1. A portable gaming device configured to provide an augmented reality experience on a display screen of the portable device, the portable device being a handheld device, comprising: the display screen configured to display a real world scene, the display screen disposed on a front side of the portable gaming device; an image capture device associated with the display screen, the image capture device configured to capture real video image data representing the real world scene, the image capture device disposed on a back side of the portable gaming device opposite the front side; a first input region defined on the front side for holding by a first hand of a user, the first input region disposed on a first adjacent side of the display screen, the first input region having one or more input buttons; a second input region defined on the front side for holding by a second hand of the user, the second input region disposed on a second adjacent side of the display screen opposite the first adjacent side, the second input region having one or more input buttons; image recognition logic configured to analyze the real video image data representing the real world scene to identify a marker in the real video image data representing the real world scene, the augmenting visual media being related to a gaming environment and response to the first input region and the second input region, media generation logic responsive to the image recognition logic, the media generation logic configured to display at least part of the real world scene from the real video image data along with augmenting visual media on the display screen, the augmenting visual media being a moving animation superimposed in and around the real world scene, wherein the image recognition logic is configured to communicate identification of the marker in the real video image data to the media generation logic, and in response to the identification of the marker in the image data, triggering integration of the augmented visual media into the real world scene as viewed through the display screen of the portable gaming device, wherein the portable gaming device provides a view of the moving animation through the display screen; wherein the augmenting visual media and the at least part of the real world scene is presented on the display screen of the portable gaming device and wherein at least part of the processing by the image recognition logic and the media generation logic occur within the portable gaming device; wherein the portable gaming device is configured to be handheld during operation, such that a location and view direction of the user's eye viewing the display screen is independent of a location and view direction of the image capture device, to facilitate viewing of the augmented visual media integrated with the real world scene from a perspective defined by the location and view direction of the image capture device, independent of the location and view direction of the user's eye.