i'm thinking of buying a ds or a psp - which should i get? fanboys not allowed!

[RedFusion]

I'll just chip in and say what my PSP can do at this very moment:

It can hopefully give you an idea of what a single PSP can do, as a very versatile console.

In the UMD drive:

Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow. Very polished and exciting espionage/action game by SCEA.

On Memory Stick:

Final Fantasy Crisis Core: One of the best jRPG experiences I've had in a while.

FIFA 09: I'm no avid soccer fan, but it's very fun on the go.

Tyrian 2000: Yes, the oldschool shooter. Works like a gem.

Final Fantasy Tactics: A beautiful return to the world of Ivalice. Few hiccups with the slow-downs in spell animations, but the re-worked translation is amazing (if you liked FFXII's translation), and features great cell-shaded cut scenes as well.

WipEout Pulse: Not as good as Pure (the original), but hey, Pure is available on the PSP as well.

Lumines: A funky puzzle game, with a very unique design. Think PSP's twist on Tetris.

GBA emulator: Works 100%. Have Advance Wars 2, Zelda Minish Cap on it and Golden Sun 2 for the nostalgia.

SNES emulator: Works 100%. Have Chrono Trigger on it.

Bookr: A .txt and .pdf reading utility. On the PSP's ample screen space, and bright screen, I use it quite often to read Robin Hobb's Assassin's Trilogy, 2 whole books of which I've read on the PSP.

Death Note Episode 22: Anime, 'nuff said. Given the right programs, you can convert .avi's and probably other file formats, into PSP's .mp4

---

In contrast, I'll also chime in and say that, my brother had a DS, and I was never really interested in the games there. I loved my GBA, but so many of the DS exclusives I felt were a bit childish. FF3 was a basic hack and slash, Ace Attorney was too linear, Cooking Mama is a ... cooking game, and Brain Training is something I'd rather avoid at University.

Notable games I could only think of are basically FF4 remake. But then PSP has Crisis Core...

Granted, I had infinite amounts of fun when I had 3 other friends with DS'es, and we all played Mario Party on the long plane trips that we had when we went travelling. But heck, how often are we going to have that opportunity again!?

DS will most definately be more fun if you have 2-7 other friends with DS'es, but, again, it isn't the most common occurrence. I've played 4 player Mario Kart on the DS, and also 8 player Tetris DS, but I'd still prefer my PSP overall.

[prophetik music]

i think i'm leaning towards a psp. i like the lineup of games (being more towards mature games). assuming that the snes and gba emulators work fine, i think that that's the turning point for me. not like i'll have issues working with a memory stick (i own a bunch of both mini-sd cards and memory sticks).

i'm thinking of getting a ps3 once the price goes down, in about six or eight months - are there any psp-ps3 features i should know about?

[DarkeSword]

SNES emulation on PSP sucks. Forget about any game with Mode 7 anything.

[prophetik music]

SNES emulation on PSP sucks. Forget about any game with Mode 7 anything.

like it won't render, or it'll look crappy? which games are affected by this? (ff6 uses mode 7, doesn't it?)

[jaxx]

I ran into this problem a few months ago, I studied both handhelds for a quite a few weeks before I purchased one. At first I thought I'd go with a DS, but the more I looked for games I just kept thinking to myself (hell, I'll never play that), most games are either for the casual (Wii route) or pointed towards kids. I ran into some psp games I thought I'd actually play (not including all the extra emulation ps1 dumps etc...). I'm happy to say that I bought a psp, I play it quite often (I ride the bus to and from work cause my car broke down). Currently playing Star Ocean: First Departure and Burnout Dominator. PSP looks to be more geared towards the hardcore gamer, there may not be a ton of titles currently coming out for the handheld, but since I started late it's like I have a ton of new possible games in front of me. I'll probably buy Metal Slug Anthology, KOF Orchi and Crisis Core soon.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Well, the DS -- holy shit, you're not gonna believe this -- has TWO SCREENS! HOLY SHIT!

[SirChadlyOC]

Well, the DS -- holy shit, you're not gonna believe this -- has TWO SCREENS! HOLY SHIT!

And one of them is a touch screen!

Speaking of which, this thread needs mention of Elite Beat Agents. Best music game you can buy for $30 or less, period. Also, the DS is THE HOME of strategy RPGs.

