GBA Micro.

hawken

This little number is coming out in a few days (4 days) over here in Tokyo. I'll be getting my grubby hands on a few, so I'll give one a proper review then. However in the meantime I'd like to share my views on the big N at the moment.

Sony have taken the UK by storm with the PSP, that thing sold more than double the unit of the DS on it's launch! Even despite rife critisim of the sticking buttons, dead pixels and worthless battery life; people would rather one of those than something from ninendo.

Having worked for 2 years handling nearly all of the big N's euro online promotion on new goods, I can see where the difference lies. Over here in Japan, Nintendo is a byword for cool. All of their products are packaged nicely, creatively. The games work well in Japanese and are written in a non patronising manner. Often, bizzare and adult themed games are distributed as top line titles. They jumped on the online gaming bandwagon early and distribute cool "special edition" goods to members of the Mario Club. A nintendo T-Shirt will cost you over $100.

Europe, however, has the complete opposite image. And however hard we tried to bend that image into something remotely cool - nintendo of Germany would smash us down or cut our budgets. Eventually we lost Nintendo to a cheaper rival. It was all about spending the least amount of Euro's possible, without caring over the output... however everything has to follow strict guidlines over content. Once I even got told to manover Taki from Soul Calibur 2 so that her giant tits were not visible.

Basically, Nintendo is dumbed down outside of Japan. And that leaves the other major Euro player to fund our imaginations with cool, shiney gadgets. Sony have done everything right, and are the true kings of the handheld market. Even with all the aforementioned shortcomings, the PSP will dominate the DS, and it already has.


Blame:

I blame Nintendo for focusing on being creative, and not bothering to intergrate value into their products. Nintendo works in Japan, because people have surplus cash to spend on electronics, and will hapily buy something shaped like a powder case or a swirl or some other bollocks because they also don't mind throwing it away in 1/2 a year to buy the next swirly bleepy thing that carries the title "XP" or "DS" etc.

To have really of captured the market outside of Japan, they needed to intergrate extra bonuses into their goods. Like for example, why not put a small 3megapixel SDcard camera in the GBA micro? My digital camera is frikkin tiny, much smaller than a GBA micro, but I'd happily trade it in for something that does both! And there we have it. I'm the typical Euro gadget buyer. My vision of value is a gadget that can do many things, not simply ... play old games in a nicer case.



And that's why the PSP wins.



Now if only someone would release a touch screen version with some PDA software...

thnom

Looks like a piece of shit to be honest. Looks cheap, bulky and pretty damned pointless. It doesn't look that small, or that much smaller than a GBA. It also looks very tacky and like one of those £2 things from the back of the market over here with 1,000+! games

KDR_11k

It's about the size of a cellphone, I've seen them at the GC Leipzig.

Yeah it's rather pointless. Yet another GBA for 100$/€ without any interesting new features. A camera wouldn't have worked (where would you place the lens apparatus? Unlike a cellphone the GBA has that freaking huge GBA port). They could have tried to incorporate the Play-Yan (SD-card based movie and MP3 player for the GBA, currently only available in Japan) somehow, though. Considering the price of the GBAM that would probably still make a profit.

JordanW

I dunno, when i was at E3 this year I was pretty damn critical of the GBA micro, until I tried it out. It's actually not that bad, it's suprisingly small, and the screen is actually really good on it. I think it's more for the people who dont have a GBA yet, it definatly doesnt warrent buying a new one just because it's small :P

KDR_11k

It doesn't close like the SP so the screen will probably get scratched pretty quick. To me that's a disadvantage.

JordanW

it depends, some screens scratch worse than others. I carry my ipod everywhere I go and it doesnt have any scratches on the screen, which is suprising since it's in my pocket with my keys and such. I dont think that every handheld device with a screen should be folding 0_o They may also have some sort of carry slip over thing.

Mark Dygert

I thought those where coming in cereal boxes? Honestly they have always looked cheap and like some crappy GBA knock off, but when you have one in your hand it seems to work fine, provided your hands don't crap up from gripping the almost credit card sized device...

I have a DS why would I want one of those? Even if I didn't I still have the GBAsp and the GBA I installed the afterburner in. Why do I need another GBA?

On a side note, I play the DS more than the PSP. I watch movies, listen to music and use my PSP as a file go-between, so it gets used. But the last "game" I played was Metal Gear Acid and that was at launch... still waiting for some more good games...

Joshua Stubbles

Wipeout Pure, Untold Legends, Lumines and the new Namco collection are all really great on PSP, Vig.

