So, anyone have the Nintendo DS?

[bliss_eternal]

Thoughts? Like it? What games do you have for it? Or tried?

I lucked into getting one for dh for Christmas. I had NO idea what I was getting. He wanted a Playstation 2--everywhere I went they said it was sold out but they had just got in the Nintendo DS. I didn't have a clue what they were talking about and walked away from it twice.
The third time this happened, I figured it was fate and snapped it up. He LOVES it and I'm diggin' it too!

Bliss :hi:

[jayfish]

1. It's Got Some Neat...

features and seems to be a powerful unit, but overall I dislike it. I think the biggest drawback is going with that damn touch-pad over dual-analog joysticks. They could have used the dual-sticks to spruce up its' dreadfully inelegant design too. They could have done a more jellybean like design with little bulges (not unlike the turbo bulges on a 90's Eagle talon) to cover the sticks.




Just my .02

Jay

[slutticus]

2. I've seen one, but I've never played one.

How do you play without buttons or a control pad?

[bliss_eternal]

3. There are buttons, like the directional ones and

the system comes with a stylus. A pen like item that you use to manuveur through the game. It helps you to touch the screen delicately yet still do what you have to for the game.

I used it for a Mario game I bought dh to go with his ds. It was so cool. Using the stylus allowed you to actually pull back a slingshot and release it ALL on the screen of the Nintendo DS. It's a different feeling particularly if you are used to utilizing a joystick or control button panel--but it allows you to engage in detailed and precise movements directly on the screen.

It's kind of hard to describe, but I felt it was very cool! LOL! I'm just biased I'm sure--but I'm pretty impressed with the graphics and the system.

:)

[Chovexani]

4. I'm not an early adopter

Because, let's face it, pretty much every single console ever released has had a totally subpar launch library. I like to wait and see what ends up getting announced/released for a system before I take the plunge. A policy which has served me very, very well over the years. The only console I've ever bought at launch was the PS2, because having an immediate, quality library wasn't as important--it was a cheap DVD player (remember, this was before you could get DVD players for $30 at Target), and it had backward compatibility. I actually used the initial lull in decent games to catch up on a load of phenomenal PS1 RPGs I had missed out on due to the glut that came out around '99-'00.

Quite frankly, unless something crazy happens like Square decides to port Seiken Densetsu 3 to the DS, I think I'll be spending my money on a PSP instead. The sticking point for me is the fact that the DS isn't backwards compatible with GBC games. It may not be a big deal for you, but it is for me. Sure, you can play GBA games on it, which is probably more important, but I have a load of GBC (and original GB!) games that I still enjoy. I don't have many GBA titles because most of them are either a)the usual shovelware that gets released to popular consoles (ie Mary Kate & Ashley's Horsie Farm, Nicktoons licensed crap, etc.), b)a parade of rehashes and ports meant to capitalize on the NES/SNES nostalgia felt by 20-somethings like me. Most of which I already own on the NES/SNES, and feel no need to pay $35 for a portable version. Sorry Nintendo, not buying it, not even if you cleverly give it a name like "Mario Advance". Other than the Golden Suns, the Castlevanias and stuff like Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories...nada. Hell, my GBA sees more use as a peripheral for my Cube than for playing of actual GBA games.

I've see nothing to indicate the DS software situation will be any different; now they'll just be re-hashing N64 games. Which really won't work, seeing as there were maybe 5 total worth playing (and Majora's Mask wasn't one of them). They need to come out with some mindblowing games for this thing, and get other people to make mindblowing games for it. I'm talking about Super Mario 3 mindblowing. Street Fighter 2 mindblowing. Legend of Freakin' Zelda mindblowing. A Mario 64 port with a bunch of shitty Flash minigames? Not so much with the mindblowing. I KNOW they can do it--Jesus, can't they just lock Shigeru Miyamoto in a room somewhere with a bong and some munchies?

I don't want to sound like a Nintendo hater. I grew up on their consoles, and I love Zelda almost as much as I love FF. (Almost. :P) I really, really want to like this company. But they just manage to do the dumbest, most hardheaded shit over and over again, seemingly not learning from it. They've been able to get away with it with the GBA because they've pretty much had a monopoly on the portable gaming market since it was conceived. It's different this time, though. The PSP is selling insanely well in Japan. They just can't afford this dumb shit anymore, or they might find themselves ending up like Sega, whoring off Pokemon games to any console that will have them.

[NEOBuckeye]

6. You know, the Death Knell for Nintendo will likely be the "PSXCD"

And you know it's coming. I'm surprised it's taken Sony this long to get into the handheld market. Whenever they get around to putting a color LCD screen and buttons on a portable CD player, Nintendo, at least as a first-party publisher/console maker, is toast.

[PittPoliSci]

5. i have one.

i really enjoy the super mario 64 ds, and the new warioware: touched looks pretty fun too. I only have mario ds thus far, however, it does come in handy if you want a gameboy advance too, as it plays GBA games too. I'm eagerly anticipating Animal Crossing DS, which will either make or break the system for me personally.