Or if you're like me, the Japanese versions were the best $50 music games.

[Dhsu]

i think i'm leaning towards a psp. i like the lineup of games (being more towards mature games). assuming that the snes and gba emulators work fine, i think that that's the turning point for me. not like i'll have issues working with a memory stick (i own a bunch of both mini-sd cards and memory sticks).

i'm thinking of getting a ps3 once the price goes down, in about six or eight months - are there any psp-ps3 features i should know about?

You can remote into your PS3 over the Internet using your PSP, from anywhere you can get a wireless connection. You won't be able to play PS3 or PS2 content, but you can stream MP3s and videos, and depending on your connection might even get a decent framerate on PS1 games (assuming you get one with backwards compatibility).

[Hawkwing]

As of right now my DS is reigning supreme. But after Christmas, I think it's either going to be even (Blade of the Exile) or the PSP is going to take over (Breath of Fire 3 and Star Ocean).

[The Damned]

I hope you know, there is a new model of DS lite comming out, capable with an SD Card, and a built in Camera. If you choose that path.

And anyone that has read about it will know that it has lower battery life, shitty low res cameras, and costs more.

DS Lite over DSi, period.

[halc]

the slimline psp can also has some cables that allow you to plug it into your television and play with psp as the controller. havent tried it myself, but crisis core probably would have been nice on a bigger screen.

also crisis core is great and for an FF fanboy i would highly highly recommend it over the DS remakes of III/IV. also with the psp you get the FFT port-plus that beats the hell out of FFTA2.

[Strike911]

I have both (DSLite and PSP-2000). Here's my 2 cents in an easy to digest format:

PSP if you have a PS3. The extra features are cool. There aren't as many titles, but you get a few, cool console-style portable games, not to mention the ability to play PS1 games on-the-go via the PlayStationNetwork's downloadable PS1 games. A little more fragile than the DS, less titles, lots of PS3 functionality. I haven't played my PSP in quite some time, though once the new Phantasy Star releases on it I might use it a little more. I honestly use it the most as a PS3 tool. It really has a lot of cool additional functionality outside of video games. Watch video files, pictures, music. Stream music. Browse the internet with the built in browser. Again, it is does seem a little fragile. Battery is 6-ish hours for me on medium to low screen brightness, about 4 hours on high brightness. Have to buy a Sony memory stick. Upgraded Firmware every few months adds new functionality like internet radio, video codecs, etc. Again, there are few games when compared to the DS. Graphically more capable than the DS, but again, the PSP just doesn't have as many games, though there are a few big name quality titles that really shine on the system.

Games I enjoyed the most on PSP: Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops

DS has a huge library of games, with the typical Nintendo games we all love. Doesn't have the power or the features of the PSP, but it constantly has decent titles coming out. It is a game machine and it doesn't sport the beefy extras that the PSP has. Battery life is good on it, 8 hours when screen brightness is on high, on low I can easily get 14+ hours on it. I believe if you have a Wii you can download DS demos (similar to the PSP), though without anywhere to store them I believe they're erased after you shut off the system. The system is pretty durable, and unlike the PSP, I don't feel like I'm going to break it by carrying it with me. The screens are protected when its shut, so they're protected when the system is not in use (unlike the PSP, which it seems like I'm constantly checking on to make sure I haven't scratched it). It's a durable little bugger, like most Nintendo items. A lot of cool quirky games that can't be done on other portables.

Game I enjoyed the most on DS: Tie between the new Advance Wars, Mario Kart DS, and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

[JCvgluvr]

I would really suggest you go with the DS (preferably, a lite version). I own one. There are more, and better games. I would know, as I used to own a PSP as well. I had it for less than a year, and it saw about 2 weeks worth of use in that amount of time. Heck, most of that was MP3 usage. Now, my DS saw much, much more use during that time.

There are so many fantastic titles like Contra 4, Mariokart DS, Animal Crossing WW, Kirby Superstar Ultra, Super Mario 64 DS, New Super Mario Bros., Warioware Touched, Sonic Rush (and it's sequel), and many more games that I don't care about, but you probably do. You can count the PSP's good games on one hand. Seriously, go for Nintendo's beautiful little machine! It's cheaper too!

Also, Game Boy Advance games.

[Native Jovian]

Okay, I've been wondering about this for a while, and this thread gives me the the opportunity to ask.

What exactly is the difference between the various versions of the DS? There's the basic DS, the DS Lite, and now this new one that someone mentioned here? Is this just a standard upgrade like Gameboy -> Gameboy Pocket -> Gameboy Color (or GBA -> GBASP, for that matter), or are there actual tradeoffs between the different variations (eg smaller size in exchange for features removed)?

[The Damned]

The DSi has a larger screen (same resolution, just slightly bigger pixels) as well as two low-res cameras built-in. It also makes us of an SD card slot, so you can use it to play music (not MP3s... I think it's ACC or something). It also has the DSi Store, which is like a DS version of Wii Ware: you can buy and download games and apps. It also has some newer built-in apps like an animation and picture editing program, that use the camera to some extent.

It suffers a loss of battery life, though. Honestly, it's a terrible upgrade to a very good system.

Another factor to consider about a DS versus a PSP: if you drop it, which one do you think is going to be worse off? I don't mean, like a foot or two. I mean big falls. You ever drop a GBA SP? I have, down a flight of fire stairs. It closed itself on the way down, and even though it took a minor scrape on the top, it still worked. I have it in my desk drawer. The DS is pretty comparable. The PSP, with its disc drive and larger screen, may not be up to such impacts. Think about what kind of handling and damage your choice in handheld is going to experience in the next few years.

[I-n-j-i-n]

If you want a multi-media, easy-to-play-roms type of system, I think a PSP is a better deal. Also, most PSPs are rather cheap (less than $150 if you can find a deal) and they come with 4Gig SD cards.

If you watch a lot of downloaded movies or anime, then PSP is basically the best option IMO. Best screen overall.

Game-wise, DS, yadda yadda, blah blah.

[FuriousFure]

Another factor to consider about a DS versus a PSP: if you drop it, which one do you think is going to be worse off? I don't mean, like a foot or two. I mean big falls. You ever drop a GBA SP? I have, down a flight of fire stairs. It closed itself on the way down, and even though it took a minor scrape on the top, it still worked. I have it in my desk drawer. The DS is pretty comparable. The PSP, with its disc drive and larger screen, may not be up to such impacts. Think about what kind of handling and damage your choice in handheld is going to experience in the next few years.

Good Point! I have a DS lite. I guess I should point out I STILL have a DS lite. last semester while on my loft I was playing my DS, most likely Mario & Luigi: partners in time. and had set it down on the edge on the mattress.

as fate would have it, I moved my pillow and then next thing I know, I'm watching my videogame system hurdle in slow-motion towards the bare, tiled floor.

it dropped a good 6 ft onto nothing but a cheap tiled floor. the unit cracked right in half. one of the hinges broke and it was held together by wiring.

I was devastated. that is, until I realized I could merely snap it back into place with no harm done.since then, the top portion is a little loose but works perfectly, it knows when its open or closed. I doubt a psp would function so flawlessly when dropped 6+ft

I am now enjoying Chrono Trigger as if that accident never happened.

[joe_cam]

the slimline psp can also has some cables that allow you to plug it into your television and play with psp as the controller. havent tried it myself, but crisis core probably would have been nice on a bigger screen.

First off, you must have a TV that has a component connection and you have to buy the component cables to play games. You can use the standard AV cables for videos, but you MUST have the component cable for games

Second, the game screen is windowed on your screen. The main dashboard can run full screen, but the games themselves aren't and it sucks. So much wasted screen.

Example? Sure!

Sorry for the image quality, it's a camera phone, but you can clearly see how big the frame around the image is.

One other thing is that you gotta remember that most PSP games are designed to be played on a tiny screen, once you play it on a big TV, those nice graphics might not look so nice anymore.

When it comes to a game library, DS is the easy choice. A few games sitting on my shelf right now:

Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow, Castlevania Portrait of Ruin, Castlevania Order of Eccelsia, Contact, CONTRA FUCKING 4, Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest IV, Final Fantasy IV, Hotel Dusk, Mari oKart, Mario vs. Luigi, Meteos, New Super Mario Bros., Planet Puzzle League, Soul Bubbles, Tetris DS, World Ends With You

That's maybe a third of my games and that's still more than the number of PSP games I own. I'll pull out my DS and play something at least once a week or so, the PSP can sit unused for months on end, and yes, I have custom firmware with all the fun shit, there's just not much to play on the system.

