Viewing Thread:
"Innovative Nintendo?"

Well, the DS has been shown, whoopee, I bet Dringo wet his pants this afternoon.

So, anyway, this dual screen malarky, revolutionary? A brilliant change to the way games are played by the industry?

Well, guess what, I don't agree, and I'm going to be called a Sony fanboy, or at very best, an anti-Nintendo zealot for it ;)

Anyway, here's my gripe, there's nothing revolutionrary about the DS what-so-ever. People are talking as though they have never seen dual screen hardware in gamers lifetime, well, I hate to dissapoint you all, but the dual screen handheld format was tried, tested and loved by us golden oldies a little short of 20 years ago.

[URL]http://www.infa.abo.fi/~buck/misc/gizmos/pix/nintendo.game+watch.mickey+donald.open.jpg[/URL]

This picture shows a NINTENDO Game And Watch handheld single game device from almost TWENTY years ago.

[URL]http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/12/nintendo_ds_comms/[/URL]

This image shows an almost identical looking handheld game platform, released by the very same company, but claim this dual screen arhitecture to be new, revolutionary, and well, good.

I'm not saying there may be some niche elements available to gamers, but I feel that most games developers will not use the additional screen for anything useful. Football games will have a top down radar, metroid will have a map, mario kart will have the track and player positions, basically world information about locations and the layout of the world will be used on this screen.

There is a good reason for this too, people can only concentrate their vision to a single focal point at a time. No one can concentrate on both of those screens at the same time, so one screen will be used for gameplay, and the other for displaying information.

This is a good thing given the paltry size of the DS screen, it means the game screen can be uncluttered with HUDs and the like but concentrate solely on letting the player play the game.

I will be truely amazed if anyone on this forum can come up with an original gameplay dynamic which could actively use the two screens of the DS in a way that could not be done on a single screen.

I'm even thinking of having, say, a heat sensor camera on the top screen, and a normal view on the bottom. This would be done MORE effectively on a single screen as a current day frame rate is at a higher reresh rate then the ability of a person to change their point of focus from one screen to the other. Sinply hitting a button to change views whilst focusing on a single point is a more natural way of playing a game.

So, I suppose I have set myself up for a fight by challenging the might of Ninetndo, again, but surely there are more innovative things happening in the world of gaming than a twenty year old handheld design being rereleased to a massive fanfare with no clear cut example of how this creates a revolution.

Nintendo should be commended for spinning up some dust to hide Sony's far nore impressive PSP handheld entertainment device.

The PSP is much more of a students system, good games, good movies, good sounds, wireless and one decent big widescreen which will let people who commute, or like to enjoy the comforts of their bedroom in some glorious sunshine.

The DS is not a gaming revolution, it's a bit like 90s pop music, a remix of something old people liked twenty years ago, just with more colours and more marketing hype. Take the DS with a pinch of salt, it's not worth the hype.

AfroJoe wrote:
> No, because it isn't. PSP has just shown GT4 in the same way that it
> has been shown for PS2, as well as told of PES (which no doubt will
> be the same), Tekken (ditto), and possibly Final Fantasy or Metal
> Gear Solid being the only actual new titles boasting innovation.
>
> Meanwhile, Nintendo's new techniques employed for the DS will allow
> new ways of playing for the majority of their titles. Imagine
> 16-player wireless link-up for a game like Mario Kart.

Stop right there. That's what I'm saying, GT4 on the PSP offers wireless multiplayer... in exactly the way Mario Kart does on the DS and in exactly the same way the PS2 version doesn't offer. As do all these titles.

There really is no difference. Both formats are reeling out the same old franchises that we've seen time after time, both are giving them the benefits of wireless multiplayer on a handheld platform. Only the PSP is showing games a generation ahead of the N64 titles on the DS, and the DS is boasting an extra screen to display a map/inventory/keyboard.

Darwock wrote:
> I keep hearing this again and again, do none of you realise that the
> situation is exactly the same on both handhelds?

No, because it isn't. PSP has just shown GT4 in the same way that it has been shown for PS2, as well as told of PES (which no doubt will be the same), Tekken (ditto), and possibly Final Fantasy or Metal Gear Solid being the only actual new titles boasting innovation.

Meanwhile, Nintendo's new techniques employed for the DS will allow new ways of playing for the majority of their titles. Imagine 16-player wireless link-up for a game like Mario Kart. And whoever would have thought that the great Super Mario 64 would get a chance to shine again on N64, only also as a 4-player co-op? Plus, think of Animal Crossing with the online features Nintendo have talked about. You'll actually be able to send letters to people all over the world, if what Nintendo are discussing turns out to be a proper device.

Sure, DS seems to be basing its games mainly on the multiplayer area of play, but that can only be deemed a positive action, as no heaps of link-up cables will now be needed, and the visual elements will surely mean that many will want to get involved in the DS.

And at only £100? Incredible.

That's what I'm talking about when I say blind faith, because I've seen exactly the same photos and video clips as you, but you're taking it as read that the developers will be able to use this in some way that nobody else has been able to think of - even though nobody has demonstrated that.

Blind faith? You have seen the DS haven't you?

If you were expecting something better, I'm sorry but your expectations are way too high. Not only has the DS already proved itself to be a wonderful system from the ideas flying around from different companies and various quotes saying it's great, but it's line-up is second to none.

Could you be any more of an idiot? I'm sure developers and peopel who have actually seen the DS in action know a lot mroe than you.

AfroJoe wrote:
> Yet Sony discuss the PSP and reveals titles that we've already
> witnessed on the PS2, and you've labelled it such a fantastic
> prospect? How does that one work?

I keep hearing this again and again, do none of you realise that the situation is exactly the same on both handhelds?

Nope, I love Nintendo, not as much as Sega but I do. I was hoping the DS would be a better idea than it seemed to be, but it's not. I'm a little embarrassed for them. But some people love it, so I hope that's because of reason's other than blind faith.

Bonus, I'm sorry, but you're a retard.

You are not at E3, you do not work for any of the companies developing DS titles, you have not got any Nintendo information on exactly how they're going to use innovation in titles, yet you seem to believe that you know how the DS is going to work and that it won't be innovative.

Yet Sony discuss the PSP and reveals titles that we've already witnessed on the PS2, and you've labelled it such a fantastic prospect? How does that one work?

That argument indeed works both ways.

Yes, that's right.

*slow clap*

But are you trying to tell me your opinions of Nintendo aren't slightly influenced by your love for Sony?

Anyway, this so called discussion is going nowhere.

I'm not talking about Sony here, I'm talking about Nintendo. This place really is unique... and not in a good way.