In fact, playing these games on the GBA is almost an excuse to return back to the simpler, yet highly addictive, 16-bit era where pixels were the rage and polygons only existed in arcades.
Oh the dream, my dream, to have a SNES-like console again with a SNES-sized lineup of awesome new RPG, adventure, platformer, and other games... in my pocket!
The SNES is still my favorite console you see. Some of my favorite-ever games (Chrono Trigger, Mario World, Zelda 3, FF5-6, etc.) were there, with a ton of lesser-known but still awesome titles.
However Nintendo has not seen fit to fulfill this dream. Ports, ports, ports. I wanted a SNES-style console with new games, not ported versions of stuff I played a decade ago.
Granted, there are some new games, but the vast majority are just ports (or remakes). So, in the end, if I'm going to have a handheld, while I'd love to play 16-bit games, I'd prefer something I haven't already played, even if it's on a 16:9 screen with tasty 3D graphics.
You mean like Sony Computer Entertainment America's ban on 2D games for PlayStation 2 that has forced a lot of 2D titles such as the Metal Slug series on to the Xbox and GameCube?
2D games like Guilty Gear X (and sequels)? Alien Hominid? DDRMAX? Contra: Shattered Soldier? Gradius?
(OK, at least with the last 2 they're rendered with 3D, but they're still 2D sidescrollers.)
Re: multiple users, you can do this already, but not like you're thinking. If you use ROX Filer, you can sudo rox [PATH] which will open a ROX window as that user in that directory. In addition to the already extreme handiness of ROX, you can now pop open windows and run commands as that user without further issue.
Conceivably, with multiple screens, you could make a pinboard (the window that puts icons on your desktop) as another user, so everything you clicked would be sudo'd.
Sony is making the same mistakes everybody else has. There are a few differences in the philosophy of the PSP vs., say, the Atari Lynx, but the basic template is the same - you've got an expensive, battery-hungry, big and powerful system going up against a small, cheap system with long battery life (the GBA SP). Why do you think the PSP is going to be any more "serious" of a competitor than any of these other failures were?
In all the time since the Japanese release, I have heard problems about launching discs and stuck buttons and even some load times... but none about battery life being an impediment.
Let's look at what the PSP does differently:
Rechargeable battery that comes with the system, vs buying lots of alkaline batteries every few hours. You don't have to buy new ones every 3 hours either (like with the Lynx and others). Extra batteries are only $40... sleep your game every 5 hours and swap and you're good to go.
Games, vs few games. This is what gaming devices are all about, aren't they? The PSP has a wonderful starting lineup, and a lot more down the road. The DS and the SP have neither. (Suprising and sad especially for the SP, of which I have almost every top game. On par for Nintendo, though.) The older devices you listed had very few as well.
Price. Sony is targetting the generation that grew up with games. We're 20-30 now. $250 is a lot less now than $100 was as a kid.
Things are not as simple as people who cite "power and price" would have you believe. Correlation is not causation: and there are a lot of really obvious other factors involved with these other handhelds.
The original GBA was pretty miserable; its success was hardly because of some magical understanding Nintendo possesses, it was because they were the only show. Remember these?
Terrible unlit screen. Had you squinting and looking for a powerful light, except then there was glare.
Regular batteries. Buy new ones every time, or a 3rd-party rechargeable battery pack that wasn't terribly reliable.
Ports. Lots of games; most of them we've already seen. No new Mario? No new Zelda? 3rd-party Metroid?
Things aren't quite as peachy with Nintendo as they could be. The PSP isn't perfect either, but it's got a lot going for it.
Re:IMHO DS is far better and the review is compari
on
PSP And DS Duke It Out
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· Score: 1
Yeah, these sound OK... but besides FF3 and Katamari they don't really interest me so much. Also, due to its track record, I'm not cutting Nintendo any slack on the "release someday" ticket.
This isn't because I hate Nintendo, or anything. If anything I'm a fan of the big N since childhood. However, they need to get on the ball.
