gamers on the go

i know a lot of you own handeld systems and all, but how many of you actually travel with them? i do a good bit of traveling, and i spend a lot of time on the train going back and forth from school and work, dealing with delays and this and that and the other, so having my gba (or whatever system you have with you at the time) comes in real handy to help the time fly by.

also, what kind of games do you like to play while you're traveling? if it's a long ride/flight/commute, do you preffer something more in depth like an rpg or puzzle game, or something with quick action and a fast pace?

usually during my morning commute to school i like to play megaman battle network 4. the battles are quick, and i can just run around aimlessly collecting chip datta and blah blah blah. coming home late at night from work, where i usually have to wait 20 for a train i'll spend time playing final fantasy tactics advance. this game is great for eating up extra time. i've been doin' some really great stuff with my character classes lately.

but...yeah, what are some of your favorite games for actually being "on the go"?

I tend to stick to RPGs on the go. I prefer to play action games in my house, where my environment is (usually) in control and I can concentrate on just the game.

Currently I'm 3/4 through Advance Wars 2. I plan on unwrapping my dusty old copy of Fire Emblem once I'm done with AW.

Strategy games are great for killing hour long chunks of time on the subway, DMV line, doctor's office and anywhere else where you have to wait. Any game with a quicksave is a blessing.

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Currently I'm 3/4 through Advance Wars 2. I plan on unwrapping my dusty old copy of Fire Emblem once I'm done with AW.

Strategy games are great for killing hour long chunks of time on the subway, DMV line, doctor's office and anywhere else where you have to wait. Any game with a quicksave is a blessing.

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This is the correct answer. AW & FE are great in any situation. With FE in particular, you don't even have to do anything to quicksave, you just turn it off and you'll start exactly where you stopped next time.

Time flies like mad while playing 'em, too.

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Originally Posted by Bacon McShig

With FE in particular, you don't even have to do anything to quicksave, you just turn it off and you'll start exactly where you stopped next time.

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say WHAT? i had no idea this game did that. i need to go find it like...yesterday.

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Originally Posted by Mzo

I tend to stick to RPGs on the go. I prefer to play action games in my house, where my environment is (usually) in control and I can concentrate on just the game.

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I'm just the opposite. On the go I play games that are quick and easily interrupted like Minkey Ball, Hajime no Ippo and Puyo Pop, so that real life doesn't get in the way.

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Originally Posted by Revoltor

Currently I'm 3/4 through Advance Wars 2. I plan on unwrapping my dusty old copy of Fire Emblem once I'm done with AW.

Strategy games are great for killing hour long chunks of time on the subway, DMV line, doctor's office and anywhere else where you have to wait. Any game with a quicksave is a blessing.

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Same with me for Advance Wars 2. I play it on my commute to work. I normally read a book on the way home, but if the lighting on the shuttle bus is really bad, I take out my SP instead.

Occasionally, I'll replace AW2 with Mr. Driller A for shorter gaming spurts.

I was at the gym last week and saw a fat kid playing his GBA while walking on a treadmill. It was such a conflicting message.

Anyways, I save my portable playing for vacations. I can usually log 20 - 30 hours in a game during a week of laying around a beach or pool.

During vacations and such, I played my Nomad and Game Gear all the time, mainly playing quick, pick up and play games.

I prefer rpgs/strategy games like Avance Wars/Fire Emblem.

Or if it is action, then something simular to CV or Metroid titles, where you can save, when it needed, and pick it up later.

Well, I have brought my Turbo Express and GBA on quite a few road trips. Besides that I have plenty of idle time now and then in the office as an ISP tech (use a ciggy adaptor, AC adaptor at home or at work since the TE chews batteries like a banshee). So in the office I either play GBA (playing a lot of SMB DX, trying to earn the lost levels, just a few more challenges levels to beat, playing the suitless Samus level in Metroid Zero Mission), more often than not I bring in my TE and play great import shmups like Gradius, Salamander, Twinbee and Kyukyouku Tiger (the TE looks mighty clunky with a Kisado converter sticking out the back though, need to get it switched :P). Lately of course the DS is taking up most of my office time, spent all of today in the Hazy Maze level in Mario 64 or playing mini games (my boss and co-workers love borrowing it to play the minigames in between annoying calls). Getting a 100 coins in that stage is tough as nails!

I was bringing my Nomad to work for a month or so awhile back. Mainly played Sonic 1 and Battletoads. (finally beat that stinking speeder bike stage) Rockman Megaworld is a trip to play on the Nomad too.

Rpg's are great in the shitter, i can usally geta mission done, in AW, or a battle done in ogre tatics..

I used to carry my SP around in a belt-buckle case, but after I got sick of MMBN 4, I never bothered to bring it anywhere. Not even KoF EX 2 took my interest the same way.
However, now I have Bubble Bobble Old & New. Bubble Bobble is the best gaming franchise ever. I'm sure my SP will have to be pryed from my cold, dead hands at my funeral, however many decades into the future that'll be.

