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[Matlock]

I'm vaguely interested in a Nintendo DS, much because of the GET MARIO 64 DS FREE promotion goin' on. But hey, sell me on the DS.

Tell me games that are already out (READ: NOT UPCOMING) that I'd need to look into. Accessories that I'd need. The works.

You've loved the system this long, now let me know why.

edit: no trolling, and no nintendogs PLEASE

 

[Speevy]

Puppies.

 

[Andy787]

Tell me games that are already out that I'd need to look into.

There are none.

Feel the Magic, Wario Ware, and Yoshi are mildly, mildly entertaining, yet very shallow, and both Mario 64 and Rayman are absolute molestations of a true classics.

Unless you are planning to import Japanese software, I'd wait. Meteos comes out this month, but it will still be a while before the good stuff hits for the DS. People are praising the DS so much lately, but it seems to me almost entirely because of games that are not even released yet, and wont be for a while.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

-Mario Kart Online for FRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE is on its way (not the game, but the service)
-The Puppies are coming
-Kirby: Canvas Curse
-Mario 64


Those are just a few reasons, but I have played my DS nearly every day since Nintendo sent it to me a week before launch. I was always a believer, but this last E3 cemented my love for the handheld. The future looks rock-solid for the DS.

 

[BobbyRobby]

It makes your GBA games look a lot better. Lots of amazing games on the horizon, including many with online play.

Not too many games for it now. Mario 64 should keep you busy for a while, and Kirby comes out in about week. I personally enjoyed Wario Ware Touched a lot, and Yoshi to a lesser degree. I have yet to try Puyo or Polarium, but I hear both are very good.

Edit: Seems like a good place to ask if Mr. Driller is any good. I know they took out a gameplay mode, but is what is there enjoyable? I recently bought Mr. Driller for the PS1 and m having a lot of fun with it.

 

[Andy787]

-Mario Kart Online for FRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE is on its way (not the game, but the service)
-The Puppies are coming
-Kirby: Canvas Curse
-Mario 64

See what I mean?

 

[Andy787]

It makes your GBA games look a lot better.

Yes. This, really, is the best feature of the DS currently.

If you have a lot of GBA games, it may well be worth it. That's what has been occupying my DS playtime almost entirely.

 

[aoi tsuki]

i don't mean to troll, but offer a bit of advice. Try one before you buy it. i've found the button cluster to be too close together and my hands cramp up after a half hour of play, which also happens with the PSP sadly enough.

 

[Bebpo]

You'll be prepared for the future when the games actually start coming out. You never know if all the production plants may one day explode at the same time and no more DS hardware is made for 12 months while the best games come out.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

See what I mean?

Fine.

-Puyo Pop is great
-Polarium is good fun
-Wario Ware Touched is a lot of fun
-Mario 64 is still a good game
-Ridge Racer is actually good if you haven't touched the PSP version
-Yoshi Touch N' Go is great in my opinion
-Pac Pix is a good pick up and play title
-Star Wars Ep. III is a great beat 'em up for Star Wars fans
-Daigasso! Band Bros. (import) is better than most handheld games available
-Elektroplankton (import right now) is a relaxing and AWESOME "game" for burning 10 minutes to an hour

 

[AndoCalrissian]

Do you have a GBA? If not, disregard the following.

There are none.

Feel the Magic, Wario Ware, and Yoshi are mildly, mildly entertaining, yet very shallow, and both Mario 64 and Rayman are absolute molestations of a true classics.

Unless you are planning to import Japanese software, I'd wait. Meteos comes out this month, but it will still be a while before the good stuff hits for the DS. People are praising the DS so much lately, but it seems to me almost entirely because of games that are not even released yet, and wont be for a while.

As far as the future is concerned, these are the games I'm looking forward to:

New Mario Bros.
Kirby Canvas Curse
Mario Kart
Animal Crossing
Nintendogs
Castlevania
Nanostray
Goemon (hopefully!)
Meteos
Advance Wars Dual Strike
Sonic Rush
Viewtiful Joe Scratch
Splinter Cell (apart from the bad framerate)
Guilty Gear
Mario and Luigi 2
Metroid Prime Hunters

Not to mention the games they haven't even shown yet (Final Fantasy III, Crystal Chronicles, Katamari Damacy, Zelda).

