Best. Handheld System. Ever.

[digitalpress]

Because Kaine asked for it. And because I just can't bring myself to vote for Microvision (sorry, Asylum Seeker!). They're not all here so if you like one of the obscures, feel free to vote OTHER!

When I say "Best" in a poll, I mean "your favorite", by the way. Defend your system not with statistics but with your personal views. OK or with statistics if that's your thing.

[kainemaxwell]

I say gameboy/Color. Nintendo released this in 1989 and it's still around now even through many incarnations of larger and smaller sizes, color and now the GBA. Sure the early grahpics were primitive but the staying power of tetris, many other puzzle titles and the price kept it going along with GB titles based off hit game franchises.

[congobongo]

If the GBA was backlit I would pick it. If the Lynx had a better library I would pick it. That being said, my favourite is still the Nomad.

[The32xMemorial]

As a big fan and collector of the Neo Geo Pocket Color, I was tempted to vote it the best handheld. To vote for the NGPC would be silly... my fandom for the NGPC cannot dispute the fact that it is a dead system with a small library of games, heavy on fighters. I wish it had done better, but I wish I had a 10 inch wanker, too.

My vote is for GBA. It plays the vast majority of GB/GBC games, and that's A LOT of games! A huge number of those games might suck, but there are just too many awesome games in there, too. Plus, the GBA has a damn fine collection of cool games already, and the future looks bright. Now if only the SCREEN would look bright (backlight it dammit) and I'd be perfectly happy. Metroid!

The Nomad is certainly a contender, but it weighs too damn much, is bulky, and its shocking power requirements almost deem it a console rather than a portable.

The Turbo Express, Lynx, and Game Gear are all contenders but suffer from a combination of small libraries and low battery life.

The others are a mixed bag... some are just "interesting", some are just plain awful (Game.com, anyone?)

[kainemaxwell]

I'm probably not the only one here who wishes SNK didn't close up shop and stop relaseing the Neo Pocket Color- that was an incredible system and had an intresting library of games to boot.

[congobongo]

I'm probably not the only one here who wishes SNK didn't close up shop and stop relaseing the Neo Pocket Color- that was an incredible system and had an intresting library of games to boot.

You're right, but in doing so they really pissed me off and lost my respect.

[Nintendork]

I picked Game Boy/Color only because it seemed to kick start the handheld gaming industry, or at least give it a fresh atmosphere. There have been hand helds for a long time but now you had the ability to hook up with someone else. You could play NES like games almost anywhere. I got my GB on christmas in 1989 and if you told me I would take it to college with me and play Tetris 3 mornings out of the week I would have told you no way. But it's true. Although I've moved on to the GBA now the fact that I'm still playing my Game Boy games is fascinating.

[Dobie]

GBA is too sweet. Reverse compliant with any Gameboy game does it for me. I don't have to lug around three different systems--one GBA and a few games tuck neatly into a bag, backpack, purse (if that's your style), or briefcase.

It has its drawbacks, and I'm sure we'll all get to hear the "its too small for my hands" complaint. But here's my take--I am 6-2, can palm a basketball, yet I never have problems with it being "too cramped." Now, finding a suitable light-souce in the absence of a worm light or pelican is a real challenge for darker games like COTM. So make your case against the GBA there.

[ventrra]

Ohh. The MGA Game Wizard! :wink: I'm telling you, no one can resist it's tinny sounds and cheap LCD cartridge games. Not to mention all of the different colors and themes of cheap plastic (i.e.: the white Star Wars style and the odd yellow Power Rangers style)! And they're cheap, too! :wink: :lol:

[Nature Boy]

My favourite is easily the GBA.

The games on it look amazing and play amazing. And I can still play my GBC and GB games on it. And it's small enough that I can bring it with me anywhere and nobody's the wiser. What's not to love? The lighting. Well, it's not *that* bad. If you think it's that bad let me show you my Game Gear again.

[nesman85]

i like the gbc because you get to play the giant library of gb and gbc games on it in color. i know the gba can do that too, plus a lot more, but i like the way the screen and buttons are layed out on the gbc.

[WiseSalesman]

I'm buying a GBA later this week. I'll vote then. Aside from that, I like my GBC so far. NGPC wasn't a bad system, but wasn't good enough for me to own it either. I bought my Game Gear for $15 with about 10 games, and I still feel like I got robbed.

[girth305]

I have to vote for the neo geo pocket.

Don't get me wrong, I love my GBA, hell I am still playing advance wars. However, the neo pocket was just a wonderful system. I think its because all the games on the system were quality. For example, capcom vs snk was created the way it should have been. All the fighters on the system had great camp value and the original games like card fighters clash and even dive alert were great jems with tons of replay value. I refuse to be swayed by SNK caving and leaving the system with a small library. The library may be small but its a quality one. I believe if the system had been given a chance it really could have shined. My vote has to go to the NGPC, with the GBA coming in at a very close second, metroid almost put it over the top, hehehe.

[Raedon]

The Nomad is the best classic portable.

[NE146]

A lot of those are excellent, but the fact is, in this day and age you can't deny the GBA is the best bet.

[jaydubnb]

My vote is for the NGPC, the only handheld that truly moved me. The Gameboy/GBC had an astronomical crap to good game ratio, in stark contrasts to the NGPC's library which was quite strong (even with a shortened lifespan). Yeh, it has lots of fighters, but it also has a nice puzzle and sports library, too.

I could not vote for the Nomad or Turbo Express because, although technically portable systems, the games were not meant to be. As such, some games just arent fun on them, with hard to see elements.

[Daniel Thomas]

Sigh. This is really a sad list, because Nintendo has always had a crushing monopoly on the handheld market. I think the Game Boy Advance is a good machine, but its reliance on the old GB catalog and classic revivals either makes it the greatest retro machine, or the greatest shovelware machine, in history. It gets my vote by default, which is too bad; gamers would have been better off if there was some serious competition among portables.

To be fair, there were some great games on the Game Boy, and the GBA may yet stake some territory on original titles, but I just wish the machine had...well, at least two more buttons and a backlit screen. Ah, well, ignore me while I return to another killing spree in Tamagochi.

For runner-up vote, I've always had a weak spot for the Lynx. It's like one of those abusive relationships, where the victim takes endless abuse and yet still crawls back for bread crumbs. Not that I'm cynical or anything :P . The early Epyx games were terrific: Blue Lightning, Electrocop, Gauntlet 3, Chip's Challenge, Slime World, even California Games had its charms (it was an ideal pack-in). Add in a few solid arcade conversions, and that it. So many of the original games were wretched, and Atari just seemed tragically out of touch. The third NES Ninja Gaiden? Super Squeek? Switchblade 2? This is the gaming equivalent of direct-to-video. If only the great Japanese studios had a chance to design for the Lynx. If only.

And just for the record, I'm jealous of all of you who have Nomad or TurboExpress. Who could resist playing Devil's Crush or Herzog Zwei on long road trips? Lucky bastards.

[kevates]

I love my GBA, but it will always take second place to my VCSp. For 2600 fanatics like me, this is the only choice. So far, Ben has made some of the coolest portables ever. And I heard a rumor that there are some new ones in the works.

[game_trek]

A lot of those are excellent, but the fact is, in this day and age you can't deny the GBA is the best bet.

Ditto! :D

[christianscott27]

nomad- aside from its fatal flaws, i mean havent you guys ever used rechargable batteries, it was so far advanced over the other systems of its time theres no comparision. it still has the best selection of games, it will take a long time before GBA has that many snes ports. the screen is large and beautiful, so is the system but i have no trouble fitting it in my back pack.

i've always felt that somehow nintendo's monopoly on the portable market held back technology, perhaps by scaring off other firms from making the investment in advanced systems. i wish sony would quit mucking around with the PS one and give us a real portable PS.
________
Vaporizer (http://vaporizers.tv/)

[Gunstarhero]

I voted for the Lynx. Simply because it was the first handheld to really utilize the multiplayer capabilities. Lets face it, games are more fun with other players, and the Lynx delivered.
-Todd's Adventure in Slimeworld
-Warbirds
-Xenophobe
-Guantlet 3

etc...

Maybe I was fortunate to have 3 other lynx owners to play games with, as the system never really was very popular. At the time this was launched though, it totally dominated the Gameboy in every aspect you can think of, and to this day, the games still can hold a candle to GBA games IMHO.

[Arqueologia_Digital]

Game boy/Color is the best of all!!!

[Mr Mort]

My vote is for the NGPC, the only handheld that truly moved me. The Gameboy/GBC had an astronomical crap to good game ratio, in stark contrasts to the NGPC's library which was quite strong (even with a shortened lifespan). Yeh, it has lots of fighters, but it also has a nice puzzle and sports library, too.

That's a good point you've brought up. The ratio of good/crap games is pretty sad on the GB/GBA, as opposed to the NGPC. Unfortunately though, the NGPC library is so small that the GB/GBA still has far more quality titles IMO. For what it's worth I loved the NGPC, Match of the Millenium is the 2nd best handheld fighter out there IMO (next to SFA3 for GBA of course), the Card Fighter, and Metal Slug games were very impressive as well.

Despite that though, I went with the GBA due to some of the outstanding titles being released for it, and already available with the backwards compatibility and it's HUGE library of software.

Honorable mention should go to the Nomad. I love mine, it' great to be able to play Genesis games on the go, and you can plug it into your TV and plug in another controller for 2 (or 4)-player fun. About that battery life though...

