Your Top 10 Handheld Games

I find myself playing portables more and more lately, so this is definitely a list I can get behind.

These are just the games that popped into my head first, in no particular order, and none of them are ports:

Mega Man Battle Network Series (GBA/DS)- This is probably my favorite portable game series ever. So absolutely awesome, it pretty much hits everything I want from a game.

Metal Gear Ac!d 2 (PSP)- Super rad card battling action. The first game in the series can hardly compare to the sequel.

Fire Pro Wrestling (GBA) - I played these games before ever playing the other versions. Great for a few minutes of fun.

Mario Golf (GBA) - The best (mario) golf game ever. Slick rpg elements make it the king.

Pokemon XXXXX (GBA/DS) - I don't know what pokemon game is my favorite, they are all pretty awesome. I have a fondness for the original games because of the pokemon list, but the gameplay in the later games in the series is much better.

Pokemon Trading Card Game (GBC) - I just played this for the first time in the last year or so. What a great, fun little game.

Card Fighters Clash (NGPC) - Until I played the MMBN series, this was my favorite portable game of all time. A classic.

SNK vs. Capcom Match of the Millennium (NGPC) - The best portable fighting game ever.

Monster Hunter 2 (PSP) - One of the best non-ccg portable gaming experiences I've had recently. So great and criminally overlooked.

Legend of Zelda the Minish Cap (GBA) - Short and sweet. Charming graphics, story, and some vaguely new Zelda elements.

1. Metroid Fusion GBA- Not as much love as Zero Mission but the better game IMO. Samus' suit loss made sense this time, the X were a better enemy than Pirates, Metroid, or Phazon, and the entire game had a great sense of tension. Surprisingly different atmosphere to each game too. Zero Mission feels almost serene, Samus digging into the musty ruins of Zebes. Fusion is a disaster movie with cues from several Sci-Fi classics.

2. Kirby Canvas Curse DS The best thing Kirby will ever be in, Jungle Beat's quirky platformer portable counterpart.
3. Metroid Zero Mission GBA
4. Digidrive GBA- So damn simple, even the art style but very addictive. Hard to explain to a casual observer though.
5. Contra 4 DS- Beautifully adapted, even the 3D sections loved the terminator fight
6. Space Invaders Extreme DS
7. Dotstream GBA- All the Bit titles were decent, great idea for a racer
8. Metroid Prime Pinball DS A big fan of themed pinball titles, cannot get into Pinball of the Dead or Pokemon though. Prime's tables can be sparse but that's my only big complaint.
9. Castlevania:OoE DS- The level structure is a bit odd, but this feels more complete and balanced than other portable Vanias. Wish it had more attention to detail like SotN or DoS.
10. Meteos DS


Honorable mentions: Etrian has been incredibly addictive and one of the few portable RPGs to keep me glued, haven't finished it yet though. Ninja-50 is great....but I need to replay it on DS, the SP kills my hand on this. Zelda: Link's Awaking is one of the best games in the series and one of the few I've bothered to finish. Also enjoyed Snoopy's Magic Trick and Final Fantasy Adventure on the old B&W brick.

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Originally Posted by bbobb

Even Shou, a man who picks bizarre shit like a WSC game has Ninja Five-O on his list. I love it.

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I wanted to put a WS game on my list so badly, but I just couldn't justify it. :cry:

Shit. I just remembered that Mario Golf on GBA definitely at least deserves an honorable mention.

Whoa, I didn't know they made a GBA one like that. The GBC one is easily one of my favorites (list coming), the RPG-y mode was amazing.

Pretty much the same game, just nicer graphics.

(same meaning gameplay, not same meaning straight port of the gbc game)

YOu guys nailed most of my faves but 2 :

Planet Puzzle League- Tetris Attack with tons and tons of chaining ! Online play ! Decent graphics but sadly no Tetris Attack music. I fell in love and waged many a battle against people from bbobb's 'hood. Only thing that pulled me away was Poker Smash.

Warioware:TWISTED- When I had an old school GBA, I would play this game like crazy. Collecting all the little things was compelling in a basic way, esp all the little games. Ski jump and homerun hitter was passed around with friends on more than one occasion.

Donkey Kong GB - Keeps all of the elements that made the original fun while adding some new elements to the mix. Excellent platformer with some puzzle elements.

Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening GB-Very well done handheld version of Zelda that has a charm to it that is unmatched by later Zelda games, especially the Capcom ones.

Space Invaders Extreme DS-It's EXTREME. One of the many well done updates of SI and one of the best handheld shmups out there.

Tetris GB-Excellent version of Tetris that is great for on the go.

Mega Man GB games, aside from II - I, III, and IV are excellent games with the classic robot masters, all new levels (I love how the levels are redesigned and allow you to do stuff that you couldn't do in the NES games like using the charge beam on the eggs in Gemini Man's stage), and nice remixed versions of the NES tunes. V is an excellent all new game for the GB. They all rock, so it's hard for me to choose.

GG Shinobi II - Great on the go Shinobi that combines elements of the Super Shinobi games with elements from Mega Man.

Racing Gears Advance GBA - A very well done handheld racing game with lots of cars to choose from and a high level of challenge.

Advance Wars Days of Ruin DS - ditto on the previous posts

Wario Ware Twisted GBA - Well done micro game collection with a "gimmick" that works. Great fun with some unlockables that are as fun as the main game.

Super Mario Land GB - I like how it plays in a style similar to the first SMB with a more fantasy style theme. Fun levels, new enemies, great music, and some nice shmup stages.

My list is not without caveat; I haven't played Mother 3 yet.



10. Car Battler Joe (GBA) - For the uninitiated, CBJ is basically stat-heavy RC Pro AM driven by a Poké-schlock narrative with an emphasis on building and customizing your car. I haven't dusted this one off in a few years, but I almost literally could not put this down the first time I played it. My GBA was practically stapled to my palms that summer.

9. ~ Drill Dozer ~ (GBA) - For the uninitiated, what the fuck is your excuse?

8. Osu! Tatakae Ouendan (DS) - Handily the best of the trilogy. A more cynical player might even call it the only good one!

7. Rondo of Swords (DS) - This game is a little map variety and a leaner skill list and away from being number 1.

6. Super Mario Land (GB) - Any of the SML/WL games could've fit here, but I really liked the submarine levels in the first one.

5. Cardfighters Clash (NGPC) - I actually think the sequel is a bit bloated and lacks the intensity of the simpler original. CFC Live would be unbelievable.

4. Pokemon Pinball Advance (GBA) - The best pinball game of all time. I've been playing this on and off for years and still haven't caught all of those little jerks.

3. Rhythm Heaven (GBA) - There's something about playing Rhythm Heaven that feels different than playing anything else. It isn't exhilarating like a Rockband or beatmania, and it's not relaxing like a puzzle game, it's more like a feeling of relief. It's almost as if it scratches a part of my brain that I didn't even know was itchy.

2. Kururin Paradise (GBA) - I used to think the original was better. I was wrong. KP is a rare example of a game that not only stands up to the inclusion of a bunch of minigames into its source material, but is actually better for it. My favorite Eighting game!

1. Donkey Kong (GB) - This might be the best videogame ever created. As great as Braid was, its levels don't even scratch the surface of the design that DKGB pulled off some 13 years ago.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

5. Cardfighters Clash (NGPC) - I actually think the sequel is a bit bloated and lacks the intensity of the simpler original. CFC Live would be unbelievable.

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I'd love to see this happen, but I doubt my strategy off initially playing cards that had 100 points less than the other players cards in order to makes his characters be only able to hit for 100 and build up my SP would get me far against real people. Worked great against the computer though.