Sega Game Gear? Say ah! It was as much a challenge for the reigning king of its day, the Nintendo Game Boy, as it would be a beer league football team against the Steelers. The fact is, Nintendo has been virtually unchallenged in the portable gaming arena since the original Game Boy, continuing through to the DS.

So far, that is.

With the latest generation of portable devices, Nintendo faces stiff competition from the Sony PSP or PlayStation Portable. It’s not exactly a melee race, but the PSP is winning in some parts of the world. This is something that Nintendo has never had to deal with with previous generations of portable systems. Sony’s PSP is not going away like the Sega Game Gear and most of the competitors from previous years.

The question that many people ask, especially those planning to buy a portable gaming system, is this: Is the Sony PSP a better investment than the Nintendo DS?

Let’s divide that question into four sub-questions that will help us determine the answer.

1. Which console is more powerful? There really is no competition here. Sony’s PSP was designed to be a powerful unit, with two 333MHz CPUs that deliver amazing gameplay and graphics. The screen is designed for widescreen gaming and has a much better resolution than the DS. PSP games also take up more space, because there is so much more to them. Most Nintendo games are under 100MB. PSP games range from 300MB to 1.5GB. WINNER: Sony PSP.

2. Which unit has the most games available? Many people believe that software creates hardware, and not the other way around. After all, what good is an extremely powerful handheld if there are no games available for it? When it comes to game library size, the Nintendo DS is the obvious winner. Its library of games is almost 4 times larger than that of the PSP. Many companies develop games strictly on DS. WINNER: Nintendo DS.

3. Which system has better multimedia capabilities? Many of today’s devices perform specialized functions. IPods play music.

PDAs allow you to browse the web and manage data. Digital cameras take photos and, in some cases, video. Mobile phones can act as personal organizers and as communication devices. However, many device manufacturers are trying to make their hardware multitask from a single unit.

Portable gaming systems are no different. The more they can do, the more attractive they will be to potential buyers. The DS has limited audio and video playback capabilities. Sony’s PSP can handle many audio formats and can also play MP4 videos. It can also surf the web, watch TV (with an additional TV tuner), store data, and even act as a remote control for a PlayStation 3. WINNER: Sony PSP.

4. What system has the most exclusive game titles? Here again, it is quite difficult for anyone to compete with Nintendo. The DS has many original properties, such as Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Animal Crossing, and many others. This is one of the biggest selling points of the DS. WINNER: Nintendo.

The bottom line? Tie 2-2. The best system will really depend on what you expect from your portable gaming system. If you want the most features and raw power, the PSP is the way to go. But if you’re looking for a vast library of games with a varied gaming experience, go for the Nintendo DS.