PSP VS DS

[Frozen Phantom]

yeah....I know you've heard this one before, but I need the advice.

I'm planing on getting a handheld system (psp/ds) and I have the money opturninty for either. The problem is, which one?

For the ds, there are some very fun games, such has advance wars duel strike, elite beat agents, and others.

For the psp, there is the port of cave story with uped graphics (which is coming out) , fft, and other great games like vikuray profile.

For you responce, I would like a pro/con of each, no "WHAT? U WANT PSP!!!! U NEWB!!!!!" So please actually use details of each system if you can.

Thanks in advance :)

[Dreddz]

I guess for innovative and original games, you would be best sticking to a DS. That doesnt mean the PSP lacks any good games, but the majority of the good PSP's games are ports, there are still a nice selection of originals titles in there though.

If your a fighting game fan though, I insist you get a PSP. Now you fool !

[Roto13]

DS is the way to go here. Most of the decent PSP games are rehashes and ports. It's ok if you want an mp3 player out of it, too. Not so much for movies any more, since the UMD format is pretty much dead. There's also a decent home brew scene, though it kinda interferes with firmwear updates. (ie: one or the other)

But for fun, original games? Definitely the DS. Get Elite Beat Agents or your life will never be complete. :P There's also an accessory that allows you to play music and videos, but I don't know much about that.

[JKTrix]

I own the Play Yan Micro, the 'device' roto mentioned. It's decent, but not worth spending the money on. Also available is the Nintendo MP3 player, which is a watered down version of the Play Yan. Same cartridge, same software, but can't play videos.

If you want a Portable Playstation, then go right on ahead. There really isn't anything available on the PSP yet that makes the system worth buying on its own merit (Opinion), but there are actually several games available that make good buys if you do end up getting one (Fact). Homebrew is pretty cool from what I've fiddled with, but if you want to play PSP games, you're forced to upgrade the firmware in most cases (which cancels all homebrew efforts). There are ways around it, but they're potentially very damaging.

The DS is currently my favourite 'active' system. I've always been pretty partial to handheld gaming anyway, as I only had a GameBoy to play with from when I was in preschool, right up until I was 16 when I bought my first console (Gamecube). Still, there are several 'system selling' games of varying genres already available. There are a few games that are notoriously stuck in Japan with little/no hope of ever coming out here (Elite Beat Agents was a miracle), but if you're comfortable with importing games you'll have access to a few more (though somewhat nichey) excellent games. PSP of course can play imports too. Plus, you have the entire GBA library available to you.

5 good games for each (ports, rehashes, derivatives or otherwise):

PSP: Daxter, Mega Man (Powered Up & Maverick Hunter X), Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection, 2x Lumines, 2x Metal Gear (but not 2x AC!D)

DS: Elite Beat Agents, Mario Kart, Jump! Ultimate Stars (Japanese), Advance Wars, New Super Mario Bros.

[Dreddz]

Im glad someone metioned the homebrew for the PSP. In the last few months there have been great advances, such as the ability to play PS1 games at full speed. Definately the coolest thing ever to happen to any handheld. That plus many other emulators on the system, most running at full speed also. The DS has some, I havent gone much into them though.

[Erdrick Holmes]

DS all the way. The PSP sucks hard, all it has are crappy racing games and ports of some of the PS2s lamer games.

[Shlup]

I... got both. :o

[Rostum]

DS also has some good RPG's.

There's Final Fantasy 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and soon 6. Which I think is absolutely great to have portable! Then there's the Mario and Luigi RPG's (to be honest, I think they should remake Super Mario RPG for DS), Golden Sun series, Mana series, and more that I can't think of right now.

Then you have some other cool games like Mario Kart, New Super Mario Brothers, Elite Beat Agent, Advance Wars, Yoshi's Island, and a whole range of GBA games.

The PSP looks interesting for me though, for FFVII and Valkyrie Profile, but nothing more.

[Holy Lancer]

I can't wait for the new FF game to come out for PSP but I am really enjoying playing FF 1, 2, 4, 5, and soon 6 on my SP. DS looks really cool though. I want to get it so I can play The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the sequel to The Wind Waker.

[Rase]

Right now I'd say DS. It seems to have the most support of the two, plus there are a good number of games that put it's unique features to good use. Plus, there's the high-caliber first-party games from Nintendo, which are a major bonus if you like them.

However, definitely keep your eye on the PSP. This coming year sounds like it'll be the one that PSP fans have been waiting for, and honestly, though I don't own one or plan on buying one soon, some of the games coming out for it have me green with envy (notably Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3156895) and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3150598).)

[Maxico]

I guess I'm pretty lucky in the fact that all these "Rehashes and ports" of older games all happen to be classic games that I never got the chance to play, or really want to play again.

Hell, give me Jet Set Radio and (whisper it), Shenmue and I could paint it white and stick a Dreamcast logo on it.

Or a Sega logo at the very least.

[Monster Hunt]

DS. I great fun, Pictochating is really useful when you are some distance away and you nee to talk )or when you need to be silent), you don't need another game to play multiplayer and it looks cool!

I love my DS- always near me!

[The Shoeless Hobo]

Just bought another PSP today. Anyway, if you're going to enter the hombrew scene it's not "one or the other" (games or homebrew) like most people say, you can have both. When you downgrade to 1.5, you can enable homebrew. And there's a homebrew application that makes your PSP thinks it a higher version (eg 3.1) when in fact its still 1.5. Anyway, I bought a PSP for Ridge Racer, Tales of Eternia, Breath of Fire, LocoRoco, Lumines Valkriyne and Sid Meir's Pirates as well as all those SNES/GBA/PSONE games that I can play on my PSP.

[Maxico]

Or you can just intall custom firmware that retains the features of 3.1 without the added security.

[KentaRawr!]

If you don't mind doing something ever so slightly illegal, the PSP is undoubtedly the way to go. However, in the realm of legality, the DS is the winner.

[thehodgepodge37]

Nintendo DS: Great system. Decent graphics (7/10) and good sound (8/10). The system is good and I like the touch screen. The system has a chat system and a wireless (internet) connection, although you have no browser (but Opera is currently making a browser for the DS just like the PSP). More original games. The system was made more properly. It's made with the same material as bullet-proof glasses (meaning if you drop it, chances are it won't break, I dropped mine about 20 times and you can barely tell. The system works just as good. But if you drop it, re-calibrate the touch-screen).
Final Score: (8/10)

Playstation Portable: I hink this is a really great system. I love the games on it, especially GTA (Grand Theft Auto). The graphics are a lot better than the DS (9/10). The sound is a lot better too, can play louder. This has an internet browser (which you buy seperatly, however). This holds music files (mp3) and pics (Bitmap, PGN, etc.). You cannot chat with people, unlike the DS, though. Most games don't have Live play either like some DS games.
Final Score: (9/10)

I would rather get a PSP than my DS but, w/e, I'm cool with it. A PSP costs more money than a DS though. A DS is about 120 if you get the lite and about 200-250 for PSP.

[Maxico]

WORDS

The DS browser is not like the PSP browser for the simple fact that it's cartridge based, rather than Firmware based. And it therefore inherently less expandable.

That said, the PSP browser somewhat sucks. It is however free unlike what you stated, and comes with all firmwares above 2.00.

And it's .PNG not "PGN"

[thehodgepodge37]

WORDS

The DS browser is not like the PSP browser for the simple fact that it's cartridge based, rather than Firmware based. And it therefore inherently less expandable.

That said, the PSP browser somewhat sucks. It is however free unlike what you stated, and comes with all firmwares above 2.00.

And it's .PNG not "PGN"

Geez, that was a type-o

[Polnareff]

At this point, I'd say get a PSP.

I have both the PSP and the DS, and lately, the DS has been disappointing me. Other than the Phoenix Wright games, Sonic Rush, Mario Kart DS, and Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble, it hasn't been getting very much play from me. It's like all the other games minus those I listed only get one playthrough from me and then are put down and never played again.

To everyone saying that PSP has mostly ports and remakes compared to the DS, DS has just as many. An incomplete list:

Diddy Kong Racing DS
Megaman Battle Network 5: Double Team
Phoenix Wright 1, 2, and soon 3 (all ports from GBA with minor enhancements)
Mario 64 DS
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue

and there's even more than that. I'd say if you are a Square fanatic the DS would be the way to go but not until the end of this year (if you can wait that long). Other than that it's kind of a handheld where it's original but hardly any company utilizes its originality. In short, a more powerful GBA. Games like Trauma Center, Phoenix Wright, and Brain Age are tops though.