This is one reason I'm hoping the PSP succeeds, and all the Nintendo die-hards should hope as well: to wake up Nintendo. The SNES is probably still my favorite platform; and 4 consoles later (n64, cube, gba sp, ds) they're still riding it.
Wake up, Nintendo. Return us to the glory days of the SNES. Because on the SNES were some of the greatest games ever. And I want more like them.
Re:IMHO DS is far better and the review is compari
on
PSP And DS Duke It Out
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· Score: 1
Whoa whoa whoa, what's this? Watching Neverwhere? Is this a movie relating to a Gaiman book by the same name?
No need for namecalling here. I'm saying that if a game needs a mic, you can just plug in a headset. And even better, since you have full USB you can plug in anything. Kinda neat.
Re:IMHO DS is far better and the review is compari
on
PSP And DS Duke It Out
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· Score: 1
Cut the crap. Better graphics DO NOT EQUAL BETTER GAMES.
Right. Actually being able to hold the unit and not have to wonk around with a stylus or a thumb strap is nice.
Actually having a great lineup of games to play (I have 6 preordered on top of THUG2, which I already have) is nice. These are games getting high ratings for gameplay and lasting appeal.
I don't see how all you little graphics whores consider your self real gamers its laughable.
I didn't say anything about graphics. It's all about the games: more of them, better gameplay. But having better graphics too just makes it all that much nicer.
The DS has a LOT more potential than the PSP hands down.
Unrealized potential is worthless. Call me back when there's a selection of games good enough to justifying the purchase.
Well, I personally bought my DS on a promise. A promise of games like Zelda, Advance Wars, Xenosaga, Baten Kaitos, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Wario Ware, Mario Kart, and others. Since then, I've gotten news of gems like Lost in Blue, Soul Calibur, and Katamari Damacy.
How many of these are actually available today? When will they be? Nintendo had my buying a Cube with lots of promises, then they trickle out a game every 4-6 months.
And the DS also has a MICROPHONE.
Uh... and? The PSP has a USB port. As much as I joke about plugging in a Logitech wheel for GT4, I'm sure a headset would actually make sense.
PSP - Will the US public be willing to slap down $250 (US) for the PSP and another $250 (US) for 1GB + Memory Cards. This is even before games or movies are even purchased.
As others have doubtless said, for $250 you already get a 32MB memstick. Based on the games I've seen, this is far more than enough for saves.
If we're talking something other than games here... movies or music... that's a different story again. How much is a 1GB mp3 player? 1GB video player? $200 for iRiver's 256MB mp3 player, and that doesn't take external media...
I personally have a DS and am sickened by the lack of attention that Nintendo is STILL giving to the crap titles that are coming out.
This is unfortunately a Nintendo trend now. They haven't really had a seriously successful console since the SNES or the GBC. The GBA was mostly ports, the VBA.. nuff said, N64? Cube? DS? So basically, I agree with the sentiment here.
Xbox had Halo to show off what their console can do, I have yet to see an equivelant for not only the Nintendo DS but for the PSP as well.
I'm not sure what you're expecting with the PSP lineup... compare the games here to the GBA or DS. The problem is we're really comparing the PSP to the PS2, and thinking "yeah, same old", but really: play Wipeout Pure, THUG2, etc, then go back to Mario Kart Advance or the GBA THPS.
ICO is a work of art. I highly recommend a few hours off of the grind to finish it. It's quite amazing.
BTW, what server are you on? Sylph here...
Re:IMHO DS is far better and the review is compari
on
PSP And DS Duke It Out
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· Score: 5, Insightful
Are you willing to pay more than double for the promise of better games, graphics and a better screen?
No, I'm willing to pay $100 more for better games, graphics, and screen this Thursday. The PSP launch lineup is suprisingly strong. Far stronger than even the PS2 launch. Launch titles are getting high ratings from both players and reviewers. I can't wait to see what we get in 6 months, a year, or 2+ years.
The DS isn't offering anything significant, hasn't been for nearly 5 months. It's not promising anything significant in the future. I'll probably pick one up eventually for Katamari and FF3, but only if they really get solid reviews. (If and when they actually happen.)
