Nintendo DS News and Tips

Nintendo Gameboy DS vs the Sony PSP

The rivalry is as heated as the Lakers and the Celtics, as Ali and Frazier, as Triple H and Randy Orton, and as Conan O'Brien and David Letterman. The battle for this generation's portable gaming platform of choice isn't ruled by one handheld console alone. Two prominent gaming systems are competing for people's time and money: the Nintendo Gameboy DS (formally known as the Nintendo DS in the market) and the Sony PSP.

Both portable consoled are technological marvels that revolutionized the way the world views gaming on the go.

Though the Sony PSP holds some technical advantages over the Gameboy DS, this article would promote the latter for the following reasons:

1. The Gameboy DS offers revolutionary game play mechanics via a number of innovative features. Touch screen technology, dual screen display, microphone integration in game play, multiplayer mode by sensing nearby units, multiplayer mode via wifi, and the likes are just some of the fantastic functionalities introduced by the Nintendo DS. The newest model of the product line, the Nintendo DSi, introduces even more revolutionary features that the Sony PSP can only dream of having, like dual cam functions, enhanced audio playback, and improved processing power (though admittedly, the Sony PSP is king with this regard).

2. The Gameboy DS has a deeper library of games. Gameboy DS games outnumber Sony PSP games by a ratio of 3:1. The Gameboy DS is the handheld platform of choice by many game developers, thanks to the primary audience of the portable: children, and the history of Nintendo as a kid-friendly company. Software defines hardware. You will have more choices with a Nintendo DS.

3. The Gameboy DS is home to some outstanding exclusives. Mario, Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Wario, Kirby, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, and Pikmin - these are franchises that will never, ever grace a console that doesn't have the Nintendo brand stamped on its surface. The Sony PSP has its own share of exclusives, by their number falls pale in comparison to the sheer amount of original properties that have made Nintendo the number one gaming company throughout the years.

4. The Gameboy DS offers more functional software applications compared to the Sony PSP. Whether it's a weight loss coach or a yoga/pilates instructor or even a language teacher, the variety of Gameboy DS applications makes the system a more dynamic platform. It's not just all games. The Nintendo DS can also deliver some life enhancing applications.

5. The latest incarnation of the Gameboy DS, the Nintendo DSi, only improves on what is already an amazing list of features. 2010 is poised to become a battleground for the Nintendo DSi and the Playstation Portable's newest incarnation, the Sony PSP Go! Still, the Nintendo DSi is expected to win the war because of the reasons enumerated above and because it still maintains the core philosophy observed by the original Gameboy DS: to revolutionize the way people play games.