Nintendo DS Game System

Have you ever heard "don't judge a book by it's co ...

Posted Nov 19, 2004 - Have you ever heard "don't judge a book by it's cover"? Well this has never been truer than with the Nintendo DS. You don't know this system until you try it. I was a big fan of the Sony PSP and was just sure I was going to get that over the DS, but then one day I saw one at a Wal-Mart and tried it. Let's just say it consumed me. It is so incredible the fealing that you get from playing the little system. There really isn't anyway to describe it. I read an article in GameInformer and they said that describing why the DS is so much fun is like trying to explain the appeal of Legos. You just don't realize how fun it is until you try it. The display that I played had the demo of Metroid Prime, Hunter running. It is INCREDIBLE to play that game. First off, the graphics are astounding. I always thought the PSP was going to be the graphic's king for portables, but amazingly, the demo of MPH looked just as good as the Metroid Prime version on the GameCube. And, although if you ever talk to someone from Nintendo they will always tell you that they "aim not for any specific age group, they want to appeal to all age ranges", but with this system they are definately going for a more mature group (instead of the some-what child level range that they apparently go for with the Game Boy). Plus, the incredible accuracy that the touch sensative screen gives you is astounding. Truely Amazing! I could rant on and on about this system but I'm just going to end it here and say that everyone should at least give the DS a try and see for themselves how it is an astoundingly fun and exciting system!

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Boy is this baby sweet! Man it's just like a palm ...

Posted Dec 1, 2004 - Boy is this baby sweet! Man it's just like a palm pilot. First about the Dual Screens. Usuall there is a map on the bottom and the actually playing part on the top. The bottom has a touch screen. So like in the menus you just touch the thing you want, when you buy the DS it comes with 2 styli, there is even a holder on the DS. The speakers are great, you have surround sound on them, you can even hook them up to your home theatere and bam! you got even better sound. Pictochat is built in to the system, you just talk with your friends with it, but you can only go 100 feet, with the games as well. The ac adapter comes with the DS, you should charge the Ds before you play. All in all this system is a must have for this year, your getting your money's worth. 10/10

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DS sold --> Bought DS lite

Posted May 1, 2006 - The first I heard about the DS was when I went to E3 2004 where I got to check out the DS then the SP. I hadn't heard anything about the DS previous to entering the presentation so I had no expectations and I was perhaps even skeptical because to me it seems Nintendo is quite notorious for milking it's handheld customers by leaving out certain features for a certain releases (which they have done again to a certain extent). Upon testing the system I found the touch screen more than a gimmick and it offered a new level of gameplay not seen in any previous consoles (not just handheld). Honestly after that I felt the PSP had little to offer besides a nice screen and better graphics. Well Nintendo actually made the right move in redesigning the system to be more asthetically appealing (though the PSP still wins in that area by leaps and bounds). They shortened the stylus which is a bit dissapointing since I would have prefered a longer one. The system is slightly thicker than the original GBA and slightly wider though almost the same width. The clamshell format is good as usual because it effectively protects the outer screen (which I worry about for the psp). The screens are adequate sized and the backlight works well. However of course being Nintendo they elimiated the link cable port eliminating the ability to play GBA games multiplayer and they also adjusted the bottom cartridge slot to not be compatable with original GB games. This was obviously a business decision on Nintendo's part which I find rather annoying. They did this for 2 reasons in my opinion. First they wanted to ensure that there was need for people to still buy the GBA SP or to prevent people from selling off thier GBA SP's (like in my case). Second I think they are paving the way for thier next handheld release (Nintendo DS SP anyone?) In order to further milk the cow. Seeing as how I have bought every portable nintendo handheld since the original GBA feel as though i've fallen in thier trap once again. Another major blow to the console's score is the lack of a decent game library for the to support the console at launch. So far from the games that are out, the only game I found throwing 30 or 40 dollars down on was feel the magic and that didnt even last that long. However as time passes i'm sure Nintendo will have no problem getting games out. This was one move from Sony which I found rather admirable in delaying the PSP Release till a sizable library was out. They could have easily just banked off the Christmas craze and released 2 or 3 mediocre games. All in all I find myself finding fault in both the PSP and the DS and also Perks. Both consoles are thankfully Reigon Free which allows me to import games from Japan and wherever I choose. All in all I would say if you got to have. In time I don't feel the DS will really dissapoint and has really brought something new to the table. Update: I've grown to be very disappointed with the DS over these past few months. No good games coming out (I even had to import Band Bros from Japan so I had something to play on my DS) Honestly It looks like the field is wide open now for PSP to come in and take a big market share of the handheld market unless Nintendo gets it's act together. The touchscreen has indeed become more of a gimmick than anything else. It only stays innovative for so long until it becomes a hassle to switch between your buttons and the touch screen. Maybe in the future someone will innovate something good for it, but as of now it's pretty bland. Update: I just picked up a DS lite from Japan a month or so ago. It's not too bad and fixes many of the problems in the original DS and time has fixed the main problem with games. Will post a review when it comes out in USA but basically the same and regular DS users are suckered into buying an inferior product only to have to upgrade a year later. Catching up on some great games I've come to another realization that they have not put the touchscreen function to use at all really. For Luigi and Mario RPG2 and Castlevania touchscreen usage is pitiful and gimmicky at best or non existant. The only game i've played that's fun and has used good usage of the touch screen is Ouedan which is an import from Japan. Jump superstars is not bad though it is not really necessary for the touch screen.

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Nintendo has created an innovative handheld produc ...

Posted Apr 27, 2005 - Nintendo has created an innovative handheld product that improves on the Gameboy Advance SP technology by adding dual screens, one of which is a touch screen. The unit also includes a rechargeable battery pack and is dual compatible with Nintendo DS games as well as Gameboy Advance games. Capable of displaying graphics on par with the Nintendo 64, the system is fairly powerful as a handheld. The button layout includes a D-pad on the left of the unit and 4 action buttons on the right and feels comfortable while playing. It also contains wireless functionality and comes with an included chat program that lets you submit text and drawings to other DS users within range. The only drawback I see with this system is that there are not enough quality games for it. Since its release 5 months ago, there are only a handful of games even worth purchasing.

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Amazing! 10/10. DS is the best! It has good gr ...

Posted Dec 24, 2004 - Amazing! 10/10. DS is the best! It has good graphics and awesome features like picto chat and touch screen. i first heard about ds in "tips and tricks" magazine and immidiatly i knew i wanted it. it looks really cool too.its really sleek and the fold open thing makes it really compact so you can carry it anywhere. the only downside is that there are not many games yet but all things considered its definately the best system i have ever seen.

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Lots of fun, a little bit different from earlier m ...

Posted Dec 22, 2004 - Lots of fun, a little bit different from earlier models, but not so radically different that it will baffle novice users. Not a whole lot of games available yet, but the ones that are out look good, and quite a few more are supposed to be on the way.

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I honestly was not too interested in getting the N ...

Posted Dec 20, 2004 - I honestly was not too interested in getting the Nintendo DS. I have a Gameboy Advance, and its novelty wore off pretty quickly (I'm more of a console game gal). However, after reading all of the praise for the DS, I decided to pick up a couple as gifts and grab one for myself as well. Well, so far, it's lots of fun. The jury is still out on the stylus (what is a stylus doing in a gaming system?), but the whole system has promise. I love how the games involves both screens. My biggest complaint is that there are only a few games available that utilize all of the features of the DS. Sure, I can use my GBA games with it, but where's the fun in that?

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This is the best hand held game system yet. Easy t ...

Posted Jan 8, 2005 - This is the best hand held game system yet. Easy to figure out, games that are out are very good. Great graphics. Dual screen and touch screen features make it easy to use ana navigate.

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This is the best handheld gaming system I have eve ...

Posted Mar 11, 2005 - This is the best handheld gaming system I have ever owned. The graphic on the dual screens are awesome. The DS features a clock and alarm as well as wireless capabilities. There is not a whole lot of games available yet but some promising titles are scheduled. The only minor downside is that it may be a little difficult for younger players to play on the gamepad and use the stylus simultaneously. However, some games allow you to change the controller configuration to gamepad only.

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A great game system

Posted Nov 17, 2005 - I love this game system it has games for boys a dn girls unlike some other systems and i think its the best system that nitendo has came out with! and if you wanted to watch the videos made for the gameboy advance you have a much bigger and clearer screen to watch it from.

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This is by far one of the greatest gaming devices ...

Posted Feb 7, 2005 - This is by far one of the greatest gaming devices on the market. Super Mario 64 DS is one of the best games ever created. It provides hours and hours of entertainment and controling the characters through the touchscreen is a blast! Mulitplayer functions are easy to setup and the wireless connections are a big bonus. My kids love the Pictochat that is built into the system. They are able to easily connect to other GB DS systems and talk with their friends. I highly recommend this product for kids of any age!

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I would recommend this new game system to others. ...

Posted Nov 27, 2004 - I would recommend this new game system to others. Be sure to buy screen protectors for the LCD screen. Prolong use of the pen or fingers on the touch screen will ruin the screen.

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After all the hype and all the mystery, the Ninten ...

Posted Apr 18, 2005 - After all the hype and all the mystery, the Nintendo DS was released in the US on November 21, 2004. I went to buy mine at Best Buy, arriving there shortly after 11 AM (when they opened). Lucky for me, the line had dissapated and left one box of five units left, so I managed to get my grubby hands on one without the wait. Whew! After speaking to several stores, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Gamestop and EB, it was apparent that the Nintendo DS was sold out all over Manhattan and Queens by 11:15 AM (probably in the other boroughs too, but I didn't ask anyone there). So was this unit worth the wait, and the the $149 price tag? Short answer, heck yeah! The Nintendo DS has a clamshell design similar to the GBA SP, but about twice as wide. It's approximately the same size and heft as the original GBA, but slightly thicker. It's currently only available in the silver color, but are available in Japan in white and black, and soon to be available in Japan in light blue and pink. No word yet on whether these will come stateside. It has two screens, a regular top screen and a touch sensitive bottom screen. Both are backlit. There's a digital pad on the left along with a power button, four buttons on the right (A, B, X and Y) along with Start and Select buttons, and of course Left and Right shoulder buttons. There's two slots, one for GBA games (NOT compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color, just GBA games) and one slot on the back for DS games. There's a power slot, exactly the same as the GBA SP slot so you can use the same AC adapters (or travel adapters, etc.) and there's a regular headphone jack (yeah!). There are two ways to use the touchscreen, either with the included stylus, nicely tucked away in the stylus holding compartment on the DS (and a spare is supplied with the unit for those of you who like to lose small accessories) or with the thumb pad which actually wraps around your thumb from the bottom of the carrying strap. This makes your thumb the controller on the screen and makes movement more natural and much more responsive (case in point is using it to aim in the bundled Metroid Prime demo -- simply amazing!). GBA carts look great, the screen is much sharper than even the SP so GBA games are more vivid. This was a big deal to me since I'm heavily invested in the GBA, so that's a great plus. Wireless connectivity is awesome and many games only required one cart wireless multiplayer. Generally, I could play find up to about 20 feet away with line of sight (maybe further, haven't really tested it that much), or about 15 feet through a standard apartment wall. Two walls gets a little iffy. Battery life rated at 6-10 hours. I've made it to 6 hours pretty easily, and average around 7 to 8 hours before the battery goes. The cartridges are currently 1 Gigabit (128 MB) each. There are rumors that Nintendo is working on 2 and 4 Gigabit cartridges that are cheap enough to keep all games at around $29.99 (many DS games are only $29.99, some are as much as $39.99). Quite simply, it's everything I was hoping for. The only thing missing is the link port on the DS. This was used to link games on the GBA, GCN connectivity and usage of other GBA peripherals (like that card swiping tool the eReader). None of these will work on the DS. They said they got rid of it to make room for the wireless gaming. Wireless hotspot usage (internet surfing etc.) is in the works and Mario Karts DS and Animal Crossing DS have been announced with online gaming capability. Not sure why they didn't make the DS hardware able to trick GBA games into thinking a connection existed, since wireless adapters for the GBA already exist for multiplayer carts, but for now, you can't play GBA games multiplayer on the DS. As a side note, unlike the SP, when you close the the DS, the unit automatically goes into sleep mode and then turns back on when you open it to where you left off. Pretty nifty. This is a great feature for commutors and those who travel a lot with the DS (although a few games, such as Zoo Keeper, actually do not have a sleep feature. All in all, minor complaints aside, I think Nintendo did a fine job. It's yet to be seen if Nintendo can keep all the good thrid party developed games and whether the Sony PSP will have any long term effect on Nintendo DS market share, but for now, it's my handheld system of choice.

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We were going to skip this generation of Gameboys ...

Posted Jun 7, 2005 - We were going to skip this generation of Gameboys until the neighbor kids got them (and then the pressure began). Gave it to my son for his eighth birthday and he loves it. The only true DS game that we have so far is Super Mario 64, but that title alone was worth the price of admission. The touchscreen adds some unique gameplay aspects and also displays secondary game information (maps, etc.). I had installed a backlight to our Gameboy advances, so the backlit LCD was nice, but nothing new. If you skipped the SP, the backlight will change the Gameboy experience as many games become much more enjoyable when played with adequate lighting. The rechargeable battery is a "nice to have" feature, but I actually preferred using rechargeable AAs in the Gameboy Advance. Several times already we have been caught with a dead battery with the charger locked safely at home (guess a car charger becomes a necessity). Although the DS can play all of the legacy Advance games, if that is your only use for it, you'd be better off with an SP since it is quite a bit smaller. The true DS games can be spectacular, but there are relatively few great ones published to date (but several promising titles on the horizon).

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this new nintendo ds is really fun system and a ni ...

Posted Mar 28, 2005 - this new nintendo ds is really fun system and a nice upgrade from gba sp, but with the debut of sony PSP, nintendo ds really looks like a point 5 release instead of a next generation game console in handheld. makes me wondering what is next, QS, quarto-screen?

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