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[Panajev2001a]

Last night I left the GBA cart of Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga into the DS, as well as Super Mario 64 DS.

Today, while I was still at the university, my girlfriend picks up the DS (from "what is that ? uhm..." to "I LIKE the DS a lot" ) and at the boot menu she happens to choose out of curiosity the GBA game (only the Nintendo DS games come up with their name on the DS menu, the GBA games just show up as "GBA game present").

She usually does not like RPG too much, nor she plays too much with gaming handhelds (she did play with the GBA a bit during trips, but the screen's brightness and visibility issues did bother her quite a bit in some games): she glances at me playing KOTOR or other RPGs and she says she might like them and that she wants to play with them sometimes, but she never really started playing with those games.

Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga is now a favourite of hers and in her first go at the game she reached the Bean Kingdom and had her fair share of battles I have ever played.

She reached level 38 on Super Mario 64 DS's mini-game "Wanted!", btw .

I think the DS has the chance of exposing more people to GBA games: lots of non-Nintendo fans that had problems with the GBA's screen visibility, that disliked the speakers used (and could not always use the headphones) or that disliked the GBA SP's front-light based solution (or they had the GBA and were disappointed and did not want to get the GBA SP).

I think that the improoved D-Pad will help people enjoy GBA games more as well: I do not know if you feel the same as I do, but I really think the DS's D-Pad is a nice step forward.

I like competition between handhelds: Sony is bringing it on full-force with the sexy and technologically bleeding-edge PSP and this has pushed Nintendo to try harder and and I hope this will mean that the DS will not be shoved out of the way by Nintendo in less than a year or so and that its potential will not be wasted.

Do you have other stories of non-handheld gamers that you think that the PSP and the DS will get more and more familiar with portable gaimg consoles ?





Edit: I have played with Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, thanks to the good impressions it was getting, I did buy it back when they were having the Zelda collection pack for the GCN.

 

[cvxfreak]

Playing Donkey Kong Country 2 on the DS made a HUGE difference in that game's sound quality. It was virtually like night and day.

 

[krypt0nian]

I never noticved how washed out the GBA games were on the SP until the DS "fixed" them.

And I have to say that most people who get their hands on the minigames in MArio 64 or Feel the Magic's insanity are smitten - gamers and non-gamers.

There is something oddly attractive about stylus play and touching your games. Esp when it came to drawing things on screen that sprung to life such as the Mario 64 trampoline game.

I think I sold more systems at Barnes and Noble tonight than I would believe. :lol

 

[Mashing]

Hmm, anyone played Metroid: Zero Mission on the DS yet? Does it sound better too?

 

[Hollywood]

Does the screen have a stretch option? Or do GBA games just play with a little bit of black background?

 

[Panajev2001a]

I never noticved how washed out the GBA games were on the SP until the DS "fixed" them.

.

There is something oddly attractive about stylus play and touching your games. Esp when it came to drawing things on screen that sprung to life such as the Mario 64 trampoline game.

That mini-game is one of my favourites.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Does the screen have a stretch option? Or do GBA games just play with a little bit of black background?

I do not think there is a stretch option, but I do not miss it really.

 

[Mirk]

Hmm, anyone played Metroid: Zero Mission on the DS yet? Does it sound better too?

Yes and yes, I thought headphones in the options would have made it stereo but it
just makes it quiet.

 

[Mama Smurf]

She reached level 38 on Super Mario 64 DS's mini-game "Wanted!", btw .

That's a great mini-game. She's well beating me though Then again I have only played it twice

 

[Panajev2001a]

That's a great mini-game. She's well beating me though Then again I have only played it twice

It is a great mini-game and yes she is beating me as well .

 

[PkunkFury]

so is it worth it to pick up a DS now or no? I had it preordered but was gonna pass hoping the price would drop when PSP comes out. I'm a huge mario 64 fan but I'd hate to play it with hampered controls, should I still pick one up?

