Anyone that has the DS reply to this.

[Roy Mustang]

I been thinking about getting the DS, but I don't know if I should wait untill next year for the PSP to come out and see which one I want more.

I haven't played with a handheld system since I was a kid and that was the gameboy.

Since I have a PS2, I feel that I should get me the DS. That way, I can play some 3rd party games on it that you won't find on the other system.

So, tell me what you think about the DS, is a good one to have or should I wait untill the PSP comes out or just get me a GBA?


Wingzero22

[Link Antilles]

I don't own one, but I have played on one. Getting it for Christmas. ^_^


As of right now, I recommend the DS and this is not because I like Nintendo and weird gadgets. It's true, I want a PSP, but not when it comes out. There are currently no games announce yet that get my attention for it. When one does, I'll buy a PSP.

Anyways, about the DS...

Game-play:

The day before yesterday I finally got a chance to try out the DS playing that Metroid Demo. First off, I was amazed how smoothly the game ran. And second off, the controls were pretty tight; it almost felt and ran like I was playing a PC FPS with the stylus. Another plus, is the wide range of control options, because I'm a southpaw. Yet, if you're not familiar with PC gaming, you might have a steeper learning curve.

Screen Picture:

Better than the SP, it's great for the $150 price tag, but not prefect.


From what I've read, I like the overall DS package...

The Spiffy:

Plays GBA games - not GB or GBC, though

Good Battery life - 6-10 hr.

Affordability- Nintendo games are $30 and 3rd party are $40.

Wireless gaming

Games I'm looking forward to - Mario 64, Wario Ware, Final Fantasy, Advance Wars DS, Animal Crossing, Castlevania, Metroid, Harvest Moon, Zelda, Secret of Mana, Rayman, and Viewtiful Joe.

Game Cases - They're like mini-plastic DVDs cases now! No more cardboard. Inside there's a slot for a GBA and DS game.


The Iffy:

Stylus - Seems a little small

Microphone

3rd Party support = Will they take advantage of the DS's abilities?


Btw, if you don't like the silver/black color, they've should have a solid blue, red, and black coming next year. I'd go to Best Buy or Gamestop and test drive one, if I were you.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

i love the color! i always wanted the silver gameboy sp, but im glad i didnt get it, ima get a ds sometime!

[TroutNinja]

The stylus in the displays is odd.. you will find yourself not using the actual stylus. What you will use is the thumb stylus thing, which works perfectly. Oh, and GBA game support is super, the colors are great as compared to the front lit GBA: SP.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

ive read something about that the possibility of the pixels dying, which i dont understand one bit

from vgmusic.com

Archive News
Things to know before buying a Nintendo DS

Posted by Powerlord on 11/22/04 07:01 PM

There have been a number of things that people who are thinking about buying a DS need to know.

* The DS can play GBA games, but not GB/GBC games.
* The DS can not play multiplayer GBA games... there's no port to plug in a GBA link cable.
* When you buy a DS, try it out before you leave the store. In particular, look for any dead pixels on the two screens. If you see one, exchange it for a different DS.
* The battery only has a partial charge. You'll need to recharge it before any serious usage.

in case you're wondering, a dead pixel are ones that dont move, that are frozen, or are black. It is not nescessarily the whole screen

[TroutNinja]

dead pixel is one or two pixels that do not change colors. It's a normal problem with LCD screens that is hard to eliminate during production (ie, the PSP will have the same problem). Again, if your DS does not have a dead pixel when you get it, they will not die either. Pixels only die during the production sequence, not during the rest of the systems life. If you recieve a DS with a dead pixel you can just send your DS back to Nintendo for them to fix. It's covered by the warentee.

[Yusuke]

Don't like silver? Well look no further! http://www.decalgirl.com/browse.cfm/2,194.htm

I'll probably get a DS for Christmas.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

yeah ive seen those sites, many of them look cool

[Saint]

oh, i have one. got it i guess the day it came out. ^_^;; i have enjoyed it, playing the remake of Mario 64. i remember when that frist came out and started the 3-D game pretty much on Consols. back then i was like @o@ lol. so its fun. yet i plan to get a PSP as well. so who knows which would be better to own if you could only choose one.

its much cooler than the GBA:SP, but larger. size reminds me of the very first Gameboy.

[Fireproof]

Parents bought me one, but I don't get it until Christmas. *Twitches nervously* Need... DS! MEtroid Prime Hunters is awesome. I tried it at the store. Finally! A decent portable FPS. Its controls are simply seemless and the graphics are superb. Nintendo was setting us up to be pleasantly surprised when they said it'd be as good as N64: It's actually quite a bit better.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

omg i played my friends ds for like 3 minutes, BEST 3 minutes of my life, its so amazingly great, and the pictochat is fun!

[Fireproof]

ALERT! ALERT! The DS has been tunelled through the internet! With a wireless router and a special program, you can play multiplayer with anyone in the world! The current games that have been tunelled are Pictochat, Mario 64 DS and Metroid Prime: Hunters First Hunt.

