There was a time, not that long ago, when handheld games tended to be little more than dumbed-down versions of their console brothers.  That is no longer the case.  With each passing year, more and more games are released that take advantage of the unique features of the DS and PSP.  In 2009, some of the best examples of this philosophy were Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure, which used the DS’ dual screens to great effect in its puzzle/platforming, and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, which brought back the good Professor for another round of touch screen sleuthing.  Original titles, like The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, also shined, and yes, there were good ports of console games, too, like LittleBigPlanet.  Only one “small wonder” can reign supreme as the best handheld game, however, and in 2009, that game is…

While not technically a port, GTA: Chinatown Wars manages to fit almost all of the console versions’ features in a top-down, handheld version with bite-size missions that are perfect for gaming on-the-go.  It also manages to maintain the series’ trademark vulgar, satirical humor and extreme violence, despite being initially released on the DS.  There are even a few features, like the drug dealing minigame, a driving system that automatically lines your vehicle up with the road you’re traveling on, and an innovative new way to deal with police chases, that need to be included in future console releases.  It’s GTA presented the way it was in the beginning, with all the features of the current games and even a few from future iterations, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun.