Nintendo DS, my first impressions

By Dazzla
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Grand Master

Dazzla Veteran

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First things first, this thread has nothing to do with the PSP. Noooooo mention at all, any such flame bait posts will simply be removed (that includes you Manicdvln! :p ). Save the PSP talk for when I create my "Sony PSP, my first impressions" thread in a few weeks :p

Let's get the pictures out the way:

DS-1.jpg

DS-2.jpg

DS-3.jpg

DS-4.jpg

DS-5.jpg

DS-6.jpg

I also tried filming a movie with my camera. Steadying a camera whilst playing Mario 64 DS is pretty hard so excuse the lack of action in the movie :p

Right Click to Download

My first impressions on receiving the package was how small the box was, considering there were 2 Nintendo DS's inside, when I opened that I was shocked to see the majority of that was packing :s The box for the DS seemed small to me, not a patch on my SP's box though :whistle: All I've read about the DS in the preceding weeks is stabs at it's size, sure it's larger than the SP but for me it's a hell of a lot more comfortable to play games on (god bless backwards compatibility :happy: )

I won't tell you about how there's a setting tutorial and stuff like that when you first turn on the DS, you can read about that anywhere on the net. I like the way it asked for my birthday though, built in surprises and goodies in games? :D Dazzla likes little Nintendo sized birthday presents :happy:

My one gripe so far is the size of the stylus, it's miniscule! (or minish if you're that way inclined :p ) it's probably about 2 inches long and clicks into the DS (so you're gonna struggle to lose it, but if you do there's a spare in the box). It could probably have done with being perhaps just an inch longer, but then that would've changed the way it was stored :rolleyes:

Mario 64 DS impressions

I only picked this up with Mario 64 DS, being one of my favorite games of all time I was dreading the lack of such a beautiful input device as the N64 controller :wub: I jumped straight into the adventure mode and straight into the touch screen control system (I couldn't bare the thought of using a D-Pad). I played like this for 10 stars or so but after extended periods of play (read 4-6 hours in a session) it felt unconfortable and my thumb as gradually wandering around the screen. I decided (with much reluctance) to give the D-Pad a try, within the first 30 seconds I wasn't really liking it at all. You use the Y button to run whilst in D Pad mode, which is fine but the action button (not jump) is the A button. So they're on opposite sides of the 4 buttons. That bothered me at first but the more I played with it the more I got used to it. It's far from perfect and it's not a patch on the N64 controls but it's definitely playable.

Graphically I have to say that the screen grabs on the net do not do this justice at all. All I could think when looking at screenshots was "I bet this is what Mario 64 would look like on the PSOne", when this is in motion it's so damn fluid, the lack of mipmapping isn't noticable at all and what really stands out as different is the apparent increase in texture quality. The mini games are very simple (in terms of gamelay and graphics), I almost feel it's a wasted opportunity in terms of how far it could've pushed the DS graphically but you can't doubt their addictiveness.

The mini games section has swallowed a lot of my time (it almost feels like I'm progressing through the game simply to open up more mini games!). These are so damn addictive, to the point where I had to force myself to turn the DS off at 2AM because I had to get up at 6 for work! If this is an indication of the sort of levels of fun that I'm gonna be getting out of the touch screen which simply wasn't possible before then notch me up as a touch screen convert! With Wario Ware being the next game on my shopping list Nintendo are sure as hell making a compelling argument for the touch screen (to me at least :p ).

Needless to say I'm enjoying it so far, I'm happily stomping my way through Mario 64 eagerly awaiting both Wario Ware and Mario Kart. I'll also be giving the wireless multiplayer aspect of it a try out in a week or so (DS Download function, wireless range, impact on battery life etc) so I'll report back and hopefully this post wasn't too boring :blink:

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/251559-nintendo-ds-my-first-impressions/
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Grand Master

autodefe

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Nice little write-up you've got here. I must say I've had pretty much the same overall impressions you have. I've been playing my DS since last weekend and I'm loving Mario 64 DS, too. I can't wait for some more games to come out. I might pick up Mr. Driller next week :) Mario Kart should be a blast but it's too bad we have to wait so damn long.

Good stuff.

Rising Star

Manicdvln

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Posted

"I jumped straight into the adventure mode and straight into the touch screen control system (I couldn't bare the thought of using a D-Pad). I played like this for 10 stars or so but after extended periods of play (read 4-6 hours in a session) it felt unconfortable and my thumb as gradually wandering around the screen. I decided (with much reluctance) to give the D-Pad a try, within the first 30 seconds I wasn't really liking it at all. You use the Y button to run whilst in D Pad mode, which is fine but the action button (not jump) is the A button. So they're on opposite sides of the 4 buttons. That bothered me at first but the more I played with it the more I got used to it. It's far from perfect and it's not a patch on the N64 controls but it's definitely playable."