[Jman]

I want a DS bad...but at the moment 2 expensive!

[glitch1501]

ALERT! ALERT! The DS has been tunelled through the internet! With a wireless router and a special program, you can play multiplayer with anyone in the world! The current games that have been tunelled are Pictochat, Mario 64 DS and Metroid Prime: Hunters First Hunt.

WOW that is awesome!
that may change my mind about them

[Bobtheduck]

I didn't like the DS very much, from the experience I had with it... The stylus sensor was all wrong, the demo I played was made for lefties (?), and I don't like using the stylus to control... Going back and forth is really weird... PSP is much simpler... Of course, it is about games, and neither one has games I want yet...

[Mr_Anderson]

i got 2 play my friends metroid demo. it was so awsome. it amazed me with its graphics and the gameplay was smooth. i want one, but its 2 expensive.

[Fireproof]

WOW that is awesome!
that may change my mind about them

BTW, you'll need this specially designed program, which is free, and a wireless router.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I didn't like the DS very much, from the experience I had with it... The stylus sensor was all wrong, the demo I played was made for lefties (?), and I don't like using the stylus to control... Going back and forth is really weird... PSP is much simpler... Of course, it is about games, and neither one has games I want yet...

um, you can change the settings to a right handed person lol

yes i got a DS, very fun indeed

[desperado]

tell me were to aquire this program i sure could use it since almost no one is in my area

[Fireproof]

It'll be available over the internet soon, but you'll need a compatible wireless router, and the team that created the program hasn't announced which routers those are yet.

[Felix]

I didn't like the DS very much, from the experience I had with it... The stylus sensor was all wrong, the demo I played was made for lefties (?), and I don't like using the stylus to control... Going back and forth is really weird... PSP is much simpler... Of course, it is about games, and neither one has games I want yet...

Actually, the touch screen was probably off, (you can set the accuracy on it) The contro settings can be changed, and the PSP may not be as simple as you think...or something like that...

Here are some of the many defects of the PSP:

Quote:
These defects include:

# Dead pixels, as many as 3 per screen with the problem.
# Broken UMD drives.
# Analog nubs not working.





Quote:
# UPDATE: More problems ahoy!

# Analog nubs not just not working, but actually falling off.
# PSP is turned on, but does not start up.
# Screen has air bubbles.
# Screen has dust on the inside.





Quote:
Also, as for the UMD drive problems, some have reported the drive not closing completely, and the UMD, when the PSP is twisted, actually flies out!

Most retailers are stressing the fact that these problems don't occur in the majority of PSPs, but take caution in importing until Sony gives an official announcement.

As for the answer to Wingzero's question, I have a DS, and would highly recommend it over the PSP. It, in my opinion anyway, is more innovative, has better games, is more reliable, and has a lower price point. My advice is to go for the DS.

Hope that helps! ^_^

[Yojimbo]

As for the answer to Wingzero's question, I have a DS, and would highly recommend it over the PSP. It, in my opinion anyway, is more innovative, has better games, is more reliable, and has a lower price point. My advice is to go for the DS.

Hope that helps! ^_^

That's funny you can recommend a DS over a PSP when it's not out in America yet... I doubt those problems are as widespread as people say they are in the Japanese version. Also Sony has about four months to iron out any problems before a Euro/US release. You should wait till you actually play the thing before you pass judgement on it.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

is there a way to use insert a WEP key into my DS? Because my network is WEP encrypted

[Kireihana]

My brother has a DS; naturally he won't let me within 10 feet of it but from what I've seen (or attempted to see when he's not looking) is pretty awesome. He has Mario 64 DS. I admit the controlling takes some getting used to but the graphics are just as good if not better than the DS. To think I was astounded at the SP...

If I were you, I'd wait for the price to go down. Nintendo products are always more expensive for the first several months but they usually drop a bit after a while. Or wait until you can get a used one at GameStop. I personally don't want to pay $150 just for the system. At first I thought I'd just replace my SP, which broke, but there's really no point. The DS was obviously made with future developments and capabilities in mind, so even if you're not impressed with it right now, you can bet they'll come up with more cool stuff soon, like the internet thing.

[MasterDias]

If I were you, I'd wait for the price to go down. Nintendo products are always more expensive for the first several months but they usually drop a bit after a while. Or wait until you can get a used one at GameStop. I personally don't want to pay $150 just for the system. At first I thought I'd just replace my SP, which broke, but there's really no point. The DS was obviously made with future developments and capabilities in mind, so even if you're not impressed with it right now, you can bet they'll come up with more cool stuff soon, like the internet thing.

That's good advice. I'll probably wait until the price goes down to get one, myself. There isn't anything that I'm absolutely dieing to have out for it, although there are a few titles that I'm interested in.

When I do get one, however, I will have to get used to the touch screen thing...