game-boy-micro
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Micro music: Jam Without the Band
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Who_Needs_a_Band_or_a_DJ_When_You_ve_Got_a_Game_Boy'; Lacking the friends needed to put together an Electroplankton/iPhone band? Too impatient for Korg's DS-10 release this summer? Don't let those trivial obstacles discourage you! You don't need a too-live crew to compose a rumpshaker, nor do you need expensive software applications. In fact, having a Nintendo DS isn't imperative either. As many chiptune musicians can attest, you don't need the latest handheld technology to lay down a boss track.Take this artist in the video above, for example -- he's using Nanoloop, a homebrew synthesizer/sequencer available for both Game Boy and Game Boy Advance systems. You can download the program on the developer's official site for free! Of course, there are a few additional items required for the complete setup: A mess of cables - $50+ Korg Kaossilator Dynamic Phrase Synthesizer - $200 Korg KP3 Kaoss Pad Dynamic Effect/Sampler - $400 Expensive? Sure, but listen to that music! These are the lush songs your android grandchildren will make babies to after watching the sun set on an alien world. [Via Nicovideo]
Get a small Game Boy for a smallish price
The Game Boy Micro is pretty much obsolete, outpaced by the DS and DS Lite in functionality. But the DS has yet to catch up in the "being ridiculously tiny" department, and lacks the important "being in the Nintendo Famicom controller color scheme" feature that one edition of the Micro offers.Play-Asia is offering the Japanese Famicom edition of the Game Boy Micro for $60 this week, marked down from their usual price of $100. This may be just the thing if you want to be able to play It's Mr. Pants, but your actual pants are too tight for a DS Lite.
Huge discounts and prizes at Play Asia's Year of the Rat Lucky Sale
Bringing in the Chinese New Year, import shop Play Asia has slashed the prices on over five thousand of its in-stock games and accessories. What's more, each order you put in between today and February 29th will count towards an entry for you to win a variety of Japanese consoles, games, and store credits. There's just too many items on sale to list, so we've picked out a few from the DS and GBA sections that might pique your interest. DS game sales: Ryuusei no RockMan: Dragon, Leo, and Pegasus - $48.90 $9.90 Nodame Cantabile - $48.90 $14.90 Operation: Vietnam (US) - $24.90 $16.90 Slide Adventure: Mag Kid - $58.90 $19.90 Oshare Majo Love and Berry (DS Collection) - $58.90 $19.90 K-1 World GP - $48.90 $24.90 Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 - $48.90 $29.90 Jump past the break for the accessory and GBA bargains!
Keepin' it real fake, part CX: Game Joy micro
We've seen a couple fake Game Boy micros in the past, but none of them have been as faithful reproductions as this one here. Sadly, we've got little to go on as far as games or other functions in this "Game Joy micro," but it looks like at least Tetris is a shoo-in, which is really all that matters. Check after the break for a few other gems of fakery.[Thanks, Johnny]
Handheld history reveals PSP's slim figure [Update 1]
Joystiq, the attention-craving parent site to PSP Fanboy, recently compared the sizes of history's greatest handhelds. When looking at the handhelds in size order, one can see that the PSP sits smack in the middle. Game Boy micro: 5.6 cubic inches Game Boy Advance SP: 9.81 cubic inches DS Lite: 12.96 cubic inches Wonderswan: 13.33 cubic inches Wonderswan Color: 14.1 cubic inches Wonderswan Crystals: 14.68 cubic inches Neo Geo Pocket Color: 17.35 cubic inches Sony PSP: 17.52 cubic inches Game Boy Advance: 17.64 cubic inches GP2X: 19.61 cubic inches DS Phat: 22.01 cubic inches Game Boy: 26.39 cubic inches Gamepark 32: 26.83 cubic inches Sega Nomad: 49.36 cubic inches Game Gear: 50.86 cubic inches Atari Lynx: 68.53 cubic inches We should be thankful that the PSP is no monstrosity like the Game Gear... Then again, I did love my Game Gear (pictured).[Thanks, Zebulunite!][Update 1: Whoa, how did that HTML glitch happen? It totally wasn't like that when I typed it. Anyways, fixed.]
Nintendo MP3 player for DS coming this fall?
