What was your favorite dedicated handheld gaming device?

[Goldenroad]

Well folks. We had a good run, but with Nintendo putting all the eggs in that Switch basket, which I think we can all agree is not a "dedicated handheld", since it can also be docked and played on a TV, and Sony and MS not showing any indication of wanting to jump into that market, we may have passed a time when the console manufacturers are going to continue to create dedicated hardware and software for playing on the go. (I know the Switch Lite exists, but I'm not counting it since it does not have any software dedicated solely to it. Every game can be played on the regular Switch as well...so it doesn't count, and we're not here to argue about that). What we need to argue about, and I can't find a thread about it is, which one of the bygone handhelds was the best?

EDIT: Sorry, hit ENTER too fast.

2nd EDIT: Sorry, I thought I also included 3DS in the poll, and took out GBC. I don't know what happened. Maybe I should not post polls/threads anymore. If a mod could edit that change, that would be great.

I'm partial to the GBA because that was around the time when I started getting back into gaming and it, along with the Gamecube were the first systems I bought since my parents bought me a SNES. I loved replaying the SNES games from my childhood in handheld form, but also games like Superstar Saga, the Castlevanias, Golden Sun. I just have a whole lot of nostalgia tied up in that system.

 

[RockmanBN]

GBA though thats nostalgia from playing it alot as a 6 year old

 

[NuclearCake]

Impossible to chose. So i will not vote.

 

[verygooster]

OG GBA is my favorite handheld design (no backlight aside) and my favorite era of dedicated handheld gaming.

 

[Dougieflesh]

I voted Vita. DS would be a close 2nd

 

[CloseTalker]

DS Lite forever, especially since it's also a GBA

 

[404LinkNotFound]

Where is the 3DS :/

 

[dark_prinny]

The Vita because reasons.
And Persona 4 Golden

 

[logash]

I voted PSP. What a great console for JRPGs and man was it exciting to get console quality games on a handheld device. Obviously the switch has no problem doing that thes days but back then it blew my little mind.

 

[Hucast]

I played the nintendo ds alot and to me its one of the best but psp is slightly better because its got some amazing games. I loved crisis core. I friggin loved valkyria chronicles on it. I find 3ds better than psp though so my vote is 3ds

Edit: why no 3ds in the list?

 

[Virtua King]

DS. Great library, plus the BC with the GBA make it the best.

 

[whatsinaname]

The DS easily for me. (as far as physical devices goes, the DSi XL in particular).

 

[Deleted member 48897]

I wish the NGPC had a light on the screen. I still love it because damn that microswitch stick was so good. More controllers need sticks like that.

 

[Strike]

Vita.

 

[Deleted member 14313]

Switch absolutely is a dedicated handheld with streamlined tv output. Switch lite is no doubt about it singulaly a dedicated handheld. And yep, my answer is Switch. Second would be GBA although that has a significant nostalgia effect for me.

Also putting GBC instead of 3DS was wrong as GBC is analagous to DSi and New 3DS, not an entirely new generation.

 

[Goldenroad]

Edit: why no 3ds in the list?

Click to shrink...

It was. I don't know what happened. Vote DS and make it clear in the comments that you hated the DS and only like the 3DS :P

 

[Rhaknar]

You are being completely arbitrary by not including the Switch, so I guess I cant vote, as the Switch is by far my favorite handheld ever (it is 100% a portable for me)

Hell you have the Lite now which IS handheld only so...whut?

 

[Deleted member 31923]

3DS but I can't vote for it.

 

[Goldenroad]

You are being completely arbitrary by not including the Switch, so I guess I cant vote, as the Switch is by far my favorite handheld ever (it is 100% a portable for me)

Click to shrink...

But for other people it is 100% not a handheld, so I can't in good conscience call it a dedicated handheld. You can start your own thread asking if the Switch is a dedicated handheld. :)

Or just vote "Other" and state your case.

 

[Rae]

Vita since it had P4:G

I'll miss mine despite owning switch.

 

[Rizific]

GBA SP. small enough to keep in pocket and hide while playing in my high school classes.

 

[Clive]

DS. That Castlevania trio, Ace Attorney, Kirby games, RPGs and I actually liked the Zeldas. The GBA and 3DS aren't far behind either with many classic games originating on them. I really like Sony's handhelds too but the games specifically made for them often just feels like worse console games with gimped scope and controls. Some fantastic exclusives on them too but Nintendo is handheld king.

 

[Xeontech]

Sega Gamegear

The one true handheld

 

[JMTF]

N3DS, if the cpp replacement was better it woukl be a dream, plus it can play the older nintendo handhelds. pretty good bang for your buck nowadays i think.

