What Handheld systems do you own/enjoy?
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What Handheld systems do you own/enjoy?
I have a GBA SP, TurboExpress, and Gameboy. I may have a few others, but the only one I really use is the GBA SP. I'm thinking of getting a DS Lite, but I need to hear more opinions about it. Too pricey with all the games I would want.
GBA SP! I got it for my birthday a couple of years ago and I love it! My three boy like it also, but the eldest got one of his own now.
I originally wanted to develop homebrew software for the GBA, so I bought a flash cart, but I decided it was more fun trying to develop for 8-bit systems.
I also have a Dell Axim X51v PDA which has some great games and emulators.
I originally wanted to develop homebrew software for the GBA, so I bought a flash cart, but I decided it was more fun trying to develop for 8-bit systems.
I also have a Dell Axim X51v PDA which has some great games and emulators.
I have a Nintendo Game&Watch: "Fire". 
PRG Starter - a VICE helper / Vic Software (Boray Gammon, SD2IEC music player, Vic Disk Menu, Tribbles, Mega Omega, How Many 8K etc.)
I had a gameboy pocket about five years ago for a couple of months. I sold it because I was satisfied with playing my old classic consoles & VIC-20. I found that I got bored of the GB games pretty quick and I didn't like that fact you had to carry a lot of cartridges around. Plus the chess game (which was the killer app for me) was sooooo slow in anything beyond the basic level. Also I felt like I was wasting time I could have used to read or practice a music instrument (which I like to do when travelling), so I sold it.
That said, I do love the idea of the Gameboy. I remember when I first saw one (the original) I was amazed that they could get something that basically had the same abilities as a Commodore 64 into a handheld device.
Right now I have some of those old Coleco tabletop electronic games from the 80s. They are fun, but I don't play them very much.
That said, I do love the idea of the Gameboy. I remember when I first saw one (the original) I was amazed that they could get something that basically had the same abilities as a Commodore 64 into a handheld device.
Right now I have some of those old Coleco tabletop electronic games from the 80s. They are fun, but I don't play them very much.
Last edited by ral-clan on Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The GBA is a great leap from the gameboy. Not that I am encouraging you to waste time!
However, the flash cart (as many games and whichever games you want without carrying carts), and the memory (much more evolved gameplay) may be solutions to your problems with the GB pocket. Not to mention that it is backlit and has a built-in rechargeable battery.
I don't like the design form of the DS, but the built-in chat rooms could be fun and very novel. I'm just waiting for a flash card to come out, and that will compel me to invest in one.
However, the flash cart (as many games and whichever games you want without carrying carts), and the memory (much more evolved gameplay) may be solutions to your problems with the GB pocket. Not to mention that it is backlit and has a built-in rechargeable battery.
I don't like the design form of the DS, but the built-in chat rooms could be fun and very novel. I'm just waiting for a flash card to come out, and that will compel me to invest in one.
Story-time!
I got my original Game Boy back in 1990. I played it a *lot*. I bought a Game Boy Pocket whenever it came out, probably in 1996, and was thrilled with how much clearer (better contrast) the screen was. I got a Game Boy Color probably in 1999 or so, and this got me interested in coding it. I got a flash cart for it, and using my newly aquired Z80 skills from the TI-86 calculator, coded a simple game demo for it.
Around this time a guy I knew through the C64 demo scene contacted me. He was heading a team working on a commercial GBC game. He flew me down to Toronto for a job interview which was a neat experience, and cool to see their development studio. I didn't get the job because I didn't want to move from Thunder Bay
I didn't get a Game Boy Advance when they came out. I resented how quickly Nintendo moved on from the GBC, and how they were leaving 8-bit hardware behind.
In 2004 I heard about a game called "Car Battler Joe" which was basically a remake of one of my all-time favourites, Autoduel, and it was on the GBA. I ordered a copy on ebay, and then went looking to buy GBA hardware. I saw the GBA SP, and thought it brilliant; built-in rechargable battery, illuminated screen made it much easier to see than any GB to date; and it still played the old games way back to 1989!
