So many people ignoring the stipulation in the OP......I'm gonna say Gamecube because you could carry it around like a jackass with that fuckin' handle.

Tough call for me but I'm just about going for DS (GBA a very close 2nd). Just loved what it offered, the innovation of the console and the way it was implemented in its games. It's totally commonplace now but having a touch screen in gaming for the first time opened so many possibilities - especially for franchises that were perfect to take on the go such as Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, Warioware and many more.

It was also the first handheld to do both 2D and 3D (PSP didn't come out till months later) which gave it great variety. Many great franchises got solid outings on it such as Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Sonic, Castlevania, Advance Wars as well as the usual main Nintendo IPs. Sadly the Zelda games were weak on it but Mario was strong with a enhancements to SM64 and a first original 2D title in 14 years!

The DS lite.

Most of my favorite handheld games can be played on that system.
Even if better, or at least more advanced games, can be played on the switch and other later systems none of them had the battery life of the ds.
Being able to play 20 hours on the go is a lot worth when it comes to handheld gaming.

3DS, so many pimped out limited editions. I think I got about 20 of them now lol.

Eventually if Nintendo does it with the Switch, probably that for me after more games come out

I will say the 3DS. I actually did use the 3D feature the majority of the time and enjoyed the depth it added to the visual presentation of the games. I know people have called the camera "rubbish", but I took a lot of nice pictures with it outdoors and I enjoyed using the 3D slider on those as well. It also had a decent Web Browser that I used frequently at the time. The DS had a great library of games too. But since the 3DS is backwards compatible, it makes the 3DS even more logical of a choice for me.

Riiiight? Like u cant add some grips that rotate into place? Our hands have more than 6 fingers 10do. :)

Oh as in still selling with a library not totally defined. I think I gotchya. Dont agree with the logic but at least I understand it now. No biggie. Thanks 4 the clarification.

Of the options available im going w the gameboy advance. Why? *head smack smack smack- heres why. Because u can play the games on the gameboy advance player attachment for the gamexube.

I voted for the GBA. I had the GBA SP. The one with the clam shell design and lit screen. That thing was awesome. It was probably the last time I was really into a handheld. I own both a DS and 3DS, but their libraries didn't quite do it for me like the GBA did.

That a Simom Miller reference?

The DS. Just so many great games. It also had Mega Man games which the 3DS was sorely lacking.