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Nintendo Announces DS Lite
Conradq writes "Via Joystiq: 'Nintendo President Satoru Iwata today announced Nintendo DS Lite, a slimmer version of the best-selling Nintendo DS. Also featuring brighter screens, Nintendo DS Lite will launch in Japan on the 2nd of March. Nintendo DS Lite will be less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter. Nintendo will announce more information about the availability of Nintendo DS Lite in North America and other territories in the future.'" Additional: by Z : Commentary available via Gamasutra, Next Generation, and The Game Chair. A good move, right on the heels of the news that Nintendo's profits more than doubled in Q3 as a result of the DS's sales success, and that they've hit 3 million online connections via their online component. Also, for the record, they snowed us earlier this month.
So is this going to be a portable version of the DS? ;-)
See, now I might pick one of these up to complement my PSP. One of the things that kept me from getting a DS was how big and clunky it looked. I'm starting to think that Nintendo intentionally de-sexys their first version of any portable, so they can release a hotter version a year later.
"Stumble before you crawl"
is this just an improved version that will replace the DS, or is there something missing?
... that they're also not not making productivity tools for the DS? And is it just me or does this look a little iBookish?
is this the final nail in the coffin of the PSP, or did I miss that press release?
It looks 3 times more sexy, I wonder if it still takes flash cartridges =P
:)
In that case I might get one real soon now
Their press release can be found here.
The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination
- Douglas Adams
Considering that Nintendo just finished denying that there was no redesigned DS, this came as a surprise.
Perhaps that explains the DS shortages in Japan? Maybe Nintendo was busy manufacturing the new models?
Anyway, it's smaller, thinner, lighter, brighter, and only $10 more. What's not to like? I wonder how much I'll get on trade-in with my current DS...
If not, I'm not interested. I love Nintendo and the games they make, but if they can't adopt a given STANDARD for security reasons... I have no reason to buy their products.
I am looking forward to Revolution though... and this coming from a PURELY PC gamer. I don't own any consoles.
The price is always right if someone else is paying.
From joystiq comments:
New one:
133.0 x 73.9 x 21.5mm, at 218g.
Old one:
148.7 x 84.7 x 28.9mm, at 275g.
I wonder if it still takes flash cartridges =P
Good point. I wonder how many security blocks Nintendo put on this thing. The newer DS's being sold have a newer firmware that blocks PassMe, but PassMe 2 gets around it (but requires some annoying setup to use). I'd bet the new one will block PassMe 2.
I'm an unabashed Nintendo fanboy, but I have to admit the DS struck me cold at first. Now that the DS has a far better game selection than the PSP, a lineup which is only getting stronger, it's a perfect time to catch all those hesitant buyers like myself. The PSP seems to be intent on being a media platform and not a game console, and this redesign will only help Nintendo cement their portable superiority.
Nintendo seem to have chosen the 'Lite' name because it is smaller and brigher than a standard DS.
It sounds to me more like a name for a cut-down version, rather than an improved one.
Do not look directly at the DS Lite, it may cause permenent retinal damage.
I Browse at +4 Flamebait
Open Source Sysadmin
That sound you hear is that of a million DSes being dumped on eBay, followed by hasty Far Eastern importage of the Lite.
Ooh, it looks like the Nintendo DS and an iPod have had sex babies.
Nice.
On the one hand , I already have a DS , I love the form factor , the weight is perfect for me , it brings back nostalgic memories of Game and Watch and I have big pockets. So really I can't justify getting a new one
.. wow that thing looks gorgeous and would really go with my iPod and being perched next to the mac.
On the other hand
Unfortunately I am not that shallow and unless I get an injection of cash I can't justify it .
I really think that this could boost sales in the Gadget/ fashion conscious markets though
The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
Great. And I just bought the nasty pink version for my Girlfriend just before Christmas...I swear she's collecting these things. Ah well...
So it's gonna cost more than the standard version? Hmm...but will they drop the price of the original (assuming they have any left in stock) like the did when the GBA SP came out?
"...So I hung back and lurked. For 18 months. Can't beat a good old-fashioned lurking."
I'd trade 20% lighter in for 20% larger screens.
BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
I wonder with the size reduction and everything if it will still play gameboy advance games.
I don't read Kanji, but my friend does. He said Nintendo specifically mentions a smaller size and easier usability so that more women and seniors buy it.
That's right. Your grandman's getting a DS.
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
...... Does it run LINUX?
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
(If they could get the two screens closer to each other, that'd matter more to me.)
"Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
First off a disclaimer: I own a DS, no PSP and am a total Nintendo fanboy.
That said....
The PSP has its distinct andvantages. The screen is just brilliant and it lends itself to being a great media viewer _in addition to_ a game system. Now here a the point of contention. Which is its primary position? If it is truly supposed to capture the video game and not media view space then I think its fair to say Sony really needs to get their shit straight. If that means headhunting Nintendo employees and turning out some 1st class in house wares it certainly wont be the first time we have seen someone buy their way back into things. But again the PSP still has its overwhelming edge as a personal media viewer that is unmatched.
The DS is an amazing machine and does what it is designed to do almost perfectly. But it does not have the built in added bonus of being a media reader although it has the physical capacity to do so. I know of movie players from lik-sang and the like but it is confusing and clunky even to someone like myself and not in the minds of the average gamer when looking at this purchase. Now in japan there is a movie media cart for the GBA SP I believe - and they already sell the official Big N wireless adapter for the DS. They NEED to fill this gap with what they already have and just sell the SD reader / software etc done with Nintendo quality and at least take back some of that market. For a cheaper price than the PSP you get games that are unmatchable and 90% of the PSP's function. While you certainly dont have the PSP screen you still the best of the media reader value by not being hampered by disk drive movement and size while using SD cards.
I mean they have to see this too right? Sell it in a crispy package right next to the broadband adapter. $100 for the software to convert down movies to DS screen dimensions - use the tap screen for the menus, use the internal headphones for mp3, and a 256? meg SD card that fints into the GBA slot cartidge. They can sell it at shitty margins and they will still win in the long run by taking market from sony. Its the one thing the ds doesnt do and its huge.
IMHO
---- The real Slashdot is still here. You just have to browse at -1 to read the comments.
I recently bought a Nintendo DS to pass the time during a long bus ride (I'm terrible at sleeping on busses/planes) and I've utterly enjoyed almost everything about it. However, the experience of playing Mario 64 without an analog stick was awkward. Since the release of the DS, even in some of the initial reviews, it has been widely speculated that Nintendo would release an upgraded version in the future with an analog stick.
Now, we all know that Nintendo doesn't really listen to game pundits, but the addition of an analog stick, much like the addition of a backlit screen makes a whole lot of sense. I'll probably end up buying this upgrade anyway.
Does it strike anyone else as hypocritical that Nintendo refuses to release small upgrades to their first party games (releasing sequels to games that just add new levels instead of totally redesigning the game engine which would mean having a new Mario/Mario Kart game each year instead of one every 3-5 years) but they release tons of incremental upgrades to their portable systems?
(Big Grey GameBoy -> GameBoy Pocket -> GameBoy Color -> GameBoy Advance -> GameBoy Advance SP -> GameBoy Advance Micro & GameBoy Advance SP w/ Brighter Screen...)
sig.
Okay I'm a giant gamer. But my first inclination is to roll my eyes at this. Yes I know that it is a good system and having a handheld appeals to my geek sensibilities. Th urge to goo and ga over it and say "ooo shiny" is strong within me. But then my other side asserts itself. How long will this model last? Will we see another different version in a year to compete with the new model PSP will bring out to compete against the "Lite". Will we forever be in a ever revolving circle of having to have the new yearly product to siphon funds out of my Warcraft fund.
Considering that it is a DS, it will probably be able to run DSLinux. I think they even have the touch screen working, but there's not much you can run considering the unit only has 4MB of internal memory.
It looks like the site is having some database problems right now, I hope those clear up soon.
Why is it that when you believe something it's an opinion, but when I believe something it's a manifesto?
That Im going to have to get another DS. The redesign is fine with me. My old DS will continue to work, but the new design is just too much to pass up.
---space.is.the.place---
I guess the parent was suppoed to be funny.
very retro..
it has been widely speculated that Nintendo would release an upgraded version in the future with an analog stick.
Yeah because nothing makes your fanbase happier than forcing them not only to upgrade, but to BUY A WHOLE NEW CONSOLE. Not to mention it would be useless in the games that were released BEFORE the analog stick model came out. Either way, you're not going to be playing Mario64 any differently on the new machine.
