Should You Play Handheld Video Games? - Retro Bird
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2021
- Sometimes gamers forget about handhelds, but should they? I talk about some of the various factors that go into whether or not handhelds might be worth it for you. This includes some of the positives/negatives as well as the benefits/downsides.
Should You Play Handheld Video Games? - Retro Bird / Are Handheld Video Games Still Fun to Play? / Are Portable Video Games Worth it? / Are Handheld Games Good or Bad? / Handheld Gaming
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#retrobird - Ігри
Games being played: Link to the Past (0:00), Advance Wars 2 (0:30), Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (0:50), House of the Dead 2 (1:14), Dexterity (1:18), Donkey Kong (1:35), Donkey Kong Country 2 (2:25)
I appreciate the advance wars gameplay
I commend you for the dexterity you showed at 1:18. Not everyone can do that.
I disagree. The 2DS was and still, the most comfortable handheld ever made.
@@johnnylira3312 Oh, I forgot to mention that. Yes, I owned one and they are SUPER comfortable.
Thank you! it's always irksome when channels don't list what games were on display when they look so cool!
The CRT on the toilet gag is next level commitment
This guy will be the next Scott the Woz I am calling it!
Just wanted to figure out if I should recommend it to all of you or not. I'd say "yes".
And he snickers to himself thinking a percentage of his viewers are actually gonna try it.
When I used to live with two other guys in a shared flat, we used to have a tiny CRT in the bathroom. With an antenna so you wouldn't have to miss a beat during The Game (it was football world championship during the time we installed it). We also, of course, had a PS2 hooked up. Also, there was a Gameboy color.
Those were the days. ;D
@@RetroBirdGamingI did try it. It's awesome, esp on stomach flu days... 😂Thanks! 🎉
My GBA SP has helped me get through many power outages and hospital stays. How could I not appreciate it?
Clutch!
They can even stand bomb blasts, just like that one exhibited at Nintendo's NYC Store.
Always with you, no matter what.
I wanna see the Switch pull that out.
The Wii U is to handhelds as the letter Y is to vowels: it is sometimes.
I felt like a god having that device against my wiimote friends
Is W a vowel?
I enjoyed Metroid zero mission and Zelda the minish Cap on Nintendo DS lite which could play both DS and Gameboy advance games. Also enjoyed phantom hourglass, Spirit tracks, and Metroid hunters.
Handheld on the toilet: hah, obvious joke
Dreamcast and CRT on the toilet: ok that's clever
Gameboy outdoors in the nude: you have earned my respect, sir
When I first saw the video title, I was thinking "I own a Switch, so... yes?" But to be fair, I also own one of each of Nintendo's handheld generations, and I've played my fair share on all of them. I'd have to say the best experience overall though was Pokemon Diamond. It's the game that made me buy a DS, and my roommate at the time got Pokemon Pearl. We spent months playing side by side, helping each other fill out our pokedexes and coming up with ridiculous battle scenarios to face off against each other.
Great memories!
This is exactly what gaming is about
Imagine if back in 2006 someone said that Nintendo would one day make a HANDHELD that was MORE powerful than the X-Box 360.
You'd get laughed at.
Imagine the face of people back then if they saw Red Dead Redemption running at 1080p on the Switch.
The two worst auto accidents/ incidents I was in as a kid occurred while I was playing the same Gamegear.
During an 8th grade school trip to Boston, the bus driver got confused and went into a tunnel with insufficient clearance and sheared the very tippy top off the vehicle. I remember getting closely acquainted with the seat in front of me, being confused (didn't see it coming), and then maybe looking at the ceiling of the tunnel through missing hatches. The tour bus was ruined and so was the driver's life but the good news is my Gamegear was fine and I didn't even loose any lives!
The second was a couple years later during a return car trip from a family vacation to the beach. I was hunched down playing Sonic or something in the middle bench of an '85 Volkswagen Vanagon and all the sudden my passenger window cracks and does that spiderweb pattern safety glass does when it breaks. Was confused, thought it might have been the stress of a large temperature difference between the outside and the AC cooled environment of the cabin during a hot summer day. For reasons I've since forgotten my parents start flipping out above and beyond a broken window and pull off at car dealership in a rural area. Turns out some careless hunters got a little too close to the highway and a slug went through the glass window. I was so engrossed I didn't even realize it had somehow missed me, ricocheted or something and then rolled harmlessly under my butt! XD
Teenager me was amused. My Dad wasn't.
To this day, the most extraordinary thing about both events is that I was running that Gamegear on batteries! The thing had such an appetite that I almost always ran it on an AC adapter.
Writing this out now I can't believe I threw that thing out 15 years ago just because of the weak early LCD tech and foolishly believing you can never go back.
Interesting.
As a 3DS owner, YESSSS!!!
Love me some 3DS
3DS is hands down the best portable to date
Switch is cool and all but the features and the games of the 3DS just beat the switch to the ground (at least.. So far? I hope)
Backwards compatibility with regular DS is a nice touch as well.
@@bareq99 arguably, the Vita can also compare. I believe it’s also pretty nice, talking about its OLED screen and features.
Also, nothing can beat The Nintendo 3ds’s music when connecting to wifi
I kinda regret selling my 2DS. Should have given that catalogue a better shot.
First off, Castlevania: Dracula X on the PSP is awesome! Love how you can unlock other games like Symphony of the night as well but man was that final boss a task for myself.
Been a huge fan of hand helds since the original GameBoy. I actually stole an ac adapter from one of my mother's decorations to play my GameBoy without batteries lol.
I now own the GB, GBA SP, DS lite, 3ds xl, PSP, Switch, & Wii U.
What it boils down to is that it is easier sometimes to pick up a hand held when you want to play something but don't necessarily have the time to fire up a console.
You actually having that dreamcast setup at your toilet had me dead. Also the way you elaborate gaming lifestyle is on point.
Not a huge hand held fan but i did buy a Sega Game gear about 1991 to help with the bordom of work. i remember playing Physcic world a lot and loving it. Great Hand held, great memories. Another great discussion RetroBird.
The scene in your bathroom alone with your CRT awards you a 👍🏼. I died laughing 😆
Thank you for the entertainment, good sir!
Dude your content is always great for a chuckle. Ill never miss. Video. Thank you for being you! ❤ "retro" gaming in whatever form that takes
I've revisited the DS Lite and that console still holds up and offers so much. Tons of battery life and a huge library consisting of both ds and gba games. You get to play 6 Castlevania games, 2 Metroid games, 2 Mario Kart games, 4 generations of Pokemon, the godlike Wario Land 4, 6 2d Sonic games by Dimps, and plenty others.
Edit: 4 Metroid games. Counting Prike Hunters and Prime Pinball
I stopped playing handhelds when I stopped going on road trips in the early 90s. Then I snagged a GBA. I feel like a lot of handhelds kept the retro concept alive. I just picked up an Atari Lynx and it reinvigorated my love of Retro gaming. Especially when you upgrade the LCD to something more modern
I think I'm starting to like handheld-gaming with my GBA SP and Switch Lite. There's something very appealing about just turning them on and getting into the game right away. With console games on the TV; you have to plug it in and find the controller, unwind the controller because the wire is wrapped around it; turn the TV to the right channel, etc. etc. I want instant access.
New consoles haven't shipped with wired controllers since 2005.
@@vgrepairs I mostly play older consoles.
Getting a DS Lite as a gift back in 2009 will always be one of my fondest memories.
There’s something about handhelds that I’ve always loved. I always seemed to like them more then home consoles.
Absolutely! Just finished Metroid Samus Returns about half an hour ago
Saved up and imported a pink PS Vita and love it use it so often!
Another good thing with Handhelds Is that they don't have any TV setup issues and for PAL there's no 50hz/60hz problem
I'm really sensitive about this topic, because handheld consoles are my favourite. I love playing games wherever I want. Except at work, there I can't play without getting fired. Or while driving...
I recently got a vita and learned of all the new features available for it to make it a great retro and multi vendor portable machine... I could not be happier
i used to spend whole nights on top of a trampoline playing Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire with a best friend at the time. So many great memories with the Gameboy Advance SP😭 My favorite, being me knocking out, then waking up in the morning to my friend having helped me reach Rayquaza in order to catch up. He a real one for that.
