Whether you’re 16 or 36, video game addicts can get their fix on the run with today’s new portable gaming devices.

Game Boy Advance SP

Backlight Buzz

When Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance SP ($99) rolled out earlier this year, the buzz was on its new backlight feature. What difference does a backlight make? Quite a bit. Games can finally be played whenever and wherever you want, where earlier Game Boy versions required that the user be outdoors, under bright indoor lights or using the highly promoted but highly ineffective “Worm Light.” Nintendo has also added a new lithium-ion battery similar to recent mobile phone batteries, which they claim delivers 10 hours of gaming with the backlight on, 18 hours without. A slick compact design with a flip-closing lid also adds to Game Boy Advance SP’s appeal.

HP iPAQ 1900 ViewSonic Pocket PC V35

Get More for Your Pocket

Today's Pocket PCs ($199-$499) are just beginning to show their gaming potential. As processors keep getting faster without taking a hit on battery supply, users can expect more game developers to take advantage of the hardware. Two leaders in the market include HP and ViewSonic. The HP iPAQ 1900 series ($299) features a 3.5-inch Transflective TFT Color Screen, a 900mAh Lithium-Ion rechargeable/removable battery, SD memory slot, Intel 200MHz Processor (PXA 250), and plenty of memory to play your favorite game. The ViewSonic Pocket PC V35 ($299) has a 36MB memory, weighs only 4.2 ounces, and its Intel PXA250 300 MHz processor is fast compared to most other handhelds on the market today.

B’ngo

Not Just Another Handheld

The folks at TTPCom set out to design a user-friendly, fun gaming platform, and based on the prototype review, they‘ve succeeded. Set to be released in time for Christmas 2003, B’ngo seems destined to hit the mobile gaming market running, offering a full-featured mobile phone and digital camera -- but make no mistake: This device was designed with the needs of the mobile gamer foremost in mind. With a proposed price point under $200 and features such as a backlit display, wireless graphics engine (WGE), multiplayer function and ability to communicate with whomever you’re competing against, you get solid value for your gaming dollar.

Nokia N-Gage Mobile Game Deck All-In-One

Nokia – They’re Not Just About Cell Phones Anymore

The Nokia N-Gage Mobile Game Deck All-In-One device should be on store shelves in early October and is set to retail at $299. Like B’ngo, the futuristic looking N-Gage combines advanced gaming features with high-quality mobile phone features but was designed for the handheld gaming console market. It allows for wireless two-way gaming and multiplayer gaming via Bluetooth connection, and its lithium-ion battery should last for three to six hours in gaming mode. But unlike other gaming devices, the N-Gage will offer additional high-performance games on game cards said to allow for richer graphics and enhanced sounds.

Real Competition or Real Hype?

When Sony announced plans to release its new portable gaming device, the“PSP” or Playstation Portable (estimated retail not yet available), the buzz in the portable gaming community quickly turned into a roar. Would the PSP offer up the first serious competition to Nintendo in more than a decade or would it fall short of expectations? Said to be released in 2004, the PSP is based around the foundation of a new medium entitled Universal Media Disk. This new device is capable of storing 1.8GB of data in a cartridge similar to a mini disk. It will be equipped with a backlit wide screen monitor capable of showing 3-D images, stereo sound, USB 2.0 connectivity and a custom processor.

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