BestGameCodes.com- Codes for the best games.
Best GBM (Game Boy Micro) Setup (Last Updated 5/22/26)

Intro:

My favorite portable system of all-time is the GBM (Game Boy Micro) from Nintendo and I feel for a collection of 15x game cartridges-or-less I have figured out the best setup and also have figured out some of the best GBA (Game Boy Advance) game titles you would want to get for that 15x game cartridges-or-less collection as well as the best game cartridge cases and best case for the GBM setup.

About the GBM system:

While the GBM system first came out back in 2005 it’s still the smallest system in existence that plays GBA games and the fact that it is so mini while being so powerful and good quality makes it extra neat. It has a brighter screen than not only the first version of the GBA SP (Game Boy Advance SP) (which came out in 2003) but also the later version of the GBA SP with the AGS-101 screen. While the colors of the games don’t like quite as good on the GBM screen as the later version of the GBA SP they still look great and a GBM does have a faster refresh rate so overall is the better system even though it does have a smaller screen at just 2-inches. And the GBM having a small screen is not all disadvantages as since it is a 32-bit system a smaller screen all-things-equal makes the graphics looks better as well as drains the batteries slower. And while some people like the clamshell design of the GBA SP as since it folds up like a laptop computer it keeps the screen from getting scratched-up, the way I store my GBM in the case mentioned below its screen never gets scratched-up. While the GBM does have interchangeable faceplates to change the look and some people think that is a neat feature I feel that is a dumb feature as “the focus should be on playing the game and the size of the system not changing the appearance of the system” but I don’t really look at it is counting against my love of the system I look at it as “it’s just a thing that the system can do that I never have it do so it doesn’t effect me either way.” As for the system called the GBA (which came out in 2001) while it has a bigger screen it is unlit so if you wanted to play it in the dark you with would have to get a sold separately GBA Worm Light for it otherwise in a dark room the screen is pitch back and since it plugs into the place for a cable or adapter needed for multiplayer you would have to either not play it multiplayer when using it or get the more expensive version of the GBA Worm Light that has a port for the multiplayer cable on it (and both versions are powered by the GBA’s batteries, by the way) and even when not playing in the dark you can only comfortably play it in a room with extremely good lighting otherwise even in a room with just OK lighting you are having to either use a GBA Worm Light or hold the GBA just right so that you can see what’s on the screen. While both versions of the GBA SP and the system called the GBA can play GB (Game Boy) and GBC (Game Boy Color) games in addition to GBA games and the GBM can only play GBA games I by far have the most interest in playing GBA games anyway so that advantage doesn’t mater so much. For at least the first version of the DS (Nintendo DS) (which is also 32-bit and came out in 2004) you could also play GBA games in addition to DS games (but not GB or GBC games) but even though most DS games came out later than most GBA games I still have much more of an interest in playing GBA games than DS games because there’s a lot more titles that interest me more.

For playing GBA games multiplayer:

Some GBA games can be played multiplayer up to 2 players and others up to 4 players, but to play multiplayer (for at least original portable systems) you need another system that can play GBA games and another GBA cartridge for each player and a GBA Game Link Cable (model AGB-005) for 2–4 players (and with how it hooks up with a single hub in the middle you need 1x of them to play 2 player, 2x to play 3 player, and 3x to play 4 player) or a GBA Wireless Adapter (model AGB-015) for 2–4 players (and 1x is needed per player so 2x for 2 players, 3x for 3 players, and 4x for 4 players) except for a GBM which has a smaller port so it can’t use those and instead you have to use a GBM Game Link Cable (model OXY-008), or a GBA Game Link Cable coupled with a GBM Converter Connector (model OXY-009), or a GBM Wireless Adapter (model OXY-004).

Some of the best GBA games:

The games in these sections I have listed alphabetically, not in the order they came out or how similar they are to each other. Some GBA games are exclusive to that system (and when I say exclusive I mean initially as you can play them all today with videogame console emulators) and why it matters if they are exclusive is when they aren’t sometimes they are “lamed” versions of the game with not as good graphics among other issues because they had to be since GBA games and systems are 32-bit and also it matters as you then know if a system that plays GBA games is your only option to play them or not (if you don’t count emulators).

Here are all 7 of the exclusive FPS (First-Person Shooter) games: “Back Track” (2001), “Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever” (2002), “Dark Arena” (2002), “Duke Nukem Advance” (2002), “Ecks vs. Sever” (2001), “Ice Nine” (2005), and “Serious Sam Advance” (2004).