I never did play many handheld games because the first "handheld" I found comfortable to hold was the Wii U GamePad. I was gifted a Game Boy but only had two games for it, and that's the only one I had until 3DS and Switch. I do think I'll pick up a Super Game Boy and a GBA player for Gamecube.
Had a laugh at 0:40 "anywhere in the house is a possibility" and the locations after, same with 3:19 and eating that cartridge. Those comedic "reenactments" of yours get me laughing haha.
Bite sized experiences are what got me into using my phone to emulate GameBoy games like Tetris DX, the various mainline Pokemon games and Kirbys that I could play for a bit (or a few hours) until I need to do something else.
Playing handheld games on a big screen or home console games on a smaller screen just feel odd to me. GameBoy games on a phone and console games like NES, SNES, & Wii for bigger screens like TVs is what makes sense to me and what I do.
Very fast you went from one of the retro you tubers I watch too the only one I watch. Your videos great dude!
Hey, thanks! Glad you like them :)
I was taking the bus home from my grandmother's house with my dad and some kid had a pre release original Game Boy sitting in front of me with super Mario land. Our 2 dads were nice enough to switch seats so that we could sit next to each other. Most of The Times I only got to watch but I did get to play it a little bit and when I did it was magic.
The way to go when i'm at work to play during lunchtime hour....I sometimes take my laptop, Switch or Android tablet for retrogaming
Okay, how did you manage to present all the screens always so perfectly, dude 😮
Extremely satisfying to watch
Even better then MLIG 👍
It definitely takes some tinkering. I appreciate you appreciating it!
Hey, man. Please never get discouraged at the rate at which your channel grows. I promise you will blow up eventually. The UA-cam algorithm is unpredictable and nonsensical. You're an absolute hidden gem.
I appreciate hearing that. The people who are watching bring me a lot of enjoyment with their comments and positivity, so I tend to just focus on them :)
I would like to see a behind the scenes on how you prepare and make your videos. They stand out from all the others. Have you had a public speaking class? You are great. They have to take a lot of time and patience.
A few classic series had some of their most important entries on handheld. Metroid 2, Metroid Fusion, Link’s Awakening, and Aria of Sorrow to names a few.
Cutting out handhelds, bars a vast swath of quality retro titles.
Aria of Sorrow slaps.
Glad to see it's coming out in a compilation :)
Whoa! Sounds pretty sweet!
I play the Switch (and Wii U), 3DS, GBA, and Vita. I even had a few Tiger games back in the day as well. It's nice to be able to take an experience with you anywhere you go!
I love the video! You never fail to put a smile on my face!
As for favorite handheld experiences it would most likely be playing Kirby: Nightmare In Dreamland as a kid on the GBA or playing through the DS Port of Chrono Trigger
Glad you liked it!
Game Boy with Motocross Maniacs and TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan got me through so many car trips. But I also had a rechargeable battery pack and a car plug adapter
Another great video. Thank you.
Some of my favorite gaming moments come from handhelds. Family trips in the car when I was a kid, playing Link's Awakening, Pokemon, Donkey Kong, Final Fantasy Legend etc. And eventually the GBA came out and blew my mind, getting SNES quality games on the go, with Golden Sun being my favorite. And now years later I just picked up an RG350M and wowwww what a great handheld. It's nice being able to play all those games on the go without having to pack a ton of carts :)
this was a great video as always! my favorite was playing Dreamcast on the toilet lol ! for me what i ended up doing is just narrowing it down to just the 2 handhelds i played when i was younger ....and thats the Gameboy and Game Gear ! i did also have the PSP...DS... 3DS...and a PS Vita at one point! but now its just the good old Gameboy and Game Gear ! nothing wrong with having all of them ...but for me this works !
Been in love with handhelds since the original Gameboy.
I’m a huge fan of handhelds. When I joined ithe Army, I bought a GBA SP in 2003 that I still have today. Some soldiers bought consoles and TVs, but Uncle Sam doesn’t usually let enlisted troops pack that stuff around when you have to travel all over the place or go overseas. Well, unless you’re a desk jockey, I suppose. Anyway, I got a travel case and the pairing cable and a headphone adapter and another accessories for it. The first game I bought was Zelda/Four Sword. By now I have around 70 games for it give it take. I’m still buying games for it. Just played it today, in fact, while waiting in the car to pick up my kid from school. The GBA SP made my Army enlistment tolerable through the long periods of stress and tedious grind. I have a special fondness for it. I also loved the SNES and GameCube. I miss both those consoles, but I was able to keep my GBA SP through many moves and relocations because it’s so small. I’ve been collecting for the GBA for about 20 years now and have nearly 100 games for it.
