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DS Ideas To Maximize Dual-Screen Gameplay?
Thanks to IGN Pocket for its feature suggesting a range of game ideas to make the most of Nintendo DS' dual-screen touchpad features, since, as the introduction argues, the forthcoming DS "offers the most vast number of opportunities for unique game design types than any handheld or console in quite some time." The theoretical, not in-production suggestions include a Total Control Boxing title where "the touchpad of the Nintendo DS gives developers a lot more room to explore and move the controller in an analog space", a touch-screen based version of previously mentioned Ragdoll Kung Fu ("Like shiny shirts are the new black, physics is the new jumping"), and double-character platform gaming ("The large touchpad and double-screen system means that doubled playing fields could easily be the norm rather than an abnormality.") What gameplay ideas would you like to see the DS innovate with?
I would like to see the GBDS innovate itself back to a single screen...
There are a number of image projecting technologies out there currently for PDAs and other hand-held devices. I really thing this thing would have stood a better chance if they had embraced one of those for both larger viewing space and multiple images. Developers having to make a special effort to support the unique hardware, and the serious lack of usefulness as far as actual games are concerned, will turn this into a great Nintendo-only product. I am sure we will see some really interesting things from Nintendo come out on this device, but it will most likely turn into another issue similar to the GBA/GC connectivity, where it's "pretty cool, but most implementation is kinda blah".
I don't know - a Metroid game where the map showed up on one of the screens while I manoevered on the other is pretty cool. Mind you, it doesn't take a lot of skill to press the "start" button, but still. I think that Nintendo should be focusing on innovation and new ideas instead of bigger & better (like Sony).
Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
gamers. I have a touchscreen on my Zaurus pda, and it's accurate enough for what I do with it, but I would not want to play an intense action game and have the touchpad mess me up. People already blame functional controllers for losing in video games...
An item listing on the second screen would be interesting too. Now instead of being able to pause in the middle of a fight to use some item, you have to get it done while the other guy's still advancing on you.
Well it has 802.11, a touch screen, and can do 3D graphics. I'd settle for this:
- Make a cool multiplayer game. Mario Kart or Quake or something.
- Make it easy for servers to be set up like Quake is today. Don't make me pay $$$ per month just to play on line.
- Use the touch screen as an on-screen keyboard so I can choose servers, chat, and/or touch an icon depicting the weapon I wanna use.
Neat new interfaces is cool and all, but if they can get this going I'll be playing on-line from my recliner. I think that'd be awesome!
"Derp de derp."
I was just wondering what Nintendo is doing for left handed gamers. Using the stylus and d-pad at the same time would be virtually impossible. I have heard that the right action buttons would be switched to d-pad functions for left handers, but that would take some major getting used to as every console i have ever played has had the d-pad on the left.
I don't know if many of you have seen it or not, but somewhere there is a Windows app that places a small cat on your desktop. If you click and drag on it, you pick up the cat by the scruff. When you let go, the cat drops until it lands on a window.
Imagine a Lemmings style game like that? You can pick up a Lemming, let it drop, and it does its own thing. Sounds simple enough, but when you have 30 of them on the screen, you have to move quick to pick them up and get them out of danger.
That little idea could be evolved a bit into an interesting game.
"Derp de derp."
My idea(nsfw) didn't turn out well.
Mouse powered Chips, Open source Processors and Lego
"Interesting new technology! Wow, imagine what we could do with this!"
"No! Clearly the fact that you cannot immediately enumerate all of the possibilities of this technology means that it is garbage!"
"But what if--"
"NO!"
Then come along whole new generes of games that simply require the mouse. What I'm saying is that sometimes a new thing like a second touch screen is just push designers need to explore things that are truly revolutionary.
The touch-screen alone will allow you much more intuitive control of games that depend on selecting objects in a 2-dimensional playing field (think Maniac Mansion, Lemmings, any RTS game). Basically, the days of manipulating that clunky joypad-controlled cursor all over the screen are gone. And this is a GREAT thing with tosn of possibilities.
I'm still a little skeptical of how it'll turn out in practice, though. My experience with touch screens in the past has been that they're still kind of clunky themselves because they're not precise enough to use with your thumbs and I wouldn't even think of trying to tap a screen with a stylus while simultaneously holding the controller in both hands and having access to the d-pad and action buttons.