And here are all 6 of the non-exclusive FPS games (and I have listed the year of when the BGA version 1st came out): “Doom” (2001), “Doom II” (2002), “Greg Hastings’ Tournament Paintball MAX’D” (2005), “James Bond 007: Nightfire” (2003), “Medal of Honor: Underground” (2002), and “Wolfenstein 3D” (2002).

And you can see a YouTube video that shows gameplay and commentary on all 13 of those FPS games: here.

And some of the best GBA non-FPS games that are exclusive are: “F-Zero: GP Legend” (2004), “F-Zero: Maximum Velocity” (2001), “Grand Theft Auto Advance” (2004), “Metroid Fusion” (2002), “Metroid: Zero Mission” (2004), and “Robotech: The Macros Saga” (2002).

And 1 of the best GBA non-FPS games that is non-exclusive is: “World Championship Poker” (2004).

Game cartridge cases:

The cases for the games themselves I use are all Nintendo brand 3x cartridge cases which are rare to find on eBay still in new sealed condition (they come in 3x packs of 3x cartridge cases, so space for 9x cartridges total) and in new sealed condition are a little pricey but are much more common to find in used condition and then there’s all sorts of single-cartridge cases out there that are very common and very inexpensive and so if you wanted to copy this setup and didn’t have much of a budget then the single-cartridge cases might be a better option for you.

New case for my GBM setup:

For the case for my GBM setup (so GBM, game cases with games in them, and charger) I use type of Vaultz case which is also marketed as a type of “lockbox,” “hard case,” “pencil box,” and “pencil case” (and on the Vaultz website listed as a “pencil box” and while they don’t have the same type with the net part right now you can still go to their website and buy the less good version: here.) In addition to being the perfect size for the GBM in its drawstring closure soft case that every new GBM comes with it’s also the perfect size for rows of 3x cartridge cases and there’s even this net part underneath the lid which is perfect for the charger every new GBM comes with (as all GBM’s run off of a built-in rechargeable battery). But please note that the only type they have made in recent years (so the only type on their website) does not have the net part underneath the lid, they instead have slots underneath the lid for pencils and pens –– and that feature is useless for using the case as a GBM case but you still can use it as a really good GBM case even with that feature. It can store 5x 3x cartridge cases (15x cartridges total) with the charger 7x 3x cartridge cases (21x cartridges total) without (and while taking up slightly more space resulting in a tight fit it also will fit that number of games all in single-cartridge cases) but my whole collection of games is a little less than 15x and I want the charger in there too so I store it with 5x 3x cartridge cases. This case is the exact size I would want even if I was designing a case from scratch even though it’s not marketed as a GBM case at all and instead is sometimes marketed as a pencil case as if pencils are so expensive they need a nice case like this as they don’t, and so personally I think for the marketing for this case instead of “pushing pencils” they should be suggesting “GBM setups” and if I was a member of a marketing team for this case and someone was rudely disagreeing me about how I feel this is a GBM case not a pencil case I’d be like “listen pencil neck, this is obviously a GBM case not a pencil case.” I guess the only thing I might change if I was to design this GBM setup case from scratch is not have it have the built-in lock because not only does that add to the size-and-weight and expense of the case but there’s also not so much of a point to having it lockable when it can be so easily carried off although it would make it so the thief would have to have the hassle of breaking-into the case later to get to the contents. To my knowledge these cases are no longer sold in stores but on eBay if you do a search for “Vaultz” you will see a bunch of pages of results for different types of Vaultz cases and you should be able to find this exact case still in new condition and there’s even a Batman design version of it in existence (among many other styles) if you (unlike me) prefer that style but I instead just went for “plain black” as I feel that looks the best. Also, these Vaultz cases would be good for other portable gaming systems as well, it just isn’t likely everything would fit as perfectly inside as the GBM and GBM stuff.

Old case for my GBM setup:

I used to use a Samsonite digital camera case for my GBM, the main compartment is just big enough for the GBM in its case with drawstring closure it came with and then you can have a single game in the GBM itself and then in the second compartment you can pick if you want a game in a single-cartridge case in sideways slightly sticking out or the charger with the charger cable hanging out which if I was playing “on-the-go” and wanted to have 2 games that 1st option would be the way to go or if I only had a single GBA game that I liked and just played at home or where I could use the charger that 2nd option would be the way to go but I wanted to be able to have the GBM, my much larger than 1x or 2x complete collection of GBA games, and the GBM charger all in 1 case so I eventually upgraded to the Vaultz case.
Help keep BestGameCodes.com alive by making a donation of an amount of your choice through PayPal with this button: