OldBoy

I really am in a quandry. I was almost dead set on getting a GBA SP today, since I have a few games for the Game Boy Player and I really wanted something portable to take to school and play during prep periods. Something really compact that has simple easy games to play and isn't a lot of maintenance..thus GBA SP.

But, I also love Super Mario 64 and want desperately to play that again and possibly Metroid Hunters in March and of course I can play all of my GBA games on the DS, but then no other DS games really interest me. Is the DS truly compact and easy to maintain from wear and scratches and all that?

However, the PSP looks like it will be the better hardware graphically and functionally as the play movie option seems like something I may try. The games look to be more interesting and plentiful than what I think are a bad crop for the DS now and in near future. But then again this doesn't come out for another month or so and I would like something now and not sure I want to pay the price for this, but not dead set against.

So you can see my dilemma and I was hoping the learned people on this board could finally sway me and help me make the most educated decision possible and sooner rather than later.

I appreciate any and all comments in regards!!

glassdragon

It's really about price when you are talking between an sp and ds/psp. If you are trying to decide between a Ds and psp though, I would personally wait for the psp. I've seen pictures of the psp in action and imo it looks to be much better graphically than the DS. We are talking about the Ds being approx N64 graphics for 150 and the psp being fairly close to the PS2 for 200 dollars. It also depends on who's playing it, the nintendo systems will always be swayed more for kids (ie. Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Yu'gi oh) and the psp more adult (Ie. Twisted Metal, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Need for Speed). Keep all that in mind. I personally am going to wait for the psp. Lets also not forget that the psp plays mp3 out of the box also. It is compatible with regular sony memory sticks (i am pretty sure). So if you invest in a decent sized memory stick then you can have a very nice mp3 player out of it also.

Get Me Coffee

You be the judge....
Can you guess which screen shot is the DS and which is the PSP?




Anyway, what it really boils down to is what taste you have. It sounds to me, you want something that will simply past the time. In that case I would clearly choose the PSP.

1.) BIG TIME STYLE!
2.) Rip DVD's to play on the PSP
3.) MP3's
4.) Not sure if your school has Wi-Fi....but if it does, you're in luck with the PSP. You'll have Wi-Fi Internet access.
5.) If you have the extra cash...you can buy a few UMD movies for it.


On yea....and you can play games on it

Josh H

Pretty much apples and oranges with the DS/SP and the PSP as they're both portable gaming systems but vastly different in terms of features and who they'll appeal to.

Between the DS and SP I reccomend the DS. GBA games look MUCH better on it, and you get to play the DS games as well and there's some games that look great on the horizon if you love Nintendo games (Wario Ware Touched, New Super Mario Bros, Yoshi Touch and Go, Kirby, Mario Kart, FF3, Metroid Hunters, etc.). The only advantage the SP has is playing original GBA and GBC games, but that's not a huge deal IMO as most of those games don't hold up well (I also have the GB player which plays them so it's not an issue for me).

Between the DS and the PSP it comes down to whether you prefer nintendo games or the types of games on the PS2, how much graphics matter to you, and whether you want a portable media device to play music and MP3s.

For me the DS was an easy choice as Nintendo games are the only reason I'm still gaming, I don't care much about graphics, already have flash and HD based mp3 players and a laptop for movies. I also like that the games on it aren't the same as the ones on the current consoles. The 2D games on the GBA and the touch screen games on the DS give me a reason to play my DS instead of one of the consoles. I game at home 99.9% of the time, so a portable has to offer something different from the PS2, GC or X-box to warrant me playing it instead.

But if you care about graphics, need/want the portable media stuff, and like the games on the PS2 (and/or dislike Nintendo games), then the PSP would be the one to pick up.

Superboy

I think i'm alone when I say that I don't have any desire to pay $200 to play games that are no better than most first-generation PSone titles.

Get Me Coffee

I think it's more along the lines of PS2 quality....IMO

Chris_D

Neither the DS or the PSP would fit comfortably in my pocket (obviously some would have bigger pockets than me ) so I would have to carry them in my backpack. This is a big plus for the GBASP for me, because I don't need a separate bag to carry it with me.

daniel18

1. PSP
2. GBA SP
3. DS

Superboy

Wow, I don't know if comparing htem to PS2 launch games makes them any better.

Let's see, we have:

Generic Racer
Generic FPS
Generic fighting game
Generic RPG
Generic sports games
...and finally, maybe the one game you'll buy the system for, is the major third-party license that's probably going to end up being a mediocre game but people will spill their blood apologizing for it's failures.

I never buy portable systems just because they're portable, I buy them because I want to play the games that they offer.

dcswirl

I haven't been impressed at all with the DS.

Draven

Since my phone can already play movies and music, I went with the DS. And because I enjoy Nintendo's portable offerings FAR more than I've ever liked Sony's.

Also, I already had an SP so it was a good fit (instant game library).

Get Me Coffee

I'm saying the games are along the lines of PS2 graphically. What's all this talk about generic games? Is it not generic if you put on a Mario cap on the racer, the figher, and the sport game?

Superboy

I didn't say Nintendo doesn't do the same thing...although you really can't compare the quality of most of those games with Nintendo's games.

fumanstan

SP for the price, size, and it's usefulness based on what you want to do with it. If not, then the PSP.

glassdragon

6 words will make me buy the psp


New Final Fantasy VII For PSP

Get Me Coffee

AMEN!

Gallant Pig

I'll be watching this thread closely. Keep it civil.

glassdragon

ok not the same games (they don't seem to share any games) but here's 2 racing games.. one on DS and one on psp to compare to. The psp one looks detailed much better imo

Asphalt for the nintendo DS

Ridge Racers for the Psp


best i could do, there are no high profile racers on ds. That seems to be the only one

Gallant Pig

Ridge Racer is on the DS, why not compare that with the PSP version?

Get Me Coffee

You can't even compare them....

Breakfast with Girls

Oh, this sounds familiar...

1/08 Is DS for me if I just want to play single player games casual?

1/27 What are the +'s and -'s to GBA SP?

And apparently you've already bought a GBA SP but neglected to update your other thread(s)...
1/30 With Pelican Leather Glove...should GBA SP close all the way?

joeblow69

I think that's not particularly fair, since Ridge Racer on the DS was a quicky port of Ridge Racer 64. A much more fair comparison would be the upcoming Need for Speed Underground... it's the same game being made on both platforms. (I think someone posted pics in a different thread).

Gallant Pig

thx matthew