Music-hungry Nintendo fanboys in Japan have already been able to get their fix in the form of the Play-Yan adapter for the DS and Game Boy Advance/Micro, but it looks like the rest of us might soon be able to rock some beats between bouts of New Super Mario Bros as well if this latest bit of info pans out. According to a brochure that reportedly surfaced at the Leipzig Games Convention, Nintendo is set to release an MP3 player adapter for the DS and Game Boy Advance this fall -- October 6th to be specific (in Europe, at least) -- and like the Play-Yan, the add-on will use SD cards (up to 2GB) for storage and have its own headphone port, although it apparently lacks the Play-Yan's video capabilities. Price is reported to be €30, or just under forty bucks, although there's still no official word from Nintendo, which we'd guess would be coming fairly soon if that release date is solid.[Via Joystiq]
Game Boy Micro lands in UK bargain bin
Joystiq tipster, Jay, spotted a new price tag for Game Boy Micro at GAME, a UK retailer. The palm-sized portable is down from £69 to just £39 (about $75).Despite being $25 cheaper than the MSRP in the US, the new UK price still doesn't push our 'impulse buy' button. Get it down to the £25/$50 range and we'll gladly toss a couple into the shopping cart while we're waiting in the checkout line.[Thanks, Jay]
Japanese hardware sales, 19 June - 25 June: the bigger they are
... the harder they fall. The Japanese population's brief rekindling of their romance with the DS Phat, showing a massive 1559% increase in sales last week, seems to have died out for now. Our obese friend takes the sharpest fall this week, with slimmer, trimmer machines like the Game Boy Micro and DS Lite faring better. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 157,022 15,535 (10.98%)- PS2: 25,467 4,730 (22.81%)- PSP: 24,737 84 (0.34%)- DS Phat: 10,132 12,616 (55.46%)- GBA SP: 3,784 858 (18.48%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,502 208 (16.07%)- Gamecube: 1,197 195 (19.46%)- Xbox 360: 1,169 238 (16.92%)- GBA: 25 5 (25.00%)- Xbox: 10 5 (33.33%)The rest of the chart seems intentionally unremarkable, with the Lite reigning on top and the spinless Xbox sweeping the ground floor. Very soon, it will be expected to clean up the explosion of confetti and glitter accompanying the launch of the Noble Pink DS Lite.[Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales: Micro management
The numbers for the week are in and, in a remarkable break from tradition, are actually pretty interesting. The PSP finally stands triumphant over the DS, though perhaps not for the reasons it was originally hoping for (to be fair, the system has been getting some really great games recently). The Phat's on its way out, it seems, with the Lite assuming a comfortable position at the top of the charts. The Japanese hardware sales charts for the week ranging from 17 April to 23 April are presented below. The ranking, according to number of units sold: DS Lite: 168,809 27,840 (19.75%) PSP: 32,323 5,983 (22.71%) PS2: 25,763 1,786 (6.48%) Game Boy Micro: 18,390 14,714 (400.27%) GBA SP: 11,044 4,672 (73.32%) Phat DS: 8,051 29,153 (78.36%) Xbox 360: 3,990 2,064 (107.17%) Gamecube: 1,106 26 (2.41%) GBA: 58 12 (26.09%) Xbox: 16 14 (46.67%) There are two noteworthy things happening here. The original DS is plunging to the bottom of the charts (no doubt a new and scary experience for the little guy) whilst the Game Boy Micro jumps up by a whopping 400%, stopping only to give the plummeting DS a high-five as it goes hurtling by. You can probably thank the Japanese release of Mother 3 for the good fortune of Nintendo's most diminutive of devices. Previously: Now with added numerical goodness! (10 April - 16 April) Lite still on top (3 April - 9 April) The Lite fantastic (27 March - 2 April)
No Game Boy Micro faceplates for Europe
It seems Europe just can't win. While they're finally getting Shadow of the Colossus, it looks like they'll never get any new faceplates for their Game Boy Micros. British Gaming Blog contacted Nintendo and received this reply, "I have not heard that Nintendo will be selling replaceable face plates in Europe. They are available in the USA but not over here unfortunately." Ouch!Well, if Nintendo won't sell them, someone else will. It appears eBay has plenty if you really want to change the look or your diminutive handheld.
