Whats your favourite Handheld console?

[Mootown]

Tried it and even with the switch off it gives my eyes a major pounding. Guess im just never going to be able to enjoy the 3d fad and just enjoy life in 3 dimensions instead.

That surprises me, as I can only see out of one eye properly and I've had no trouble playing any 3DS games at all obviously with the 3D turned off. It's probably my most used system at the moment.

EDIT: On saying that, I do find the size of my 3DS XL screen a lot better than I used to with my old original size 3DS.

Everybody's different though. Do any other handhelds give you headaches?

Nothing to do with your eyes it's the brain that cannot sort out what it's seeing. It's never talked about as company's try to sell 3D TV's that an estimated 16% of people in this country cannot see 3D images. My mum and dad being two I know. It still just looks a mess as if watching without glasses and gives them headaches

You can quite literally switch off the 3D altogether on a 3DS - in the settings. So the slider doesn't even do anything. That, plus the XL bigger screen may solve the problem, worth a look at least

[shiftytigger]

So I could switch off the 3d and still enjoy Luigi's Mansion 2? This may have to be investigated further. Is there still the strange filter effect over the screen , I should imagine so as i think it required to keep the 3d 'glasses free'.

But still , mat have to look further into it. Now If only they made the DSiXL with a GBA socket - that would be my almost perfect handheld.

[kiwimike]

I'd say the Atari Lynx has a stunning quality games library. Far superior in quality relative to Game Gear and Game Boy, imo.

This made me laugh.

Then I went and had a proper look at the Lynx library. I'd never really looked beyond the big titles that are always dragged out for Lynx discussions, but there's much more than that with a good mix of known ports and exclusives in there. I need to investigate this further.

I actually helped update that list over the years but just looking at it again it needs a major update as there is quite a bit of homebrew stuff missing and a few prototype titles too.

God yes, the homebrew/prototypes (and screenshots) you post here at times makes me go green with jealously, then think what could have been with the Lynx...then cry!

[Matt_B]

So I could switch off the 3d and still enjoy Luigi's Mansion 2? This may have to be investigated further. Is there still the strange filter effect over the screen , I should imagine so as i think it required to keep the 3d 'glasses free'.

But still , mat have to look further into it. Now If only they made the DSiXL with a GBA socket - that would be my almost perfect handheld.

It's not so much a "strange filter" as a set of barriers that make alternate pixels visible to either one eye or another. If the 3D is turned off, each eye will be shown exactly the same image so you'll get precisely the same effect as a 2D screen of half the resolution.

You can read about the technology here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_barrier

So far as I know there aren't any games that need the 3D turned on to be playable, although some that are reliant upon depth perception might be a bit more difficult without it.

[piginapoke]

The Lynx was cool, and I like the PSP but the bog standard DS Lite works best. Very well thought out piece of kit.

[Sepp Salerno]

DS, love all the emulation you can do on it

[crotea]

Forgot to say what my this gen favourite was, so I'd have to say the 3DS. Thought the whole 3D thing was quite 'gimmicky' at first but surprisingly I ended out absolutely loving it!

[Provvidenza]

The original Game Boy, even though it was black and white and didn't have a lit screen, the first truly accessible games machine.

[RUOK]

Gameboy for Tetris and Pokemon, what else do you need?

[shiftytigger]

Having now tried the 3DS XL and used the OFF switch I quite enjoyed playing Space Harrier on it - no headache,could be the reason to get one at last.

[Sel Feena]

The PSP, hands down, there is just such a wealth of games that are up my alley, I don't think I could afford to get them all in. I was always of the view that more powerful handhelds weren't necessary and that the Gameboy was all anyone needed, really glad I gave the PSP a spin.

[greenberet79]

The PSP, no contest. An emulation monster and a really solid collection of good modern games. And if you hack it (which is pretty easy) you can stick everything to run off a memory card - no need for discs.

[ArchaicKoala]

The original Gameboy is probably the handheld that holds the most memories for me.
I remember borrowing the neighbours Gameboy with Mario Land and Tetris whilst he went on holiday as his parents wouldn't let him take it with him! Needless to say I spent most of that week hooked on Mario Land struggling to get past the level with the Easter Island head type enemies.
Looking back now I realise how easy Mario Land is and how bad a gamer i was back then but damn was it fun!


However!
My favourite handheld goes to the Gameboy Colour just simply for Pokémon Red, I imported Red just off the back of all of the preview hype that Nintendo Magazine and some Gameboy Magazine (pocket gamer maybe?) were giving the game. The sad thing is I hit the 255 hour mark before the UK release even happened