I've been playing my PSP for ages now. Haven't gotten tired of any of the games I've been playing on PSP. Most of the games I've played on it are quite good, such as the Capcom stuff. And there's also plenty of original stuff on it or coming out on it too, like Lumines, LocoRoco, and Crisis Core.

Whoever said you have to pay for the Internet browser on PSP is wrong. It's free. But it sucks, kinda, since you can't do certain things with it.

[Roto13]

I think you're blowing the number of ports on the DS way out of proportion. The vast majority of good DS games are new. Isn't Pokemon Mystery Dungeon a different game from the GBA one anyway? The DS does not have "just as many."

[Elite Lord Sigma]

The PSP, while it's nice and dandy with all of it's features, Sony apparently forgot that most people buy handhelds to play games. Why listen to music or watch movies, when I already have cheaper devices that have the exact same functionality?

My advice is to go to the DS. You won't be disappointed.

[atlanteay]

i have a DS and i'm glad i bought it. However, the graphics are limited and most games still have GBA graphics. The touch screen is fun as well because the minigames in the New Super Mario Bros. are very very fun to play with. However, if you want valkyrie profile and Final Fantasy VII: CC really bad, i'd say buy the PSP. Just remember, the DS is cheaper ;)

Soon you'll realize that you want both of these systems and ending up buying both sooner or later. DS has a lot of the older FF games while PSP has VP and FFVII:CC. Those two are the main reason why i want a PSP so bad right now.

[Polnareff]

I think you're blowing the number of ports on the DS way out of proportion. The vast majority of good DS games are new. Isn't Pokemon Mystery Dungeon a different game from the GBA one anyway?

Nope.

Pretty much the same exact game, but with a different box (and I think maybe a couple unnecessary enhancements that don't affect gameplay). I know because I have the red version (GBA) and my friend has the blue one (DS).


The DS does not have "just as many."

Oh yes it does. For every innovative game on DS, there's always a crappy game and a port to go along with it. For every Trauma Center you get a Yu-Gi-Oh GX or a Hannah Montana. It's true.

Why is it that people are acting like the DS is the damn holy grail of handheld gaming? It's not. Even GBA is better at this point. It has a lot of ports, rehashes, and games that use the touch screen for stupid stuff (OMG I can see the map now! lol!).

It's not necessarily Nintendo's fault that the touch screen isn't utilized to its maximum, though, it's more the fault of the developers. If it was used more often and for better reasons, then DS would potentially be the holy grail of handhelds. But as it stands, it's tied with PSP right now IMO.

[Roto13]

Well look at it this way then, there are a lot of ports for DS, and there are a lot of ports for PSP, and there are a lot of original games for DS, and a few original games for PSP.

The DS is the best handheld in the history of video games, hands down.

[Maxico]

Well look at it this way then, there are a lot of ports for DS, and there are a lot of ports for PSP, and there are a lot of original games for DS, and a few original games for PSP.

The DS is the best handheld in the history of video games, hands down.

OPINION STATED AS FACT TIME!

While I'm very sure that, that is true to many, if not most people. I do not own a DS simply because there are no games (with the exception of Pheonix Wright) that I could honestly see myself buying on it.

While the on the PSP, there are actually more games that I want to buy than I have the money/time for.

Now that may just be because I'm not much of a Nintendo person, and it maybe that Sega/Dreamcast ports translate at "must have games" to me.

But for whatever reason, the PSP really is a more desireable handheld than the DS to me.

Which is my opinion, and I don't see why people are being heckled by Armchair Economists or told that they are wrong, for having one.

[Frozen Phantom]

Actually, to post my decision....I'm just going to screw the handheld consoles and spend the money on a Wii :)

yeah....none of you saw that coming now did you?

[Roto13]

Well look at it this way then, there are a lot of ports for DS, and there are a lot of ports for PSP, and there are a lot of original games for DS, and a few original games for PSP.

The DS is the best handheld in the history of video games, hands down.

OPINION STATED AS FACT TIME!

While I'm very sure that, that is true to many, if not most people. I do not own a DS simply because there are no games (with the exception of Pheonix Wright) that I could honestly see myself buying on it.

While the on the PSP, there are actually more games that I want to buy than I have the money/time for.

Now that may just be because I'm not much of a Nintendo person, and it maybe that Sega/Dreamcast ports translate at "must have games" to me.

But for whatever reason, the PSP really is a more desireable handheld than the DS to me.

Which is my opinion, and I don't see why people are being heckled by Armchair Economists or told that they are wrong, for having one.
The ratio of ports to fresh games on the DS vs. the PSP isn't open to interpretation. Neither are the sales figures. If you prefer the PSP, good for you.

Actually, to post my decision....I'm just going to screw the handheld consoles and spend the money on a Wii :)

yeah....none of you saw that coming now did you?
That works too. :P

[Maxico]

The ratio of ports to fresh games on the DS vs. the PSP isn't open to interpretation. Neither are the sales figures. If you prefer the PSP, good for you.

No, however

The part I was referencing


The DS is the best handheld in the history of video games, hands down.

is.

And what sales figures?

As last time (http://www.vgcharts.org/ngwars.php) I checked (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable) the PSP has done pretty damn well to pentrate a market completely near 100% dominated by a competitor, and now makes around 35% of all handheld sales. Not to mention the fact that it's selling better than the 360.

EDIT: OH GOD HELP ME, I've become an armchair economist.
My original point was that no handheld is better than the other. Now I have to go and cut myself. Thanks alot.

[Polnareff]

Actually, to post my decision....I'm just going to screw the handheld consoles and spend the money on a Wii :)

yeah....none of you saw that coming now did you?

Good.

Wii's unique functions are actually utilized. Unlike the DS's. I was gonna say get a Wii but you asked for opinions about DS/PSP so I gave you that instead.


and there are a lot of original games for DS

A lot of which aren't even great. Original =/= great by any means. That's what people forget.

I'd rather have a cliched game that's good or a port of a game that's good rather than an original game that's mediocre. Believe it.

[Roto13]

Great, 35% vs. 65%. Whoopie.

By the way, I don't see the need to say "in my opinion" before saying something that can only BE an opinion.

EDIT: Good thing there's Elite Beat Agents, Sonic Rush, Meteos, Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros., and a whole slew of other great DS games isn't it?

[Dreddz]

And people call me a fanboy.

A point that needs to be addressed is the fact that the good DS titles are the same old nintendo franchises getting milked yet again. Other than a select few titles, its just same ol same ol. Same could be said for the PSP, which is why neither handhelds are that great.

[Maxico]

Urgh, I was very close to writing some kind of obnoxious reply about market penetration, when I realised I was stuck some kind of unholy loop.

A loop that can only be broken if I take my own life like a man, or simply look down on you like a slightly taller man.

[Hazzard]

When you think of all the qualities a PSP holds, it amazing so it is much better than DS, because you can store movies, games, go on the internet; even msn messenger. Many things, so its on a whole different class to DS, in my opinion.

[Setzer Gabianni]

^ I can do all that crap on a computer - I don't want all that fancy crap, just a decent gaming console!

I buy a console for games, If I want to use the Internet, watch movies, go on MSN, I won't do it over a tiny hand held device.

Yeah, DS all the way for me. Good God, there are so many games going for it, I don't even give the PSP a glance.

[UltimaMasamune]

the DS is more of an upgraded GBA while the PSP is more of a portable PS2

if you like Nintendo games and ols-school game get a DS
if you like games like MGS,GTA,DMC,etc and emulation(PS1 on PSP FTW) get a PSP


Great, 35% vs. 65%. Whoopie.

Don't you love it when people pull facts out of there asses

http://xevon.awardspace.com/thepsphasnogames/
its the first article

EDIT: actually it's this article http://xevon.awardspace.com/thepsphasnogames/
which is less

[black orb]

>>> If I had the money I would get a PSP and play Riiiiiiidge Raceer!!!

[UltimaMasamune]

>>> If I had the money I would get a PSP and play Riiiiiiidge Raceer!!!

hey Ridge Racer kicksass

[Roto13]

Great, 35% vs. 65%. Whoopie.

Don't you love it when people pull facts out of there asses
That wasn't my claim, ducky.

[escobert]

DS is the way to go. FFIII, Children of Mana, Both Vania's Harvest moon, animal crossing, mariokart! so much more. Best handheld.

[Rostum]

I'm going to get the DS, simply because of the Final Fantasy's, including FF3 and FF12:RW. As well as Children of Mana and Heros of Mana. =D

Though, if I get the extra cash, I would get a PSP also. Can emulate PS1 games, and has Valkyrie Profile as well as FF7: Crisis Core. =)