A Few Nintendo DS and Sony PSP Questions

fishyfish · 07 April 2013, 17:58

Im considering treating myself to either a Nintendo DS, or PSP as a late birthday gift (or rather with some cash I got as a late birthday gift). Neither appeals to me more than the other as far as "native" games go (although I cant say Im overly familiar with the game libraries of either), so what Id like to base my decision on is the quality/quantity of emulators and homebrew, along with ease of using said emulators and homebrew (ie. do I need to use particular firmware? Do I need extra hardware, etc, etc). If Im not mistaken all the DS needs is a cartridge type adaptor, and then a person can simply use an sdcard to store emulators and rom images, etc. ? Also, does this vary from model to model? Im also under the impression that the XL has slightly enhanced hardware vs original models of the DS? As for the PSP, Im even more in the dark. So much so that I dont even know what questions are worth asking

Im a bit out of my element here so if someone could fill me in on any info that's worthwhile knowing Id appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

s2325 · 07 April 2013, 18:17

How about JXD S601? You don't need to hack this console to use emulators (for Android) and it's cheaper.

fishyfish · 07 April 2013, 18:31

I can purchase both a DS or PSP for $50, with warranty. Also, while Im interested in homebrew and emulators I am still interested in newer commercial titles, so those sorts of homebrew/android machines arent really for me. Thanks anyway.

Pretty interesting looking machine though.

amiman99 · 07 April 2013, 20:13

I would go with PSP. you can load homebrew games and emulators w/o hacking it.
There is a program that runs on the PSP called "HalfByte Loader", it lets you load unsigned software on the PSP. Basically you start the HalfByte Loader and from that you choose which software you can run, it works 95% of the time.
Some emulators are already signed, so they can load them natively.
With PSP you can play MP3 and MP4 videos natively, not so with DS.

With the DS, it is easier to run DS ROMs with the R4 card or similar, then the PSP, and of course the DS ROMs are smaller.

In my opinion PSP is better for emulation.

Galahad/FLT · 07 April 2013, 20:25

What do you want to emulate? PSP is certainly more powerful than D's in every way.

Piracy is easier on Ds, massive library of games, but lots of them are aimed at younger minds, just how many Mario kart derivatives does a system need???

Ds won't emulate an Amiga by a long shot, but battery life on ds is better.

Lobotomika · 07 April 2013, 20:39

Neither emulate Amiga properly. Amiga on PSP reminds me of WinUAE in late 90s and that's no better than a system that doesn't emulate Amiga at all (DS).

PSP emulates CPS1 & CPS2, 16 bit consoles including SegaCD very well and is a better choice for emulation however DS has a surprisingly good NEO GEO emulator.

PSP has some interesting titles like Patapon but they're too few to matter. I often find myself using emulators on it but I still play my DS for great titles like Henry Hatsworth, Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Ace Attorney and Professor Layton series.

In short, get both if you can. If not, go for PSP for emulation and DS for some native gems.

And if you decide to get a DS stay away from any pirate card with "r4" in its name. The original r4 was a great card back in the day but it's dead now and the name is used by irrelavant 3rd party crap. Get a Supercard Dstwo instead (Acekard Ak2i is the second best imo)

As for PSP, get a sony memory stick to microsd converter so that you don't have to use their propriatery shit.

lilalurl · 07 April 2013, 21:40

Be sure to check Dreamkatcha's list for games that have had remakes on those consoles:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=22751
http://kookosity.blogspot.fr/2006/03...revisited.html

The DS scene has been much more active regarding the number of homebrew games.

To add to Lobotomika's post, with the DS you more or less won't emulate properly above the 8-bit console generation. For instance, the MegaDrive emulation is pretty good but it fails on the issue of the resolution. The screen will either be cropped or scaled (making text, life bars etc hard to read).

