The Guardian – Ranked as the best handheld console of all-time

The Guardian – Ranked as the best handheld console of all-time

The Guardian listed what it deems to be the twenty best handheld consoles of all-time. Interestingly they have voted the Nintendo Switch as the top handheld system ever made, beating the likes of the classic Game Boy and the legendary Nintendo DS.

The Guardian says that the Nintendo Switch is a culmination of everything Nintendo has tried and succeeded with in the past and that they have pulled it off in style. Here’s the full list:

20. Gizmondo (2005)
19. Sega Dreamcast VMU (1998)
18. Tapwave Zodiac (2003)
17. Nokia N-Gage (2003)
16. Genesis Nomad (1995)
15. Game Park GP32 (2001)
14. MB Microvision (1979)
13. Bandai Wonderswan (1999)
12. Atari Lynx (1989)
11. NEC TurboExpress (1990)
10. Neo Geo Pocket Color (1998)
9. Sega Game Gear (1990)
8. Game Boy Color (1998)
7. PlayStation Portable (2004)
6. PlayStation Vita (2011)
5. Game Boy (1989)
4. Game Boy Advance/SP (2001)
3. Nintendo 3DS/2DS (2011)
2. Nintendo DS (2004)

1. Nintendo Switch (2017)

The Nintendo Switch is essentially the culmination of everything Nintendo has tried to do with gaming since 1989.

It is convenient, intuitive and beautifully designed as a handheld device, but it also plugs into your TV and becomes a proper home console – in this way it combines the Game Boy, DS and Wii lineages into one wonderful product. At first it was Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that astonished and delighted players, as well as the ability to take it out anywhere and indulge in two- and four-player Mario Kart and Splatoon sessions.

But last year, the ability to curl up on the sofa, or park bench, and play Animal Crossing New Horizons, surrendering to its graceful and fulfilling simulation of social contact, was genuinely therapeutic for millions. The Switch is more than a piece of technology – at times it has felt like a friend.