The gauntlets have been thrown down. Nintendo and Sony are preparing to put out their new handheld gaming devices, and now we know what they both are.

3DS
Announced and presented last year, the successor to the DS promises to bring glasses-free 3D to the masses.

Power: Supposedly about as powerful as the Gamecube
Price: $250
Battery Life: 3-5 hours
Medium: 3DS Cartridge (DS as well)
Launch: March 2011
Features:
- Adjustable widescreen 3.5" 3D top screen
- Touch-sensitive bottom screen
- A camera inside, and two cameras outside that can take 3D pictures
- Microphone
- SD card slot
- An indeterminate amount of internal storage
- Directional pad and analog "circle pad"
- Motion sensor and gyro sensor
- Comes with a charging station
- Spotpass and Streetpass, for wirelessly communicating with hotspots and other 3DS handhelds.
- Backward compatible with DS games, DSiWare transfers to it.
- Online downloadable software shop and Game Boy virtual console titles


PSP2 (or Next Gen Portable as they're calling it right now)
Announced at a press conference, the followup to the PSP sports a massive upgrade to features and functionality in about every regard, including touch controls and 3G connectivity.

Power: Reportedly just short of the PS3 itself
Price: Unknown
Battery Life: Said to be the same as the PSP
Medium: Flash Memory cards capable of storing save data and game expansions
Launch: Holiday season 2011
Features:
- Touch-enabled 5" OLED Screen
- Multi-touch pad on back
- Directional pad and two analog pads
- Front and rear cameras
- Microphone
- Sixaxis motion and gyro sensors
- Built-in GPS and compass
- 3G Network connectivity
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Accesses the PSN online store for downloadable content
- Compatible with existing downloadable PS1 games, PSN titles and PSPMini titles


So, there you go... The two portable hardware giants are set to duke it out, both vying for your money and coveted pocket space (space possibly already spoken for by some kind of smart phone). One will tempt you with Monster Hunter, the other with Pokemon. Which one will win you over in the end? (or will you succumb to BOTH of them?!)

Well, while the DSiware transferring to it is a good thing, it doesn't change that $250 is approx £180. So that's how much it should be rightWRONG IT'S £220 GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Although I imagine it'll be much less if I trade in my DSi. Of course if it's like £10 off then fuck that it's off on Ebay.

Whatever, I'll still be buying the 3DS and I'll still be loving it like the insane little Nintendo fanboy that I am. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get in to an argument with someone about the new PSP sucking so much more than the 3DS and how he is wrong and I am right.
Gentlemen.

My personal history with portable platforms will lead me down the road of the 3DS. And I actually did poke around E3 and found out the "3D" part of it wasn't gimmicky!

Though I'm not sure about you other Nintendo-lovers, but I always wait a month or two before buying their next console. And it's looking to be the case here as well. Nintendo usually doesn't have an amazing title out upon release like we are seeing with the 3DS. So I'm just going to wait for that new Mario or Zelda (or maybe Donkey Kong?!) to come out, hopefully as a bundle. It's inevitable that I'll buy it, just not on release.

Actually, I'm really hoping they do improve connectivity like they're claiming they will. I've always considered that to be their weakest point - providing a decent online system.

I WILL HAVE BOTH! MWA HA HA!

I won't buy either, but there is no contest anyway.
Nintendo own the handheld market and the psp was an epic failure to begin with, so the second isn't likely to succeed regardless.

I bought a PSP long before a DS, when the PSP could still have user-created games and ROMs and stuff put on it. Sony put a stop to that pretty quickly and... that's about the point its usefulness stopped, for me. It got pulled out for LocoRoco and Dead Head Fred, and that's it. It's been sitting in a drawer for the last 4 years.

My DS on the other hand gets used constantly. All the games I want to play are on it.

Undoubtedly Sony's machines are nicer, more powerful and packed with more stuff, but I never used it for watching movies or whatever else they think I should have been doing with it.

I wasn't even planning on getting a 3DS til I heard about the Layton/Wright crossover game they're making. (And I'll still have to wait until the system is much cheaper, probably.)

psp is geared more to an older audience but that is pretty much wrapped up by iphones and the like, it sits between two markets and I doubt it will stand out enough on it's own to succeed.

As for me...

I'll likely wait one year before getting anything. I tend to do that with most game systems these days. It helps me wait out that awkward period where there aren't many good games, meanwhile I'm just playing the games I missed from the past system. Also, they work out all the little problems by then and you're less likely to get a faulty machine with dead pixels or problems. Also, after a year of waiting you get a better idea of how the system is doing and whether or not they're going to release a new model or lower the price.

I've been pretty happy with the Nintendo handhelds. Maybe it's just the lower specs of their systems, but they've usually been affordable and populated with games that were meant to be portable. I'll probably bet the 3DS in 2012, and hopefully by then they'll have a red version on the market.

I don't care much for the 3D. I can't see 3D at all. But there are certain franchises I enjoy that make their home on Nintendo handhelds (Layton, Mario games, Zelda, Pokemon, etc.) And I've never enjoyed handheld gaming more than the Ouendan series (Elite Beat Agents in the west).

I don't think the PSP is a bad system. In fact, I'm probably the only person in 50 square miles that owns a PSPgo and likes it. It's pocket-sized, has a few pretty fun games on it, and I've modded it to run homebrew stuff like Cave Story and emulators. (And I got it at $100 off its ridiculous price)

The PSP2 does look tempting to me. However, it's HUMONGOUS. It won't fit in my pocket on its own, let alone with a case I'd buy for it. I think large screens on portables are overrated because you can always move the screen closer to you to simulate a big screen. It's not like a TV. But I love the idea of the touch panel on back. And I also love the idea of more LittleBigPlanet. I'm going to guess it'll cost $400, but we'll see. I don't think I'd get it until at least two years after launch, if ever.

Portable gaming is more about quick-fixes for me, not long gaming sessions. If Sony can embrace that idea and not try so hard to put the home console experience in your pocket, I think they'll do okay. But I'd never buy the 3G version of the PSP2... the last thing I need is a monthly payment added to my handheld.

Genejoke
Nintendo own the handheld market and the psp was an epic failure to begin with, so the second isn't likely to succeed regardless.

Yeah, definitely in the west the PSP kind of fizzled near the end. But it actually had a phenomenal year in Japan. It just fell just short of outselling the DS in Japan this year, and the DS had incredible sales. But it's mainly because there were some pretty high-profile games in Japan that they didn't release anywhere else.

Dude yes I have a PSPgo and I think it's great! I really think PSP is underrated. There are so many great games on it that are just overlooked. Two incredible killer app games just last year: Valkyria Chronicles 2 and MGS:Peace Walker.

Coming in second in a market of two doesn't make a system automatically a failure.

As for these two systems, though, I still see no reason to invest money in either. It just seems like the library of games for portables these days is severely lacking and as they push for a distribution method that relies entirely on downloadable content, games are only going to get cheaper, shorter, and less involved.

The two games I mentioned prove you to be extremely wrong. The trend portable gaming is heading to is of games that offer a lot of content that are designed to be played on wireless with friends. Pokemon, Monster Hunter, Valkyria Chronicles, Peace Walker, etc

While you're right about massive RPGs offering connectivity and bringing people together, he does have a point. And unfortunately that's not something easily changed - I'm talking about American culture here. We're just not embracing DLC and online play for the potential it really has (in the US).

Take for instance Dragon Quest IX. I've only been able to play at a "hub" on release day at Gamestop. Ever since then, it's been a pain finding a place to go to connect with others. However, I'm certain in Japan just about every gaming store offers a place to hang out and play this game.

The two games I mentioned prove you to be extremely wrong.

No, they really don't. While it may take a while to get through those games, the amount of unique content in them is significantly less than in their predecessors. Both games rely on a fairly limited core game experience and try to expand it by offering multiple missions through the same territory or online play. With the systems getting more powerful and moving away from physical media, developers are going to HAVE to stick to that kind of approach. It feels cheap and makes games less engaging and repetitive.

You are the biggest Contrarian I have ever witnessed.

I have to admit... the 3DS sounds pretty sweet. The fact that it adopts the glasses free 3D screen technology and seems to do it well, seems to confirm my "3D is here to stay" theory. Also, if it's going to be cheaper then PSP2 and available half a year before PSP2, then that's going to be a mayor disadvantage for Sony as well (comparing this with the fact that X-box 360 came before PS3 while Wii is cheaper then both and Sony has sold the least amount of consoles of the three).

