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[seismologist]

at first I just dismissed it but now I'm just hooked. I've been playing Mario lately just to get my thumbstrap fix.
I like the feeling of being tethered to the DS.

 

[Andy787]

I can't stand it.

 

[Cain]

I hated it until I realized I was an idiot and then figured it out. Now it's the only thing I use (except for the Mario minigames)

 

[seismologist]

I hated it until I realized I was an idiot and then figured it out. Now it's the only thing I use (except for the Mario minigames)

same here. when I got my DS I thought it seemed worthless and I swore never to use it.

I haven't tried is with Metroid yet I be it works well in that game too.

 

[Fifty]

I thought it was a cock ring. I'll have to try it out.

 

[SD-Ness]

What's it look like?

 

[Bboy AJ]

I use it and it does its job as a replacement for an analog stick well, but it's no analog stick. But if you're talking about using it as a replacement for the stylus, it works well, too. Just not as precise, obviously.

 

[aoi tsuki]

If it were longer and/or stayed on better, i'd used it more. It sucks for us lefties because it's so short.

seismologist, did you ever beat RR DS? i'm on the last three races before the final two, and i'm close to beating them, i just don't have the patience to play more than one race at a time because of the shit physics and jumbo-sized rubber band physics.

 

[StoOgE]

for games that use the touch screen as an analog stick I cant get by without the thumbstrap.. for feel the magic or the mario mini games its still the stylus for me.. but Mario 64 plays nearly as well as it did on the N64 with the thumbstrap.. and yes, Metroid plays MUCH better with the strap.

 

[aoi tsuki]

for games that use the touch screen as an analog stick I cant get by without the thumbstrap.. for feel the magic or the mario mini games its still the stylus for me.. but Mario 64 plays nearly as well as it did on the N64 with the thumbstrap.. and yes, Metroid plays MUCH better with the strap.

Metroid thumbstrap use >> Mario 64 DS thumbstrap use.

At least with Metroid, you can still move around with the D-pad, or in my case, the button cluster while shooting enemies. So if you need to scroll multiple times on the touchscreen, it's not critical since you can reposition yourself to minimize the use of the touchscreen. In Mario 64 DS, there's a very limited set of circles which register movements. i reached a point in the game very early on where it wasn't as responsive as it needed to be, particularly when changing directions, and i haven't touched it since.

 

[Triumph]

I like the feeling of being tethered to the DS.

That statement is simultaneously disturbing and appropriate on so many levels I can't even begin to quantify it. God Bless you, Gigadent.

 

[seismologist]

If it were longer and/or stayed on better, i'd used it more. It sucks for us lefties because it's so short.

seismologist, did you ever beat RR DS? i'm on the last three races before the final two, and i'm close to beating them, i just don't have the patience to play more than one race at a time because of the shit physics and jumbo-sized rubber band physics.

I agree the rubber band AI is what kills it but I've gotten so far that I might as well finish it, I've got like 6 more races to beat.

About the thumbstrap I love the thing.
It works well for games that use the touch screen for control. I should try it with RRDS.

 

[boredJonathan]

I am more amused by the fact that even though the topic says 'thumbstrap', he felt the need to add on the (DS) at the end.

Because refrencing a thumb strap makes people think of something else other than a DS...

Sheesh.

For the record, nope. Still hate it. I don't have the freakishly long thumbs that Nintendo seems to think I should, nor do I consistently play with the system resting on something.

 

[Amir0x]

I like it better than not using it, but it still doesn't even approach a quality replacement for analog stick.

 

[seismologist]

oh man, the thumbstrap makes Metroid Hunter feel like a new game. It's actually playable now.

 

[Sho Nuff]

No, not really, it's garbage. Stylus, please.

 

[nightez]

Cant wait for third party solutions

 

[fse]

I hate it. And stop comparing it to an analog stick, does it look like one?

 

[StoOgE]

I hate it. And stop comparing it to an analog stick, does it look like one?

No, but certain games use the touch screen as an analoug control replacement, and the thumbstrap at the very least makes that useable. You know, things can function like something else without actually looking like it.

 

[chespace]

For the record, nope. Still hate it. I don't have the freakishly long thumbs that Nintendo seems to think I should, nor do I consistently play with the system resting on something.

This is exactly what's wrong with the thumb strap. I have fairly big hands (I also play bass guitar), but playing Mario DS with the thumb strap is extremely uncomfortable. I have to extend my thumb all the way to the center of the bulky oblong DS and keep my hand in that position to control the game. It just doesn't feel natural. Now imagine KIDS using the thumb strap... probably not possible.

 

[fse]

Is it me or is the NDS not that comfortable? It is basically a rectangle... with two screens.

 

[oldskool]

I like it a lot too. It works fairly well for Mario 64, and extremely well for Metroid. If Nintendo had created a new 3-D Mario built from the ground up utilizing the thumb strap as controls, there would be a lot less complaining about it. Mario 64 was built to show off the analog stick, of course it's not going to work as well with the thumb strap.

 

[Amir0x]

Now imagine KIDS using the thumb strap... probably not possible.

Oh... it's possible...

 

[Brandon F]

I got a DS recently, but it was used, so mine didn't have the thumb strap inside. I ordered one from Nintendo for around $4, but I've had little trouble adjusting strictly to the d-pad for control. Amazingly so given how much hate the control has received.

Is it me or is the NDS not that comfortable? It is basically a rectangle... with two screens.

I agree, though I am slowly adjusting, the system is very awkward to hold in your hands, particularly the single hand balancing act when using the stylus. Those buttons are excrutiatingly tiny.

 

[Cain]

Mario DS with the thumbstrap, although sketchy at times, is comfortable to me. I have pretty long fingers and thumbs, though, so that might account for it. It feels pretty natural to me, although I can see why others would have trouble.