I consider myself a handheld fan for sure.
I love playing my New 2DS XL. Just picked up Super Mario 64 DS for it yesterday for some of that home console nostalgia on the go. Some handheld memories are being able to enjoy crappy versions of good games on Tiger Electronics. Finally getting a GameBoy and sitting outside in a place that offered enough sunshine for the screen, but still enough shade where I can play a couple hours of Link's Awakening. Having that lamp with a 100 watt bulb to enjoy those games inside. Beating Super Mario Land before my friend, and discovering that it actually had a hard mode too, just like Super Mario Bros. Despite having home consoles most of my gaming life too, I have always loved the convenience of handhelds, and sometimes prefer them even today as an adult as my free time is lacking, and beating a few levels while dinner is simmering is a plus for me.
I play my GBA SP literally every time I take a crap. It's a beautiful way to live.
Yolo 🚽
That's a good way to get hemorrhoids.
Zelda: Link’s Awakening on the original Gameboy made a pretty big impact on me. Love it to this day. Mario Land 2 and Wario Land also. Then later on the Advance SP I enjoyed the heck out of Zelda: Minish Cap. Playing through it again with my kids!
My best handheld experience was Link’s Awakening. I played that for the week that I was suspended from school. Another experience was Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Amazing handheld game. :)
I love all of the Nintendo and Sony handhelds. Dissidia on PSP was like Smash Bros. for Final Fantasy and I sunk hundreds of hours into both games.
Sidenote, your jokes were hilarious in this video, lol!
Dissida is baller we need a proper remake mot just another NT
@@senritsujumpsuit6021 I have NT, but haven't gotten into it yet. The direction they went with is really odd... Too much esport prevalence. I'd be down for another 1v1 Dissidia set up like the PSP ones.
@@Level1Sword but their is one issue with the early games we all know to well is the characters saying theirs voice clips to much Tidus is my sleep demon now
After Hurricane Ida made us lose power in Louisiana, I'm grateful I bought a used DS and all 3 Castlevania games. But there's something else you need to enjoy video games, handheld or console.....Air conditioning. Try to enjoy your favorite game sitting thru a heat advisory. Not cool lol. Great video, look forward to seeing more!
Awesome video man! I've been enjoying playing game gear games on the tv using the Mega SG with the game gear adapter.
yep my fave handheld memories include playing pokemon red on my red GBC (remember when Costco sold those themed sets? there were also blue GBCs with Pokemon blue). Besides that - Wario Land 2 and Warlocked were probably my other 2 fave handheld games (haven't had a handheld console since).
I appreciate the wii-u love there haha
Same here too.
Hahahaha the opening line says it all and makes the entire case for handhelds! My opinion is that it is a seperate thing. When you play handheld, you play handheld and you take all the limitations into account. That's why something like a Steamdeck is less apealing to me. I don't want everything on the go! 'Everything in it's right place' ;)
I own every relevant dedicated handheld console. My favorites are:
1. Nintendo 3DS
2. Nintendo DS
3. Game Boy Advance
4. SONY PSP
5. Game Boy Color
6. SONY PS VITA
7. NEO GEO Pocket
8. Turbografx 16 Express
9. Sega Nomad
10. Sega Game Gear
11. Atari Lynx
If you consider the Nintendo Switch as a dedicated handheld, then the Nintendo Switch would take first spot!
Sweet!
No gameboy DMG! What about switch lite for no.1 so? I’ve just been playing through the Witcher 3 on it and been stunned how powerful it is compared with last gen
Wii u?
90s, playing Gameboy Games in school or late at night when you should sleep as a kid was really cool after those crappy lcd games. Loved and still love Super Mario Land and Tetris and play it till today. Getting Batteries was a true nightmare:-)
Finished metroid zero mission last week on my gba sp and was realy impressed by the game.
I also own a Ds, 3Ds and Psp. Maybe some day a Vita
Still have my original childhood gameboy from 30 years ago, picked up a couple 3ds for me and my 8 y/o, and even grabbed a Vita before they announced the Vita store closing and prices went crazy. Love handheld!!
I focus on handhelds, and use the pc for games that don't fit well for handhelds (rts, fps, using my arcade stick for shmups).
I find it amusing the fact that so many great games and graphics can be played so portably and their designs also amaze me.
I completely agree with retro and bite sized gaming. I especially liked the Disney games on the Game Gear. They were generally short and easy to complete. And with the Master Gear converter I could pick up cheap SMS games for a few bucks.
Sure wish I could find my 3DS. It got lost when I moved.
I play portable games on occasion. These days, it's typically for three reasons. Vacation where I travel, games only playable on handhelds, or waiting room situations that could last hours such as jury duty or a hospital where I'm not watching my kids.
The biggest area of these is the DS line of handhelds and their exclusives. The Castlevanias, the Kunio games, Contra 4, Culdcept Revolt, etc. The tough part for me is that they (especially the 3DS units) are grossly uncomfortable for adult hands, so I am basically accepting a lot of annoying little discomforts if I choose to play them. So, if I have any home console alternative like a GBA player, Super Game Boy, compilation disc, etc, I'm taking it.
Conversely, I play zero games on my cell phone. I use it for web browsing, watching videos, calling, and texting, but I find just about any alternative to touch screen gaming preferable and more satisfying. So, the toilet gets my phone time, and the long term waits out and about get my handheld time (usually my Game Boy Micro), and the DS/3DS/PSP/NGPC, etc can have my attention when they have an exclusive.
I loved playing my Gameboy advance, and my fondest memory has to be playing Metroid fusion.
Couple of original handheld games for Zelda are Oracle of Ages and Seasons. These were great games for the day and worth a play. Dragon Warrior 1-3 were great portable options as well. Gameboy Advance SP I recharge via USB. Can use a portable charger in a pinch.
Love Handhelds as my parents thought games would ruin there TV. So I started saving up and eventually got a GB like everyone else when it 1st came out. Now a days I really love handheld devices as I play them like I would when I was a kid playing with Toys. As a kid I would lay out all the toys I wanted to play with on my bed & have adventures. Out grew toys but playing a handheld on my bed makes me feel like a kid again! To me that is the only way to game!
I love classic games but rarely hook up my old systems so I started getting the GBA reissues. Contra 3 has been super fun. Even though they are often not perfect conversions I would never notice without a side by side comparison
In May my CRT TV was under repair for three weeks, so my home consoles became useless and I rediscovered my Game Boy Color. The thing I love the most about handhelds is that they never abandon you, they are always there. For the time being, I use an everdrive with my GBC, but I might consider collecting actual games in the future
Great video! I think I'd have to say my favourite handheld is the psp. Was like a portable PS2 at the time and that was enough to blow my mind haha. Although I've owned a Game boy advance and DS over the years and they were good too 👍
I own all the Nintendo handhelds and the PSP and Vita. Of those, I play the 3DS and my modded backlit original GBA the most. The main reason I like playing handhelds is so I can have a movie or TV show on the TV and also play a game at the same time.
Most nostalgic memory: Playing Pokemon Gold on my GBA SP at school in the morning while waiting for classes to begin.
Most fun: Playing Mario Kart and Pokemon Diamond with friends when the DS was a brand new item.
What I play now: GBA and 3DS. I keep both of these on me when I travel so I can always have something to play.
Yep, 3DS, Wii U and switch. I’m working out if I want to make the leap to a handheld for my GB carts and maybe include GBA support.
Your original/wide GBA looks pretty sweet. I like that form factor even though the SP is protected by default and compact.
I was about 10 when everyone on the playground had pokemon red blue or yellow. An amazing time!
I collect for consoles and I emulate for handhelds. Gameboy, gba and gameboy color I use everdrives. My psp and vita are modded. It’s very convenient, cost effective and preserves space. My console collection is none of those but I love them the same.
Despite being the bulkiest a handheld can get, I've found the SEGA nomad to be unbelievably ergonomic with one of the comfiest dpads ever.
