PSP or DS? Recommendations, links, opinions! No flames, please!

[The_Deleted]

I own PSP.
My wife owns DS.

Graphics are better on PSP.
Games are more abundant on DS.
PSP has Dissidia and Crisis Core and has access to downloadable PS1 classics.
DS has mutiple old school RPG remakes.
PSP can be used as an MP3, can surf the interwebz, etc...
DS has a more affordable price point.

DO NOT GET PSP Go. If you get PSP, go for the 3000.
I'm not sure if older DS's are available, or if it's all DSi now. My wife doesn't have Dsi, so I'm not aware of the features on it for sure.

DS Lites are still availiable, they don't seem to be phasing one out in favour of another.
DS has a wider and more varied library of games. DS Lite allows you to play Gameboy Advance titles and some of the Asian games are superb. Be very wary of buying DS games on eBay, though.

 

[brunothepig]

Well the PSP is prettier, and can have bigger games, I just haven't found many games on it that interest me. And that mini analog stick just seems retarded to me, I find it incredibly annoying. The DS has a few Final Fantasy games, and I would even hesitantly call some of them strategy. But if you want a good turn based strategy, go with Advance Wars Dual Strike. It's massive, and has a good difficulty curve, and actually has difficulty modes!!! Which many games seem to neglect these days. Also, the touch screen can be a lot of fun in some games that implement it well. (I think Nintendogs is actually the best example of good implementation, if not very complex gaming.) Oh yeah, and DS has backwards compatibility with GBA, which has a fair few fun games. So I guess I would have to recommend a DS.

 

[ResonanceSD]

I have a PSP 1001. It's awesome. Web capable, kept up to date with firmware patches, currently playing Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy Dissidia. Get one, you will not regret it. No crappy nintendo titles or touchscreen to fiddle with.

 

[Deleted]

PSP is like a little miniature console capable of much better graphics than the DS (emphasis on capable), while the DS has a more unique control scheme.

In terms of games they both have their great titles.

It's a hard choice. I'd pick the DS

Get a gameboy and Pokemon Gold

This man knows what he's talking about.

DS:
Can play gameboy, gameboy color, gameboy advance, and DS games.
Which means more games than PSP.

PSP:
Has some very good games, but to be honest I can only name maybe 5 games I like at all.
Can do a lot of things your PS3 can, which is good (music, internet etc).

 

[ResonanceSD]

PSP is like a little miniature console capable of much better graphics than the DS (emphasis on capable), while the DS has a more unique control scheme.

In terms of games they both have their great titles.

It's a hard choice. I'd pick the DS

Get a gameboy and Pokemon Gold

This man knows what he's talking about.

DS:
Can play gameboy, gameboy color, gameboy advance, and DS games.
Which means more games than PSP.

PSP:
Has some very good games, but to be honest I can only name maybe 5 games I like at all.
Can do a lot of things your PS3 can, which is good (music, internet etc).

Nintendo haven't had a good console since the GameCube.

And honestly, how many GBA titles will you honestly be playing on a DS? How old are you?

 

[comadorcrack]

PSP is like a little miniature console capable of much better graphics than the DS (emphasis on capable), while the DS has a more unique control scheme.

In terms of games they both have their great titles.

It's a hard choice. I'd pick the DS

Get a gameboy and Pokemon Gold

Heart Gold
Soul Silver Coming Soon.

So DS

Peace x

 

[NIHILHATE]

GBA SP dude, that's about as good as you're gonna get. Until Microsoft make one anyway.

 

[Deleted]

PSP is like a little miniature console capable of much better graphics than the DS (emphasis on capable), while the DS has a more unique control scheme.

In terms of games they both have their great titles.

It's a hard choice. I'd pick the DS

Get a gameboy and Pokemon Gold

This man knows what he's talking about.

DS:
Can play gameboy, gameboy color, gameboy advance, and DS games.
Which means more games than PSP.

PSP:
Has some very good games, but to be honest I can only name maybe 5 games I like at all.
Can do a lot of things your PS3 can, which is good (music, internet etc).

Nintendo haven't had a good console since the GameCube.

And honestly, how many GBA titles will you honestly be playing on a DS? How old are you?

You sound like a 'hardxcore gamer', I play for fun not for 'killer alien shooting graphics'(which are fun) I also don't dismiss games as 'kiddy'.

as for the list:

Klonoa Door to Phantomille
Yoshi's Island
Advance Wars 1 and 2
Super Mario Advance 2
Pokemon Firered/Leafgreen
Mario and Luigi Super Star saga
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
Sonic Advance 2
FF tactics advance
Wario Ware Twisted
Mario Kart Advance
Metroid Zero Mission
Metroid Fusion
Golden Sun
Fire Emblem
Minish Cap

That's some of em, I doubt you heard of any of em though, so its okay.

 

[ResonanceSD]

PSP is like a little miniature console capable of much better graphics than the DS (emphasis on capable), while the DS has a more unique control scheme.

In terms of games they both have their great titles.

It's a hard choice. I'd pick the DS

Get a gameboy and Pokemon Gold

This man knows what he's talking about.

DS:
Can play gameboy, gameboy color, gameboy advance, and DS games.
Which means more games than PSP.

PSP:
Has some very good games, but to be honest I can only name maybe 5 games I like at all.
Can do a lot of things your PS3 can, which is good (music, internet etc).

Nintendo haven't had a good console since the GameCube.

And honestly, how many GBA titles will you honestly be playing on a DS? How old are you?

You sound like a 'hardxcore gamer', I play for fun not for 'killer alien shooting graphics'(which are fun) I also don't dismiss games as 'kiddy'.

as for the list:

Klonoa Door to Phantomille
Yoshi's Island
Advance Wars 1 and 2
Super Mario Advance 2
Pokemon Firered/Leafgreen
Mario and Luigi Super Star saga
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
Sonic Advance 2
FF tactics advance
Wario Ware Twisted
Mario Kart Advance
Metroid Zero Mission
Metroid Fusion
Golden Sun
Fire Emblem
Minish Cap

That's some of em, I doubt you heard of any of em though, so its okay.

Gran Turismo
Final Fantasy: Dissidia
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Gundam- Battle Royale
Ecochrome
Sonic Rivals <-- wierd, I know
Soul Calibre
Jak and Daxter
Star Wars Battlefront
Tekken 6
LittleBig Planet
Wipeout Pure
Metal Gear Ac!d
Spider Man - Better than the DS port, so I'm told.

I can go on.

 

[TransMando]

Firstly: The GBA SP was amazing.

Secondly: I find the DS and its 'palm pilot' technology to be a bit silly. The PSP doesn't have a lot of good games.

So what I am trying to say is I don't know. If you are into the Nintendo franchise characters go crazy with the DS.

 

[Deleted]

Ratchet and Clank
Gran Turismo
Final Fantasy: Dissidia
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Gundam- Battle Royale
Ecochrome
Sonic Rivals <-- wierd, I know
Soul Calibre
Jak and Daxter
Star Wars Battlefront
Tekken 6
LittleBig Planet
Wipeout Pure
Metal Gear Ac!d
Spider Man - Better than the DS port, so I'm told.

I can go on.

Fix'd, could ignore that blaring omission

 

[Shock and Awe]

Get a DS Lite, you have the full GBA and DS libraries.

 

[Cryo84R]

Firstly: The GBA SP was amazing.

Secondly: I find the DS and its 'palm pilot' technology to be a bit silly. The PSP doesn't have a lot of good games.

So what I am trying to say is I don't know. If you are into the Nintendo franchise characters go crazy with the DS.

Palm Pilot?

You must be old like me!

 

[TransMando]

Firstly: The GBA SP was amazing.

Secondly: I find the DS and its 'palm pilot' technology to be a bit silly. The PSP doesn't have a lot of good games.

So what I am trying to say is I don't know. If you are into the Nintendo franchise characters go crazy with the DS.

Palm Pilot?

You must be old like me!

That's the only thing I can think of when I look at the DS. It's a giant Nintendo palm pilot!

 

[x0ny]

PSP, though I don't actually play games on it anymore. I use it for watching videos while on the train and reading Garfield comics . Of course if I wanted to play games on I still can ^^.

 

[The Infinite]

I'd go with DS, I have both and have had way more fun with the DS. Sure there are some grade A titles for the PSP but it's not nearly enough when compared with the DS and it's vast library of games. That and there's always backwards compatibility for GBA games if you ever decide to get some of those. Which I do recommend you doing since you've been missing out on the whole handheld console gaming front. So yeah DS.

 

[Nocturnal558]

Get a DS and play some good games!

 

[Wintermoot]

if you like graphics PSP is a good choice
if you like a bit of old-school DS is a good choice

 

[Telperion]

As suggested I went over the games that both hand-helds offered in 2009, and these are the ones that I was interested in. The results actually surprised me...

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS)
Chrono Trigger (DS)
GTA: China Town Wars (DS)
Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templars - Director's Cut (DS)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)
Jagged Alliance (DS)
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP)
Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (DS)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (DS)
Rabbits Go Home (DS)

...so, yeah, it seems I'll wait until DS 2 (or whatever they'll call it) comes out and then buy the darn thing. Many thanks to everyone who contributed, and special thanks to swaki for the news link!