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Nintendo Gameboy The first commercial success in the World of Handheld gaming, the Nintendo GB sure did set standards for future. The system was small, light, inexpensive, and durable, as well as had a varied, recognizable library of games. The top-selling game for the GameBoy model was Tetris, selling about 3 million copies. Tetris was packaged with the GameBoy, and often, consumers were buying the GameBoy so as to play Tetris. 
The success of the GameBoy is exhibited in one way by its expansive and successful line of consoles. For instance, the GameBoy Color and GameBoy Advance have respectively reached worldwide sales figures of 49 million and 75 million. The original GameBoy sold roughly 70 million units worldwide. Next, I shall discuss the Nintendo Line-up after the success of GB. Gameboy Color The market for Handheld consoles was a booming one. It was also a very competitive market that was developing very fast. The GameBoy Color (GBC) is Nintendo's successor to the GameBoy and was released in 1998 in Japan and United States. It features a color screen, yet the processor was twice as fast as that of GameBoy's and has twice as much memory. 
It also had an infrared communications port for wireless linking, which was very popular. The GBC was backward compatible, a first for a handheld console system and added a large library of games. This became a major feature of the GameBoy line since it allowed each new launch to begin with a significantly larger library than any of its competitors. The console was capable of showing upto 56 different colors simultaneously on screen and could add basic four-color shading to games that had been developed for the original GameBoy. The games on the GBC were more popular than ever because they were visually superior than anything ever seen on Nintendo. GameBoy Advance The GameBoy Advance (GBA) is the successor to the popular GameBoy Color. It was released in 2001 and has been a major success. The GameBoy Advance is backward compatible with most games previously released for the GameBoy or the GameBoy Color as well as new software developed to take advantage of the new technical capabilities of the system. It is powered by two AA batteries, which give about 5-10 hours of play-time, as well as an optional power supply that plugs directly into the GameBoy Advance. 
The GameBoy Advance has a custom 32-bit 16.8-MHz ARM processor, which basically means that it is a superior Handheld. The 2.9" LCD is capable of a maximum of 240 160 pixels in 15-bit color, which ensures that you can enjoy almost all the games. The GameBoy Advance also has a serial port for connecting to other GamBoy Advance units in a setup. The GameBoy Advance Wireless Adapter was released on 2004 in the United States. It allows GameBoy Advances to be linked without cords and allows more than four players at a time. Some of the most popular games on GBA included the Mario Kart and Pokemon series. Nokia N-Gage Though, not the most popular for Handheld gaming devices, Nokia is still a contender for the slot. In 2003, the Nokia N-Gage was released. It was designed as a combination of mp3 player, cellphone, PDA, radio, and gaming device. The system received a lot of criticism on its physical design and layout, including its vertically oriented screen and requirement of removing the battery to change game cartridges. 
There were quite a few titles that were released including Tomb Raider, but even then the Console failed to impress. Later a new version called the Nokia N-gage QD was released. Although this was a revised edition, which was supposed to be better, it was still trashed by the gamers. Nintendo DS The Nintendo DS was released in November, 2004. Amongst its new features was the incorporation of two screens, as well as a touch screen, wireless connectivity, and a microphone port. The DS features a clamshell design, with the two screens aligned vertically on either side. The DS is a very popular Handheld, for it is inexpensive and engaging as per Nintendo tradition. The console also features online capabilities via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and Wireless networking which can support 16 players. The DS also features Picto-Chat, a chat and drawing program, which allows for real-time communication with other DS users. The DS has a separate port for the loading of GameBoy Advance games. 
In January 2006, Nintendo revealed an updated version of the DS: the Nintendo DS Lite (released on 2006 in Japan) with an updated, smaller form-factor (42% smaller and 21% lighter than the original Nintendo DS), a cleaner design with brighter displays. Sony PSP Entertainment Giant Sony is known for gaming; so, when they announced a handheld, it was bound to grab attention. It was released in Japan in 2004. The PSP offers users games, video, music, photos, as well as internet functionality. The PSP has often been critized for its steep pricing of games and the console. It is estimated that around 3 million PlayStation Portable units have been sold in Japan in 2006, compared to 10 million by the Nintendo DS, which proves that although it is technologically superior than the DS, it still lacks popularity. 
The PSP interface is preety smooth and slick; it has a very bright and fresh feel. UMDs are the acceptable format on the PSP. These UMDs cover games and movies as well. The UMD is a Sony product and although it was marketed well, it was a distaster. One of the main reasons for the PSP to fail. But there are some really great games on the PSP, inculding Daxter and MGS. I have listed a few of the handheld consoles; there are a few more lined up for the future. Microsoft's reply to Sony's PSP is also expected in a few years, so is the next edition of the PSP. Give us your feedback on any other handheld that you wish to discuss. I know, guys, you are gonna miss quite a few of them not being mentioned here, but the reason I haven't mentioned them is that those ones could never visit this side of the shores (read India.)
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