Ofc, if you want some Mario Kart derivatives, you can have your fair share on PSP too

:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_World_Rally
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_Tag_Team_Racing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ModNation_Racers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape_Escape_Racing

As for regular titles, it will depend on what you like and how you think you will use your handheld.
Many PSP titles are ports/conversions/sequels/prequels of titles you can find on the home consoles (PS2/Xbox360).
If you enjoy those and think it would be nice to play them on the go, then the PSP is for you.
But then, you might think it is better to play such games at home.

DS has a more versatile library I believe.

Owning both, I use:

- PSP for emulation (even GBA, despite having a DS lite with an EZ3-in-1 card which allows me to run GBA ROMs as I enjoy being able to save state in some games). And a few regular titles, mostly Koei's Warriors series that I enjoy very much when travelling.

- DS for homebrews (including remakes), puzzle games (either Nikoli-style or interactive style such as Professor Layton), Shogi games (PSP has some but I find it more agreeable to play on the touch screen), some RPGs (Radiant Historia might be the best RPG I have ever played), Yu-Gi-Oh Nightmare's Troubadour (yes, it is for kids, but it is really enjoyable. And I am normally a fan of TCGs), the Castlevania games, some strategy games (Panzer Tactics)

amiman99 · 07 April 2013, 22:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lobotomika

As for PSP, get a sony memory stick to microsd converter so that you don't have to use their propriatery shit.

I have heard that there is a problem with those converters, that is great for READING but not WRITING to the card. That there is a possibility to corrupt the card if you save it from PSP, like save states and so on.

lilalurl · 07 April 2013, 23:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by amiman99

I have heard that there is a problem with those converters, that is great for READING but not WRITING to the card. That there is a possibility to corrupt the card if you save it from PSP, like save states and so on.

Never had issues with mine.
But then it might depend on the model and/or the microSD brand.

It is known that with the R4 for DS, some microSDs can cause freezes with some games. Check the list at the bottom of http://wiki.scorpei.com/index.php/R4_compatibility_list

So I guess some similar things can happen on PSP.

radon_22 · 08 April 2013, 06:55

I've done emulation and homebrew with both. Personal preference was for the PSP: Much better SNES/MegaDrive emulation, C64 emulation is pretty good, and PS1 emulation is near flawless.

I'd agree that there's a bit more homebrew for the DS, but the PSP is a beast for emulation.

Since this is an Amiga site and all, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention FOL's excellent PSPUAE. Check it out: http://www.pspuae.com/

Lobotomika · 08 April 2013, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by amiman99

I have heard that there is a problem with those converters, that is great for READING but not WRITING to the card. That there is a possibility to corrupt the card if you save it from PSP, like save states and so on.

No problems here for years. There's always a chance to come across low grade items when shopping for something so cheap and trivial but in this case it must be Sony spreading rumors.

fishyfish · 08 April 2013, 11:07

Thanks for the input everyone. For no reason that I can out my thumb on I was sort of hoping the DS was good enough for what I was wanting. Ive never really been a big fan of Nintendo machines apart from the GBA, but prior to asking questions I was leaning towards the DS.
I must admit to being a bit surprised that the DS is so underwhelming when it comes to emulation. Not that I was expecting either to run latest mame, or saturn, dreamcast, etc., but Im surprised that even the 16bit consoles were out of reach for the DS.
While there's a smaller library of PSP vs. DS games for the most part it appears its (PSP) native games are of more interest to me. I quite like the Wipeout and Gods Of War games.

The thing that I like about the NDS though is that it appears to be the last system around that has a good choice of retro/2d style games (but a little enhanced). Being that I'd mostly use it to amuse myself whilst on long train/bus rides that was a big of a consideration (and why emulation is a big part in my choice).

So, all said and done, I suspect I'll go the PSP route. Im far from the most decisive person around though, so who knows, that may change when I actually make the purchase

Thanks again everyone.

Lobotomika · 08 April 2013, 13:40

I must also add Supercard DSTwo has an on board processor when used with the specific emulators coded by their team; will let the machine handle 16 bit emulation like SNES however the problem related to the Sega Mega Drive can never be fixed and the game won't fit in DS screen when scaled 1:1 Even the stock DS CPU can handle Mega Drive (for some reason, not SNES in my experience) and I completed Quackshot without problems but this display problem can be annoying. This stuff simply looks and plays better on PSP.

