As Sony works to deploy its stealth-fighter-looking PSP, Nintendo is rolling out the sleek new Nintendo DS, its dual-screened, wireless-enabled, flip-top bomb of gaming goodness.
We recently attended the Nintendo Games Summit in Seattle, and finally got extended hands-on time with Nintendo's new secret weapon -- and with games featuring Mario, Spider-Man, Rayman, and Tiger Woods as "ammunition," players everywhere will soon be fighting a very good fight indeed come November 21.
Wider than the Game Boy SP (5.85 inches) but built along a similar clamshell design that protects its distinctive dual screens, the DS is an impressive package. The top and bottom screens share common specs: backlit 3-inch TFT color screen, 260,000 colors, with the bottom screen featuring transparent analog touch-screen functionality.
Also on the feature list: embedded microphone for voice recognition and possible voice chat; ports for new DS game cards, headphones, and Game Boy Advance Game Paks; stereo speakers for virtual surround sound; and a lithium-ion battery rated for up to 10 hours of play. Last but not least, the DS employs Nintendo's proprietary wireless communication format, ranged for up to 100 feet and supporting multiple users on a single DS Game Card.
The two-screen thing, frankly, looked dubiously gimmicky during its debut at the last Electronic Entertainment Expo. But now that we've had a crack at a hefty selection of both launch and follow-up DS titles, we can say this: Even at its thinnest functionality, the extra virtual real-estate helps do away with a lot of visual clutter. In other instances -- such as Madden NFL or Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt -- the dual-screen tech makes games immensely more precise and playable. And it never hurts to have more screen acreage for big, pleasing, easy-on-the-eyes graphics, of course!
Due to its built-in touchscreen functions, the DS packs its own little built-in stylus that slides into place on the back of the unit. Often players won't need or even necessarily want to use it -- often, a clean finger works just fine, like in Ridge Racer's nifty virtual touch-screen analog steering. But the stylus' pixel-perfect accuracy definitely makes first-person shooting viably precise. In Metroid, players mouse-look with their "smart" hand, and move around via the D-pad with the other. It takes getting used to, but it's the most effective FPS experience on a handheld yet.
The DS is locked in at a market-ready, gamer-friendly price of $149.99, with most Game Paks going for approximately $29.99-and even with Nintendo's stated ship quantity of one million units for the holidays, Nintendo reps modestly quip, "we will likely have some shortages."
At launch, the DS will have a ready catalog of software spanning all genres (action, sports, racing, sim, FPS, puzzle) supported by major publishers including Namco, Electronic Arts, THQ, and many more. With 12 titles by year's end, 45 developers currently producing 124 games, and backwards compatibility with GBA providing a library of 600 titles, we're anticipating this system's going to have a very long half-life.
Mixing the best of the PDA market's touchpad games (sparse as they are) with Nintendo's brand of innovative gameplay concepts and experiences, the Nintendo DS is looking to be the number one gadget/toy of the holiday season; and it's going to appeal to a much wider audience. Keep on reading for more detailed information on some of the promising new games for the DS.
