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!

[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

[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 > )