal, it still feels quite nice despite how small and cramped it is.

[@doorbox788]

My favorite console of all time. I got myself a flash cart and changed out the batter for a much larger one. Now when I go on trips I can bring 100s of games and the battery will last for 10+ hours!

[@ErenTheWarcriminal]

I love the backwards compatibility for the sole fact that the Pokémon DS games have GBA Pokémon integration

[@hiramjew1523]

I got my Micro back in 2006 when most retailers were trying to offload them and clear up shelf space. Was able to snag the famicom version brand new for $50 and an official case for 70 cents from Toys R us. It was special to me since I had a famicon when I was in kindergarten!

[@sc3ku]

I wish the OG GBA never got replaced by a clamshell and got the backlot screen. Perfect comfy form factor!

[@a1goldenrunner]

I love both designs, but the original advance was very comfortable

[@a1goldenrunner]

I love both designs, but the original advance was very comfortable

[@sopebarrofficial3557]

10:55 Think about it, if you swap the faceplates then you could finally have a GameBoy that looks like the suitcase armor from Iron Man 2

[@LucreDenouncer]

He should've switched them. I guess he was too cowardly.

[@MrEnte3000]

There was also a MOTHER 3 version that was sold in bundle with the game and a Franklin Badge.

[@ErenTheWarcriminal]

Damn

[@Dairunt1]

2:56 Hear me out. Nintendo mimicks a lot of decisions based on Apple. 2001 - Nintendo GameCube has a handle. Just like the iMac the year before. Uses PowerPC architecture just like Mac. 2005 - Game Boy Micro's form factor seems inspired by the iPod Nano. 2006 - DS Lite's bright white aesthetic seems similar to iPod's marketing at the time. 2008 - iPhone's App Store seems to influence Nintendo DSi's DSiWare. 2010 - iPad allows apps to be enhanced by a bigger screen. DSi XL was released. 2011 - the iPad design seems taken into account for the Wii U Gamepad. 2020 - Macbook transitions to ARM architecture with their Apple silicon chipset. Nintendo beat them to this, but also adopted ARM architecture as their main focus with the Nintendo Switch.

[@ericp631]

1983 famicom uses 6502 like the apple 2 1990 snes uses 65816 like the apple 2 gs

[@D.S.handle]

Great minds think alike, hah.

[@ballinn0430]

I feel like they got the "i" in DSi based on the Apple iPhone.

[@FoxdenGamer]

Ah yes, Nintendo clearly copied Apple's decision to switch to ARM, three years before Apple even switched to ARM

[@joebot86]

​@@FoxdenGamer the iPhone was ARM, clearly Nintendo copied that! Lets ignore that there are currently only 2 major processor architectures, and one of them is way, way more power efficient.

[@JackWolf10]

I picked one up about 15 years ago on eBay for £27. I still love it! The metal body gives it a super premium feel

[@bungalowfeuhler1541]

The Famicom Special Edition sold even worse in the USA than the regular model. I caught Walmart selling them for 40 bucks. Brought it up to the counter and it turned out it was actually on clearance for 15. I bought all twelve on the spot. Kept ten sealed units and opened one for me and a buddy. Started selling them last year. I do eBay auction and start the bidding at a penny. Every one has sold for more than 500. The moment the first one sold I finally achieved my dream of owning the Mother 3 edition complete in box. I love the Micro. It makes GBA games look GORGEOUS.

[@alceedus]

a handheld only an eye doctor could love!

[@No_True_Scotsman]

I can see the screen just fine. What I can't do is hold the damn thing.

[@Edgelite306]

Ah yes, my first gaming device, when mom and dad didn’t want to buy another DS for one of their sons.

[@LanceThumping]

With the prevalence of people modding regular GBAs with SP screens, I feel like the SP didn't really feel like the definitive form factor. The GBA fits the hands way better. Though I will say that the SP being clamshell did help keep the screen from getting scratched up.

[@turbomario]

I’ve always wanted a Gameboy Micro. They seem so small and convenient, but i don’t know if i could play on one for a long period of time because i have massive hands lol One of my teachers in my old school had one, i saw him play Castlevania on it. Awesome.

[@BlueePluto]

As a minimalist, this really makes me tingle. I wish I never sold mine.

[@keaton5101]

can you sell me a map?

[@TheRetroTrooper]

Scott is just one of the best and funniest mans I've ever heard. He makes me understand Video Game History even better.

[@darcyska]

Very much agree with you - it was a statement piece, maybe more for collectors or casual shoppers. Most already had an SP or a DS, both of which offer way more features than the Micro. It's a collectable now, but only because of the fact it's not as popular as everything else. In terms of pure functionality, it's perhaps right down there with the original bricks

[@OExplosion]

Funny enough none of the base model GBA have everything that I would want. With hardware mods I know this is possible now but growing up I wanted was the size and form factor of the Original GBA, the rechargeable battery of the SP and the screen sharpness of the Micro.

