I almost always have a game system on my person. Usually the PSPgo here lately, it being no bigger than a cell phone. Lately game companies seem to be releasing things that are less and less pocket friendly. Maybe they think that pockets are really freaking huge now.
Check out this video from Japanese television. In it, you can see the DSi LL next to the DSi. Look, the DSi is already a stretch for your typical pocket. Skinny jeans? Forget it. But this new system looks like a freaking laptop computer. Or a big ass make-up compact. I've seen more discreet surfboards. Okay, so not really, but you see where I'm going with this.
I don't dig carrying around those over-sized game system holders either. And holding it under your arm like a clutch or an evening bag? No thanks.
I love the big ol' screens on the LL, but I don't even feel comfortable porting around the smaller DSi without a case. I feel like the LL is going to stay home a lot, making it pointless as a portable system for me.
For now, I'll stick with my PSPgo and my (yes, really) Game Boy Micro.
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
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Hey, let's not bash Nintendo for doing something that will allow more people to play. I'd love to play Spirit Tracks (or the first Zelda DS game). But the original and newest DS cramped my hands. I'm 6'6 with NBA sized hands...I applaud them for making their system bigger.
Although I already own the DSi and wont be getting this(unless it has that rumored free Wi-Fi I've been hearing so much about), the size of my pockets don't really matter for portable systems. I don't even like the bulge of a cell phone in my pocket and I usually bring around my back pack while I'm on the go to carry all of my accessories. So this wouldn't be too large for me to lug around..... I'm just saying, I don't know how you could possibly be comfortable or able to be flexible enough to outrun a zombie hoard with ANYTHING resting on top of your hip like this.
...or at least I applaud them for making a larger system an option for the comparatively small number of people with very large hands. (or poor eyesight...let's not forget they are probably also targeting old people with that larger screen!)
Yes! The Game Boy Micro was fantastic. I used to carry that thing every where because it was so cute and tiny. Now I use my GP2X Wiz though which is only slightly larger and through emulation plays every GBA game I owned.
Gameboy Micro ftw, just picked up a fami-micro on the super cheap (22 bucks for everything!) but realized why it was super cheap as my a button is wonky and the screen protector is beat to hell. But the uber-portability has made me play more gba games than the advance or SP ever did. Its just that handy.
that's one thing about portable game systems is the portability factor. I never carry psp or ds in my pocket. it's so nice to have an iphone now and have music, video, phone, and games in one small pocket friendly device. on trips I used to juggle between two-four devices all the time and you had to have a bag to carry them in and all the misc accessories, adapters, earbuds for each device... iphone really does it right. now if only I had some kind of joystick add-on so I could play more "real" games without virtual joysticks.
I'm not very depressed that Nintendo is making this so soon after the Dsi because it doesn't look like it will have any Dsi XL exclusive features (that's when new models of the same system start to screw over people in my opinion), however it's pretty stupid to increase the size of the screen to four inches without increasing the resolution, especially when the Dsi was pushing it with it's dpi.
Still love my Gameboy Micro if only because it's the most portable gaming system I've ever had. Always having a copy of Final Fantasy VI in your pocket? Priceless.
I don't see the point of this SKU. It's almost asking to be console to be left home. I sure as hell wouldn't carry this around, cause it would ask to get stolen.
personally I think that this is trending toward what I always thought was coming at some point, console oriented laptop devices- that is laptop type devices with a console centric OS and easily integrated and replaceable/expandable controllers
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Contest:
1:40 PM on 11.02.2009
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Also Game Boy Micro is still the greatest handheld ever.
I always got Cramped up hands playing anything smaller than a GBC
They must have had Gamers like me in Mind
I lol'd. Then I he-bitch manslapped someone.
If I pulled out my DS on the train or something, I would finally turn it off after missing my destination hours ago.
Just in case, I'll bring it up here:
1. Capable of being transported or conveyed.
2. Carried or moved with ease.
The portability of the LL seems equivalent to that of a small brick.
Although, I will give Nintendo and Sony props, if they keep coming out with new handheld systems that suck, I won't be tempted to buy them anymore.