Nintendo DSi vs. PSP

[ukrainium]

Pretty straight forward thread here (I hope!)

My girlfriend wants to know which one I'd rather have for a Christmas present, but I'm not really sure what to tell her.

So, I'm basically looking for opinions from people who own (or know a lot) about each of these hand-held systems. I've done some Google research but I'm still not sure what to pick -- it seems to come down to graphics (PSP) vs. gameplay/variety (DSi).

[Solstark]

I got them both, and I gotta say, the DSi have given me more entertainment than PsP.

[Confessor Kahlan]

Both are good, and both have some great titles, dsi having all the nintendo releases, the psp with things like god of war and kingdom hearts. although i would have to recommend the dsi over the psp just because they dont release psp games as often. of course if you do choose the psp, you should install a custom firmware, which will allow you to play emulators and downloaded iso's from the mem stick.

[Deleted]

Wait 3 months and get her a 3DS?

[FlawlessSoul]

Only a few games on the PSP worth playing, like Loco Roco, Patapon, Wipeout etc. But the DS has a huge library of games that are worth checking out. Go with the DS.

[Brittany]

Hi, I don't have a DSi but I have a normal DS which I think are the same games right? And I have a PSP.

The PSP is much more impressive in terms of looks and sounds and everything. It's very similar to a playstation 1, perhaps even playstation 2 at times and is much easier to get online. But loading times and battery life are both an issue. For instance someone told me Popolocrois was one of the best RPGS, but the loading times made it unbearable for me to even get out of the first town. I got darkstalkers and guilty gear as I enjoy 2D fighting games the most but just like the old playstation versions, they load after each battle and it affected my enjoyment. There are some good games like FF:T war of lions and Valkyrie Profile but it does have a limited catalogue. Remember you can watch movies (mp4's) and download music etc, it's like an ipod sort of.

The DS for me is much more fun. There are lot more games, in general you can find things cheaper, Nintendo the company make some excellent fun games such as the New. Mario Bros and there is Mario 64, Yoshi's island remakes. Then you have Dragon Quest 9. Overall DS is much better for games like japanese rpgs, fun platformers and puzzle games where as PSP has more things like 2d fighters and gta style games (with loading times). Compare a playstation to a super nintendo and you have the kind of games catalogue there.

Personally I would give up my PSP for 5 DS games of my choice. I find it much more fun, it's easier to hold and manage. I would say DS is more fun and PSP is more serious gamer. But honestly if you like things like pokemon, harvest moon, mario, mario karts, final fantasy, mega man, zelda, then get the DS. Nintendo are one of the best game makers of all time, and they've always been ahead in the handheld department for me

[Deleted]

in general, a PSP is someone who likes the more brutal games and doesn't care about loading times. loading times on the PSP are massive. for example, when i play midnight club, the time it takes for a mission to be loaded is about 3-4 minutes. if you are any good at racing, the mission itself is shorter (especially with some short tracks). UMD is not good for loading times. that's also one of the reasons why the new generation of PSPs doesn't use UMD, but rather a built-in memory. also, shooters are rather hard, since you don't have a second analogue stick to control your camera with, and they often work with autotargeting,which basically boils down to who can get his autotarget to acquire first.

DS is pretty awesome. you have the classics, like Mario, Pokémon, Metroid, Kirby, castlevania, dragon quest, professor layton, ... it also doesn't have the issue of the long loading times, since cartridges are much faster than UMD.

[Sanctify]

DSi v PSP = PSP
DSlite v PSP = DSlite