Top 10 Portable games of the Decade

Well The new years is wrapping up, and I seen everybody's top ten and such, so I figured with >Checks clock< 9H and 24 min left, I decided to make my own list from old notes and personally favorites. But what could I do? Well portable gaming is probably one of my favorite things in life, no really, between sitting down and playing classics on my SNES , PS2, 360 ect I rather play my DS or Portable.

So a few ground rules and clarifications 1) Only one game per series, other wise this list would be FILLED with basically the same games. 2) this list is MY list and is based off of fun and hours I spent coming back, not an any actually greatness eg this is a personal list. 3)This list is made with about 8H left intill midnight (I took a shower mid way bite me) So it's a bit rush, so bear with it. 4) I won't be explaing what the game is, rather why I like it, so bear that in mind. So with that out of the way lets go ahead.


10. Chrono Trigger (DS)
Yeah alright so this is a port, that's why it's at number 10. When Chrono Trigger came out for the DS I raced to find it, and instantly when I popped it in my DS did I remember why I loved Square, and JRPGs. The game play with it's unique battle system, the story and the feeling of nostalgia being the first game I finished when I was a kid, and most importantly the game's soundtrack. I love this game's music, to the soft grand melody of Wind Scene (http://youtu.be/hELte7HgL2Y) to it's epic Frog's Theme (http://youtu.be/caRKvQAyU7M) Chrono Trigger remains as one of my favorite games of all times.

9. Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA)
So the only Mario game I'm allowed on this list and I chose Mario Tennis, I have no idea why either. This game, If you haven't played this before, go out and play it. I don't know why I like it, The soundtrack is not remarkable, the plot is cheesy and the game is pretty mindless. But there is some sort of charm to it, it makes me feel like a real tennis player. You start out with a partner in a tennis academy and you two go play tennis with other kids at your academy. But it feels real, you train, level up and assign your skills that, when you don't level up for a while then those skills go down, as if you didn't practice it for a while. It feels special and epic, giving it a Prince of Tennis vibe...except that it's good.

8. Trauma Center: Under the Knife (DS)
This game is brilliant. Do any of you remember playing Operation? you were always bored intill it came to you, where all of a sudden, your fingers started twitching, sweat started to drip down your forehead and your hand started to get palmy. This is what this game is 24/7 It has a generic, yet unique plot that keeps you coming back, at least it kept me up in till 3 in the morning to finish the storyline. Who would make this game? Oh yeah the King of Awesome that is Atlus The music is tense, the operation is tense and the story line is tense, THIS GAME IS TENSE! It is so tense that when you finish each operation, you feel a rush of relaxation, in till the next plot point. If you feel like losing sleep, sweat and overall rewarded go play this game, but I suggest picking up the Wii version since it has more features and better graphics.

7. Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 1&2 (PSP)
The Tales of series is amazing, it is JRPG at the most generic finest. It has plots you already seen, characters you already know, yet that's is charm, it's unique ability to make characters you seen already to their own, and that's the Tales of series stong point it's characters. So what is the best thing you could do to it? You make all fan favorites come together to join a character that you made in an epic quest. That alone is enough for it to be on my list. Although it is low due to what I consider only an okay plot and the lack of releases of 2 in English.

6. Valkyria Chronicles 2 (PSP)
Most people I know hated this game. Mostly due to its "generic anime highschool plot" and it's light hardness. But you know what? I like those stories, a story about a group of doomed rag-tag team of losers who will fail is brought together by friendship, teamwork and trust, it's a good moral and a whole lot of games don't do have good morals anymore so it's a nice change of pace. besides that, this game is beautifully made, the characters are familiar, and with events where we see the day to day lives of 30 kids or so, you really care for these characters, something that I thought the first game didn't have. (I only liked about 10? characters) The game play is tactical and diffrent and this game is just a nice refreshing pace to everything.

5. Phoenix Wright (GBA, DS)
Like Trauma Center, this game kept me up in till I finished it. The game is surprising fun, the characters play off each other well, and the story is amazing. The reason why this game is soooo great is it's writing, I wish, I WISH, most games, heck even most movies, shows, books, were written as well as this series. It has plot points that you seen coming a mile away, yet you are still tense when you play them, it has plot points where you didn't see it coming, and there you are on the grip of your seat, and nothing feels better then when you finally see a chain of events and you connect the dots to finish the case. I suggest you pick up the Phoenix Wright series if you didn't already, just for the "secret" case on the firs game for the DS.

