Gaming PlayStation Portable or Nintendo DS?

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]That seems like it would make sense. It could be that they're also not changing anything and just figured the design for the Game and Watch game was the best one for two screens. Who knows? We'll find out soon enough.[/color][/font]

[James]

[color=#707875]Oh, they are going to be changing the design to some degree at least. Nintendo mentioned that the DS shown at E3 was a "prototype". So it's not a completely finalized piece of hardware in that sense (although the internal specs are final).

So we'll definitely see a new name for it, as well as a new skin/shell design. The big question is how different the final product will be, though.[/color]

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]I don't really know how much different they can make it. The design they had as the prototype seemed to be the best way to incorporate two screens. They might just change the look of it a little or maybe the placement of certain things.[/color][/font]

[Arkadyz]

[FONT=century gothic][COLOR=royalblue][SIZE=1] Well a analog stick would be nice :rolleyes:

Thats probably my only problem with the DS is the lack of that stick. I just dont see how playing mario 64 is gonna be as fun without it. Other then that....I guess they could use to streamline the machine abit so it looks more attractive similar to the PSP.

Other then that nothing needs to be changed to me...How about you all anything elsed youd change to the exterior of the DS? [/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[ZakuSage]

If you look carefully at the pictures of the DS, the A, B, X and Y buttons are too close together. It couldn't hurt to space them out a bit.

[James]

[quote name='Petie][font=Verdana][color=blue]I don't really know how much different they can make it. The design they had as the prototype seemed to be the best way to incorporate two screens. They might just change the look of it a little or maybe the placement of certain things.[/color'][/font][/quote]
[color=#707875]Well, realistically, they won't change anything fundamental. But I think they may play around with the aesthetics a bit (edits to colours and maybe some slight changes in exterior shape). But probably nothing too radical.

I somewhat agree about the analog stick, but remember that the stylus kind of replaces the use of the stick in many cases (ie: aiming and shooting in Metroid). So if games aren't designed with the stick in mind, it shouldn't matter much.[/color]

[Desbreko]

[quote name='ZakuSage']If you look carefully at the pictures of the DS, the A, B, X and Y buttons are too close together. It couldn't hurt to space them out a bit.[/quote]
[color=indigo]Yeah, I've heard complaints that the buttons are too small and whatnot on the DS. You know what I think would be nice, though? Make them the same size and shape as the SNES buttons, with A and B convex on top and X and Y concave. I always liked that little feature on the SNES controllers, and I think it would be really cool if they brought it back.[/color]

[BlueYoshi]

[color=teal]I think the name is okay as it stands, to be honest, because it's simple and straight down to the point. The 'Nintendo' logo tells unfamiliar people that it's one of their products and will automatically get their attention because of the popularity of the GameBoy/Advance. The 'DS' part is effective since it very easily gives away its main theme and the purpose of it, hence Dual Screens. Another name would probably be cooler though, I suppose.

As for new designs... I've always had a thing for this one:

[img]http://www.hammersuit.com/jb/nintendo/nintendods-thumb.jpg[/img]

A GameBoy, SP, and DS all in one. It's a triple threat! Plus it'll be a bonus for Nintendo's advertising scheme.[/color] :cool:

[foolycooly6363]

These days the world of portable handhelds has exceled from Pong graphics to graphics that are as good as a PS2. So which one should you get.

NINTENDO DS:
I recently bought a nintendo DS and have the demo game, Madden NFL 2005, and Asphalt: Urban GT. I'm impressed with the quality of the graphics and the overall system. On Madden NFL 2005 you can clearly here the song that's playing and the players look better than stick figures throming a block. On Asphalt: Urban GT the graphics are amazing you can pick you're car model and it's great to see the cars look like the real deal. The dual screens are great because you don't have to pull up the map, you just look at the other screen. Also the games are a lot smaller. That's good and bad, good because you can fit more in a pocket, but bad because they get lost easier. I think Nintendo did a really good job.

PSP:
Nintendo is the leader in handheld games but now Sony has taken a swing at trying to make their own handheld, the PSP. From what i've read the PSP is coming out around April but there is no real set date. The PSP has already come out in Japan and it was a big hit. The graphics are considered to be PS2 quality, which is pretty good for a sceen that's that small.The PSP has built in stereo speakers so games with music can be heard clearly. The PSP setup is like a PS2's with the triangle, square, circle, and X buttons also it has the D-pad and a smaller analog stick (smaller than the PS2's stick). The battery life has been a problem for sony and it still is. If your playing a puzzle game sony says the battery could last for over 6 hours but a racing game like Ridge Racers might only last 2. So if you are into the battery sucking games i'd suggest getting another rechargeble battery pack. The graphics are so good that it can play good graphic games like final fantasy VII and Metal Gear Acid. the price is also an issue for the PSP but contradictory to early announcements the PSP is going to be under $200 not $300.

So now it's up to you to see which one to buy. All I know is i'm getting both!

Later,
Wesuls

[RabidInuFanboy]

I prefer the DS, not just because I support Nintendo.Nintendo has owned the handheld market since handhelds became popular. It's knocked out competitors like Neo Geo Pocket, Sega Game Gear (I believe that's what it was called), and *shudders* the N-Gage.

The main reason why I think it will continue this streak and kill the PSP is that

1. DS will have been out for almost five months before the PSP debuts, giving people more time to spend the post- Christmas cash on a DS.

2. Nintendo is a very recognizable name to parents and grandparents

3. The battery life for the PSP is way shorter than the DS

[Morpheus]

Also, I don't see how all of the ps2 ports on the psp will work. Ape escape uses dual analog, and PSP doesn't have it. I'm also hating the battery life. Only playing a game for 2 hours really bugs me. Great graphics are impressive, But that doesn't save the system. Game Gear is an excelent comparison.

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

I usually play handhelds plugged in, anyway. The nice thing is they're *portable* which means I can take them anywhere, but most places have electrical outlets. So I don't care if PSP has almost NO battery life, even. I'd just use it at different times than I'd use a DS or something. It comes down to which one will have games I'll want to play. I'll put up with almost whatever inconvenience for a killer 3d Zelda, you see. But that killer 3d Zelda is coming out on the DS (or next Gameboy successor), if anything.

Whatever handheld gets a truly good game worth playing out there is the one I'm buying. It might end up being both of them, but I think DS will beat PSP to the punch as far as I'm concerned.

[RabidInuFanboy]

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade'] But that killer 3d Zelda is coming out on the DS (or next Gameboy successor), if anything.[/quote]

If you're talking about the one with the more mature looking Link, that's coming out on Gamecube. Just a tidbit of helpful info :D .

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

Haha, no I'm NOT talking about that one. I know about that one, it should be out 2nd quarter 2005, but we'll see about that. Nintendo promises a final version by E3, so hopefully I'll get a chance to check it out there.

But I was talking about a hypothetical Zelda title; one that would get me to purchase a DS.

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]I've merged this thread with the original PSP/DS comparison thread. And also, just to let people know, there are also theads for discussing the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=36436][u]Nintendo DS[/u][/url] and [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=32057][u]PSP[/u][/url] specifically by themselves, while this thread is for comparing the two and talking about which you prefer, etc.

I suppose I kind of agree with Sciros here about the PSP's battery life; I also mainly just play my handhelds at home, or somewhere else where there's access to a power socket. But still, there are times when I don't have access to one, or else it's inconvenient to take the AC adapter with me, and only having two or so hours of play time would be really annoying. For some, a short battery life may not limit the system's portability all that much, but for others it will really hinder it, depending on where they're going to be using the system the most.

Though regardless, I won't be getting a PSP for quite some time, if ever. First, because I just won't have the money when it's released; second, none of the games that I've heard about for it interest me all that much; third, I'll be playing my DS and spending my money on games for it instead. So it'll pretty much be the same situation as with the GCN/PS2. I got the GCN just after launch, but waited a few years until I could get a PS2 really cheap, since there were a lot more games on the GCN that I wanted.

I plan on getting a DS later this week with Super Mario 64 DS, the first game on the system that I can't wait to play. Along with that, I'm really looking forward to Metroid Prime Hunters, Animal Crossing DS, the new FF: Crystal Chronicles game that's been announced, the new side scrolling Mario game, and the new Zelda: Four Swords that's been announced. That's already six games I'm excited about.[/color]

[Guest Edward1066]

I wouldn't, and won't, get the PSP or the Nintendo DS. There's no point, there's just going to be an even better version eventually. Even though the Nintendo DS seems a bit better than the PSP, I'd get the PSP if I were forced to get one of them...I don't know why..

[Ganon6d9]

[quote name='Edward1066']I wouldn't, and won't, get the PSP or the Nintendo DS. There's no point, there's just going to be an even better version eventually.[/quote] That's just stupidity, if that's what you think then why play games at all? There's eventually going to be another console from Nintendo, one from Sony and one from Microsoft. So why do you play games?

[Guest Edward1066]

Honestly, I don't know...You're right, I was just thinking randomly, and that means that no good sense some out of me, got it?

[Charles]

[center][IMG]http://img109.exs.cx/img109/6250/pspwned7xs.jpg[/IMG][/center]

[Attimus331]

Haha, i started this thread, but that was a long time ago...a user account ago!

A lot has happened since then. My two younger brothers actualy both own nintendo DSs. And i was going to get one for quite a long time, but never did. Right now i'd still like to get the PSP. It's sleek style, all of it's special features, it all gets me so excited. I'm gonna watch final fantasy advent childeren!

I personally think the DS is awesome. I like the pictochat. I draw naughty pictures! HEHE. But it's just not enough. The PSP's graphics are much better. The price is very reasonable considering how expensive the unit is to make. (It was realesed in Japan for $183 dollars (i believe) and people are speculating that it'll be even lower when it comes to America, due to Sony's past trends). Although i hate admitting it, Sony has a lot of support from third party companies, moreso than Nintendo and Microsoft, so i'm expecting some awesome games on the unit. Of course I'm not going to buy either system until the PSP comes out. And if the PSP doesn't do well, i probably just won't buy a new handheld.

As for the battery life, i personally think Sony will fix that problem. But it's not based on anything, i'm just being hopeful. But really though, i don't play handhelds too long, 2 hours will be enough for one sitting....for me anyways.

I got a Gameboy Advance SP for christmas, and Nintendo is still realesing games for it, so i'll stick with that for a while.

Nice picture Charles. I really like it.

Later.

[armana]

I'd go for the DS. Yes, the PSP looks more appealing, has better technical capabilities, and is overall undeniably cooler, but to me it just seems like a PS2 on with a TV taped onto it, albiet quite a bit smaller.
Is it really cost effective for a developer to develop a game that is up to the standards of the current generation consoles exclusively for a handheld system? How many exclusives will we actually see on the system? Are gamers really going to want to buy a handheld system that's more expensive than a PS2 to play GT4 on a smaller screen? Yes, I'm not overlooking the original titles for release on Sony's handheld. But, right now, there's nothing that really wows me about the system's line-up of software. It just seems like I could find similar and better titles elsewhere. However, my biggest concern about the PSP is the battery life. I'm not going to want to recharge every four hours, and simply keeping it plugged into the wall defeats the handheld purpose.
The DS, on the other hand, seems to embody what a handheld should be. Handhelds shouldn't need to have current generation technical capabilities - for the reasons stated above, and for the fact that detail will be lost on a portable console's screen. The DS has good 3D capabilities, but not so good that it would take a lot of effort on the developer's party to develop solely for a handheld system. The afformentioned battery life - in the DS' case, around the 15 hour mark - is crucial. Finally, we have variety - I play handhelds to get a different experience than from playing a home console. The GBA took me back to the SNES era, and the DS looks set to transport me back to my 64 days - and then some.
However, the DS' launch titles haven't impressed me all that much, as far as third party support goes anyway. We're seeing software titles that don't seem to try to work much with the prospects that the system offers. But that's probably because of the relatively short development cycle that current DS games were produced in. I hold high hopes that, in time, we'll see some really impressive stuff on the DS.
I'm not writing off the PSP - I'm actually pretty excited about it, to see whether or not it will break away from the PS2 in terms of software support. I may even purchase one in the future. But, right now, the DS seems to offer more of what I'm looking for.

[NorykoAngelcry]

[quote name='Charles][center][IMG]http://img109.exs.cx/img109/6250/pspwned7xs.jpg[/IMG'][/center][/quote]


[SIZE=1][COLOR=darkred]Just had a joke I read on a website that I thought would be fun to post in reply to this picture. I laughed, but then again, I've always been more of a Nintendo fan then a Sony fan. . so, whatever ^_^

"So, Paris Hilton, a rabbi and a PSP are walking to the store...and the PSP runs out of battery half way there."

I would love to take the time to elaborate on some of my own thoughts, but I have no money, and don't feel like throwing my opinion into an already crowded discussion! [/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Charles]

[quote name='NorykoAngelcry][size=1][color=darkred]"So, Paris Hilton, a rabbi and a PSP are walking to the store...and the PSP runs out of battery half way there."[/color'][/size][/quote]
You should read IGN's diary on the PSP's battery life. I don't find it terrible considering the factors involved. When the PSP is used for other functions, such as an ipod, the longetivity of the battery is just fine. Only when playing titles more taxing to the hardware (i.e., Ridge Racers) does it suffer at all. Even then, I can't see myself playing portable games for extended periods of time on any given session. It's not as if three to four hours worth of game time is terrible.

[James]

[quote name='Charles']You should read IGN's diary on the PSP's battery life. I don't find it terrible considering the factors involved. When the PSP is used for other functions, such as an ipod, the longetivity of the battery is just fine. Only when playing titles more taxing to the hardware (i.e., Ridge Racers) does it suffer at all. Even then, I can't see myself playing portable games for extended periods of time on any given session. It's not as if three to four hours worth of game time is terrible.[/quote]

[color=#811C3A]It's still pretty bad though. Remember that in many of these tests, they're not activing Wi-Fi or having volume/screen brightness up.

Most games (if you are actually using the speakers and so on), are probably going to give you between one and two and a half hours of playing time. The games that give you more time are going to be the ones that access the UMD less frequently -- but those games are in the minority.

I think the bigger issue is the type of games themselves. Most people play handheld games on the bus or train -- in other words, for relatively short bursts. Games like Gran Turismo 4 Mobile, or Dynasty Warriors (or many others you may care to name) don't lend themselves to that format.

So, I think Sony is going to have to a) try to find ways around the disc access issue and b) encourage the creation of [i]handheld games[/i] rather than console games on a little screen. If Sony only try to duplicate PS2 games, PSP will have a lot of trouble.

My hope is that we see more unique titles, as in, PSP-specific games. So far I'm reasonably happy with the lineup, there are a few games I'd like to get.

But as I've said before, I think the whole debate is a little redundant -- we will ultimately be comparing "GBA 2" to PSP rather than DS. The PSP and DS are both very different systems, with different individual purposes. But I think much of the gaming media are still stuck in a 16-bit mindset, whereby two portable systems (where portability is the only trait they share) [i]must[/i] be in direct competition as a result.

I think that concept will be shown to be massively incorrect as these two systems go through their lifespans. It's already shown to be problematic, based on some of the initial sales results (ie: the fact that DS did not cannibalize GBA SP as many expected it would).[/color]

[Charles]

[QUOTE=James][color=#800080]It's still pretty bad though. Remember that in many of these tests, they're not activing Wi-Fi or having volume/screen brightness up.

Most games (if you are actually using the speakers and so on), are probably going to give you between one and two and a half hours of playing time. The games that give you more time are going to be the ones that access the UMD less frequently -- but those games are in the minority.[/quote][/color]I conveniently failed to mention that simply because I know it's easy to play spin doctor in these threads. It's always interesting to see if people will work for their response and bring up significant issues like the ones you've mentioned. I doubt that most people have read up on the issues they're discussing whether they're valid complaints or not. Regardless, I still couldn't see myself playing any handheld for more than an hour at a time tops.

[color=#800080][quote]I think the bigger issue is the type of games themselves. Most people play handheld games on the bus or train -- in other words, for relatively short bursts. Games like Gran Turismo 4 Mobile, or Dynasty Warriors (or many others you may care to name) don't lend themselves to that format.

So, I think Sony is going to have to a) try to find ways around the disc access issue and b) encourage the creation of [i]handheld games[/i] rather than console games on a little screen. If Sony only try to duplicate PS2 games, PSP will have a lot of trouble.

My hope is that we see more unique titles, as in, PSP-specific games. So far I'm reasonably happy with the lineup, there are a few games I'd like to get.

But as I've said before, I think the whole debate is a little redundant -- we will ultimately be comparing "GBA 2" to PSP rather than DS. The PSP and DS are both very different systems, with different individual purposes. But I think much of the gaming media are still stuck in a 16-bit mindset, whereby two portable systems (where portability is the only trait they share) [i]must[/i] be in direct competition as a result.

I think that concept will be shown to be massively incorrect as these two systems go through their lifespans. It's already shown to be problematic, based on some of the initial sales results (ie: the fact that DS did not cannibalize GBA SP as many expected it would).[/color][/QUOTE]
[color=black]Yes. Therein lies my entire problem with both units. I have no inclination to purchase either because each holds a significant flaw that I can't excuse. The PSP has some titles that would be perfectly suited to on-the-go gaming, such as Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, Tony Hawk and Hot Shots Golf. But, the overall focus of the system is to provide a pocket-size current generation console. My living room is the limit for that sort of gaming--I don't need to be absorbed in it when I leave my home. It's just not necessary; it's too much. As a multimedia device it's sexy, but I've no desire to purchase UMD films only usable on the PSP. I'd rather just purchase the DVD version. [/color]
[color=black] [/color]
[color=black]The DS just seems like a testing ground. Although it's completely different from the GameBoy line, I can't see Nintendo focusing on it once the successor to the GameBoy Advance launches to compete with PSP (if the PSP sells well enough to warrant any true competition, which should take quite a while considering how the market stands). Thus far the uses developers have found for the touch screen don't seem very innovative or fun. Obviously there are exceptions, but--drawing a pentagram to put the finishing touches on bosses in Castlevania DS? Looking at a track layout for Ridge Racer? No thank you. Currently, the only released title that interests me on the system is Super Mario 64 DS--and it's just a spruced up port of an aged game. The enhancements are excellent but hardly enough to carry the system at this time for me. Also, I would find it rather awkward using the touch screen on a bus or something, defeating its purpose as a handheld. [/color]
[color=black] [/color]
[color=black]I'd rather wait for titles like Metroid Prime: Hunters and Wario Ware. Rather than plunk down $150 I thin it'd be prudent to see how Nintendo supports it long-term. Also, I know that it'll drop in price significantly once the PSP launches despite the illusion that they're not directly competing at the moment.[/color]
[color=black] [/color]
[color=black]So, that initial must-buy impulse just isn't there for me. I can wait. Being wary is the best approach here.[/color]