There's also a x86 PC emulator for DS named dsx86 and a special supercard dstwo version named ds2x86. I only played Eye of the Beholder with the regular version and it worked just fine.

S0ulA55a551n · 08 April 2013, 14:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

What do you want to emulate? PSP is certainly more powerful than D's in every way.

Piracy is easier on Ds, massive library of games, but lots of them are aimed at younger minds, just how many Mario kart derivatives does a system need???

Ds won't emulate an Amiga by a long shot, but battery life on ds is better.

I never understand some attitudes to Nintendo games. People say they are childish whilst missing some of the best game playing there is to be had. I love my 3ds, I know not the subject of this thread, so sorry for the hijack. And nintendo have released some amazing games over the years. Luigis mansion 2, Mario galaxy 1 & 2 .etc etc. And yes I own an Xbox and alienware pc for more "hardcore" gaming, whatever that actually is.

Anemos · 08 April 2013, 19:02

Loot at also the JXD S602 crazy machine.. for 50 euro.

s2325 · 08 April 2013, 19:21

Do you know where can I find key2touch which should be with JXD S602?

Anemos · 08 April 2013, 19:27

ye JXD man.. is a key combinations
Look at here: [ Show youtube player ]

gimbal · 08 April 2013, 20:10

The DS is nice if you like classic Japanese RPGs (Dragon Quest series, Final Fantasy remakes, Etrian Odyssey series), puzzle games (puzzle quest, layton series, even the ace attorney games can be called puzzle games of a sort), 2D Castlevania (three games of varying quality), challenging Mario games and Zelda. As a bonus you can play the very entertaining GTA: Chinatown Wars, which you can also get on the PSP.

I stretch my brain but... that's about it really. The DS kept me entertained for 3 years, but only with very select titles which I played and replayed several times over. Most of the above games I completed 3-5 times :/

Hillsy_ · 11 April 2013, 23:56

Giana Sisters DS nuff said

lilalurl · 18 April 2013, 18:28

Thread hi-jack.

On PSP, as anyone had success running some classic arcade games via one of the various MAME implementations (not CPS/Neo Geo stuff)?

I remember I tried some time ago and the only one I could manage to work was Rampage and it worked very slowly.
I had other games I wanted to try (Shinobi; Bubble Bobble etc...) but the romset needed was not what was available.

This thread reminded me of that so I was thinking of hunting older romsets, but I have the feeling that the result will not be satisfying.

Hence my asking if people have had a good experience emulating arcade before spending some time on it.

07 April 2013, 17:58	#1
fishyfish Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 475	A Few Nintendo DS and Sony PSP Questions Im considering treating myself to either a Nintendo DS, or PSP as a late birthday gift (or rather with some cash I got as a late birthday gift). Neither appeals to me more than the other as far as "native" games go (although I cant say Im overly familiar with the game libraries of either), so what Id like to base my decision on is the quality/quantity of emulators and homebrew, along with ease of using said emulators and homebrew (ie. do I need to use particular firmware? Do I need extra hardware, etc, etc). If Im not mistaken all the DS needs is a cartridge type adaptor, and then a person can simply use an sdcard to store emulators and rom images, etc. ? Also, does this vary from model to model? Im also under the impression that the XL has slightly enhanced hardware vs original models of the DS? As for the PSP, Im even more in the dark. So much so that I dont even know what questions are worth asking Im a bit out of my element here so if someone could fill me in on any info that's worthwhile knowing Id appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

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07 April 2013, 18:17	#2
s2325 Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Gargore Age: 43 Posts: 17,789	How about JXD S601? You don't need to hack this console to use emulators (for Android) and it's cheaper.

07 April 2013, 18:31	#3
fishyfish Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 475	I can purchase both a DS or PSP for $50, with warranty. Also, while Im interested in homebrew and emulators I am still interested in newer commercial titles, so those sorts of homebrew/android machines arent really for me. Thanks anyway. Pretty interesting looking machine though.

