Street Finder: A Guide to Buying Portable Gaming

The rise of the iPhone and Android has all but forced portable gaming in to the dark forgotten corner next to the Dreamcast. However, as great as a touch screen and a few angry birds are, nothing beats analog gaming. If you still want to play Street Fighter 2 as Ryu then read on...

Nintendo 3DS
This is the newest version of the NDS and, as you can tell from the name, its hook will be the inclusion of 3D. The basic hardware is based upon the original NDS but with a few additions such as a circle pad for analog control. The N3DS will also have a Motion Sensor and Gyro Sensor meaning when you tilt and move to kick oncoming zombies so will the screen. Predictions are that gameplay will either be better and more sensitive or it will be horrifically irritating when on-the-move. Classics like Street Fighter 4 and Resident Evil are also making their triumphant return with the device. It will start selling internationally in 2 days and you can pre-order yours for RMB 2,311 at Play-Asia today.

PSPgo
The PSPgo has been available for a while but the PSP sequel (the NGP) is still a year away so get it to stave off your cravings. The device has instantly recognizable hardware and the analog and buttons are similar to the PlayStation controller. It shares a majority of the games most of which are downloadable on the PlayStation site. Music, films and other media can be kept on it just in case you want to watch Die Hard after a FIFA 10 marathon. Buy yours at the Silk Market for RMB 1000.

Game Boy Advance
Remember back in the day when all you needed to be popular was this and a cartridge of Pokemon Ruby? No, neither do I. Despite this, I do have nostalgia for a device that doesn’t bother with Wifi, Bluetooth or anything that lets you connect to anyone. If you want to be alone with your Bulbasaur, get the GBA at the Ladies Street Market (Column 3-31) for RMB 150.

Cool Boy
As the name suggests, this is only for the hip, cool kids of today … or maybe not. Upon closer inspection the Cool Boy is a very basic device that comes with a game cartridge that holds 120 games. It’s a quick fix solution that saves you from going out and building your game collection separately. It’s RMB 200 at the Ladies Street Market, Column 4-50/51.

Tamagotchi
If you have never experienced the wonders of a Tamagotchi where have you been? Virtual pets need love too and it will become routine to feed them KFC on that morning commute. You can buy this on Taobao for RMB 50.