 

[Andy787]

Fine.

-Puyo Pop is great
-Polarium is good fun
-Wario Ware Touched is a lot of fun
-Mario 64 is still a good game
-Ridge Racer is actually good if you haven't touched the PSP version
-Yoshi Touch N' Go is great in my opinion
-Pac Pix is a good pick up and play title
-Star Wars Ep. III is a great beat 'em up for Star Wars fans
-Daigasso! Band Bros. (import) is better than most handheld games available
-Elektroplankton (import right now) is a relaxing and AWESOME "game" for burning 10 minutes to an hour

Looking at this list makes me cry.

 

[SpoonyBard]

Zoo Keeper is excellent, as is Wario Ware Touched.

 

[Stryder]

The best I can do is:

Meteos at the end of the month, Kirby in a weeks time.

If you wanted to pick up something now, all I could recommend is Wario Ware, and Zoo Keeper, these are the two games I have and they are mildly entertaining.

I was starting to lament the purchase of my DS but after E3 my hope for it has been rejuvenated with titles on the way like Sonic DS, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga 2, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart DS, and of course.. Nintendogs

 

[demi]

if demi likes it so should you

 

[MarkRyan]

Sell you on a DS with games out now? Impossible. Sell you on a DS with games coming up? Easy.

http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/583/583157/castlevania-ds-20050127022317161.jpg
http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/583/583157/castlevania-ds-20050127022307818.jpg

http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/615/615551/castlevania-dawn-of-sorrow-20050517064336589.jpg
http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/615/615551/castlevania-dawn-of-sorrow-20050517064337386.jpg

So how's the dealio sound?

 

[LittleTokyo]

I'm vaguely interested in a Nintendo DS, much because of the GET MARIO 64 DS FREE promotion goin' on. But hey, sell me on the DS.

Tell me games that are already out (READ: NOT UPCOMING) that I'd need to look into. Accessories that I'd need. The works.

You've loved the system this long, now let me know why.

edit: no trolling, and no nintendogs PLEASE

I'm a huge Nintendo fan and I'm going to tell you the honest truth. Unless you're really obsessed with Mario 64 then there is no reason to get a DS right now. Just wait until a game you need is on the handheld, easy as that. For me, it's Mario Kart.

 

[Shoryuken]

I haven't played it on the DS, but if Puyo Pop fever is anything like its console counterparts (DC,PS2,GC,Xbox) it has to be pretty good.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I haven't played it on the DS, but if Puyo Pop fever is anything like its console counterparts (DC,PS2,GC,Xbox) it has to be pretty good.

It has 8-player wireless play on a single cartridge. It's my favorite Puyo ever.

 

[Virgin Wii]

I'm tempted to list the games I'm anticipating, but I won't. It's a list of 11 titles, but none of them are out in the US yet. None of the currently available games interest me, but the machine has a great future ahead of it, it seems. Well, I guess that only holds true if you love 2D games. If not, you probably shouldn't get a DS.

I really hope a Pure White DS comes stateside before Castlevania hits. The standard color looks bad, IMO, and I don't want to buy one if I can avoid it. Pure White looks really nice, though. If NOA is stingy on the colors I'll have to settle for Electric Blue, which does look nice, but I'd prefer Pure White.

 

[Stryder]

I think in an attempt to sum up the thread for you Matlock, I will say that you're probably going to want to get one eventually, so you might as well get one now

 

[Kabuki Waq]

1 word: NOSTALGIA!!!

 

[StRaNgE]

pac pix has actually got me curious as hell about the DS,

 

[Christberg]

It's bitchin' for playing GBA games on. Wario Ware Twisted and FE:Sacred stones are out and will look better on DS.

SM64 will keep you entertained for quite a while, and Kirby Canvas Curse comes out really soon. Meteos the week after that should be real good, too.

 

[Belfast]

Yeah, the deal is certainly tempting. I'm trying to pick one up for my gf, but I've been wanting to get her an import candy pink colored one off of Ebay. Plus, I don't think she'd like Mario very much, she's not a big fan of platformers.