It does NOT make sense to include an analog stick. It is nothing like including a backlit screen. It is more like when Sega released an upgrade that hooked into the Genesis.
Hey guys the 32x was awesome! How many people had one hooked into their Genesis? None? Oh.
How come this is so familiar to the announcements of a new iPod.
"Nintendo DS Lite will launch in Japan on the 2nd of March. Nintendo DS Lite will be less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter."
Also they prolly were a step away from calling it DS Nano, but they decided to be "original" instead (picking "LITE", which misleadingly suggests cut down features and price, oh well).
Also see this picture which complements my statement perfectly:
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/news/060126.jpg
iPod for games. Well it's worth trying, that's for sure. Hope it doesn't scratch easily.
I fail to see how this proves me wrong at all. In fact... I think what you've written is entirely unrelated to my post. Forcing people to buy an entirely new system? Huh?
Perhaps, pre-Analog stick DS games wouldn't work with the analog stick, but there's this little thing called backward compatibility I'm sure you've noticed that the DS can play Advance games, haven't you? I'm sure it wouldn't be so difficult to make sure that games could utilize BOTH the analog control and the digital control.
How does releasing a new system that can play DS games and Advance games in a slightly different package differ so greatly from releasing a new system that can play DS games and Advance games in a slightly different package with an analog stick?
sig.
If you want to be able to use your DS online, you have to turn WPA off on your router. Completely. Meaning all of your wireless devices are unsecured. You can use WEP, but the script kiddies next door can break it in a day or less.
~ Aero
Normally those grammar/spelling nazis kind of piss me off.
But here I find myself more annoyed at the writing, the story summary mixes terms like "Brighter screen" "half as small" and "20% lighter".
The last one confuses me - is that a 20% brighter in luminance as it would imply from the "brighter screen" comment? Or is it 20% lighter in terms of weight, as might be deducted by the "half as small" portion of the description?
Since it's not grammar or spelling exactly, perhaps I am a... Strunk & White nazi?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
The only thing iBookish about this is the color. Parent just pointed out the obvious, but nevertheless obligatory. Apple didn't patent the color white yet. Oh, and I own a G4 whitey iBook. Every time someone releases something white, they come in waves to say it's "apple-ish" or "iBookish" and I just can't stand it.
For a while I've been looking into getting a new handheld (right now I have a pretty beat up GBA (original, with a custom made LED-backlight), but I haven't jumped yet. Why? Multimedia capabilities.
In Japan, the big "N" released the Play-Yan (and more recently, the Play-Yan Micro) for the GBA/GBA-SP/GBM (it also works on the DS, from what I've read). This is a cart that includes a headphone jack (it has a dedicated audio chip) and a slot for an SD card (up to 1GB). It can play movies and music (MPEG-4 video and MP3 audio). It isn't too much of a battery hog, either.
It's also not available outside of Japan.
Sony hit it right on the nose saying that people want a mutlifunction device. While the GBA/GBA-SP may not be the sexiest things out there, and the GBM has a small screen, they could fill that purpose with the Play-Yan. But Nintendo refuses to release it in North America, and it's pointless to import from Japan as I can't read the interface or software (it comes with a program to convert your DVDs to MPEG-4).
The PlayStation Portable is a good device, but it has a shorter battery life than the GBM, and also costs almost three times as much ($90 for a GBM, $250 for a PSP). For one PSP, I could buy a GBM, import a Play-Yan, and buy six or seven games. However, the added price does get you an amazing screen.
I really wish one of these companies would bend and make life easier. I don't suspect Sony will do so, they're probably already taking a loss on every PSP. Nintendo should bite the bullet and get around to releasing the Play-Yan in America. Maybe even release a bundle with the damn thing packaged in for $30 more. I'm sure people would go for it.
freeflux-powered open-source blog
You can't play Advance games with the touch pad, even though they are backward compatible.
You wouldn't be able to play original DS games with the analog stick, even though they would be backward compatible.
Backwards compatibility means that you can play the games on the new system, not that the old games can take advantage of the new features in the new system.
can you buy a game cartrige that will run linux on it?
As an american High School student, I'd like to officially apologize for my generation.
