Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Portables (Games)

IGN Manhandles the DS 69

Posted by Zonk from the i-hope-they-wore-gloves-for-the-touching dept.
Thanks to IGN, who wrote "The Nintendo DS is being prepared to ship out to retailers for its November 21st launch. We were able to get our hands on the final, boxed units two weeks before the system's official release date, and we wasted no time ripping the packaging to shreds to show you exactly what you get in the box."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

IGN Manhandles the DS More

IGN Manhandles the DS

Comments Filter:

  • The DS. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by readpunk ( 683053 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @06:46PM (#10771356) Journal
    The real question is, are we going to get Final Fantasy on the bloody thing and if so is it going to be a crappy one or something on par with FF4/6/7?
    • There's going to be an iteration of Crystal Chronicles for DS. Not just a port, but I don't know anything beyond that. I'm sure that's not what you're looking for, though.
    • FF3(nes) is being heavily reworked and ported to the DS, and there is a FF:Crystal Chronicles game for DS as well. And then there's 1&2(nes) coming for GBA.
      • im pretty sure though that FF3 for DS has still not been announced in North America, and i dont expect it to since the original never came to North America either
        • Even if it is the Japanese FF3 Nes and not the US FF3 SNES (Japanease was FF6), I'd be surprised if it doesn't come out in the US. The Japanese FF2 (NES) and FF5 (SNES) never originally came out in the US; however, they both came out as PSX remakes, and a new soon to be released GBA release of FF1 & FF2.
        • Well, it looks like the NA interest is there, and it follows thier current trends, so I'd be surprised if it didn't come over.

  • Thumbstrap? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Gehenna_Gehenna ( 207096 ) <cavanetten@@@gmail...com> on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @07:19PM (#10771838) Homepage
    That thumb strap thing looks like a great idea. At first I wasn't sure about the whole stylus-shooter combo, but the whole thumb strap idea looks like it would work really well.
  • Does the GBA compatibility means it is also compatible with pre GBA games? (ie color and regular flavors of game boy games).

    Is there a limit on backwards compatibility? that is, without having extra cartdrige ports.

    • Re:DS=GBA...=GBC=GB? (Score:5, Informative)

      by Babbster ( 107076 ) <aaronbabb@@@gmail...com> on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @07:35PM (#10771993) Homepage
      From what I've read, the backwards compatibility of the DS stops at GBA, so GB and GBC games are being left behind.

      • Re:DS=GBA...=GBC=GB? (Score:2, Informative)

        by Sargondai ( 25502 )
        Not only that, but it is *not* compatible with multi-player GBA games.

        I was really hoping to play those over the wireless connection. Ah well.

        • Re:DS=GBA...=GBC=GB? (Score:3, Informative)

          by FroBugg ( 24957 )
          Well, existing multiplayer GBA games aren't compatible with the new GBA wireless adapter (Pokemon Fire/Leaf and the new Mario Golf are the only ones I'm aware of that use it). Nintendo's got a history of being slightly annoying in that department, but being able to play the GBA games at all is good enough for me.
    • All these other posts are making me wonder. I've taken a original GB game and stuck it in my GBA SP, with no problems. So they've dropped support. Heh.

      Not suprised, since I've seen original NES games and such made for the GBA.
      • Will someone have to create a "port" of the Super Game Boy to the DS, and more like a Game Boy Color emu?

        Actually, an ARM is capable enough - why not just a GameShark-like device that has a GBC emulator, and runs on the DS (or would it be cheaper to just make it for the GBA - it won't be used on it, but less complex coding for the DS?)

  • Eh. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by deemaunik ( 699970 ) <ian,shepherd&gmail,com> on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @07:36PM (#10771997)
    I haven't seen a good reason to get a DS yet. SP's are smaller, lighter, and I don't see many improvements in the DS over it. Ooo. Touch screen. Ooo. Two screens. More to look at and distract me. Unless a new RPG is released on it that won't run on an SP, I'm sticking with what I have. I'm entirely satisfied with my little black SP. :) What do you guys think?
    • I think that the DS is probably too big to carry around easily. May as well stick with an SP, or even an ngage qd. Convienience goes a long way.

    • Re:Eh. (Score:3, Funny)

      by Sargondai ( 25502 )
      Personally, the killer feature for me is the wireless connectivity. I'd be just as excited for a GBA-SP with this (and the souped up graphics capability).

      That said, the main reason I will have to get one of these is Animal Crossing. No longer will I have to wait at home on Saturday nights! Now, I'll be able to whip out my DS in between songs at the club! Woohoo! :)

    • Re:Eh. (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      SP's are smaller, lighter, and I don't see many improvements in the DS over it.

      How about backlighting? The original GBA was impossible to see; SP has a frontlight that's better but still pretty crap; DS has a backlight, which means you'll finally be able to see what's happening properly in all lighting conditions.