 

[Spiritreaver]

No comfortability issues here, however the thumb strap thing just doesn't click with me, oddly enough. I actually thought I'd take to it like a duck to water. I guess I should play with it longer, but it's like trying to sleep in a bed that is always umcomfortable. I can't do it.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

got my first decent play of a DS last night, Only had Mario DS on it, but I found the thumbstrap to be not to bad, but left me wanting the analogue stick badly. Mario seems like an odd choice to launch with because it doesn't quite show off the touch controls potential, still, thumbstrap was much better than the d-pad + run button.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Use the stylus.

 

[Pedigree Chum]

I agree, though I am slowly adjusting, the system is very awkward to hold in your hands, particularly the single hand balancing act when using the stylus. Those buttons are excrutiatingly tiny.

Yup, the buttons are WAY too tiny and close together. The ridges on the side of the system are stupid as well, no reason for them (leaves indents in the hand). The thumbstrap is garbage, give us an analogue stick or don't bother. DS is easily one of the most awkward systems I've ever used (#1 being Virtual Boy).

 

[StRaNgE]

the mini games on the mario game are a blast. perfect on the go no time gaming.

quick games like that are really the only way a lot of us older gamers can even find time to screw with a handheld.

oh and the ds i stole from a friend at work for a few minutes felt way more comfy then my son's DS.

playing his actually made me want one where before i could have cared less.

 

[JAMMR]

I find the thumbstrap very awkward to use. Playing Mario 64 is a chore and I find my thumb always moving toward the upper left corner or something like that and staying there. It's very difficult to have it stay oriented in the center and to function like a true analog that way.

 

[satterfield]

Is there some sort of trick to using it? I've heard people talking about wrapping the strap about the unit until the actual thumb nub in the center of the touch screen, but I have to really stretch the band to get it there and then it's just uncomfortable. Has Nintendo released any official pics showing how to use the thing?

 

[Mama Smurf]

Is there some sort of trick to using it? I've heard people talking about wrapping the strap about the unit until the actual thumb nub in the center of the touch screen, but I have to really stretch the band to get it there and then it's just uncomfortable. Has Nintendo released any official pics showing how to use the thing?

Have you put it on properly? I don't really know what to say without pics of how you're doing it. I can easily touch the top screen even (though there's no point) without stretching it. In fact I can touch any of the bottom half of the unit all the way up to half an inch onto the top half.

You are bringing it under the bottom of the DS and not around the side right?

Not that I've found a game yet which isn't better with the stylus anyway.

 

[satterfield]

No, I've been wrapping it around the left side. Isn't there too much slack if you go from the bottom of the unit? And how do you keep it from sliding off the unit if you wrap it around the bottom? They should have made the strap adjustable.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Isn't there too much slack if you go from the bottom of the unit?

Too much slack? What's too much slack, how's it going to affect anything?

And how do you keep it from sliding off the unit if you wrap it around the bottom?

I don't even...what? The same way you keep the DS from falling out of your hands?

They should have made the strap adjustable.

I'm not sure you're using it the way it's meant to be used.

 

[Rocket Punch]

Metroid Prime Hunters in unplayable without the thumbstrap. I can't imagine anyone actually playing it any other way. And you don't need to rest the DS on something to play it.

Are there another breed of humans I don't know of? Small buttons? Hmm, maybe the gigantor race should steer clear of the DS then. I'm a normal sized bipedal human and it works great for me.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I find the stylus a lot better for MP: Hunters. More accurate, plus the thumb strap just pisses me off to use in general.

And you can easily use the stylus and hold the system up with the game, no need to rest it on something. You just put your little finger of your stylus hand behind the DS. I suppose small children or people with really little/weak fingers might have a problem, wouldn't know.

 

[satterfield]

Too much slack? What's too much slack, how's it going to affect anything?



I don't even...what? The same way you keep the DS from falling out of your hands?



I'm not sure you're using it the way it's meant to be used.

To me, it just doesn't feel right unless you have the strap tight so that you have a "center position" like you would with an analog stick. I guess there's supposed to be slack?

 

[Mama Smurf]

Yes, there's supposed to be slack. I don't even see how you could have a centre position without some slack, if it was tight then there'd be a direction you wouldn't be able to move in.

 

[BuddyC]

 

[satterfield]

Yeah, that's part of the problem. When I was talking about stretching it, that meant to the right part of the touch screen.

 

[Trakball]

It's fucking weird, mang. I really dig the whole futuristic-ness of it all but sometimes I just wish there was a little fucking nub in there somewheres!

Spoiler

If this is how I've heard the Revolution controller is gonna be... the next level is going to take some getting used to

 

[Pedigree Chum]

Now that's some homegrown ownage right there.

 

[Jade Knight 08]

What's it look like?

^
------- What Zero said?


Can someone take a pix of the thumbstrap itself and placing it on your finger too?

 

[DDayton]

Someone needs to make a little doohickey that rests on your thumb... sort of like a little hat, or those stupid rubber "witch finger" things they sell every Halloween. A little thing that sits on your thumb and has an identation on the base for use with the DS. It would work better than the thumb strap... maybe.

 

[ElfoMan]

 

[Vark]

The thing with the thumbstrap is you have to loop it inbetween the two screens, if you forget to do that you don't have enough strap to work with.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Loop it between the two screens? Have I got some sort of special edition, decent length thumb strap or something?

 

[aoi tsuki]

If you're a lefty, it's worse since the strap hole is on the right, you've got even less space. And the strap always comes loose after a few minutes of play.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I've used the thumbstrap with both hands and there's no problem. I've seriously got to find someone with a digital camera to show how I'm doing it, I don't know how you guys are having such problems.