So way back when, I bought a DS, and I talked about it here. Now it's about two months later, so I'm gonna talk about it here again.
So far, there seem to be two types of games on the DS:
1)- Normal games that are good, but too gimmicky to really play. This includes Mario 64 and the Metroid demo. The control just isn't there with the touchscreen. It just doesn't compare to an analog stick. Moving Mario or Samus around with the touchscreen is a pain in the ass and I have passed beyond the "I'll get used to it" phase. I am not getting used to it and it is crap is what it is. A guy on IGN said this, and I agree - touch-screen control isn't an innovation, it feels like a make-do solution. Livable, but not ideal.
2)- Games that are fun, but have no depth. I quite enjoyed The Urbz and Feel The Magic, but I also beat them both in short order.
So I dunno. I bet Wario Ware Touched will be good, and they're re-releasing Ultimate Card Games for the DS - I think the touch-screen will be a better interface than the regular joypad, as card games are good PDA-type games. But really, I would have preferred an enhanced GameBoy with N64-type specs, a larger, brighter screen, and an analog stick.
We're two months removed from the release of the system, and the game I play the most is... Fire Prowrestling 2 from the old GBA. Not a great sign.
The DS is, essentially, a beefed-up Game Boy, so I'm certainly not going to trade off the system. And I do think games will get better as developers learn to either use the touch screen properly or ignore the gimmick. But right now, I can't see myself getting real interested in the Urbz or Feel The Magic again, so I'll likely trade those two off.
Who knows, maybe I'll put the credit towards a PS2 or Xbox and Burnout 3.
Or maybe I'll wait for the PSP. The PSP might be pricey, but has better graphic capabilities, just looks a cool piece of gear, and Sony is gonna push it to the moon. I expect it to launch at $199 US, which would be pretty reasonable.
I do think that, unlike the Game Boy and its descendants, it will attract an older crowd, but we'll just have to wait and see how that turns out.
I got the DS for Christmas, and while I'll admit that the lack of games so far is dissapointing, I would hardly say that I am disappointed in the system as a whole. I just get a very promising feeling from it, and I don't really have any control issues with it. I think controlling Mario with the D-pad works just fine, and the touch screen mini games are awesome. The only problem that I have with Mario 64 DS is that my girlfriend is always hogging the DS (that she gave me) to play the mini games. The touch screen stuff like that really attracts those who would not normally play video games, and the main game is more than enough to satisfy your typical gamer. Sure Mario 64 is a port, but it's got a bunch of new stuff, and it's one of the best games of all time in handheld form- you can't beat that. As for Metroid, the touch screen control took a bit of getting used to for me, but now I really like it. Plus, even though it's bulkier, the GBA games look better being played on the DS, so it has that bonus feature going for it.
Sure the games are few and far between now, but that's just because Nintendo rushed it out the door to get a leg up on the PSP. Look at the awesome games coming later this year: Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Wario Ware Touched, full Metroid Hunters, Advance Wars DS, Castlevania DS, Another Code, New Super Mario Bros., Soul Calibur, Fianl Fantasy III, Sonic DS and a bunch more. Oh yeah, now my girldfriend also really wants that dog game that is coming out after I showed her vid clips of it.
So it's really a waiting game right now, but I know what's in store is gonna be really cool portable games that provide a much different experience than just playing shrunken down console type games on the go.
(edited by Eradicator on 20.1.05 0945)
(edited by Eradicator on 21.1.05 1314) "The Universe is shaped exactly like the Earth- if you go straight long enough you end up where you were."
Third-party publishers really weren't sure how the DS was going to sell. It was certainly not expected to do as good as it has done so far...not even Nintendo expected that. Publishers and developers will definitely start announcing new games quickly having seen that it is the real deal. Also, it does indeed have a little to do with Nintendo wanting to get the headstart on PSP.