These days, I do the majority of my gaming on the go. Whether I am sitting around waiting for my next class to start or wasting time while my Grandfather watches the news, my handheld systems are a constant companion. Enter the DS and PSP. I have always been torn between the two systems. What if something should happen and I was forced to give up one or the other? Which system would I choose?
Thea's on-the-go essentials.
On the one hand, the PSP seems to have more memorable titles: Final Fantasy I & II, Final Fantasy Tactics, Disgaea, Crisis Core, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and so on. These titles alone are what finally convinced me to invest in the system and so far I have not been disappointed. However, the downside to many of the games I have encountered on the PSP is that it takes a lot of time to accomplish anything. These are not titles that I can play for five minutes and feel I have completed something. These are titles that make me want to curl up in a comfortable chair when I have hours of time to devote to characters, pretty graphics, and complicated storylines.
This is where the DS comes into play. More often than not, if I feel the need to play a game for a few minutes I reach for my DS. The DS has a variety of games that do not require hours of my time, such as Pokemon, Tetris, Meteos, Super Princess Peach, and the Castlevania titles. At the same time, if I want to engross myself within an RPG I can pick up Final Fantasy III or IV. At a glance, it seems the DS has the upper hand. However, the titles on the DS have disappointed me more than once. The only stylus-based game I have enjoyed is Meteos, the rest just feel gimmicky, as if the stylus features were tacked on at the last minute to boost sales (Look this game has stylus features!). In addition to this, I was disappointed by the 3D rendering of Final Fantasy IV and found that I would much prefer to play the GBA version. Yet, I would still be hard-pressed to part with my DS, especially with the upcoming Valkyrie Profile release!
In the end, I fear I have not been able to decide which system I like better. The only thing the two seem to have in common is that they are both handheld devices that I can slide in my purse on the way out the door. So, readers, what do you think? DS or PSP?