In the end, it all comes down to what system has the games you like. DJP is right, PSP has the edge with realistic racing games, but you still cant' forget Mario Kart. When it comes to pretty much everything else, DS is king, ESPECIALLY in the RPG arena. DS might be the best system EVER for role playing games.

Question for Zircon: I haven't had official firmware in ages so I honestly don't know the answer here, but can a PSP straight out of the box do everything you talked about? PSX and PSP ISOs off a memory stick? If not, it's hard to boast those as features since you gotta mod the system to do that stuff and it's a WHOLE lot easier to buy a DS flash cart than to mod a PSP's firmware

But again, I dont' konw what official firmware can pull off anymore, so if those are real features now, rock on.

Also, for my super fat hands, I'll still take the DS over the PSP.

[SoloGamer]

First off, you must have a TV that has a component connection and you have to buy the component cables to play games. You can use the standard AV cables for videos, but you MUST have the component cable for games

Second, the game screen is windowed on your screen. The main dashboard can run full screen, but the games themselves aren't and it sucks. So much wasted screen.

Example? Sure!

There's a custom firmware plugin that fixes both of these issues. I don't have a slime model though, so I'm not sure how well it works.

[joe_cam]

There's a custom firmware plugin that fixes both of these issues. I don't have a slime model though, so I'm not sure how well it works.

Tried it in the past. Followed the instructions perfectly and the menu never popped up for me. Deleted and reinstalled a number of times trying and I could never get it working.

Gave up.

Still, this is something based in custom firmware and when making a system purchase, we gotta remember that not everybody mods or has the ability to mod their system. We gotta focus on what the system is capable out of the box first.

[Brycepops]

Still, this is something based in custom firmware and when making a system purchase, we gotta remember that not everybody mods or has the ability to mod their system.

Everyone has the ability to mod a psp. It just depends on if they want to do it or not. Hell, all I did was read a few tutorials, download some programs, and BAM! Didn't have to buy a pandora's battery or use someone elses.

This was my first system mod too, by the way :3

[SoloGamer]

Also, he said he'd mod it as soon as he buys it, so discussing each handheld's homebrew capabilities is perfectly valid.

[Native Jovian]

The DSi has a larger screen (same resolution, just slightly bigger pixels) as well as two low-res cameras built-in. It also makes us of an SD card slot, so you can use it to play music (not MP3s... I think it's ACC or something). It also has the DSi Store, which is like a DS version of Wii Ware: you can buy and download games and apps. It also has some newer built-in apps like an animation and picture editing program, that use the camera to some extent.

It suffers a loss of battery life, though. Honestly, it's a terrible upgrade to a very good system.

Thanks, that's exactly the sort of thing I really want to know... But what about standard DS vs. DS Lite?

[prophetik music]

Also, he said he'd mod it as soon as he buys it, so discussing each handheld's homebrew capabilities is perfectly valid.

yeah, i'm definitely going to mod it out of the box, so talking about that is fine.

what upcoming games are in the future for either system? like, is there any deal-breakers coming out soon for either handheld?

[joe_cam]

Also, he said he'd mod it as soon as he buys it, so discussing each handheld's homebrew capabilities is perfectly valid.

Missed that part then.

A'ight. Guess all is fair then.

I'll still take a regular DS without an R4 over a modded PSP.

It's all about the games, and the PSP is still lacking.

EDIT: Upcoming games? There's nothign TOO huge on either system in the next few weeks, it's all about back catalogue. Looking ahead though, here's some standout titles

PSP: Final Fantasy Dissidia, Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, Star Ocean 2nd Evolution, Phantasy Star Portable

DS: Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars, Ys Book 1 & 2, Dragon Quest V (and eventually VI as well), Retro Game Challenge, Dragon Quest IX (sometime eventually), Suikoden Tierkreis, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume

I'm sure we'll hear about more releases on each system eventually though. I still definitely throw my support behind a DS.

Or hell, get the PS2 and stock up on PSX and PS2 classics.