I buy a game unit for the games. The PSP already has those. Thus, I'll buy a PSP.
In the end the author gets it right when he stops comparing PSP with DS since the PSP should be compared with what Nintendo would throw next in to the ring.
So first you're complaining we're basing our decision on "promises" (which are actually "deliveries"), and now you think we should base our decision on something nebulous Nintendo is just starting to conceive? After the DS, the Cube, the GBA (yes the GBA with its very meager lineup of original games and overabundance of ports), and the N64 (and dare I say the Virtual Boy)... Nintendo needs to prove they've still got it.
I love Mario and Zelda like the rest. I grew up with them, the NES, the SNES, and I forever hold a special place in my heart for those platforms. But here and now, Nintendo needs to get off its ass and work on producing new stuff. And giving Mario a water gun doesn't count.
I feel Sony is almost at its death throes after poking their finger in to far too many verticals than they could manage. And quality went downhill as well for almost everything they make.
Business users may choose to go thin-client, but in my opinion, the user who is technically-minded will never be satisfied with any of the so-called replacements for the personal computer
I would. Definitely. But maybe we're not talking about the same thing; I want modularization. I'd take the following over current offerings in a heartbeat:
Thin client "terminal" with a focus on graphics capabilities and human interface components (hardware)
Server backend (which I own the hardware for and have on-site) with massive computational abilities, easy to upgrade and add more capacity, and cluster.
High bandwidth, low-latency network for streaming media---both ways, so I can push 28-channel audio from my studio gear back to the server.
That would be nice. I could add more terminals where I needed them for a reasonable price (say $100 for a low-end model) and have the benefit of backend processing.
Of course, I guess you could pretty much do this today with some imacs and a server or something. Not for cheap though.
Nokia's problem is that they think like a cell phone company. They're making a phone, with extended gaming features. They're not making a gaming box with cell connectivity.
Maybe they'll eventually get it right, and even be successful. But they need to make the thing play games completely and exclusively. Give it a few (FEW) buttons and a dpad, a bigger screen, and make it simple and elegant. And get some damn games.
That's why the PSP is looking to be such a winner. Sleek, elegant, simple. And a ton of games that are getting suprisingly good reviews (especially for launch titles!).
The 5-6 year lifespan on consoles is fairly typical, too. A brief timeline of consoles shows you have the NES at 6, SNES at 5, PS1 at 5. The trend continues, as you have noted, with the Cube and the PS2.
Of course, if you look at some of the other, "runner-up" consoles... say, Sega's... you'll find them often being released in 3-4 year increments.
Re:Illegal = black market
on
Contrabandwidth
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· Score: 2, Funny
There is always place for black market in every country. [...]
[...]
-[Insert illegal things here (exept Amsterdam)]
So... in conclusion. Go to Amsterdam.
Clearly, there must be a black market for "Illegal Things" in Amsterdam, since they are otherwise unavailable!
After Spirits Within, anything that was not a repeat of some previous ability system or storyline simply got axed.
Er you played FFX right? Remember the Sphere Grid? Weapon customization for bonuses? And FF8? GFs and the Draw system? (And Triple Triad?) Those were very original ability systems, and the games featured rather different storylines. Quite different from the usual Final Fantasy fare for the most part.
In fact, one of the most active seasons for Square was around the release of FF8; they were doing about a game a month that summer.
FFXI was a big step, too; a big gamble which as looked to pay off. While they use the "old" jobs (at least by name), they have various creatures from the FF mythos, just about everything else is different. Vast storyline, world, gameplay, yadda.
More recently, they've released a number of non-Final Fantasy titles. One of the most unusual, risky, difficult, and unusual was UNLIMITED Saga.
I do wish to an extent they'd "get back to their roots" in that I wish they'd actually make a Final Fantasy game that was much like the old stuff. Find the crystals, get the jobs, etc. Castles and airships and pirates and stuff. Maybe FFXII will be like that.
Erm, since when is Sony not officially using Blu-Ray for the PS3?
