Good handheld RPGs?

[MrPopo]

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona - Yes, this is a port of the PS1 game, but re-translated and re-localized with new contnet that the old game only had in the Japanese version. A very good dungeon crawly RPG with the usual cool storylines Shin Megami has.

They are also porting Persona 3 to the PSP.

Complete with Female MC.

[Myollnir]

They also ported the first three Phantasy Star games to the GBA, and those turned out pretty well, give or take a couple of bugs. I also recall Final Fantasy Aventure/Mystic Quest/Seiken Densetsu being decent as well.

It made me very happy to hear that the second Star Ocean was ported to the PSP too. A friend of mine had the PS1 original which in PAL areas was just rarer than rare. But I've heard it's not that great of a port, anyone able to clarify this?

[Bikeage]

No one has mentioned The Dark Spire for DS. It's a Wizardry like dungeon crawler that's hard as hell. May not be for everyone, kind of a love it or hate it type of game. But if you wanna kick it old school it's cheap and worth checking out.

[Anapan]

Prettymuch all the RPGs I've played portably have already been listed. I've been playing through Chrono Cross and Diablo on my PSP.
I'm currently looking for a Game Gear flashcart so I can play the Sylvan Tale translation on original hardware.

[MrPopo]

I'm currently looking for a Game Gear flashcart so I can play the Sylvan Tale translation on original hardware.

http://www.tototek.com/store/index.php? ... ucts_id=82

I'd much rather have one that will fit inside the cart, similar to the GBA flash cart I have that fits flush in my DS Lite. That or a repro method, but my limited research shows that you would need some kind of banking solution and there just isn't much room in those GG carts. But for now I must hold off on my desire to play Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict on hardware.

[Anapan]

[lisalover1]

On the Neo Geo Pocket Color, You've got Biomotor Unitron, Faselei!, Dive Alert [Both versions], and if you want to count it, Card Fighters Clash. All very fun games.

[the7k]

handhelds were made for RPG's and puzzle games.

Man, I feel the exact opposite of that, as far as RPGs are concerned. Handhelds, to me, are made for short-burst arcade-style games. Shmups, Fighters, Run and Guns, Beat 'Em Ups, Sports and all the other types of games that you can cut off at any time without consequence and enjoy in short increments.

RPGs are the most awkward for me. The neck cramps that come from looking down at a screen for hours. The hustle to find a save point when it's time to cut the system off because your number just got called at the DMV. The restrictions of having a multi-hour game on a system that only lasts a few hours unless hooked into a wall. So many reasons that I hate playing RPGs on handhelds, and especially hate the current climate of all the worthwhile RPGs being only handhelds.

Anyway, I will say that my favorite handheld RPG is SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters Clash for the NGPC. No storyline to get wrapped up in, about 95% of the game being battles, and an auto-save/auto-resume when you cut the system on while in mid-battle whether it's your turn or not make it the closest an RPG has ever come to feeling at home on a handheld device.

[Xtincthed]

chrono trigger on the DS is definately my favorite
The World Ends With You is great also, and I hear a lot of good stuff about Lunar on the PSP

[noiseredux]

They also ported the first three Phantasy Star games to the GBA, and those turned out pretty well, give or take a couple of bugs. I also recall Final Fantasy Aventure/Mystic Quest/Seiken Densetsu being decent as well.

the Phantasy Star Collection for GBA is fantastic. Seriously. Great ports and you get three long-ass games on one cart.

Final Fantasy Adventure (GB) is excellent. I love this game. Have since it came out. The "remake" (yes, I know...) is Sword Of Mana (GBA) and although it is visually superior to FFA, I don't like it nearly as much.