Posted
by Matt Cox
August 23, 2005 at 2:32 p.m.
PSP vs DS Round 2
I want to start a fight. Now that the launch craze of both new handhelds are merely a memory, which handheld is winning the battle right now? Yeah, yeah I know I said the two aren't really in the same category, but for the sake of argument, I am bowing to casual perception.What are you playing on your PSP? I haven't played a legitimate game on my PSP since my last review of one. Any PSP time is logged by my wife playing Jungle Book on our PSP NES emulator.What are you playing on your DS? I'm playing a buttload. Why? Well, there are actually some compelling and ORIGINAL games like Meteos, Kirby Canvas Curse, Wario Ware: Touched! and killer apps like Advance Wars and Nintendogs.In sales, the DS outpaces the PSP. Still. Both are moddable. But the DS is a fairly original concept and half the price. The PSP for now is a half-baked media center with a powerful processor and pretty pictures, inviting $50 rehashes that don't sell.What do you think?
Comments
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Ryckert (Dan Ryckert) says…
If this blog would have gone up back in March, you would have a completely different response from me.
But now that it's been months since the PSP was released.....I've completely changed my tune. The DS is so far superior to the PSP, it's ridiculous. I own one game for the PSP (Hot Shots Golf), and I'm probably going to trade it in either today or tomorrow. Once that's done, my PSP will be nothing more than a portable emulator and something that allows me to watch Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes while I'm in class. I see nothing on the horizon that interests me at all. Burnout might be fun for a bit, and GTA is worth mentioning (although I'm really not interested in it at all). Games for PSP are often $50, and they're almost always crappy ports of PS2 games.
Meanwhile, the DS has Warioware Touched, Kirby Canvas Curse, Meteos, Advance Wars, Nintendogs, etc etc. Plus, we've got Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Super Mario Bros., and Castlevania on the horizon. There's also the important fact that many of these games would be impossible on any other system besides the DS. Where else are you going to get a gameplay experience like Kirby or Nintendogs? The stylus is such an important aspect of both of these games, and you won't be playing them on the PSP or anywhere else.
The PSP may have the huge graphical advantage, but that means absolutely nothing anymore. They're not putting out good games, and Nintendo is.
BobDarkAvenger (anonymous) says…
When I got my DS I had regret about getting it over the PSP, but now that Kirby and Advance Wars are coming out, I am glad I made the choice I did. I'm still waiting for Final Fantasy and a Mario Tennis game though...
gamer (Matt Cox) says…
Not that I doubted Nintendo...or maybe I did for a bit...but is anyone else surprised that Nintendo is showing up this strong on the DS side?
ichikuo (Hanluen Kuo) says…
All I can really say here is...told you so. lol j/k...but not really.
Yes the DS is winning right now in every category when it comes to the handheld war. PSP has great potential, but Sony messed up one thing with the PSP: they treated it like another console. The system is priced like a console and the games are priced like a console. I guess this has proved that Nintendo was right about how the handheld market differs from the console one. I didn't believe it either.
I'm still waiting for Sony to get some bigger titles because they've yet to have a flagship game. The only problem is that if you look into the future, it's looking like the DS is just going to widen its lead on the PSP. I'd like someone here to try to mention a game that would interest me this coming fall/winter on the PSP. I've honestly tried to find a game and there really isn't anything that has caught my eye.
It's actually funny because after looking at the games I'm most likely going to buy this holiday, the DS had the longest list.
As for if I'm surprised, it depends when you would have asked me. If you would've asked me back in December, I would have said yes. I had no faith in the DS at that point. In fact, the DS launch was horrid. Just awful. That was when I was afraid the DS was headed no where. Amazingly enough, Sony came out weak as well. In fact, the DS outsold the PSP during its launch week. After this, and seeing how Nintendogs was being received in Japan, I could start to see that the DS had the better future. Sony faultered more by completely ignoring the PSP at E3. Nintendo on the other hand, took total advantage. You could say that the DS was the focus of that show...in fact, now that I remember how much they had on the Revolution ( -_-) I'd definitely say the focus was on the DS.
ichikuo (Hanluen Kuo) says…
BTW, everybody here who owns a DS needs to get a copy of Nintendogs. They're actually selling surprisingly fast considering that I thought NOBODY owned a DS in Lawrence. I first went to EB. They were out. Then went to Wal-Mart. Out. Target? Out. Finally, I had to retreat to Best Buy and they were out at front. They guy had to direct me to some back cart that had a sign covering the games. Don't ask me why.
