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Over the years–though not so much today–there have been a whole bunch of console and PC game series that also came to handheld systems. Some of those games ended up getting pretty similar versions on the portable systems, especially as the hardware began allowing for higher-fidelity and more-complex gameplay. However, there have also been quite a few portable spin-off games over the years that tried something much different from their big siblings, and many have stood the test of time. We got to thinking about the very best portable spin-off games there have ever been, and it brought back some fond memories.
For inclusion on this list, we stuck to a few criteria, though we did bend the rules on occasion. The games we chose vary from their console and PC counterparts in a few ways. The most important of these is gameplay, either by starring a character who differs greatly from the usual protagonist or even being in an entirely different genre. The other was visual style, with a couple games on this list offering a very different look for well-known series while retaining some of their gameplay elements.
These are some of the very best portable spin-off games ever made.
