Nintendo Readies For Japanese Game Boy Micro Launch

Japanese game website Nintendo Inside is reporting that the initial Japanese shipment of the Game Boy Micro handheld will be 250,000 for the launch on September 13th. The newest iteration of the Game Boy family is due for release in North America on September 19th, and November 4th in Europe. Nintendo has already begun a series of public demonstrations and promotions in various Tokyo shopping districts. Much of Nintendo’s online and TV advertising for the console has been themed around the twentieth anniversary of Super Mario Bros. on the Famicom (NES). The 'Famicom Mini' re-release of Super Mario Bros. for Game Boy Advance earlier in the year was a significant sales success for Nintendo, and was one of the games being demonstrated alongside the Game Boy Micro player this week, along with a console equipped with the Play-Yan media player. To further emphasize the lineage of the handheld, a special Famicom-themed version of the Game Boy Micro is also being produced in limited quantities. The Game Boy Micro is only 4 inches wide, 2 inches long and 0.7 inches thin, and weighs approximately 2.8 ounces. Unlike the Game Boy Advance SP, it has a backlit screen (the SP's is sidelit) that is claimed to be even brighter and sharper than the Nintendo DS – although it is smaller than the SP at just 2 inches. Although the Japanese launch of the Micro is expected to go well, concern has been raised by analysts over the closeness of the 11,499 yen ($104.50) pricing in comparison to the more fully featured, if physically bulkier Nintendo DS, which is priced at 14,799 yen ($134.50). Though similar issues may be raised with a Western launch, with the Micro costing $99.99 in North America and around $130 in Europe, price reductions over time and the uniquely compact nature of the device may help Nintendo's position.