It is the best controller, I feel. I need to mod one into just being a wireless controller.
I agree.
Yeah, I've used it before and it feels great!
I always wondered why Sega didn't refine it and then pull the trigger. It would let them continue selling genesis games and it is more or less what they did with the game gear.
@@TDMicrodork True. It even could have competed with the Game Boy Advance.
Zelda BOTW was my favorite gaming experience period. I played that mostly in handheld mode.
This was a good one.
My first handheld was OG Gameboy. I was so good at Tetris back then.
My favourite would be Vita.
What a fantastic system, with tons of great stuff to play. Although my Switch Lite is getting a lot of playtime recently.
I enjoy that I can maximize my limited daily gaming time.
Also. Subscribed. Really enjoying your channel 👍🏻
driving while playing Wario Land on gameboy is the cause of all crashes in the US
My most memorable experience with a handheld has gotta be Link's Awakening on the OG Gameboy. Especially the first release as it had the screen jumping glitch. Got myself into a few weird spots utilizing that exploit.
I've had a daydream/bit idea about walking down the road and being completely absorbed in my Gameboy advance. Similar to the way people walk and text but I'm playing the Gameboy. It cracks me up because people would assume I'm texting but nope it's Metroid Fusion. "Hey that guy's just playing a game."
And I hope that you like what I had to say!
The only thing I have left from my actual childhood for hardware or games is my little brothers Game Boy Color.
My absolute favorite game for the Game Boy was "Battletoads". Little did I know the reputation the game would come to have! Lol. Still one of the few Game Boy games I will still pop in today.
My other favorite game was Pokemon Yellow. I remember all my buddies had a copy of each red, blue and yellow and we all leveled our best Pokemon up from each game to then attach the cable to duel between Game Boys directly. Good stuff!
What's interesting about Battletoads on Game Boy is that the game named "Battletoads" with the same cover art as the NES game is actually a different game where the game called "Battletoads in Ragnarok's World" is actually derived from the NES game.
@@RetroBirdGaming Thanks! I'm gonna pick it up for sure.
Interesting vid, I was never a huge portable gamer but definitely remember the hype around the original Game Boy. I eventually picked up a Game Boy Pocket for Pokemon though and got a GBC for my gf/now wife so she could play too. In terms of portable consoles though, my fave was the Neo Geo Pocket Color. It had a small but really nice library. I really like the GBA too, but that's sort if a cheat since I only use adapater for the Cube 😅. The Lynx and Game Gear were interesting as well. The only portable gaming I may do now is w/my kids on their 2DS/3DS, it has been cool introducing them to some of the classic DS games.
Pretty awesome you have that memory with your wife from so far back that is video game related!
I did a shitton of PSP modding back in the day, well software anyway. Recently did up my Vita as well as a friends' for all the games. But my latest was a Glacier White GBA taco like was featured in the video. I did an IPS backlit screen, glass cover, LiPo battery, holofoil stickers to replace the crusty yellow ones on the back, clear teal/green buttons, and a replacement battery cover since I got it without one. Speaking of, the donor taco was $4 at Goodwill a few years ago. Whole project probably cost about $150-175 at the time, I'm assuming it's more now. Last I checked a few months ago similar pre-modded GBAs were going for $250-300 on eBay.
Kudos for pointing out that handhelds are actually for the home and not for public transport. I've never seen anyone play a handheld console on a train or plane. I play games on handhelds more than on a TV because I like being able to move to a different room or from a chair to a bed, etc. It's just convenient, and takes up less space too. I have a PSP, a New 2DS XL, and a Switch, and those allow me to play the entire history of videogames in handheld form. GB, GBC, and GBA games should be played on the PSP, and DS games should be played on the 2DS/3DS XL. Those older handhelds had screens that were too small. The PSP was the first portable that had a big enough screen.
I've been a Game Boy collector for a while now. There's never a shortage of quality games at reasonable prices & even the biggest, most valuable US titles can be had for 1/3 (or less) of the price of Little Samson. Plus the region-free thing from the video. Best. Console. Ever. 🙂
Mole Mania and Tiny Toons on Gameboy got me into hand-held games. Big Pokémon fan as well but I played the former games before the latter.
What a coincidence when I’ve just bought my first handheld(DS lite) and this video came up in the feed.
Another excellent video from Retro-Bird, however I’m not sure whether I actually learn anything coz I simply laugh and then retell my wife the funniest bits.
The Nintendo Wii U holds a magical and whimsical place in my heart. It’s the first console my little girl has memories playing. Beating the Zelda Wind Waker with my tiny bird 🐦 will echo in eternity.
I love my silver Nintendo DS Lite. It looks great, feels great, has a huge variety of games and is the perfect size for carrying around. It also introduced me to a whole new genre, with the likes of Phoenix Wright, Hotel Dusk, Trace Memory and other visual novel type games.
Handhelds to me have the challenge of being differently paced, using quirky hardware and a screen on it, a good form factor for the pocket or bag. Even with with me having a smaller library of games for them. They are still a lot fun with its exclusives, ports and classics on the go. More interesting then phones even with emulation (I don't play mobile games as got my fix years ago and with Flash Games giving the same and I just prefer more going on in games these games).
Having the Ratchet PS2 games on my Vita was magical just like those wanting Smash on the 3DS. PS All-stars of course only 'kind of' fills that. Star Wars Battlefront 2 on PSP as a port was 'ok' as some maps are missing but still was good to have them then not. Outrun 2006 on the go is awesome, sad do 't have the PS2 version to sync progress before the PS3/PSP/Vita syncing happened with games which blows my mind besides just being a good version of the game. To me the Vita/Wii U/3DS in 2017/2018/2020 for collecting was what got me to want to go into Handhelds again. The Switch is a cool system (don't own one yet) but I never felt much interest in it until now because of what is on it that weren't PS3/360/3DS/Wii U ports and caring more for exclusives, or ports I don't own that will fill in gap genre wise or are of interest).
I played my PSP/DS a fair amount every so often but not much as years went on but by getting those handhelds it made me appreciate what upgrades I missed, what other experiences I could have on the go that I hadn't.
Having a different cable for Nintendo handhelds was annoying but otherwise the BC options for GBA/DS have been great (not gotten into PSP/PS1 digital as much), and prices I have been really good on the retro side (don't remember what the prices were back in the day) 3DS/Vita it depends. But for PSP at retro stores I got for $1-10 same while DS/3DS many are still up there depending on the game. I'd say memory cards obviously for Sony handhelds were always a factor but easy enough to get based and the cartridge saving the data on Nintendo handhelds was always great if you didn't have an SD Card or have to worry to much about the internal storage.
I never find the watering down to be that bad, car trips with them were great and felt better than bringing a small CRT and PS2 on trips.
Sometimes I could pick up a version/entry of the series and would be my introduction to them if I couldn't find an entry on consoles whether made for the handhelds or a port which I always found great rather than being disappointed. Which has been the case for GTA Liberty City Stories, Ridge Racer SWAT, Lumines, Echoshift, certain Anime style games, Fire Emblem, Picross, Wip3out and more.
Handhelds inside has been more my thing as don't always go anywhere and bringing them when doing important things or a level not being possible to play in time even if a minutes never seemed suitable. And on the toilet while clearly a nice benefit never cared for if quick and back to the handheld in minutes after dealing with it. XD The CRT on the toilet gag was a nice touch though. But taking them places if you have a dodgy battery or difficult like the Wii U Gamepad getting its connection lost due to walls clearly only works so much.
If you ask me... The first "retro" console I bought by myself is the GBA :)
For some reason little me never got carsick binging 5 hours of GBA
I play games from pretty much all handhelds from time to time, but definitely right there with ya having Pokemon Blue version being my best handheld experience when it first came out.
The 3DS is a wonderful lineup of systems, I have 3 myself, and I mainly use my Samus Returns Edition system and play a few indie and 1st party titles on it. I also use some select themes I got off the Theme Shop, and they look great and sound good too! The only thing that keeps me from completely enjoying them is my Switch, as it too has awesome titles and functions.
I remember playing pokemon crystal on my GBA sp in my bed at night, on car rides home at night, and in my pitch black closet. It was a great way to go on adventures literally any time, day or night!
Someone donated me a ds lite they were no longer using. Having the gba slot gives you access to one heck of a library. Castlevania Order of ecclesia&portrait of ruin, cooking mama 2&3, link to the past, metroid zero mission, chronotrigger, super mario bros, it's been great fun.
