Observations?
I picked it up along with Mario64, the only launch title that appealed to me..
The graphics are definitely better than anything ever put out on a handheld. Period. Of course, PSP will change that. I noticed a little bit of pop-up and some pixelly textures on Mario64, but nothing too bad.
The system itself is a bit heavy. Doesn't really bother me, but for kids, it might be a chore just hanging on to it.
The bottom screen (the touch screen) is a bit blurry, because of the textured touch-sensitive surface.
The wrist strap is an oddly useful appendage, allowing you to "hang on" with your stylus hand without gripping the DS.
Looking at the photos, I'd assumed (because of the media's shape) the DS slot was a SD/MMC slot, but I was wrong. It is a proprietary format, shaped just like them, but larger. Too bad, I'd hoped it would be useful for emulation and such.
I noticed a couple spots, in menus and such, where the user was required to use the touch screen. Pretty ridiculous, considering how easy it would be to implement d-pad selection. I'd like to use that screen as little as possible (fingerprints, breakage, stylus scratches, etc).
The Metroid demo is excellent. I'd love to pick up the full game.
Nintendo DS Released
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impetus
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Clessy
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Well I got to play one myself for an extend amount of time.
The graphics arent nearly as good as N64 like they said they where gonna be.
At first I hated teh stylus play but I actually enjoy it now.
Problem tho one of the touch screens was already broken which isnt to reasuring about its quality since the display was only up a week so far. Also it feel so heavy in your head. Piaochat is awsome. One of my friends was at Babbages and the other at eb and all 3 of us could chat between the stores. Metriod in death match wasnt that great at all. It be worth if the chat feature let you message people without them joining rooms also if the chat range was 3 times as much about 90feet.
The graphics arent nearly as good as N64 like they said they where gonna be.
At first I hated teh stylus play but I actually enjoy it now.
Problem tho one of the touch screens was already broken which isnt to reasuring about its quality since the display was only up a week so far. Also it feel so heavy in your head. Piaochat is awsome. One of my friends was at Babbages and the other at eb and all 3 of us could chat between the stores. Metriod in death match wasnt that great at all. It be worth if the chat feature let you message people without them joining rooms also if the chat range was 3 times as much about 90feet.
SE! SE! SE! Believe the hype!
My brother got one and likes it a lot. I played the prime demo and while it is fun, I can't seem to adjust to the controls. Another thing that keeps me from buying a DS is the lack of GB and GBC compatibility. While it may not be important to some, it is important to me.
Remember, the quickest way to a girl's bed is through her parents. Have sex with them and you're in.
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Strapping Scherzo
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I got it and I'm pretty happy. But my right hand is cramping actually. Those buttons are so small and close to the edge of the unit. Also, about the edges, they're kind of "sharp"; not too comfortable. Mario 64 is well done from what I've seen so far. One thing that concerns me a little is that there's no mention of 802.11 wifi in the manual. I hope that isn't a feature they decided to throw away. It was a big part of my purchase decision.
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Strapping Scherzo
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They're better in opinion. I played PocketNES on it and noticed the difference right away. Black is actually black instead of having a blue-ish hue to it.MKE wrote:how well are the screens backlit? i was playing it today and yesterday at walmart and gamestop and the screens didnt look to well backlit. are they better then the sp like there supposed to be?
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gamedudex2
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i have one and mario 
its beyond awesome the light is far better than the gba screen size is great it feels perfect i just waana see some kind of re writable cart come out and emus and some good homebrew now
sweet so the flash carts work for gba good i been planned on getting one i'm just waiting for price to come down more on them
its beyond awesome the light is far better than the gba screen size is great it feels perfect i just waana see some kind of re writable cart come out and emus and some good homebrew now sweet so the flash carts work for gba good i been planned on getting one
i'm just waiting for price to come down more on them
Last edited by gamedudex2 on Sun Nov 21, 2004 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DaMadFiddler
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I agree almost verbatim with what Impetus wrote. I picked mine up today as well, again with Mario 64. Here's the issue on the whole graphics debate:
The DS is significantly more powerful than the N64. It has more memory, more lighting and other visual effects, better texturing, and I believe it can push more polys. Obviously you'll have to wait until we get past the rushed releases of the "launch window" to see most of this put to use, but even so: look at Mario 64...look at the models and the ripple effects. Look at the Metroid Prime demo. N64 did NOT look like that...and certainly not at that framerate.
