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So one of my co-workers turned to me last xmas for advice on which game system to buy her then 6yr old son.  I went with the obvious choice of the GC, found a good deal on one w/ several decent kid's titles and apparently that went well.  So now he wants a handheld, and so she turns to me to help her out with this.

Problem is I dont follow handhelds, I got as far as not a DS but then realized there were several gameboy's to choose from and hell I might as well turn to the experts and try to go 2/2 on this one.

So here's the deal, the kid is 7 now, he's quite shy so I can't get any information from him when i see him in the office but here is what I have to go on.  The handheld should have some way for him to carry it, but considering his size I dont see anything really fitting in his pocket easily.  So some kind of case that can fasten to a belt loop might be a good idea?

For games he has liked in the past:
-super hero titles
-mario
-donkey kong (the bongo one)
-zelda (who doesn't?)

So yeah if anyone wants to point me in the right direction, or even do all the work for me, that'd be swell.

(http://www.flk.be/piclib/news/pic_00000272s.jpg)

Thats what she needs.  The Gameboy SP has lithium batteries, so recharges fast and last a long time.  It folds up small enough to be carried in small pockets, and can play any gameboy game up to gameboy advance.  I let my 5 year old use mine, and so far no problems.  Also I believe you can get something to play it through a Gamecube, so you can play games on the TV.  Handy!





edit. Added the GC info.

The GBA SP folds into a 3" x 3" by 1" box, more or less.  It plays all GB games from the original through GBA (Everything but DS games).  Has a nice backlit screen, buttons are a great size for smaller hands(and hell on those of us with larger hands).  Comes in a buncha colors for about $80.

I personally own an older GBA, that doesn't have a backlight and is a larger format, which I find more comfortable.

Alkiera

I don't really know of any system that comes with a belt carrying case; I'm sure there are third party versions out there (and you could always just buy him a belt pack or something), but you'd have to check the store and see what they're stocking.  Both versions of the GBA (I think) come with little wrist carrying straps, if that's any help. Carrying case aside, the smallest gameboy I know about is the GBA SP, which folds to about 3.3"x3.3"x1" or so.  It'll run GBA titles plus the old gamboy titles, which gives you five Zelda games (three for the old gameboy, two for the GBA), a bunch of mario titles (including remakes of Super Mario bros 1, 2, and 3 and Super Mario World, all on the GBA), and the obligatory movie tie-in superhero games (which I can't really comment on, since I don't own 'em).  Plus, it's backlit, so you don't need to hold it at wierd angles to see the screen, and it uses an internal rechargable power source so he doesn't have to screw around with batteries.  The only real advantages the regular GBA has over the SP is that some third party peripherals for the multiplayer plug cover the shoulder buttons on the SP, and the SP lacks a headphone port (so Mom doesn't have to listen to the Mario Bros. theme music for the millionth time).  If you can find some solution for the carrying problem, I'd go for the GBA SP.

P.S.  Meanwhile, other people already said that BUT I'M SAYING IT ANYWAY because it took like a half hour to type.

You should say what you want!  Or type what you want; I mean post what you want.  I agree with you.  Well technically you agreed with me.  Friends?

The GameCube GameBoy Player is the device that lets you play GB games on your TV.  Some things don't quite work in prog scan, like the Oracle of Seasons intro, but it is a nice device.  It is basically a screenless GBA that bolts underneath your Cube; you insert your cart in the front, boot from a disc, and magic: Metroid II on TV.  Makes FFTA more tolerable, and any GB game is much better when you can use a WaveBird as a controller.  It also has a link-cable slot if you are into that.

Oh!  That is fancy.  Thank you for the info!  I may just pick me up a GC.  For my children....errrr.... its not for me.  I promise!

I see the land of handhelds has advanced since I was last paying attention, and to think people are actually buying the psbrick when you can get tiny 3x3x1 devices...  insanity.

So the suggestions can play all games up to DS, I am not wrong in thinking they are still making GB(non DS) titles, just at a slower rate?


Thanks for the advice guys/gals really appreciate it.

Also, the GBA has a cable you can get to use it with some of the GC games.  It's more added functionality than a required add-on, but I liked having it for Windwaker.

One thing I'll hand to Nintendo is they let their devices all work together pretty easily and effectivly. The GB-GC player is great fun, and like Yegolev said, really makes some of the GB games more enjoyable for us old folks with big hands.

Yup they are still cranking out GBA games.

But all AAA titles are going to the DS.

I'd forego the GBA and go straight to the DS, which can play GBA titles plus has the added benefit of Nintendogs (favorite game at my house these days).

Hell, _I_ want a DS of my own now.  My 9yo son and 6yo daughter both have their own.

Sigma Star Saga disagrees with you.

If it were AAA...

Ok, how about this - what defines a triple AAA game for the fucking gameboy? Just wondering.

Puppy simulator.

I think somewhere along the replies we lost the part where this is for a co-workers 7yr old son.  Who likes flagship nintendo stuff like DonkeyKong, Mario and Zelda.  As long as he can get some decent super hero titles less then a DS is money.

Also I can't help but think a kid would break a DS in a heartbeat, I know I would at that age...

I already told you the answer.  The Gameboy SP is the greatest creation this side of civilization.  Its small, rugged, does not require seperate batteries, is backlit, and has literally hundreds of games you can play on it.  AND you can get it in Black (Onyx).

Listen to Cheddar.  The Gameboy Advance SP is by far the best choice for all the reasons above.

If she likes to spend extra money the gameboy mircro (http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/258797.asp) comes out in a few weeks too.  I think the SP would be more durable and fitting for a seven year old though.

If you could remove the top screen from the DS and use it as regular gameboy I think it would be okay.  She should really ask or see what the other kids are using, if he showed up with nintendogs on the first day of school I don't know if they would think it was cool or tease him relentlessly.

Me and my son both have a DS.  He's eight and he has yet to break or scratch up his DS, though you will want to invest in some extra stylus' which can be bought at any gamestore worthy of it's salt for about $5 a pack of three, I think.  They're teeny tiny and fit into this little hole in the back of the DS, but those chubby little kid fingers can't keep track of them for long. 

He had two gameboys for awhile but got so frustrated with one of his Pokemon games (blue, I think) that he actually bit the upper corner of the screen portion and broke it.  No such mishaps with the DS, thank god.  And I absolutley love mine.

Don't be ashamed.  Metroid Fusion/Zero Mission will cramp your hand up like a bitch on a GBA.  I don't have the SP but I figure that's even worse.

I am going to echo the GBA SP suggestion for all the listed reasons.  DS is overkill.  GCGBP is for adults.

Metroid Zero Mission only takes about 2-3 hours to beat though. :(

Fusion is better, but not much longer. I think that's my problem with all the gamecube games though. Even FFTA only lasted about 18 hours for me. That's the longest a GBA/DS game has lasted me. Nintendogs would probably last me more if I gave two shits about my puppy.

You can fix all those "game too short" problems with a marriage license and unprotected sex.

The DS is no more prone to breaking than the GBA SP.

Again, I say, go for the DS.  It's not as cheap but a far better value.

I'd say DS over SP as well. Hell, the DS survived a trek up Mt. Everest. (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/oddities/ds-survives-everest-expedition-update-107779.php)

More proof that the top of Mt. Everest is less of an amazing physically taxing trip, and more of a tourist stop these days.

Alkiera