Help me pick out my birfffday gift ;)

[bboysnj]

Ok, so today my mother broke her water all over her good dress.  I'm one day older, one day grayer, one day deader, farg me.   

I have a little scratch, which is rare these days for sure.  I've never owned a hand-held gaming device.  I'm thinking now is indeed the time to take the plunge.

I've checked out other threads and have taken into account the +/- of each device that's out there.  What I'm really curious about, and what there isn't alot of feedback on as of yet, is an Apple device.  Either the I-phone or the I-touch.  A co-worker of mine was having a grand old time playing a "Cameltry"-esque game the other day, tilting his I-phone to move the ball through a maze.  I thought that was stellar.

I was leaning towards the DS-Lite because I liked the innovation with incorporating touch screen with interactive novelties like "blowing" into the speaker, etc.  Not sure how soon the "novelty" wears off though.  I also like modding anything I get my hands on, so the idea that Mame works (with varying success) on a PSP draws me in that direction as well.

How about the I-touch?  I'm sure folks would say, "Well, why not the I-phone then?" -- I have a 3G device that I carry for work -- Outlook, web browsing, all bases covered from there and I don't have to foot the bill.  What I don't have is an mp3 player (!  I borrow my wife's when I need one)....so the I-Touch looked like a one-stop solution for getting music, movies, etc. on one device along with....GAMES!  But there's the rub.  I have NO CLUE how the game experience is.  Can I run emulators on it as well?  Anyone out there currently using an Apple handheld that can lend an opinion?

Many, many thanks folks!!!!

 

[RetroGreg]

Get a DS. With the GameBoy Advance compatibility there are so many good games you can track down for cheap. Plus the design is the best for portability and durability.

I don't have any experience with the Apple devices, but any device that does a little bit of everything will be as the saying goes "a jack of all trades, but master of none". I tried using a PSP for MP3's and movies alongside the games, and while it was convenient - it just ends up being too big for an mp3 player. Likewise, the apple machines you mentioned probably won't be the best game players.

So I guess you have to figure out what is most important to you. But to me, best games = DS.

[ChadTower]

For that price you could get 200 mono Gameboys.  That would be sorta cool.

[Moose13]

I have a PSP that I got this year for father's day. I love it. It's my best friend on the train on the way home from work. If you like to mod things and want to get a PSP, get it quick. The newest slims (I think only in Janap at the moment) have a new unmodable (at this time) motherboard, and when the new 3000's come out I'm sure that they'll be unhackable for at least a little while.

I have Mame on my PSP, but don't play it much, and it takes way too long to load for some reason. I just stick to my Mame on my stand up machine at home.

[bboysnj]

Thanks fellas, I really appreciate all the great feedback!

Any I-phone or I-touch users out there that have experience with their games and/or porting emulators?  Since it is all touch, I'm doubting much success with things like Stella, Nestopia, etc.  Just curious.  Fantastic point made earlier, however -- if it ain't built for games....

[javeryh]

I LOVE my PSP.  I play all sorts of stuff on it all the time.  Mainly NES, SNES and GBC games but I do play the occasional PSP game...   

I just finished Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons - great great games.

[ChadTower]

I just finished Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons - great great games.

Hey I finished those recently on the GBC.  They are definitely great games.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I can't imagine that the iphone running MAME would be any fun.  The controls sound like they would be clunky with the absence of an actual joystick and buttons.  I vote nay for the ipod.

Have you taken a look at the gp2x?  It's Linux based and is much cheaper than the ipod.



Buy it here for $179:  http://www.gp2xstore.com/?gclid=CNjaiq_r45UCFQZqswodnQ8Tfg

~ DeLuSioNaL

[extendedplayarcade]

I have the psp and use it a lot more then i thought I ever would.   I use it mostly for games but you can watch recorded TV shows and Movies on it as well with software you can find freeware with just a google.com search.  Along with songs and photos.  The games are pretty cheap if you buy them used or find them on ebay.com or even amazon.com used section.  Mercury Meltdown is a marble madness type game that is totally addicting and is like super cheap too used.

Works great but the battery doesn't last as long as an Ipod.  I have an Ipod and an Ipod mini (i bought it for my wife) they just sit in the charger craddle and we never ever use them.  If you like itunes then the Ipod or Apple devices are great.  I just don't like Itunes.  To restrictive.

The DS is pretty neat but my nephews have them and seem very much more of a younger person's gaming system.  No mods that I know of can be used but there are a ton of games out there for it because it plays GBA games as well.  I am just not a fan of the games on it.

Brent
www.extendedplayarcade.com

[bboysnj]

....just back from the pool hall...man, I was SO much better when I was younger and had time to actually PLAY on a REGULAR basis...   I'm sure the "celebratory beers" didn't help my "English" much either...

Sincere thanks for the feedback.  Wow -- awesome seeing Mame running so smoothly on a handheld -- Linux?  I noticed the SD option - wild.  I'm so green to these devices.

Again, many thanks.  I'm hoping someone out there has an Iphone or Itouch so they can weigh in on whether or not it's sink or swim for gaming on the device(s).  No disrespect for the speculation - just wanted to put the nail in the coffin with the idea from someone who has working experience with gaming on said hardware....and yes, I agree, it's a pricely plunge...I do need a proper mp3 player, however....

Thanks guys -- you sincerely smurfing RULE.   

[bigredsk10]

It all depends on what you're looking to get out of your purchase but if I was in your shoes I would go with the ipod touch. I own both the nintendo ds and a video ipod. The nintendo ds is amazing and if you're looking primarily to play games than thats the way to go. In my opinion it has far and away the best games of any handheld system, there are some real quality games out there for it. I've enjoyed owning it thoroughly.

But, if I had to choose between the two I would have to go with the ipod. I never really thought that I would own one, but now that I do its indispensable. I use it every day between work and driving and just plugging it in to speakers in different parts of my house. And thats just the ipod video, the ipod touch is a whole other level.

As far as the ipod being a jack of all trades, but a master of none, its been called the best mp3 player ever. I dunno if thats true but without a doubt its very good at what it does, music.

The games/applications you can add to it are a pretty recent development, within the last month or two i think. So while there are definitely fun games to help you kill 1/2 an hour while you're waiting for something, there isn't anything thats going to compare to a zelda or mario game.

To tell the truth, though, my ds doesnt get played when Im at home very often. Console games/arcade games are usually better. So while I use my ipod every day, I use the ds every couple weeks or so.

I doubt you'll regret either purchase!

[shmokes]

I don't have an iPhone/iPod Touch, but FWIW, ID Software is supporting the device with three titles right now.  John Carmack is stoked about it, saying it's more powerful than the PSP and DS combined.  He says it's close to the capabilities of an Xbox.  That's pretty impressive.  The interface is definitely limiting, though.