However, it does NOT have texture filtering. Thus, you'll be able to see the pixels of a texture as you get up close (like Playstation, Saturn, or early 3D games for PC, like Quake), rather than having it blurred into a "softer" image. My guess is that Nintendo decided to leave this out because they figured the screen was so small anyway that it wasn't worth the extra cost/battery use to put in something that would only make a small difference when your viewing image is so comparably smaller than a TV.
I do agree that Nintendo's use of the touchscreen to "emulate" an analog controller is a little hard to get used to...I found myself switching to the D-pad for more precision-oriented tasks, such as fighting the ghosts or doing the slide levels. However, it works better than I thought it would...and just because this game plays this way doesn't mean it's going to be a convention. The touchscreen wasn't meant to replace an analog stick. It was meant to be a touchscreen. The only reason this is even an issue is because one particular game really needed an analog stick, and that was the best way to get one with the options available.
And personally, I'm glad the DS doesn't have a real analog stick...keep in mind, a handheld's controller is built in. You can't replace it when it gets loose or starts to wear out. And analog sticks are far too delicate and short-lived (at least, at this point in time) to really be a viable option for something that is going to be a reasonably significant investment, and must theoretically last for several years under the ownership of enthusiastic children.
The picture is nice and bright (and MUCH cleaner looking than the GBA/SP--I can actually see the game now in Circle of the Moon and in Doom, which was a struggle both on my GBA+Afterburner and my housemate's SP), and the audio is excellent. The voices sounded a little compressed in Mario 64, but that's just how they handled production of that particular game, not anything to do with the system itself. It's also nice that it plays GBA games in stereo. There are a few other extra options I might have liked to see, but then again, nothing's perfect...and everyone has his or her own "ideal version" of a product...and it's hardly the same between any two people. The goal of a successful product is to hit more or less everyone's middle ground, and I think the DS does that admirably.
The DS is significantly more powerful than the N64. It has more memory, more lighting and other visual effects, better texturing, and I believe it can push more polys. Obviously you'll have to wait until we get past the rushed releases of the "launch window" to see most of this put to use, but even so: look at Mario 64...look at the models and the ripple effects. Look at the Metroid Prime demo. N64 did NOT look like that...and certainly not at that framerate.
However, it does NOT have texture filtering. Thus, you'll be able to see the pixels of a texture as you get up close (like Playstation, Saturn, or early 3D games for PC, like Quake), rather than having it blurred into a "softer" image. My guess is that Nintendo decided to leave this out because they figured the screen was so small anyway that it wasn't worth the extra cost/battery use to put in something that would only make a small difference when your viewing image is so comparably smaller than a TV.
I do agree that Nintendo's use of the touchscreen to "emulate" an analog controller is a little hard to get used to...I found myself switching to the D-pad for more precision-oriented tasks, such as fighting the ghosts or doing the slide levels. However, it works better than I thought it would...and just because this game plays this way doesn't mean it's going to be a convention. The touchscreen wasn't meant to replace an analog stick. It was meant to be a touchscreen. The only reason this is even an issue is because one particular game really needed an analog stick, and that was the best way to get one with the options available.
And personally, I'm glad the DS doesn't have a real analog stick...keep in mind, a handheld's controller is built in. You can't replace it when it gets loose or starts to wear out. And analog sticks are far too delicate and short-lived (at least, at this point in time) to really be a viable option for something that is going to be a reasonably significant investment, and must theoretically last for several years under the ownership of enthusiastic children.
The picture is nice and bright (and MUCH cleaner looking than the GBA/SP--I can actually see the game now in Circle of the Moon and in Doom, which was a struggle both on my GBA+Afterburner and my housemate's SP), and the audio is excellent. The voices sounded a little compressed in Mario 64, but that's just how they handled production of that particular game, not anything to do with the system itself. It's also nice that it plays GBA games in stereo. There are a few other extra options I might have liked to see, but then again, nothing's perfect...and everyone has his or her own "ideal version" of a product...and it's hardly the same between any two people. The goal of a successful product is to hit more or less everyone's middle ground, and I think the DS does that admirably.
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DaMadFiddler
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That said, here's what I personally would have liked done differently (or additionally) for my own personal satisfaction:
1. It's been said by just about everyone...classic Gameboy compatibility. The reason it's not there is because it doesn't have any variants of the GBC hardware in it. The GBA did, and that's why it had that function. However, the DS is MORE than powerful enough that an embedded emulator shouldn't have posed any problem. And the screen is significantly larger enough now that it probably could even have displayed Super Gameboy borders (though slightly cropped).
2. GBA button mapping. For games like Zelda and Mario, especially, it would have been nice to have X and Y mirror L and R in GBA mode, rather than sitting there uselessly.
3. AA batteries. I fully understand why they're using a custom lithium battery pak. I know all the pros. I just have this thing for standards, so I won't have to worry about scrambling to find an out-of-production replacement five or ten years down the road.
4. "Wired" connectivity. Either a GBA link port, or at the very least, support for support for the GBA link protocol over wireless (similar to the Majesco wireless adapters for GBA). I keep my systems consolidated...it's the only way I can affort (both financially and in terms of space) the stuff I have. That means 1-2 consoles, and 1 handheld. It's a little bit of a bummer that Four Swords and MarioKart: Super Circuit are now more or less useless. And even if they'd just had wireless emulation of the link port, so that you could play multiplayer GBA games with other DS owners (and perhaps, through a 'Cube receptor), it would have made a world of difference. "Some" is infinitely better than "none."
Other nitpicks unworthy of the list:
I would have liked a slightly "bulb-ier" back. I perfer a controller to bulk out a little at the edges, like DC, GC, and the Pelican grip plate for GBA...makes them easier to hold. But they're keeping it slim intentionally, and I suppose that's what most people want.
Yes, I'll admit it. Texture filtering would have been nice. I would have liked it. At the same time, like I said before, I understand why they left it out.
Again, I like consolidating things. I would have preferred a few basic PDA functions (even if just a notepad and a datebook)...I was actually planning to buy a Zodiac, until the DS was announced. And based on my usage, I'd much rather have a games machine that does a few PDA things than a PDA that does a few game things. Oh, well...I'm sure, given the obvious ease of function, that some 3rd party will fill this gap eventually with the appropriate software. And I do understand Nintendo's goal of focusing on one thing--the games--and making sure that's really spot-on, rather than trying to jam in as much junk as possible. This paragraph also applies to my feelings on the issue of Internet access.
That's about it, really. It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. Of course a slightly lower price point would have been nice, but then again, this IS meant to be the "higher end" option over the SP, which I imagine will be much more agressively marked as the "bargain option" from here on out.
It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. The launch titles are a little iffy, but then again, still pretty impressive considering nobody even knew what this thing WAS until May. And given the announced lineup for the next six months, thing are looking very bright.
I'll personally be waiting for MarioKart, Castlevania, Mr. Driller (I'm a puzzle freak
), and the new Mario amongst others...I'm especially interested in what happens in terms of strategy and artillery games on this platform. It's *IDEAL*. 2 screens, touchscreen, wireless networking. Thing sounds like it was DESIGNED for a 'Craft game 
. Oh, and like I said earlier, I'm also crossing my fingers that someone develops PDA and Web browser cartridges...though that last one I'm not exactly betting on.
1. It's been said by just about everyone...classic Gameboy compatibility. The reason it's not there is because it doesn't have any variants of the GBC hardware in it. The GBA did, and that's why it had that function. However, the DS is MORE than powerful enough that an embedded emulator shouldn't have posed any problem. And the screen is significantly larger enough now that it probably could even have displayed Super Gameboy borders (though slightly cropped).
2. GBA button mapping. For games like Zelda and Mario, especially, it would have been nice to have X and Y mirror L and R in GBA mode, rather than sitting there uselessly.
3. AA batteries. I fully understand why they're using a custom lithium battery pak. I know all the pros. I just have this thing for standards, so I won't have to worry about scrambling to find an out-of-production replacement five or ten years down the road.
4. "Wired" connectivity. Either a GBA link port, or at the very least, support for support for the GBA link protocol over wireless (similar to the Majesco wireless adapters for GBA). I keep my systems consolidated...it's the only way I can affort (both financially and in terms of space) the stuff I have. That means 1-2 consoles, and 1 handheld. It's a little bit of a bummer that Four Swords and MarioKart: Super Circuit are now more or less useless. And even if they'd just had wireless emulation of the link port, so that you could play multiplayer GBA games with other DS owners (and perhaps, through a 'Cube receptor), it would have made a world of difference. "Some" is infinitely better than "none."
Other nitpicks unworthy of the list:
I would have liked a slightly "bulb-ier" back. I perfer a controller to bulk out a little at the edges, like DC, GC, and the Pelican grip plate for GBA...makes them easier to hold. But they're keeping it slim intentionally, and I suppose that's what most people want.
Yes, I'll admit it. Texture filtering would have been nice. I would have liked it. At the same time, like I said before, I understand why they left it out.
Again, I like consolidating things. I would have preferred a few basic PDA functions (even if just a notepad and a datebook)...I was actually planning to buy a Zodiac, until the DS was announced. And based on my usage, I'd much rather have a games machine that does a few PDA things than a PDA that does a few game things. Oh, well...I'm sure, given the obvious ease of function, that some 3rd party will fill this gap eventually with the appropriate software. And I do understand Nintendo's goal of focusing on one thing--the games--and making sure that's really spot-on, rather than trying to jam in as much junk as possible. This paragraph also applies to my feelings on the issue of Internet access.
That's about it, really. It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. Of course a slightly lower price point would have been nice, but then again, this IS meant to be the "higher end" option over the SP, which I imagine will be much more agressively marked as the "bargain option" from here on out.
It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. The launch titles are a little iffy, but then again, still pretty impressive considering nobody even knew what this thing WAS until May. And given the announced lineup for the next six months, thing are looking very bright.
I'll personally be waiting for MarioKart, Castlevania, Mr. Driller (I'm a puzzle freak
), and the new Mario amongst others...I'm especially interested in what happens in terms of strategy and artillery games on this platform. It's *IDEAL*. 2 screens, touchscreen, wireless networking. Thing sounds like it was DESIGNED for a 'Craft game . Oh, and like I said earlier, I'm also crossing my fingers that someone develops PDA and Web browser cartridges...though that last one I'm not exactly betting on.-
DaMadFiddler
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Much better, in terms of the game. All the models & effects have been improved (though the fire looks a little goofy), and they've seriously added a LOT. And it doesn't feel tacked on, either. The new levels are an integral part of the game. They also added virtual surround sound and greatly improved the audio quality, and the minigame gallery on the main menu is good for some time on its own, if you want a quick game and don't feel like getting more involved.1LINUXuser wrote:i wish i had one. unfortunatly my birthdays right around the corner followed by Christmas so i have to wait. how is mario64, still as good as the original? better? worse?
Of course, the control doesn't feel as natural as the N64 or the Gamecube. Imagine you were playing Mario64 on a laptop, and you have the touchpad set up as the analog stick. It's a little better than that, but it's still not quite the same as the real thing.
Summary: Game better, control worse. But it's still perfectly playable, so I'm going to go with "better."
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DaMadFiddler
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Yeah, but it was still digital. An actual analog stick wears out pretty quickly. because of the way it's constructed. Making it more durable would almost inherently make it less effective and usable. Even Sony themselves acknowledged this, by making an analog "nub" rather than a traditional stick.impetus wrote:i think analog control would have been great. NGPC had a nice thumbstick which would make a good model to imitate
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SinisterTengu
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I picked up my DS last night a little after midnight, and I really like it so far. The system is a bit bigger than I expected it to be, and man are those game cards tiny!
Anyways, the controls aren't bad, once you adjust. You get close to the same amount of precision as the analog on the touch-screen if you need it. I've switched to using the touch-screen most of the time. Not with the stylus though. The pad on the wrist strap works much better for Mario. And Metroid for that matter in the default control mode. If you switch to the mode where Samus actually shoots where you click, you'll need to use the stylus though. For those of you that don't know about the wrist-band pad (I didn't until my friend told me earlier today), here is a pic:
Anyways, the controls aren't bad, once you adjust. You get close to the same amount of precision as the analog on the touch-screen if you need it. I've switched to using the touch-screen most of the time. Not with the stylus though. The pad on the wrist strap works much better for Mario. And Metroid for that matter in the default control mode. If you switch to the mode where Samus actually shoots where you click, you'll need to use the stylus though. For those of you that don't know about the wrist-band pad (I didn't until my friend told me earlier today), here is a pic:
