Game Gear Micro
Image: Damien McFerran / Time Extension

The Game Gear Micro was an odd venture for Sega. Exclusive to Japan, it was a tiny version of the famous portable from the '90s – so tiny, in fact, that hand cramp was an almost unavoidable side-effect of prolonged play.

Another massive shortcoming was the fact that Sega sold the console in different SKUs, each one coming with different games – so, if you wanted the full collection of titles, you had to buy five different variants.

Thankfully, it's now possible to hack the Game Gear Micro so you can load up more games. You'll need to download some software on your computer and flash hacked firmware to the device, but beyond that, you can finally unlock the Micro's true potential – it's just a shame there's nothing you can do about the tiny size, but you can't have everything.

We reviewed the Game Gear Micro at launch and had this to say:

Given that Nintendo hasn't pounced on the idea of a Game Boy Classic Edition as yet, it would have been the perfect opportunity for Sega to steal a march on its former adversary and produce a portable that truly celebrates one of its most iconic pieces of hardware – and just in time for the lucrative Christmas season, too. But alas, we're dreaming now. What we have instead is an impractical trinket that will look amazing on our shelf but does a pretty dismal job of highlighting Sega's amazing handheld legacy.

We also had a look at the Game Gear Micro Aleste edition, which comes pre-loaded with some amazing shmups, including GG Aleste 3, an entirely new entry made specifically for this console and Aleste Collection.


Thanks to KingMonkey for the tip!

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[source youtube.com]