07 April 2013, 20:13	#4
amiman99 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: San Antonio, TX USA Age: 50 Posts: 1,185	I would go with PSP. you can load homebrew games and emulators w/o hacking it. There is a program that runs on the PSP called "HalfByte Loader", it lets you load unsigned software on the PSP. Basically you start the HalfByte Loader and from that you choose which software you can run, it works 95% of the time. Some emulators are already signed, so they can load them natively. With PSP you can play MP3 and MP4 videos natively, not so with DS. With the DS, it is easier to run DS ROMs with the R4 card or similar, then the PSP, and of course the DS ROMs are smaller. In my opinion PSP is better for emulation.

07 April 2013, 20:25	#5
Galahad/FLT Going nowhere Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: United Kingdom Age: 50 Posts: 8,994	What do you want to emulate? PSP is certainly more powerful than D's in every way. Piracy is easier on Ds, massive library of games, but lots of them are aimed at younger minds, just how many Mario kart derivatives does a system need??? Ds won't emulate an Amiga by a long shot, but battery life on ds is better.

07 April 2013, 20:39	#6
Lobotomika Registered User Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: in the past and present Posts: 122	Neither emulate Amiga properly. Amiga on PSP reminds me of WinUAE in late 90s and that's no better than a system that doesn't emulate Amiga at all (DS). PSP emulates CPS1 & CPS2, 16 bit consoles including SegaCD very well and is a better choice for emulation however DS has a surprisingly good NEO GEO emulator. PSP has some interesting titles like Patapon but they're too few to matter. I often find myself using emulators on it but I still play my DS for great titles like Henry Hatsworth, Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Ace Attorney and Professor Layton series. In short, get both if you can. If not, go for PSP for emulation and DS for some native gems. And if you decide to get a DS stay away from any pirate card with "r4" in its name. The original r4 was a great card back in the day but it's dead now and the name is used by irrelavant 3rd party crap. Get a Supercard Dstwo instead (Acekard Ak2i is the second best imo) As for PSP, get a sony memory stick to microsd converter so that you don't have to use their propriatery shit.

07 April 2013, 21:40	#7
lilalurl Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: France Posts: 3,289	Be sure to check Dreamkatcha's list for games that have had remakes on those consoles: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=22751 http://kookosity.blogspot.fr/2006/03...revisited.html The DS scene has been much more active regarding the number of homebrew games. To add to Lobotomika's post, with the DS you more or less won't emulate properly above the 8-bit console generation. For instance, the MegaDrive emulation is pretty good but it fails on the issue of the resolution. The screen will either be cropped or scaled (making text, life bars etc hard to read). Ofc, if you want some Mario Kart derivatives, you can have your fair share on PSP too : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_World_Rally http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_Tag_Team_Racing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ModNation_Racers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape_Escape_Racing As for regular titles, it will depend on what you like and how you think you will use your handheld. Many PSP titles are ports/conversions/sequels/prequels of titles you can find on the home consoles (PS2/Xbox360). If you enjoy those and think it would be nice to play them on the go, then the PSP is for you. But then, you might think it is better to play such games at home. DS has a more versatile library I believe. Owning both, I use: - PSP for emulation (even GBA, despite having a DS lite with an EZ3-in-1 card which allows me to run GBA ROMs as I enjoy being able to save state in some games). And a few regular titles, mostly Koei's Warriors series that I enjoy very much when travelling. - DS for homebrews (including remakes), puzzle games (either Nikoli-style or interactive style such as Professor Layton), Shogi games (PSP has some but I find it more agreeable to play on the touch screen), some RPGs (Radiant Historia might be the best RPG I have ever played), Yu-Gi-Oh Nightmare's Troubadour (yes, it is for kids, but it is really enjoyable. And I am normally a fan of TCGs), the Castlevania games, some strategy games (Panzer Tactics)

