2009 - The year in review: DS & PSP

2009 was significant for both the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. It saw the launch of new hardware revisions, the release of highly anticipated AAA titles, and a notable move towards portable download-only gaming.

It also witnessed a subtle change in the status quo, as the traditionally downtrodden PSP managed to outsell its dual-screen rival in some parts of the world - something that was almost unthinkable a few years ago.

So pull up a chair, grab yourself a warm beverage and join us as we look back on 2009’s key events in the world of portable gaming.

Amazingly, 2009 saw Nintendo launch not one but two revisions of the aging DS system. The DSi finally hit stores shelves in west at the start of the year, having enjoyed a massively successful Japanese release at the tail end of ’08.

Despite initial misgivings, it proved to be a fairly significant update of the core console: not only did it add a camera and memory card slot, but it also brought with it DSiWare downloads.

However, the expected wave of DSi-only software never happened and it would appear that Nintendo is mindful of alienating those gamers that have stuck with their DS Lites.

Not to be outdone, Sony took mobile DLC to a whole new level when it released the PSPgo, which for a time was rumoured to be a fully-fledged sequel to the original PlayStation Portable.

Boasting a svelte sliding form factor and notable for the complete absence of a UMD slot, the PSPgo divided critics and developers alike and drew some inevitably negative comments from Nintendo itself.

To make matters worse, retailers were up in arms over the fact that the system offered no way of making money on software, and as a result many decided to boycott the launch altogether. Hardly the most auspicious start for the new challenger.

The lofty price tag didn’t help matters, and the recent cuts indicate that Sony’s first experience with download-only gaming is going to rank as a brave failure rather than a triumphant success.

After experiencing two high-profile hardware launches, one might have been forgiven for thinking that all would go quiet on that particular front, and when rumours began to surface about a new DS unit with larger screens many dismissed such talk as hopelessly optimistic chatter.

However, the DS XL (or LL as it’s known in Japan) was anything but a myth and the new console hit Japanese shelves in November, marking the fourth version of the DS console so far. The machine is expected to make its way to North America and Europe early in 2010.

In terms of sales figures, the DS made headlines during 2009 by becoming the best selling UK console of all time, passing the 10 million mark as the year drew to a close.

Elsewhere in the world the machine performed equally well, and the new DS XL managed to shift 100,000 units during its first weekend on sale in Japan.

The start of 2009 saw the PSP software market in complete disarray, but with the assistance of titles such as Gran Turismo PSP, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite and LittleBigPlanet, the ailing format has managed to fight its way back into contention.

The PSP clocked up some impressive hardware figures too, passing the 50 million mark in worldwide sales, making it the most popular mobile console of all time not to be manufactured by Nintendo - and when you consider how many companies have tried and failed to challenge the Big N, that’s an accolade not to be sniffed at.

However, thanks to the fact that the world in still trapped within the icy grip of a global recession, it wasn’t all plain sailing in 2009: both the DS and Wii experienced a slump in sales during one part of the year, with the DS having to withstand a shocking plunge of 82 per cent in Japan.

Also, publishers apparently found it hard to make money on the DS thanks to a market flooded with hundreds of copycat titles all attempting to capture the attention of a very specific section of the market.

Poor old Ubisoft, which put so many of its eggs into the 'casual' basket, was caught out the worst.

Despite the inconsistent nature of software sales 2009 was unquestionably a vintage year for games on both the DS and PSP, with titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Gran Turismo PSP, Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny, Motorstorm: Arctic Edge, F1 2009 and Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story delighting games players the world over.

With every generation of console there comes a time when developers finally get to grips with what the hardware is capable of and one could argue that 2009 represented the year when both formats truly achieved their full potential.

However, despite the high quality of some of the year’s releases many titles failed to turn their fantastic critical response into solid sales, with the most notable disappointment being the much-hyped Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

Rockstar’s mature title singularly failed to make a dent in the DS charts, although it was granted something of a reprieve when the excellent PSP port was released later in the year.

While consoles such as the Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 have offered access to downloadable games for some time now, the DS and PSP are only just finding their feet in this exciting new sector of the market.

2009 marked the first tentative steps by both Nintendo and Sony into the weird and wonderful realm of DLC.

In Nintendo’s case it was the opening of the DSiWare online store, where DSi owners can download titles such as Bomberman Blitz, Castle of Magic, Dr. Mario, Flipnote Studio and Pop Plus. Games are purchased using special points cards and are stored within the console’s internal memory.

While the PSP has boasted the ability to connect to Sony’s PlayStation Network store for some time now, it was only with the launch of the PSPgo that the company started to release download-only titles specifically produced for the format.

Dubbed PSP Minis, these bite-sized pieces of entertainment include games such as Fieldrunners, Vempire and the Amiga classic Pinball Fantasies.

While it could be argued that both Nintendo and Sony’s online stores play second fiddle to their fully-blown physical releases, the runaway success of Apple’s iPhone-based App Store has given a solid indication of where the future lies when it comes to portable gaming.

2010 will mark the fifth year that the DS and PSP have been on sale, and normally this period in a console’s life is considered to be one of slow decline as other, more powerful formats take over.

However, with both Nintendo and Sony supporting their respective mobile platforms with fresh hardware launches, it would appear that the DS and PSP are here to stay - for the next 12 months, at the very least.

Of course that won’t stop painfully predictable rumours regarding successors to the DS and PSP from breaking cover, but you can be pretty certain that either format represents a solid choice for 2010.