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Author Topic: Game Handhelds in 2020  (Read 6765 times)

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knave

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Game Handhelds in 2020
« on: June 11, 2020, 09:06:03 pm »
Hi, poof, its me!

I have recently picked up two handheld game systems and wonder what you all think of gaming on the go?

Do you swear by the most recent offering by Nintendo? if so why?

Backstory:
I have seen many videos over the years offering a retro handheld that can play emulated games. There are lots of options of questionable quality to be found. I passed on them all...

...until now. I have been watching videos of a new product line of not sucky emulation handhelds. RG350 if you care to google it and a few others.
I rather like the idea of gaming on the go but it has not captured me in practice.

By accident I was online when the new version of the Odroid Go Advance came out (the black edition with WIFI and 4 shoulder buttons.) Since I was interested it was worth the price of $59 to try it out. (I bought 2)
It comes as a kit. thus "IS" byoac in a manner of speaking.

With the skills I honed here building other stuff it took me about an hour to assemble...being careful.
So far the ting runs up to PSP pretty well. But purists would say it stops at dream cast and PS1. Even so. For $60 its way better than not bad.

Should you go out and buy one?
...No, it is tinkery and its competitors are on point too. but...if you want to "build" it, it's a pretty fun project.

While doing this I also picked up a PS Vita. OK am impressed. the Aftermarket scene on this handheld are great...Lots of games designed for handheld use. some more my taste than others.

I ask again. What Handhelds do you prefer?

I am selfish and just want to talk about tech.

Let me know.

Knave

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2020, 09:33:03 pm »
Hopefully we are only a few weeks away from a fpga handheld


https://www.analogue.co/pocket/

Assuming all of kevtris cores work on this, it will be the ultimate retrto handheld

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knave

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2020, 03:53:49 pm »
That looks interesting, but I've never been a huge fan of the OG Gameboy form factor.

The original Advance was more my style. Although by the time I picked one up I liked the Backlight on the SP enough to forgive any form factor shortcomings.

I am interested in getting a switch or switch light at some point but so far none of the games have called to me.

With the Odroid Go Advance I have almost every console game available through PSP which is a huge library. I am finding that some classic console games lend themselves to the small screen better than others.
It's a lot like building a Cab...the project part is part of the fun. I'm still going through each console and trying out games.

The PS Vita on the other hand has most of the games designed to run as a portable system, so I'm enjoying that a bit more. I put a 128GB microSD card in it and have had fun trying out Vita games. Again. I think I am picky as to what types of games I enjoy these days.

Personally I think a 3.5 inch screen is too small. I would have liked a 5-7 inch screen. But that would significantly increase the cost.
Perhaps a PC would be a better platform?

Dell has a prototype "UFO" Alienware handheld gaming PC that they have shown off a bit earlier this year and a company called GPD makes some interesting tiny gaming laptops. But I don't think I would drop $800-$1000 on a portable game system.

I kinda wish someone would make a raspberry Pi 4 hat that is a switch clone with a 7 ish inch screen and some controls.

Titchgamer

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2020, 04:39:13 pm »
I dont really do much gaming on the go but when I do I have 2 go to’s.

One is a Soft mod’d PSP with a few chosen emus and games as well as a few select PSP games.

The other is a Soft mod’d NDS which imo has some of the best games to play on the go.

rahul bs

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2020, 01:24:26 pm »
I wish I could go back in time and not lose my Gameboy Color, was one of the first handheld consoles I owned and played pokemon crystal , like 5 times xD Gameboy Color it is for me :3
Gaming news all day long. Gamer Gazette

pbj

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2020, 04:14:33 pm »
You can get a new one for like $30, bro.  Don't let your childhood regrets continue to haunt you.


knave

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2020, 05:22:01 pm »
I have to say, the PlayStation Vita has surprised me in how much I enjoy using it. I wanted to like the Indie console more, and don't get me wrong The Go Advance is really cool for a $50 handheld and I enjoyed putting it together.

Had I not bid and won the Vita on Ebay I would likely also be singing praise for the smaller handheld.

What I like about the vita is the interface after I got all the plugins and custom firmware running. At worst I have to open a FTP client and place a file in a directory.
Vs. trying to mod Linux file systems in emulation station from a windows PC...I'm just saying I like the ease of use.
And then there is the games, it just so happens that all the 2010 ish indie games that I played back then are ported to the vita.

I was thinking about getting a Nintendo Switch, but drug my feet because I really wasn't interested in the games. Now its a scalpers market thought I can still get the Lite for retail $199 I am thinking the PS Vita wich set me back about $150 after few incidentals was a better choice.

I still would be in the market for a Switch "like" PC similar to the Alienware UFO however not for $1200.00
Only because I want to leverage my existing libraries on-the-go.

Do many of you own a Nintendo Switch?

Titchgamer

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2020, 06:28:51 pm »
We have a Switch, Wife uses it more than me but its a good console.