As far as the GBA micro goes, I don't think the screen will scratch that easily, as long as you take care of it. My PSP screen is completely flawless still, as I wipe it down after every use, and store it in it's pouch. It's all about taking care of your shit

I might get a micro, since there are better games for that than my DS right now.

KDR_11k

A pouch is another thing to carry around. I have one with my PDA and I think it's rather annoying.

hawken

The only model I can see making a buck or two is the Famicom edition micro. They should do a decent NES edition faceplate, might shift a few units outside of Japan.

JonMurphy

There is a small detail they neglect to mention with those PSP launch figures when compared to the DS in the UK. The PSP was sold for four days before the end of week figures, the DS only two.

How are the DS sale figures in the US compared to PSP? I know DS wins in Japan.

Me, I would love an ickle DS. That with Mario Kart, and I am happy.

KMan

When is the micro supposed to be coming stateside?

nitzmoff

Around the 17th I think. I can't wait!

ElysiumGX

Does is come in NOT pink? I'm told the DS plays GBA games, so I see that as a better investment. Otherwise, I'd rather just pick up the GBAsp. My hands are too big for this micro push button crap anyway. Like a fat guy riding a tricycle. And I'm dying for Nintendo to update the look of their newer hardware with something more retro. Listen to your customers...NES styled Revolution dammit!

btw...In Japan, I'm huge.

KDR_11k

It comes in lots of colors (6 minimum) and the faceplate can be exchanged. The pink one is just for the girls.

Keg

ElysiumGX: it plays gba games, but no multiplayer or connectivity to the gamecube which in my opinion hurts it alot and there is only a couple really worth while games available.

KDR_11k

I think I heard they will offer a new set of cables that's compatible with the Micro. Or do you mean the DS?

Keg

KDR: I know the gba micro you can get adapters, I was refering to the DS about the lack of many must buy games and poor backwards connectivity.

rooster

I waited for the psp rather than picking up a DS, because while the DS is cool and quirky, it didn't really seem like the advanced toy that I wanted. Something that plays cutting edge games in my palm, with video, music and picture storage- and hopefully if a firmware downgrader is ever released- classic console emulation- hell yes. all you 1.0 and 1.5 bastards, I hate ya

KDR_11k

The DS can play back movies, music and images with that Play-Yan thing (total cost DS+Play Yan < PSP) and apparently getting homebrew software on it is trivial, just connect a passme once to update the firmware, then write all the homebrew (includes emulators) you want to a GBA flash cart and play it. I think you could use the GBA Movie Player (third party product) for homebrew as well but its movie playback isn't as ood as the Play Yan's, I think. Oh and current Play Yan versions allow some downloaded games to be run, perhaps that's an entrypoint for homebrew as well.

EDIT: http://www.dspassme.com/oscommerce/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=42

hawken

they should have combined the new iPod nano with this.

I went and checked them out again today. I'm still gonna buy one. Damn moody fucks in the shop wouldn't let me do a photo of the display with all the faceplates. My money is still on the Famicom edition re-invigorating the market. I think the main reason why the micro exists is, GBA games are still selling very well. DS not so.

KDR_11k

The DS is selling much better than the GBA in Japan, it just doesn't have as large of an installed base or software library yet. I'm guessing the Micro exists to make clear that the DS isn't the replacement for the GBA.

And why combine it with the iPod Nano? Makes no real sense, Apple is a different company and will probably want larger profit margins than Nintendo, who can rely on licenses to bring in the money. That would just make one REALLY expensive (and probably large, the memory has to fit somewhere) GBA. Never mind the Play Yan already adds the iPod functionality (minus Apple DRM, obviously).

hawken

...because I want a walkman, camera and a gameboy in the same machine? iPod nano's games really suck ass. how about puzzle bobble jobs you ass!!

KDR_11k

There's been some homebrew stuff for the standard iPod, can't the Nano run any homebrew?

hawken

does the white PSP come out, outside of Japan? I need buy something that will impress my friends when I go back to the UK

hawken

I've decided to join the masses and buy a psp.

the major turning point the fact that it can emulate, which is all I want. http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/

KDR_11k

How do you get a 1.50 PSP these days? I thought they were all 1.52 or newer (no exploits for those firmware exist, no emulation love for you!)?

The3DGuy

you snooze you lose. *hugs his 1.50*

KDR_11k

*cue J.K. Makowka rant on how the GamePark 32 is a better choice if you want emulation*