When some of Nintendo’s home consoles flopped, like the Wii U, they could always count on their handhelds to bring in the big bucks. Unlike the home scene, they rarely had any competition. Sure, rivals like Sega and Sony made several attempts, but none of them saw as much success as the Game Boy or any of its successors.
Well, all except for one, which we will get to. The point is Nintendo is excellent at making portables to keep that gaming high going. We put together a list of their most notable entries, including some iteration on base models, and ranked them by how comfortable they are. This includes weight, button placement, and in some cases the screen.
14 Virtual Boy
The Virtual Boy launched on August 14, 1995 in North America. It had a short lifespan as it was discontinued less than a year later. It is technically a portable, but only barely so. The red screen hurts the eyes and the controller downright feels jagged. It is the most infamous failure in Nintendo's hundred-plus year history.
13 Game & Watch
The Game & Watch released on April 28, 1980 in Japan. The original game it launched with was called Ball and was a basic juggling game. Every release of this handheld was a new game so it wasn’t like a Game Boy with cartridges, but more like an all in one experience. The games are basic and the edges are a bit sharp, but for the 80s, it was pretty advanced.
12 2DS
The 2DS launched on October 12, 2013 in North America. When it was announced earlier that year a majority of the Internet thought it was a joke. Nintendo is releasing something called a 2DS thus defeating the purpose of the 3D capable 3DS? The name and wedge shape of the handheld made it seem like that was the case, but it was real. It was a real mistake that is. It is a weird piece of tech to hold and defeats the purpose of a portable console.
11 Game Boy
The Game Boy launched on July 31, 1989 in North America. Despite how the handheld looks in this 2D image, the original Game Boy was heavy and fat. On top of that the green monochrome screen was a bit straining on the eyes just like the Virtual Boy, but a little less so.
The Game Boy Pocket released a year later, alleviated some of these issues as it was a lot more compact and lightweight. Plus the black and white screen wasn’t as nauseating. That said this revision won’t help it rise in the ranks.
10 Game Boy Color
The Game Boy Color released on November 18, 1998 in North America. In terms of size, it is a little bigger than the Game Boy Pocket, but the new graphics and colored screen help it rise above its counterparts. Nintendo was finally on their way to true portability.
9 Game Boy Micro
The Game Boy Micro launched on September 19, 2005 in North America. It's a revision of the Game Boy Advance, which debuted four years earlier. Despite its size, it is surprisingly comfortable. The screen may be a strain for some, and to those with beefy hands, playing it might be tricky. However, as a portable, it is literally the perfect machine for one’s pocket.
8 Game Boy Advance SP
The Game Boy Advance SP released on March 23, 2003 in North America. As if it needs to be said, like the Game Boy Micro, it is also a revision of the Game Boy Advance. The clamshell design also made it easier to fit in pockets and it finally made the screen backlit, which was a feature desperately needed.
7 Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy Advance released on June 11, 2001 in North America. The SP may have the extra lighting and the Micro may be more portable, but in terms of pure comfort, the original GBA is awesome.
Holding it felt like playing a Super Nintendo all over again in terms of its width. The graphics also made it look like a SNES.
6 DS
The DS launched on November 21, 2004 in North America. The original design was bulky, but it did exactly what Nintendo promised it would, bringing in touch controls to a new generation of gamers. Plus it played GBA games. If it had a backlight it may have reached a higher status.
5 DS Lite
The DS Lite released on June 11, 2006 in North America. The DS Lite is everything one would want in a redesign and more. It added in a better screen with lighting and made the portable sleeker as a perfect rectangle. This is what made the DS line of systems dominate the market.