I was on a job today, where I had to wait on the HP guy to finish up with moving files over to the new server. During the wait, I whipped out the old SP and played a little AW.

These days, I only play mine when I'm either at the laundrymat or taking a dump. I need a new game. I've beaten all the ones I have for it, which never happens anymore.

My wife and I travel quite a bit. It's just to visit family or shop but usually a good three to five hour drive one way. We split the time at the wheel and I use the rest to play games - usually on my PDA (Scumm, nesem, astraware stuff) since my SP evidently was stolen or just seriously misplaced (8 months ago).

I only play my GBA outside the US or somewhere that I'll know I'll be away from my consoles for a while.

i beat ffta today...so i'll need a new game to fill the void. maybe i'll pull out dragon warrior 3.

it's too bad that there aren't any really great shooters for the gba.

I usually play WarioWare during lunch breaks at work. The minigames are absolutely perfect on the go. I'll probably play Paper Plane till I die! Pokemon Puzzle League also gets a good deal of play time

Subway rides, laundromat trips, and just plain waiting are much less painfull because of portables. I play anything stuck in the slot. Super Mario Bros., being the best game ever that it is, gets more play than anything. :3 Bubble Bobble's up there too.

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I play anything stuck in the slot.

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XD

..

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Originally Posted by maruchan

Rpg's are great in the shitter, i can usally geta mission done, in AW, or a battle done in ogre tatics..

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You need some fibre in your diet. If I tried that, I'd be off the pot before I got to the title screen.

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Originally Posted by rama

it's too bad that there aren't any really great shooters for the gba.

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Darius R... unless you're one of those backwards verticle people.

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

Darius R... unless you're one of those backwards verticle people.

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what's darius R? ...backwards vertical?

i got advance guardian heroes from a friend and i'm having great fun with it. better for longer train rides, though.

I love Darius R, but it really is just a halfassed remix of the original game with music from the rest of the series. Awesome for a fan, but not all that wonderful in and of itself.

He means people who like vertical shooters are backwards.

I'm debating whether or not I want to get back into gaming, but if I do, it will deffinately be with the DS. Their are plenty of GBA rpg's (FF1&2, Lunar Legends, Sword of Mana, Breath of Fire1&2, etc) that I want, and then Mario 64, ANimal Crossing, and several other DS titles have caught my interest. Even though I have no strong urges to play games these days, I would'nt mind busting out the DS when bored at home or just traveling and stuff.

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Originally Posted by rama

i beat ffta today...so i'll need a new game to fill the void. maybe i'll pull out dragon warrior 3.

it's too bad that there aren't any really great shooters for the gba.

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I thought Gradius Galaxies was alright.

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Originally Posted by gamevet

I thought Gradius Galaxies was alright.

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Alot better than R-Type 3.

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Originally Posted by gamevet

I thought Gradius Galaxies was alright.

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It was great except for the music :yuck:

I'd usually prefer playing something fast and simple like Sonic Advance when I'm taking trans. every now and then, but RPG's are great on the go for just staying in the same area and leveling up like crazy.

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Originally Posted by gamevet

I thought Gradius Galaxies was alright.

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yeah....but more variety would be nice. something with a fast pace...like a console shooter. something like gigawing or mars matrix...man, that would be nice.

advance guardian heroes is so fun on the go! not the normal game...training/vs mode with everything set on random select. it's always a surprise who you're using, what team you're on and who you're up against.

how would you guys rate the sonic advance series? i've been wanting/meaning to get into it....but i'm kinda hesitant. i'm a big fan of sonic 2.

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Originally Posted by rama

how would you guys rate the sonic advance series? i've been wanting/meaning to get into it....but i'm kinda hesitant. i'm a big fan of sonic 2.

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I like them, they're solid enough games. Most hardcore Genesis Sonic fans dislike them for some reason.

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Originally Posted by AstroBlue

I like them, they're solid enough games. Most hardcore Genesis Sonic fans dislike them for some reason.

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...meh...alot of those guys didn't like the sonic games on DC either. i think i'll check them out. i can borrow it from a friend...so long as he still has his copy.

Well, I would use the my laptop for playing games, but since it's a crappy Windows 3.1 alls i can do is play solitaire, so i would just bring a deck of cards.
FFTA is a great game, but last year i played it 24/7 for two weeks and i just gave up after i unlocked all the classes. I've been trying to fill the void with my little brother's old games. These days i usually whip out the Game Boy Color and play Survival Kids.

How hard is it to find DS's right now, cause I really want one now.

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Originally Posted by gamevet

I thought Gradius Galaxies was alright.

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Darn right, it's hella long too and I haven't even finished it. Came close back in September one night in the office.