Howard_Casto

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2020, 06:55:09 pm »
The problem with the switch is it's almost pointless to get if you owned a wii u  since a sizeable portion of the games are wii u updates or ports.  I've played Mario Odyssey and the remake of link's awakening and loved every minute of it but it doesn't get a whole lot of play from me considering it's a Nintendo console. 

wp34

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2020, 08:36:00 pm »
The problem with the switch is it's almost pointless to get if you owned a wii u  since a sizeable portion of the games are wii u updates or ports.  I've played Mario Odyssey and the remake of link's awakening and loved every minute of it but it doesn't get a whole lot of play from me considering it's a Nintendo console.

Your point about the games being mostly ports is valid but the true portability of the Switch is what makes it better than the Wii U.  I would argue the Nintendo Shop is deeper on the switch as well.

pbj

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2020, 10:38:02 pm »
I don’t have a passive commute so the Switch is meaningless to me.  I feel pretty damn burned on the WiiU... I bought it at launch where the screen would literally sit dead for over a minute while it booted.  Only game I ever played on it was Balloon Fight that I got for 30 cents.

 :dunno

Howard_Casto

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #11 on: June 19, 2020, 11:30:11 pm »
The problem with the switch is it's almost pointless to get if you owned a wii u  since a sizeable portion of the games are wii u updates or ports.  I've played Mario Odyssey and the remake of link's awakening and loved every minute of it but it doesn't get a whole lot of play from me considering it's a Nintendo console.

Your point about the games being mostly ports is valid but the true portability of the Switch is what makes it better than the Wii U.  I would argue the Nintendo Shop is deeper on the switch as well.

Eh not really.  It makes it better IF you want a portable system (I don't) and IF you can get used to the microscopic controls on the switch joycon (I can't and play almost everything via a pro controller.)  As for the Nintendo shop there isn't a virtual console so it's hard to argue that it has a larger library of games people might actually want to play.  I think they've done a great job with the new e-shop but omissions like that really hurt it. 

But getting back to my original point the problem with the switch is it's trying to please everyone.  I would have much rather had a console and a portable as two separate products so portable fans could get a handheld that they can actually hold in their hands with useable controls and I could get a home console that is markedly more powerful than the Wii U.  I mean the new portable switch is the solution for portable fans, but where's my solution?  Pretty soon it's going to be impossible to port games to the switch due to the power discrepancy between the consoles.... I mean it's hard now.   

Titchgamer

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2020, 03:10:54 am »
My wifu loves most of the N games on the switch (Mario, DK, Zelda etc) but the ones I mostly play are oddities.

For instance theres a port of NG devs Gunlord X on there, I also have a few games from companies like LRG.

Guns gore & Canoli I am waiting on atm, Also got blazing chrome and SOR4.

Lots of good 3rd party games out there.

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #13 on: June 23, 2020, 10:18:09 am »
Switch is somewhat of a retro console.  I skipped wii u, so I played through most of those games on switch.  I also find that I am playing older third party titles that were re-released on switch like cave story, rayman legends, toe jam, and shovel knight.  It runs all those games flawlessly. 

I want to try newer games but I am afraid to boot up mk11 based on the reviews online.

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knave

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Re: Game Handhelds in 2020
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2020, 08:02:32 pm »
I have been realizing that it's not always obvious by genre which games I want to play on handheld, and which I want to play on a big screen tv.

Sometimes a game is suited to both...but a few retro games have sucked me in where others do not and the list does not necessarily make sense to me.

After a month of trying out many games both retro and recent(ish) I have gravitated to a few.
On the retro, the PC engine version of military madness is really fun on a handheld even with the tiny screen. I prefer this version over the PS1 update and it is great! presumably because the turn based mechanics and easy controls. Also as a C64 kid I liked OG pirates and pirates gold, and the genesis version, which I had not previously tried has been a lot of fun.
I have also liked, Tetris, columns, , angry birds, most shooters, crimson land, Age of Zombies, the "stealth" games ie "stealth 2, a game of clones", super meat boy, Worms, puddle, and I am sure to find more.

Games I thought I would want to play but did not enjoy on a handheld: sonic, god of war, bullet hell shooters, racing games, Papers please, RPG's Borderlands 2 and pretty much anything with text, not turn based or level based action. Sometimes it was the small screen and others it was just not fun.

On the big screen, I also really enjoy Crimson Land, and the "Stealth" platform games, as well as a few shooters that allow you to level up as you play.

I think the nuances of the small screen and my short attention span are the foundation. But some games seem to break this trend? The introduction to save states is also a factor. Games where I would have had to start over in the old days are more accessible now.

In the end it comes down to preference. I have not had modern AAA rpg and adventure games appeal to me in ages. Despite wanting to play those longer games. Even good games like hollow Knight are not my bread and butter. so YMMV.

But my point is, that many of the older games translate very well to the small screen and are more suited to handheld play while some play better on a TV.

What games do you want/like to play on a handheld?