When the Nintendo DS was released in late 2004, I again resented it, since they did away with classic GB compatability, and I thought the dual screens were a gimmick. I then had a chance to program a commercial GBA game in the first half of 2006, and after that positive experience realized that the GBA's life was just about over, and the DS would be the future if I wanted to keep going with portable programming.
So I got a DS Lite for Father's Day 2006 and have really been enjoying it. I play GBA games on it instead of my GBA SP now because of the even better display and better sound through the built-in speakers. There have also been a bunch of DS games I've really enjoyed, such as New Super Mario Bros., Brain Age, Big Brain Academy and Lost in Blue.
I got a GBA Micro a couple weeks ago because Superstore was blowing them out for $30 each. Neat, though difficult to play for long since it's so small.
Other portable stuff: Game Gear (I find the screen too blurry to want to play for long), Cybiko (neat gadget that had some potential), TI-86 (I think this counts since I mostly bought it to play and program games) and dozens of handheld electronic games that I collect whenever the price is right.
I got my original Game Boy back in 1990. I played it a *lot*. I bought a Game Boy Pocket whenever it came out, probably in 1996, and was thrilled with how much clearer (better contrast) the screen was. I got a Game Boy Color probably in 1999 or so, and this got me interested in coding it. I got a flash cart for it, and using my newly aquired Z80 skills from the TI-86 calculator, coded a simple game demo for it.
Around this time a guy I knew through the C64 demo scene contacted me. He was heading a team working on a commercial GBC game. He flew me down to Toronto for a job interview which was a neat experience, and cool to see their development studio. I didn't get the job because I didn't want to move from Thunder Bay
I didn't get a Game Boy Advance when they came out. I resented how quickly Nintendo moved on from the GBC, and how they were leaving 8-bit hardware behind.
In 2004 I heard about a game called "Car Battler Joe" which was basically a remake of one of my all-time favourites, Autoduel, and it was on the GBA. I ordered a copy on ebay, and then went looking to buy GBA hardware. I saw the GBA SP, and thought it brilliant; built-in rechargable battery, illuminated screen made it much easier to see than any GB to date; and it still played the old games way back to 1989!
When the Nintendo DS was released in late 2004, I again resented it, since they did away with classic GB compatability, and I thought the dual screens were a gimmick. I then had a chance to program a commercial GBA game in the first half of 2006, and after that positive experience realized that the GBA's life was just about over, and the DS would be the future if I wanted to keep going with portable programming.
So I got a DS Lite for Father's Day 2006 and have really been enjoying it. I play GBA games on it instead of my GBA SP now because of the even better display and better sound through the built-in speakers. There have also been a bunch of DS games I've really enjoyed, such as New Super Mario Bros., Brain Age, Big Brain Academy and Lost in Blue.
I got a GBA Micro a couple weeks ago because Superstore was blowing them out for $30 each. Neat, though difficult to play for long since it's so small.
Other portable stuff: Game Gear (I find the screen too blurry to want to play for long), Cybiko (neat gadget that had some potential), TI-86 (I think this counts since I mostly bought it to play and program games) and dozens of handheld electronic games that I collect whenever the price is right.
I love story time.MacbthPSW wrote:Around this time a guy I knew through the C64 demo scene contacted me. He was heading a team working on a commercial GBC game. He flew me down to Toronto for a job interview...
I then had a chance to program a commercial GBA game in the first half of 2006,...
Let me make this absolutely clear. If anyone ever has an opportunity to work on a commercial game for any system, I would like to be considered for any contribution I could make in any capacity!!
I feel like almost everyone I know has a credit on some videogame!
I have some handhelds...
Atari Lynx, Sega GameGear, Gameboy, Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Color and some Game & Watch Clones...
Of them I enjoy the Lynx the most... It's a fabulous machine with fun games.
Atari Lynx, Sega GameGear, Gameboy, Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Color and some Game & Watch Clones...
Of them I enjoy the Lynx the most... It's a fabulous machine with fun games.
Check out my humble collection of old 'puters an such
http://www.zeela.se
http://www.zeela.se
If I get the opportunity again to suggest people to the company I've done work for, then I could try to suggest youJeff-20 wrote:Let me make this absolutely clear. If anyone ever has an opportunity to work on a commercial game for any system, I would like to be considered for any contribution I could make in any capacity!!
