200K GB Micros sold, new Pokémon model in Japan

While it's only been a month since Nintendo released its Game Boy Micro, the handheld is already getting a new special edition. Today in Japan, Nintendo announced it will release a special Game Boy Micro Pokémon Version on November 17. The handheld comes in a slick two-toned color, with a metallic red body, a black front panel, and a silhouette of Pikachu on the right-hand side.

The Game Boy Micro Pokémon Version will be available through Pokémon Online, Pokémon Mobile, and Pokémon Centers located throughout Japan. Preorders will be open starting October 20. The handheld will have the same 12,000 yen ($105) yen price tag as the regular Micro. It is the second special edition for the Micro, after the gold-and-red Famicom version that was released alongside the standard edition of the handheld. Neither the Famicom nor the Pokémon versions is yet available in the US.

Though the special editions of the Game Boy Micro are sure to be sought after, the regular version is selling just fine in Japan. This week's edition of Famitsu says the miniaturized version of the Game Boy Advance--the third version of the handheld--has sold more than 200,000 units since it went on sale September 13, 2005. According to Dengeki Online, the handheld sold 148,000 units during its first week of release in Japan, accounting for approximately 55 percent of hardware shipments. Its launch numbers have surpassed those of the Game Boy Advance SP, which sold 110,000 units in its first week when it was released in February of 2003.

The Game Boy Micro has been on sale in the US since September 19, but no US hardware sales figures have yet been released.