Don't worry about the controls, Dazzla, you will get the hang of it. In fact, I felt the same way when I played mario 64 DS, but after a day or two, I just couldn't play it without anything BUT the thumbstrap, it is quite innovative, and it ease very to use, you just need more time in using it. If it get's uncomfortable for your thumb, it means its time to take a brake. It's normal, there is no pad in the world that won't give you cramps.

Note: Don't forget to go in options and put "Touch mode" in control style, if you going to use thumb strap, does make a big difference. Also, don't tighten the strap all the way to choke your thumb, just enough that the strap won't move. The lighter you tighten the less uncomfortable it gets.

I finished mario 64 DS within a week with all 150 stars, which I never could in nintendo 64 version (which had less stars), so if anything, the controls did not hinder me, in jumping, moving and sneaking...

Yeah, the mini games are addicitive, in fact my bros enjoys the mini games much more instead of game itself, even girlfriends love it!!!

BTW, is your TOP screen more clear than your bottom, is there a big difference in clarity? Do yoo see a crystalized fuzzy quality on the bottom screen?

All DS'es are made in China.

Rising Star

Manicdvln

Posted
Posted
So a Nintendo DS is basically a N64, just portable, tiny and with 2 screens? Or is it more powerful? And what does the DS stand for?

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It can do higher polygons than N64, it's between a dreamcast and an N64.

DS stands for Dominate Sony :p

Grand Master

SimplySchizo

Posted
Posted

It's cool and all but, I'm just not fond at all about the touch screen implementation into games. How do you look around in that MarioDS? (I'm guessing with its touch screen) It's just way too uncomfortable imo. I played that Metroid demo over at BestBuy and man, the whole control scheme sucked. (tapping screen continuously to shoot all while dragging for finger all over the screen...ugh) I can imagine all the hand-cramps one will be getting playing that thing. They should've just stabbed it with a mini-analog stick or something.

Being the proud owner of the GBA SP, I'm sorry to say that i'll be skipping on this one. I just think that something as simple as its uncomfortability and lack of dual screen use (like most of these games are showing player position, whatever happened to simply pressing select) will slowly bring it to its demise.

Rising Star

Manicdvln

Posted
Posted
It's cool and all but, I'm just not fond at all about the touch screen implementation into games. How do you look around in that MarioDS? (I'm guessing with its touch screen) It's just way too uncomfortable imo. I played that Metroid demo over at BestBuy and man, the whole control scheme sucked. (tapping screen continuously to shoot all while dragging for finger all over the screen...ugh) I can imagine all the hand-cramps one will be getting playing that thing. They should've just stabbed it with a mini-analog stick or something.

Being the proud owner of the GBA SP, I'm sorry to say that i'll be skipping on this one. I just think that something as simple as its uncomfortability and lack of dual screen use (like most of these games are showing player position, whatever happened to simply pressing select) will slowly bring it to its demise.

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This is what happens with ignorance into the mix. Mario DS has 3 different control modes. Either by thumb strap, 2d pad or stylus pen. In touch mode, looking around is quite simple. You can use the side cameras which are Y and X, and for first person view, you simply touch the right bottom corner of the screen and locks you to that position and you can look around with the thumb strap like a analog stick.

Metroid has 5 different control modes!!! The demo was setup to a control mode you probably dont like. It's all personal preference, you can also play with d pad as well as thumb strap, shooting can be changed to L R buttons and moving with d pad and stylus or thumbstrap with y x b a.

There is so many ways I dont feel like expalining, its up to you to choose whats best for you.

Mentor

Atom

Posted
Posted
It's cool and all but, I'm just not fond at all about the touch screen implementation into games. How do you look around in that MarioDS? (I'm guessing with its touch screen) It's just way too uncomfortable imo. I played that Metroid demo over at BestBuy and man, the whole control scheme sucked. (tapping screen continuously to shoot all while dragging for finger all over the screen...ugh) I can imagine all the hand-cramps one will be getting playing that thing. They should've just stabbed it with a mini-analog stick or something.

Being the proud owner of the GBA SP, I'm sorry to say that i'll be skipping on this one. I just think that something as simple as its uncomfortability and lack of dual screen use (like most of these games are showing player position, whatever happened to simply pressing select) will slowly bring it to its demise.

585024149[/snapback]

One of the problems i have with this is that youre basing your opinion on a five-ten min play period where you are playing a demo that wasnt optimized to your personal prefrence. Control schemes can be changed. I compare it to trying to play a FPS shooter at best buy with inverted controls. If thats not your style then youre not going to enjoy the game nearly as much, but that doesnt mean the game sucks.

The thing that i love about nintendo is that they dont just follow the "crowd". They are innovators not followers. If they would've "just stabbed it with a mini-analog stick" then they would just be another fish in a sea of many. By creating a hand held w/ 2 screens, one of which is touch sensistive, theyre not only comming up with a new style of handheld, theyre are changing the way games are made. That is something that i respect.

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