PSP vs. NDS

[BIG]

I like both systems,but I prefer the PSP.

You?

B-

[Brian]

Since we're not going into details, I'll just state DS.

[2DGaming]

I will have to say DS.

[PaCrappa]

I'm not generally big on handhelds and feel lucky that such a thing as the Gameboy Player exists, resolution issues bedamned.

I first declared the DS to be BS and I stood by it for a few months. But I was won over by videos of Kirby. Now I own a DS and four games. I'm a big fan and glad that I have one.

The PSP on the other hand, I still don't like. I don't need none of that other junk. I can already watch videos, listen to music and whatever else that thingy does so I'm just not interested in that stuff. Being interested in games, it's not giving me much. I like Baito Hell and I can tell that I'll enjoy that Loco Roco when it touches down. But otherwise, the selection of games quite frankly sucks. Sengoku Cannon and Lumines are absolute turdfodder and everything else is just exactly like something that already exists on some format that I can play on a large screen.

"On the go" means diddly to me as I'm too busy being on the go when I'm on the go to play games on the go. Besides, when I do actually fly or something I have tons of sweet GBA games for my Micro. I can see myself with a PSP some day, but they'll need to beef up the soft supply before I'll climb aboard.

Pa

[Regulus]

Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X is an awesome PSP game, but the only one I own, and it's not awesome enough to say the system is better than the DS (even if I do enjoy it more than my DS games). The DS, on the other hand, has a handful of suprisingly awesome games.

It's funny that it seems like the only games worth owning on the PSP are either remakes/rereleases by Capcom and the Gradius Collection...

Too bad I had to give up my homebrew capabilities for Maverick Hunter X.

[Blade]

I will base my preference on two factors:

Shmup Titles and Tate-ability.


For me it's too soon to tell.

[BIG]

I will base my preference on two factors:

Shmup Titles and Tate-ability.


For me it's too soon to tell.

Is there any other NDS shmups other than Nanostray and Space Invaders: DS?

Tate'd NDS?

I don't even want to think about it...

B-

[professor ganson]

I find the DS an awkward fit with my hands and I don't love the buttons, but the library of games has way exceeded my expectations. The PSP at this point is way behind.

Nevertheless, I could see the PSP beating out the DS on the shmup front in the long run, and its screen is very impressive. I will likely get one when the first price cut comes.

Anyone have an educated guess about when the PSP will get a price reduction?

[LoneSage]

it seems like the only games worth owning on the PSP are either remakes/rereleases

Yeah, which is a real shame. I used to be a big supporter of the PSP, I thought it had a lot of promise an huge potential. But I'm actually pretty disappointed that there aren't many good original games for it. I'm not badmouthing the remakes and all that (SFA3 Upper + Capcom Classics = FUCKIN' ACE), but there need to be more games that are original and actually worthwhile.

I really hated the DS, I thought it was a ridiculous idea. I thought it would have been another Big N failure. But the second I played Trauma Center, it won me over.

I don't own the PSP, doubt I ever will, so my views for it are from the sidelne.

[Moogs]

I still have yet to play a PSP game that's kept me preoccupied as much as Ridge Racer did. This is a sad statement, cos I'm a huge Mega Man fan, and I got Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X a week ago.

And I don't like it very much at all.

Just to get the good things (or, rather, thing) out of the way first, the game looks great. The animation is fast and smooth (which really kind of points out that the refresh rate on the PSP's screen isn't that great), and the colours are nice and vibrant.

But, hey, not only did Capcom move around all the Dr. Light capsules (six levels beaten, and I still don't have my dash boots. Why? Cos it's in frickin' Flame Mammoth's level, one of the last levels I always tackle. Compare that to the original MMX, where the boots were in Chill Penguin's level... the first level I always play), but the game doesn't even feel the same anymore. Maybe it has something to do with how stiff the PSP's control pad and buttons are, or maybe the shift to polygonal graphics triggered the change. Either way, something ain't right.

Of course, since this is a game from 1993 being re-released and remade in 2006, Capcom had to throw in more nonsense story elements than the series already had. We learn after the introductory level that Vile doesn't work for Sigma, but, rather, he wants to defeat him and take over the world for himself. Who cares? We also get to hear everyone talk, and while the voices are respectable, the dialogue is just pure garbage. Everytime X encounters a Maverick, he expresses disbelief that they've sided with Sigma, then comes to the revelation that "Face it, you've gone maverick!"

This little conversations also make it clear that Mega Man characters should never address each other by name. Hearing X say "Armored Armadillo" is pretty damn hilarious. And it's not even supposed to be funny. We also get to hear X shout out the name of the weapon he's using EVERYTIME HE FIRES IT! WHY?!

