Nintendo Goes Small for Game Boy Micro

Nintendo debuted a new portable gaming system at its pre-E3 press conference on Tuesday, dubbed the Game Boy Micro. About the size of the iPod Mini, the Micro measures four inches wide by two inches tall, and features a two-inch LCD screen.

The Micro comes with a built in rechargeable lithium-ion battery and headphones. Nintendo will also give consumers a choice of colors and designs much like the iPod Mini.

"We're making the gorgeous Game Boy Micro for image-conscious folks who love video games, the ones who want the look of their system to be as cool as the games they play on it," Nintendo senior vice-president George Harrison said to the crowd of approximately 3,000.

"Because of its diminutive size and industrial-hip look, Game Boy Micro immediately identifies the person playing it as a trendsetter with discriminating style."

Nintendo says that while the Micro represents an evolution from the Game Boy Advance, it is not a successor to any system. The Game Boy Advance line has been successful for the company, having sold more than 28 million units since it's release in the United States. Nintendo says that more than 700 games are available for the platform.

The device will be released in the fall of this year.