I want a sweet retro portable system...

[lisalover1]

Well, the GP2X is a homebrew handheld, not necessarily retro. I recommend the Neo-Geo Pocket Color. It's really cheap, has tons of good games that are very common, and has an awesome joystick in place of a D-Pad. I play mine a lot; many of my favorite fighting games are on the NGPC.

Yeah, I think NGPC seems to get the most love. Are there any good sites to order games from at a decent price?

Also, for anyone who knows (and I know not many people will), my brother is moving back from Tokyo after 4 years. If I could get something (again, a retro portable) through him, where should he go and what should he get?

Ask Hashiriya1, I'm sure he knows a good place.

[Hateshinai]

Get a Neo Geo Pocket Colour - affordable and all-around brilliant.
The GP2X is great as well - the Megadrive and SNES emus are great.

[Niode]

Yeah the NGPC is awesome. Cardfighters clash is an awesome game, as is Biomotor Unitron. Both are pokemon-esque RPGs. There's also plenty of other great and unique titles for the system. Crush Roller, Dark Arms, King of Fighters R-2, Metal Slug Missions, Baseball Stars (great if you like baseball), SNK vs Capcom Fight of the Millenium (best portable fighting game ever), Puyo Pop, Sonic, Neo Turf Masters (best portable golf game in my opinion), Magical Drop (great little puzzle game, if you like the Neo Geo original, you'll love this), Faselei! (awesome little strategy RPG), Puzzle Link (another unique little puzzle game).

That's plenty of gaming to go at. It really is an outstanding system with such a high density of great games and not much chaff. It's pretty much the DC of the handheld world.

[noiseredux]

But to point out the obvious -- it won't exactly turn heads, but the GBA is the best retro handheld ever.

I think the GBA is, down right, the best portable money can buy. Its basically a "super" Super NES that fits in your hand. The library is rivaled by none other than the DS and its easy to find.

Agreed. I mean, the DS does have a really awesome current library.

But like you said, the GBA is like a portable SNES, complete with TONS of NES/SNES/etc ports and all kinds of insanely awesome games from the GB/GBC era. Not to mention that it's easy to grab one for $30 or $40!

[ejamer]

Game Boy Micro is my favorite portable. You just can't beat the library of games, even though it's limited to GBA titles. (If you want to play older games, then track down a Game Boy Color instead.)

Neo Geo Pocket Color is a close runner-up, and not as new or as common. There are lots of great games available, and pricing is extremely reasonable.

But if you want to turn heads with something more unique and still get a decent system I'd look at a WonderSwan or SwanCrystal.

[noiseredux]

Game Boy Micro is my favorite portable. You just can't beat the library of games, even though it's limited to GBA titles.

The removal of Backwards Compatibility is why I never bothered to get one.

[Niode]

But if you want to turn heads with something more unique and still get a decent system I'd look at a WonderSwan or SwanCrystal.

I've wanted a SwanCrystal for years but the price has always put me off, that and they are obscenely rare to find in this country, and the games are expensive and limited.

[lisalover1]

I've been interested in a Wonderswan for a while now, but the all-Japanese library has always worried me.

[ejamer]

The removal of Backwards Compatibility is why I never bothered to get one.

It does suck a little bit... but the great backlit screen and TINY size more than makes up for it in my opinion. Carrying nearly perfect versions of Final Fantasy IV through VI in my pocket anywhere anytime? Gaming doesn't get much better than that.

I've wanted a SwanCrystal for years but the price has always put me off, that and they are obscenely rare to find in this country, and the games are expensive and limited.

I think that NGPC is much more practical/affordable/fun overall... but a SwanCrystal would certainly turn heads. Just depends on what you want I guess.

[executioner]

I'm just curious of how you guys actually see anything when using a NGPC, I have one and have a hard time playing and the light accessories are hard to find.