Nintendo DS: Dean's Hands-On Impressions
With the recent release of Nintendo's new handheld, news organizations around the internet have been receiving Nintendo DS units. N-Sider is no exception.
Early Wednesday afternoon, I received a beautiful package from Nintendos PR firm. Inside of the package was a black box with the words "Touching is good" imprinted on the top with eight rectangles below it. Each rectangle was inlaid with a different texture in it. Inside the box was a Nintendo DS system, a copy of Super Mario 64 DS, Metroid Prime Hunters First Hunt (a demo), and Spiderman 2. Ive been playing the games non-stop for the last few days. What follows is an all-out report on the system, and the games I have played so far.
The Nintendo DS
Out of the box the DS comes charged with enough life to last it approximately two hours, which is more than enough to set up your system and have a quick gaming session. Upon first booting you must set the language, name your system, tell it your favourite color, your birthday, and a few other minor settings. The system will reboot and now youre set to start playing.
I decided to set my DS to boot to the menu regardless if there are game cards in the system or not, in case I want to quickly access Pictochat. On the main menu there are four main buttons: Launch DS game, Pictochat, Wireless download, and Launch GBA game.
On the Pictochat and Wireless Download buttons there is a little DS with radio waves coming out of the top, so I figured theyd access a WiFi network of some sort. Sadly this is not the case. Pictochat can only be used in the short-range communication of the DS, no internet chatting via this little handheld, unfortunately. Another issue I found with Pictochat is that when you leave a chat room and quit Pictochat, it does not go back to the main menu. Instead, it shuts the system off and you have to reboot your DS again before you can get back to the menu or a game.
The "Wireless download" option is mainly used to download bits of games that allow single-cartridge wireless play (where only one person has the game). As it currently stands, it is only used if you have someone (with a DS) you wish to play against. The DS shows absolutely no signs at all of detecting a wireless network (I have a Wireless 802.11b network set up in my home). We can only hope that Nintendo releases a DS firmware update with some better connectivity features.
The DS's touch screen (the bottom screen) is very accurate and responsive, which is a good thing. But the protective layer, which lies on top to prevent scratching, appears to be fairly attracted to oils, because when I used my fingers (Spiderman 2 relies on this instead of the stylus) it left some noticeable smudge marks that had to be cleaned off very carefully. At E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) Nintendo had special clothes for cleaning off the screen. I dont believe it has announced any plans to sell the clothes, but a simple static cloth does the trick nicely. The system itself is just slightly heavier than the Game Boy Advance SP and is a very sturdy piece of hardware. The system snaps shut and fits in most pockets comfortably.
The Nintendo DS comes packaged with two styli (the plural word for stylus), one housed within the back of the system, and another tucked into the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt (demo) casing. The only problem with this is that you could easily lose the extra stylus, as theres no where to place it within the system (theres only the one slot).
The GBA capabilities of the Nintendo DS are pretty cool. You can set which screen you want to display the GBA game on (I chose top, since Id be tempted to touch the bottom screen far too often if it were down there), and the system does the standard Game Boy boot sequence as well. The only problem I had with this was that I inserted a GBA cartridge, Legend of Zelda: LTTP / Four Swords, but the DS didnt recognize it. I had to remove the cart and put it back in making sure it was in as far as humanly possible. The system finally recognized the cart. There may be a slight sizing issue with the GBA port, or I could just possibly be that inept in inserting games properly. Also, as many of you know, the DS games are around the same size of SD cards (in other words very small), which is fine, but Nintendo provides no travel cases with the games, other than their original game-cases. But who really wants to carry those around with them wherever they go? I have a feeling many DS games will be lost or misplaced if not kept in some sort of portable casing.
The battery life may shock some of you: after a full night's charge (8+ hours), the Nintendo DS lasted only six hours before the light turned that dreaded amber color. I did not play the system to complete-shut down, so I don't know how long you have to play while the system is in the 'low battery' warning mode (Remember, the SP did allow a few hours of play in this mode). The dual-lit screens seem to drain more power than expected. For those interested, I was playing Super Mario 64 DS at the time.
Super Mario 64 DS
This game is crazy fun. The original Mario 64 was addicting enough, and with the added mini-games and new levels, I can easily say Nintendo owns my life because of this game. Im going to try and stay away from revealing many details, as I want you all to experience it on your own, but the 'rec room' is by far one of the highlights of the game. In adventure mode, you can go around catching rabbits, and depending on which character you are when you catch a rabbit, they will give you a key to unlock a new mini-game in Peach's games room. I have yet to play the multiplayer (as no one else around has a DS yet), but the game allows you to practice on your own as well, so even the solitary gamer can have some fun.
The graphics have been updated nicely and some of the textures look more realistic. It is definitely a new look for the Nintendo 64 classic. Controlling the game takes some getting used to. Its made with the infamous "thumb-nub" in mind, which took some time to get used to.
For those wondering what the thumb-nub is, it's an attachment that comes with the DS that you attach to the front of your thumb. It allows you to slide your thumb around the touch screen to simulate the experience of analog control (more specifically, a control stick). It is a bit awkward at first, but after an hour with the game it becomes second nature. I suggest you all spend a few minutes running around the castle courtyard to get the hang of it. With the thumb-nub, you must attach it to your left thumb, as you use the A,B,X,Y buttons for character controls, so left-handed people (like myself), will have an easier time getting used to it. The only problem with this method of control is that on the bottom left and right of the touch screen, there are camera controls. If you happen to move your thumb while controlling characters (its inevitable), you may end up changing the camera instead of moving your character. There are other control schemes, but I've only had the chance to try this one thus far.
Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt
I've tried all the control schemes and there still isnt one I feel natural with; although I haven't tried the thumb-nub with it yet (I preferred giving the stylus a go). The single player campaigns are simple and to the point. They seem to only be there to refine your skills for those wireless multiplayer battles that I, obviously, haven't had yet. I can't say much for this game except that it looks nice and Im sure the wireless play will be a blast.
Spiderman 2
This game is odd. Its a good kind of odd though. It reminds me of the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade games, but with a 3D art style. You can move left or right, but not into the background, nor can you come out into the foreground. The game uses the D-Pad (directional pad), touch screen, and A,B,X,Y buttons for controls. The touch screen displays an assortment of abilities you can assign to the R button including a slide kick, web sling, web fling, and many others. To assign an ability to the R button you simply use your (bare) thumb and touch the icon that corresponds with the ability you want. The L button activates the spidey-sense (when it flashes), which slows down time so you can kill the baddies without them hurting you much.
The game is fun so far, but I see very little replay value in it as you can't explore the city any more than what the pre-scripted level will let you. One slight error I've noticed is at the beginning of the first level of the game. You walk until you hit a corner (like Viewtiful Joe, when you walk further, it will automatically turn the corner for you), but if you assign the "web-throw" to your R button, and fire it with the 'corner' in view, the web shot will turn the corner on its own and continue down the path. Kind of odd to see my webbing turn on its own, but I suppose it was a necessary addition to the game.
Overall Thoughts
The Nintendo DS has definite potential. I am in love with Super Mario 64 DS and I cannot wait to play some of the other games that are hitting store shelves as I speak. Still, the whole 'wireless' aspect of the DS needs to be improved. Hopefully there is a way to upgrade the firmware / menu system of the DS with future downloads from Nintendo. It's definitely a sturdy machine and will provide a new way of playing games. Though it is difficult to play on a bus, especially on a bumpy road. We here at N-Sider would like to extend a word of thanks to Nintendo and for allowing us another early look at the Nintendo DS.
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