I also agree that 3DS is doing right by targeting younger gamers. The older you are, the more likely you are owning a smart phone that are starting to look like pocket laptops that you can make phone calls with, rather then phones. Most of those phones offer a large selection of games, that can be downloaded cheap, online and that's going to be a huge competition for pocket consoles that are more limited then smart phones.

While Hell may freeze over before I get a PSP(2), I am in absolutely no rush to get a 3DS.

Playstation phone.
Maybe I'll eventually get a 3ds too.

I only just got my PSP for my birthday in april. It's the Xbox 360 all over again (Got an Xbox for my 16th birthday and that Christmas the 360 came out)...

Except the PSP2 looks harder to hold. I'd much rather have two shoulder buttons on each side than two thumbsticks. It'd probably be more comfortable, too.

I actually traded in a bunch of games I don't play anymore as well as my old DS and preordered a 3DS last week.

I normally wait a bit with buying a new console, however I knew that I would want one eventually, and I didn't want to play the hunt and go seek game again like I had to do for months after the Wii came out. Now, I'm not saying the 3DS will have the same popularity as the Wii... but just in case it does, I wouldn't be left in the lurch.

That being said... this has to be one of the least appealing launch lineups for a system that I've seen in awhile. All of the good first party Nintendo titles aren't really launching until June, right before E3. So as far as launch games are concerned... I'm torn.

As for the PSP2... I got a PSP mainly to play some games that weren't gonna run on the DS. But after seeing demos of Street Fighter 4, Resident Evil, Metal Gear, and others... it looks like the 3DS will be able to handle those games nicely. So I am probably going to stick with just the 3DS this time.

I just hope SONY doesn't try and force another media format (like they did with UMD's) on this go round' with the PSP2.

So, I just picked mine up yesterday, and I have to say that I'm impressed. I was a bit skeptical about how good the 3D would actually be, but it really works well. I took a few photos with the 3D camera and while they are a bit grainy, the 3D effect is really nice. Everyone I ended up showing the pictures to ended up touching the 3D screen thinking that the images were popping out.

The built in games are fun for awhile as well, but are mainly there as tech demos to show you what the system is capable of, but they are impressive.

The only game I purchased from the thin launch lineup was Street Fighter 4, and while you can play it in 3D. it doesn't really add a whole lot to the game, but the game itself plays really nice for a handheld port.

I played for about an hour and a half straight and didn't experience anymore noticeable eye strain than if I were playing a non 3D game. 3D or not, it probably isn't advisable to be playing 8 hour stretches of videogames without a break. :)

Unfortunately, the 3DS won't let you anyways, as the biggest drawback is it's battery life (about 3.5 to 5 hrs), but I guess Nintendo figured for a portable gaming device that was sufficient. Just keep your charger nearby.

All in all its still early, but so far I'm impressed. I mainly got one early because of what happened with the Wii, word of mouth started to spread and you couldn't find one for months. Which is how I feel the 3DS is going to be now that more of them are out there and people see how impressive the technology is, I wouldn't be surprised to see shortages.

I still wish Nintendo had decided to put a major franchise in the launch window, oh well.

Tried the 3DS at a Best Buy the other day. I wasn't particularly impressed with it. Oddly, while 3D in theaters doesn't bother me, the 3DS gave me a headache. Plus, like any other "glasses free" 3D, you still have to hold your head in a particular position or the image shifts. In the end, it's just another Nintendo gimmick which doesn't work for me. Whenever they get around to releasing a game which makes the system worth buying for me, I'll probably pass on using the 3D features.

The 3D effect is extremely straining on your eyes which is irritating since it's the selling point but I love handhelds so I'm happy with my 3DS the software it comes with is great fun on it's on.

Anyone remember how Sony fanboys argued that the PS3 had incredible technology and the best potential for games on the market and then Nintendo fanboys argued that it didn't matter because the didn't have any games out?

I kept telling myself I'd wait on the 3DS... after all, who knows when they'll put out a better one? But the tech junkie in me couldn't resist and I bought one. The store I got it at had a good deal going on where I could get $25 off the game I wanted.

