DS vs PSP

What handheld will you buy

  • DS

    Votes: 6 25.0%
  • PSP

    Votes: 8 33.3%
  • None

    Votes: 6 25.0%
  • Both

    Votes: 1 4.2%
  • Gamegear?

    Votes: 3 12.5%

  • Total voters
    24

ghadrack

Not a llama or your momma!
I don't really understand what Nintendo's strategy is at this point. I read that they are plannig to release an enhanced SP a littel later on this year in the 100$ price poitn area to sap some PSP sales, and I think they are trying to show continued support for the GB lineup, while giving developers time to work on some outstanding titles for the SP, and give a little more time for people to get used to the idea of the GB/GBC titles being non-compatible with future gameboy incarnations.

I think it doesn't make sense for them to be shackled to running two decade old games and dedicating limited OS space to OG gameboy titles that haven't been produced in a decade. But then again, they may think this was an error in the DS and that they should have left that complete backward compatibility there.

I just don't know what they have up their sleeves, I hope it works out though, because whiel I am enamored with the PSP I do not want nintendo to crash and burn, they are a valuable resource in an ever shrinking world of competition. I don't want ay one company to completely dominate the video game industry ever.
 

Oltobaz

Cancer no Deathmask
You can't dismiss these rumors, just because, they're, well rumors...after all, the DS not looking that promising in terms of sales, compared to the PSP, it would make sense for Nintendo to already think ahead and try to figure out what's next...of course, it's way too soon for them to
admit any of that officially, it would be like admitting they already lost their market to Sony...
Shit, I really miss the old Nintendo/Sega wars, what is the world coming to? :'(
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Oltobaz said:
You can't dismiss these rumors, just because, they're, well rumors...

Yes I can, I already did actually.

And it's not only a rumor, but one about a decision that would be nonsensical. You've said so yourself, as have been most of the people relaying it.

Then again, that rumor was originally about a new version of the GBA SP (started by some expert's analysis that Nintendo would benefit from a cheap handheld, having then a $50, $150, and $250 line of consoles available by the end of the year), not a superpowerful new device that would kill the NDS sells (that have been rather good from what I read), and make half of their customers feel like they've been betrayed.

Now honestly I don't care much about all of that and I'm not checking gaming sites everyday so let's just see what happens, either way I wouldn't mind.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I don't think it's just a coincidence that RUMOR and TUMOR are only one letter different.
 

d00kiemastah

All I want to do is...bicycle.
The Phantom will be infinitely better than either.  Actually, I'm just going to go out on a limb and say that the Phantom will be so much better that most of you will end up paying the obscene retail price of "fucking a dog".  What will those crazy fellows at Infinium think of next?

So as to not be a complete troll and off topic, here's my serious take on the matter.

I personally like the DS more.   ;)
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
20595548_9718.jpg


The Winner.​
I excavated my old Game Boy with Tetris today; all I had to do was toothbrush out the crusty battery acid, stick in four AA's, and I was rollin'. Seriously, it's more fun than the multi-screen, multi-media headaches of the DS and PSP put together.

Cooler too; stick one in your back pocket, find a kid with white headphones coming out of his khakis, and beat the living shit out of him. 8)
 

incognitoX

you fail me
Shit, after reading Aaz's post about being able to put ROMS (and Castlevania 2!) on the DS it's starting to sway me into picking up an NDS over a PSP.

Just how would you be able to add them anyways through some sort of UB cord you can plug into the DS?

Pardon my ignorance, but the last portable game system I've ever played was a gameboy pocket so I'm pretty much in the stoneage compared to these fancy technological wonders
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
incognitoX said:
Just how would you be able to add them anyways through some sort of UB cord you can plug into the DS?

It's a GBA technology actually (that works flawlessly on the NDS), a special cartridge with extended memory and a cable that links it to your computer (a lot of them exist from different companies). They're called "Flash Cards".

Once you have it in your hands, you just need to install the drivers and a software to transfer files on the cartridge. It can be anything, from roms to videos to pictures to text files to music. There's even an OS (Pogoshell).

Nintendo handhelds have always been tweaked by people to play homebrew stuff and other things, and people are already planning to run a Linux on the NDS in the future. Flash cards designed specifically for it should also emerge in some months. I'm looking forward to it as it'll most likely have some nice features (unlike the old cartridges, the NDS cards have a file system and are more "dynamic").