I don't own a DS yet because of two things: size, and game selection. Initially, the library only had one or two games that slightly interested me, and I rarely used my GBA as it is. Plus, the DS was just too large to easily fit in my pants' pocket. My coat pocket would work, but I don't wear my coat in the summer.
Now, Nintendo has corrected both problems. Games such as Wario Ware: Touched, Mario Kart DS, and the upcoming Pokemon games with the ability to chat, trade, and battle via WiFi have made me drool for this system, limited only by size and money.
When the big rumors hit the main gaming sites about a redesigned DS, I couldn't have been happier over a handheld console. Rumors they may be, but often they were predictive in some fashion. My hopes were actually hieghtened, not dashed, by Nintendo's subsequent announcement. I can't find a link now, but the wording was more that they haven't announced any new DS, not that they haven't made a new DS (first rule of gaming press releases concerning rumors: Look at what they don't say).
So, now, both of my reasons for not getting a DS are dashed. I cannot wait for the Revolution.
Well, there is one more reason. But I can eat Ramen for a month.
So when are we getting a DS Micro?
Am I the only one that finds the DS's buttons already uncomfortable to use? Making smaller would just compound the problem.
Also, for the record, they snowed us earlier this month.
No, they didn't. The rumor was that the redesigned DS was going to be released the week after MacWorld. Nintendo dismissed that rumor, not the news that they were redesigning the DS (which has been a rumor since last year).
"Sufferin' succotash."
What happened? What happened to all the great games i grew up playing? It seems to me they are just running out of ideas and the ones that they are dreaming up now just revolt me. Take Mario for example, all the Mario games for NES and SNES were great, then after N64 it went 3D and each new game is worse and worse.
Last year I was looking to finally get a handheld (i never liked them before but wanted a little entertainment on my commute). I look at the games and graphics for the DS and it looked HORRIBLE. Then along came the PSP with boasts of GTA wherever I go. That alone sold me. Now I can play fun games with great graphics, watch full length movies or downloaded movie clips, listen to my MP3s, Hell it even supports emulators. Now I ask you, why would anyone pick DS over PSP?
Given that there were 2 redesigns of the original Game Boy (Pocket, Color [yes it also boosted the specs but it really only proved to be the gateway into GBA land]), 2 redeisgns of the GBA (SP and now Micro), is anyone really all that surprised by the update?
Also, I don't see why everyone is saying the D-Pad looks like the one on the Revolution controller. It looks like the same old Nintendo D-Pad that's been in existence since the Game & Watch... just white now, but it was white/grey on the N64 and Gamecube too. I'd rather have that then the buttons as D-Pad that's employed on the original DS and was first adopted (in my mind) by Sony with the original Playstation.
Regardless, this is still a smart move on Nintendo's part, and kudos to them with killing rumors in the process. Any word on a price drop in the near future?
I'm still crossing my fingers and hoping for a WPA/WPA2 firmware upgrade at some point though... preferably for free (read: downloadable through the wifi network, or at something like a kiosk at your local electronics store) or the small fee of shipping the unit out to one of their repair centers. Of course this all depends on whether or not the WiFi connection stuff is embedded in the system and each game taps into that, or if its on a per-game basis.
Insert Sig Here
Looks like Ivan256 didn't exactly get snowed in the original article: http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=174126&c id=14483668
Boy deserves a cookie for his insight...
If Murphy's Law can go wrong, it will.
When she get's my old ds. I'm totally buying. I feel like such a consumer whore. I am such a consumer whore.
Hopefully we'll have less dead pixels with the new one? That'd be real nice!
Then we will have the Diet DS, then the DS Zero, then back to the Classic DS...WELL MAKE MILLIONS!!!!
Two problems with it:
1. It just plugs into a PC and turns on connection sharing.
2. It does nothing to pierce firewalls. It should have had custom software that tunnels all the clients (it only supports 4 at once I think) over a unblocked port (like 80).
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
Same stinkin' thing happened with the GBA, too. As soon as I acquired one, they announce the SP. Even as a kid, it wasn't more than a month or two after I got my NES that the SNES was all over Nintendo Power.
This is getting rediculous.
It may not be perfect, but WPA is more secure than WEP. More importantly, the hash for turning WPA passwords into keys is standardized. WEP has several different ways to do it. The upshot of this is that if you have both Macs and PCs, you have to use a hex number as a password if you use WEP. If you use WPA, you can use a real password and when your friends ask how to get on your network you don't have to ask what platform they are using or write down some difficult to remember hex string for them to type in.
I'm using an off the shelf from Best-Buy router, and it works fine with WPA. DS doesn't.
As to just filtering by MAC, I know some people who do that. But that's dumb because although it stops people from using your network, it doesn't make it at all difficult for them to sniff your packets. WPA makes that non-trivial (but not impossible).
Finally, I have the $30 Nintendo USB adapter. It sucks. See other post.
Finally finally, I use wired connections wherever possible. I have my house wired for GigE, including to my consoles. However, I don't see an ethernet jack on my DS. Does yours have one?
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
wpa is only 'vulnerable' to dictionary-based attacks. good luck cracking a 63-character, random password with that.
wep can be cracked in a matter of minutes. all you need is linux (bootable cd distribution will work), a card that supports packet injection, and a copy of aircrack. if your card doesn't support packet injection, you can still do it easily, just slower.
Nintendo is the master of getting people to buy the same damn thing over and over.
It's illogical.
It's irrational.
And they know damn well that I'll buy it despite what my left hemisphere tells me. I (hate|love) you, Nintendo!
"Apparently so, but suppose you throw a coin enough times. Suppose one day, it lands on its edge."
what for? do you have to be at least 9 feet from your handheld screen when playing?
... does it play the original gray GameBoy cartridges? That's the main thing that has stopped me, since the vast majority (90%+) of my handheld games are from the original gray GameBoy. I only own one GBC game and a few GBA games, so it would be almost silly to buy one if I can't play the classics.
First let me say this about the idea that a revised DS would have an analog stick. Ha. That's a good one. I mean, what would they do? Have the D-pad and the analog stick? Make the DS nice and cluttered, wouldn't it? Or they could drop the D-Pad - and then see how well the GBA titles, DS puzzle games, etc. play. Anything already written for the DS assuming the presence of a D-Pad would play like crap without a D-Pad. So stop trying to pass off wishful thinking as a credible rumor.
But about the parent post's comments about analog...
First, analog control or no analog control has nothing to do with whether the controller is cluttered. Whether the controller has both analog and a D-pad might be a hint, though...
Second, how do you figure analog control is harder for people to use? You push forward, the character moves forward, just like a D-pad. The difference is you get a lot more precision. You push farther, the character goes faster. I'd say that's a lot more intuitive than a D-pad plus the Y button, and a lot easier to deal with than the touchscreen. I think it could save a lot of frustration in Super Mario 64 to have the analog control the game was designed for. But the problem with analog sticks on game controllers is that they're great for some games but not so much for others. Games like Advance Wars or Tetris where it's more common to need to say "go 5 squares right" rather than "go right quickly" do much better on a D-pad. With GBA backward compatibility and the goal of supporting a good variety of games on the DS, a D-pad was really the only choice. The touchscreen as an analog controller is interesting (I always thought the "mouse-look" functionality in Metroid Prime: Hunters was well done - better FPS view control than an analog stick IMO) but awkward in the original hardware because of the placement of things. I think the touchscreen's much better suited for other things...
---GEC
I'm but the humble pupil, seeking to snatch the scratchbuilt pebble from the master's fully articulated hand
Forcing people to buy an entirely new system? Huh?
What about the new games that would use the analog stick? Could you play them on the old system?
We are not talking about backward compatibility. We are talking about actual compatibility. Will my DS I bought on day one play all the DS games? If you start messing with the functionality of the system the answer will be no sooner or later.
Take Mario for example, all the Mario games for NES and SNES were great, then after N64 it went 3D and each new game is worse and worse.
The first traditional Mario game that went 3D was for the Nintendo 64 (not after), and there's only been one additional 3D Mario game since then - Super Mario Sunshine for the Nintendo GameCube. Thus far there's only been a grand total of just two 3D Mario games, so finding "each new game is worse and worse", though ultimately an opinionary statement, is a bit hard to swallow.
I know how to open ports on my PC.
No, I mean piercing firewall, not opening ports.