At first I felt a little guilty for caving in, but now I'm glad I got it. It has been pretty fun. Because I can't see 3D at all, I play with the 3D turned entirely off. So there's been no possibility of headaches or eye strain. I have to enjoy the system purely on its non-3D merits, and it has done a fairly good job.

I didn't think Streetpass would be any use to me (it's the feature where you exchange information with random people who have their 3DS in sleep mode) but it has become one of my favorite things. It turns out that five other people I work with have a 3DS and we've been walking by each others' offices to make Streetpass happen. Several games installed on the 3DS make use of the feature, and every day I look forward to progressing in those games.

The AR cards game is fairly fun. It's just a simple toy right now, but I hope it's something we see used more frequently in upcoming games. It's a little jittery at times and requires proper lighting... but when you get the conditions right the effect is pretty neat.

I loved making Miis on the Wii, and I love it even more on the 3DS because you get more facial features and options, and you can have a photo of the person you're making side-by-side with the Mii you're working on. That makes it a lot easier. The photo-to-Mii conversion isn't incredibly accurate, but it provides you with a good starting point.

Here's what shocked me... I played an online match of Street Fighter 4 with a friend, and it worked perfectly. I'm sure that's not always the case, but it's so nice to see Nintendo finally getting their online situation together. By the way, Street Fighter 4 3D is a fantastic port of the HD console game.

Quick points:
Pros:
+ The circle pad works quite well.
+ While it won't replace my iPod, the music player comes with some fun features.
+ As with the DSi, there are some neat options included with photo taking.
+ The friends list and friend codes are a major step up for a Nintendo device. They're far more convenient this time around.
+ The menu interface is smooth and pleasant.
+ Several preinstalled games to have fun with.

Cons:
- Not a lot of great games yet... but there are some intriguing ones on the way.
- Design of the whole system has a last-gen aesthetic. It's not ugly, but it doesn't look cutting-edge.
- Cameras are sufficient for the device's screen resolution, but stronger cameras would be nice.
- I'm not too wild about the flat Select, Start, and Home buttons.
- I would have preferred they switch the circle-pad with the D-pad, but what they have works and will probably be preferable when I get a game that makes good use of the circle-pad.
- The battery life is a bit short, though I've never had trouble with it since I play in 2D all the time.

All in all, it's a fun device packed with plenty of things to do and lots of little easter eggs. Even a guy like me who doesn't use the 3D has really enjoyed the purchase.

Friend code? :D

4339-2481-6575

1719-3182-0781 I posted mine in the other thread but here it is anyway. Has anybody seen this game Dream Trigger for 3DS? It comes out Tuesday it looks pretty cool.

I tried the 3ds last month. As a 3D connoseur I gotta say it didn't take me long to adjust.

The guy behind the counter that let me have a test told me that it's not advised for kids six and under to use them since it affects their eye development.

Does this mean that it could be geared more towards older audiences as a necessity in order to make up for losing that demographic?

The games I played were Nintendogs + Cats and Street Fighter 3D.

It's not perfect. But it's still new tech and in a year or so things will get increasingly better, I reckon.

After having the system for a couple weeks, the 3d effect has gotten easier to adjust to. I've gotten a couple more games, as I somehow managed to lose my copy of SFIV.

I still just feel like I have a system that's not being used to it's full potential. I wish they would've had the eshop ready to go at launch. Overall, I'm happy with the system, but right now it feels as though its not quite fully realized yet.

I also like the idea of Streetpass, unfortunately I have yet to come across another 3ds owner in my travels, so I can't really comment on that.

I don't buy much games that I can't already download for free. :B

I dunno, though. If I had the money and the time, I'd probably go with the PSP2. Sony makes good on the "We do what NintenDon't" promise, so I can't argue with them there. Nintendo's 3DS looks like a modified DS with a new wicketty-thingamajigger on the top left.

As long as I can play Street Fighter on it, I'll be fine. Always good to play that on the go. BlazBlue or whatever, that other game I saw for it which was all 2D, looked pretty awful on such low, low resolution.

Eventually, it'll boil down to me wondering if I can get SCUMMVM to run on either one.