 

[Ravelle]

2DS and 3DS for sure. Fantastic Library.

 

[Hanbei]

PlayStation Vita.

 

[Strangelove_77]

Vita.

After that it'd be DS Lite and that little PSP. That shit was rad.

 

[Deleted member 45765]

I want a vita, is it as easy as just grabbing one on Amazon? Thought they were discontinued?

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

Vita in the poll with 3DS absent. Just as it should be. You did good, OP. You did good.

My answer is of course the Vita. I've liked a lot of gaming systems in my time. But nothing truly compares to my love for the Vita. Of course the hatred and disgusting lack of love it recieved throughout its life was a factor in making me stand behind it and love it more, but even just on its own merits Vita was so fucking good. What a goddamn sleek handheld. Super comfortable with a killer library.

This is the first handheld that was my primary gaming platform in a generation. Not just when I first got it and it was new and shiny. This was my platform of choice for several years and that was unheard of for a handheld for me. Not even the PSP managed that. I loved playing games on the Vita. I could ramble on about the Vita forever I really do love it.

HOLY SHIT VITA'S WINNING!

Well done guys. Well done.

 

[Phellps]

Poll is missing the 3DS, which is my choice.

 

[Poppy]

ds lite/dsi by a country mile

 

[SinOfHeart]

3DS it had a bunch of solid games on its own, and when you add in the full DS library and Virtual Console for GBA / SNES games and it really can't be beat.

 

[Deleted member 1476]

GBA, by a mile. That library was insane, and it had such a short life (fuck you NDS).

 

[Accoun]

PSP by its own, but in the end voted Vita because of BC combined with the form factor.

 

[Sub Boss]

Nintendo Switch Lite

 

[there is no if]

Gotta go with the PSP. It had a bunch of great SRPGs like FFT, Tactics Ogre, Jeanne d'Arc, and etc.

 

[EloKa]

Nokia N-Gage sitting crying in a corner.

Also I can't decide between the OG Gameboy with nostalgia or a Vita because of performance.

 

[RivalGT]

a hacked vita..... Being able to play PS1,PSP, and Vita games all in 1 device is amazing, and being able to use a micro SD solves the storage problems the Vita has.

 

[RadicalR]

Vita, because it means life (and backwards compatible with PSP and PS1.)
3DS would be my second choice, because it got some great games (and backwards compatible with DS and GBA)

 

[Dead Man Typing]

The DS was my favourite.
I never upgraded my GBA to a GBA sp. If I had, maybe my answer would different.

The DS library of games is crazy. A great mix of puzzle games, story games and action games. And while a 3DS plays all DS games, there's something less cool about holding a 3ds sideways to play Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword.

 

[Pancoar]

OG GBA and the SP were some of the best times I've ever had.

The DS lite is a really close second though.

 

[Jon Carter]

Voted DS as a stand-in for the 3DS. The 3DS brought me back to gaming after years of apathy.

 

[Griffith]

I was undecided between the Gameboy and the Vita. Recently I obviously played the Vita more but when I was growing up the OG Gameboy, Pocket and Color models kept me company during thousands of boring afternoons.

 

[maximumzero]

It's a tossup between the Gameboy Micro and the Nintendo 3DS, but I feel like the 3DS wins out in the end.

So many cool features and games. Streetpass, Themes, Badge Arcade, Stereoscopic Visuals, a metric fuckton of great software, backwards compatibility with the Nintendo DS.

Just amazing from end to end.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

I had so much porn on my PSP back in the day along with so many UMDs. Modded that bad boy for a sweet as looking custom theme.

 

[Deleted member 31092]

The Nintendo DS is the best console of all time

 

[PassiveObserver]

New 3DS. The only problem is the my wrist feeling numb, but in terms of games N3DS takes it.

 

[c0Zm1c]

It's tough to choose between GBA and DS but the DS can play GBA games too so I'm essentially voting for both by going with the DS. :D

 

[Deleted member 8861]

Vita, GBA, DS. I'd put Vita first, don't know which would be second- GBA is platformer goodness to the absolute max but I've never been able to explore much of the DS library that I wanted to, yet 999 beats any GBA game for me.

 

[Baron Von Beans]

Easy choice for the Vita for me. It's one of my favorite consoles ever. I own two black OLEDs, the white Assassin's Creed OLED, and two Vita TVs. It's own game library had some fantastic and memorial games. Then add in the psp and psx library, and the potential for fun is insane. Then add in the design of the device, the screen, the battery life, the sleep mode that would last for months, and the remote play. Ohhhh the remote play. I still use my vita for remote play every single day. I'm about to go hunt some monsters in Iceborn as soon as I post this.

Vita means life, so it will never die.