Handhelds

[ThePosterFormerlyKnownAs]

I've had a DS for over a year now and I really like it but I must admit, I'm a little disappointed at the game selection. I don't care for "cutesy" type games or anime so that seriously limits my choices.

I'm seriously considering trading it in and getting a PSP because of games like God of War and Metal Gear Solid but I'm still a little hesitant.

What is the game lineup looking like for the PSP? I prefer western style RPGs and from what I've seen Dungeon Explorer is right up my alley, though it is on DS as well. Would it be worth my while to do the trade or are there some upcoming titles on DS that I should wait for? Thanks.

 

[ShinigamiMommy]

If you think the DS is all "cutesy" games then you aren't looking at the right games! Yes, there is a lot of "shovel ware" for the DS but make some suggestions of games genera's you like or something and I'll give you GOOD titles you'll enjoy.

The PSP is more of a media center that plays games. The library looks a bit more mature but actually, only a few games are worth buying and playing. Read some reviews on IGN or GameSpot or KoTaku about the PSP and DS. I have to say personally I was more satisfied with my DS because the PSP games are boring. Besides Katamari, MGS, God of War, Patta Pon, and Crisis Core, I really don't find their games much better. They're mediocre at best. and there are TONS upon TONS of good RPGs on the DS!

But I can hit you up with good DS titles worth trying out. =]

 

[ThePosterFormerlyKnownAs]

I'm mostly into RPGs but so far, Dungeon Explorer is the only one that looks really interesting. I have Final Fantasy III and it's OK but, again, I don't like anime so...

If I keep the DS, I'll most likely get Assassin's Creed and might get Ninja Gaiden if I can try a demo of it and like it. I really like Age of Empires and still play it some and there are some other strategy games that look interesting. I just wish there were more mature RPGs and action/adventure games for it.

The main title that's making it really hard to let go of is My Spanish Coach.

 

[ShinigamiMommy]

FFIII isn't an anime..... >.o

Check out Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin for an extremely good and challenging strat. game with a good driven story line.
Contact is an adventure/RPG from the same guys who did the Mother series for the SNES. It's full of humor and has a lot to offer. The title is a cult classic.
Children of Mana is a hack n slash RPG. You gain levels and new equipment and gems to create spells and you hack and slash all over again. It surprisingly is addictive.
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney is more of a text based game where you play as a defense lawyer trying to defend framed clients. This game is extremely story driven and is for those who want an intellectual challenge. If you like this check out Apollo Justice and Hotel Dusk.
If you want an RPG that is similar to the old dungeon crawlers of the old school days then you want Etrian Odyssey.
Final Fantasy Tactics is a very very highly addictive strat. game with added RPG elements. If you don't fair well with the FF series, then Luminous Arc might be a good alternative.
I've heard good things about Front Mission, a strategy game, but I've never played it.
Harvest Moon Rune Factory for the DS is an RPG/simulation game where you start a farm, grow crops, get involved with the town, marry a girl, build your house, etc... but it has dungeon exploring and other RPG goodness packed inside of it.
You will spend your life playing Puzzle Quest. A beautiful blend of a puzzle based RPG. MUST HAVE!
The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass is a must have. Get it NOW.


So here's some more to look at. I recommend looking at IGN's review's of the games. They're the most unbiased and they go in depth.
Animal Crossing Wild World
Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Rings of Fate
Dragon Quest IV, V, VI, IX
It's A Wonderful World
Lost Magic
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Hotel Dusk

Actiony Adventurey stuff:
Metriod Prime Hunters
Custom Robo Arena
Demetium The Ward
Resident Evil DS
Contra 4
Star Fox Command
Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin
LEGO Star Wars (seriously)
Viewtiful Joe
Orcs and Elves
Spectrobes
Jump Ultimate Stars (Japanese Import)
Geometry Wars Galaxies
Brothers in Arms
Call of Duty DS

I'll have more for you =p

 

[Keefu]

I own a DS and a PSP, and I find I get equal use out of both. The DS for me has the most exciting line up of JRPG titles, with games such as the Dragon Quest series (hurry up and translate them Square!) and the numerous Final Fantasy spin offs and remakes, it's an exciting time to have a DS.

But, due to the graphical limits of the DS, it's hard not for the developers to stick to cutesy style graphics. But, if you look past that, there's still plenty of deep emotional gaming to be had.

So, if you are interested in a PSP, see if you can save, and buy it, but keep a hold of your DS just incase!

 

[ThePosterFormerlyKnownAs]

FFIII isn't an anime..... >.o

Check out Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin for an extremely good and challenging strat. game with a good driven story line.
Contact is an adventure/RPG from the same guys who did the Mother series for the SNES. It's full of humor and has a lot to offer. The title is a cult classic.
Children of Mana is a hack n slash RPG. You gain levels and new equipment and gems to create spells and you hack and slash all over again. It surprisingly is addictive.
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney is more of a text based game where you play as a defense lawyer trying to defend framed clients. This game is extremely story driven and is for those who want an intellectual challenge. If you like this check out Apollo Justice and Hotel Dusk.
If you want an RPG that is similar to the old dungeon crawlers of the old school days then you want Etrian Odyssey.
Final Fantasy Tactics is a very very highly addictive strat. game with added RPG elements. If you don't fair well with the FF series, then Luminous Arc might be a good alternative.
I've heard good things about Front Mission, a strategy game, but I've never played it.
Harvest Moon Rune Factory for the DS is an RPG/simulation game where you start a farm, grow crops, get involved with the town, marry a girl, build your house, etc... but it has dungeon exploring and other RPG goodness packed inside of it.
You will spend your life playing Puzzle Quest. A beautiful blend of a puzzle based RPG. MUST HAVE!
The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass is a must have. Get it NOW.


So here's some more to look at. I recommend looking at IGN's review's of the games. They're the most unbiased and they go in depth.
Animal Crossing Wild World
Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Rings of Fate
Dragon Quest IV, V, VI, IX
It's A Wonderful World
Lost Magic
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Hotel Dusk

Actiony Adventurey stuff:
Metriod Prime Hunters
Custom Robo Arena
Demetium The Ward
Resident Evil DS
Contra 4
Star Fox Command
Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin
LEGO Star Wars (seriously)
Viewtiful Joe
Orcs and Elves
Spectrobes
Jump Ultimate Stars (Japanese Import)
Geometry Wars Galaxies
Brothers in Arms
Call of Duty DS

I'll have more for you =p

Well, I mean the whole pre-pubescent looking heroes with spiky hair and big eyes and the melodramatic stories. Anime, manga, whatever it's called. JRPG might be a better way to say it if it means (as I'm thinking) Japanese RPG.

Days of Ruin looks really good, maybe Orcs and Elves and Resident Evil but other than those, nothing else really seems very interesting. I have Lego Starwars and have tried several of the others listed.

I may try downloading some demos before I make a final decision but I'm starting to lean towards the PSP. Both are woefully short on the kind of RPGs I like so I may have to just look at other types of games as well as other capabilities.

The main reason I got a handheld was because I have a lot of downtime at work and the ability to watch movies is starting to look pretty good right now. Still, I'm not going to make a decision lightly since I can't afford both systems.

Thanks for all the input!

 

[Keefu]

The title Dementium: The Ward (mentioned before) could be a game up your alley. It's a DS title and one of the rare 'serious' games. I would give you links, but I need a post count of 15 to do that! Google it, and have a look!

 

[ShinigamiMommy]

There a quite a lot of games i listed that are serious and have deep plots and stories that have Japanese art. Don't let an art style fool you!

 

[Keefu]

You could also try a DS title such as ElectroPlankton which is a unique Japanese experimental music creator. It's worth checking out.

 

[ThePosterFormerlyKnownAs]

Thanks guys for the input. I traded today and got God of War: Chains. I'm really enjoying it and plan to pick up another game tomorrow or maybe a movie. Both are great systems but I think right now, the PSP suits my needs better.

 

[Keefu]

I hope you are happy with your new PSP. Here are some titles I would recommend.

Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid AC!D 1 & 2
Silent Hill Origins
Dungeon Siege Throne of Agony
Chili Con Carnage
Monster Hunter Freedom 2
Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core

There are plenty of others I own, but that should do you for now...

 

[ThePosterFormerlyKnownAs]

I hope you are happy with your new PSP. Here are some titles I would recommend.

Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid AC!D 1 & 2
Silent Hill Origins
Dungeon Siege Throne of Agony
Chili Con Carnage
Monster Hunter Freedom 2
Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core

There are plenty of others I own, but that should do you for now...

Awesome, thanks!

 

[hypostatic]

I just got a PSP a couple of weeks ago too, and I love it! There's so many great games for it!

 

[Breetai]

Why wouldn't you just buy both???

For all concerned, the DS can function as a media system just as the PSP does. Look up the expansion cards such as "M3 Simply" or "R4". They have a slot for micro SD cards and can play MP3s and converted MPEG/AVI files and the like on the DS. I have a 2GB memory card for my DS. I watched the entire Back to the Future trilogy on my DS while in hospital for a few days last autumn. The PSP can do the same, if you desire.

Personally, I have a DS. It suits my needs. There are plenty of games that I like on the DS, and it plays all of my MP3s, videos (converted), I can view photos on it and surf the internet when I'm on a break at work (I take my breaks in McDonald's, because all the McDonald's in Tokyo have wifi internet!!!). If I really wanted to play GTA, God of War, Metal Gear and the like on my DS, I'd get a PSP... but, I'm perfectly happy playing those games on my PS3 at home.

 

[ThePosterFormerlyKnownAs]

Why wouldn't you just buy both???

For all concerned, the DS can function as a media system just as the PSP does. Look up the expansion cards such as "M3 Simply" or "R4". They have a slot for micro SD cards and can play MP3s and converted MPEG/AVI files and the like on the DS. I have a 2GB memory card for my DS. I watched the entire Back to the Future trilogy on my DS while in hospital for a few days last autumn. The PSP can do the same, if you desire.

Personally, I have a DS. It suits my needs. There are plenty of games that I like on the DS, and it plays all of my MP3s, videos (converted), I can view photos on it and surf the internet when I'm on a break at work (I take my breaks in McDonald's, because all the McDonald's in Tokyo have wifi internet!!!). If I really wanted to play GTA, God of War, Metal Gear and the like on my DS, I'd get a PSP... but, I'm perfectly happy playing those games on my PS3 at home.

As tight as money is, I can't justify owning both or I would have definitely gone that route. I miss the educational software on the DS but I'm very happy with the PSP and it suits my needs better than the DS at this point because I want to play games like GTA, God of War and MGS on a handheld and with the interactivity between PSP and PS3, I'm considering getting a PS3 at some point.

I'd like to get another DS later on if finances permit.