      That's good enough for me.
      • What lighting is the SP hard to see in?

        I find that in the sun it is much easier to see then a laptop. especialy in a mixed sun/dark situation (under a tree).

        • I found the exact opposite. In direct sunlight, both the GBA and the GBA SP are impossible to see, and not even for glare. They're just easily washed out.
          • Turn off the light with the "Sun" button in the center. It is a lot better.
            • Tried that (I turn off the light whenever I'm not using it.) I ended up having to tuck the SP into my shirt to make SURE the light was off, since it made so little difference.

    • Maybe not now, but soon... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by PhoenixOne ( 674466 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @08:03PM (#10772312)
      If you are not an "early adopter" then your are probably safe for a while. But the duel screen design with touch interface almost begs for new RPG games. Put the action in the top window and have the bottom window handle dialog trees, spell lists, inventory, etc.

      Give it a few months until the second generation of games come out. If you are lucky, they will reduce the price a few bucks before the right RPG for you comes out. :)

    • It's the Gimmick Boy. :-)

      I'm also sticking with an SP, partly becuase I don't play it that much, so it isn't worth getting a new handheld console.

      Although a good RPG might pursaude me as well, but I've stilll got a load to try on the GBA...

    • Re:Eh. (Score:1, Informative)

      by ircubic ( 813042 )
      I haven't gotten a new handheld console since the GBA came out, so I'll be skipping the SP and moving right to DS.
      What tickles my fancy is the dual screen setup, the better graphics, the wireless connectivity, the touchscreen and the standard backlight(finally!).
      Also, of course, all those games that will come out for DS that you won't be able to play on an SP/GBA. If you get a DS you can play all the nifty DS games that will most likely come out, while still retaining the ability to play that nifty GBA ga

    • Re:Eh. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by SetupWeasel ( 54062 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @08:49PM (#10772677) Homepage
      If you don't see now how they can be used, I can understand not getting it when it comes out. But when games like "Yoshi's Touch and Go" are released in the states people will start to see that the DS will be able to play games that weren't possible before.

      I think that is why I'm getting it on day one. Every other console has been an incremental improvement on another console or arcade machine. The DS is different, truly different, and I yearn for that sort of freshness in video games again.
    • yeah, decent RPGs are what I'm gonna hold out for, too, although, I think that may be hard. Made in wario DS looks GOOD. I got a chance to play Mawaru: Made in wario 2 for the GBA and I gotta get that game as soon as I have the $ and I beat zelda2 (I never beat it when I was a wee lad).

      the last videogame system I bought was the turbografix16 (and CD) until I got my SP. I gotta say, though, that it got me back into gaming. I thought the days of console (handheld or otherwise) were over, but damn, I love my
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Hmmm (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Deliveranc3 ( 629997 ) <deliverance@NOSpaM.level4.org> on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @10:33PM (#10773369) Journal
    I wonder how the OS is implemented?

    Can it be hacked to support Skype I wonder?

    Someone get on this!

    And don't do it like what I had to do to my Xbox.

    I wouldn't have gotten Live but it pisses me off that now I can't.

    Maintain Game compatibility but get skype on that mofo!
    • My guess is it wouldn't be too hard, except there's no mic.

      I'd rather see a web browser, myself. It's got integrated WiFi, and it's got a touchscreen (I'm thinking PictoChat-like OSK).

      • Re:Hmmm (Score:2)

        by Dicky ( 1327 )
        My guess is it wouldn't be too hard, except there's no mic.

        Except, of course... there is a mic... One of the things which has been touted for the DS is voice recognition - I don't know how well that might work, but apparently at least one of the 'launch' games (Feel the Magic) uses the mic...

        • Oh, mod me down then ;-)

          I RTFA'd, but I didn't see anything about a mic. My guess is a Skype client wouldn't be that hard, but isn't Skype closed source? It'd be a little harder, then, but not bad.

  • Nintendo XP (Score:5, Funny)

    by LTB_Enterprises ( 824336 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @10:33PM (#10773379)
    "Any time players adjust any setting on the Nintendo DS, the system will prompt users to shut down the system. I figure this is Nintendo playing it safe so that people don't lose their data."
    So this is what Windows was up to all that time! Change the time, machine shuts down. Change screensaver, machine shuts down. Open application, machine shuts down. I guess that they were just too busy to give you the warning before it does it.
  • When I first heard Nintendo was going to make a dual screen handheld, I laughed (and cried). It's looking really good, though, from what I've seen. You gotta give it to Nintendo...they know the handheld market. Sony's PSP looks great too, but the short battery life makes me wonder whether it'll be useful as a handheld and not a 'console replacement (TM)'.

  • Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Wednesday November 10, 2004 @08:17AM (#10775543)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

Slashdot Top Deals

According to the latest official figures, 43% of all statistics are totally worthless.

Close