Catching them all

Off on holiday next week so have been fine-tuning my portable gaming set-up. Basically, this means ensuring my girlfriend has her own DS (so that she won't steal mine to play bust-a-move) and that Pokemon Pearl is in my possession.

I've not really been 'into' Pokemon since the first round of Gameboy titles Red and Blue. However, it seems that seven years have changed little in a world that still revolves around OCD levels of exploration and fighting to level up your stable of pocket monsters. It's not as crack-like in its addictive qualities as Puzzle Quest, but it still has the right mix of long-term appeal and compulsive gameplay on the sort of scale tailor-made for handheld gaming.

The only downside is the amount of grinding required to get through the levels. It's not for the impatient and can get monotonous, but I was still disgusted with my excitement on managing to net an Onix. It just serves to emphasise how portable gaming works on a different level to the console world. The PSP suffers not only due to the types of game that have been ported onto the system, but also its control system. The attempt to replicate analgoue control on a portable system is wrong-headed. The touch-control of the DS is vastly more successful as it gives a more tactile and direct link to what's going on on screen (conversely the Wii has yet to fully realise this sort of endeavour on TV screens).

Every one of the games I've bought from the DS have been instantly engaging and addictive experiences. By comparison the PSP has got depth in its games, but crucially fail to draw in players looking for the instant hit of gameplay designed to work on the level of a tube or bus journey. If you can sit down in a room lit for gameplay for a few hourswith an AC adapter to hand the PSP can be a great experience.