Do you code in C++ at all? It's very much the standard in the games industry, at least for the kind of stuff I've worked on.I'd recommend working on a bit of a game for the DS, maybe using PAlib so you have something to show if you get a break.
The other thing that might be useful would be to learn one of the popular scripting languages in conjunction with an existing game engine, which is the other way things are done. Maybe Lua, or Torque on the PC? I don't know, as I don't have much experience there, just kind of looked into it for a while.
I've got a DS Lite which doesn't see much use. I like the hardware and the games I have (New Super Mario Bros., Tetris DS and Swing Away Golf) are very good. The problem is that the DS hurts my hands if I play for more than 15 minutes. I find the left and right buttons on the top very difficult to use which annoys me because they're really important when playing Tetris. I wish I could play it more. I suppose I'll have to wait for DS emulation to be ready for prime time.
I also have a GP2X which is a really neat handheld. That Wikipedia entry does a good job of describing it and what it can do so if you're curious, give it a read. What I didn't expect when I got the GP2X was that it would be as much fun, if not more, to program for it than it is to use it to play games (via emulators). It's hard to find a fault with a device that is inexpensive and open and it's the most versatile device I've ever owned.
I've also had a series of PalmOS-based devices over the years (my current is a Sony Clie SJ30) and when you get right down to it, they have been best for portable gaming. Lots of great games, many of them free, and the hardware can be used for so much more. My Clie is getting a little long in the tooth and I've had my eye on the Palm T|X for a while so I might buy one in a moment of weakness.
What I really want is a convergence device and the iPhone looks like it might fit the bill. Unfortunately, Apple hasn't given any indications that it will be available in Canada. <sigh>
I also have a GP2X which is a really neat handheld. That Wikipedia entry does a good job of describing it and what it can do so if you're curious, give it a read. What I didn't expect when I got the GP2X was that it would be as much fun, if not more, to program for it than it is to use it to play games (via emulators). It's hard to find a fault with a device that is inexpensive and open and it's the most versatile device I've ever owned.
I've also had a series of PalmOS-based devices over the years (my current is a Sony Clie SJ30) and when you get right down to it, they have been best for portable gaming. Lots of great games, many of them free, and the hardware can be used for so much more. My Clie is getting a little long in the tooth and I've had my eye on the Palm T|X for a while so I might buy one in a moment of weakness.
What I really want is a convergence device and the iPhone looks like it might fit the bill. Unfortunately, Apple hasn't given any indications that it will be available in Canada. <sigh>
In the end it will be as if nothing ever happened.
I did find the DS Lite uncomfortable at first, but I've mostly gotten used to it. I still do find the shoulder buttons not as easy to use as on my GBA SP, though very few of the games I've been playing use them.gklinger wrote:The problem is that the DS hurts my hands if I play for more than 15 minutes. I find the left and right buttons on the top very difficult to use which annoys me because they're really important when playing Tetris.
You reminded me, I forgot to mention my old Palm III and the Vx that I had from work. I've had a lot of good gaming time there. My favourite game has to be Strategic Commander - I've registered it, and played hundreds and hundreds of games of it over the years, though it's probably been nearly two years since I had a Palm running to play it on.I've also had a series of PalmOS-based devices over the years (my current is a Sony Clie SJ30) and when you get right down to it, they have been best for portable gaming.
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Re: What Handheld systems do you own/enjoy?
Well, I know it is not a game machine per se but mine is loaded with Tetris, Othello, a chess game and Galaga and it sure is handheld.Jeff-20 wrote:I have a GBA SP, TurboExpress, and Gameboy. I may have a few others, but the only one I really use is the GBA SP. I'm thinking of getting a DS Lite, but I need to hear more opinions about it. Too pricey with all the games I would want.
And here it it... my TI-92+
I don't know that much about the XGP. I've never seen one in person so all I know is what I've read on the web. I understand it's similar to the GP2X but it isn't open which was the big appeal of the GP2X. Within days of getting mine I had ported over a few emulators and was having fun with it. Also, there doesn't seem to be the same kind of community support.Jeff-20 wrote:Do you have any opinions on the XGP in comparrison to the GP2X?
In the end it will be as if nothing ever happened.