And death to the man who rags on vertical shooters. Raarrrrr.

Besides, I am a proud owner of Progear No Arashi so I get manic vertical bullet play in a horizontal playing field. Best 'o both worlds, baybee. :p

*ignoring the rest of this thread* I would have to say that handheld gaming is a passion of mine. I like the thought that I could carry a little electronic device with me wherever I go and have a good supply of entertainment with me at all times. That is basically the main reason why I'm so amped for the DS and the PSP. The thought that I can have one machine that is very capable of delivering a unique and fresh experience and the thought that I can carry around a portable PSX/PS2 with me wherever I go makes me spuds boil.

The types of games I like to play when I'm out and about are pretty basic, to be quite honest. I hate any and all RPG's, and the main genres I stick to are fighting games and first person shooters (both of which are usually pretty shitty on handhelds.) The fact that the DS & PSP may actually rectify this problem makes me excited that I'm going to be able to enjoy my two favorite genres while I'm out and doing my daily chores.

What's in my SP now? Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper. Other than that, Wario Ware has been the only thing to ever take it out of that machine in over a year.

i can't get into fighters on the gba. especially alpha 3. i tried playing it once or twice and i didn't really enjoy it. back when neo geo pocket was in, the fighting games were really fun though. i think the control was just better, maybe. cramming 4 buttons into 2 is one thing, but 6 into 4 is another.

The main thing that pushed me into getting the DS was RPG's. Their are a good amount of great RPG's for the GBA, and I'm sure their are more to come. Just the idea of any time any where or just bored at home and sitting on the couch watching TV and playing made me really want to get one. I also like some action/adventure. Castlevania and Metroid are great games and their are plenty more.

First, Darius R is way too easy. I beat it on Normal with 1 life with in 20 tries. I 1CCed it in about 10 tries. I have 1CCed all paths on normal. Hard is not much worse, but you need to be a little quicker. Gradius Galaxies is still top teir for the portable shmup. It is like Gradius GH or something.

I am really in love with Puzzle/Action games for protable systems. I can't really get into any RPGs anymore, let alone portable ones. I tried Onimishu Tactics, but it was really simple and boring so I sold it ... gave it away at the point where you get the gem to fight to gain abilities. That made it too easy.

I also love the Castlevanias.

I do use mine for travel, but it is mainly when I go camping or drive up home (14 hours each way 2 times a year). The main ammount of play time comes from when my wife is playing something on the TV, I will sit next to her with my SP... err now DS and play something. I love it for that. Also in bed. Like the advertisement I play in bed, alot... married.

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Originally Posted by rama

it's too bad that there aren't any really great shooters for the gba.

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I thought Iridion II was a really solid shooter. Not up to Gradius Galaxies but still worthy of the $20 you can find it for. I just despise the damn password system, is it that hard to put battery backup in a GBA cart.

speaking of shooters and action games, i'd sure like to see guardian legend on the gba....but who knows if that'll ever happen.

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Originally Posted by Xeno G

I thought Iridion II was a really solid shooter. Not up to Gradius Galaxies but still worthy of the $20 you can find it for. I just despise the damn password system, is it that hard to put battery backup in a GBA cart.

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I just p-touched a password that unlocks everything to the cart so I did not have to worry about it. Anyway, I don't like the healt bar system or the 3/4 overhead bs. Still, better than Darius-R... I have not tried Invader or Steel Empire yet.

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Originally Posted by Shapermc

I play in bed, alot... married.

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Doesn't your wife complain about the backlight lighting up the walls and ceiling?

Signed,
Former-GBA bed player.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

During vacations and such, I played my Nomad and Game Gear all the time, mainly playing quick, pick up and play games.

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You have to be the last person on Earth still playing fucking Game Gear games.

So shaper, marriage actually does kill the sex life? Because if it doesn't you've got to be careful not to get juices on your screen. I got it on the windshield once and that shit does not come off.

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Originally Posted by toxic

Doesn't your wife complain about the backlight lighting up the walls and ceiling?

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Nope she sleeps like a rock.

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Originally Posted by Cow

So shaper, marriage actually does kill the sex life? Because if it doesn't you've got to be careful not to get juices on your screen. I got it on the windshield once and that shit does not come off.

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No, me playing kills it ;) Seriously though, I find time for both. And a little WD40 cleans that shit up.

Well, it's been 3 days, and I am in love with my new DS. Granted there is really only 1 or 2 DS games worth owning at the moment. The extended GBA library will keep me busy for much time to come and there are plenty of good DS games on the way.

some things have changed since this thread started. there were less ds games available and i don't think the psp was out yet. anyway, what's everyone playing on their travels nowadays? i don't have a ds or psp yet but the gba's still keeping me entertained. currently playing through the bonus parts of megaman battlenetwork 5. seems like i'm the only person on the boards who plays this series. i was gonna pick up ff4 but i think i'll just go ahead and wait for ff5.