Finally, and this is the worst part, the music fucking sucks. All the familiar and catchy tunes from the original have been remixed into watered down techno tracks. Melodies take a backseat to generic beats, and some harmonies are completely gone. The jazzy bass work in Launch Octopus' stage theme has been subdued. Spark Mandrill's stage music doesn't even sound like rock anymore, with that final drum fill before the music loops completely taken out. Apparently, Keiji Inafune had this music all set and ready to go to be used in the Mega Man X Collection, then he pulled it at the last minute to save it for the PSP remakes of the X games.

Well, good; no need to tarnish the classic versions with this musical swill.

On the bright side, though, the demo for Mega Man: Powered Up is pretty damn cool.

And I've hijacked this thread completely. Sorry.

I prefer the DS.

[jp]

The DS hands down. Its game library is light years ahead of the PSP (and is only set to advance even further) and it can play GBA games. Also, the touch screen is almost as amazing as the duel screen concept. Dawn of Sorrow and Resident Evil now have easily viewable maps? Can I get a hells yeah!

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

The DS is all nice and good but too gimmicky. I like the PSP better because it has proven itself to be a great system for genres I like such as platforming (MMHX) and shmups (TATE on a portable.) I scream like a little girl just at the thought of the PSP GaG, Gradius collection and future MMHX titles.

PS: the PSP doesn't give me a headache after playing for an hour.

[SAM]

I'm not generally big on handhelds and feel lucky that such a thing as the Gameboy Player exists, resolution issues bedamned.

I like the Gameboy Player very much my self.

I found you could enter progressive scan mode in Gameboy Player.

Just wish Nintendo would release a NDS player for the resolution. (Very unlikely...)

"On the go" means diddly to me as I'm too busy being on the go when I'm on the go to play games on the go. Besides, when I do actually fly or something I have tons of sweet GBA games for my Micro. I can see myself with a PSP some day, but they'll need to beef up the soft supply before I'll climb aboard.

Yes, PSP got too few games that actually interest me. I own several NDS games now (but no NDS yet). Buying a NDS is just a matter of time.

[Vexorg]

I thought about getting a PSP for a while, but the lack of more than about two or three games I'd even care to play, combined with the fact that I already have a more than capable portable media player in my PocketPC means that I'll most likely not bother with the PSP until some must-have titles show up and the price is lower (think around $150.) It's interesting to note that in a recent talk, Reggie Fils-Aime mentioned that every time he sees someone out in public with a PSP, he stops and asks them what they're playing, and most of the time it's a UMD movie.

In the meantime, my DS has been getting quite a bit of use. lately, mostly Animal Crossing (BTW, anyone here still playing this? I haven't seen anyone from here online) and the GBA Castlevania Double Pack, with some occasional Mario Kart and Electroplankton thrown in for good measure. I was initially skeptical of the DS when it was first announced and when none of the launch titles seemed all that ineresting to me, but then when I started seeing the unique DS titles show up I started becoming interested, and Yoshi Touch 'n Go was the one that finally sold me on it (that, plus the fact that I managed to cover over half the purchase price on trade-in credit.) Nintendo's had a pretty good run of titles with the DS, although they have slowed down some in the past couple of months.

[TVG]

at first i tought the DS would be a terrible failure. i was wrong. i also tought it was waaaay to gimmicky, wasnt that wrong, but hey.
it seems to have some good games, too bad the euro lineup still sucks because nintendo are being jackasses once again, we still dont get metroid while the best feature of the DS would be to play FPS games on it? what the hell? fuck you nintendo, this isnt even an obscure niche game im talking about, there was a demo avaliable on the console's launch, so why not release it?
nintendo of europe strategy consists of selling enough stocks of old games before releasing new ones, that's why, fuck them.

DS is still okay i guess, castlevania was pretty fun.

i just played the PSP for the first time today with tales of eternia.
i must say the damn screen is amazing, first time i was impressed with graphics in a looong time, i didnt expect it to be so nice. playing gradius on that? fsgjhsfgjkhd
however, after playing a bit i realized i cant hit the diagonals worth crap, now this may be a flaw of either the game, or i could have tried a bad model, but i dont think so, they somehow managed to fuck up the dual shock directional pad (which many people, wrongly, say is bad, and is in fact very good) how comes? i cant imagine playing gradius without diagonnals at all, fuck you sony
the other bad news is that after 5 minutes of play my left eye started hurting, this may have been a coincidence, but i dont think so, i have very bad eyes so maybe there wont be any PSP for me.

but i guess only time will tell which console is a "must have", maybe both of them will be. ATM, none is (at least in europe)

[Turrican]

Here's my two cents: if things stayed as they are right now - DS all the way. However, if DS follows the same kind of evolution that GBA had - then PSP is the system with the brightest future.

GBA started with a bang - actually, the same could be said for NGC too - but rapidly went into a situation of "dozen of disney tie-in and a couple of great games per year".

What I'm saying is that DS might be at its peak already - after all, I don't see Nintendo releasing a second MK, to name one. While PSP might have a kind of endurance life just like playstation had - breeding a quality lineup during years.

Of course, this is pure speculation so far - and yes, I do keep in mind that DS is selling better and that this will obviously reflect on quality software for at least another year.

Bottom line - PSP shouldn't be able to surpass DS in 2006. But it's probably a matter of "when". The technology in PSP is advanced enough to endure for years - if it's given space, of course. Even the lynx was years ahead of its time...

[SAM]

Bottom line - PSP shouldn't be able to surpass DS in 2006. But it's probably a matter of "when". The technology in PSP is advanced enough to endure for years - if it's given space, of course. Even the lynx was years ahead of its time...

PSP might be more advance in technology, but keep in mind that Nintendo had beat more advanced handheld like GameGear, Lynx, etc. in the past. I am more reserved in the more advanced PSP might eventrually beat the NDS view...

[Zweihander]

DS.

I prefer hardware with the possibility of outlasting software, thanks. (as opposed to vice-versa, ala Sony)

[iatneH]

I used to be really hard on DS... I still don't like it very much but I'll admit to it almost being a necessary part of my collection.

I much prefer my PSP, but the main focus there is portability of console-style games. Basically does what consoles do, but you can put it in your pocket.

BUT where DS wins is with games that can't be done on a console, games that require that touch screen feature. Granted there aren't very many games on the DS that I like, but why should we need two handhelds that do the exact same thing? PSP and DS are different enough that both deserve to have a place in any open-minded gamer's collection.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

I still have yet to play a PSP game that's kept me preoccupied as much as Ridge Racer did. This is a sad statement, cos I'm a huge Mega Man fan, and I got Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X a week ago.

And I don't like it very much at all.

Just to get the good things (or, rather, thing) out of the way first, the game looks great. The animation is fast and smooth (which really kind of points out that the refresh rate on the PSP's screen isn't that great), and the colours are nice and vibrant.

But, hey, not only did Capcom move around all the Dr. Light capsules (six levels beaten, and I still don't have my dash boots. Why? Cos it's in frickin' Flame Mammoth's level, one of the last levels I always tackle. Compare that to the original MMX, where the boots were in Chill Penguin's level... the first level I always play), but the game doesn't even feel the same anymore. Maybe it has something to do with how stiff the PSP's control pad and buttons are, or maybe the shift to polygonal graphics triggered the change. Either way, something ain't right.

Of course, since this is a game from 1993 being re-released and remade in 2006, Capcom had to throw in more nonsense story elements than the series already had. We learn after the introductory level that Vile doesn't work for Sigma, but, rather, he wants to defeat him and take over the world for himself. Who cares? We also get to hear everyone talk, and while the voices are respectable, the dialogue is just pure garbage. Everytime X encounters a Maverick, he expresses disbelief that they've sided with Sigma, then comes to the revelation that "Face it, you've gone maverick!"

This little conversations also make it clear that Mega Man characters should never address each other by name. Hearing X say "Armored Armadillo" is pretty damn hilarious. And it's not even supposed to be funny. We also get to hear X shout out the name of the weapon he's using EVERYTIME HE FIRES IT! WHY?!

Finally, and this is the worst part, the music fucking sucks. All the familiar and catchy tunes from the original have been remixed into watered down techno tracks. Melodies take a backseat to generic beats, and some harmonies are completely gone. The jazzy bass work in Launch Octopus' stage theme has been subdued. Spark Mandrill's stage music doesn't even sound like rock anymore, with that final drum fill before the music loops completely taken out. Apparently, Keiji Inafune had this music all set and ready to go to be used in the Mega Man X Collection, then he pulled it at the last minute to save it for the PSP remakes of the X games.

Well, good; no need to tarnish the classic versions with this musical swill.

On the bright side, though, the demo for Mega Man: Powered Up is pretty damn cool.

And I've hijacked this thread completely. Sorry.

I prefer the DS.

Everyone is so angry at the "Inafune took out features out of the Collection to put it in MHX" rumor that I think it's clouding their eyes from the fact that MMHX is awesome. The game is a remake, so that's why there are differences. There's nothing wrong with the capsule rearrangement except that people hate change. In your case, you're angry because your routine has been broken, which is as weak an argument as they come. I believe you wouldn't have any problems with the capsules if MHX was a completely new game. The story is there for the same reason there's a story in shmups, to set up the mood of the game. X talks garbage because he's nice enough to give the mavericks a last chance, and Vile is given a reason to be in the game unlike the original. In any case, if you find the story irrelevant, skip it. The music is a matter of taste, but I think it's mostly solid (except for a couple of tunes.) You would've probably liked it too if you weren't resented about it being in MHX and not the Collection. If you hate the remixes with such a passion, why the hell would you want them to be in the Collection?

PS I agree with you about shouting the attacks, though.

[gmw]

I definitely feel that the DS has the MUCH better software library, but I don't much like the style or feel of the system.

I love the PSP, and had a great time with some of the launch titles: RR, Lumines, Minna no Golf Portable, etc. There's a bunch of titles coming out in the next months that have convinced me to pick up another system.

As a piece of technology, and in terms of potential, I really prefer the PSP.

[sethsez]

This debate is stupid and generally turns into people who only own one system or the other defending their choice rather than actually making informed statements about the qualities of each library. It's like saying you prefer Coke without ever trying Pepsi... how do you know? What are you basing this on?

I love my DS. I don't have a PSP, nor have I really played one beyond a few seconds at a store demo. I generally skim over PSP news while I devour DS news, since the DS is what I own. So I'm in absolutely no position to say I prefer the DS.

That said, I'm very interested in Wipeout, Gripshift, GnG, MMHX, the Gradius collection, the Valkyrie Profile port, the Suikoden ports, and the Intelligent Qube game for the PSP. I'd hardly say it has nothing going for it.

[jindo]

DS.... for 2 reason.
1. Can't afford PSP
2. I'm a Gundam Whore.

[judesalmon]

I have both and love them, but if I was forced to make a choice, I would pick the PSP.

The DS has some great games, but I only find myself being able to play for a short time before I'm bored and need to change the game.

With the PSP, it has a lot more 'console'-style games, which I can happily sit and play for a couple of hours, especially handy because my job does involve the odd long trip.

[Ord]

DS hands down. I'm bored shitless of my PSP and it's got a layer of dust on it. The only game that I liked amoung the mass of driving games was Lumines. It's going to ebay soon.

[Kron]

Its a very easy choice for me as well, The DS has far more interesting software.

I haven't bought a PSP game in the last 8 months.

[dark penguin]

Well...I have both and I mainly use the PSP for watching movies these days. Some movies look awesome on the LCD screen. However, my Gradius collection should be here any day and that will likely turn the tables a bit. The DS definitely has some great software....anyone who hasn't played Metroid Pinball, Meteos, Kirby etc has no idea what they're missing.
But the screen quality on the DS is nowhere near as nice as the PSP.

Hopefully the DS revision will correct brightness and clarity issues, because some games look pretty murky in places.

So far the DS has nothing good shmup-wise on the horizon. I found Nanostray to be boring. The "TATE-ability" of the DS is questionable...TATE with a big split in the screen? No thanks. I guess you could say Metroid Pinball is running in TATE, more or less. It works for that game, but for a shooter? Hrrrrm.

I'm waiting for Varth on the PSP next month

[CMoon]

I see more kids (read: non-serious gamers) with psp's, not ds's (I haven't seen any kids with a ds for a while). I can see why they love them (GTA and the whole music player option.) Almost everytime I see one with a game on it, it is always GTA.

I don't see myself buying a portable anytime soon, but if I do it will probably be a repurchase of the GBA with the improved backlight. That said, I think for the more seasoned gamer, right now the DS seems like a better choice (I just don't feel like dropping the money for it right now.)

[Neo Rasa]

The PSP still has some potential, but the only reason I'd buy it now is for homebrew stuff (and that's not worth the $250 pricetag). Kind of product I'll buy years from now when they're in a bargain bin for 60 USD.]

DS on the other hand I was skeptical of at first, but there's a such a high amount of high quality games on it that it's irresistable to me now. I play it almost every other day if not for the DS games, then for the GBA games. The Gamecube/Gameboy Player has become my GB/GBC box.

[jp]

DS.... for 2 reason.
1. Can't afford PSP
2. I'm a Gundam Whore.

How are the DS Gundam games? I haven't played them. Are they accessible to non-Japanese speaking people?


Another note in the DS v. PSP debate:
New Super Mario Bros.

Thats it. An actual new 2D Mario? That pretty much assures the DS the lead for awhile now (assuming its good).