I agree this is a major boost, though. It's definitely possible that something... like not being an open/cheap standard, something Sony is a bit notorious for (*cough* Beta *cough* memstick)... but if they play their cards right, the PS3 could make Blu-Ray defacto standard.
While I hold neither great love nor great hate for Sony, more data per disc is a good thing. DVDs are pathetic, and minor incremental improvement (HD-DVD) isn't enough, IMO.
We need to be critical of experts. You cannot always agree with experts.
The problem is that the experts, in most cases, aren't. They may be well-studied, but the more you focus on studying something, generally the less experience and up-to-date knowledge you have on it.
It's like a theory of academic relativity, or something.
On my Zaurus SL-C860, I can run the real Firefox (or Mozilla) with pdaXrom, not to mention a whole load of other apps, including abiword, gnumeric, and other apps that, while not exactly full-blown on the PC side, completely blow away anything on the PDA side.
With the latest betas, things are working with very minimal headache. If you're looking for PDA apps, this is a dream come true; if you're looking for a unix workstation in your pocket, this is also a dream come true. Or if you want gvim and gcc in your pocket. Or if you want snes9x in your pocket. Etc. You get the picture.
It's really awesome to have a Linux workstation in your pocket that can dial via bluetooth through your cellphone anywhere you can get reception. Take photos with your camera, edit them right there with the latest GIMP, upload them to your server.
It may seem obscenely expensive for a PDA, but it's also obscenely functional. You can't find a laptop this size, and it does just about everything you'd want a laptop to, except play the latest 3D games.
Eh, look at it this way, does Microsoft write viruses? After all, it's really suspicious that you hear about vulnerabilities and there are already viruses that take advantage!
Well, not really. It's just there are a lot of people in the world; some of them strike quickly to write viruses, some of them strike quickly to write antivirus software.
Some people take issue with the story in MGS2, and the lack of Snake through most of the game. However, gameplay is much more refined in MGS2; even moreso in MGS3. And the story in MGS3 is the best yet, IMO: much closer to the original Metal Gear.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh the dream, my dream, to have a SNES-like console again with a SNES-sized lineup of awesome new RPG, adventure, platformer, and other games... in my pocket!
The SNES is still my favorite console you see. Some of my favorite-ever games (Chrono Trigger, Mario World, Zelda 3, FF5-6, etc.) were there, with a ton of lesser-known but still awesome titles.
However Nintendo has not seen fit to fulfill this dream. Ports, ports, ports. I wanted a SNES-style console with new games, not ported versions of stuff I played a decade ago.
Granted, there are some new games, but the vast majority are just ports (or remakes). So, in the end, if I'm going to have a handheld, while I'd love to play 16-bit games, I'd prefer something I haven't already played, even if it's on a 16:9 screen with tasty 3D graphics.
2D games like Guilty Gear X (and sequels)? Alien Hominid? DDRMAX? Contra: Shattered Soldier? Gradius?
(OK, at least with the last 2 they're rendered with 3D, but they're still 2D sidescrollers.)
Re: multiple users, you can do this already, but not like you're thinking. If you use ROX Filer, you can sudo rox [PATH] which will open a ROX window as that user in that directory. In addition to the already extreme handiness of ROX, you can now pop open windows and run commands as that user without further issue.
Conceivably, with multiple screens, you could make a pinboard (the window that puts icons on your desktop) as another user, so everything you clicked would be sudo'd.
Just a thought.
In all the time since the Japanese release, I have heard problems about launching discs and stuck buttons and even some load times... but none about battery life being an impediment.
Let's look at what the PSP does differently:
Things are not as simple as people who cite "power and price" would have you believe. Correlation is not causation: and there are a lot of really obvious other factors involved with these other handhelds.
The original GBA was pretty miserable; its success was hardly because of some magical understanding Nintendo possesses, it was because they were the only show. Remember these?
Things aren't quite as peachy with Nintendo as they could be. The PSP isn't perfect either, but it's got a lot going for it.
Yeah, these sound OK... but besides FF3 and Katamari they don't really interest me so much. Also, due to its track record, I'm not cutting Nintendo any slack on the "release someday" ticket.
This isn't because I hate Nintendo, or anything. If anything I'm a fan of the big N since childhood. However, they need to get on the ball.
This is one reason I'm hoping the PSP succeeds, and all the Nintendo die-hards should hope as well: to wake up Nintendo. The SNES is probably still my favorite platform; and 4 consoles later (n64, cube, gba sp, ds) they're still riding it.
Wake up, Nintendo. Return us to the glory days of the SNES. Because on the SNES were some of the greatest games ever. And I want more like them.
Whoa whoa whoa, what's this? Watching Neverwhere? Is this a movie relating to a Gaiman book by the same name?
No need for namecalling here. I'm saying that if a game needs a mic, you can just plug in a headset. And even better, since you have full USB you can plug in anything. Kinda neat.
...and?
Right. Actually being able to hold the unit and not have to wonk around with a stylus or a thumb strap is nice.
Actually having a great lineup of games to play (I have 6 preordered on top of THUG2, which I already have) is nice. These are games getting high ratings for gameplay and lasting appeal.
I didn't say anything about graphics. It's all about the games: more of them, better gameplay. But having better graphics too just makes it all that much nicer.
Unrealized potential is worthless. Call me back when there's a selection of games good enough to justifying the purchase.
How many of these are actually available today? When will they be? Nintendo had my buying a Cube with lots of promises, then they trickle out a game every 4-6 months.
Uh... and? The PSP has a USB port. As much as I joke about plugging in a Logitech wheel for GT4, I'm sure a headset would actually make sense.
As others have doubtless said, for $250 you already get a 32MB memstick. Based on the games I've seen, this is far more than enough for saves.
If we're talking something other than games here... movies or music... that's a different story again. How much is a 1GB mp3 player? 1GB video player? $200 for iRiver's 256MB mp3 player, and that doesn't take external media...
This is unfortunately a Nintendo trend now. They haven't really had a seriously successful console since the SNES or the GBC. The GBA was mostly ports, the VBA.. nuff said, N64? Cube? DS? So basically, I agree with the sentiment here.
I'm not sure what you're expecting with the PSP lineup... compare the games here to the GBA or DS. The problem is we're really comparing the PSP to the PS2, and thinking "yeah, same old", but really: play Wipeout Pure, THUG2, etc, then go back to Mario Kart Advance or the GBA THPS.
ICO is a work of art. I highly recommend a few hours off of the grind to finish it. It's quite amazing.
BTW, what server are you on? Sylph here...
No, I'm willing to pay $100 more for better games, graphics, and screen this Thursday. The PSP launch lineup is suprisingly strong. Far stronger than even the PS2 launch. Launch titles are getting high ratings from both players and reviewers. I can't wait to see what we get in 6 months, a year, or 2+ years.
The DS isn't offering anything significant, hasn't been for nearly 5 months. It's not promising anything significant in the future. I'll probably pick one up eventually for Katamari and FF3, but only if they really get solid reviews. (If and when they actually happen.)
I buy a game unit for the games. The PSP already has those. Thus, I'll buy a PSP.
So first you're complaining we're basing our decision on "promises" (which are actually "deliveries"), and now you think we should base our decision on something nebulous Nintendo is just starting to conceive? After the DS, the Cube, the GBA (yes the GBA with its very meager lineup of original games and overabundance of ports), and the N64 (and dare I say the Virtual Boy)... Nintendo needs to prove they've still got it.
I love Mario and Zelda like the rest. I grew up with them, the NES, the SNES, and I forever hold a special place in my heart for those platforms. But here and now, Nintendo needs to get off its ass and work on producing new stuff. And giving Mario a water gun doesn't count.
I think you're in denial.
I would. Definitely. But maybe we're not talking about the same thing; I want modularization. I'd take the following over current offerings in a heartbeat:
That would be nice. I could add more terminals where I needed them for a reasonable price (say $100 for a low-end model) and have the benefit of backend processing.
Of course, I guess you could pretty much do this today with some imacs and a server or something. Not for cheap though.
Nokia's problem is that they think like a cell phone company. They're making a phone, with extended gaming features. They're not making a gaming box with cell connectivity.