You can check some of the videos I put on earlier if you want to see an example of what you can play on the NDS (they're bad quality, but it does look great when you've got it in front of you).
 
Oltobaz said:
Shit, I really miss the old Nintendo/Sega wars, what is the world coming to? :'(
Really sony said that they are not trying to beat the NDS or Nintendo, just trying to open a new way of media ::)
Walter said:
I don't think it's just a coincidence that RUMOR and TUMOR are only one letter different.
I swear i heard this before
"Griffith No More!" said:
20595548_9718.jpg

The Winner.
i guess your right OL'SKOOL rules all 8)
----
Processing Power
This one is obviously in the PSP's favor. While the Nintendo DS has a very capable 3D chip, able to render the likes of Super Mario 64, it's no contest that the PSP has more raw power than the DS. Even the launch games (which didn't exactly have a ton of time to be developed) approach the graphical abilities of the PlayStation 2. Comparing a PS2 to the N64 is like night and day, and that's pretty much the same comparison that can be made here. Really, this one is no contest.


Winner: PSP

Screen(s)
With the pure processing power being the first, the screens of the two systems are really the second major battlefield that the two systems are waging battle on. The PSP's screen is no-doubt a beautiful thing, though the Nintendo DS has two of them, one of them being a touch screen. So which setup is better?

It's hard to say. Each display type has its pros and cons. The PSP's screen is bright, vibrant and exceptionally clear. The viewing angle is magnificent; you can view the on-screen action from most any angle and still see a very good image. It also touts a widescreen aspect ratio and a relatively large size.

The PSP's screen isn't perfect, however. Its refresh rate isn't the greatest thing ever, rather it's far from it. While a screen full of motion can fool the eye plenty well enough, objects that move quickly against a slower or still background can bring the refresh rate problems to the forefront. Reds are especially susceptible to this. It's also a pain to keep clean, as is the system as a whole.

The Nintendo DS' strengths are in its dual-screen setup and its bottom touch screen. The ability to control on-screen actions with the touch of a stylus makes it possible for developers to create entirely different games than what's possible on other systems with conventional control systems. As well, having two separate view areas means that some of the action, information or what have you can be pushed off to the second view, making for a potentially cleaner interactive view.

When compared to the PSP, however, the Nintendo DS' screen quality falls short. The viewing angles aren't nearly as nice, and the colors and overall clarity just don't compare. It does sport a better refresh rate though, saving it from some of the blurring problems that the PSP suffers from.

So again, which setup is better? Really, this one is too close to call for either side. The PSP really wins out in quality, but the DS wins in screen interactivity and the potential for unique designs.

Winner: Tie

Battery Life
When it comes down to battery life, the Nintendo DS is the clear winner here. The PSP needs plenty of juice to feed all that power and it drinks it a-plenty. The interesting part is that it's almost entirely variable; a game that pushes the system to its max and uses the UMD drive plenty will kill the battery faster than you can charge it. On the other hand, a simple puzzle game that rarely needs to access the drive would likely let the system run about as long as the same game on the Nintendo DS. But since most the games on the system will skew more towards the graphically-intensive variety, this one goes to the Nintendo DS.


Winner: Nintendo DS

Controls
Both systems feature the same main controller layout with a D-Pad, four main action buttons on the face of the unit and two triggers. The main differential is the PSP's analog stick vs. the DS' touch screen.

This is another hard one to call as this one obviously comes down to titles on an individual basis. If we were talking about cross-platform type games, like sports games or the like, then the PSP's analog stick is the clear winner; it just works much better as a generalized analog input device. But the DS' strength is in its ability to allow for unique input schemes, like in such games as Wario Ware Touched!

Concerning the other controls, each system has its strengths. The DS has the better set of triggers. The PSP's triggers are sort of clunky and not all that comfortable, while the DS' triggers are springier and generally more comfortable to use. The PSP features the better face buttons as they're bigger and feel more like a regular controller. The DS' face buttons are rather small. Deciding the better D-Pad is sort of a toss-up as it probably comes down to a matter of taste. Both are good, however.

When it comes down to it, the PSP features a much more standardized input system with its analog stick, though the DS allows for much greater creative design with its touch screen. Really, it's a matter of the select game at hand that decides which system has the better controls, and though the PSP will win for most mass-market games, the Nintendo DS has plenty of room for innovative control methods. But when it comes down to it, the PSP is much better suited for 99% of the games on the market.

