March 8, 2010 at 23:21Handheld game consoles - a small digest
Some time ago I was asked to help in finding a portable game console for a ten-year-old child with the only requirement - “it would be cheaper ...” It all ended up with the purchase of a Nintendo DS (even two - a second to myself :)), but so far I chose, I had to study the devices on the market . I decided to share the accumulated information - suddenly someone will have the same problem.
Now not quoted, but still selling well.
The cost is from 100 to 200 rubles, in a set from a dozen to several hundred games (which are variations of the first ten). Not that it was considered as an option, but it makes sense to mention how the most affordable pocket console. :)
Price: 100-200 rubles
Prevalence: fashion has long passed, but you can buy it without problems
Main genres of games: Tetris :)
Pluses: almost freebie, long battery life
Minuses: poor graphics, a small set of games
Dvtech Discovery (Sega Nomad), Dendy Megaboy, Powerboy, various Defenders with a fixed number of games. In appearance, they are trying to copy the PSP, inside - the Sega MD emulator, or, more often, NES. There are versions that work with cartridges from the original consoles, there are options with their cartridges, there are options with a fixed (and non-expandable) number of games.
Price: 1000-2000
Prevalence : there is in almost every Euroset salon
Main game genres : arcade
Pluses : low price, nostalgia
Minuses : poor graphics, short battery life, if a child drags him to school - they will laugh
A few links to reviews:
habrahabr.ru / blogs / gadgets / 86190
community.livejournal.com/emulate_su/26866.html
gbx.ru/index.php?showtopic=33841&st=20
Game consoles, the main purpose of which is to launch games of other consoles - NES, SNES, SMD, NEOGEO, GBA ... Plus additional features - a media player (music, video, images), reading books, radio. The most famous representatives are Dingoo A-320, GP2X Wiz.
Price: on average - around $ 100
Prevalence: small, you can buy in Chinese online stores
Main game genres: depending on the emulated platform
Advantages: multifunctional device, hundreds of great games, portable media player, nostalgia, again
Disadvantages: low prevalence in Russia, which is why the local price is two times higher than the Chinese, if you can find it.
A couple of reviews
habrahabr.ru/blogs/gadgets/82223
habrahabr.ru/blogs/gadgets/57113
The "modern" model is GameBoy Advance SP (clamshell). Also met: GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, GameBoy Micro. The predecessor of the Nintendo DS, is still quite popular with the "casual". First of all - due to the low price of the device and games, ease of use. By and large - a pocket version of Super Nintendo. Of the additional features - multiplayer (via cable and wireless, reader and media player - when sticking in specially trained cartridges)
Price: around 2500-3000, games, on average, 200-300 rubles each.
Prevalence: high.
Main game genres: almost everything, from platformers to RPGs and strategies.
Pluses: inexpensive, compact, long enough battery life
Minuses: like all inexpensive devices in this review, out of date
Somehow I already wrote something like a review. The most popular portable console in the world (but not in Russia;)), a huge number of games, many of which use the device’s additional features in the game process - a touchscreen, microphone, camera ... there is also a wifi that allows you to play multiplayer games (including and over the internet). Hardware is outdated (Nintendo promises to announce a replacement soon), but cosmetic updates are coming out. The most popular (and most commonly found on sale) version is NDS Lite, which is now slowly being replaced by NDSi (NDSi XL). But occasionally the original NDS is also found.
Differences:
Nintendo DS - the original version.
Nintendo DS Lite- reduced size, added the ability to adjust the backlight level, slightly changed ergonomics.
Nintendo DSi - increased screen size, replacing the GBA slot with an SD card slot, the ability to play AAC files, two cameras with a resolution of 640 * 480 (one outside, the other inside), a processor with a frequency of 133 megahertz (versus 67 in previous versions) , 16 megabytes of RAM (there were 4), 256 megabytes of SSD (there wasn’t before), updated wifi (supports WPA / 2).
Nintendo DSi LL / XL - increasing the diagonal of screens to 4.2 ", a more powerful battery.
Price: NDS / NDS Lite BU 3500-4500, new ones are still found at about 6000-7000. DSi BU did not see, the new one costs from 9000, in average - 11,000 Games are 1000-1500.
prevalence:average. A console is much easier to buy than games to it.
The main genres of games: different. Arcades, puzzles, strategies, quests ...
Advantages: interesting gameplay, reasonable price (if you take the BU)
Disadvantages: rather expensive games, plus their low prevalence - because you have to buy a specially trained cartridge and pirate games from the Internet. Although some can be bought ... Scribblenauts ... :)
Type of review:
aik.habrahabr.ru/blog/78915
The main competitor of NDS in the world and almost a winner in Russia. Usually, when they start talking about a portable game console, they mean PSP. Great screen, powerful hardware, comfortable ergonomics, Wi-Fi, support for memory cards. Can be used as a reader, browser, media player. Emulators of old consoles, including the official emulator of the first Playstation.
There are four versions:
PSP 100x - the first models. An infrared port was available.
PSP 200x (Slim) - It became a little smaller, lighter. The infrared port is gone, the RAM is added, the ability to connect to the TV has appeared.
PSP 300x (Bright) - a microphone has appeared, the new screen is brighter, anti-glare.
PSP Go- slider. MiniUSB removed, support for UMD disks removed - you won’t play old licensed games. 16 gigabytes of internal memory, bluetooth, a new format of memory cards (M2). The ability (or rather, the need) to buy games over the Internet (PSN). Smaller sizes.
Price: BU - in the region of 5000-6000, new - from 8000 to 11000 (for PSP Go).
Prevalence: high, the price in the secondary market is high - that is, it is in demand.
The main genres of games: arcade, action, racing ... Although there are fighting games, and RPGs, and strategies.
Pluses: high prevalence, powerful hardware, excellent graphics, great functionality
Minuses:a rather large size, with the release of PSP Go the platform has almost completely changed - old games and accessories do not fit it. Fun with hacked firmware - if you do not want to limit yourself to licensed games, you will have to carefully watch what you are buying.
Reviews:
habrahabr.ru/blogs/games/80136 - PSP Go
According to previous versions of reviews and so the car ...
Ipod Touch - was initially positioned as a media player, but in the end it turned out something like a PDA. A fairly large set of software, one of the best mobile browsers, a good screen, good performance.
There are a lot of games. Distributed through the online store AppStore. They are not very expensive (on average - $ 5-10), most games have free demos. Many games have been ported from other consoles - NDS and PSP, plus there are emulators of some platforms (NES, SNES ...).
Game management - touchscreen (multitouch) plus an accelerometer. It’s inconvenient to play part of the games - the “joystick” is drawn on the screen, fingers are closed during the split-screen game. And on the contrary, there are no problems, even despite the same “joystick” on the screen.
In general, a very decent gaming platform was obtained. On schedule - better than NDS, but worse than PSP. For ease of management - depends on the game. For example, if we take GTA: Chinatown Wars, which was released on all three platforms, then I would not say where the more convenient control is on NDS or on the ipod. But the PSP with this game is an obvious outsider.
Everything that is said about ipod applies to iphone.
There are several options for ipod touch and iphone.
Iphone (2G) - original, 4, 8, 16 GB
Iphone 3G - 2G plus support for 3G and GPS, 8 and 16GB
Iphone 3Gs - more powerful CPUs, GPUs, doubled RAM size. 16 and 32 GB
iPod Touch 1G - Initial release. 8, 16, 32 gigabytes.
Ipod touch 2g- differs from the first generation by the presence of bluetooth, which was activated when updating IphoneOS 3.0, 8, 16, 32 gigabytes.
IPod Touch 3G is the latest version. 8, 32, 64 gigabytes.
Touch 3G 8GB is, in reality, 2G with the originally installed iphoneOS 3.0
Touch 3G 32 and 64 - a really new platform, more memory, a more powerful processor and a “video card" (similar to iphone 3Gs).
So if you consider the device as a game console, then the best choice is Ipod Touch 3G 32GB. Because there are already games that slow down on less powerful models. Even, it would seem, such garbage as Plants and Zombies.
Price:
Ipod Touch: BU - 6000-7000, the new starts at 8500 for 3G 8Gb, 10000 - 3G 32Gb.
Iphone:
First-generation controllers - approximately 10,000; 3G - from 16,000; control units have not seen 3Gs.
New - 3G somewhere from 20,000, 3Gs - from 30,000.
Prevalence: ipod touch - not really, iphone - high.
Main game genres: puzzles, puzzles, arcades. But there are strategies, and 3D-action ...
Advantages: wow factor - enjoyable to use, a large number of games, low price of games, ease of purchase (you just need Internet access and a bank card)
Disadvantages: there are two main disadvantages.
The first - the back side (if metal) is very easily scratched. For a couple of weeks of wearing without a case, it seems that they walked on it with an emery cloth. It is treated by buying a cover.
The second drawback is itunes. The disadvantage is huge and almost incurable. Programs and games, of course, can be downloaded via the Internet. But working with a computer, synchronizing, downloading music and video (as well as installing pirated software) - only through itunes. What is the drawback, it is rather ideological rather than technical ...
Not an optimal choice as a gaming platform. There is a whole bunch of different devices that differ in power and ergonomics, respectively, games will have to be selected based on capabilities.
Most often, on the PDA they play solitaire and other puzzles, the touchscreen has this for it.
Turn-based strategies are also found. RTS is worse, but it is also possible if the screen is large enough and the processor is smart.
Arcade - depends on the presence and location of the hardware buttons. On modern devices it is already difficult, but on earlier ones, where there were up to a dozen buttons, sometimes it was quite convenient to play.
Quests - there are. There are native ones, you can also play through ScummVM.
Price:BU - from about 4-5 thousand, with which pretty good models are found (older Loox's, Dell 51, ipaq 4700). New ones (already communicators, not PDAs) start at about 10 thousand.
Prevalence: high
Main genres of games: see above
Advantages: relatively inexpensive, ease of installation of games, multifunctionality.
Disadvantages: a wide variety of devices, often the ergonomics of the device does not allow you to play a specific game. Yes, and not really they are intended for games ...
In the end ... And what in the end?
Android and symbian were left aside, as well as phones with java games. I did not consider them, therefore I will not write anything. But, I think, there is something in the WM area - it strongly depends on the device itself and only secondarily - on the platform.
Personally, I have the following devices:
HTC Max 4G . Always with you. The games played are Bejeweled 2 and Atomic Canon (a relative of Scorched Earth).
Nintendo DS . Most of the time he lives at home, but travels with me on vacation and business trips. Games - Scribblenauts, Castlevania (arcade), Professor Layton (collection of puzzles with a plot), GTA Chinatown Wars, Tetris DS, MarioCarts.
Ipod touch3G 8GB (that is, in fact, the second generation). A gift that I just can’t sell. :) He lives at home, the main tasks are the Internet on the couch, when it is lazy to get a laptop, Plants and Zombies, GTA Chinatown Wars, Labirynth2.
But the absolute champion in playing time is Bejeweled 2. :)
Brick Game (aka Tetris)
Now not quoted, but still selling well.
The cost is from 100 to 200 rubles, in a set from a dozen to several hundred games (which are variations of the first ten). Not that it was considered as an option, but it makes sense to mention how the most affordable pocket console. :)
Price: 100-200 rubles
Prevalence: fashion has long passed, but you can buy it without problems
Main genres of games: Tetris :)
Pluses: almost freebie, long battery life
Minuses: poor graphics, a small set of games
Portable dandy, sega ...
Dvtech Discovery (Sega Nomad), Dendy Megaboy, Powerboy, various Defenders with a fixed number of games. In appearance, they are trying to copy the PSP, inside - the Sega MD emulator, or, more often, NES. There are versions that work with cartridges from the original consoles, there are options with their cartridges, there are options with a fixed (and non-expandable) number of games.
Price: 1000-2000
Prevalence : there is in almost every Euroset salon
Main game genres : arcade
Pluses : low price, nostalgia
Minuses : poor graphics, short battery life, if a child drags him to school - they will laugh
A few links to reviews:
habrahabr.ru / blogs / gadgets / 86190
community.livejournal.com/emulate_su/26866.html
gbx.ru/index.php?showtopic=33841&st=20
Multiplatform emulators
Game consoles, the main purpose of which is to launch games of other consoles - NES, SNES, SMD, NEOGEO, GBA ... Plus additional features - a media player (music, video, images), reading books, radio. The most famous representatives are Dingoo A-320, GP2X Wiz.
Price: on average - around $ 100
Prevalence: small, you can buy in Chinese online stores
Main game genres: depending on the emulated platform
Advantages: multifunctional device, hundreds of great games, portable media player, nostalgia, again
Disadvantages: low prevalence in Russia, which is why the local price is two times higher than the Chinese, if you can find it.
A couple of reviews
habrahabr.ru/blogs/gadgets/82223
habrahabr.ru/blogs/gadgets/57113
Gameboy
The "modern" model is GameBoy Advance SP (clamshell). Also met: GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, GameBoy Micro. The predecessor of the Nintendo DS, is still quite popular with the "casual". First of all - due to the low price of the device and games, ease of use. By and large - a pocket version of Super Nintendo. Of the additional features - multiplayer (via cable and wireless, reader and media player - when sticking in specially trained cartridges)
Price: around 2500-3000, games, on average, 200-300 rubles each.
Prevalence: high.
Main game genres: almost everything, from platformers to RPGs and strategies.
Pluses: inexpensive, compact, long enough battery life
Minuses: like all inexpensive devices in this review, out of date
Nintendo DS
Somehow I already wrote something like a review. The most popular portable console in the world (but not in Russia;)), a huge number of games, many of which use the device’s additional features in the game process - a touchscreen, microphone, camera ... there is also a wifi that allows you to play multiplayer games (including and over the internet). Hardware is outdated (Nintendo promises to announce a replacement soon), but cosmetic updates are coming out. The most popular (and most commonly found on sale) version is NDS Lite, which is now slowly being replaced by NDSi (NDSi XL). But occasionally the original NDS is also found.
Differences:
Nintendo DS - the original version.
Nintendo DS Lite- reduced size, added the ability to adjust the backlight level, slightly changed ergonomics.
Nintendo DSi - increased screen size, replacing the GBA slot with an SD card slot, the ability to play AAC files, two cameras with a resolution of 640 * 480 (one outside, the other inside), a processor with a frequency of 133 megahertz (versus 67 in previous versions) , 16 megabytes of RAM (there were 4), 256 megabytes of SSD (there wasn’t before), updated wifi (supports WPA / 2).
Nintendo DSi LL / XL - increasing the diagonal of screens to 4.2 ", a more powerful battery.
Price: NDS / NDS Lite BU 3500-4500, new ones are still found at about 6000-7000. DSi BU did not see, the new one costs from 9000, in average - 11,000 Games are 1000-1500.
prevalence:average. A console is much easier to buy than games to it.
The main genres of games: different. Arcades, puzzles, strategies, quests ...
Advantages: interesting gameplay, reasonable price (if you take the BU)
Disadvantages: rather expensive games, plus their low prevalence - because you have to buy a specially trained cartridge and pirate games from the Internet. Although some can be bought ... Scribblenauts ... :)
Type of review:
aik.habrahabr.ru/blog/78915
Sony PSP
The main competitor of NDS in the world and almost a winner in Russia. Usually, when they start talking about a portable game console, they mean PSP. Great screen, powerful hardware, comfortable ergonomics, Wi-Fi, support for memory cards. Can be used as a reader, browser, media player. Emulators of old consoles, including the official emulator of the first Playstation.
There are four versions:
PSP 100x - the first models. An infrared port was available.
PSP 200x (Slim) - It became a little smaller, lighter. The infrared port is gone, the RAM is added, the ability to connect to the TV has appeared.
PSP 300x (Bright) - a microphone has appeared, the new screen is brighter, anti-glare.
PSP Go- slider. MiniUSB removed, support for UMD disks removed - you won’t play old licensed games. 16 gigabytes of internal memory, bluetooth, a new format of memory cards (M2). The ability (or rather, the need) to buy games over the Internet (PSN). Smaller sizes.
Price: BU - in the region of 5000-6000, new - from 8000 to 11000 (for PSP Go).
Prevalence: high, the price in the secondary market is high - that is, it is in demand.
The main genres of games: arcade, action, racing ... Although there are fighting games, and RPGs, and strategies.
Pluses: high prevalence, powerful hardware, excellent graphics, great functionality
Minuses:a rather large size, with the release of PSP Go the platform has almost completely changed - old games and accessories do not fit it. Fun with hacked firmware - if you do not want to limit yourself to licensed games, you will have to carefully watch what you are buying.
Reviews:
habrahabr.ru/blogs/games/80136 - PSP Go
According to previous versions of reviews and so the car ...
Apple ipod touch (well, iphone)
Ipod Touch - was initially positioned as a media player, but in the end it turned out something like a PDA. A fairly large set of software, one of the best mobile browsers, a good screen, good performance.
There are a lot of games. Distributed through the online store AppStore. They are not very expensive (on average - $ 5-10), most games have free demos. Many games have been ported from other consoles - NDS and PSP, plus there are emulators of some platforms (NES, SNES ...).
Game management - touchscreen (multitouch) plus an accelerometer. It’s inconvenient to play part of the games - the “joystick” is drawn on the screen, fingers are closed during the split-screen game. And on the contrary, there are no problems, even despite the same “joystick” on the screen.
In general, a very decent gaming platform was obtained. On schedule - better than NDS, but worse than PSP. For ease of management - depends on the game. For example, if we take GTA: Chinatown Wars, which was released on all three platforms, then I would not say where the more convenient control is on NDS or on the ipod. But the PSP with this game is an obvious outsider.
Everything that is said about ipod applies to iphone.
There are several options for ipod touch and iphone.
Iphone (2G) - original, 4, 8, 16 GB
Iphone 3G - 2G plus support for 3G and GPS, 8 and 16GB
Iphone 3Gs - more powerful CPUs, GPUs, doubled RAM size. 16 and 32 GB
iPod Touch 1G - Initial release. 8, 16, 32 gigabytes.
Ipod touch 2g- differs from the first generation by the presence of bluetooth, which was activated when updating IphoneOS 3.0, 8, 16, 32 gigabytes.
IPod Touch 3G is the latest version. 8, 32, 64 gigabytes.
Touch 3G 8GB is, in reality, 2G with the originally installed iphoneOS 3.0
Touch 3G 32 and 64 - a really new platform, more memory, a more powerful processor and a “video card" (similar to iphone 3Gs).
So if you consider the device as a game console, then the best choice is Ipod Touch 3G 32GB. Because there are already games that slow down on less powerful models. Even, it would seem, such garbage as Plants and Zombies.
Price:
Ipod Touch: BU - 6000-7000, the new starts at 8500 for 3G 8Gb, 10000 - 3G 32Gb.
Iphone:
First-generation controllers - approximately 10,000; 3G - from 16,000; control units have not seen 3Gs.
New - 3G somewhere from 20,000, 3Gs - from 30,000.
Prevalence: ipod touch - not really, iphone - high.
Main game genres: puzzles, puzzles, arcades. But there are strategies, and 3D-action ...
Advantages: wow factor - enjoyable to use, a large number of games, low price of games, ease of purchase (you just need Internet access and a bank card)
Disadvantages: there are two main disadvantages.
The first - the back side (if metal) is very easily scratched. For a couple of weeks of wearing without a case, it seems that they walked on it with an emery cloth. It is treated by buying a cover.
The second drawback is itunes. The disadvantage is huge and almost incurable. Programs and games, of course, can be downloaded via the Internet. But working with a computer, synchronizing, downloading music and video (as well as installing pirated software) - only through itunes. What is the drawback, it is rather ideological rather than technical ...
PDAs and communicators for WM
Not an optimal choice as a gaming platform. There is a whole bunch of different devices that differ in power and ergonomics, respectively, games will have to be selected based on capabilities.
Most often, on the PDA they play solitaire and other puzzles, the touchscreen has this for it.
Turn-based strategies are also found. RTS is worse, but it is also possible if the screen is large enough and the processor is smart.
Arcade - depends on the presence and location of the hardware buttons. On modern devices it is already difficult, but on earlier ones, where there were up to a dozen buttons, sometimes it was quite convenient to play.
Quests - there are. There are native ones, you can also play through ScummVM.
Price:BU - from about 4-5 thousand, with which pretty good models are found (older Loox's, Dell 51, ipaq 4700). New ones (already communicators, not PDAs) start at about 10 thousand.
Prevalence: high
Main genres of games: see above
Advantages: relatively inexpensive, ease of installation of games, multifunctionality.
Disadvantages: a wide variety of devices, often the ergonomics of the device does not allow you to play a specific game. Yes, and not really they are intended for games ...
In the end ... And what in the end?
Android and symbian were left aside, as well as phones with java games. I did not consider them, therefore I will not write anything. But, I think, there is something in the WM area - it strongly depends on the device itself and only secondarily - on the platform.
Personally, I have the following devices:
HTC Max 4G . Always with you. The games played are Bejeweled 2 and Atomic Canon (a relative of Scorched Earth).
Nintendo DS . Most of the time he lives at home, but travels with me on vacation and business trips. Games - Scribblenauts, Castlevania (arcade), Professor Layton (collection of puzzles with a plot), GTA Chinatown Wars, Tetris DS, MarioCarts.
Ipod touch3G 8GB (that is, in fact, the second generation). A gift that I just can’t sell. :) He lives at home, the main tasks are the Internet on the couch, when it is lazy to get a laptop, Plants and Zombies, GTA Chinatown Wars, Labirynth2.
But the absolute champion in playing time is Bejeweled 2. :)