 

[duderon]

so is it worth it to pick up a DS now or no? I had it preordered but was gonna pass hoping the price would drop when PSP comes out. I'm a huge mario 64 fan but I'd hate to play it with hampered controls, should I still pick one up?

If you don't mind getting used to the analog touchscreen control with the thumbpad, then yes you should pick it up, since you are a self-proclaimed mario 64 fan.

 

[GDJustin]

I think I'll only be playing SM64 long enough to unlock all 36 minigames. Although that does say something about SM64's controls, it also says something about the minigames. If the game was JUST them for $30, I'd still be happy with the purchase. Some of them are like crack. Some aren't so good (luigi's mostly), but many of Mario and Wario's are really really addicting.

 

[Panajev2001a]

If you don't mind getting used to the analog touchscreen control with the thumbpad, then yes you should pick it up, since you are a self-proclaimed mario 64 fan.

Bah, I am enjoying playing it and I play with the D-Pad .

 

[ourumov]

I am kinda curious about how Zero3 and AOS will look on DS...

 

[TheGreenGiant]

shit Pana.. you are making me WANT ds.


SOMEONE TRY THE DARK DARK CASTLEVANIA GAMES AND REPORT BACK! If its good.... I will buy it. I want to play my CV GBA titles again.

:O

 

[Baron Aloha]

Last night I left the GBA cart of Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga into the DS, as well as Super Mario 64 DS.

Today, while I was still at the university, my girlfriend picks up the DS (from "what is that ? uhm..." to "I LIKE the DS a lot" ) and at the boot menu she happens to choose out of curiosity the GBA game (only the Nintendo DS games come up with their name on the DS menu, the GBA games just show up as "GBA game present").

She usually does not like RPG too much, nor she plays too much with gaming handhelds (she did play with the GBA a bit during trips, but the screen's brightness and visibility issues did bother her quite a bit in some games): she glances at me playing KOTOR or other RPGs and she says she might like them and that she wants to play with them sometimes, but she never really started playing with those games.

Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga is now a favourite of hers and in her first go at the game she reached the Bean Kingdom and had her fair share of battles I have ever played.

She reached level 38 on Super Mario 64 DS's mini-game "Wanted!", btw .

I think the DS has the chance of exposing more people to GBA games: lots of non-Nintendo fans that had problems with the GBA's screen visibility, that disliked the speakers used (and could not always use the headphones) or that disliked the GBA SP's front-light based solution (or they had the GBA and were disappointed and did not want to get the GBA SP).

I think that the improoved D-Pad will help people enjoy GBA games more as well: I do not know if you feel the same as I do, but I really think the DS's D-Pad is a nice step forward.

I like competition between handhelds: Sony is bringing it on full-force with the sexy and technologically bleeding-edge PSP and this has pushed Nintendo to try harder and and I hope this will mean that the DS will not be shoved out of the way by Nintendo in less than a year or so and that its potential will not be wasted.

Do you have other stories of non-handheld gamers that you think that the PSP and the DS will get more and more familiar with portable gaimg consoles ?

Edit: I have played with Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, thanks to the good impressions it was getting, I did buy it back when they were having the Zelda collection pack for the GCN.

olimario?

 

[Drakken]

shit Pana.. you are making me WANT ds.


SOMEONE TRY THE DARK DARK CASTLEVANIA GAMES AND REPORT BACK! If its good.... I will buy it. I want to play my CV GBA titles again.

:O

Alright, just for you (well, for my own curiosity, too), I tried out Circle of the Moon. On a regular GBA, it's really, really dark, as you probably know. On a SP, it's pretty good; I had thought it was a lot brighter. But man.....the DS is totally lit up. Playing it on the DS and then going back to the SP is a HUGE difference, you really notice how much darker the SP is than the DS.

Verdict: The DS is a lot brighter.