Point being, who in Lawrence is buying Nintendogs besides me???
Here's my Pet:
Shih Tzu - Marty
gamer (Matt Cox) says…
I am addicted. I have a Shih Tzu named Oskie. This game/virtual pet is really amazing. It's not like anything I've ever done. I mean, the microphone is as essential as the stylus. Blowing bubbles by actually blowing on the microphone.
Taking the dog out to poop is hilarious.
JackBurt0n (anonymous) says…
I got mine over at my store. hehe...my Beagle's name is Arbiter, and he can beat up your dog! =P
-Jack
wbabbit (Will Babbit) says…
As for being surprised, I'm more than surprised, I'm stunned. Nintendo has failed miserably at every system comparison since the SNES with small exceptions of Ocarina of Time and a couple others here and there. Maybe I'll have to pick up a portable system again, the PSP was so far out of my price range that I just gave up on the concept...
ichikuo (Hanluen Kuo) says…
They have failed in the console world, but the handheld world is a totally different story.
BobDarkAvenger (anonymous) says…
I didn't think this many people had a DS in Lawrence. I've been wanting to try out the MP features, but no one is ever within a 100ft of me.
ichikuo (Hanluen Kuo) says…
We should start a DS club!!!!! o_O
punkrockmom (Nikki May) says…
I've been trying to decide if I'm getting either handheld, and one thing is I have several gba games I still like. But, I was still undecided. Thanks for making the choice a bit easier. Now, I just need some cash.
gamer (Matt Cox) says…
Yeah, the DS will play all GBA games. Sounds like your decision is easy.
As far as Nintendo "failing" at consoles- what the heck are you talking about? Sure, neither the 64 nor the Cube have been as prolific and bountiful as the SNES, but both were successes in that there were great games and Nintendo is still in the black. Did it win some invisible war? No. But I wouldn't go so far as to say "failed."
3DO failed. CD-I failed. Jaguar failed.
trevanon (anonymous) says…
To be honest, I'm not too happy with either console at this point.
The PSP hasn't really had a good game since its launch and there's not much to look forward to this Fall. GTA looks okay, but I'd rather play that on a traditional console anyway. I will however say that it's not exactly fair to criticize the PSP for having a bunch of PS2 rehashes without noting that both the GBA and DS did the same thing upon their release.
Nintendo seems to have the right idea, which is expected since they'be been king of the portable market since we were in grade school. I'm still bitter about the lack of an analog stick, but my major complaint with the DS is that the stylus support in many games feels either tacked on or gimmicky. Granted that's the point in games like WarioWare, but I'd like to see it better integrated into the overall gameplay. From the sound of things Nintendogs takes advantage of both that as well as the mic. I just wish more third party developers would follow suit.
Ultimately I'm in the same boat as Matt, Dan, and Hanluen. The DS has more unique games and quality third party projects. Their Fall lineup and Miyamoto's comments on the new Zelda
have me excited. Which is more than I can say for the PSP, no matter how many UMD movies they release.
ichikuo (Hanluen Kuo) says…
Matt, I thought you said Trevan had died?!!?!??!
j/k lol...
punkrockmom (Nikki May) says…
What? Jaguar failed? I didn't get that info. Oh, ok, it did, but it's still my favorite. (and yes, I have the 3do too), but jaguar is still played. I also have a lynx and a gamegear. We don't get rid of anything around here.
trevanon (anonymous) says…
Close, Ichcikuo. I actually went on a quest for the perfect laptop. It took me to highest mountains of the Kansas plains and the lowest parts of Mississippi, but I evetually reigned supreme.