[maxlords]

Me. Love. Turboexpress. That. All.

[Sylentwulf]

Kinda hard to vote for gameboy/color when GBA plays them all. And with the backlit "adult" gba coming up..... (Even if it should have been backlit to BEGIN WITH >:( )

[EnemyZero]

Hmmm this is a tough one, I loved my GameGear, but Gameboy/GBC's library was big and had some pretty kick ass games, Ah still remember those badboy, when they weighed like 30 lbs lol (Exaggeration). Sadly I dont own many games on my neo geo pocket color so I cant really cast my vote on it, so GB/GBC is my choice

[dreamcaster]

Easy, Game Boy Advance - it's a handheld SNES! What could be better? But there in lies the problem with it - I refuse to pay $70AUS just for SNES rehashes! Sure, they may have some new features, and it's portable - but I can hardly justify buying GBA versions of classic SNES games, like Yoshi's Island, Super Mario World or Super Mario Bros. 2. I can usually pick up SNES games for around $10-$20AUS!

However, the GBA does have ample original games that make the unit worth a purchase - Golden Sun and Advance Wars are a couple good examples.

Plus there are also some SNES games being re-released that are almost completely different from their SNES counterparts (F-Zero and Mario Kart anyone?)

So, yes, the GBA is my favourite handheld.

The Game Gear would come second because it was the first handheld I ever played, and it really impressed me! Also because it's Sega. Handheld Sonic - woohoo! But low battery life and bulky design kept it from being my No. 1

[windfish55]

GamePark 32 has enough power to emulate all these things. I still love my GBA, though.

[RetroYoungen]

I thought I'd responded to this already, and maybe I missed me. Anyhow...

I choose the NGPC. With so many really good titles (even the import completely in Japanese that I've got) it's the most portable fun I've had in quite some time. Cardfighter's Clash, Metal Slug, Gals Fighters, Samurai Showdown, and Biomotor Unitron are definately my pics for some of the best portable games of all time. Too small a library, but it's packed with all the games I want to play.

[Bighab]

With the Genesis being my favourite system the Nomad is my favourite handheld.

[jaydubnb]

I thought I'd responded to this already, and maybe I missed me. Anyhow...

I choose the NGPC. With so many really good titles (even the import completely in Japanese that I've got) it's the most portable fun I've had in quite some time. Cardfighter's Clash, Metal Slug, Gals Fighters, Samurai Showdown, and Biomotor Unitron are definately my pics for some of the best portable games of all time. Too small a library, but it's packed with all the games I want to play.

Dude, have you scored an "A" level card in CFC yet? I've logged 24 hours and have found a couple of "B" cards, but not an "A". It's a hard, but definintely fun hunt :)

[RetroYoungen]

I thought I'd responded to this already, and maybe I missed me. Anyhow...

I choose the NGPC. With so many really good titles (even the import completely in Japanese that I've got) it's the most portable fun I've had in quite some time. Cardfighter's Clash, Metal Slug, Gals Fighters, Samurai Showdown, and Biomotor Unitron are definately my pics for some of the best portable games of all time. Too small a library, but it's packed with all the games I want to play.

Dude, have you scored an "A" level card in CFC yet? I've logged 24 hours and have found a couple of "B" cards, but not an "A". It's a hard, but definintely fun hunt :)

Such a great game, I've logged currently over 13 hours so far, and I've found a few "A"-level cards. At least for me, I only had to beat Yosiki a few times to get a Metal- (or Mecha-) Zangief. Such a nice little find, a 1200 +5 card... kick ass...

[djbeatmongrel]

I picked the Nomad because i love to play genesis games and i think its the most comfortable handheld to hold and play. i love the fact thats its backlit and can also become 2 player just by connecting a controller to it. the only bad part is its battery life but thats easily fixed by having rechargable batteries. its just great

[geo]

I think its important to compare the systems back in the day. Obviously, Game Gear, Lynx, and others have not been around as long as the GBA to sway judging.

If the Lynx had third-party gaming support and a decent marketing staff, it would have ran away with the hand-held market. The Lynx is still second behind the GBA, but just think if the Lynx had released another system. It was waaaay ahead of its time back then, and would surely embarrass the present hand-helds today. Nintendo should feel lucky to have had such support from its game manufacturers. It was that extensive library that saved them from the Lynx's claws of defeat.

Oh by the way, why has no handheld adopted the Lynx flip screen mode for left handed players? Again, this with the backlight were awesome features that made this handheld the best!!! (my opinion though)

[XpOsUrE]

Sorry I just had to vote for the legendary original gb/gbc that system brought me so much joy all threw my younger till current life more so then any other portable system before it.