I've found myself more and more inclined to draw the distinction between handheld and desktop games, but not so much on the grounds of where I play them, but of what kind of games I play. For example, retro games feel great when emulated on the PS Vita, and 2d platformers in general are great on handheld mode too: feels like you can wrap yourself around your handheld in a little cocoon of nostalgia. Again, jRPGs tend to be so long, that carrying them in my pocket or backpack to play a bit here and there also feels nice. For everything else, MasterCard and desktop consoles.
A Game Boy _would've_ been great for those long car rides to visit relatives, but I never had one as a kid. When I finally got one (several, as luck would have it!) at the age of 20, it kicked off a wave of Game Boy obsession for a bit, as I caught up on some of those games I'd missed or barely gotten to try!
These days, I have little need for handheld game systems themselves, but there are still lots of great exclusives which make them worthwhile. I usually use a combination of Super Game Boy and emulators to get my non-handheld handheld gaming fix. :)
I used to wait in the car while my mom went clothes shopping with my DMG. Final Fantasy Adventures was always a go-to if I wasn't playing tetris or Mario.
I stopped playing and collecting Handhelds when I was in High School. Nowadays I play them when I feel like it but if I rather play a handheld game. I’d play it on a home console like the Wii U.
I absolutely love my 2ds and Switch Lite.
Xmas '98 was great! Got a GBP and Pokemon Red. At the time I was enjoying Genesis on the family TV when I could, but the Gameboy let me game whenever I could (and had batteries or a/c adapter) and wanted. At the time I had no idea what Pokemon even was, and wasn't much of an RPG fan, but this game opened me up to the genre as a whole. I did purchase a GBC later, but wouldn't get another handheld until the "NEW" 3ds. Have been collecting / playing some others since. As for comfort; I would argue that the original GBA is one of the more comfortable options out there, though my experience is limited to Nintendo handhelds. My GBP was comfortable enough in the late '90's but my hands were a fair bit smaller back then.
Since Nintendo DS can play GBA games I often think: "what if 3DS also can play GBA games and just also DS games?"
What I think about the most is Zelda Minish Cap for GBA. That masterpiece! This game has never been re-released in any form. I hope that Nintendo will remaster that game for Switch like they did with Link's Awakening! But even if that will happen I would love to play Minish Cap on a good GBA or in worst case on a DS. I've only seen some gameplay footage on youtube videos and everytime I feel "this is a great game for me". That classic Top-Down 2D format that we also had in the first Zelda for NES.
Handheld retro gaming is perfect at home in these conditions:
+ when you're in the laundry room and need to stay stay and waiting waiting for the machines to finish the jobs and it's so boring
+ chillin on the balcony
+ in the bed in the bedroom if you don't have a TV in that room
+ in the kitchen and cooking food and you got 10-60 minutes of waiting time when the food is in the oven
+ when you're on the sidewalk waiting for someone you know that gonna pick you up with the car and then you can play for an unpredictable time
Really depends on how your house/apartment is and how your family situation is.
Love the clamshell handheld devices that protect the screen(s) when folded and they are not that big. I'm talking mainly about 3DS, DS, GBA SP and New 2DS XL. That first 2DS was not foldable. And we als have the foldable Game & Watch! It's worth mentioning that there are some Game & Watch releases for 3DS! Just take a look at the eShop. I think those compilations also got released physical but nowdays it's probably easier to buy the digital downloads.
One thing that I love about Nintendo's handheld systems in general is the great battery life! The gaming time that you can squeeze out! Also very good ergonomics in general. Love the Dpads! Loved the Dpads ever since NES!
I play flash cart on gba sp, and can play ALL gb/gbc/gba games, I have a game gear with a flash cart, a psp, vita, 3DS(with DS flash cart, with all North American games on it), and homebrew on the 3DS with 200’ish games installed, I have the Atari and Sega flashback handhelds from ATGames, and can carry those with me if I choose, and I have a switch lite(and a full size), and of course a few mobile games on my phone
I like the convenience and intimacy of handheld gaming. It’s great.
When im on vacation i take my Nomad. Totally helps for long road trips