I can't play DS on NiWiFi at work because of our work firewall. It should be able to pierce that. I know lots of ways to do it with openSSH and stuff, they just need to write the SW to do it for the PC and for the NiWiFi host.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
Press Release 1/26/2006 Nintendo
Upscale Nintendo DS Model Debut
Nintendo DS Lite
On Sale March 2nd
Nintendo Co.,Ltd. (Kyoto, JAPAN; President Satoru Iwata) announced that it will begin sales of the "Nintendo DS Lite", an upscale model of the "Nintendo DS" portable gaming system on March 2nd of this year.
The "Nintendo DS" (MSRP 15,000 yen tax included), which went on sale on 12/2/2004 and includes such unique functionality as double screens, touch screens, microphone input, and wireless communication (via local network and WiFi), was able to gain the support of gamers as well as many women and seniors who are new to gaming, allowing it to achieve sales figures (actual number of sales from retailers to customers) of over 5,000,000 units in the 13 months its release, making it the fastest selling console in Japan. It is expected that sales will have reached 5,700,000 units by the end of 2005.
Advances in reducing its size and weight allow the "Nintendo DS Lite" to achieve a higher level of portability wile retaining all of the unique functionality of the original. In addition, this high-grade machine now includes a brighter screen that allows for four brightness settings, (The name "Lite" was selected for its dual meaning of "light-weight" and "bright").
With the release of the upscale "Nintendo DS Lite", not only does Nintendo continue in its tradition of creating charming games that can be enjoyed regardless of gender, age, or gaming experience, it realizes an overwhelming adoption of its system, affirming its importance in the handheld market.
Product Name: Nintendo DS Lite
On Sale: 3/2/2006
MSRP: 16,800 yen (approx. $150 with tax)
Size: Width 133.0 mm * Length 73.9 mm * Thickness 21.5 mm (previous model: 148.7 mm * Length 84.7 mm * Thickness 28.9 mm)
Weight 218 grams (previous model: 275 grams)
--underspecified
Isn't anyone even mildly annoyed by the fact that right after you buy a Nintendo product they come out with a lighter, better version making yours look like an eyesore in comparison? I mean, did we really need to go through the Game Boy to the Game Boy Pocket, to the Game Boy Color to the Game Boy Advance, to the Game Boy advance that finally had back lighting, to the Game Boy DS, and now the Game Boy DS Lite? Couldn't they have cut out some of those product lines before they were even made? The need for a backlight on the GBA was obvious, why wasn't it there from the start? It seems like they are just draining their customers pockets in the one market in which they are still successful. Nobody needs to release 4 new versions of a handheld game in 4 years.
Judges and senates have been bought for gold; Esteem and love were never to be sold.
Linux, and most of Linux software, is made by its users.
If a commercial piece of software breaks, I think it's fair to complain to the maker. After all you paid for it, and you weren't given the means to fix it. Conversely, if a Linux application written by a volunteer breaks, you can try and fix it, and the least you can do is to report the bug, which helps others fix it.
There's also commercial software for Linux and volunteer-written software for closed source operating systems. This question is not specifically about Linux.
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
I've enjoyed the DS quite a bit. However, I do wish it had a hardware analog stick. The thumbstrap lacks a key feature: tactile feedback.
-G
www.pixelstatic.com
wow, i go and get a DS for christmas, and a month later....they decide to redesign it. thanks alot nintendo.
"Times have not become more violent, they have just become more televised." - Marilyn Manson
I picked up both a DS and PSP on their respective release dates. I'm an older gamer (been playing since the Atari 2600 days) and don't get a chance to use the portable systems while in transit anymore since I have to drive. I simply do not find the PSP enjoyable, I find it tired and boring. As for the games, they're simply the same ones I already own for the PS2. Movies? Unless I'm on a plane there's no point, there's always a DVD player and television/monitor where I'm at. Music? I already own portable digital music devices. Oh, and that analog "stick" really hurts my hand when playing Liberty City Stories (why can't I use the damn keypad?).
The DS, on the other hand, is pure gold. It offers a unique play experience that is not available on the consoles, and it supports my large collection of GBA games. The new design does sound interesting, but I'm concerned by the size reduction. As an adult I find that systems like the GBA are much too narrow; my fingers go numb after playing for only a few minutes.
Haha David Yarnton.
Way to demonstrate you're 100% out of the loop.