Kidnemo plays them too, I think he's by 4.

I'm by 2.

Right now I'm playing Partners in Time and Animal Crossing.

I've got to admit, it's been a great year for handheld gaming. I've gone from buying 2-3 GBA games in a year to getting a pile of stuff divided between GBA, DS, and even a few for PSP.

I'd have to say that Trauma Center was my favorit handheld game this year, with Tokobot in second place. There's a pile of great stuff I'm not bothering to mention, though.

The PSPs best feature is the sleep mode. Worrying about save points is now a thing of the past, I just flick the switch when I get to a calm spot in the game and go on my way, knowing that when I turn it back on it's going to be there. It's the only real innovation in the entire system, but it's a great one.

James

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Originally Posted by Revoltor

Currently I'm 3/4 through Advance Wars 2. I plan on unwrapping my dusty old copy of Fire Emblem once I'm done with AW.

Strategy games are great for killing hour long chunks of time on the subway, DMV line, doctor's office and anywhere else where you have to wait. Any game with a quicksave is a blessing.

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I'm doing the exact same thing. I'm currently doing IT support at Rent A Centers help desk and when it gets slow, I'm playing AW2. I have 4 missions left.


Then I plan on playing Fire Emblem after I'm done with Advance Wars.

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Originally Posted by James

The PSPs best feature is the sleep mode. Worrying about save points is now a thing of the past, I just flick the switch when I get to a calm spot in the game and go on my way, knowing that when I turn it back on it's going to be there. It's the only real innovation in the entire system, but it's a great one.

James

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The DS does the same thing if you close it while playing...

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Originally Posted by Mzo

The DS does the same thing if you close it while playing...

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i wish the gba had a sleep mode.

The sleep mode doesn't work on all games, so I tend to forget about it. I take it they've gotten better at remembering to include sleep mode in all games since the DS launch?

Too bad it doesn't work on GBA games as well. If sleep mode had been a system feature rather than something that has to be enabled in the game itself, it would have been perfect.

James

Sleep mode is in a number of 1st party GBA games... I know Yoshi's Island and Zelda Minish Cap have one. You select 'sleep' from the menu to shut down, than press L,R, + select and it'll pop right back on where you were.

I got a Micro recently, which is insanely portable... I take it most places just in case I get the opportunity to whip it out for some Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones (which I also got recently) or Wario Ware (a few quick rounds of Dr. Wario, usually). I play a lot of DS, too, but that's when I'm at home. Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, and Mario & Luigi PiT are getting my time on that (though I *reallly* need to go put more time into Advance Wars DS and Trauma Center).

I like the Battle Network games, but they just come too frequently. I still need to beat 2, and I have 3 waiting after that. I would have picked up 4 if I saw it at the TRU sale today, but alas...

The DS has a system sleep too. Just close the DS and it goes to sleep. Not sure if this works on all games but it's worked on the ones I've tried so far.

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Originally Posted by Bacon McShig

I like the Battle Network games, but they just come too frequently. I still need to beat 2, and I have 3 waiting after that. I would have picked up 4 if I saw it at the TRU sale today, but alas...

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forget about bn 4. play 5 or wait for 6. 6 comes 2nd quarter 06 here. can't wait.

What's so bad about 4? I just picked it up today.

PSP's widescreen is screaming for a new Klonoa game. I am also really looking forward to the Gradius 1-Gaiden collection and the Capcom Collection remix (for 1941, Varth and Strider).

My current portable time is divided between:

DS/GBA: Mario Kart DS on and offline and Gunstar Super Heroes (trying to beat on hard with Blue)

PSP: Tokobot (one of the best platformers I have played in years), Burnout Legends, and Wipeout Pure (Delta Packs 1 and 2)

I just got a new 2 gig card and have it loaded with 3 new MST3Ks for my roadtrip this weekend and I downloaded fanjita's 2.0 eboot loader so I can play NESTER and Genesis even though my firmware is upgraded. Ya like that, Sony? Only problem is it's buggy as heck and freezes a lot but once the emu loads it's smooth as butter.

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Originally Posted by Empty_One

What's so bad about 4? I just picked it up today.

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i thought 4 was the shit 'til i played 5. anyway, you have to play through 4 3 times to get all the souls. the first time on normal dificulty you get 3 (all random) souls, second time through, 2 souls (hard mode) and the last one on a 3rd play through (very hard). the thing is you play through the same scenarios each time. by the time i was done with my second play through i couldn't do it anymore. i really wanted that last soul (wind for me) but it just wasn't worth seeing the same story and running around on the same side quests. 5 is a complete game like 1-3 and i think it's just better overall. pluss it's a lot less anoying in that the net isn't as big as it has been....so the quests and story events where you have to search for things don't take as long. yeah...5's just better.