ddrueckhammer
Jun 17, 2006, 03:00 AM
I purchased a DS Lite and the following five games a couple of days ago and have been playing them non-stop since. Here are my impressions...
DS Lite Hardware-
This is a really nice piece of hardware. I read that the buttons were squishy somewhere but all I can say is that they are functional and I don't have an original DS to judge it against so they work for me. The built-in Wifi is phenomenal and works extremely well. I would recommend getting a case for it just to keep it clean in your bag and washing your hands if they get dirty before using it because it is kind of like a mini Macbook and looks like it could show dirt easily. Mine had a dead pixel on the touch screen so I will be exchanging it or possibly returning it...(but more about that later).
1. New Super Mario Brothers- I am 25 years old and have played many of the Mario games and this game is Mario 3 version 2.0. The maps are different but have similar themes; Raccoon Mario, Frog Mario, and Tanooki Mario are traded for Giant Mario, Turtle Mario, and Mini Mario. One neat feature is that if you already have a power up any additional ones are stored on the touch screen for future use. If you have never played a Mario game this is a 10, (although you might want to start by playing Super Mario Bros 1 or 3 if you have been stuck in a time warp for 20 years) if not, it is a 9 because it is very well executed but feels a little like "been there, done that, bought the T-shirt"...Overall 9.5
2. Tetris DS - The multi-player additions to this game seem really cool but I am not a master and couldn't beat most of the players I went up against online. This is pretty much the same old game with some different modes and a Nintendo Classics theme on top of it. I would say that what I said about NSMB counts doubly here unless you are really good at Tetris and can compete online...Overall 9.0
3. Metroid Prime Hunters- The controls are fantastic on this game (although they take some getting used to) and 4-player online play is really sweet. It plays like any modern FPS but I found that it really pushes the graphics to the max on the DS. It just seemed a little pixilated at times. I was frustrated with the jump command on the one-player play as some of the obstacles were jump onto using the double tap on the touch screen while moving. Much like Tetris, the online play is satisfying but difficult so expect to die a lot at first. This game really makes you hope that they port "Bond" 007: Golden Eye to the DS. Overall 8.5
4. Animal Crossing Wild World- I picked this up based on reviews and have to say it is really kind of fun. It is kind of like the Sims but different. I have never played the GC version so it is all new to me. It feels like the characters boss you around a bit in the game but it is interesting because it brings a new level of interactivity to genre. The graphics are cartoonish but good and there is no real goal but it sure is addictive. The online play kind of sucks because you have to have friend’s codes to get visitors or visit other people. Personally, I wouldn't mind getting a random visitor every now and again...They should have just put profanity filters on it and made visitors ask permission to make changes to your kingdom. I could see myself getting bored with this game eventually but it will be a while. An alternative to this game might be Nintendogs as it has a more realistic theme and extremely good reviews on every gaming site. Overall 8.5
5. Advance Wars Dual Strike- This game is satisfying and frustrating at the same time. I got it because it has great reviews and I wanted a turn-based strategy game. I have never played Advance Wars and was hoping it was a future themed Shining Force or Final Fantasy Tactics. The strategy part is very satisfying and pretty difficult because there are a million options but because the units are machines instead of characters they are hard to get attached to. Also, I miss being able to walk around maps and towns "Zelda style" between battles like in other turn-based games. It is just one fight after another...I would say this is a good game but it wasn't what I really wanted so I am disappointed. The anime graphics are just OK in my opinion. Overall, 8.0
As far as the whole PSP vs. DS Lite argument goes I would pick the DS Lite because it has more content that I am interested in. My top five games are: FF VII, Shining Force, World of Warcraft, Super Mario 3, and Planescape Torment. There are more games like this on DS than PSP so it wins hands down without even consider the extra costs of owning a PSP. The PSP has more built in features built-in and better graphics but I find the DS has more strengths for me.
As far as the Movies, Music, Homebrew and Internet features of the PSP go the DS has add-ons available now (currently only in Japan) that will give it all the features of a PSP.
The Play-Yan Mini (http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/589/589659p1.html), DS Movie Player (http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=246&products_id=3983&PHPSESSID=b5c281eb62cc23f7c741564d789a38a2), and M3 are available for import from Japan (although I would wait to see if a US version comes if you don't speak Japanese). The video and homebrew features of these products might be worth there cost (if they worked with macs) but for music you are better off with an iPod Shuffle or Nano. I probably wouldn't bother since breaking copyright protection on DVDs is still illegal in the US. The Play-Yan does support MPEG 4 so I guess ITMS purchases would play on it though...
and
The Opera Browser (http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2006/02/15/) is coming as a cartridge to the DS by Christmas. I am waiting for this and will buy it the day it is released.
I said earlier that I was considering returning my DS Lite...This is because I am a college student and it is so addictive. I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to anyone but I would say that expect it to eat your free time for a while so budget accordingly...;)
DS Lite Hardware-
This is a really nice piece of hardware. I read that the buttons were squishy somewhere but all I can say is that they are functional and I don't have an original DS to judge it against so they work for me. The built-in Wifi is phenomenal and works extremely well. I would recommend getting a case for it just to keep it clean in your bag and washing your hands if they get dirty before using it because it is kind of like a mini Macbook and looks like it could show dirt easily. Mine had a dead pixel on the touch screen so I will be exchanging it or possibly returning it...(but more about that later).
1. New Super Mario Brothers- I am 25 years old and have played many of the Mario games and this game is Mario 3 version 2.0. The maps are different but have similar themes; Raccoon Mario, Frog Mario, and Tanooki Mario are traded for Giant Mario, Turtle Mario, and Mini Mario. One neat feature is that if you already have a power up any additional ones are stored on the touch screen for future use. If you have never played a Mario game this is a 10, (although you might want to start by playing Super Mario Bros 1 or 3 if you have been stuck in a time warp for 20 years) if not, it is a 9 because it is very well executed but feels a little like "been there, done that, bought the T-shirt"...Overall 9.5
2. Tetris DS - The multi-player additions to this game seem really cool but I am not a master and couldn't beat most of the players I went up against online. This is pretty much the same old game with some different modes and a Nintendo Classics theme on top of it. I would say that what I said about NSMB counts doubly here unless you are really good at Tetris and can compete online...Overall 9.0
3. Metroid Prime Hunters- The controls are fantastic on this game (although they take some getting used to) and 4-player online play is really sweet. It plays like any modern FPS but I found that it really pushes the graphics to the max on the DS. It just seemed a little pixilated at times. I was frustrated with the jump command on the one-player play as some of the obstacles were jump onto using the double tap on the touch screen while moving. Much like Tetris, the online play is satisfying but difficult so expect to die a lot at first. This game really makes you hope that they port "Bond" 007: Golden Eye to the DS. Overall 8.5
4. Animal Crossing Wild World- I picked this up based on reviews and have to say it is really kind of fun. It is kind of like the Sims but different. I have never played the GC version so it is all new to me. It feels like the characters boss you around a bit in the game but it is interesting because it brings a new level of interactivity to genre. The graphics are cartoonish but good and there is no real goal but it sure is addictive. The online play kind of sucks because you have to have friend’s codes to get visitors or visit other people. Personally, I wouldn't mind getting a random visitor every now and again...They should have just put profanity filters on it and made visitors ask permission to make changes to your kingdom. I could see myself getting bored with this game eventually but it will be a while. An alternative to this game might be Nintendogs as it has a more realistic theme and extremely good reviews on every gaming site. Overall 8.5
5. Advance Wars Dual Strike- This game is satisfying and frustrating at the same time. I got it because it has great reviews and I wanted a turn-based strategy game. I have never played Advance Wars and was hoping it was a future themed Shining Force or Final Fantasy Tactics. The strategy part is very satisfying and pretty difficult because there are a million options but because the units are machines instead of characters they are hard to get attached to. Also, I miss being able to walk around maps and towns "Zelda style" between battles like in other turn-based games. It is just one fight after another...I would say this is a good game but it wasn't what I really wanted so I am disappointed. The anime graphics are just OK in my opinion. Overall, 8.0
As far as the whole PSP vs. DS Lite argument goes I would pick the DS Lite because it has more content that I am interested in. My top five games are: FF VII, Shining Force, World of Warcraft, Super Mario 3, and Planescape Torment. There are more games like this on DS than PSP so it wins hands down without even consider the extra costs of owning a PSP. The PSP has more built in features built-in and better graphics but I find the DS has more strengths for me.
As far as the Movies, Music, Homebrew and Internet features of the PSP go the DS has add-ons available now (currently only in Japan) that will give it all the features of a PSP.
The Play-Yan Mini (http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/589/589659p1.html), DS Movie Player (http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=246&products_id=3983&PHPSESSID=b5c281eb62cc23f7c741564d789a38a2), and M3 are available for import from Japan (although I would wait to see if a US version comes if you don't speak Japanese). The video and homebrew features of these products might be worth there cost (if they worked with macs) but for music you are better off with an iPod Shuffle or Nano. I probably wouldn't bother since breaking copyright protection on DVDs is still illegal in the US. The Play-Yan does support MPEG 4 so I guess ITMS purchases would play on it though...
and
The Opera Browser (http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2006/02/15/) is coming as a cartridge to the DS by Christmas. I am waiting for this and will buy it the day it is released.
I said earlier that I was considering returning my DS Lite...This is because I am a college student and it is so addictive. I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to anyone but I would say that expect it to eat your free time for a while so budget accordingly...;)