The short lived Crystal DS which behaves just the same as a normal DS, but people think the graphics are worse because the case is ugly.
If you rewrite your post with actual sentences, maybe I will be able to understand and answer.
Why is it that when you believe something it's an opinion, but when I believe something it's a manifesto?
I must say I'm not impressed with mario party, but then I don't have anyone to play with ;). I don't think super smash bros are that great, but then I don't like fighting games due to all the button combinations. I won't get impressed by animal crossing.
;/
I've tried the DS a little and I would really like to get one, althought when I look at the list of titles I don't see that much I would really play. Castlevania is given, mario ds, mario & luigi 2, new super mario bros, princess peach, advanced wars ds are given of course, and probably the rpgs which doesn't suck whatever those are. Can someone give me a complete list of good titles?
Kirby ds are probably fun to... and that yoshi game, althought short
That "trauma" game doesn't seem fun, is it really? I've tried wario whatever on the ds, it where booooring and crappy.
(ok, so there are quite a few titles I would like, but I also see so much shit when looking for games. Also a little better 3d chip would have helped makeing the snowboard kids and car games not look so bad, I guess they could even upgrade it but still have it compatible (I only need something which "blurs the polygons").)
Speaking of which, does it have to be so hard? I'm at 1-7 or something there the lake are poisoned and you are supposed to jump over to a cave. That's not that hard, but then comes the box pussle and I can't come anywhere in it. I guess I'm just really stupid, help? :D
I think it's likely that this version of the DS will have no place for a GBA cart, much like the GBA Micro has no place for a GB cart. That would be OK by me, since I haven't played a GBA game since I bought my DS, and if I ever want to I still have my original GBA (and the original DS...)
Considering that it is a DS, it will probably be able to run DSLinux.
DSLinux is a homebrew program. Given that Nintendo has updated the DS lockout once already during the DS life cycle, expect an even bigger lockout upgrade when the internals are redesigned for the DS Lite. Then users and developers of homebrew are going to have to develop and start using brand-new passthrough methods reminiscent of the save injection method that the Xbox Linux installer uses.
But then you'd have two different consoles, not only two different versions.
Are the PlayStation bundled with a digital controller and the PlayStation bundled with a Dual Shock controller "two different consoles"?
you'd have been more likely to be one of the six people in North America who got a Sega Master System instead of an NES because "the games and graphics for the NES looked HORRIBLE!"
The sound on the SMS was also horrible: no duty cycle variation in the square waves, no lowest octave, and no dedicated sample playback channel (used for Contra and SMB3 drums). Dare to compare the music in Mortal Kombat for Game Boy (which used a sound chip comparable to that of the NES) and Game Gear (which was essentially a handheld SMS) and hear the difference.
[The North American PSP can play movies and music, but] So can the DS [with the Play-Yan adapter]. For considerably less money.
Considerably less money including Japanese tutoring to read the interface? It'll run in a North American GBA or Nintendo DS system, but the menus will still be in Japanese.
You can get a flash card and get emulators to play on your DS with less fustration and without having to make sure you have the right hardware revision
PassMe vs. PassMe2 anyone? A used PSP with 1.50 through 2.00 firmware (downgradable to 1.50 which is the best choice for most PSP homebrew) can probably be had on eBay for $200, while a used DS plus used game plus PassMe2 plus SuperCard plus CF card costs roughly $220. If you're buying a handheld just for homebrew, make it the GP2X.
I don't think super smash bros are that great, but then I don't like fighting games due to all the button combinations.
The Super Smash Bros. series is much simpler than your typical Tekken or SF2 clone. No action takes more than two key presses in a row. What else do you have against the Super Smash Bros. series?
Games created for the Game Boy Advance remain fully compatible amonst all of its different models (GBA, GBA SP, GBA Micro)
No. The e-reader doesn't fit in the Game Boy micro (unless you strip it of the plastic case), games that need GameCube connectivity to unlock something important *cough*Pokemon series*cough* don't work on the micro, and there might have been one tilt-sensor game that works on GBA but not in the reversed cart slot of the SP or micro.
Though yes, it is the same ol' D-Pad originally introduced with the NES.
Whose patent has incidentally just expired.
to the Game Boy DS, and now the Game Boy DS Lite?