08 April 2013, 06:55	#10
radon_22 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 77	I've done emulation and homebrew with both. Personal preference was for the PSP: Much better SNES/MegaDrive emulation, C64 emulation is pretty good, and PS1 emulation is near flawless. I'd agree that there's a bit more homebrew for the DS, but the PSP is a beast for emulation. Since this is an Amiga site and all, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention FOL's excellent PSPUAE. Check it out: http://www.pspuae.com/

08 April 2013, 11:07	#12
fishyfish Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 475	Thanks for the input everyone. For no reason that I can out my thumb on I was sort of hoping the DS was good enough for what I was wanting. Ive never really been a big fan of Nintendo machines apart from the GBA, but prior to asking questions I was leaning towards the DS. I must admit to being a bit surprised that the DS is so underwhelming when it comes to emulation. Not that I was expecting either to run latest mame, or saturn, dreamcast, etc., but Im surprised that even the 16bit consoles were out of reach for the DS. While there's a smaller library of PSP vs. DS games for the most part it appears its (PSP) native games are of more interest to me. I quite like the Wipeout and Gods Of War games. The thing that I like about the NDS though is that it appears to be the last system around that has a good choice of retro/2d style games (but a little enhanced). Being that I'd mostly use it to amuse myself whilst on long train/bus rides that was a big of a consideration (and why emulation is a big part in my choice). So, all said and done, I suspect I'll go the PSP route. Im far from the most decisive person around though, so who knows, that may change when I actually make the purchase Thanks again everyone.

08 April 2013, 13:40	#13
Lobotomika Registered User Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: in the past and present Posts: 122	I must also add Supercard DSTwo has an on board processor when used with the specific emulators coded by their team; will let the machine handle 16 bit emulation like SNES however the problem related to the Sega Mega Drive can never be fixed and the game won't fit in DS screen when scaled 1:1 Even the stock DS CPU can handle Mega Drive (for some reason, not SNES in my experience) and I completed Quackshot without problems but this display problem can be annoying. This stuff simply looks and plays better on PSP. There's also a x86 PC emulator for DS named dsx86 and a special supercard dstwo version named ds2x86. I only played Eye of the Beholder with the regular version and it worked just fine.

08 April 2013, 19:02	#15
Anemos 70X7 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ἑλλάς Posts: 1,078	Loot at also the JXD S602 crazy machine.. for 50 euro.

08 April 2013, 19:21	#16
s2325 Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Gargore Age: 43 Posts: 17,789	Do you know where can I find key2touch which should be with JXD S602?

08 April 2013, 19:27	#17
Anemos 70X7 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ἑλλάς Posts: 1,078	ye JXD man.. is a key combinations Look at here: [ Show youtube player ]

08 April 2013, 20:10	#18
gimbal cheeky scoundrel Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Spijkenisse/Netherlands Age: 42 Posts: 6,917	The DS is nice if you like classic Japanese RPGs (Dragon Quest series, Final Fantasy remakes, Etrian Odyssey series), puzzle games (puzzle quest, layton series, even the ace attorney games can be called puzzle games of a sort), 2D Castlevania (three games of varying quality), challenging Mario games and Zelda. As a bonus you can play the very entertaining GTA: Chinatown Wars, which you can also get on the PSP. I stretch my brain but... that's about it really. The DS kept me entertained for 3 years, but only with very select titles which I played and replayed several times over. Most of the above games I completed 3-5 times :/

11 April 2013, 23:56	#19
Hillsy_ Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: West Yorkshire, UK Age: 51 Posts: 258	Giana Sisters DS nuff said

18 April 2013, 18:28	#20
lilalurl Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: France Posts: 3,289	Thread hi-jack. On PSP, as anyone had success running some classic arcade games via one of the various MAME implementations (not CPS/Neo Geo stuff)? I remember I tried some time ago and the only one I could manage to work was Rampage and it worked very slowly. I had other games I wanted to try (Shinobi; Bubble Bobble etc...) but the romset needed was not what was available. This thread reminded me of that so I was thinking of hunting older romsets, but I have the feeling that the result will not be satisfying. Hence my asking if people have had a good experience emulating arcade before spending some time on it.

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