I find IGN to be much more reliable than Metacritic for handhelds.
I would assert that the cause in lower reviews (per capita? maybe, whatever term is correct) for handhelds would have to do with 1 thing. Graphics.
or Visuals if you will.
Someone who is not a Die Hard review Critic/Gamer will not ever review a handheld fairly because they will undobtedly prefer the console version to the handheld. The screen is smaller and most people would only prefer to play it if, 1 their on the road or something and are limited to HH gaming and/or 2. It isn't a handheld exclusive title.
That being said. I imagine many "lesser" critics tend to base their criticism mostly on what the game looks like. I think a few EGM critics fell in this category, whenever scanning through their reviews some 8 years ago. If it was a game they liked and gave an 8-10 it was all "the game LOOKS so good, OMG the cutscenes! the colors children the colors" They would only have credible reviews for games that didn't perform well.
"Let justice be done though the heavens fall." - Jim Garrison
"Ask not your horse, if ye should ride into battle" - myself
