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Best handheld design?

L

Lakitu

st5fu
1880063_6043.jpg


<3 <3 <3
 
I have a yellow GBC. I forgot how small the d-pad was and how cramped it felt. I love my DS, but I think I'll be using my Micro for GBA games when it comes out.
 
I like the GB Brick myself. Spaced my hands far enough to be comfortable. NES SP > Every other handheld design though. An NES micro might beat it.
 
Wyzdom said:
PSP wins. Thread locked.
Click to expand...

the PSP can't win due to it's analogue nub. That is not, no matter how nice the unit looks, that is not a good design.
 
Wyzdom said:
PSP wins. Thread locked.
Click to expand...


It would win if you could buy an anti-smudge model. I also notice that I end up hitting the edges of the screen with my thumbs as I play. They should have added a half inch to each side of the screen.
 
i liked the Gameboy Pocket. i havent played it in awhile, but from what i remember it was smaller, lighter, the screen was a bit larger and more crisp (same resolution, and B&W tho) and most importantly it seemed like the D-Pad and buttons were larger and more comfortable than the current crop of handhelds. it just seemed like the perfect size. that said, I haven't bought a GBA yet (yes, really.. whats wrong with me?)
 
I tend to forget just how sexy the psp looks... whenever I see a pic of it somewhere on the net I have to take it into my hands and just stare at the powered-off unit for a few seconds.

Then I turn it on and am amazed of the great display just like the first time I turned it on... I own the psp for roughly 2 months now.

Can't wait for the next wave of great games to arrive... ordered Lumines on eBay a few days ago though... that should keep me busy for a while.

Edit: Damn, that white psp looks better everytime I see it. Sony is just too clever, the release of the white psp will let the sales skyrocket. I have to resist the urge to buy it.
 
GBA SP, without a doubt. Regarding both function and aesthetics. The latter means nothing without proper thought about function in any particular context, of course, which is why PSP can't fight for this title.
 
The GBC was pretty flawless to me in terms of comfort, really. The two buttons only thing was kinda a drag, but it was fine at the time. The original GBA was alright, but the SP was probably my favorite out of the whole line.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
I love it, but the clickity click click click can be annoying.
Click to expand...
The clickity click click click is why it rocked. If NGPC had sported a backlight it would be a strong contender for best functional design. And a third button... pressing that pitiful little squishy option key to chuck grenades in Metal Slug was just lame.
 
The SP, easily. My recent purchase of a DS has only affirmed that decision. I bought the DS because I could no longer deny the amount of great games coming out on it, but as a "portable" system, the design sorta sucks. I like that it's a clamshell system, but it's thick, bulky, and not exactly all that comfortable to hold. The PSP fairs better, but the analog nub is in a crap position and has way too big a dead zone, it smudges like a mofo, and is the size and weight of a last-gen PDA. The SP is small, but comfortable to hold when opened, can protect its own screen, and doesn't look like a bizzare rectangular boner when thrown in your pocket. I carried my SP around with my everywhere, the DS has been abit of a pain at times. A handheld designed system should, by its vary nature, focus on portability. These present-gen portables focus on functionality, but give us bricks in terms of form.
 
Stinkles said:
pcengine_lt.jpg



Suck it bitches.
Click to expand...

Damn straight!. It was way beyond its time. In a way it still is. It does the following:

- Played current generation games but was portable
- Built in turbos
- Built in TV Tuner
- A/V input
- A/V output
- Port for CD-ROM
- Port for 1 to 5 controllers
- Largest 4:3 screen ever on a handheld
- Second best LCD screen ever on a handheld

PC Engine LT still is an awesome system.
 
The NGPC's design is great, even though the digital stick with it's clicking gets annoying fast and they could have made the Option button a little more accessible, especially for games like Metal Slug where you need it to throw gernades. Other than that, I think it has a great design. Same with the GBC. I still think it has an excellent design, and I like the D-pad better than the SP. DS's d-pad is pretty good too but I like the GBC's better. I'll probably end up buying a micro and they better have an NES skin for it.
 
Lynx is the most comfortable handheld I have used.

The Gameboys are mostly similar (and decent) although the button plancement tends to be too small/close together. I don't like the SP very much. I think I liked the Pocket best.

The PSP is in the middle. The button layout is good, but the straight shape makes it a little un-ergonomic for long use, especially if you need the shoulder buttons. My hands get tired.

Game Gear was pretty comfy, too.
 
The GBA SP is really the best handheld design ever -- full gaming in a tiny little portable package, and capable of folding up to prevent scratches. Add a lit screen and internal battery, and you've got a portable that wipes the floor of everything that came before it.

The DS is too big and the PSP is too unprotected.
 
DavidDayton said:
The GBA SP is really the best handheld design ever -- full gaming in a tiny little portable package, and capable of folding up to prevent scratches. Add a lit screen and internal battery, and you've got a portable that wipes the floor of everything that came before it.

The DS is too big and the PSP is too unprotected.
Click to expand...

The SP front lighting really blows though. After playing GBA games on DS and going to SP, it really does look very washed out. Micro doesn't fold, but it has a nice screen at least.
 
akascream said:
The SP front lighting really blows though. After playing GBA games on DS and going to SP, it really does look very washed out. Micro doesn't fold, but it has a nice screen at least.
Click to expand...

A nice screen that's an inch smaller than an already tiny screen. They made a wise decision in switching to backlighting, then go and do something stupid like that. Why, Nintendo, why?
 
tedtropy said:
A nice screen that's an inch smaller than an already tiny screen. They made a wise decision in switching to backlighting, then go and do something stupid like that. Why, Nintendo, why?
Click to expand...


I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that most people playing videogames aren't losing thier vision yet.
 
Hmmm... that's tough!


1. Game Boy Micro
2. NDS
3. GBA
4. GBA SP
5. PSP
6. Game Gear
7. Game Boy (1989)


These are the systems i own in bold letters.
 
I've always hated portables. I grudgingly bought them for the exclusive games, all the while seething that I was forced to play on eye-bleedingly tiny screens. A TV-out function on portable machines would have soothed my hatred a lot. The Super Game Boy doubled my GB library and made me fairly content. The GBA Player did the same for my GBA library. Portability is great, but the simple fact is, most portable games get more playtime at home--always have, always will.

Having said all that, I'm absolutely floored by the DS. It's the first portable that has games that wouldn't be possible on a TV. I can play games on those tiny screens and not feel the least bit angry. I never thought there'd be a portable that I didn't hate (although I did feel a little love for the GBA because it revived 2D gaming).

And I'm royally pissed that the uber-techy PSP doesn't have a fucking TV-out. It's the coolest, most high tech portable ever designed, and I have the same problem--games that I love (Mercury, baby!) stuck on a miniature screen while I have an HDTV 8 feet away. On another note, I might have bought some travel-friendly (ie. for kids) UMD movies if I could play them on TV at home, but I'm not buying the same movie twice, nor am I buying a movie I can't watch on a TV. Why oh why doesn't the PSP have TV-out?! I want my PSP Player!
 
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