The Gamescrap forums (aka 18 Wheels of Thunder)

thinking of getting a handheld, but not sure which one...... pros and cons for both systems? help me gamers......

by the by, where is everyone at, no one is posting, not even the dr..... quite staying up till 3 in the morning sir... lol.... tee hee ;D

Sooory! I've been hard at work getting the Gamer Within relaunch ready which has consumed much of my free and a ton of my work time :P.

The eternal PSP vs. DS debate....I can sum it up with one question: what games are you mostly into?

Thankfully, I've known you for a while so I know you can appreciate RPGs and Fighting games....which doesn't make a recommendation easy since the DS is NOT a fighting game system. Being an owner of both, however, I've got some pros and cons:

DS Pro:

Innovative games and gameplay that utilize the touch screen, microphone, and the fact that you can also play GBA games is pretty awesome.
A lot of games support single game sharing, which means you can play multiplayer with someone who doesn't own the game.
Ideal for puzzle games (Meteos), Adventure games (Hotel Duck), RPGs (Final Fantasy III, FF XII, and the forthcoming 3D remake of FF IV), and of course, awesome first party games like Warioware: Twisted and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
Lots of casual, time wasting games like Diner Dash...if you're into that sort of thing.
Comes in every color imaginable....except for lime green :(.

Cons:

No Mortal Kombat, or fighting games in general.
No hardcore games.
Lackluster DS ports of other handheld games.
3rd party companies just not trying to utilize the unique features of the DS.

PSP Pros:

Pretty much a handheld PS2 and technically superior to the DS.
In addition to being a handheld gaming system, the PSP also supports UMD movie and MP3 playback.
Built in wireless support with browser.
Lots of hardcore games like the Grand Theft Auto series as well as some crazy cool Japanese style games like WTF and Loco Roco.
PSP Slim has video out so you can play it on a normal sized TV.

PSP Cons:

Not a lot of variety in the games - lack of RPGs.
Too many ports of PS2 games to the PSP - if you've got it for the PS2, why own it for PSP?
UMD format movies are an endangered species and are pretty much getting phased out.
The web browser sucks ass.
Only one analog stick makes games you're used to playing on the PS2 a little harder.
Too big to be an MP3 player.

So there you have it....from the top of my head at the moment at least. I just invested in a PSP slim and gave Eli the older model, and while the slim is smaller and lighter, I still have no intention to use it as a music player. I'd prolly say the DS will get you more bang for your buck, though the PSP is being bundled with Daxter and a Family Guy UMD for $199. Still, it's hard to say where the PSP will be going from here...but it's got p[otential :).

Damn, I just hope I helped instead on convoluting things further :).

i changed gears completly, and just bought a ps2.... call me old fashioned......  i bought it online, and should be enjoying my purchase and the games i ordered by my friday day off fr next week, but i will have no pleasue of playing it, i have to go to bedearly for the s.a.t. on saturday a.m.    thank you however for your wonderful suggestions, and i was gonna go with the psp, but like you said the game selection sucks balls..... wtf?? i would have thought they would have more, now im sad, but now you know what to get me for my bday..... ( wink wink) more ps2 games.... and if i come across any stinkers, i shall let you know..... consider me at your service if you should need my help.... i doubt you will though, you being so clever and all..... laters ;D

Sigh...underminding my suggestion. Thanks a ton! :'(

Congrats on the new addition, hope you're enjoying it! Speaking of stinkers, how'd  that $5 Yu-Gi-Oh game pan out?

i like my y-gi-o game, but the graphics suck ass.... might have to take some vid for you so you can see for yourself  thanks again for reminding me, i should be playing that.... :P

While I enjoy my PSP, there is a special place in my heart for my DS. That thing and I had a love affair called Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and I haven't been the same since.