 

[norinrad21]

if demi likes it so should you

nevertheless

 

[Joe]

in my case i want a handheld and at first it was easily psp over ds. but then i realized 99% of the time i put into it, it will be at home. why would i want a psp if i can play 99% of its games at home on a ps2 or xbox? i want the experience to be different.

wario ware, kirby canvas, and nintendogs will offer that different experience.

now if i traveled a lot that would be a different story and i would heavily lean towards the psp. but in my case it makes sense to go with a ds.

i hated the ds at first and made fun of it but im really liking it. im most likely buying my friends ds with wario ware. if anyone here is selling a DS shoot me a PM.

 

[Stinkles]

Mario controls like shit on the DS, so it's kind of like having candy, but being unable to get the wrapper off. However, Animal Crossing will be here soon. Then you can just duct-tape over the cart slot and never play anything else again. So get a DS.

 

[Nostrildamus]

I was all about jumping onto the DS bandwagon myself. That was until Nintendo snubbed Jam with the Band. Now I'm damn near inconsolable... no pun intended.

 

[Vallarfax]

I was all about jumping onto the DS bandwagon myself. That was until Nintendo snubbed Jam with the Band. Now I'm damn near inconsolable... no pun intended.

Is this definite? Is Jam with the Band definitely not coming to the US? Someone let me know. If this is true....is the import version text heavy? I really wanna play this game.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

pac pix has actually got me curious as hell about the DS,

DONT DO IT.

there are infinitely better games. like touch and go.

I have
pac pix (my least favourite)
touch and go (favourite)
warioware (2nd tie with driller)
polarium (3rd, great game though)
mr driller (euro. dristone mode rocks)
zookeeper. (that little zookeeping bastard can suck it. I don't get zoo keeper)
mario 64(didn't rate this as its mario 64 and not new...... don't use the touch screen control and you will adapt in < 30 minutes)

only games I'm unhappy with are zoo keeper and pac pix. especially pac pix as I new zoo keeper wasnt going to be all that.

I never played gba either, so donkey kong country 2 is getting the most playtime currently and I just beat minish cap and bought astro boy.

I think kirby and meteos are so close that you could consider them out already as far as weighing up a purchase. kirby should easily last the 2 weeks until meteos.

my only complaint with my ds library is I don't feel like I own really any games with enough meat on them (except mario) but that's about to change.

even though you said games that are out, you just have to think about whats coming. have to!

If I was you I would wait 3 days and get kirby at launch, if you can get 64 for free, then you should be one of the most joyful ds adopters yet....

 

[radioheadrule83]

Andy787 is off his rocker, couldn't disagree more with him...

The system

• Cheap/affordable
• Touch screen, stereo / virtual surround, built in microphone.
• The design isn't the best, but the clamshell setup is tidy - it flips open and locks into positions exactly how you'd want it to and it protects the screen.
• The bay at the back of the console means its hard to lose a stylus.
• If the stylus isn't big enough for your own hands there are larger (sometimes extendable) ones available from third parties ie. the battle stylus
• The touch screen is very responsive, you'll never need to use the system's built in calibration
• Pictochat is a lot of fun, even restricted to the same room. Future (online) versions, if they happen, should be a blast.


The games:

• Mario 64 has better character models, better animation and replicates the gameplay well in the handheld form. The minigames are genuinely fun.
• Mario 64: there are three different control methods you can switch to on the fly by pressing select. You can use the stylus/thumb strap (and the d-pad/buttons handle jumping/punching etc, with triggers acting as Z). You can use normal d-pad and buttons.
• Wario Ware: Touched! -- some feel it's not as good as Wario Ware: Twisted... that doesn't mean it's not fucking awesome.
• Zoo Keeper / Polarium / Meteos -- even the worst of the three is a fun distraction, DS is (and will continue to be) a great game for puzzle games. Look to Bust a Move DS.
• Single Cart multiplayer -- seems to be far more supported than it is on PSP, although I'm sure it will happen to some extent there too. A great way of testing games and spreading words about others... or just having a good ol' handheld multiplayer affordably.
• The online lineup - dig up the tentative list of online games on Nintendo.com... if you don't have one, buy a router in preperation.
• Nintendogs - puppies!!
• New Super Mario Bros - first new 2d mario in years, it looks brilliant
• Mario Kart DS - 30+ tracks old and new, single player battle mode with bots for the first time, and online multiplayer
• Metroid Prime: Hunters - genuinely great FPS control, and some of the best graphics on DS - it's gonna be great to see how far it's come along
• Viewtiful Joe: Scratch - looking good!
• Advance Wars DS - Advance Wars fans are looking foreward to it. If you don't know what all the fuss is about yet, maybe you should investigate?
• Animal Crossing DS - as above
• Pokemon Pearl

|_ Third party:

