Which handheld console is the best of all time?

[Fraser]

It might be tempting to think of only the PSP and the DS but there is a rich history of fantastic handheld consoles that deserve to have their praises sung.

So will it be the Gameboy, will it be the Lynx, will it be the GameGear and let's not forget the Gizmondo (actually some people might prefer to forget it).

It's your call...

[danskmacabre]

Hmmm, my first handheld was the Merlin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(game)
It has about 6 games on it and was really fun (at the time, being the 1980s).
Not sure if it was the first handheld console, but it must have been out there with the first.

Other than that, Well the Original Gameboy was a classic of it's time too. I played it to death.

Still, if I had to choose just one, at the end of the day, for the things that are important for a handheld as follows: battery life, portability, well protected, lots of good games, a decent backlight. For me, it has to be the DS Lite.
The Touchscreen really swings it for me though.

If the PSP had a touchscreen and say 10 games I really liked I would have said that instead.

[hunter_alien]

As much as I liked the GB , GBA and N-gage ( yes , I liked it ) I have to go with the PSP . Its the first handheld that can offer console-quality gaming on the go , and thats the thing I was always looking for

Also , some of my all-time favorites are on it : God of War , Wipeout , Twisted Metal , Syphon Filter , Crash Bandicoot ( yes , I know the new ones arent the best , but nostalgia wins over this one ) and many more

And the fact that its also the best portable media player just adds to its greatness

[Mandark]

It has to be the original Gameboy. When future historians look back at handheld consoles, I'm sure the Gameboy will be regarded as the one that really created the market sector.

[SetsFireToPoshHammer]

I agree that the Gameboy was the handheld that started it all, but for me the Gameboy Advance Micro is still the absolute zenith of pocket gaming. Sure I like what the DS and PSP are doing now, but if you want purity, the Micro's where it's at if you ask me.

[Accelorata Jengold]

What I have always wanted is a game that I can play on a home console, that I can then continue playing on my handheld when I leave the house. Is this possible with the PSP and the PS3 with emulated PS1 titles? I'd rather it was possible with the DS and the Wii's Virtual Console but hey, if I can have it any which way, I'll take it.

Back on topic, I always wanted a Sega Nomad for obvious reasons, but it's hard to knock the Gameboy advance, I still play mine from time to time.

[daab.orion]

Hmm.. best handheld console. Depends how you look at the question.

As far as the handheld that I certainly played the most, that would unquestionably be the original GameBoy. It was my first handheld, and was actually the most enjoyable incarnation of the GameBoy line for me (compaired to Color for instance). The others always felt like simple upgrades to the original to make it more like the NES. Though I will give props to the Pocket, which at least made the original games a little more visable. And since I never really liked the SNES back in the day (as I got it for Christmas instead of the 64 like I asked... the SNES and I got off on the wrong foot...) I never really was a fan of the Advance, SP or Micro.

As far as the handheld that is the best. That's a hard one. Currently you have three main contendors. The DS, the PSP, and the iPhone. Each has it's advantages though I will say the DS hasn't been turned on in a really long time. Though if it wasn't for Battlefront RS the same probably would be true for the PSP, for me at least.

Like it or not, I think the iPhone will change the way future handhelds are going to be in the next generation. We all aready know that Sony keeps adding more upgrades and addons to the PSP (instead of software) to make it more like a complete mobile platform.

So Gameboy for the most hours played and most entertainment (so far), iPhone for what will probably, eventually, take the throne in my eyes. I guess I'm tired of the same old same old, so it's nice to have a change other than having the obvious tech upgrade.