Differnces between GBA and the GBMicro, Mythbuster style

[ften]

As most people know the Game Boy Micro doesn't play Game boy or Game Boy Color Games (not counting emulation). Most forums that I have read on the subject said the only difference was the fact the Game Boy Advanced has the ability to switch from 3.3v to 5v when the GB carts were used with it. The cartridge bottom is slightly different and presses in a switch when slide in. The Micro only does 3.3v and has no switch. So I decided to rewire a cartridge for an external 5v power supply and see.
Originally I was going to use a GB Game Genie, as it is easier to hack and had room for a voltage regulator if the external power source worked, but I got lazy when I realized I'd have to rewire the whole thing because it the Game Genie doesn't work anyway on the GBA. So I hacked my Donkey Kong Land cart...





As you can see this myth is busted. It worked in the original GB and the GBA, but not the GBM.

If it actually worked I would have removed the USB / Molex connector and wired it to a portable power source. So there must be something else besides the ability to generate 5v holding the GBM from running GB/GBC games, which I imagine is the fact that it's not doing the full z80 emulation as someone suggested on GBAdev.
Kinda makes me sad that overall this project is useless. I suppose you could use it to double the battery time for using GB/GBC games in a GBA.

More pictures are listed here;
www.fathertom.net/GBM

-FTen
"Creator of useless projects"

[Scott84]

Why does it show up not full on the gameboy though?

[ften]

Why does it show up not full on the gameboy though?

I think that is just because of the timing of the photo and angle.  In the link to the rest of the pictures you can see Tetris running full screen.

-FTen