# thaddius' Console Roast 2014 Edition - Round 12



## thaddius (May 8, 2014)

Welcome back to _thaddius’ Console Roast 2014 Edition_. For those of you who are not aware this is a poll where you, the GBATemp user, get to vote on what GBATemp thinks is the worst console ever is. For more information check out the Rules section below.

Well well! Look what you've done. Y'all chose:





*The Microsoft Xbox 360*! Congratulations Microsoft you won _again_, although I don't know what you did to deserve it.

I was honestly expecting a trouncing of the Wii. You surprise me GBATemp. More than half of you agreed too. Very very strange.

Ah well. Let's do the rules, shall we?

*Rules:*


Spoiler



There can only be one!

Each week I pit each console generation against itself to determine what the worst console of that generation was. Updates will hopefully be up every Thursday from now till the end.

We’re going to work our way up through consoles and handhelds until we reach the current generation. Once that’s all done, we’ll determine the worst console and the worst handheld. From there we choose the definitive GBATemp-approved WORST CONSOLE EVER.

Your only job, Mr. or Ms. GBATemper, is to cast your vote for what you think the worst of the generation is. Please try to do some research, watch some videos, maybe play a few of these games on a (completely legitimate) emulator, and you just might learn a little about the weird amorphous blob that is video game history. But I can't (and won't) keep you from just shooting from the uninformed hip. You're also encouraged to explain your choice in the form of a response to this topic. 

In the event of a tie, I (Sir thaddius prigg) will cast the deciding vote. It is my Roast after all...

The Generations are taken from Wikipedia as I've deemed that to be an appropriate neutral third party. I understand if you might have some concerns that I've put things in the wrong generation in your opinion, but I'm not too concerned about that. Generations are murky constructs at best and are based on arbitrary distinctions made by outsiders as post hoc rationalizations that don't mean anything to anyone anyway. Also if I left out even included a certain console/handheld you think does/doesn't belong there I'm probably not going to include/not include them anyway. Basically don't take any of this too seriously. I'm not going to change the polls based on your opinion of them.

Aggressive discussion is allowed, but please try to keep within the rules of the forums. Just try to have fun and don’t be a jerk, k?


Enough of that crap, time to get started!

*Intro:*
Onward and upward! We move into the _current_ handheld generation. Oooooh interesting stuff! This will be the last handheld bracket before the semi-finals. Almost there guys!

I can't really tell what this generation is marked by as it's all over the place. Once again we see Nintendo leading the pack (for now?). But who will 'win' this round? Who will you choose as the worst? Well let's meet everyone so we can get down to brass tacks.

*This Week's Challengers are:*

*The Nintendo 3DS*




“I hear that the 3DS gives you eye cancer like an ill fated red & black system from ’95. And $250US? Who’s going to buy that thing?”

The 3DS had a very rough start. Within months of launch the 3DS was hardly standing out against the DS. And the name, just like the Wii U, was confusing people.

While sales were not great a lot of people decried the doom of Nintendo (again). Fallacious prognosticators seemed to be having a competition to see who could say the most outlandish things about Nintendo and the state of the handheld business. “Will this be Nintendo’s last handheld?” “Will Nintendo stop making hardware altogether?” “Is handheld gaming made irrelevant by Smart Phones?” None of these turned out to be true. And because hindsight is 20/20 they seem to be odd things to have said about a handheld that is doing fine now.

The 3DS’ eShop manages to be a much better showing than the DSi’s lacklustre storefront. And with downloadable demos (with stupid limits, mind), DLC, patches/updates, and all the things you’d expect from a modern console, the 3DS manages to make itself relevant.

Just like the GBA and DS Nintendo seems to think that we need a hardware revision every once in a while, so we have 2 so far for the 3DS, the 3DS XL and the, ever confusing, 2DS.

We shall see how it fares as the generation continues. I wonder just how long it'll take before the next gen surfaces and what Nintendo will do to top this.

*The PlayStation Vita*




With the Vita Sony finally learned from the PSP about the perils of overpriced proprietary media. Just kidding, they didn’t. And don’t think you can use use any old Memory Stick Micro (M2) card in that newfangled Vita of yours. That 32GB one you got for the poorly received PSPGo won’t work. It’s gotta be a brand spanking new one with ‘PSVITA’ written on it. Something about DRM.

Let’s face it though, there are a lot of great games for the Vita. On top of having a large quantity of ports (there are a lot of ports…) and original games, you have the PSOne Classics, the PSP back catalogue too. But there’s a glaring issue with those last two: a large portion of them can’t be downloaded directly onto the Vita, and even then a bunch won’t work with the Vita at all.

Recently, just after the North American Easter Sale of 2014, all PSP and PSOne games that are on the PSN store suddenly became available for direct download and Vita owners rejoiced. Then it turned out to have been a mistake and it was fixed two days later…

Maybe it’s not a big deal when you have games like Dragon’s Crown and Spelunky to entertain you, but barring licensing issues there’s no reason not to have those games available on Vita. People want to play Metal Gear Solid without having to run it through a PS3 first (if you even have one). And maybe there are some masochists out there who’re aching for some Metal Gear Ac!d.

The Vita is actually being heavily advertised as an extension of the PS4, hoping to capitalize on it’s similarities to the Wii U’s tablet in connectivity (I assume) while still being an autonomous console. I really hope that catches on because I’m sick of only having one game that works with remote play on the PS3…

Only time will tell if the public has a change of heart about the Vita. It’s a great system with some strange issues that shouldn’t be there at all.

*The Nvidia Shield*




It was inevitable. Someone would eventually put Android onto a portable gaming device. So after a dearth of Chinese companies tried their hand at it with generic Android handhelds (something that I’m not bothering to include in this round), someone actually thought about doing it properly.

What Nvidia, a company mostly known for their PC video cards, ended up creating though was a bastard of a console.

Initially retailing at $299US, the Shield was not received well. Android is a platform reserved for Angry Birds and Flappy Birds clones and is usually on phones. Instead we got a beefy, in processing power and sheer bulk, handheld that throws a screen on top of what is essentially an Xbox 360 controller. Having used one of these I can tell you that it's heavy and _almost_ unwieldily, although still rather impressive for what it is.

One of the Shield’s more unique features, even though it’s kind of similar to the Wii U and PS3/4 & Vita connectivity, lets you stream your PCs display to the device and send back controller commands, assuming you have a GeForce GTX 650 or better video card. This feature throws the Shield into that murky sea of PC gaming which we’ve somehow avoided so far. While that’s certainly not the focus of this poll, it’s not a negative. My only issue is that a $300 buy-in is a large price to pay for semi-portable gaming.

As a developer this unit is a dream as programming for Android is easy for a shmuck like me. But as a consumer it’s an overpriced and overpowered for what can essentially be boiled down to an emulator machine. Granted it can play PSOne and N64 games much better than, say, a Dingoo, and will let you play any of your Steam games remotely, but the Dingoo is $60! (Don't get a Dingoo by the way.)

*The SNK Neo Geo X*




What the heck? This one kind of came out of nowhere. While technically also a console, it is primarily a handheld. And just like discussed handhelds like the Dingoo and PSP it just happens to be possible to connect it to a TV.

Given an extremely limited release, the Neo Geo X is a well sought after device. And because it’s trendy it seems to be really good at portable and on-TV gaming. And that case/docking station/charging station! It looks just like a Neo Geo AES console! How wonderful!

This is essentially a versatile Neo Geo AES system without the bulky carts and huge price tag. At $200 is seemed a lot more accessible than the original console.

The system came loaded with 20 games, but you could buy more in ‘volumes’ that themselves contained three games each.

Now as fun as it was to be able to play your favourite Metal Slug (only 1 & 2 were available) or King of Fighters game, there were some complaints to be had. While the system did have high-def connectors some people felt that the image quality was muddy when played on a high-def TV. On the built-in display there were also reports that the image quality was a little washed out.


Another issue is that instead of the system being a miniaturized version of the original Neo Geo AES hardware, it seems to be just a lazy emulation. It apparently uses FinalBurn Alpha, an arcade emulator, and is no better than running a similar emulator on a PSP.

So why would you want this thing? Compared to a hacked PSP it doesn't seem like a good deal. But the arcade stick is a nice touch. Ultimately I'd peg this thing as a collectors item but not much else. Other people might feel differently about it, but we'll see how the votes turn out, shall we?

*Outro:*
So there you have it! The current generation of handhelds! I'm not going much else. So I guess I'll see you in the comments!

*Current Standings:*


Spoiler


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## yuyuyup (May 8, 2014)

What is the point of this thread


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## Langin (May 8, 2014)

The SNK Neo Geo X got my vote with shitty build quality and poor support. =w= I would have voted for Nvidia Shield but this one is a tat more shittier.


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## Foxi4 (May 8, 2014)

Neo Geo X. Here's what SNK thought - _"hey guys, you know what would be cool? If all those guys who didn't get to play all our awesome games on the uber-expensive Neo Geo could do it on a small, awesome handheld that... wait for it... would be a home console at the same time!"_ and someone answered _"Yeah, that's a great idea! Now let's do it in the most inefficient way, via inaccurate hardware emulation that's available on every smartphone to date!"_ and then they made the Neo Geo X. That system definitely has the _"sexappeal"_, it's very sleak and sweet-looking, but feature-wise it wasn't interesting until it was hacked, and even that requires actual hardware tinkering to get it to work. I also heard that the most crucial part of the whole deal, the controller for the TV portion of the console... is rubbish, wheras the original was arcade-like. It's disappointing considering the price point, really. The 3DS is an awesome system, so is the PSVita, although it's taking its sweet time before kicking off properly like the PSP did, the Shield is the perfect Android gaming device and the Neo Geo X... is an oddity for collectors. Don't get me wrong, I _really_ want to own one of them, I just know it's not as great as the hype around it lead me to believe.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 8, 2014)

Having owned all the handhelds except the Neo-Geo...I'd have to go for the Neo-Geo >.> 

The 3DS is a nice handheld I guess, personally I only had interest in 2-3 games over it's lifetime but it does have a bit for everyone. I've bought like 2 of them as well as have gotten 1 for free, and sold all of them once I was done with whatever. It's probably collected more dust than any of my other handhelds.

The Vita is probably my favorite of the 3, contrary to Nin10yearold beliefs it has tons of games (3many5me to play) and with PS+ I'll never finish my Vita backlog  PS4 game streaming is pretty neato, too. Most games play pretty well and I've yet to run into any major problems. 

I bought a Shield in April during the whole "It's $200!!!!" thing and I have yet to regret that purchase. It was meant to take over my PSP and my tablet as a portable emulation machine, and goddamn does it emulate. Just about every emulator works amaze-balls, and it has a nice selection of Android games that are designed for the Shield/general controller use. It also has the whole game-streaming thing for PC which is pretty nice, lets me play XYZ without having to get my fat ass out of bed. My only complaint with it is the size, it's not all that portable, but other than that it's a pretty great emulator beast.


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## Nah3DS (May 8, 2014)

the Vita


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## Foxi4 (May 8, 2014)

Can't wait for the avalanche of votes against the PSVita without any good arguments to support the choice.


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## GameWinner (May 8, 2014)

Well it's not the Vita that's for sure.


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## Gahars (May 8, 2014)

I think everyone's too harsh on the Neo Geo X. It has an "X" in its name. That's pretty cool.

The Nvidia Shield, though? Not actually a shield. It's a total ripoff, through and through.

Come on, guys, this isn't tough.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 8, 2014)

Gahars said:


> I think everyone's too harsh on the Neo Geo X. It has an "X" in its name. That's pretty cool.
> 
> The Nvidia Shield, though? Not actually a shield. It's a total ripoff, through and through.
> 
> Come on, guys, this isn't tough.


 
Pfft, have you seen how thick the thing is? It could definitely be a shield if you tried


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## calmwaters (May 8, 2014)

I base my value of handhelds based on their portability. What's the point of playing games on the go if it's a pain to lug the monstrosity around? So, I'd definitely go with the Nvidia Shield. Plus Sony doesn't have a good history with portables like Nintendo does; the PSP and PSVita attest to this. But they are relatively portable if you have large pockets, whereas the Shield is not. And they also have pretty nice libraries.

Edit: darn, my vote got recorded in the Neo-Geo choice. It's supposed to be for the Shield. Keep that in mind, thaddius.


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## boomario (May 8, 2014)

PSVita is a great handheld and have games that make it worth so it's not so close to being the worst.
3DS is great and if you like nintendo first parties it really worth every cent you spend on him considering the support was greatly increased with eshop, patches, DLC's and everything since DSi even with al different versions (seriously, how a 2ds can be easy to carry around?)
Shield at least for me is useless since i already have too many devices capable to emulate my favorite games and there's Android on almost any non microsoft/apple devices nowdays, but considering the controls and good hardware he can be a good emulation plataform and even run some rare good android games.
About NeoGeo X, well, IIRC android have a arcade emulator too so if you have a Shield why you will need that one?


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## The Catboy (May 8, 2014)

Going with the modified Dingoo on this one.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 8, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> I base my value of handhelds based on their portability. What's the point of playing games on the go if it's a pain to lug the monstrosity around? So, I'd definitely go with the Nvidia Shield. *Plus Sony doesn't have a good history with portables like Nintendo does; the PSP* and PSVita attest to this. But they are relatively portable if you have large pockets, whereas the Shield is not. And they also have pretty nice libraries.
> 
> Edit: darn, my vote got recorded in the Neo-Geo choice. It's supposed to be for the Shield. Keep that in mind, thaddius.


 
Since when has ~80 million in sales = "not a good history"? The PSP started out slow, but after a few years the sales skyrocketed, just like the PS3's did. To put it into perspective, the GBA (including all the revisions) only ever topped at ~80 mil as well. 

I expect the Vita to follow the same route, it'll skyrocket after a few years when they bring more western games.


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## GameWinner (May 8, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> I base my value of handhelds based on their portability. What's the point of playing games on the go if it's a pain to lug the monstrosity around? So, I'd definitely go with the Nvidia Shield. Plus Sony doesn't have a good history with portables like Nintendo does; the PSP and PSVita attest to this. But they are relatively portable if you have large pockets, whereas the Shield is not. And they also have pretty nice libraries.
> 
> Edit: darn, my vote got recorded in the Neo-Geo choice. It's supposed to be for the Shield. Keep that in mind, thaddius.


Did you forget the PSP's 80 million sales?
Oh, and let's also forget PSP's huge library of mainstream games such as two of its own Grand Theft Auto Games, Monster Hunter, Gran Turismo, ton of Final Fantasy spinoffs, Kingdom Hearts, two God of War games, spinoffs from several PS2 titles, and tons more that I'm probably forgetting. But whatever, let's ignore Sony's handhelds in favor of Nintendo's.


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## Foxi4 (May 8, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> Since when has ~80 million in sales = "not a good history"? The PSP started out slow, but after a few years the sales skyrocketed, just like the PS3's did. To put it into perspective, the GBA (including all the revisions) only ever topped at ~80 mil as well.
> 
> I expect the Vita to follow the same route, it'll skyrocket after a few years when they bring more western games.


The PSP's success is massively overshadowed by the Nintendo DS anomaly - the level of success that system achieved is legendary, so the PSP seems pale in comparison, but in reality it's one of the most popular handheld consoles of all time.


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## matpower (May 8, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> Can't wait for the avalanche of votes against the PSVita without any good arguments to support the choice.


But Vita has no gaems! 
Anyway, I am voting in the Neo Geo X, I own a 3DS, I am sure Vita someday will get a bit more popular and a Nvidia Shield is a nice handheld machine for mah emulators(I will have to buy one ASAP ), I never heard of the Neo Geo X until now, googled a bit and well, it is bad, it died early and the games were emulated (FBAlpha in a Linux OS, looks like it is Dingux, and the hardware is similar to a Dingoo, so any modern smartphone/tablet can overcome it nowadays), so like The Catboy said above, it is a modified Dingoo.
(Also about your X360 remark, most of us said it didn't have any memorable exclusives and if you had a PS3/PC, you could play the AAA titles)


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## DinohScene (May 8, 2014)

NGX, come on, you're far to late to the party.


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## KingVamp (May 8, 2014)

Going with Neo Geo X.


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## tbgtbg (May 8, 2014)

Sorry Nvidia, but I just don't believe in the shield.


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## matpower (May 8, 2014)

So far, there are no "Vita has no gaems!11!!!" haters on the poll, if it keeps like that, this one will be a Neo Geo X vs NVIDIA Shield poll.


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## Foxi4 (May 8, 2014)

I have no idea how anyone would take the Neo Geo X _($199.99, currently on offer on Amazon for $154.99, they're probably getting rid of this thing)_ over the NVidia Shield _(also $199.99)_ when the latter is about ten zillion quadrillion times better and it can do the exact same thing the Neo Geo X does _and more_. I mean, it's a choice between FinalBurn Alpha and every emulator available on the Android Marketplace plus Android games plus exclusive NVidia content from the Tegrazone plus PC streaming. I mean, c'mon guys, this is a no-brainer.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 8, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> I have no idea how anyone would take the Neo Geo X _($199.99, currently on offer on Amazon for $154.99, they're probably getting rid of this thing)_ over the NVidia Shield _(also $199.99)_ when the latter is about ten zillion quadrillion times better and it can do the exact same thing the Neo Geo X does _and more_. I mean, it's a choice between FinalBurn Alpha and every emulator available on the Android Marketplace plus Android games plus exclusive NVidia content from the Tegrazone plus PC streaming. I mean, c'mon guys, this is a no-brainer.


 
It's because "LOL ANDROID HANDHELDS ARE GAY".  While everyone else is bitching about that, I'll just be sitting here enjoying my portable GTA 3-SA, Dreamcast, PS1, SNES, NES, GBA, DS, GB/C, Mega drive, Arcade, etc etc etc etc etc....


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## Foxi4 (May 8, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> It's because "LOL ANDROID HANDHELDS ARE GAY".  While everyone else is bitching about that, I'll just be sitting here enjoying my portable GTA 3-SA, Dreamcast, PS1, SNES, NES, GBA, DS, GB/C, Mega drive, Arcade, etc etc etc etc etc....


I'll be the first to admit that Android as it is right now is a retarded OS that has to get rid of its reliance on Dalvik and get closer to the bare metal _(I know they'll be changing the VM now, but... it should be entirely optional, native apps are just better)_, but given the choice between the Neo Geo-Almost-Worked-Out-X and the Shield _now that the Shield received a price cut_, I would have to be _really_ drunk and high to pick the Neo Geo X. The Shield is just better in every respect, there's no denying it.


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## Taleweaver (May 8, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> I have no idea how anyone would take the Neo Geo X _($199.99, currently on offer on Amazon for $154.99, they're probably getting rid of this thing)_ over the NVidia Shield _(also $199.99)_ when the latter is about ten zillion quadrillion times better and it can do the exact same thing the Neo Geo X does _and more_. I mean, it's a choice between FinalBurn Alpha and every emulator available on the Android Marketplace plus Android games plus exclusive NVidia content from the Tegrazone plus PC streaming. I mean, c'mon guys, this is a no-brainer.


Erm...wasn't the shield a hundred bucks more expensive, according to the OP? I remember it being cut in price at some point, but I think amazon is ALSO trying to get rid of that thing.


In any case, it's an easy vote for the neo geo X on this round. Kinda too bad...I was curious how the archos gamepad, JXD<number> and all those other tablets-with-gamecontrollers would fare.


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## Foxi4 (May 8, 2014)

Taleweaver said:


> Erm...wasn't the shield a hundred bucks more expensive, according to the OP? I remember it being cut in price at some point, but I think amazon is ALSO trying to get rid of that thing. In any case, it's an easy vote for the neo geo X on this round. Kinda too bad...I was curious how the archos gamepad, JXD<number> and all those other tablets-with-gamecontrollers would fare.


It used to be. Now it's sold for $199.99, just like the Neo Geo X, except for rare instances when it's on sale. The devices now retail for the same amount of money and one is clearly superior than the other, so it's a no contest situation to me.


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## Dork (May 8, 2014)

>people actually voting for the Vita or 3DS
The Vita and 3DS are the perfect pair. Both have great third-party support, plenty of full-fledged exclusives. The Vita is a weeaboo machine and 3DS has all the Nintendo titles you'll need.

As for the Shield, I'm not really into Android gaming. In the shields case, a majority of games aren't optimized for it and don't really take advantage of its hardware. I would never buy one just to use it as an emulator machine because nowadays there are so many different mediums to emulate games it isn't even funny, though I really don't care anyway because I'd just play games on their original hardware.


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## calmwaters (May 8, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> Since when has ~80 million in sales = "not a good history"? The PSP started out slow, but after a few years the sales skyrocketed, just like the PS3's did. To put it into perspective, the GBA (including all the revisions) only ever topped at ~80 mil as well.





GameWinner said:


> Did you forget the PSP's 80 million sales? Oh, and let's also forget PSP's huge library of mainstream games such as two of its own Grand Theft Auto Games, Monster Hunter, Gran Turismo, ton of Final Fantasy spinoffs, Kingdom Hearts, two God of War games, spinoffs from several PS2 titles, and tons more that I'm probably forgetting. But whatever, let's ignore Sony's handhelds in favor of Nintendo's.


 
I said *portability* was important, *not* *sales*. Do you have any idea how large the PSP and PSVita are? I also said they're still functional as handhelds if you've got large pockets, but most people don't have those. Which is why I'm surprised that the PSPGo didn't do so well; that one would more easily fit into the standard gamers' pocket. Finally, only when the thing can fit comfortably in my pocket do I start to worry about its sales figures. Nintendo handhelds have always fit in my pockets and they've always had great game libraries. (Except for the winner of thaddius' first edition of the portable console roast.) The 3DS XL might be pushing it a bit in its size, but it still fits. I'm sure you've noticed how all of Nintendo's handhelds have comfortably fit in your pocket.


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## Foxi4 (May 8, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> I said *portability* was important, *not* *sales*. Do you have any idea how large the PSP and PSVita are? I also said they're still functional as handhelds if you've got large pockets, but most people don't have those. Which is why I'm surprised that the PSPGo didn't do so well; that one would more easily fit into the standard gamers' pocket. Finally, only when the thing can fit comfortably in my pocket do I start to worry about its sales figures. Nintendo handhelds have always fit in my pockets and they've always had great game libraries. (Except for the winner of thaddius' first edition of the portable console roast.) The 3DS XL might be pushing it a bit in its size, but it still fits. I'm sure you've noticed how all of Nintendo's handhelds have comfortably fit in your pocket.


You don't seem to understand what _"portable"_ means - it certainly doesn't mean _"you can put it in your pocket"_, but that's besides the point since I was always carrying around my PSP-2000 in my pocket just fine, and it was in a carrying case too, so your pockets must be feeble in size. The 3DS XL and the PSVita are almost the same size, the PSVita being slightly wider, but it's definitely not _"oversized"_ as you claim.


Spoiler











I won't even bring up the 2DS since that thing isn't a clamshell like the rest of the *DS line of handhelds.


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## Dork (May 8, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> I said *portability* was important, *not* *sales*. Do you have any idea how large the PSP and PSVita are? I also said they're still functional as handhelds if you've got large pockets, but most people don't have those. Which is why I'm surprised that the PSPGo didn't do so well; that one would more easily fit into the standard gamers' pocket. Finally, only when the thing can fit comfortably in my pocket do I start to worry about its sales figures. Nintendo handhelds have always fit in my pockets and they've always had great game libraries. (Except for the winner of thaddius' first edition of the portable console roast.) The 3DS XL might be pushing it a bit in its size, but it still fits. I'm sure you've noticed how all of Nintendo's handhelds have comfortably fit in your pocket.


 
There are other mediums to carry around a handheld other than your pocket you know.

Besides, if you can fit a 3DS XL in your pocket, a PSP and a Vita can definitely fit.


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## CompassNorth (May 8, 2014)

I love all these consoles, but if I'd have to pick it'd be the Neo Geo.


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## GameWinner (May 8, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> It's because "LOL ANDROID HANDHELDS ARE GAY".  While everyone else is bitching about that, I'll just be sitting here enjoying my portable GTA 3-SA, Dreamcast, PS1, SNES, NES, GBA, DS, GB/C, Mega drive, Arcade, etc etc etc etc etc....


Ugh! I need to get one of these!


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## calmwaters (May 8, 2014)

Dark S. said:


> There are other mediums to carry around a handheld other than your pocket you know.
> 
> Besides, if you can fit a 3DS XL in your pocket, a PSP and a Vita can definitely fit.


 
Yes; well why should I have to carry around a backpack or a *cough* purse *cough* carrying case?


Foxi4 said:


> You don't seem to understand what _"portable"_ means - it certainly doesn't mean _"you can put it in your pocket"_, but that's besides the point since I was always carrying around my PSP-2000 in my pocket just fine, and it was in a carrying case too, so your pockets must be feeble in size. The 3DS XL and the PSVita are almost the same size, the PSVita being slightly wider, but it's definitely not _"oversized"_ as you claim.
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


Portable: you can carry it around. My purple Nintendo GameCube is portable, just like my laptop. Those are clearly too large to fit in my pockets, plus you need a tv and cables to play the GameCube. You're hinting at preferences: I like carrying my handheld in my pocket without a carrying case. Feeble pockets? Where do you come up with this stuff? And I don't say it's oversized like a 350 lb. person; I just say it's large, which makes it not preferential when I've got a smaller handheld that'll fit more easily in my pocket and that still has a nice library of games. *insert Gameboy reference here*


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## matpower (May 9, 2014)

Dark S. said:


> There are other mediums to carry around a handheld other than your pocket you know.
> 
> Besides, if you can fit a 3DS XL in your pocket, a PSP and a Vita can definitely fit.


I can fit a 3DS XL and a Galaxy Tab 3 '7 in my pockets, every time someone says X isn't portable, I laugh.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> Yes; well why should I have to carry around a backpack or a *cough* purse *cough* carrying case?
> Portable: you can carry it around. My purple Nintendo GameCube is portable, just like my laptop. Those are clearly too large to fit in my pockets, plus you need a tv and cables to play the GameCube. You're hinting at preferences: I like carrying my handheld in my pocket without a carrying case. Feeble pockets? Where do you come up with this stuff? And I don't say it's oversized like a 350 lb. person; I just say it's large, which makes it not preferential when I've got a smaller handheld that'll fit more easily in my pocket and that still has a nice library of games. *insert Gameboy reference here*


A portable console is a system that you can use independently of the mains without having to connect it to a television. Your laptop is portable, but you're not keeping it in your pocket. Your Gamecube is not portable because you can't use it outside of a household setting, or at least without access to the mains and a television.

_"Portable console"_ means a little bit more than the words _"portable"_ and _"console"_ put together, that's not how vocabulary works, otherwise hot dogs would be made of actual canines. Just because you can _"move a console around"_ doesn't mean that it's a portable console.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 9, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> I said *portability* was important, *not* *sales*. Do you have any idea how large the PSP and PSVita are? I also said they're still functional as handhelds if you've got large pockets, but most people don't have those. Which is why I'm surprised that the PSPGo didn't do so well; that one would more easily fit into the standard gamers' pocket. Finally, only when the thing can fit comfortably in my pocket do I start to worry about its sales figures. Nintendo handhelds have always fit in my pockets and they've always had great game libraries. (Except for the winner of thaddius' first edition of the portable console roast.) The 3DS XL might be pushing it a bit in its size, but it still fits. I'm sure you've noticed how all of Nintendo's handhelds have comfortably fit in your pocket.


Do _you_ have any idea how large they are? The average pants pocket size (not counting skinny jeans and the like) has a depth of approximately *8-10 inches*, with a width of approximately _*5-7 inches.*_ The PSP is 6.7in long (with the Go being 5in IIRC), and the Vita is 7.2in long. Both are more than able to fit comfortably in a majority of proper pant's pocket sizes.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> Do _you_ have any idea how large they are? The average pants pocket size (not counting skinny jeans and the like) has a depth of approximately *8-10 inches*, with a width of approximately _*5-7 inches.*_ The PSP is 6.7in long (with the Go being 5in IIRC), and the Vita is 7.2in long. Both are more than able to fit comfortably in a majority of proper pant's pocket sizes.


Not when you're 5. _;O;_

Like I said, both systems fit in my pockets just fine, even when in carrying cases. I actually have spare room for my wallet.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> Not when you're 5. _;O;_


 
Oh yes, thank you. You have to be older than 5, and also you can't be wearing woman's pants (because seriously they have shit for pockets).


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## Dork (May 9, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> Yes; well why should I have to carry around a backpack or a *cough* purse *cough* carrying case?


To store things silly.

And of course if you really don't want to carry a bag of any sorts, your pockets are still there.


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## calmwaters (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> ...if you have pockets that can fit a GameCube or a laptop but can't fit a PSVita or a 3DS XL, you have a problem with spatial awareness...


 
My purple Nintendo GameCube is portable, just like my laptop. Those are clearly too large to fit in my pocket... the PSVita is portable, just like a 3DS XL, but they fit in my pocket... where am I losing you...


> ...since being able to put something in your pocket appears to be the criterion you use...


Does it really sound strange that I carry my handheld in my pocket when I travel? Or is there a special method for carrying around a handheld that you haven't told me about?


> Your laptop is portable, but you're not keeping it in your pocket. Your GameCube is not portable because you can't use it outside of a household setting, or at least without access to the mains and a television.


We've established that...


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## matpower (May 9, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> Does it really sound strange that I carry my handheld in my pocket when I travel? Or is there a special method for carrying around a handheld that you haven't told me about?


RIP Backpacks and carrying cases.


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## calmwaters (May 9, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> Do _you_ have any idea how large they are? The average pants pocket size (not counting skinny jeans and the like) has a depth of approximately *8-10 inches*, with a width of approximately _*5-7 inches.*_ The PSP is 6.7in long (with the Go being 5in IIRC), and the Vita is 7.2in long. Both are more than able to fit comfortably in a majority of proper pant's pocket sizes.


A GameBoy Advance SP is _still_ smaller than a PSP... and with a great library of games, I might add.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> We've established that...


See edit, my brain was just so shocked at the criterion you use to determine whether something is a piece of portable electronics or not. Pockets have nothing to do with this, either the device can work independently from an external display and power supply or not. Moreover, both systems fit in pockets just fine - they're big, but they're not _that_ big. As far as keeping consoles in your pocket without a protective case, it's kinda bad for them anyways, especially for the *DS line and its hinges - they can crack if you look at them funny. Anywho, there's always the PSP Go which is comically funny and the PSVita 2000 which is substantially lighter, smaller and thinner, so there you have it.



calmwaters said:


> A GameBoy Advance SP is _still_ smaller than a PSP... and with a great library of games, I might add.


You know what's even smaller than a GBA SP? A GBA Micro. Is it comfortable to play on without toothpicks for fingers and a microscope? No, because there's such a thing as _"too small"_. I personally detest the GBA SP's form factor, I'm okay with clamshells but this thing is just too small for me to actually use without my hands cramping up. Just because something is small doesn't mean it's good.

Besides, this non-issue aside, I don't think I've been out and about _without_ a bag of some sort with me in years - if I'm outside then chances are I have a good reason for it, so I always have my bag with me. Yes, bag, I hate backpacks, I'm not in primary. _;O;_


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## calmwaters (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> See edit, my brain was just so shocked at the criterion you use to determine whether something is a piece of portable electronics or not. Pockets have nothing to do with this, either the device can work independently from an external display and power supply or not. Moreover, both systems fit in pockets just fine - they're big, but they're not _that_ big. As far as keeping consoles in your pocket without a protective case, it's kinda bad for them anyways, especially for the *DS line and its hinges - they can crack if you look at them funny. Anyhoo, there's always the PSP Go which is comically funny and the PSVita 2000 which is substantially lighter, smaller and thinner, so there you have it.
> You know what's even smaller than a GBA SP? A GBA Micro. Is it comfortable to play on without toothpicks for fingers and a microscope? No, because there's such a thing as _"too small"_. I personally detest the GBA SP's form factor, I'm okay with clamshells but this thing is just too small for me to actually use without my hands cramping up. Just because something is small doesn't mean it's good.


I can distinguish between a portable electronic device and a portable non-electronic device. But if they're large (or small, depending on how your brain works) enough to fit in my pocket, then I put them there. Sure, they can fit in a carrying case, but I choose not to use one. GBA Micro, huh? Now you know why future releases of handhelds had larger screens.  Hmm, I would play my SP and then come home to play it some more while letting it charge; maybe seven hours worth of gaming... my hands didn't cramp up... you must have big hands... (You can steal them on Mt. Woe using Ayla's Charm ability; it's a weapon for Robo... sorry, too much CT...)


> Besides, this non-issue aside, I don't think I've been out and about _without_ a bag of some sort with me in years - if I'm outside then chances are I have a good reason for it, so I always have my bag with me. Yes, bag, I hate backpacks, I'm not in primary. _;O;_


Oh, I know; I think it was a few weeks ago that I went out without my laptop case or my backpack. Gotta tell you, it felt pretty liberating.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> I can distinguish between a portable electronic device and a portable non-electronic device. But if they're large (or small, depending on how your brain works) enough to fit in my pocket, then I put them there. Sure, they can fit in a carrying case, but I choose not to use one. GBA Micro, huh? Now you know why future releases of handhelds had larger screens.  Hmm, I would play my SP and then come home to play it some more while letting it charge; maybe seven hours worth of gaming... my hands didn't cramp up... you must have big hands... (You can steal them on Mt. Woe using Ayla's Charm ability; it's a weapon for Robo... sorry, too much CT...)


Having hands bigger than children is a trait of many adults. _;O;_

On a serious note, had I owned it as an early teen, I probably wouldn't have too many problems with it. Today the PSVita is like the pinnacle of comfort in terms of portable consoles to me wheras the 3DS is morbidly thin and the XL even more so.


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## Gahars (May 9, 2014)

Are we fighting over pockets here? Really?

Only now do I realize it is us who are the true pocket monsters.


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## codezer0 (May 9, 2014)

The Vita even now is _horrible_... with only *one* noteworthy game to its entire platform, and that being _Touch my Katamari_. While its apparent port of _Borderlands 2_ is good, the fact that $ony is so actively attacking and taking down every possible game that would render it vulnerable is a huge turn off.

Yet even with this, there is only one handheld that managed to surpass it in suck. The SHIELD is a cool device as a handheld way of playing otherwise PC-only games, but that's not the one I'm talking about.

No, the worst by far is the Neo Geo X. Why?

Even though it received SNK's blessing, the thing does a piss poor job of emulating the games that have been released for it
The release schedule for new games ported to it has been glacially slow, and some of those are required purchases to be able to update the firmware on the system
All the trouble they went through to make its dock look like a legit Neo Geo AES, and yet they couldn't/wouldn't make it directly compatible with Neo Geo carts? WTF?
Many reviews of the device have reported how weird/awkward it is about charging...
... and the battery life
... and even with all of SNK's backing, the handheld still does poorly of emulating some of the more demanding games that were made on the original console
... that I could mention an original, hacked *PSP* can emulate perfectly
Need I bring up that once the roms were decrypted, it was found that they were basically using the same emulation hacks that were done with homebrew devices like the Dingoo and GCW Zero, but somehow managed to make it _worse_ ?
As a whole, the handheld does a piss poor job of representing everything that SNK was reputed for with the AES and MVS platform(s)
Not to mention, even if you were someone that really loved SNK and Neo Geo back then, there are still _much_ better ways of playing them, even now on a modern TV.

AES or C-MVS console hooked up to a video processor like the xrgb-mini Framemeister
Some have been selling the MVS cabinets for stupid cheap too
I know I've seen a few devices that could accept an arcade motherboard and then it would have the logic and outputs necessary to connect to most TV's out there
Even the Neo Geo CD(Z) is a more attractive alternative, as there were even a few games that were exclusive to that particular variant, and games for it were always less expensive than the carts
I know in the arcade world, SNK was loved for a lot of great reasons, not least of which the fact that they continued to provide parts and warranty support for arcade operators for a full *14 years* of life... providing a higher level of service and support than Sony could ever realistically claim with any generation of PlayStation. It seems like someone who was in charge of designing the devie completely forgot what was it about the Neo Geo that was so special.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

...you only like Touch my Katamari? Nothing else? Wow... you must have... very, very narrow and eccentric tastes.


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## GameWinner (May 9, 2014)

codezer0 said:


> The Vita even now is _horrible_... with only *one* noteworthy game to its entire platform, and that being _Touch my Katamari_. While its apparent port of _Borderlands 2_ is good, the fact that $ony is so actively attacking and taking down every possible game that would render it vulnerable is a huge turn off.


Katamari...the only noteworthy game on Vita. Are...are you drunk..?


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## codezer0 (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> ...you only like Touch my Katamari? Nothing else? Wow... you must have... very, very narrow and eccentric tastes.


It's the only game _for_ the system that I'd actually want to get a Vita for. Everything else that might be good, I could very likely play a better version on another system. The _Katamari_ series has been about the one thing that's been consistently good regardless of platform.

Call of Duty was hyped to heck and back... and well, that's call of duty. The only people playing that are 12 year olds with terrible parents.

Borderlands 2 I hear is a fantastic port, but I'd still rather play that on my PC.

Nothing else on the system has really jumped out as being worth playing, much less worth paying $300 + $100 for a memory card for.

Not to mention I already have enough bad blood with Sony on the PlayStation side. So PS Plus for damn sure ain't happenin'.


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## GameWinner (May 9, 2014)

codezer0 said:


> It's the only game _for_ the system that I'd actually want to get a Vita for. Everything else that might be good, I could very likely play a better version on another system.
> 
> Call of Duty was hyped to heck and back... and well, that's call of duty. The only people playing that are 12 year olds with terrible parents.
> 
> ...


Ummm... NO ONE was hyped for that Call of Duty game. The moment that first trailer and the developer's name hit hype completely shattered.
Vita is less than $300 and memory cards aren't even $100+.


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## codezer0 (May 9, 2014)

GameWinner said:


> Ummm... NO ONE was hyped for that Call of Duty game. The moment that first trailer and the developer's name hit hype completely shattered.
> Vita is less than $300 and memory cards aren't even $100+.


It's _still_ $100 + tax for the 32gig card, which is a requirement for any sort of longevity.
It's _still_ $300 for the 3G model Vita... which of course is exclusively locked to AT&T here in the states, which is probably the single most horrid carrier to ever partner with. And of course _they_ will demand a 2 year contract and overages out the ass for attempting to use their faulty network in the first place. But that's what you get with the Vita because Sony sez so.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

codezer0 said:


> It's the only game _for_ the system that I'd actually want to get a Vita for. Everything else that might be good, I could very likely play a better version on another system.


What about Tearaway? Soul Sacrifice? KillZone: Mercenary? Gravity Rush? The system has plenty of good exclusives, I don't understand why Touch My Katamari would be your pick of the one and only game worth having.


> Call of Duty was hyped to heck and back... and well, that's call of duty. The only people playing that are 12 year olds with terrible parents.


I have a weird feeling that people expected _"the home console Call of Duty experience"_ ported directly to the PSVita and got disappointed because the game was designed to be played in small-sized chunks... because it's a portable title, that was the point. In my opinion, it's the best _portable_ CoD to date, if not one of the best _portable_ shooters in general. Sure, it could've used a proper storyline rather than going the episodes way, but let's be serious here - it's Call of Duty, the story is not terribly relevant. That's not to say the game doesn't have its share of problems, but I enjoyed it for what it was worth.


> Borderlands 2 I hear is a fantastic port, but I'd still rather play that on my PC.


The thing about PC's is that they're not portable, that is unless you're planning on playing it on a gaming laptop which is probably a better way to play the game, fair play.


> Nothing else on the system has really jumped out as being worth playing, much less worth paying $300 + $100 for a memory card for.


People blow the memory card pricing way out of proportion - you buy a memory card once. I bought a 32GB one and PS+ - no regrets, at this point the purchase returned itself in games, I literally don't have enough space to store all of'em, I have to shuffle games each and every month, I'm so looking forward to 64GB cards in Europe.


> Not to mention I already have enough bad blood with Sony on the PlayStation side.


I can see how you would complain then.

I say give the system a chance - you might like what it has to offer.


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## GameWinner (May 9, 2014)

codezer0 said:


> It's _still_ $100 + tax for the 32gig card, which is a requirement for any sort of longevity.
> It's _still_ $300 for the 3G model Vita... which of course is exclusively locked to AT&T here in the states, which is probably the single most horrid carrier to ever partner with. And of course _they_ will demand a 2 year contract and overages out the ass for attempting to use their faulty network in the first place. But that's what you get with the Vita because Sony sez so.


First of all, the 32GB is not $100. You can get it for much cheaper-scratch that, you don't really need a 32GB if you're going the all physical route with Vita. Second, Sony no longer manufactures the 3G Vita. You're being ripped off if you pay that much when you can go buy a Slim for  much less (which includes a game and a memory card).


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## codezer0 (May 9, 2014)

I've had a sour taste in my mouth with Killzone since the first one. I can't speak for Soul Sacrifice or those others. As I said, Katamari has been the only series that has been wonderful across every platform it's touched. Even the PSP version with its d-pad/action buttons-only control scheme worked well. It's the only one I'd care to get right away for the system. I can't speak for most of them simply because Sony has burned me so many times with the PlayStation console and because they chose to ban my account and last 60gig PS3 even though I never played online at all.

And after having looked at them side by side, The Vita memory card is literally the Memory stick M2 (2.0). Same physical size, same location of its pins. It's literally only that a few notches were moved over between the M2 and the Vita card. And it still burns me up that Sony made it a requirement to have a memory card in the first place, when Nintendo and everyone else were able to make their game cards able to store their own save data, or use something not proprietary and terrible.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

GameWinner said:


> First of all, the 32GB is not $100. You can get it for much cheaper-scratch that, you don't really need a 32GB if you're going the all physical route with Vita. Second, Sony no longer manufactures the 3G Vita. You're being ripped off if you pay that much when you can go buy a Slim for much less (which includes a game and a memory card).


PSVita 3G/WiFi costs $249 new straight from Sony themselves, I don't know how he conjured the $300 _my bad, limited time offer, it's normally $299 from Sony on Amazon. Gamestop has'em for $199.99 new though, so no problems there_. That being said, he might as well pick up the Borderlands 2 bundle which is $199.99 and consists of the game, the PSVita Slim and an 8GB memory card - it's literally a ready-to-play set.


codezer0 said:


> I've had a sour taste in my mouth with Killzone since the first one. I can't speak for Soul Sacrifice or those others. As I said, Katamari has been the only series that has been wonderful across every platform it's touched. Even the PSP version with its d-pad/action buttons-only control scheme worked well. It's the only one I'd care to get right away for the system. I can't speak for most of them simply because Sony has burned me so many times with the PlayStation console and because they chose to ban my account and last 60gig PS3 even though I never played online at all.
> 
> 
> And after having looked at them side by side, The Vita memory card is literally the Memory stick M2 (2.0). Same physical size, same location of its pins. It's literally only that a few notches were moved over between the M2 and the Vita card. And it still burns me up that Sony made it a requirement to have a memory card in the first place, when Nintendo and everyone else were able to make their game cards able to store their own save data, or use something not proprietary and terrible.


It's actually not. If it was that simple, we'd have hacked up M2 adapters by now.  Also, the memory card is not a requirement on the PSVita Slim, you have 1GB for your save files.


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## calmwaters (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> ...you only like Touch my Katamari? Nothing else? Wow... you must have... very, very narrow and eccentric tastes.


 
...and you thought I was weird... on the flipside, it's actually a pretty fun game to play with friends 


Spoiler



fyi, you're not getting within 5 miles of my Katamari...


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

calmwaters said:


> ...and you thought I was weird... on the flipside, it's actually a pretty fun game to play with friends
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...





Spoiler



...I'm not letting you touch mine, but I can show you where I touched it on a doll.


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## codezer0 (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> PSVita 3G/WiFi costs $249 new straight from Sony themselves, I don't know how he conjured the $300 _my bad, limited time offer, it's normally $299 from Sony on Amazon. Gamestop has'em for $199.99 new though, so no problems there_. That being said, he might as well pick up the Borderlands 2 bundle which is $199.99 and consists of the game, the PSVita Slim and an 8GB memory card - it's literally a ready-to-play set.
> It's actually not. If it was that simple, we'd have hacked up M2 adapters by now.  Also, the memory card is not a requirement on the PSVita Slim, you have 1GB for your save files.


Gotta read the details.

As it says, it's not a physical copy of borderlands 2... that means that:

I gotta create a whole new separate email to create another stupid PSN account (inconvenient at best)
that 8 gigs of storage is automatically gone, because even regular borderlands GOTY edition used up about that much storage as it was.
Vita disables the internal storage when using the memory card, so it's never going to be n+1GB
A 32gig card still is more than $70 online, which means it'll still be $300 after taxes for the damned thing
It also means more money to $ony, which has already treated me like crap in the past
A Vita's only useful to me if I could hack it at this point. At least then I'd have the nerve to actually _try_ some of the games available. It was the same way with me with the PSP... I didn't even care about *any* of the PSP's games until after I had one and got my early buzz from the homebrew there was on it.


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## TheCasketMan (May 9, 2014)

Where is the GCW Zero?


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

codezer0 said:


> Gotta read the details.
> 
> As it says, it's not a physical copy of borderlands 2... that means that:
> 
> ...


Excuses, excuses. You're easily getting a value equivalent to grabbing a 3DS XL bundle - those too only offer vouchers for games, not physical cartridges, except nowadays the charger isn't even bundled, so you have to get it separately _(which is the only instance of contemporary portable tech not bundled with its charger that I know of to date, d*ck move, Nintendo)_.


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## thaddius (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> What about Tearaway? Soul Sacrifice? KillZone: Mercenary? Gravity Rush?


 
Personally I did not enjoy Soul Sacrifice or Gravity Rush. I thought Killzone was OK and I have yet to play Tearaway. I really liked Uncharted though. Unit 13 was... not really my kind of game. And I loved the other Katamari games - haven't played the Vita one yet though.

I spend 90% of my time playing Spelunky on my Vita (no joke). It's great that I can play indie games like Spelunky, Terraria, Hotline Miami, Limbo, ad infentum on the go. And it's nice to have ports like MGS 2&3, PSOne games like Castlevania: SOTN and Chrono Cross, and PSP games like the GTAs on one portable platform. Ports and backwards compatibility are nice and all, I just wish I got more out the exclusives.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 9, 2014)

codezer0 said:


> that 8 gigs of storage is automatically gone, because even regular borderlands GOTY edition used up about that much storage as it was.


Nope, Borderlands 2 only takes up ~4GB with all of the DLC. Downloaded it yesterday, that was the total size. That would still leave you enough room for a second AAA digital title, or a good handful of indie games.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> Nope, Borderlands 2 only takes up ~4GB with all of the DLC. Downloaded it yesterday, that was the total size. That would still leave you enough room for a second AAA digital title, or a good handful of indie games.


It's still not going to be a good deal because _*insert reason*_, or maybe I'm just too tired to try getting the message through. Facts of the matter are that all you need to pay for a ready-to-play system is $199, it's been like this for a while since this isn't the first bundle like this. Any and all complaints about the PSVita being overpriced are null and void when 3DS XL bundles come at the exact same price... except they come without a damned charger which is completely idiotic and I'm dumbstruck as to why people haven't complained about this more vocally. To me it comes across as an incomplete set, but hey - that's just me.


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## codezer0 (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> It's still not going to be a good deal because _*insert reason*_, or maybe I'm just too tired to try getting the message through. Facts of the matter are that all you need to pay for a ready-to-play system is $199, it's been like this for a while since this isn't the first bundle like this. Any and all complaints about the PSVita being overpriced are null and void when 3DS XL bundles come at the exact same price... except they come without a damned charger which is completely idiotic and I'm dumbstruck as to why people haven't complained about this more vocally. To me it comes across as an incomplete set, but hey - that's just me.


It does _what now?_ In that case I suppose I should be glad I bought my 3DS XL when I did. I can't believe that nintendo would do that. But then again I'm not surprised... this _is_ Iwata we're talking about here. The guy has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he is incapable of running a business.

As for the Vita, I still stand by my reasoning that it isn't worth $200 for *only one game* I care enough about. The absolute lack of ability to homebrew like the PSP is also a turn off to me, personally. I only bought the 3DS XL when I did because of the Gateway 3DS, and I'd wanted a bigger screen size.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

codezer0 said:


> It does _what now?_ In that case I suppose I should be glad I bought my 3DS XL when I did. I can't believe that nintendo would do that. But then again I'm not surprised... this _is_ Iwata we're talking about here. The guy has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he is incapable of running a business.
> 
> As for the Vita, I still stand by my reasoning that it isn't worth $200 for *only one game* I care enough about. The absolute lack of ability to homebrew like the PSP is also a turn off to me, personally. I only bought the 3DS XL when I did because of the Gateway 3DS, and I'd wanted a bigger screen size.


Bullseye, it was totally Iwata's idea. I quote:


> *Iwata* - According to the original specifications, if you were playing while charging, you were surpassing the capacity of the existing AC adapter. For that reason, there was a time that, you thought you might have to prepare a special version.
> *Koshiishi* - Yeah. But later on, through cooperation with the manufacturer, we were able to get by with the existing adapter. We also discussed cost and whether we needed to include the charging cradle. And you suggested not including the AC adapter.
> *Iwata* - That's right.
> *Koshiishi* - We worried over it, but during that time, all the groups within the company naturally shared a desire to separate what was absolutely necessary and what wasn't. In the end, we decided that it was best to sell the AC adapter and the charging cradle separately.
> ...


First of all, they either lying straight to your face or their original design had a much higher energy consumption - the original 3DS charger is perfectly capable of charging a 3DS XL, even during intensive gameplay. They're not even _"cutting corners"_ here, I don't know what _"original specifications"_ they're talking about. Secondly, Nintendo damn well knows that their fans will double-dip and they already have chargers - they just assume that you will give them more money because they made a hardware revision. Thirdly, they are creating a false front of the system being cheap wheras in fact they're selling an incomplete set to cut costs.

The AC adapter is only bundled in select regions, North America_,_ China and Korea got lucky, Europe, Australia and Japan not so much.







To me _this_ is rip-off country regardless of whether or not I have a charger and how much the total costs will be simply because I expect my electronics to work out of the box. Sure Iwata, sure Koshiishi, I _totally_ don't need the charger for a system I just bought.


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## codezer0 (May 9, 2014)

Now _that_ is some serious *expletive*.


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## chavosaur (May 9, 2014)

SEND IN THE VITA BROS, ALL THE VITA BROS.
MAKE THE WORLD KNOW THE WONDERS OF THE DANGANRONPA MACHINE ;O;


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## KingVamp (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> The AC adapter is only bundled in select regions, North America_,_ China and Korea got lucky, Europe, Australia and Japan not so much.


I was confused until I read this. 



Foxi4 said:


> Sure Iwata, sure Koshiishi, I _totally_ don't need the charger for a system I just bought.


Price aside, there most likely chargers at the same store and/or the person would be coming from the past system. So, you aren't just left hanging.


That said, it would be nice if it came with it... in your case.


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## Vipera (May 9, 2014)

The 3DS XL doesn't have an AC adapter included, and the price-cut was a joke. Though, Sony managed to get in competition by having proprietary and expensive memory cards for the PS Vita. I'm not counting the other two consoles because they are crap and the Neo Geo X has my vote that I will explain later.

Thing is, it looked like they were trying to reach a new low level where people would still tolerate their BS. Not including an AC adapter because they expected that everyone had a DSi/3DS laying around is just arrogant, and expecting people to buy ANOTHER set of proprietary Sony cards is just stupid. But hey, people did that anyway, and were happy. I'd say, if PS Vita had a normal micro SD slot I'd have bought it. For now, though, it's in the "PS Phone" section of my brain. And that, together with the Go, had the worst price cut in the world, stuff like makes Nintendo look like a novice.

Now, about the Neo Geo X:

Ashens makes a fair point. The system is a joke: a very bad handheld that can become an awful home console. They had one job :/


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

KingVamp said:


> Price aside, there most likely chargers at the same store and/or the person would be coming from the past system. So, you aren't just left hanging.


The charger is an intrinsic part of the set without which you cannot even turn the device on, let alone use it. Memory cards I can understand, that's storage, but an AC adapter? It doesn't matter if it costs peanuts or not - I need it to turn the system on, it blows my mind that they'd think this is a good idea. It's artificially lowering the price of the product, I'd sooner expect them not to include the SD card because A) It's storage B) It's not proprietary so chances are that more people will have them, unlike the proprietary charger and C) It's not necessary for the operation of the system. If they want to go green, they should use a commonly used plug, like microUSB - everybody and their dog has those cables laying around.


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## Veho (May 9, 2014)

KingVamp said:


> Price aside, there most likely chargers at the same store and/or the person would be coming from the past system. So, you aren't just left hanging.


If they really, genuinely didn't want to leave the buyer hanging, they would have used a standard mini/micro USB port for charging, instead of their proprietary stuff. This was to force people to spend extra money and still have the console appear to cost less. 

Just like Sony Vita's memory cards.


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## KingVamp (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> The charger is an intrinsic part of the set without which you cannot even turn the device on, let alone use it. Memory cards I can understand, that's storage, but an AC adapter? It doesn't matter if it costs peanuts or not - I need it to turn the system on, it blows my mind that they'd think this is a good idea. It's artificially lowering the price of the product, I'd sooner expect them not to include the SD card because A) It's storage B) It's not proprietary so chances are that more people will have them, unlike the proprietary charger and C) It's not necessary for the operation of the system.


 
You can still buy the charger if you needed it. In fact, you don't even have to get their charger. The charger is probably cheaper than the SD cards and that's why they decided to drop that.  It's like,

"Well, we have all these used chargers out there,we have chargers in packets and there's 3rd party, there's no need for overproduction".

While I'm not saying it was a good decision, there's reasoning behind it.




Foxi4 said:


> If they want to go green, they should use a commonly used plug, like microUSB - everybody and their dog has those cables laying around.


Perhaps for their next handheld.



Veho said:


> If they really, genuinely didn't want to leave the buyer hanging, they would have used a standard mini/micro USB port for charging, instead of their proprietary stuff. This was to force people to spend extra money and still have the console appear to cost less.
> 
> Just like Sony Vita's memory cards.


Was the mini/micro USB even that common and wide spread when the DSI came out? Besides, they were coming from a time when they needed to and used to producing their own charger.

It's not like it cost a lot like Vita memory cards do, anyway.


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## emigre (May 9, 2014)

Vampy, why are trying to justify Ninty's decision to sell a handheld system without a charger? They're selling a system without the means to use it. I resented paying £170 for my 3DS XL and than having to buy a charger on top of that. Just as I resented buy proprietary memory for my Vita.


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## KingVamp (May 9, 2014)

emigre said:


> Vampy, why are trying to justify Ninty's decision to sell a handheld system without a charger? They're selling a system without the means to use it. I resented paying £170 for my 3DS XL and than having to buy a charger on top of that. Just as I resented buy proprietary memory for my Vita.


Well, mainly because they are making a big deal out of it.

Surely they should have since it's so hard to grab a charger at the same place they are getting the 3DS XL and it cost so much more (in the same vein as Vita's proprietary memory) while separated.

Seriously tho, maybe they should have, just in case someone didn't have one, didn't have easy access to one (can't really imagine that) or just for having an extra charger.

While I'm actually indecisive about their decision, I don't see it as that big of a deal. It would be one thing if the chargers were sparse,hard to come by and/or cost more than with the console, but that isn't the case.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

I would rather buy a system without a tiny 2GB (3DS) or 4GB (XL) SD card and be able to use it than have to buy a charger. I'm not defending Sony's practice of overpricing memory cards (although I understand the intention), I'm merely saying that Nintendo is no better in this regard. As I said, I don't know of a single device with a proprietary rechargeable battery that wouldn't be bundled with a charger - it's as if Android devices would suddenly stop being bundled with chargers because the plug is the same on all Android devices - would that be acceptable? No, because the device I just paid for cannot function without it. This is not a case of "batteries not included" - those are universal, the charger is not. You can't assume that your customer already owns your proprietary hardware, by doing so you alienate everybody who doesn't.


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## Pleng (May 9, 2014)

thaddius said:


> It was inevitable. Someone would eventually put Android onto a portable gaming device. So after a dearth of Chinese companies tried their hand at it with generic Android handhelds (something that I’m not bothering to include in this round), someone actually thought about doing it properly.


 
Who thought about doing it properly? I'm confused.

The form factor of the Shield is a joke. While I know the Chinese tab/console and phone/console hybrids are far from perfect, their form factors at least make some kind of sense!


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## Oxybelis (May 9, 2014)

Neo Geo X should not be here. It does not compete with Vita and DS.
Shield samewhat does, like other 1000s of other android consoles (JXD and so on) so it takes my vote.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 9, 2014)

Pleng said:


> Who thought about doing it properly? I'm confused.
> 
> *The form factor of the Shield is a joke.* While I know the Chinese tab/console and phone/console hybrids are far from perfect, their form factors at least make some kind of sense!


wut.

It's almost literally a 360 controller with a screen thrown on the top. The biggest difference is the d-pad and the left analog stick are switched, otherwise it's practically the same form factor as a 360 controller.  

For reference, a wireless 360 controller is
6.05in wide
2.4in high
4.13in long

Whereas the Shield is
6.2in wide
2.2in high
5in long

The biggest difference is the length of the device, which is understandable since the Shield has a whole handheld packed inside as well as, y'know, a screen. So I guess if you have some sort of burning passionate hate for the 360 controller then yeah I guess the form factor is "a joke"


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> wut.
> 
> It's almost literally a 360 controller with a screen thrown on the top. The biggest difference is the d-pad and the left analog stick are switched, otherwise it's practically the same form factor as a 360 controller.
> 
> ...


This is another instance of understanding portability as _"I can put it in my pocket"_. Fair play, that's one way to do things, I personally prefer a comfortable grip. That being said, the Shield could use a slimming diet.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> This is another instance of understanding portability as _"I can put it in my pocket"_. Fair play, that's one way to do things, I personally prefer a comfortable grip. That being said, the Shield could use a slimming diet.


 
True, it is too thick to fit in pants pocket (I can fit it in my hoodie pockets, but that's totally different). That's my main and probably only complaint about my Shield, if I want to bring it somewhere I have to use my hands or my bag. It's also got a bit of weight to it, it weighs around 20oz, but it's got an entire handheld with a huge battery stuffed inside so I didn't expect some light as a feather thing.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> True, it is too thick to fit in pants pocket (I can fit it in my hoodie pockets, but that's totally different). That's my main and probably only complaint about my Shield, if I want to bring it somewhere I have to use my hands or my bag. It's also got a bit of weight to it, it weighs around 20oz, but it's got an entire handheld with a huge battery stuffed inside so I didn't expect some light as a feather thing.


Doesn't it also have rumble? I always wanted handhelds to start including that, even if it'd drain the battery faster when turned on - it's just nice to have some haptic feedback when gaming.


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 9, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> Doesn't it also have rumble? I always wanted handhelds to start including that, even if it'd drain the battery faster when turned on - it's just nice to have some haptic feedback when gaming.


 
It doesn't, they didn't really have much room for anything. You can check out how packed the thing is here: http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nvidia+Shield+Teardown/16212


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> It doesn't, they didn't really have much room for anything. You can check out how packed the thing is here: http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nvidia Shield Teardown/16212


Yeah, I can see now, they only have room for two really small motors, not enough for proper rumble. They'd have to cut down on the battery size to put something bigger in and nobody wants that. Thanks, very informative photoshoot.


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## Pleng (May 9, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> wut.
> 
> It's almost literally a 360 controller with a screen thrown on the top


 
Which is exactly the issue. There's a reason that the Gameboy wasn't "literally a NES controller with a screen thrown on top"  or the DS wasn't "literally an N64 Controller with a screen thrown on top" - it's a ridiculous way of doing things!

The Shield pretty much takes the worst parts of laptop computing, combines it with the most irritating parts of mobile gaming, and wraps it up in the most hideous packaging ever seen for a portable device!


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

Pleng said:


> Which is exactly the issue. There's a reason that the Gameboy wasn't "literally a NES controller with a screen thrown on top" or the DS wasn't "literally an N64 Controller with a screen thrown on top" - it's a ridiculous way of doing things!


 






And that's just the Micro, the original Game Boy is much, much bigger than that.


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## thaddius (May 9, 2014)

I think we can all agree that the Game Boy Micro is the best Game Boy ever.


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

thaddius said:


> I think we can all agree that the Game Boy Micro is the best Game Boy ever.


It's definitely the most stylish, but its size stands in the way of its utility.


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## thaddius (May 9, 2014)

Aw you're just being picky. It's great. No question.


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## matpower (May 9, 2014)

thaddius said:


> Aw you're just being picky. It's great. No question.


No GB(C) Compatibility...


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## Foxi4 (May 9, 2014)

thaddius said:


> Aw you're just being picky. It's great. No question.


It's a great... decoration. 


matpower said:


> No GB(C) Compatibility...


That as well.


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## thaddius (May 9, 2014)

In case you haven't figured it out I'm just joking. I own a few flash carts though so GB backwards compatibility it not a problem for me.


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## Vipera (May 9, 2014)

The only problem with the Micro is that it can't play Pokémon Crystal. The Goomba makes it all glitchy


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## DJPlace (May 9, 2014)

thaddius said:


> I think we can all agree that the Game Boy Micro is the best Game Boy ever.


 

i love my GBA SP!! i bet i can fit in the palm of my hand. but back on topic...

i'm not going vote this time. both systems i have tried are good in each way and i like them. i have not tried the shield system and neo geo x and hell i don't know what the shield system is...


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## Pleng (May 10, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> > There's a reason that the Gameboy wasn't "literally a NES controller with a screen thrown on top"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

I guess we have a different understanding of "on top"...?


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## Foxi4 (May 10, 2014)

Pleng said:


> I guess we have a different understanding of "on top"...?


I used that photo for comedic effect since it's the Famicom Controller edition, the original Game Boy _(big grey beast)_ was essentially a NES controller with a screen on-top.


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## Pleng (May 10, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> I used that photo for comedic effect since it's the Famicom Controller edition, the original Game Boy _(big grey beast)_ was essentially a NES controller with a screen on-top.


 
No it wasn't. If I recall correctly it was thinner, and it was _certainly_ chunkier. Ok I'll accept that it's probably a lot _closer_ to being just "a controller with a screen stuck on top" than the rest, but even so it was the first real attempt. Since then devices have been moving further and further away from the design.


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## Foxi4 (May 10, 2014)

Pleng said:


> No it wasn't. If I recall correctly it was thinner, and it was _certainly_ chunkier. Ok I'll accept that it's probably a lot _closer_ to being just "a controller with a screen stuck on top" than the rest, but even so it was the first real attempt. Since then devices have been moving further and further away from the design.


Okay, fair game, so here's a thought - the Shield is foldable, it's a clamshell design like a DS. Is the entire DS like just a screen and speakers stuck to an NES controller? No, of course not, you can fold it perfectly fine, it's a clamshell, just close the lid. Well, the shield is the same, except instead of an NES controller on the bottom you have the far superior 360 controller with some minor details changed around. Same thing, same form factor, different dimensions.


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## Psionic Roshambo (May 10, 2014)

I voted for the NeoGeo X because it's just really not that great... Sure you can install third party firmware on it and gain more emulators and ironically even better NeoGeo emulation but it was more expensive than my cheap ass JXD S7800b and is far less capable. The controller hook up is cool so it has that going for it.

Was close to voting for the shield but the NeoGeo X beats it. Shield is almost over powered for anything "right now" and by that I mean by the time software requires that level of hardware on Android you will be able to do the same thing on something costing much less. (I am waiting to see what Shield 2 is going to be like. Should be interesting at least.)

The Vita is still better than either of those two but probably worse than the 3DS when it comes to the library of games on the two machines. Throw in memory cards that are too expensive and it would get my vote between it and the 3DS. (but just barely, its probably the best non Nintendo handheld I have seen since the TurboExpress! Much better than the PSP in my opinion.)

3DS would get my vote for weakest hardware except I suspect it is probably more powerful than the NeoGeo X. The 3D thing while cool is very dependent on the game being played so it gets a "meh" from me.

I went cheap this gen, got one of the cheap china android machines and couldn't be happier. I plan on getting what ever JXD puts out as a replacement for the 7800 as long as they keep the same form factor they can keep me as a customer.  (Big beefy hands love the big beefy handheld lol)


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## Foxi4 (May 10, 2014)

The Shield costs $199 as of today and it would seem that this price point isn't going to change because NVidia noticed a spike of interest in the device after the price was lowered, I _don't_ think that budget devices will be able to match that hardware with a superior price point anytime soon and even if they will, they'll still require an additional input method _(with a few exceptions like the Chinese gaming tablets, but those are usually poor quality gadgets)_, making the Shield the superior choice either way. I hated on the Shield big time when it came out, but that's because they charged an arm and a leg for it and getting a phone and an external controller was just more cost-effective. Now that it's affordable it's a perfectly viable Android solution, definitely superior to something you'd immediately cover with fingerprints or something underpowered. Hell, I see it as better than the OUYA which is admittedly far cheaper but it's a _"home micro console"_ and that disqualifies it in terms of portability which is what you want from mobile-grade games _(then again, it's not a huge achievement to be better than the OUYA... ;O; )_.


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## Psionic Roshambo (May 10, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> The Shield costs $199 as of today and it would seem that this price point isn't going to change because NVidia noticed a spike of interest in the device after the price was lowered, I _don't_ think that budget devices will be able to match that hardware with a superior price point anytime soon and even if they will, they'll still require an additional input method _(with a few exceptions like the Chinese gaming tablets, but those are usually poor quality gadgets)_, making the Shield the superior choice either way. I hated on the Shield big time when it came out, but that's because they charged an arm and a leg for it and getting a phone and an external controller was just more cost-effective. Now that it's affordable it's a perfectly viable Android solution, definitely superior to something you'd immediately cover with fingerprints or something underpowered. Hell, I see it as better than the OUYA which is admittedly far cheaper but it's a _"home micro console"_ and that disqualifies it in terms of portability which is what you want from mobile-grade games _(then again, it's not a huge achievement to be better than the OUYA... ;O; )_.


 

The biggest problem I can honestly see with the Shield, games that require you to use the system in portrait mode. Not many games force you to use your system like that but if you like puzzle games and some of the cool tower defense ones. You run into them from time to time.

I imagine that the games run fine like that and can even be played, I just can't imagine it being a fun experience? (If a Shield owner has tried them and it's only my imagination that this would be a pain in the ass, please please correct me!)

Edit: Sort of on that subject let me throw in my recommendation for an awesome Tower Defense game with Zombies!!! (Warning will force you to use your system in portrait mode.) I have completed the whole game and it is great, considering starting it over again just because it's that fun, and it's free!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.artofbytes.gravedefence.hd.free&hl=en


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## thaddius (May 10, 2014)

Psionic Roshambo said:


> The biggest problem I can honestly see with the Shield, games that require you to use the system in portrait mode. Not many games force you to use your system like that but if you like puzzle games and some of the cool tower defense ones. You run into them from time to time.


 
That's been a bummer for me as a developer. I'm currently working on a puzzler kind of game that uses a portrait orientation. While I would love to launch it on the Shield (one of my teachers keeps bugging me about it too) doing so would make the game either annoying to play, or if I just scrunched the screen down to a small portrait in landscape mode it'd be super tiny.

At least I'll be able to launch it on the Vita...


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 10, 2014)

Psionic Roshambo said:


> The biggest problem I can honestly see with the Shield, games that require you to use the system in portrait mode. Not many games force you to use your system like that but if you like puzzle games and some of the cool tower defense ones. You run into them from time to time.
> 
> I imagine that the games run fine like that and can even be played, I just can't imagine it being a fun experience? (If a Shield owner has tried them and it's only my imagination that this would be a pain in the ass, please please correct me!)


 
As a Shield owner, I don't play many portrait games on my Shield. Not because I can't, you can actually quite comfortably grip the controller part sideways with one of your hands and then use the other to touch the screen, but because I've got other devices I can play puzzle games or whatever other portrait mode games if I ever feel like it. An example of a game I have played in portrait mode on the Shield, Don't Tape the White Tile. I was able to comfortably play the game for the 5 minutes it was enjoyable and still get a fairly nice score (for one hand, at least). I think my best in Classic on the Shield is something like 9.3 seconds, whereas on my phone it's something around 6.8 or 6.9 seconds.


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## KingBlank (May 12, 2014)

I'm upset by the amount of votes for Nvidia Shield, I guess its just because people click the one they know nothing about.
after all, I have been enjoying playing Dark Souls 2 Darksiders 2(which I don't own), In bed, streaming from Nvidia's free grid servers, with a tiny 50ms lag.
Seems like once this technology is fully realized we will have no need for gaming PC's XD


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## Tom Bombadildo (May 12, 2014)

KingBlank said:


> I'm upset by the amount of votes for Nvidia Shield, I guess its just because people click the one they know nothing about.
> after all, I have been enjoying playing Dark Souls 2 (which I don't own), In bed, *streaming from Nvidia's free grid servers, with a tiny 50ms lag.*
> Seems like once this technology is fully realized we will have no need for gaming PC's XD


 
wut

Dark Souls 2 isn't on GRID. Maybe you're thinking of Darksiders 2?


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## KingBlank (May 12, 2014)

Tom Bombadildo said:


> wut
> 
> Dark Souls 2 isn't on GRID. Maybe you're thinking of Darksiders 2?


 
Yeaaah, But of a typo there, I won't edit it out now that you have pointed that out. :o


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## Hyperstar96 (May 12, 2014)

Gahars said:


> I think everyone's too harsh on the Neo Geo X. It has an "X" in its name. That's pretty cool.
> 
> The Nvidia Shield, though? Not actually a shield. It's a total ripoff, through and through.
> 
> Come on, guys, this isn't tough.


 Then Vita would be the worst. "Vita" translates to "life". That thing can't bring me back to life. It's a scam.


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## TheCasketMan (May 12, 2014)

The Shield is getting decent PC games/ports such as Half Life 2, Portal, and Mount & Blade plus cloud gaming with GRID. It is also an excellent emulation machine and Android gaming platform, with an excellent console quality controller. I know you can buy a MOGA, but there is so much more you can do on the Shield, so I don't know why it is so underrated.


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## Sakitoshi (May 12, 2014)

I came here to ruin the Shield party, the device is nice, powerful and all but I'm from the ones that think that a portable needs to fit on your pockets(even when most of the time I use a bag when going out) and the Shield fails there, is much more comfortable being able to just take out something from your pocket than open the bag, get the thing out and then close the bag.
I also think that use Android is a bad decision to use as a gaming OS, the use of thousand of wrappers instead of run directly lowers the performance unnecessarily and the handling of multitasking is terrible(sometimes on my phone background apps have interrupted the app I was using and apps that(supposedly) runs as services stop working because other background apps force close them. all of this is only when you run out of ram of course) and you can't tell easily what apps are running on background(you can go to settings -> applications but that isn't very user friendly and also list the services, unlike my old phone with Symbian where you need to long press the menu button to get the list of apps running), and I dislike that if you open a new app said new app force his way and close some background apps to free ram instead of asking "you have too many apps open, please close some to free ram"(another thing that Symbian does).
so imagine you are playing a demanding game and just because a little background app like to do something and need more ram closes your game, will you be happy??
the 3DS and Vita handle multitasking well and the NeoGeo X don't have problems there with no multitasking at all.


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## Veho (May 12, 2014)

Sakitoshi said:


> I'm from the ones that think that a portable needs to fit on your pockets(even when most of the time I use a bag when going out) and the Shield fails there, is much more comfortable being able to just take out something from your pocket than open the bag, get the thing out and then close the bag.


In that case the Vita or the 3DS aren't "portables" either. Neither can comfortably fit into a pocket (not counting jacket pockets here).


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## Foxi4 (May 12, 2014)

Veho said:


> In that case the Vita or the 3DS aren't "portables" either. Neither can comfortably fit into a pocket (not counting jacket pockets here).


To be fair, there haven't been a lot of _"pocket portables"_ in general. I guess the Game Boy Pocket, Color and Micro all fit pockets nicely, but anything beyond that was either far too big for putting in a small pocket or a clamshell which shouldn't be put in a pocket at all as it could damage the hinge. Seeing that I'm not wearing skintight pants, this was never a problem to me. Then again, I prefer not to put my portables in my pockets simply because they could get damaged or scratched in the process - cases are the way to go for me.


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## Sakitoshi (May 12, 2014)

Veho said:


> In that case the Vita or the 3DS aren't "portables" either. Neither can comfortably fit into a pocket (not counting jacket pockets here).


 
I have fairly big pockets and the 3DS XL and Vita fit well, but I can't comfortably fit a Dualshock 3. for a device to be portable is also important to have a flat form, in the case of the 3DS/XL you fold it and is totally flat, the Vita has the sticks but still is flat enough, the Shield has the triggers and the grips that get in the way when if you put it on your pockets. even larger devices like laptops are flat to be able to carry them without problems inside a bag. also the weight doesn't help, is almost twice the weight of the 3DS XL and Vita


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## xwatchmanx (May 12, 2014)

Veho said:


> In that case the Vita or the 3DS aren't "portables" either. Neither can comfortably fit into a pocket (not counting jacket pockets here).


 
I can definitely fit my 3DS XL in my front pocket just fine, even more so the original 3DS I used to have. That said, my pants are pretty big (44 inch waist). I don't keep any handhelds in my pocket anymore anyways, though because of issues I've had. 3DS screens get scratched (even the XL, and replacing screen protectors every couple of months is annoying), and DS and GBA hinges crack. The only handheld I feel safe keeping in my pocket anymore is the Game Boy Micro, and _maybe_ the PSP.


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## hankchill (May 13, 2014)

150 votes for Nvidia Shield.

That's 150 people who have either never touched the thing or don't even know what it is.

The Shield is a spectacular piece of hardware.

Oh well, haters gonna hate.


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## KingBlank (May 13, 2014)

hankchill said:


> 150 votes for Nvidia Shield.
> 
> That's 150 people who have either never touched the thing or don't even know what it is.
> 
> ...


 

IKR, And I've never had games quit because of demanding background processes. I guess it helps that I rooted my shield and removed any unnecessary apps.
I do understand why people dislike the form factor though, its huge and I carry it around in a camera bag whenever I go somewhere.
But its not really a problem for me, because you are always going to look silly playing games on something that looks like a PSP or NDS, But maybe you look slightly less stupid using a shield because its not a familiar "Kids toy".
Speaking of PSP and NDS... you can play PSP with beautiful upscaling and great controls on the shield.

I use most my gaming handhelds round the house anyway


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## coolmario (May 15, 2014)

As much as I love SNK handhelds, I'll have to vote Neo Geo X. I tried the shield at my friends house, pretty cool actually.


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## Veho (May 15, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> To be fair, there haven't been a lot of _"pocket portables"_ in general.


It needs a new category, "pocketable console"    Includes Dingoo A330 and Gameboy micro. 



Sakitoshi said:


> I have fairly big pockets and the 3DS XL and Vita fit well, but I can't comfortably fit a Dualshock 3.





xwatchmanx said:


> I can definitely fit my 3DS XL in my front pocket just fine, even more so the original 3DS I used to have.


I'm 6'5'' and my pockets aren't exactly small, but I find anything bigger than the GBA SP too large, bulky and cumbersome to carry around in them, and when i transport a larger handheld around I do it in a bag or at least a jacket. And since I'm carrying a dedicated piece of luggage around just for the sake of the console, it doesn't matter by how much it overshoots the limit, so any size and weight short of something I have to put down and rest every once in a while is just as portable as a 3DS or Vita.


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