[@samuelpierce2.088]

All of this, but also…I kinda wish there was a way to make swappable face plates compatible with the OG GameBoy Advance form factor. Same thing for the SP models.

[@TANKTREAD]

Um, I was quite happy with the extra slot on the original DS for GBA games. I never owned a GameBoy Advance. So when I purchased my DS, I was able to start getting games I missed out on for the GBA. Never a problem with backwards compatibility. Sadly, a brilliant idea lost nowadays..

[@sleekbeaksheek]

I love this thing. My main driver for GBA games while out and about. Unlike the Switch, I can pocket this

[@dOuPdMe]

With all these companies that we buy from it’s just interesting how they will initially sell us a decently good product. But as time goes on the features we get are less at the same / higher price. I don’t know it just had me thinking when Scott mentioned pricing of the micro with the sp going for a $100 in 03 and the micro going for $90 in 05.

[@joegrossman5073]

I have one and its a blast and always turns heads as not many have seen them.

[@double1777]

There’s a universe where the DS was called the “Game Boy Flip”

[@Nerdtendo6366]

I like how the only GBA SP Scott had handy for this video is one that went to a war

[@NinjaxShadowXx]

I love the Game Boy Micro it’s so portable it’s my favorite way to bring and play GBA games on quick trips

[@enochbrooks633]

My favorite Game Boy outside of my Game Boy Color. My parents never found this bad boy becuase he was so easy to hide. I still have one and play it regularly, no one expects you to whip it out at a Dr appointment

[@Jpelley1994]

Backwards compatibility was a big deal then. There was no hesitancy, this console was hugely hyped.

[@AlternateHoney]

I'm nervously checking the clock, just 2 more minutes and Scott will have successfully made a gameboy mini video without mentioning the famicon edition

[@SuperJM9]

Another limitation of the GB Micro is that Nintendo never released a Gamecube to GB Micro link cable. So unless you make your own using a GB Micro link cable and a GC to GBA link cable, GC to GB Micro connectivity is impossible. Furthermore, GB Micro link cables and wireless adapters are expensive. Unfortunately, Nintendo only made an adapter that allows GBAs to use GB Micro link cable, not the other way around, so you have no choice but to pay the extra cost. The adapter is also rare and expensive. However, the GB Micro does look really cool aesthetically (especially the Famicom model), and the faceplates are a nice unique feature. The screen, while small, does make games look sharper also.

[@aikou2886]

Well, sacrifices had to be made.

[@cgray333]

The price was very quickly lowered to $49. Most people didn't pay $99 for it. Also, Scott fails to mention that there was a large and very vocal subset of the Nintendo fanbase that hated the DS design and playstyle. In this video, Scott frames the history of the micro as a kind of direct competitor to the DS at the time. It never was. I can still remember people at my high school saying that playing with a stylus was dumb and they would refuse to adopt it. Nintendo even openly stated that the DS was a separate product line that wasn't considered the next "Gameboy." The Micro was for those people (there were lots) who just couldn't wrap their minds around the DS at the time.

[@MostMorose]

I still have mine, it has the boos from Mario as a face plate

[@tannerbarnes7392]

This was actually my daily driver for a few years, up until my parents upgraded me to a DS. I remember playing Emerald on it while waiting the full 90 minutes for Old Faithful to blow at Yellowstone. Lost my original on a road trip to Colorado, and then my parents got me a DS lite for Christmas. Good times

[@bustdown718]

Does anyone else wonder how Shaquille O'Neil and other "tall" people felt about smaller devices of the early 2000s and late 90s ? 🧐

[@sebastianbass946]

I think the Game Boy Micro existed to provide an option between the two consoles. Not as an actual choice, but as a way to encourage someone who may be on the fence to buy the DS.

[@Markimark151]

I was already in college when the GB micro came out, my roommate had it and found it way too small and outdated when the PSP and DS came out, which I bought the PSP later on for 3D games and even played UMD movies! I already had the GBA SP, it was basically Nintendo’s last attempt to keep the GBA line relevant in the mid 2000s. But they should’ve priced it at $70, it would’ve been a great budget handheld!

[@E3kHatena]

I think the Micro could have a second chance at life if Nintendo made it like their recent-ish Game & Watch endeavors and packed some games on a system on a chip and put em in the plastic shell. This is way more pocketable than the G&W units and could make one of Nintendo’s more scarce legacy libraries available to folks physically versus spending fifty bucks a year to play em on Switch

[@mattfick5502]

The Micro still has an impact today. Several retro gaming handhelds are designed to resemble the Micro. Like the Miyoo A30, and the Aya Neo Micro (I think that's the name)

[@mariokarter13]

Reminds me a bit of the 2DS XL. When it was new no one really cared, but as soon as the overall platform got discontinued people picked them up as a backup in case their main system broke.

[@ElGordo2497]

I loved my game boy micro. I wish I didn’t lose it.

[@superjew837]

It’s the perfect gameboy for someone that already owns one of the other (way better) gba versions

[@jakepellegrino954]

4:33 ah yes the chronicles of Narnia the definitive example of a GBA game 😂

[@Coolman13355]

So glad to have the carpet.

[@ITSAHARDNUGLIFE]

Kind of funny isn't it? How it's called Game Boy Micro...when it should have been called GBA Micro. Then again, I'm still not over the Game Boy Advance title. I had neither the Micro or the SP, but I did have the first DS model with retro NES and SNES GBA games, Mario 64 DS, and a SpongeBob video cartridge with one of my favorite episodes, Jellyfish Jam.

[@VictorGonzalez-vj6jy]

I love the small crisp screen of the Micro. Played a ton of Pokémon and gundam fighters on it.

[@ndrzst24]

I keep a Gameboy Micro in my wallet. I don’t ever use it.

[@cjt217]

I didnt scroll through all comments, but inb4 switch 2 has joy cons with SCREENS

[@GregStallion]

My twin found my Micro (same model as Scott's original) during the start of the pandemic. I hadn't seen in a few years, but unfortunately someone crushed the backplate. It still works, but it looks wonky as f***. Makes me wish they had made the shell's easier disable and had gone with interchangeable shells (no matter how expensive or impractical) instead of interchangeable faceplates.

[@ComposerKuandohan]

Honestly, I feel like Nintendo saw the “everything has to be as small as possible!” market, had a whole bunch of Gameboy advance console parts for consoles they couldn’t sell anymore, and decided they were going to use those pieces to make a fashion piece, and if that’s the case, this is genius recycling. LOL I wouldn’t complain about 2 - 3 million sales of recycled parts.

[@mrblond750]

It’s not the size, it how you use it.

[@videogameobsession]

"The Game Boy Micro sold 2-3 million units".... Many of those, at $15 each on closeout. :P I bought two of them from a HUGE tower of them at Target. $15 for the set (GBMicro + two extra faceplates).

[@ThePutosaure]

The Famicom 20th Anniversary Edition being almost 20 years old by itself was a punch in the guts

[@bupbead2731]

Parents what will you buy??? A.(the latest and greatest dual screen handheld for $150 that has a touchscreen and can play the "previous" generation games) B.( The $99.99 handheld that can play just about every Gameboy game and has a durable clamshell design) C.( Its sleek and its modern only for the same price of the above system only $99.99 a all aluminum chassis with no backwards compatibility and a faceplate that will be scratched easy in little jimmy's backpack) So what will it be?

[@maxcady360]

I got one of these at discount in early 2010. Great for long train rides. But by the time I got it, emulation on smartphones was great and GBA games were getting pretty rare. I did enjoy playing a lot of Broken Sword on the Micro.

[@averypatrick5279]

Ngl I own a micro and I really like it. It gets a lot of shit, but I find it cool to use. I beat Mario world for the first time on that thing.

[@MEUProductions]

I have a famicom micro with a ruby colored Everdrive. I exclusively take it on planes and trips. It's easy to carry around. The games look fantastic because the screen is so small.

[@Darc1972]

Praise be! Carpet cam is back!

[@_OCPGAMING]

I loved my GB Micro. 1. It was smaller than the GBA and DS, it was more comfortable carrying it around with my phone. 2. The screen size makes the picture sharper and overall better looking than a GBA or DS. 3. I didn't want a DS. 4. I didn't need to play GB games.

[@JohnKelly2]

I picked up the Famicom edition at Walmart for $25 on Black Friday. It was great! Easy to pocket, had long battery life and fun. I took it to work and played Mario on my lunch break. I traded it to a local game shop a couple of years later for $200 in trade, because the owner wanted it for his collection.

[@shadthompson9297]

I still have mine and use it sometimes. I like it. It’s sharp and it was easy to hide during charge of quarters or staff duty.

[@SpunkMcKullins]

I somehow managed to snag a Famicom GBA Micro for $5 from a friend in high school who just... didn't want it, I guess? It was scratched to hell, but for $5 I can't complain at all. The thing was beautiful and handled fantastic. You aren't just exaggerating when you say how gorgeous that screen is either. Definitely plan to try and restore it someday, just need to find the time.

[@thelegendarybeng5329]

I feel the game boy micro was more of a part of the da hedge than you let on. I think the idea behind it being released was it would be comparison make more people buy the ds. As you said it really is an easy consumer choice. And if the ds failed, they just revert back to all gba devices, including sold ds.

[@TrevorZero]

I still keep mine with me for those boring office hours

[@Ginronmaster1994]

honestly it being that small is so nice. I usually reach for mine when i know i'm only going to be playing for a little bit, but carrying something larger would be cumbersome