As far as the second screen, as a three-year dual-monitor user I know how much easier it is to multitask with a set of applications open on separate screens and simply switch your gaze (and mouse) between them as opposed to constantly shuffling windows around. At the same time, I don't see streamlined console games having the same multitasking requirements, and I think the second screen will just be used as a place to put those mini-maps and status windows that used to be squeezed into the corner of the screen. It might make the main gameplay windows less cluttered, but I'd rather just have a larger single screen.
I give Nintendo credit for trying something new, but I'm still haunted by Virtual Boy flashbacks. They'll have to do a lot more than produce a gimmicky hardware platform if they truly intend to reintroduce innovation to the dying video game industry. Like, for example, I hope they design new games for the platform as opposed to port existing franchies and retro remakes with cursory touch-screen and dual-screen support. But this is definitely a start.
Another thing I'd like to see is some serious AI improvements, and not just a 'ok the player is doing insanely well, time to make the game impossible' a la Max Payne 2. I wanna be able to team up with an AI as good as Metal Gear Solid's (I like game the game a lot, did you notice?) BUT instead of having both screens to myself, the second screen would be for my buddy. So while I played on my screen I could use the touch pad to point out directions and orders to by buddy like we were real soldiers "go here", "attack this", "cover this area", etc. This would eliminate silly things like ammo symbols appear over people's heads when they shout 'I need ammo!' since I could just double tap the ammo symbol on mine/his screen to communicate with him. Kinda like Brute Force, only not Microsoft par quality.
My last idea would be a RTS on the handheld. It'd be insanely difficult to do, let alone play, but think about it. With two screens you could FINALLY watch your army while watching your base, no more losing a match because you were too busy killing an enemy outpost while the enemies were destroying your BASE. Two screens would TOTALLY innovate RTS games, since you could no longer risk playing 'turtle' style since even a newbie would be able to launch hit-and-run attacks while mining resources as well as you. Recon would take a new level since doing so before usually ment seeing a couple red dots on the minimap and having them disappear before you could click and see what it was. Flanking (long overlooked in games) would because vital in large army combat with fog of war in RTSes. You could send one part of your army to keep the enemy busy in a chokepoint while a second part snuck around and pincer attacked them in the rear from view of the second screen.
I agree that Nintendo is stubborn, but their problem is not that every other game is Mario or Zelda, quite the opposite in fact. Nintendo's first party games are consistently high quality and sell well, the problem is that they are too reluctant to take proper advantage of this (though the trend seems to be turning around a bit)
Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
That should help
-- Chapman's Observation #1: Nothing is ever simple
I don't think I disagree with the decision to separate the two screens, it sort of forces (strongly encourages perhaps) developers to innovate.
Obviously minimaps and inventories will find the addition usefull
Also puzzle games taking advantage of an extra dimension could become more complex.
The additional screen could be used in a linkup platform game to display the other players location. Tetrinet / puzzle bobble / puzzle fighter style games also would use the extra space to display the other player
The stylus allows for a new control method which could prove interesting, it's better in terms of precision/speed than the d-pad and it could be used in conjunction with the dpad simply to give the player lots more buttons
The stylus could be used for lock picking (ala thief 3) and other puzzle types within an action game, essentially making all dialog style interactions available without hiding the playing screen. This would allow designers to keep the game going making the player keep a sharp eye out for someone trying to get them while their guard is down.
I think someone mentioned above, the ability to use the two screens to play two characters would be cool.
perhaps the stylus could be used for gesture style spell systems (ala black and white) for some games.
Ok that'll do for now
It is a game that is just made up of tons of minigames, most of them very interesting.
Something like this could add a whole new element of control to it.
The first thing that popped into my head was an Operation type mini game where you have to pick bones out of a body.
Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
How about a handheld I can take on holiday with me and play something like GT4 on, then port the save over to the big console when I get home?
Face it, people will only whine that they'll need to buy the same game twice (for console and handheld, they can't differ much if you want the saves to be compatible). Unless Sony bundles the UMD and DVD versions of, say, GT4 for the same price or maybe five bucks more people will complain that it's too expensive for simple save porting. I mean, people already complain when you need a GBA, or in this case if you'd need a PSP to get everything out of a game, but a who-knows-how-expensive PSP plus a second copy of the 50 buck game (or 70 bucks, if you don't live in NA) in a different format, now that's going to attract a lot of complainers. Sure, they could make a PS2 addon that plays PSP games, but wouldn't that end up being the same as the Game Boy Player?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
I want to see a four-player fighting game that shows a close up horizontal view on one screen, and an overhead view of the entire arena on the other screen.