Game Boy DS: No such product or brand name (ENOENT)
Couldn't they have cut out some of those product lines before they were even made?
No, because the original version subsidizes the redesign.
So nintendo has proved time and again that they can shrink hardware smaller and smaller and release new versions that aren't any different than previous versions. Ok, ooo, wow, we get it. How about something amazing that will make people go WOW I GOTTA GET THAT?
Yawn...
It really annoys me that they're doing this *again*. I have very large hands, large even compared to men's, and the DS is the perfect size for me. I hate how they keep making it smaller then discontinue the bigger one. I resented Nintendo for only making a lighted "SP" GBA - the primary reason I got a DS was so I'd *finally* get a big lighted GBA without having to do soldering work.
My current DS has dead pixels now and now when I try to get a replacement I won't be able to get a big one.
I bitched about the Xbox "Controller S" too. I spent a month on Xbox modding forums posting "WTB: Original big controller" to get 3 more big ones since you can't get them anymore.
I think the primary reason for the "Controller S", "Gameboy Micro", and the smaller DS is that Japanese gamers complain loudly when something is too big. Nintendo's a Japanese company so they listen, and Microsoft was hurting badly in Japan so they listened too.
Nintendo would be much better off releasing a DS of approximately the same size with a pressure-sensitive "analog" D-pad (no "stick") and CGB support.
I hate how I can't play Zelda DX on my DS...
Melissa
"Screw Sun, cross-platform will never work. Let's move on and steal the Java language." - Visual J++ Product Manager
I should spend $50 up front and my time installing a base station? I should crowd the already crowded 2.4GHz space full time for a single device? I should spend money in electricty every day just so I can play games on my DS over the net?
How about N just does WPA instead? That'd do all that wihout all this effort and cost.
You are correct that it would work, assuming I have a bridging access point (aren't they all?) my critical data from my wired net wouldn't go out over the air.
As to your snide comments about "if all my sensitive traffic goes over wires, where's the problem..."
I never said my sensitive traffic never goes over the air. I said I use wires whenever possible. I use wires for my TiVos, my consoles and my stationary PCs/Macs. I cannot reasonably use wires for my laptops, can I? Nor can I use it for my DS or PSPS. Some things I move to the computer room to do, some things just aren't convenient to do that way.
Your comment was that I was just making work and risk for myself by using wireless when I could use wires. But I am not using wireless when I could use wires, I am using wires when I can use wires. But other times I simply must use wireless. Am I wrong to want to protect myself as much as possible then?
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
Before I spent it.
I spent the $30 thinking it would work. That it was some kind of portable base station, that it might even allow playing from places that have firewalls. Turns out it does neither.
Yeah, you're right, now that I know the N adapter sucks I could spend another $50 on a base station, set it up with MAC filtering and only turn it on when I'm going to use it. But that doesn't change that alternately N could just support the wireless protocols that are in common use (Sony does). It would have saved me $30 so far and $50 and the hassle of swtching an additional base station on and off in the future.
I was one of the first to get the N adapter in the US. So I couldn't know it didn't work nearly as well as it might have been made out. It was sold as for people who want to play in areas where there is no wireless (you say similar things). I guess it's good for that, if you can add software to a nearby PC. But I didn't expect it would be necessary for those who have wireless but cannot use it due to N's boneheadedness. I additionally didn't expect that it would be useless for getting around corporate firewalls.
If I made it (including the SW), it would communicate to DSes over the air, take the data and tunnel it over a port that is rarely blocked. Heck, make it search ports. And it do it all automatically.
So maybe I'm just angry because I have wireless at work and at home and I can use my DS to play wirelessly in neither place. I know 802.11g is causing lots of problems for companies that want to implement it, by not being a static standard. But that doesn't change the fact that N could have done a better job nor the fact that Sony did.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
More than 60 percent of Nintendo DS and Gameboy users are female, many are women in the 25-65 range, and many are kids. Having a smaller form version is a good idea.
...
So long as it plays Nintendogs (we just got the Chihuhua edition (ok, i can't spel gud)), it's fine by me.
My question is, when will Nintendodogpound come out for the Nintendo Revolution, so we can have a bunch of Nintendogs owners in the same house take all their Nintendogs to the dog park or go to a dog show with four or more Nintendog owners?
Just remember to turn the sound level down if you do that
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --