Nintendo DS update...

As promised – it’s time to give you some first impressions of the Nintendo DS.



Hardware: Hmmmm... it really does feel like a prototype still. It’s slightly uncomfortable in the hand, and the D-Pad and buttons feel kinda small and cheap. The screens are good – but under some lighting situations they can be a little difficult to see. The sounds from the speakers is pretty good and you get a nice sense of surround from them (bizarre I know). The touch screen is responsive and the mic seems to work fine.

For all of the slight cheapness of the console, the DS cart slot feels reassuringly solid and cart insert and removal is easy and secure.

I’m lucky – I have no dead pixels on my DS. But bless Nintendo – they will replace and DS with dead Pixels.



Setup: Being a Japanese DS – the initial setup was all in Japanese. Luckily my katakana and years of playing Japanese import games served me well and I breezed through that pretty quickly. Basically you need to set the time, date, colour scheme, and player name - things like that. After you’re done the DS resets and then you can change the language to English.

The main boot screen is short and sweet and leads to a main menu where you can see the clock and calendar, and also choose between playing a DS cart, using pictochat, downloading games from a friends DS, playing a GBA game, and changing the DS setup.

Games: I picked up 4 games with my DS – Mario DS, Feel the Magic XX/YY, Made in Wario, and Bando Brothers.

Out of those I’ve played Mario and Feel the Magic the most.

Both are real showcase titles. If you want to show off the DS’s 3D – stick on Mario. Two sceptics where I work were genuinely impressed by the updated Mario 64 graphics and the frame rate. While Feel the Magic showcases the unique gameplay opportunities of the device.



Super Mario DS: It’s basically Mario 64. This is the game I’ve played most on the journey to work. I would have played Feel the Magic but... well – I’ll come to that.

My main criticism of Mario is the controls. Because you’re controlling the character with a digital D-Pad, not the analog stick of the N64, movement feels a little more forced and cumbersome. Still – once you get your head around it, Mario proves to be the timeless classic we always knew it was. In fact I’d say I’m having more fun with it now than on the N64. I’ve only touched the surface of the game – so if anything extra pops up I’ll chime in again.



Feel the Magic XX/YY: I absolutely love this game. It is so different to anything I have played. Yes – it’s completely bonkers, and that is part of its charm. Basically XX/YY shows the potential of the DS’s unique touch screen input and microphone. The game is a series of mini-games, all played to gain the love of an illusive girl. These games range from guiding goldfish back up the windpipe so they can be regurgitated – to rubbing the dirt off of your potential girlfriend.

So far my favourite mini-game involves blowing into the microphone to make a sailboat move up the screen. Honestly - it was a serine experience and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Blowing into your console is so bizarre – but it really does work. Unfortunately this also means the game can only really be played in the private protection of one’s home for fear of being 'locked up'.

Bando Brothers: Anyone who knows me knows I love a music-based game. So is Bando Brothers any good? Well – so far, not really. It doesn’t really offer anything new to the genre and given the imagination used in XX/YY – this really could have been a lot better. I will play it some more – after I’ve finished XX/YY, and Wario I guess. If it gets better, I’ll post a proper review.

Made in Wario: I’ve had the briefest of plays of this game. I love the original Wario Ware and this doesn’t disappoint. Like XX/YY, it is genuinely inventive, using the DS touch screen and mic to its full potential. I would be playing this like crazy had I not been so captivated by XX/YY. Definitely an essential DS purchase.

So that’s my impression of the DS so far. I can honestly say it’s the most fun I’ve had playing games for a long, long time. The unique games like XX/YY and Wario are unlike anything I’ve every played, and Mario proves it can push around enough polys for the more traditional titles.

Nic.

posted by Nic @ 11:53 AM 0 comments