4. Pokemon Emerald (GBA)
Ahh Pokemon, there is probably no other thing in the world that my childhood is based around, and Pokemon Emerald, is the peak of Pokemon. This game was, basically the messiah of Pokemon games, I grew up playing the original blue and red, then yellow, moving on directly to crystal, and spending my time playing stadium. Eventually I grew out of Pokemon, I stopped watching the anime and moved on to other things. However when Pokemon Ruby came out, when I got it for my birthday, when I popped it in, I was brought back in. I love each and every one of the Pokemon, I love the story line from it, I remember the times I spent re-playing the game. Then Emerald came out. Again, did it bring me to tears of how amazing I felt playing it, It replaced Ruby, to this day I am still playing it, it is still my favorite game in the world. It beats almost nothing else except the top 3 games on this list. ALSO, can anybody beat my time, 27:10 with all pokemon caught (minus the ones that have to be traded)

3. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
There are Two things that if a game has, then I will love instantly. 1) A world that I can be invested in, a world with unique culture, yet still a sense of familiar. and 2) The Ablitiy to customize something that matters, and/or make decisions that affect the outcome. This game, has the first, and the former of two. This game throws you in to the world of final fantasy (Ivalice to be more exact) Where you are in the midst of battle and soon find yourself the leader of Clan Moogle! or whatever you named your guild. Taking missions and buying equipment feels like a chore being basically micro management, and Laws that prevent you from doing cerain actions are annoying, Yet I am still in love with this game, the micro management soon becomes skill learning as I search for weapons trying to become the best at what my job is and the ablitiy to build a guild the way you want to, is just amazing. And there's nothing I love more then an Tactical RPG.

2. The World Ends With You (DS)
What's better then a well written plot? A unique plot that leaves fans speechless and guessing, making their own theories. What's better then original characters? Generic characters that, despite being generic grow to something more. What is better then a new setting? A normal real setting, that is used to it's fullest. This is The World Ends With You. TWEWY is basically a huge Yin-Yang game. It brings what it has, shows you the two extremes and fuse it together to make something beautiful, it is Uniquely-Generic to the full, any who have not play this game I pity you.

Alright and before we move on to the number one, I'll give you a Honorable Mention list.
-Kingdom Hearts:Birth by Sleep for it's battle system, but weak story
-Tetris for it's addictiveness, but it's not as good as the rest
-Yoshi Island for it's game play, but it's a port and not as good as the rest
-Tales of Hearts for it's story, music, and game play but rule 1 stops it.
-Persona 3 Portable for the awesomeness but rule 1 (hint hint)
There is more but those were the ones I consider putting on this list, before I realized that other games beat them, so without further ado, number 1:

1. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (DS)
What game could piss me off soooo much more, What game could make me grind for hours to end up with nothing, what game could make me restart a total of three times, while being near end game, and still make me love it? only this game. The choices you make, the people you talk to, the things you say, affects the storyline, it just makes you feel important. The game is tense with it's rock tunes pumping away and with the battle system you never feel safe. Even with the slightest wrong move, attack, party set up, and even skill set up can cost you a match. This game, it is hell incarnate, it is the game that has made me weep in tears, and I love every bit of it.

That my friends, is my top 10 portable games of the decade, done with 6 hours in till midnight and the new year. So what are your thoughts on my list, and what's yours? comment below, or give me a link to yours, goodnight people and have a happy new years.
-Kupo

Portable gaming

It seems like whenever I get into any discussions about gaming nowadays it seems to only limit themselves to the 360 and the PS3,then there are people who only talk about PC gaming so we have them facing off to each other. Only rarely do I ever see portable gaming. Why is that? Is it because the DS and PSP don't give out good games? is it because their not "Hardcore" enough? I don't know really but it seems to me that it never gets mentioned really, only do I ever see it is when I go to website that talks about it it in general, (which means ROMs and fansites) So what is it that's so bad about the portable gaming?

I think that it has something to do with the fact that it's not really popular with a lot of the main market. When most people play games it's usually to play online or to play long, graphically amazing (or really gray looking) games, using the computer or consoles. The truth of the matter is that the with the technology we have now we won't be able to bring a lot of the things that consoles have, but we do have a lot of what is amazing nonetheless, being able to bring Gamecube (and better) graphics on the go, lugging around something that use to fill me backpack and now fitting it within the comfort of pockets.

Yes people, Your gamecube is worth the
lint in my pockets

But what makes a good system? The games in it's collection, the DS has almost over 5000 games in it's collection, while the PSP also has an excellent collection with roughly the same amount of games. The games span over multiple genres and styles filled with multiple great singles and series that I would pick over any day then a game on my 360 or PS3. These games are really fun and at least worth a try, as well these are just a few of my favorite games, not exactly the best but some of the better few and you might see these games done on the console but, hey it's on the go.

