So Confused

[xtremerunnerars]

Okay guys...I've been browsing around this forum off-and-on for at least a year now as well as the general internet for these devices.

There is so much conflicting information that I'd like to just find out what I really should be buying. I understand how AMAZING the Pandora looks but I don't really want to wait that long because I can somehow predict a long deadline extension on the device.

Here's what I want in a system, and I'm completely open to suggestions:
Movie playback (I don't care much about codec types, I'm pretty adept at getting my videos to what they need to be)
Emulation- I NEED(!) SNES emulation that is good. Genesis is a bonus, but not my main focus. Anything else is icing on the cake because we all get bored of a system from time to time. I'd like to play marvel vs capcom and stuff like that when SNES gets boring.
Music playback

I'm primarily focused on a good handheld with solid battery life because I have long-ish bus+car rides this summer.

What is my best bet for those three things? I have seen people bash all three main options (gp2x, psp, ds) and also praise them each as being better than the other.


Thanks a ton in advance!

 

[doc5avage]

This comparison is sooo difficult because there are too many variables.

GP2X comes out slightly better in emulation over the PSP for the most part.
Snes is smoother, and SD cards are much cheaper than MS PRo Duo.
GP2X, also does not need to be hacked or cracked to run emulators and homebrew.
GP2X, has a much more friendly and mature community.
GP2X, has touchscreen (newer models, great for scummvm)

PSP can run a great deal of PSX games. I have nearly finished playing through Chrono Cross and it appears mostly fullspeed.
PSP has wifi, can browse the web, and has the ability for 2 player ad-hoc gaming.
I use this to beat Streets of Rage 2 with my brother (Very fun)
PSP also has some good commercial games. I'm looking forward to beating FF7 and FF7 CC.
PSP is cheaper. (GPH aren't doing themselves any favours here)



In my opinion, the PSP currently has more value if you have the know-how to crack it.
Otherwise, the GP2X is a safe bet.

On my PSP phat, the screen has a horrible refresh rate (ghosting) which makes watching movies sad. This may not be an issue for some. Not sure if this is fixed on the Slim.
The GP2X screen is nice.

 

[gruso]

I'm going to open with "wait for Pandora". I don't think there will be any horrendous delays, but in any case it's still a couple of months away. So, I'll give you some of my perspectives on the DS/PSP/GP2X. I am not a basher of anything, I think all systems are awesome for their own reasons. I own a GP2X.

SETTING UP THE SYSTEM:
- The PSP and DS both require hacking/modding/additional spending to do the things you want to do.
- The GP2X is pretty much ready to go out of the box.

BATTERY/POWER:
-The PSP and DS come with internal batteries and power pack.
- The GP2X requires you to fork out for 2500mAh batteries, a charger, and perhaps a separate power pack (which does NOT charge the batteries).

MEDIA PLAYER:
- I haven't seen movie playback on the PSP.
- DS movie playback doesn't look that good on its little screen, and iirc you have to convert all your files to the strange DGP format.
- The GP2X screen looks good, and it supports divx (in .avi container), but I still find it picky with what it will play. On the whole, imo, GP2X codec support is a little bit shit. As with the DS though, there are tools out there to convert your files for guaranteed success. I just hate the whole dual video library thing.

EMULATION:
- GP2X - The winning feature of the GP2X is the screen. Playing many old systems at their original resolution (no scaling/filtering) is something you have to see, it's just beautiful. SNES is great, but some people have problems with some games. I only play Mario & Donkey Kong. Picodrive on the GP2X is the best Genesis emu you'll see anywhere - see this recent thread. CPS2 (for Marvel vs Capcom) is dreamy, it runs fast and looks awesome.
- PSP - More powerful than GP2X, which has obvious advantages. It doesn't have the lovely screen though. I don't know enough about PSP to offer much more to be honest.
- DS - Anything DS can emu, '2X can emu better. And I'm not being a hater, I heart Nintendo.


AVAILABILITY... PSP and DS, no worries. They're everywhere, new & used, and they're cheap. The GP2X seems to be having problems though - people are waiting a month or two for their orders to come through. Second hand is the only way at the moment, I think. I think Pandora would even be out before some people start getting their GP2Xs...


IN SUMMARY... Given your needs and the three systems we're talking about, the GP2X is my pick. For me this comes down to three main reasons: (i) the openness of the system, (ii) the superb emu-friendly display, and (iii) the great community. My final advice though? Wait for Pandora.

 

[bomberman]

I went from GBA with SuperCard to GP2X-F200 (1st Edition). I skipped PSP and DS 'cause I like homebrew and emulation and didn't need anything flashy. Plus, this forum and the archive made the choice even easier. But, perfection it ain't. Frustration abounds and quality issues are still being worked out. Search the boards to get more info.

Forum thread thread thread

My opinion on your questions:

Movies - play good
SNES - plays great, see other thread
Genesis - plays great see other thread
Capcom - plays great see other thread
Music - plays good, some people complain about tinny, but quality headset helps
Batteries
- 3-5Hrs (2700ma) (I could be a little optimistic, never had a 5 hour marathon session, I'm measuring aggregate times I played of everything combined)
- AA I think are a bonus, don't need power source, just a couple extra in a carry-on

 

[sehs33]

I advice you to be patient for now:

Movie playback sucks on the GP32 (limited memory, the max you can buy is 128 MB) and it will require converting.
GP2X: Very bad battery life, awkward controls, great SNES emulation but not perfect.
DS: As far as I know, it has a great SNES emulator, but the screen is not that attractive (size wise) for movies
PSP: It's the best of the four, Good SNES emulation, acceptable battery life, acceptable screen size BUT the screen blurs!

Bottom line, if you can't wait (you will need it heavily this summer for example), get a PSP, else, wait for the Pandora.

If I was you I would sacrifice SNES for a while, get a no name Chinese PMP for less than $100 (one that has a NES emulator might fill the gap a little) and save my money for the Pandora, or, buy a second hand PSP with a broken UMD drive, you should get that for a cheap price.

Hope that helped

 

[xtremerunnerars]

Thanks for the amazing posts guys! I think I will find a low-cost f100 for now and then wait until the pandora comes out. Does that sound like a good idea?

I think you guys can all see why I'm so confused from the responses in this thread alone.


If it helps...SNES games I'll definitely need are:

Donkey Kongs
Mario Kart
Chrono Trigger
FF6/3/whatever
Tetris Attack (bigtime)



Most of my video (movies) is actually anime if that helps either.

 

[doc5avage]

Donkey Kongs
Mario Kart
Chrono Trigger
FF6/3/whatever
Tetris Attack (bigtime)

I have completed Chrono Trigger on DrPocketSnes and it runs better than the PSP version even with Transparentcies switched on, but you must overclock to around 250mhz. (The PSP has slowdowns when the music changes, while the gp2x is smooth)

Tetris Attack is completely unplayable on the PSP. The GP2X eats PSP here, even with crappy controls.

 

[schnitzelboy]

hey if your thinking of buying a used f100, I might be selling mine to get some extra cash for the panda, but only might, depends on the demand. Oh and i have a lot of accecories for it to.

 

[xtremerunnerars]

I'm interested. email me at (myusername)@gmail.com

 

[xtremerunnerars]

nevermind, I got one!