• Guilty Gear,
• Lost In Blue,
• Tony Hawks American Wasteland (online),
• Ultimate Brain/Card games,
• Bomberman DS (single card multiplayer),
• Nanostray,
• A Boy and His Blob,
• Meteos,
• Castlevania,
• Bust A Move,
• Black and White Creatures,
• Sonic Rush,
• Snowboard Kids,
• Top Spin 2 DS,
• Age of Empires 2,
• Bubble Bobble Revolution DS,
• Boktai DS,
• Baiten Kaitos series,
• Dynasty Warriors DS,
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles,
• Final Fantasy III DS,
• Dig Dug Digging Strike,
• Monopoly DS,
• Top Gun DS, etc


Backwards compatability

• Great GBA playback on either the top or bottom screen. I'll leave how great some of the games are in the GBA library to other people / threads.

 

[Matlock]

And, given this set of impressions, I think I'll just hold out on it. Thanks, GAF.

 

[Wario64]

$99 or bust

 

[Stryder]

And, given this set of impressions, I think I'll just hold out on it. Thanks, GAF.

Fair enough, see you later then!

 

[radioheadrule83]

And, given this set of impressions, I think I'll just hold out on it. Thanks, GAF.

Probably a good call. Mario 64 bundle soon and the future software should start to trickle out. DS purchases now are for Nintendo fans and impulse buyers, and the rest of the hoard later

 

[Teddman]

I just had my own version of this thread... E3. Went from DS agnostic to early adopter.

I'm getting one Sunday, electric blue with the Mario 64 promo.

 

[Azure Dream]

Is this definite? Is Jam with the Band definitely not coming to the US? Someone let me know. If this is true....is the import version text heavy? I really wanna play this game.

They probably had too much work drawing over the menu cleavage.


It does sound cheesy to say "The great titles are in the future," but really, we're talking about an incredible short "future," the dry spell is being kicked, and E3 showed off a great number of properties all themed toward the DS as original productions.

This very second? We're just leaving the dry spell, so no, there isn't a ton. But Kirby comes out in literally a week, and when even the PA guys draw a strip just expressing how carefree and fun it is to play (Gabe sliding the rainbows with Kirby), you know it's won the hearts of critics.

And after that, there's Viewtiful Joe, Goemon, Animal Crossing, New SMB, Mario & Luigi 2, Castlevania, Mario Kart, Metroid Prime: Hunters, Dig Dug: Digging Strike, Sonic Rush, Jump Super Stars, and probably an arseload I'm forgetting. So even if you wait, it's not like there'll be a price drop between now and when those titles hit, so if any of those interest you, you can get one now, fiddle with Mario 64 and good-looking GBA games (the quality difference of the screen lighting versus the GBA and SP is amazing), and you'll be ready for them.

I also recommend Feel the Magic. One of the few projects Sega's done in recent years with real character. It's like Wario Ware with longer, more-detailed minigames. A couple suck, but many are entertaining, and it was one of the first titles for the DS to use the unique capabilities of the system.


Edit:

• Mario Kart DS - 30+ tracks old and new, single player battle mode with bots for the first time, and online multiplayer

Holy crud, really? I hadn't heard this before. Figures they finally do it in the game that has online multiplayer, though. (I couldn't believe that even Double Dash lacked the capability.)

 

[ThongyDonk]

And, given this set of impressions, I think I'll just hold out on it. Thanks, GAF.

u weren't gonna get one anyways

 

[Deleted member 1235]

And, given this set of impressions, I think I'll just hold out on it. Thanks, GAF.

just hold out for 3 days. get the free mario and kirby. It lets you MAKE RAINBOWS

 

[StRaNgE]

DONT DO IT.

there are infinitely better games. like touch and go.

I have
pac pix (my least favourite)
touch and go (favourite)
warioware (2nd tie with driller)
polarium (3rd, great game though)
mr driller (euro. dristone mode rocks)
zookeeper. (that little zookeeping bastard can suck it. I don't get zoo keeper)
mario 64(didn't rate this as its mario 64 and not new...... don't use the touch screen control and you will adapt in < 30 minutes)

only games I'm unhappy with are zoo keeper and pac pix. especially pac pix as I new zoo keeper wasnt going to be all that.

