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Best portable games system for RPGaming
Buirseach
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Registered User regular
I've searched the forum and haven't found a recent (or indeed any) answer to this question, as the PA forums are (relatively) 'fanboi' free, and with the great help I got with my first question (My brother kicks my ass at Guitar hero by the way) I thought I'd risk a second.
I'm after something pocket sized, so a DS or PSP rather than a laptop.
I play mostly for the story lines and like all rpg types, Action/Adventure (Zelda/secret of mana), Turn based (final fantasy/breath of fire), strategy (disgaea), any, except kiddie ones like the baby Zelda series and Pokemon (which I don't regard as a real rpg in any case).
so what should I get?
I'm after something pocket sized, so a DS or PSP rather than a laptop.
I play mostly for the story lines and like all rpg types, Action/Adventure (Zelda/secret of mana), Turn based (final fantasy/breath of fire), strategy (disgaea), any, except kiddie ones like the baby Zelda series and Pokemon (which I don't regard as a real rpg in any case).
so what should I get?
Buirseach on
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You're going to fit in real nice around here.
Your choice boils down to the awesome and up and coming selection of the DS plus the massive backlog of GBA RPGs versus a bunch of Idea Factory crap on the PSP.
The choice is obvious.
This is normally true.
....
Anyway, I say DS.
You've got Front Mission, The World Ends With You, a bunch of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games, Etrian Odyssey, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Rune Factory, Contact, Advance Wars and a load more I have forgotten.
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Chrono Trigger DS, Archaic Sealed Heat, Blue Dragon DS and DQIXon the horizon
The NDS is surprisingly and disappointingly anemic as far as quality RPGs go. The first year or two's worth of RPGs on the system are mainly garbage (I'm talking about stuff like Lunar Dragon Song and its ilk).
You have some gems, though. You have stuff like Etrian Odyssey and Etrian Odyssey II which are painfully difficult Wizardry-esque games that allow (require) you to draw a map on the bottom screen while all the action occurs in first person on the top screen.
Contact is either excellent or rubbish depending on who you speak to. I loved it but others hated it.
There are a few roguelikes too, like Izuna.
You also have a number of semi-decent SRPGs on the system now.
As much as it pains me to admit this, I'd have to give the PSP the nod for being a more serious RPG system, unless you're really into Pokemon. There are a ton of Pokemon games for the NDS.
And there are a ton of quality GBA RPGs that will work on the NDS as well. The GBA is probably your best bet, really, but if you were going for GBA, I would just recommend getting an NDS.
Anyways the point is that either system is going to have an incredible library of any type of game you'll want.
I think the PSP wins overall for presentation, but especially if you count the GBA, the DS has some that shouldn't be missed.
Do you really need to know anything else?
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
o.k.
I used to have a GBA, so discount the back catalog from that I've probably(possibly, maybe) played it already.
Which of the two has the highest quality rpg's in terms of writing (story line, plot, character development, arcs, twists, the lot) and gameplay realisation (controls, interface, interaction) and yes good old fun, novelty and even graphics.
What would be the 5 (to start me off) must have rpg's for each/either and why?
and which platform will have the greatest longevity?
Wait, what?
o_O
Just go buy a DS - there's a wealth of RPGs. Just go do some digging.
While the PSP has made some strides over the last year, and now has some very decent RPGs, the DS library of good RPGs is still three or four times larger. Add to that the superior battery life and lighter, more compact footprint, and you've got a pretty sweet portable RPG machine.
Goodluckhavefun!
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A very poorly thought-out insult.
To be fair, the last time I stole a baby in the night with my natural magic, I did also pee on the walls.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Hey, some of my best friends are elves.
I'll bite on the question, as I own both systems. Here's what I consider the best RPGs on both:
DS:
* Etrian Odyssey II
* Etrian Odyssey
* The World Ends With You
* Final Fantasy III
PSP:
* FF7: Crisis Core
* FF Tactics: War of the Lions
* Disgaea
* Jeanne D'Arc
* Brave Story
Honestly, in terms of RPGs, both systems have pretty severe holes in their libraries. The DS has more recently had a slew of very good old-school Grindy-McGrind RPGs and roguelikes, like EO, Shiren and Izuna (I don't really play roguelikes, but those who do say the DS versions are very good). The writing, plot and characters are paper-thin at best, but the gameplay is pretty engaging. TWEWY is really freaking excellent in terms of the entire package plus very fresh, novel innovations, but it's got a very Kingdom Hearts/Nomura sensibility and if you feel self-conscious about Pokemon and Zelda, this will have you screaming "TEH GHEY."
The PSP has a different imbalance: A handful of excellent strategy RPGs (the FFT remake/port is a system-seller in itself, Jeanne D'Arc and Disgaea are good, I've heard wonderful things about Wild Arms XF), but they're small islands in an ocean of mediocre-at-best formulaic "standard" JRPGs; Brave Story is the best of this lot, IMO, but even this couldn't really hold my interest for more than a few hours. Crisis Core as an action-RPG is really good so long as you play on Hard mode and enjoyed the ambiance of FF7. So far the writing and characterization are definitely better in PSP RPGs, but with fewer hits and the majority of them being ports (excellent ports, however).
I can't forecast the future but I'll peg the DS with "longevity" if this is a code word for "what will get great RPGs in the future." It's still got the lion's share of attention by Japanese developers, plus Dragon Quest freaking goddamn IX and the deluge of DQ 4-6 and the remake of FFIV (and inevitable remakes of FFV-VI)—which make the DS the Square-Enix receptacle of distilled joy. S-E is also peppering love on the PSP, (Star Ocean remakes, FF Dissidia—though that's more of a brawler AFAIK), but if TWEWY is any indication, more very distinctly new RPG experiences are headed for the DS as well.
I would personally give the nod to the PSP in this situation, particularly if he doesn't consider the GBA library a selling point, as he indicates above.
Remember, DS RPGs are just starting to get good. The DS predates the PSP by a year but good PSP RPGs predate good DS RPGs by about two years.
You're forgetting about stuff like FF1 and FF2 20th Anniversary Editions, which are very good on the PSP. You're forgetting the Legend of Heroes series which is great. And how about PoPoLoCrois, which is a real gem?
People aren't giving the PSP enough credit in this thread. There was a period of time where it sucked ass but overall, I think it offers more to the RPGer than the NDS does (insofar as the NDS library alone sans GBA games is concerned).
edit: Mind you, I love TWEWY, EO1 and EO2, and I even thought Contact was brilliant, but I don't think the NDS gets a de facto nod here.
Good forthcoming games include FFIV this summer, and any other expect FF remake, along with the first portable release of Chrono Trigger.
There is also Dragon Quest IX on the horizon, too, of course.
Honestly? I think both systems are somewhat lacking in RPGs, and only a couple of games really stand out on either platform. The PSP has Crisis Core and Jeanne D'Arc. The NDS has TWEWY and the Etrian Odyssey games. Those are the ones that really stand out in my book.
Beyond those, people seem to really be in love with FF Tactics A2. FF CC ROF is more of a dungeon crawler style RPG but still great in that respect. DQH:RS is more akin to Zelda than to a traditional JRPG, but many feel that the gameplay is rock solid as most Zelda games. Mario & Luigi is a really fun game making great use of the dual screens, but the story is very lighthearted and non-serious. On the PSP end, besides Crisis Core and Jeanne Darc, it has some great ports like FFT and Disgaea (edit: and Valkyrie Profile, forgot that one). Brave Story and Popolocrois people seem to be split upon, some say these are rather boring and some say that they are decent games.
as a side note, if you include roguelikes as part of your RPG criteria, then the NDS has more of these games hands down.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
There isn't a lot of cross-over between the two systems as far as RPGs go, so picking up both a DS & PSP isn't a bad idea.
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
I'll admit to basing my impressions on mostly just what I've tried myself. I was much later to the PSP party, so when I started sniffing around for games most of the earlier RPG titles I didn't really find the best impressions. Never tried anything in the Legend of Heroes series or Poopcropolis (I just remembered that name
I think the PSP offers more in sheer RPG numbers (there's also Monster Hunter, which, again, isn't my bag but a ton of people love it) but IMO most of the games are fairly interchangable in mediocrity. Honestly, like Slash kind of mentioned, I feel like either system alone is still pretty light in terms of RPGs. I like having both in tandem because they kind of support each other where the other lacks.
My opinion of the portable situation is this, for RPGs:
Both are just about equally lacking right now. Each has a couple of great RPGs and then a handful of ports. A traditional RPG gamer would be roughly equally disappointed with either system.
However, if you start counting roguelikes, dungeon-crawling RPGs, and look towards what has been announced in the near-future, then the scales are tipped very much in favor of the NDS. But if those factors don't mean much to you, then you're left back at square 1, with two handheld systems both pretty anemic in the RPG genre.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
To elaborate on this; Ds and psp are both great systems, this guy just wants it to boil down to one of the other and people can't really do that. Considering hes already played the back catalog of gba games, the inevitable choice people will choose is psp because of the homebrew, then otheres will disagree and then a huge flame war starts.
I mean, how many opinions does a person need?
I need opinons to inform my own, it's been a while since I've been able to game properly.
I'm married now and have less time, one of the reasons why I'm after a portable system is because I'm not allowed to hog the TV while she wants to watch House, etc, and we'd both prefer to be in the same room at least rather than me being upstairs in the office playing on the mac.
The last time I spent any quantity of time was with my old GBA. Shows how long it's been.
I can't afford both systems, and there's so much out there for each now it's a little overwealming.
Hence why my follow up question requested 5 stand out titles, and the reason why people thought they stood out.
That way I would be better able to compare what people advised against what I know I like, so the more opinions I have, the larger the pool of informed opinion (compared to sales hyperbole) that specificaly relates to my concern.
I shall now be going to buy a DS.
Thanks for all those who've posted.
It really wasn't my intention to troll, if I believed a flamewar was likely in this forum I wouldn't have asked in the first place, because the opinions offered would be tainted.
Is a small sample of what is coming out in the next few months or has just recently come out in Japan.
Yes, clearly people asking for opinions on such matters are seeking to incite riots in the general populace. Just like the one that started in this thread and now rages unchecked.
For some reason these people hate my bank account and will not cease until they have seen it completely drained.
Lots of good games (Final Fantasy, Jeane D'Arc, Diagaea, Monster Hunter, etc) plus YOU CAN PLAY OLD GAMES THRU A MEANS THAT I WILL NOT DISCUSS HERE.
Namco wasn't allowed to release it in the US. SCEA wouldn't give the go-ahead because it didn't add enough content over the PSX version. At least that's the urban myth going around. I'm not sure if that was ever confirmed or discredited.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
The trollish part, I find, is calling Zelda and Pokémon "kiddie", "baby", and not real RPGs (though I agree that Zelda isn't a RPG, it's more of an Adventure game).
This said, I'll have to recommend the DS too. Both the DS and the PSP's library of RPGs is ok, but good things are coming on for the DS, and The World Ends With You just has to be one of the best RPGs I've played recently, and hell, one of the best ever.
Also, I dunno how much better the PSP Slim is, but isn't the battery life on the PSP really short compared to the DS? If you plan to play for extended periods of time, that could be annoying. No matter how much a system is determined by its games, if it has hardware problems it's someting to consider.
EDIT: ...did a bunch of posts just get deleted? My quote tree looks stupid now.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Really? Because that's legally and morally questionable and not allowed to be discussed here! Read the rules.
A person might also accidentally brick their PSP and/or void a warranty or whatever in the process.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games