The Nintendo DS is a true love hate relationship!
Written: Nov 22 '04 (Updated Dec 11 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fresh and invigorating new perspective on portable gaming.
Cons: No quality platform games; its a very large and heavy unit.
The Bottom Line: Nintendo has done it again, the DS is a winner but the price of admission is high for those wanting to get in on the action early.
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| 1GQ's Full Review: Nintendo DS Console |
Its a cloudy afternoon on November 21st, 2004 when suddenly I was overwhelmed with desire to buy a Nintendo DS. I dug out my replacement warranty for my Gameboy SP and went to Best Buy to upgrade which as usual went very smoothly with no fuss. I love Best Buy :D
Look and Feel
Looks as they say is in the eye of the beholder however albeit most will agree with me that its UGLY :D So much I had to use capital letters. Many reviews have stated it looks like a pda when closed; not even in the days of the original Palm Pilot were pda's so large and thick. Also many reviews say the DS is wallet size; I must need a new job cause my wallet ain't any where near the size of this monster.
The Nintendo DS unit is significantly larger than any previous gameboy model. Its roughly three times as wide as a Gameboy Advance SP and about the same thickness. The DS also feels almost five times heavier than the SP. Wallet sized it is not! You can forget about tucking this monster into your pocket.
Ergonomically speaking in the hands its not as comfortable as the original Gameboy Advance but its no less comfortable than the Gameboy Advance SP for short gaming periods. When I play about 30 minutes I get fatigued holding the unit as the weight becomes noticeable.
Like its predecessors the DS feels like cheap plastic with buttons that take you back to the days of the original NES. Hopefully like they did with the original Gameboy Advance they release a revised form factor in a year to address its awefully large dimensions.
Gaming
The only DS game I have right now is the Metroid demo. Based on that I must say I am quite impressed with Nintendo's bold move to include the touch screen. In this game the touch screen functions like a mouse would in a PC shooter type game like Doom. Its very responsive and just wonderful; creates a whole new gaming experience you'd never have thought possible on a portable.
Graphically the new Metroid is significantly better than any shooter I've seen on its predecessor the Gameboy Advance however being a PC gamer it didn't exactly make me drool. Only time will tell if the graphics will improve but albeit it will when quality publishers start launching platform defining titles.
Playing Gameboy Advance games on the DS are just as pleasurable as playing them on the Gameboy Advance except there is a small border around the games as they are lower resolution than the DS native games. No big deal in my opinion.
Available Games
I was disappointed to see that all five launch titles are what I like to call library fillers. Low quality time killers. Nintendo really did us a dis-service not having Metroid Prime Hunters ready; and we'll have to wait well into 2005 before we seen any high quality games that push gameplay and graphics to the max.
The DS has an Gameboy Advance cartridge port as is fully backwards compatible so my library is not obsoleted. This is a really good thing since the new Zelda for the Gameboy Advance looks real impressive soo far.
Features
Finally true stereo sound without earphones! Yes I'm that annoying geek sitting next too you on the airplane :) I happy to see Nintendo finally put a standard size earphone jack in the unit so I can actually hear the sound during flights.
The DS is equipped with a WiFi radio however theres no instructions on how to turn it on or off. I guess the specific games will determine activation but this does raise a concern with me since I fly alot; how will I know if the radio is on or off. I sent Nintendo and email and waiting for a reply.
The touch screen functions will differ depending on what your doing and what game is loaded. Its very sensitive and accurate. Its quite funny that you can buy a $600 HP iPaq pocket pc and its not as responsive as the DS.
Final Thoughts
I actually only used my Gameboy SP when traveling which I do alot. As a portable gaming device the DS is sort of a failure which is abnormally large size and weight. It is going to add some bulk to my carry ons. On the other hand the enhanced gameplay will make it worth the extra bulk once games start pouring in 2005. Should you run out to buy a Nintendo DS. If your a gadget freak yes otherwise wait as I'm sure it will get cheaper closer to xmas plus there are only 5 un-impressive titles available now anyway.
Overall I'm satisfied with my DS however if I could turn back the clock I would not have been so quick to trade in my SP. Its a love hate relationship because I love what the device is capable of but I hate the form factor. Since I was able to trade in my SP and upgrade for only $69 I guess I can't cry about it too much.
Update 12/11/04
I picked up two games, Super Mario 64 DS and Madden NFL 2005 DS, on Black Friday. Super Mario looks absolutely fantastic! Game play is fun and addicting; controls can be frustrating at times! Another game that would have benefited if Nintendo had made the DS with an 8-way D-Pad instead of the standard 4-way. Madden NFL 2005 was a mixed bag. The graphics and sound were unremarkable at best. I'm sure if Nintendo or THQ had made the game it would have atleast been visually impressive. Game play is basically like that of its big console counter parts; lots of replay value for true football buffs. The poor graphics and sound does significantly keep this game at best an average game experience.
Recommended:
Yes
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