I never played gba either, so donkey kong country 2 is getting the most playtime currently and I just beat minish cap and bought astro boy.

I think kirby and meteos are so close that you could consider them out already as far as weighing up a purchase. kirby should easily last the 2 weeks until meteos.

my only complaint with my ds library is I don't feel like I own really any games with enough meat on them (except mario) but that's about to change.

even though you said games that are out, you just have to think about whats coming. have to!

If I was you I would wait 3 days and get kirby at launch, if you can get 64 for free, then you should be one of the most joyful ds adopters yet....

what was wrong wit pac pix?
i was looking forward to drawing little pac men.

 

[Deku]

3 Titles that will sell me on a DS

- Advance Wars DS
- New SMB
- Animal Crossing DS

all titles still coming up in the line-up and I'm waiting a bit to make sure that these games are truly good (mostly likely) before I take the plunge.

 

[IAmtheFMan]

I have 3 games for DS; Polarium, Puyo, and SM64DS. I got it just because I like playing puzzlers on the go; Polarium is actually really good and wracks your brain. I compare it to a crossword puzzle; you just kinda stare at it and try to figure it out, but there's no time limit or anything so it's kinda relaxing too. Puyo is awesome, but a little bit more hectic. Oh, and I never played the original SM64 so I'm really diggin the DS version.

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

I'm in the same boat. I'm thinking about getting a DS for Meteos, but pretty much nothing else looks good. And don't point to the future releases either since I played them at E3. Mario Kart Online and Animal Crossing Online do nothing for me.

Oh, and Kirby looks pretty neat.

 

[evilromero]

Zoo Keeper
Meteos
Wario Ware Touchd (play the SHIT out of this game)
Mario 64 DS (despite the reaction it is STILL amazing)
Band Brothers (Import)

 

[Mrbob]

Wait for the good game to come first. Like Mario and Luigi 2, Metroid Dread, New Super Mario Bro, Castlevania, and Mario Kart. Meteos and Kirby canvas don't count. They may be decent games but I wouldn't focuse a system purchase around them. They seem more like secondary titles to play when you are looking for something beyond the main course.

The price should have dropped by then. Unless you really want portable Mario 64, as that is being tossed in for free starting Sunday with DS systems.

 

[borghe]

My favorite games that are already out:

Yoshi Touch n Go
Mario 64
Feel the Magic XY/XX
Puyo Pop Fever
Nintendogs (I have the JPN version)
Kirby (comes out next week)
Meteos (comes out in a couple weeks but have already played it extensively in Japan)

 

[sprsk]

get one because im sending you a stylus

 

[Lyte Edge]

I'm in the same boat. I'm thinking about getting a DS for Meteos, but pretty much nothing else looks good. And don't point to the future releases either since I played them at E3. Mario Kart Online and Animal Crossing Online do nothing for me.

Oh, and Kirby looks pretty neat.

Same here. I'm just continuing to play the waiting game; don't care to buy a DS now since there's nothing out I care about (I had a DS at launch and already played Feel The Magic and imported Ware Ware Touched!, so I don't care about those anymore). The Mario bundle is nice and all, but I played it too and I'd still rather play the game on N64; the control schemes (all of them) just don't work as well as they should. The game needs an analog stick.

I'm waiting for Castlevania, Meteos (U.S.), Jump Super Stars, and Nanostray. Will likely import Mr. Driller too (too bad about the U.S. version :/) Not sure about Mario Kart now since it's said to play like the N64 version (not a big fan of it), but I still want to give it a try. Also still waiting for Metroid Prime Hunters; hope that's coming out soon. I doubt I'll bother with Rogue Agent. It's nice that you can do eight players with one cart, but I don't know anyone else with a DS, so it doesn't really matter. Too bad it's not going to have online play; ditto for Hunters.

I think Andy 787 hit it right on the head; people are praising the DS left and right after E3, but that still doesn't change the fact that there's not really anything worth getting one for out right now IMO. Just look at this thread: Matlock asks what's out NOW that's worth getting, and then 90% of the responses are filled with lists of games that aren't out or don't even have release dates yet.

 

[.hacked]