When it comes to technology, size matters, only the other way around as the ooohs and aaahs surrounding the new iPod Nano prove. People like their gadgets puny. If you can't possibly bring yourself to lug around nine ounces of PSP or if carrying that DS in your back pocket makes your ass look huge, then rejoice—the GameBoy Micro has arrived.
It is small. Crazy small. If handhelds were candy bars, the Micro would be fun-size.
At 2 inches by 4 inches by 0.7 inches, the Micro is scarcely larger than an iPod Mini and actually weighs a bit less. The entire unit is smaller than the screen on a PSP, and its own screen is comparable to those on most cell phones. But is it practical or has technology gone too far? With a screen that barely measures 2 inches diagonally, does it need to come with a magnifying glass?
To put it to the test, I employed the scientific method of playing Dr. Mario in a poorly lit room until the whites of my eyes turned red. It took about four hours, which is pretty standard. Thanks to an incredible screen resolution (far better than the GameBoy Advance), the visuals were always crisp. Consider the Micro critic-approved. Game geeks everywhere can finally carry a GameBoy and still look good in tight jeans—at least as good as game geeks can look in tight jeans.
BATTALION WARS (T) (3 stars)
Nintendo
GameCube
Leave it to Nintendo to make even war look cute. Battalion Wars allies real-time strategy with third-person shooting, which is good and bad. The third-person shooting is good, allowing you to control a number of cutesy-cool characters and vehicles. The strategy is bad, marred by poor controls and the fact that you're leading an army of AI morons.
LEGEND OF KAY (E10+) (3.5 stars)
Capcom
PlayStation 2
To get a sense of Legend of Kay, imagine The Legend of Zelda with Link as a cat: an annoying cat, a cat that would make dog people out of all of us. It's a shame that Kay can't shut up the way Link does, because the combat, platforming and puzzles are all Zelda-worthy, and that's saying a lot.
DK: KING OF SWING (E) (3.5 stars)
Nintendo
GameBoy Advance
If you've ever felt bad that your L and R buttons don't get as much attention as A and B, then King of Swing is the game for you. Combining puzzle and adventure elements with an offbeat control scheme, DK actually features some challenging brainteasers. Just make sure your thumbs aren't getting jealous that your pointer fingers are having all the fun.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at
[email protected].