Favorite portable system

[FM-77]

PSP, easily.

I generally hate portable gaming, but the PSP made that bareable with its awesome screen. Great games too, and homebrew (NES rules).

I have a DS too, and a GBA and some other old portable systems. I never ever use them. I love the original Game Boy, though. Awesome games and more importantly: awesome music! I can't stand GBA though, terrible system with terrible games.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I've only played a little emulated Wonderswan, but one of these days, I should take more time to play it.

[GUTS]

Wow the first PSP fan I've ever encountered who actually plays PSP games and doesn't use it for movies/emulation exclusively, awesome.  I thought they all died out.

[Black Tiger]

For those of you who picked the Express, what would you have picked if I had left the portable consoles out?

I'd have to choose the Nomad. I'd rather play the Genesis/MD's library on the Nomad screen and controls than any other non-TE portable. Plus, when I get to where I'm going, I can hook it up to a real TV.

[Dark Fact]

Mine is the DS.  I have to admit, no other portable gaming system had me this addicted than the DS.  I thought when the system first came out that it was a lousy concept (two screens? Touch control? WTF???) but after playing it for a bit and trying out such titles like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Trauma Center, and Cooking Mama, I now think it's the best system I ever played portably.

Oh and I have to give props to the PSP with its absolute GORGEOUS screen that really makes it look like you're playing a portable version of the Playstation.

The Neo-Geo Pocket Colour also deserves special mention for one game that I always play for it: Magical Drop.  Incredible fun!

Wow the first PSP fan I've ever encountered who actually plays PSP games and doesn't use it for movies/emulation exclusively, awesome.  I thought they all died out.

Which is why Sony needs to get their ass in gear and start releasing some more games for the system.  Nintendo is killing it in terms of software.  If the PSP doesn't have any more games to add to its library in the next year, I don't see it lasting very long.

I do not like how the GameBoy and Advance are grouped in with the DS.  For me it is the DS by itself.  It is the only portable that I have ever found truly acceptable.  Most others simply bore me, but the DS keeps my interest.  I didn't like the GameBoy nor the GB Advance much.  I hated the screen on the Game Gear and the Nomad with a passion.  The Turbo Express was clunky.  The Lynx was pure dogshit on a stick in every regard.  The PSP can lick my hairy balls since it has absolutely nothing that interests me, plus it has a crappy D-pad/analog nub thingy.  I've never played a Game.com, WonderSwan or Supervision, so those things can all burn in hell.  Same goes for the Gizmondo.  The only other portable that I found almost acceptable was the Neo Geo Pocket Color.  It had a few great games like that KOF vs Street Fighter or some such thing, and Metal Slug and Neo Turf Masters and Sonic and something else.  Almost held my interest for 6 months, which is longer than any other portable outside of the DS.  Plus it had that cool clicky stick thingy!

Joe, I'll be honest.  Your post started off like any other and got more and more entertaining as it went on.   Thanks for a good laugh.

[guyjin]

Are the fighting games on the NGPC really that good? I'm not a fan of fighting games, but the few I've had the misfortune of playing on portables are always awful.

[Tatsujin]

I can't stand GBA though, terrible system with terrible games.

which are for example?

[Keranu]

Are the fighting games on the NGPC really that good? I'm not a fan of fighting games, but the few I've had the misfortune of playing on portables are always awful.

They're amazing for a portable game, just as fun as the consoles really. It's amazing how they managed to fight a lot of the control mechanics of KoF'97 and '98 into KoF'R1 and 'R2.  But not it's not just KoF'R1 and R2 that are good, they are all excellent games, especially SNK vs Capcom.

[Hobo Xiphas]

especially SNK vs Capcom.

Just don't take SNK vs Capcom seriously, it has some real balance issues like its arcade cousin.

[Ninja Spirit]

Ehh any of the SD portable adaptations of the popular fighter series (i.e. Guilty Gear Petit, Fatal Fury: 1st Contact, SvC:MOTM)  on handhelds are to me not necessarily bad, they just have a kind of novelty vibe.

Speaking of that SvC:MOTM, here's a video I made of a pretty good strategy RPG for Neo Geo Pocket Color called "Faselei". It's also one of the hardest titles to search out a real copy because it was a short run production in which half of the quantity got recalled by SNK when they dropped the bankruptcy bomb.

And since I'm a Mega/Rockman junkie, I am searching for Rockman Battle and Fighters.

[kungfukid]

Ok, I voted NGPC, it has some really great games for it - especially as some people have mentioned SNK v Capcom (although it's far too easy), Turf Masters and a great version of Cotton! Metal Slug is really good too. Shame it didn't last longer. Wonderswan is a very good little system, problem being there are only around 10-15 games you can actually play without speaking fluent Japanese!

As for the earlier mentioned GG with SMS convertor - problem is that the SMS games are obviously designed for a TV screen, and when converted the main character and enemy sprites in most games are just far too small! Playing games like Robocop Vs Terminator and the like are almost impossible as you simply can't see the bullets being fired at you! GG and Lynx are just too bulky to really be 'portable' in the true sense of the word in my opinion.

Also, a special mention for one which some people might argue doesn't count - the Nokia N-gage - because officially it is NOTa phone, it is a game deck with phone capabilities. Although there are only 56 official games for it, most are excellent, especially the Sims Busting out, Fifa 2005, Tiger Woods, Ghost Recon, Bomberman and quite a few more!

[Dark Fact]

The Nokia N-Gage.  I've heard about it.  Unfortunately, the system was badly lampooned (mostly due to its taco shape and how ridiculous you would've looked if you tried to use it as a phone) and had chunky performances to its 3D games which turned off gamers...not to mention the shitty controls.

Nokia even admits that they're portable system is a failure.

No offense to any of you who do like the system, just gave my own personal views on it.

[kungfukid]

Yeah, the original N-Gage was terrible, really badly designed. To be fair though, for anyone that has never tried / seen it, the 2nd one released - the N-Gage QD is a much better effort, it's smaller and much more user friendly, and the controls are actually pretty good (and on the plus side it doesn't look like a taco! lol!) . I know what you meant about the 3-D graphics in some of their earlier efforts, especially in games like WWE which is just terrible, the players actually shuffle around the ring, no joke! But later games like Ghost Recon, Red Faction & Fifa 05 really are very good. Apparently Nokia are going to be releasing a new Gaming Deck in mid-07 at some point in follow up to the QD, which as you said has now had support withdrawn.

[ParanoiaDragon]

The N-gage is alright, I have the QD, mainly got it for Xanadu Next, since it's a Falcom game........though I eventually got the PC version.  It does have some good games on it though, no doubt!

[Dark Fact]

I'd like to see how the QD will match up against the PSP and the DS.  Nokia would have to pull off something spectacular with the QD for it to be a formidable force against the PSP and DS.