Summary
Sometimes, the best of things can come from the smallest of places. Handheld gaming systems have a long and proud tradition of introducing the world to some truly amazing video game series—some of which have become as critically-beloved and iconic as those that got their start on home consoles and PCs.
These are the series that shrugged off the “just a handheld game” tag by refusing to compromise on their vision simply because they got their start on smaller hardware. They took pride in being the companion during a long car ride or the after-lights-out entertainment for younger gamers. They may have been able to fit in your hand, but chances are, they also have a special place in your heart.
We’ve chosen series that were initially created for handheld devices for both the entertainment value they have provided over the years and their status as iconic series in the game industry.
Original Handheld Device
Game Boy Advance
Although there have only ever been three Golden Sun games split across the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, the impact of this series on RPG fans in the 2000s cannot be overstated. The Golden Sun games are extremely polished experiences that lean heavily into classical JRPG tropes while still finding room for innovation.
Namely, the series put a bigger focus on puzzle-solving than many other games in its genre, with the magic spells (or Psynergy spells) having uses both in and out of battles. Whatever handheld system they released on, the Golden Sun games always had beautiful visuals and were scored by prolific composer Motoi Sakuraba. This is an iconicretro handheld seriesthat needs to make a return.
PSP
LocoRoco is a series of platforming games with a twist. Or, technically, a tilt. Instead of directly controlling the cute, blob-like characters on screen, you instead manipulate the world around them by tilting the entire stage left or right with the corresponding shoulder button on the PSP.
This simple control scheme works perfectly for the PSP, but it’s LocoRoco’s overly cheerful, almost surreal, atmosphere that really makes these games stand out. If you’ve ever played a LocoRoco game before, chances are you still have its bubbly soundtrack and bright visuals burned in your mind.
Danganronpa started life out on the PSP in Japan, but English-speaking countries were first introduced to this oddly dark visual novel adventure series on PS Vita. Telling the story high school students attempting to kill each other to appease an evil robotic teddy bear, the Danganronpa games manage to strike a near perfect tone that balances between silly and serious.
The gameplay is also a smart blend of visual novels, detective games, and dating simulators, resulting in an idiosyncratic experience that is hard to replicate. For all these reasons and more, the Danganronpa series has managed to attract a hardcore fan base, and one that has only continued to grow with each new release.
Game Boy Color
Back in 2002, a little-known indie developer called WayForward madeShantaefor the Game Boy Color—a colourful and stylish platformer about the titularhalf-genie protagonistwho uses her hair and dance moves to take down the malevolent Risky Boots. Little did they know it then, but the team at WayForward had just created an indie game icon and a series that would eventually spawn multiple beloved entries across generations.
From the Nintendo DS to the Switch, the Shantae series has been delighting gamers with its signature blend of metroidvania-style design, cartoony visuals, and power-ups that hearken back to the Wonder Boy games of old. Not bad for what started out as a late Game Boy Color game by a team who was mostly known by then for making licensed kids games on PC.
Where would we be withoutWarioWare? This series of hyper-imaginative, lightning-quick, andultra-ridiculous microgamecollections have accompanied many a car ride over the years and will always bring a big, silly grin on your face.
You can tell the WarioWare developers are having an absolute blast during development, with that sense of unbridled joy translating into the games themselves. Whether you’re twisting it up on the Game Boy Advance or swiping on the Nintendo DS’ touchscreen like there’s no tomorrow, the WarioWare games have been a staple of Nintendo’s handheld systems for years.
If you owned a PSP back in the day, there’s a strong chance you still have the various beats from Patapon playing on loop in your head all these years later. This trilogy of rhythm RPGs were so unique in their concept and so finely tuned in their execution, that its surprising we haven’t seen a new entry since the end of the PSP era (outside of the first two games getting HD remasters).
Using the face buttons of the PSP as war drums to inspire an army of music-loving eyeballs was a stroke of genius that still feels fresh and novel after all this time. The Patapon games were proof that music has the power to conquer anything, up to and including giant fire-breathing dinosaurs.
Similar to Danganronpa, theAce Attorneyseries was first launched in Japan a whole generation of handheld consoles before it came over to other regions. Regardless of whether you first played these games on the Gameboy Advance, the Nintendo DS, or any of the other systems it has subsequently released on, it’s hard not to fall in love with this visual novel series all about high stakes legal dramas.
The cases you explore across the Ace Attorney games are rich in intrigue and brimming with colourful characters that leave behind a big impression. Whether you are playing as Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, or some other legal wizard, you’ll always be amazed and surprised by the twists and turns the trials take across the Ace Attorney series.
iOS
While the continual popularity ofAngry Birdscan be debated, there is no denying that when it was at its peak, it completely took over the world. For those early years in the 2010s, it was hard to take a ride on public transport, visit a food court, or sit in a waiting room without seeing someone playing an Angry Birds game on their phone.
Of course, the only reason you may not have seen someone else playing Angry Birds was because you were totally engrossed in a game of it yourself. Bombarding a pig fortress with different types of birds is still just as satisfying now as it was back in 2009, ensuring this series still has legs (or wings) for a new generation of mobile phone gamers.
Game Boy
Kirby is synonymous with Nintendo handhelds. Even since HAL Laboratory has brought the series to home consoles, Kirby always finds itself back in the hands of gamers worldwide thanks to simple pick-up-and-play design and undeniably adorable presentation.
From the Dream Land to Forgotten Land, Kirby has been gracing handheld systems with its copy ability shenanigans, creating lifelong memories for gamers of all ages. A Nintendo handheld system doesn’t feel complete until it has received a Kirby game, and hopefully, that proud tradition remains for years to come.
Pokemon is more than just a game series. It’s a global phenomenon, a cultural institution, and a pop culture brand that has now impacted generations of people. To think that it all began on the monochrome 2.6-inch screen of the Game Boy is proof that the biggest of movements can have their origins in the humblest of places.
Perhaps more than any other series, Pokemon dominates the handheld gaming scene. Each new generation is consistently one of the best-selling games on their respective systems, and there seems to be little indication that this juggernaut franchise is slowing down after thirty years at the top.