To name a few of my favorites on the DS we have: "The World Ends With You" which is probably one of the games that make use of the games Duel Screens, "Ace Attorney" series which is a port of the Japanese GBA games, showing off some of the best defective games that to be honest, can beat whatever current mystery games on the home consoles have right now (cougheavyraincough) and for the PSP we have: "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron" Which really shows you how great and powerful the online is, as well, even with it's sorta awkward controls it is such a fun multiplier experience, "Persona 3 Portable" A fairly new port of Persona 3, and by that standards it is the best version of the game so far. (though the lack of "The Answer"... but that's for later) You can also pick most of these games for about $30(CAD) , or even $10 if you look for a while, but this holds true for a lot of the games in their library.

In case it wasn't clear, I don't take my own pictures...most of the time

So the games are many,different and great, the graphics are at least on average to 6th gen stuff, It's playable almost anytime and anywhere, and it's cheap to boot (for most games) so what's so bad about it? Well nothing really, it's just the same thing as most games that you love, but nobody seems to no of. Not many people talk about it because it, there's not very much to talk about, unless you visit a topic about the certain gaming system or their games, you'll probably won't be talking about them that much will you? True, that's what everything is like, but I still feel sad when I go to talk about games in some of my On(off)line meetings and chats and it feels like nobody knows it exists. Still people have their taste, and I have mine, so tell me? What's your opinion on Portable Gaming.

-Kupo, MoogleCoat

Why bother? Cannon Couples

So it's just an ordinary day, and I'm trying out new manga to read, and I find a small manga called Onidere. It's a small ordinary manga with a generic-yet-not-really-generic plot line of a boy (Tadashi) is dating Saya, who's famous for being the leader of a notorious all-girl gang. Because of this, they can't openly date or else Saya, is afraid that her gang will lose respect and kill her or some thing like that, So she makes a deal saying "If we are found out, Instant Death!"

Now the manga is average, with some good gags every now and then, and I was happy reading it...intill I met Saki Nijinose a girl who is extremely fragile, to the point where trying to open the door, (and I mean trying, not even moving it) will blister and cut her fingers. At first, she was just there, I didn't really think much of her, but she stuck around and now she's one of my favorite characters.

Come on, is that not cute? Ok more on the lines of pathetic

The problem? She falls in love with Tadashi. Nothing's bad about that, I think that they make a really good couple actually, the problem is that I know that no matter how much I love this couple, (or pairing) It will never be! What's the point of writers giving us this kinda of story? Look I know we need another girl or guy to raise tension to sell more books, and ect, ect. It's just why? The problem I have is that it's never going to be, and It's not just here (as many of you know well.) So many times do I find a pairing that in my opinion is better then the canon one, but will not happen, and I'm not trying to cause anything here I'm just pointing out my views on this.

For a better example of this, let's look at one of my favorite games Tales of Symphonia. The game has some elements of a dating sim, allowing you to change the ending slighlty (or largely) on who ever likes you(Lloyd) the most by the time you finish the game. This is great, I can freely pick my relations and change the story...BUT It's not true, only one ending is the correct one and that of course is the cannon one AKA Lloyd ending up with Colette.

Oh yea, This is soo not the couple we're pairing, Also contest, what's wrong with Lloyd's face?

It's clearly the one most set up, and pushed as the anime opening shows clips of them, The anime it self not showing any room of romance for someone else, the game showing extra scenes for picking her, and If you ever watched Viva Tales of or any official drama CD in japan it's pretty much implied that there a couple.the if not tied with Kratos's but that one is ruled out since a certain someone is alive in the sequel. Oh and the Flanoir scenes in the sequel, If you haven't already seen it, go check it out on youtube,(or you know buy the game, find out how to trigger the scenes save, right before the trigger and go see everyone else, ) then go check out Colette's scene...WHAT THE HELL!

Alright, I get it canon is there so that we can settle our disagreements, it's there then we can find out how their life ends up to some degree and for those countless days that they spent getting beat up or trying to woo the girls of their dreams. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is just a lot of time in many different animes, comics, shows ect where I find a couple I love, and I'm sadden to find out, or somewhere we all know that they will never be. When will the countless girls and boys like Nodoka and Evangeline from Mahou Sensei Negima find there love? or how about Ema Sky and Kay Faraday from the Phoenix Wright? Axel,Riku, pretty much the whole cast of Kingdomhearts? Well If I tried to understand this, I guess that would mean understanding the Twilight series don't it?

Well at least 29% of Twilight girls know what I'm talking about if I'm getting my boring pretty-but-actually average pretty boys right

So there you have it, My thoughts on cannon couples spread the word of this and tell me what you think.
-Kupo, MoogleCoat