[Ed Oscuro]

Maybe this is just my Nomad...not a really good screen, though it's workable, just not pretty, and the sound without headphones is awful. Oh, and you truly can't use it without a wall socket, or a Nomad's worth of batteries to throw in it for a weeklong trip!

[Marco]

After playing Galaga'90 on the Turbo Express you'll never be impressed by another portable system again :-D

Cheers,
Marco

[Voodoo]

I voted for the GBA, but hopefully that includes the GBA SP. The SP, with it's built-in light, has turned me into a Gameboy addict. Oh, and with SMB3 about to be released, life will be even sweeter.

[Miguel_The_Machine]

GBA Advance is my fav, alot of great new games, and alot of re-released SNES, and NES games on it, it's just a super great handheld!!!!!!!

[Videogamerdaryll]

I Voted for my favorite..The Microvision.
But,I really Love the Turbo Express...

[Ed Oscuro]

After playing Galaga'90 on the Turbo Express you'll never be impressed by another portable system again :-D

Cheers,
Marco

Until I see one, my favorite portable so far is the Nomad :D

[Stringfellow]

Everyone knows that the best portable is the Nokia Ngage yeah right that thing is going to have one hell of a short life. Out of the portable systems I've only played the original Game Boy, Game Gear, and Nomad. Of the three I liked Game Gear best. Nomad was great too but I prefered my Genesis controller over holding the Nomad. Its just unfortunate that Sega didn't release the Nomad sooner because I think it would have been a lot more popular. The original Game boy felt chincy and gave me a bit of eye strain and no back lighting sucks. Just my two cents.

[Balloon Fight]

Im definitely going for the Nomad. To bad it eats batteries for breakfast though...

[vincewy]

As far as system power and coolness, TurboExpress (especially the Jp PC-E version) and Nomad by far, I love my TurboExpress, you can also watch TV with it using adaptor.

As far as library, there's no contest, GBA SP, my only gripe is the price of GBA games, $40? Are you kidding? INterestingly I found some GBA multi-carts in Taiwan with NES games hacked into GBA carts, most games aren't even published for GB and GBA.

One thing, IMO, that Sony would do when they tap into handheld market, just like the way they did with PS1, is lowering the price of software, remember the old days when Nintendo was charging $70 for a popular NES and SNES carts? This is the ONLY positive aspect of Sony entering gaming market, they even came up with Greatest Hits (older games) and charge only $20, obviously competitors followed that ideas later. In the past, the price of new games were only for hardcore gamers.

[Ed Oscuro]

they even came up with Greatest Hits (older games) and charge only $20, obviously competitors followed that ideas later. In the past, the price of new games were only for hardcore gamers.

Nintendo's been doing Player's Choice games since at least 1994.

[link1110]

I love the GBA and it's by far the best system around today, but as a Sega fanboy, I'd have to say nomad.

[NintendoMan]

My vote is for the GBA. I don't know if this means the GBA SP too, but even if it doesn't I give my vote to the GBA. Sure the original is what started it, but the gba games, and of course graphics are so crisp, and these remakes of old games are awesome. (SMB 1-3, yoshi island, etc.)!!!!!!! :evil:

[Kejoriv]

I voted GBA. It has the best libaray of games. I like the control layout too which some people do not like. The only thing I dont like about it is the lack of backlighting.

[cr0n0]

I would say the Sega NOMAD. The only thing wrong with it is the STUPID battery pack and the way this machine goes through them like nothing. I love the backlit screen and the headphones outlet. The fact that you can play Genesis games just ROCKS!! If it had a power supply like the GBA SP, it would be portable heaven.

[VG_Maniac]

Game Boy Advance. Lots of great games, plus all those ports of SNES and NES games.

[AlexKidd]

I really like the concept of playing the original system's games on a handheld. It saves the expense of buying more games and the games generally look and sound better than other competing handhelds. So i'm a fan of both the Nomad and the Turbo Express. After this it basically comes down to which original system you like better and that's the Turbo for me. I also really like the DS though it's too early in the systems life to call it the best handeheld ever. So for now, it's turbo express.

[MadDog82]

I gotta go with the Nomad :D

[Jumpman Jr.]

I voted for the GBA. Basically, any handheld made by Nintendo is going to be good, but this was very very good. And, with the release of the NES "Classic" series, it made it even better.
I remember I bought mine on launch day, I was so excited :D

[snes_collector]

NGPC for me. Even though their aren't near as many games for NGPC as GB/C/A the good-to-bad ratio is ALOT better.

[Ulticron]

No DS? Well Honestly I don't know if I could choose between the DS and the GBA so GBA is my vote. The main reason I love it is because of it's backwards compability. The GBA game library alone is pretty impressive too, there's something there for all my different tastes.

[retroman]

Hey dont forget the N-Gage.....