Winner: PSP

Load Times
Like the battery life, the Nintendo DS has the huge advantage when it comes to load times. Being that the DS uses EEPROM cartridges, which are nearly identical to that of a memory card, it's able to load data much, much faster than the PSP's UMD drive. Gamers who are used to immediately jumping into a portable game may not feel at home with the PSP's load times, which like its hardware, very much mirror that of its PS2 counterpart.

Winner: Nintendo DS

Portability
By portability, we're referring to how easy it is to throw the system into your pocket or backpack and stroll off without worry of damage to the system. In this regard, the Nintendo DS' flip design takes the cake. When closed, all of the DS' important parts are enclosed and safe from bruises, bumps and scratches. The PSP, on the other hand, requires that you slip it into some sort of case in order to protect its screen. No matter how good the screen looks out of the box, it'll look like crap very quickly if you don't take care of it to protect it from scratches.


Size-wise, the difference between the two systems is rather negligible. When closed, the DS is a little taller and wider than the PSP, though the PSP is a little longer. In any direction the difference is no more than about an inch, which given the size of the systems isn't very much. Either system will fit in your pocket, though not very comfortably unless it's a very large pocket. Weight is also a non-issue with either system.

When it comes down to it, the DS is more portable in and of itself. The PSP requires some sort of casing, and even though the PSP Value Pack comes with a pretty nice slip cloth, it won't protect it a whole lot from things slamming up against it. The DS seems like it would naturally hold up better to bumps and bruises. Granted, you can outfit the PSP with a nice metal case that should protect it from anything, but the same could be said about practically any device.

Winner: Nintendo DS

Media
The Nintendo DS uses Game Cards, capable of storing up to 128MB of data as of now, though larger chips could theoretically be used to increase that size at some point in the future. Cost and whatnot obviously plays a factor there. The DS is also capable of playing Game Boy Advance games, so that's worth mentioning here.

The PSP uses UMD discs, capable of holding up to 1.8GB of data. While it can't write to those discs for saves, the PSP also makes use of Memory Stick Duos for saves and media. Memory Stick Duo media is currently available in 1GB versions with 2GB versions on the very near horizon.

Really, the only thing in the DS' favor when it comes to media is its faster read speeds, which as mentioned earlier is a pretty big difference. However, the PSP is capable of much more with its media ports. With its UMD discs, games can be exponentially larger than those on the DS. Large games with tons of art may be plentiful on the system, as could cutscenes. Using a Memory Stick Duo, gamers can easily trade save files either by swapping cards or copying their saves to their PCs via the PSP's USB port. Add in the ability to copy audio and movies to the system and you have a much more robust media setup

Winner: PSP

The fully-fleshed-out capabilities of both systems really have yet to be seen. It was recently announced at this year's Game Developer's Conference that the Nintendo DS will soon have full online support for multiplayer via its wireless connection, putting it on par with the PSP's wireless capabilities. The PSP has supported games on the shelf as of this writing, while the DS does not. Still, they're on the way and at this point it's hard to say which system will make better use of it. And actually, it'll almost certainly be up to the developer on that end, so this is really a tie.

Winner: Tie

Final Word
If you add up the tallies, it comes out to Nintendo DS: 3, PSP: 3, Tie: 2, or an overall tie. But that doesn't really tell the whole story. If you look at the category winners, the PSP takes the system power, control and media categories while the Nintendo DS takes battery life, portability and load times.

So in theory, the Nintendo DS is a better portable system but the PSP is the better all-around system. This seems like a fair enough assessment and the final word we'll stick with.
to make the discussion better
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Vic Viper said:
18 hours (if your talking about the NDS)

18 hours? I don't remember playing that long before charging it, but why not (I didn't really pay attention as I said earlier).
 
oh sorry 17 hours. it was close  :p
anyway i found an Article about what somepeople think about new-gen gamers
One of the ugliest terms I can think of in gaming is 'fanboy'. What is a fanboy? To me, a fanboy is not just someone who develops a certain appreciation for a gaming company or companies. I have a very strong appreciation for Nintendo, and have been jokingly called a fanboy in the past, but I wouldn't consider myself a fanboy, by any means. I have friends who love companies ranging from Atlus, Konami, Capcom, Square-Enix, SEGA, and other great game developers. I don't think that I have any friends who are fanboys.

Why not? Because, despite our love for certain companies, I and my friends are able to view gaming through a somewhat objective lens. Our personal biases may color our opinions every once in a while, but for the most part we're able to provide solid opinions and back them up without much trouble.

Not so with the fanboy. A fanboy latches onto a certain company and completely demeans the work of other companies. For example, a Nintendo fanboy during the Super Nintendo-era would most certainly have hated SEGA with all their heart and soul, for no particular reason other than the fact that they dared to go against Nintendo. A Sony fanboy today might proclaim the GameCube and the XBox to be utter garbage, without having even played many games on the systems for too long. And it's likely the same for Nintendo and Microsoft fanboys.

My question is: Why? Why all of the hate? What is so bad, so ridiculously evil, about other gaming consoles that a fanboy must disparage them at every turn? What is so bad about three gaming consoles entering into healthy competition, vying for the money of gamers around the world?

Because, quite honestly, I don't have a clue.

I really don't see what's so wrong about this picture. Since the NES-era ended, competition between gaming consoles has driven the gaming industry to heights that had not been ascended to by any company, in terms of profits and quality of games. The evidence is quite clear.

The Super Nintendo and SEGA Genesis fought tooth and nail against each other, with the Super Nintendo eventually coming out on top, but with both consoles ending up with a classic line-up of amazing games that many people feel still has not been topped by any succeeding generation of consoles. Even near the end of their respective lives, amazing games were still coming out on both consoles.

The mid-to-late 90s saw SEGA enter the fray with not one, but two, consoles (Saturn and Dreamcast), Sony begin their reign of dominance over the industry with the PlayStation, and Nintendo releasing the Nintendo 64. Though bad decision making eventually forced SEGA's consoles out of the market, both systems were left with an impressive library of unique titles. The PlayStation had what is perhaps the most versatile lineup of games ever seen on one console, though it is definitely rivaled by the PlayStation 2. The PlayStation also paved the way for the mainstreaming of video games, making gaming popular amongst college students, and post-grad adults. The N64, though not backed up by third-party companies as much as had been previously hoped, still boasted an impressive array of Nintendo-spawned titles that innovated the industry. Concepts introduced in Super Mario 64 are still prevalent in many games of today's generation.

And now we get to today's generation, one of the most, if not the most, hotly-contested generations in gaming history. Though Microsoft is ultimately losing money with the XBox, they still remain a viable option in gaming, and they boast a solid lineup of adult-minded games. Not to mention a better online set-up than what SEGA had available for the Dreamcast, and that Sony has available for the PS2, for that matter.

Nintendo's GameCube, stuck with the infamous 'kiddy' label due to its tighter focus on more family-minded games, has an impressive lineup of high quality games, though the dearth of third-party titles is quite noticeable, even if the GameCube is far stronger in this aspect than the Nintendo 64. However, Nintendo's lineup of games alone is well worth buying a GameCube for, in my opinion.

And lastly, we have the PlayStation 2. The PS2 has the broadest range of titles, with many games that appeal to both adults and families alike. The PS2 also has the most third-party support, and the highest number of titles available between the three systems. Like the PlayStation, the PS2 has taken many strides in mainstreaming the world of gaming, which I honestly think is a good thing for gaming.

Do they have their flaws? Of course they do. Some of the XBox's more hyped titles (Halo, Halo 2, Fable, etc.) have failed to grab me, and have ended up being a bit disappointing. The GameCube has average third-party support, at best, and not enough games marketed towards a more adult audience. The PS2, as the most mainstream, profitable console, has the highest amount of utter garbage on its system, along with the most great games.

But are these truly flaws to be fighting over so bitterly? Are these flaws, which are so very minute in the grander scale of things, worth flaming each other over on Internet message boards? Is it really worth it to live with the mindset that you absolutely have to flame anyone and everyone who dares to speak ill of your favorite gaming company, or favorite console of choice, even if valid points are brought up?

I don't think so. I'd like to hope that we can have a market that's more than capable of supporting three systems that cater toward people from all walks of life, with varying opinions on what kinds of games they'd like to play. Variety is good, having choices is good.

To those who demean one of the big three gaming consoles: Do you think that gaming would be ultimately better if, say, Sony was the only company releasing consoles? Nintendo? Microsoft? Sure, there would competition of a sort on the one console, but it's hardly the same thing. Each console represents a different attitude, a different representation of how gaming should be. The competition that takes place between these three giants of the gaming world is bigger than the opinion of one gamer - it encompasses all of the people who profess to love video games.

So, why not just sit back and enjoy it? Why not just lay back and enjoy having a ton of options to choose from? What's the harm in complementing a 'rival' console? You don't have to buy the consoles, but just recognize that they have great qualities. I'm as big a Nintendo fan as they come, and I've got some pretty great things to say about both the XBox and the PS2. There's no harm in swallowing your pride and admitting that the competitors have done something great, something to be commended.

Can't we all just get along?
 

Tristram

100% Germ Free Manure
SaiyajinNoOuji said:
*cough* Virtual Boy *cough*  ;D

It wasn't a handheld, was it?  o_O

That thing was huge and it burned my eyes.

incognitoX said:
Shit, after reading Aaz's post about being able to put ROMS (and Castlevania 2!) on the DS it's starting to sway me into picking up an NDS over a PSP.

Just how would you be able to add them anyways through some sort of UB cord you can plug into the DS?

Pardon my ignorance, but the last portable game system I've ever played was a gameboy pocket so I'm pretty much in the stoneage compared to these fancy technological wonders

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=6&products_id=3983& Awesome little gizmo. I have one and use it as a music player, save funny pics on it, save eBooks (.txt format) on it, and even keep a couple episodes of southpark or captain n on it. I just have a 256mb card, and wish I'd gotten a 1GB, but I will get that later on. After shipping and handling, with a 256mb card, it costs 70-80 bucks. This thing increased the amount I play my DS 10-fold because of the PocketNES emulator it has. I love Megaman, Airfortress, Super Mario Bros, and Kid Icarus. I also got Tetris on there :D
 

TurpS

Time is limited, and mortaltiy inevitable
Wow

A very interesting thread, many of your opinions are interesting

I am inclined to agree with Aazealth.

I myself Have purchased a Nintendo DS and am very happy with it.
I also have a flash card that was mentioned (by Aazealth I believe). Using this you can "acquire" a vast amount of Games and load up to 3 or 4 on a single cartridge.

I've really enjoyed the DS, right now the launch titles aren't very strong but there are many very promising games coming.
Its ability to share games with other DS machines that don't have the game is also very very cool.

I have not had much experience with a PSP as such I can not give an oppinion on it.
If you like Nintendo games you'll like the DS, the connectivity options are a bonus

In the end, its a personal choice, both are very good machines, each have there strengths and weaknesses.
If you like handhelds, purchase the one you like and respect others decisions to do the same ;D
 
"Griffith No More!" said:
20595548_9718.jpg


The Winner.​
I excavated my old Game Boy with Tetris today; all I had to do was toothbrush out the crusty battery acid, stick in four AA's, and I was rollin'. Seriously, it's more fun than the multi-screen, multi-media headaches of the DS and PSP put together.

Cooler too; stick one in your back pocket, find a kid with white headphones coming out of his khakis, and beat the living shit out of him. 8)

Haha, I couldn't possibly agree more about Tetris. It may very well be the greatest game ever made and the best version of it was on the original game boy. I found a game boy emulator and rom several months ago and I was literally playing it between 1 to 3 hours a night some nights after getting home from work, now I play it less but still love it. ;)

So far my best score is 553,200 on level 9. I would just sit in front of it and lose myself to it thinking about everything and anything while tapping away, for some reason a particularly strange reoccurring thought while playing is about this old movie I haven't seen in years "A league of their own" with Tom Hanks and those soft ball chicks... dunno why but I can only assume I have played one game of Tetris too many. :-\
 

Kakkoii_Guts

海賊王になる男だ
There must be something in the air.

I've been replaying all of my old Nintendo favorites on my Dreamcast. It has a neat frame skip function. So I've been playing Super Mario Bros. super fast. The furthest I've made it has been level six, without skipping. Now it feels like I'm playing Mario underwater when it is moving regular speed. I think frame skip ruined me permanently. :(


I couldn't agree more about Tetris. It has been my favorite game since I was a small child. It always will be.
 
For me, i have been playing Final Fight on my GBA in japanese, and Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival. Not old Nintendo favorites but i have just bought "Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong, and Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros." for my GBA good times, good times :)
 
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