I think I'm finally coming to terms with the death of the GameBoy. My first vessel into the world of gaming has finally flat-lined. I'm sure that most people already realized the GameBoy was a goner about a year ago, but still seeing a kiosk section at department stores with GBA games gave me hope that it could make it.

Why? Whats the big deal? Handheld games have come a long way in the last few years. The best they had to offer previously was a few long, detailed RPG's. Damn good RPG's at that. The PSP is practically a PS2 (even though its treated as inferior) and the DS has like a million b rated games (but plenty of awesome titles too). The gamer on the go is not uncommon and few travel with their console (I'm sure some do though). The 3DS could revolutionize 3D gaming and give us another taste of great IPs. What's not to like?

I still can't wait for the next Golden Sun!

I know everyone is into these 'console' games and all their 'fancy' hardware, but handheld games still fill an important role. A role no console games can every touch. Think of the kids.

To everyone born in the 90's, video games were not anything new. The 80's introduced us to the concept and it was here to stay. The lives of parents and grandparents changed in a fundamental way however. A new method arrived to keep your kid quiet: THE GAMEBOY!

From the house to the car to the destination, the a young child could be kept quiet and occupied if one was given a portable gaming device. Nothing too fancy, some Pokemon will do. I remember many doctor's visits and appointments I spent in solitude with Blue Version.

Every time I see a kid in public walking around with a PSP or DS I'm taken back to the good old days. Summer vacations spent primarily in the car, trading with friends, the faint buzz in the background of someone attempting to communicate with me while I was in the zone...

Even with the laptop and cell phones, handheld devices will still rule with kids. Kids aren't responsible enough for wireless communication, and texting cannot entertain the really young anyway. Who gives their 3 year old a laptop either?

The games have to stay under 30 bucks. Affordability correlates to longevity. Nintendo has this figured out with the DS and the Grandparent Effect (I'll get to that in a moment). Hopefully Sony can get their act together and give us a few more hits like Resistance Retribution and Peace Walker before PSP takes a dive. The device can be pricey but no one sane will fork over more than 40 bucks for 10 hour playthrough.

Grandparents buck the trend. They WILL spend the money to keep Joey and Suzy happy. They are also the biggest consumers of b rated games...

It's true that some handheld games get a fractured plot, maybe a filler for a sequel or a prequel or something in between. They don't have the best sound, or gaming mechanics can seem broken. All this means is that developers need to spend a bit more time in production.

Nintendo understands the trend. I've seen more DS's in kids hands than any other device. Produce a huge volume of games and there are sure to be great ones and ones for the Grandparents. Even throw in some wifi access for older users. The DS has obviously worked, like the Gameboy before it. Our evidence is the 3DS. We'll see what the future brings there.

Sony has a bit more trouble. The PSP Go is underselling and consumers have some popular IP's, but broken ones. I'll never jump for a downloadable game over a hard copy if everything is for the same price, but Sony seems to think we'll all go get the expensive MemoryStick Duo's for all our games. They're launching their huge 'Marcus' advertising campaign when they could direct funds at actual games or fixing the buggy PSN for the PSP. I keep getting errors when I try to download demos...

Microsoft has totally dropped the ball in this category, so no comments there.

I truly hope that handhelds can stay. I've spend plenty of hours leveling up my party and collecting rare items in my youth to see something simple and entertaining bit the dust. There is great potential in the market of young kids, and Saturday morning advertising works. I've begged my parents for tons of crap I saw on TV. So Nintendo, keep up the good work. Sony, you've got to fix your ad campaign and stop watching Mad Men. Microsoft, try something new and good luck with your Kinect (we don't really know what it does).

Thoughts? Please leave comments and call me out if I'm wrong. I'd appreciate feedback!