Maybe they'll eventually get it right, and even be successful. But they need to make the thing play games completely and exclusively. Give it a few (FEW) buttons and a dpad, a bigger screen, and make it simple and elegant. And get some damn games.
That's why the PSP is looking to be such a winner. Sleek, elegant, simple. And a ton of games that are getting suprisingly good reviews (especially for launch titles!).
The 5-6 year lifespan on consoles is fairly typical, too. A brief timeline of consoles shows you have the NES at 6, SNES at 5, PS1 at 5. The trend continues, as you have noted, with the Cube and the PS2.
Of course, if you look at some of the other, "runner-up" consoles... say, Sega's... you'll find them often being released in 3-4 year increments.
Clearly, there must be a black market for "Illegal Things" in Amsterdam, since they are otherwise unavailable!
Er you played FFX right? Remember the Sphere Grid? Weapon customization for bonuses? And FF8? GFs and the Draw system? (And Triple Triad?) Those were very original ability systems, and the games featured rather different storylines. Quite different from the usual Final Fantasy fare for the most part.
In fact, one of the most active seasons for Square was around the release of FF8; they were doing about a game a month that summer.
FFXI was a big step, too; a big gamble which as looked to pay off. While they use the "old" jobs (at least by name), they have various creatures from the FF mythos, just about everything else is different. Vast storyline, world, gameplay, yadda.
More recently, they've released a number of non-Final Fantasy titles. One of the most unusual, risky, difficult, and unusual was UNLIMITED Saga.
I do wish to an extent they'd "get back to their roots" in that I wish they'd actually make a Final Fantasy game that was much like the old stuff. Find the crystals, get the jobs, etc. Castles and airships and pirates and stuff. Maybe FFXII will be like that.
Erm, since when is Sony not officially using Blu-Ray for the PS3?
I agree this is a major boost, though. It's definitely possible that something... like not being an open/cheap standard, something Sony is a bit notorious for (*cough* Beta *cough* memstick)... but if they play their cards right, the PS3 could make Blu-Ray defacto standard.
While I hold neither great love nor great hate for Sony, more data per disc is a good thing. DVDs are pathetic, and minor incremental improvement (HD-DVD) isn't enough, IMO.
Straw-man-builder?
They have these things set up in most Gamestop or EB stores.
I'd take one if they paid me, but only because I could use the money for a game on a real console. (i.e. not N-Gage, 3DO, XBOX, etc.)
Call be back when they'll pay me to take one.
The problem is that the experts, in most cases, aren't. They may be well-studied, but the more you focus on studying something, generally the less experience and up-to-date knowledge you have on it.
It's like a theory of academic relativity, or something.
On my Zaurus SL-C860, I can run the real Firefox (or Mozilla) with pdaXrom, not to mention a whole load of other apps, including abiword, gnumeric, and other apps that, while not exactly full-blown on the PC side, completely blow away anything on the PDA side.
With the latest betas, things are working with very minimal headache. If you're looking for PDA apps, this is a dream come true; if you're looking for a unix workstation in your pocket, this is also a dream come true. Or if you want gvim and gcc in your pocket. Or if you want snes9x in your pocket. Etc. You get the picture.
It's really awesome to have a Linux workstation in your pocket that can dial via bluetooth through your cellphone anywhere you can get reception. Take photos with your camera, edit them right there with the latest GIMP, upload them to your server.
It may seem obscenely expensive for a PDA, but it's also obscenely functional. You can't find a laptop this size, and it does just about everything you'd want a laptop to, except play the latest 3D games.
Eh, look at it this way, does Microsoft write viruses? After all, it's really suspicious that you hear about vulnerabilities and there are already viruses that take advantage!
Well, not really. It's just there are a lot of people in the world; some of them strike quickly to write viruses, some of them strike quickly to write antivirus software.
Some people take issue with the story in MGS2, and the lack of Snake through most of the game. However, gameplay is much more refined in MGS2; even moreso in MGS3. And the story in MGS3 is the best yet, IMO: much closer to the original Metal Gear.