What is the best hand held/portable system?

[Shannon]

I think everybody is forgetting the Turbo Express.  It was by far the most powerful and gorgeous handheld of its day.  With the right games, it still holds up very well today and you can find brand new units on line.

972490[/snapback]

 

Really? Where? Or were you referring to ebay?

 

I'm just curious. It's one of the few handhelds I'm still looking for.

[SwedenLynxer]

The Lynx was good for its time but no save feature, horrible battery life and extremely limited library especially in the games that an adolecent would like makes it an unacceptable choice for a kid. Just imagine a kid lugging around the 6 D sized battery pack and you know it isn't the best choice. And what games on the Lynx are geared to a kid that age. I can't even find one. I got a Lynx and its a fun system especially for some great arcade conversions like Klax and Rampart but it really is only for older gamers and it really isn't all that portable.  The backlit SP is really the best option for the money.

972502[/snapback]

 

I remember bergbros as a big fan of the Lynx, a wise guy posting intresting stuff in the Atari Lynx forum here on Atari Age. Are you really that same guy??

 

Ok, the battery life can be a problem. But I don't agree on the other stuff you say. Yes, the Lynx was good for its time - it was outstanding! And it STILL is a great system. The Lynx is not just for "old gamers". There is something in the game library for all people. Kids and adults, boys and girls. (I even got my girlfriend intrested in the Lynx....well she only played Ponx so far, but its a start ). Lots of arcade classics, sports game, puzzle and platform games.

 

You ask "what games on the Lynx are geared to a kid that age." Well, what about Pac-Land, Gordo 106 or Scrapyard Dog?

 

No save feature? Just look at the awesome Alpine Games or SIMIS or T-tris. Several other games have password feature and that works excellent.

Edited November 28, 2005 by SwedenLynxer

[sega saturn x]

The Lynx is not just for "old gamers". There is something in the game library for all people

Hardly, the system doesn't have a single RPG.

[SwedenLynxer]

The Lynx is not just for "old gamers". There is something in the game library for all people

Hardly, the system doesn't have a single RPG.

972725[/snapback]

 

 

What do you call Dracula then?

[Atariboy]

SwedenLynxer, the GBA SP has the Lynx beat in just about every area imaginable except for the fact that it wasn't made by Atari in my opinion. We're all Atari fans here, but I'd have to disagree with you completely.

Edited November 28, 2005 by Atariboy

[MCHufnagel]

I have to vote for the GBA. It is worlds ahead of the Lynx and Gamegear in graphics and battery life. Plus it has tons of games. The GBA probably has as many AA to AAA games as the Lynx or GG have in total! And lets talk about their comparative sizes.......

 

Sure the Lynx and Gamegear were better than the GB and GBC in graphics. And they both had some great games, but the GBA blows them out of the water.

[Serguei2]

I think everybody is forgetting the Turbo Express.  It was by far the most powerful and gorgeous handheld of its day.  With the right games, it still holds up very well today and you can find brand new units on line.

972490[/snapback]

 

Really? Where? Or were you referring to ebay?

 

I'm just curious. It's one of the few handhelds I'm still looking for.

972667[/snapback]

 

Lynx?! Turbo Express?! Why not Game Gear?!

 

Yeah! Why some people suggest any systems who are not available on the stores anymore unless they start collecting old handheld systems and games.

 

If I have a 8 old child, I'd give him/her one of any systems available at the moment.

[Draikar]

My pick would be the old GameBoy, (the big white brick)... screen sucked but the body size was good for me since I have big hands. I kinda like the GameBoy Advance (first one).

 

GameGear seems ok but I only played it one time in a store and too this day don't own one yet. I kinda like the Lynx but have only two games for it.... I wish I could buy a NEC Turbo Express or try one...

 

Like I said, I vote old GameBoy 1989

[bergbros2]

I still am a supporter of the Lynx and have bought some of Songbird's homebrews. I think I am still wise, however wisdom grows with time and time has not been too kind to the Lynx just like all the classic systems. The fact that the until recently the Lynx technologically beat other portables is a testament to the Lynx. Remember, the original question: what is the best system for my 8 year old who loves Atari 2600 games? The Lynx doesn't even have one anthology whereas the GBA has the great Activision Anthology and others as well as the seminal games for kids like Pokemon. I have played Scrapyard Dog and Pac Land and they really are too hard for an eight year old. Alpine Games, Simis and T-Tris are homebrews and cost a premium, I think $40.00. The first two are not for an eight year old and T-Tris really is an inferior version of Tetris, a game which can be picked up for a song anywhere at Gamestop and EB.

 

I actually have a real life story which illustrates my point. I gave as a Christmas gift two years ago a Lynx to my 11 year old nephew along with 7 games which included a mix of puzzle, action and arcade games. The kid got bored of the system pretty fast but his father loves the system and plays it still.

 

I still play my Lynx and Rampart and Klax alone are worth the price of admission. I just think that The GBA SP with the back light is the better value for a kid, even more so than that of the GBA Micro and DS and some of the portable systems I really love (like the Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket and Nomad).

[+remowilliams]

I think everybody is forgetting the Turbo Express.  It was by far the most powerful and gorgeous handheld of its day.  With the right games, it still holds up very well today and you can find brand new units on line.

972490[/snapback]

 

Really? Where? Or were you referring to ebay?

 

I'm just curious. It's one of the few handhelds I'm still looking for.

972667[/snapback]

I got a brand spankin' new Turbo Express a short while ago. That, my TG cards and the Tototek PCE flash card - portable gaming heaven

[Flojomojo]

For the price of a new Turbo Express, you could buy a PSP and load the Turbo Express emulator and have the same thing ... in a smaller package with a lot more capability to do other things.

[JagFan422]

Well the GP32, and soon the GP2x, can emulate almost all those handhelds, no there is no GBA, but Gameboy, Gameboy color, Lynx, Turbo Express, GameGear are all pretty much perfect.

[Flojomojo]

There doesn't seem to be much software for the GP2X yet, but I'm sure it's coming very very soon. The price is right (cheaper than GP32) and I'm sure the emulators will be comparable to those on the PSP and GP32. I'd get one myself but I have too many handhelds as it is ...

[ATARIeric]

For a 9 year old girl I would get her the GBA sp with new backlight or get her the new gameboy micro. Perfect for a 9 year old. Stay away from GP32 or other emulator handhelds. I dont think she would like that crap

[n8littlefield]

To me it really depends on the kid and the $$ available. If the kid is really responsible with her stuff, then without any doubt the Nintendogs Best Friends DS bundle. The DS plays the GBA games along with it's own, and Nintendogs is bound to be a huge hit with a 9 yr old girl. If money is an object, and the girl has a tendancy to lose things, than an SP definately. Why not take her out, tell her you're thinking about asking for a handheld for yourself and look at the games available with her and gauge your purchase on that? If you're a gamer, she won't be surprised that you're getting a new system, and you can see what she might favor.

 

Definately DON'T get her a classic system. Kids like to play games their friends play, and while I love Rampart as much as the next guy, it's no substitute for Kirby in the eyes of a kid.

[Lord Helmet]

My GBA SP gets more play than any of my other handhelds, but the DS is catching up. I havn't played the PSP yet (other than about 5 min [email protected] Gamestop the other day).

 

Still want a Turbo Express, but they go really expensive on ebay.

[sega saturn x]

The Lynx is not just for "old gamers". There is something in the game library for all people

Hardly, the system doesn't have a single RPG.

972725[/snapback]

 

 

What do you call Dracula then?

972728[/snapback]

Having one game doesn't mean a system is good for rpg fans, face facts the game boy sp has the lynx beat in every way.

[Shannon]

I think everybody is forgetting the Turbo Express.  It was by far the most powerful and gorgeous handheld of its day.  With the right games, it still holds up very well today and you can find brand new units on line.

972490[/snapback]

 

Really? Where? Or were you referring to ebay?

 

I'm just curious. It's one of the few handhelds I'm still looking for.

972667[/snapback]

I got a brand spankin' new Turbo Express a short while ago. That, my TG cards and the Tototek PCE flash card - portable gaming heaven

972854[/snapback]

 

Well how bout giving us a link where you got it from?

 

The turbo express emulator for the GP32 is pretty nice, nearly full speed.

The PSP one is fantastic and full speed although may have a few compatibility problems.

 

The lynx has the best handheld version of lemmings and Klax.

[galaxy warrior]

im a gp32 player which gives me endless games to play but for a 9 yearold i would have to go with the gameboy sp. its got tons of games the system as well as the carts are little better to deal with careless children. the ds needs little more care, a kid would ruin it long before its time.

[Agent X]

I still am a supporter of the Lynx and have bought some of Songbird's homebrews. I think I am still wise, however wisdom grows with time and time has not been too kind to the Lynx just like all the classic systems.  The fact that the until recently the Lynx technologically beat other portables is a testament to the Lynx. Remember, the original question: what is the best system for my 8 year old who loves Atari 2600 games? The Lynx doesn't even have one anthology whereas the GBA has the great Activision Anthology and others as well as the seminal games for kids like Pokemon.  I have played Scrapyard Dog and Pac Land and they really are too hard for an eight year old.  Alpine Games, Simis and T-Tris are homebrews and cost a premium, I think $40.00. The first two are not for an eight year old and T-Tris really is an inferior version of Tetris, a game which can be picked up for a song anywhere at Gamestop and EB.   

 

I actually have a real life story which illustrates my point. I gave as a Christmas gift two years ago a Lynx to my 11 year old nephew along with 7 games which included a mix of puzzle, action and arcade games. The kid got bored of the system pretty fast but his father loves the system and plays it still.

 

I still play my Lynx and Rampart and Klax alone are worth the price of admission. I just think that The GBA SP with the back light is the better value for a kid, even more so than that of the GBA Micro and DS and some of the portable systems I really love (like the Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket and Nomad).

972853[/snapback]

 

I think bergbros2 is right on the money here. I'm probably one of the biggest Lynx aficionados on the planet, and I generally wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. But with silverpoodleman's specific question in mind (nine-year-old girl, likes Atari 2600 and Genesis games), I'm going to suggest the Game Boy Advance SP, especially if you get one of the newer models with the brighter backlit screen.

 

The GBA library contains some good compilation packs. Activision Anthology is an awesome package packed with plenty of Atari 2600 gaming goodness, and I'd also recommend Atari Anniversary Advance which has several Atari arcade games. Several other good GBA games were conversions of games from the Genesis/SNES era. The GBA also has a huge back catalog, including older Game Boy and Game Boy Color games which can usually be found really cheaply these days. Keep in mind that Game Boy Micro and DS do not have GB/GBC game compatibility (the DS also lacks the link port), which is why I would steer towards the GBASP for now.

 

The GBASP hardware is also much more suited to portable play than the Lynx. You can tuck the system and a few cartridges in a tiny bag, and its rechargeable battery lasts about twice as long on a full charge as the Lynx does on 6 AA batteries. There's also a much better chance that her friends at that age would have a GBA or GBASP (as opposed to as Lynx), meaning she could link up with them for multiplayer games, or borrow a game for a few days of play.

 

The Lynx definitely has its merits, and if you can nab one cheap with a good batch of games (and an AC adapter or car adapter), then it's certainly an option. It just wouldn't be my first choice in this particular situation.

[8th lutz]

current: I'd say Gameboy Advance sp or The ds. I think a 9 year old girl would want.

 

Classic handheld: i'd don't know. Most kids that age don't want an old system yet.

[AtticGamer]

Newer system I say DS because the variety of games and battery power.

Older system, maybe Original Game Boy because of some games and battery power.

Edited December 3, 2005 by Atari_kid

[AlexKIDD]

The turbo express is my personal favorite handheld. However, that system along with the lynx and game gear aren't the greatest thing to buy for a kid. They're way too big, take tons of batteries and the games are pretty hard to find without ebay. I'd go with a new sp or a game boy micro. Cheaper than ds and psp but still a nice, small system with tons of readily available games and an excellent sscreen.

[AlexKIDD]

I think everybody is forgetting the Turbo Express.  It was by far the most powerful and gorgeous handheld of its day.  With the right games, it still holds up very well today and you can find brand new units on line.

972490[/snapback]

 

Really? Where? Or were you referring to ebay?

 

I'm just curious. It's one of the few handhelds I'm still looking for.

972667[/snapback]

 

 

You can get a new Turbo Express at www.tzd.com , i think they're $180.

[n8littlefield]

So...update? Any idea which way you're going at this point?