 

[tedtropy]

What does the other screen on the DS do while playing a GBA game? Does it just go blank or display some sort of menu? Honestly I may be swayed towards this system just to boost the visual quality of my existing GBA library. As much as I love my SP, the backlight isn't the most evenly distributed thing in the world. How much better are the DS screens by comparison?

 

[Drakken]

The other screen goes off (black) when playing a GBA game. I guess it goes into Sleep mode.

I can't stress enough how much better and brighter GBA games look on the DS. Wow.

 

[Unison]

Yeah C:COTM looks 100x better on the DS than on the SP.

 

[Spike]

What does the other screen on the DS do while playing a GBA game? Does it just go blank or display some sort of menu? Honestly I may be swayed towards this system just to boost the visual quality of my existing GBA library. As much as I love my SP, the backlight isn't the most evenly distributed thing in the world. How much better are the DS screens by comparison?

It stays blank.

After playing GBA games on the DS, there is no going back.

 

[borghe]

shit Pana.. you are making me WANT ds.


SOMEONE TRY THE DARK DARK CASTLEVANIA GAMES AND REPORT BACK! If its good.... I will buy it. I want to play my CV GBA titles again.

:O

Castlevania on the DS looks like a video game.. that is it just looks like a great game with gorgeous graphics.. playing COTM on the DS one would never understand what we had to go through when the GBA was originally released or the fact that the SP only made it a little better.

though the other two games now look a little "flashy".. lol.....

IMHO, the DS is like the GBA SP SP. It would almost be beneficial for Nintendo to release such a system with the DS' screen. It would be the ultimate gameboy ever created.

 

[w0o]

damn. 36 minigames! i need to start finding those rabbits.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

olimario?

:lol :lol :lol I was thinking the same thing!

 

[mrklaw]

this appealing to non-gamers has me thinking they will be kicking our asses in touch-focussed games. While we jaded gamers try and mentally map the control to something we are familar with, non-gamers will simply be touching stuff as if it were perfectly natural.

So maybe DS isn't ideal for us, but may be perfect to get the bunch of people that don't play video games (there are a lot of those)

 

[Diomedeskun]

I am kinda curious about how Zero3 and AOS will look on DS...

Megaman Zero 3 looks gorgeous. The only GBA game I own that looks better is Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (on TV mode), which looks amazing. Aria of Sorrow looks very good, but it was already so bright and clean that the difference is only really noticeable in the fine features on complex characters like Julius, but I don't think I had ever noticed some of the details in Dracula's room before. Zero 3 with its speed and intricately designed characters benefits more.

 

[CrisKre]

I just have to add that Yoshi's Island on DSs screen is raw sweaty sex. It brings back the vibrant color of the original version and the music is improved tenfold.

 

[TheGreenGiant]

I just have to add that Yoshi's Island on DSs screen is raw sweaty sex. It brings back the vibrant color of the original version and the music is improved tenfold.

CrisKre.. you work for Nintendo right? I remember the DS t-shirts. Did you get yours free or @ staff discount? Ooo.. funny how its this GBA business that is making me excited about the DS.. not the DS titles.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

Green you got your replies now go buy it

 

[Panajev2001a]

olimario?

No, it's aaahmmeee Panajev .

 

[Mejilan]

My sister got into Wario Ware and M&L: SS, to the point where I actually sent her one of my old GBAs, and a bunch of games, including those two.

(She's not a gamer. This is her first system.)

 

[DyersEve]

Which screen do you guys play the GBA games on and do you notice any differnces on them?

 

[Mejilan]

Top screen, because GBA SP > GBA.

And also because it doesn't have that protective coating on it like the bottom screen does (which very slightly degrades visual quality.)

 

[Suerte]

*lust for DS rising*

Well, looks like I'll be increasing my bank overdraft tomorrow!

 

[MASB]

Some aren't so good (luigi's mostly), but many of Mario and Wario's are really really addicting.

Sigh. Once again Luigi gets the shaft. Maybe he'll get a chance at starring in his own game again 10 years from now or something.

 

[Naked Snake]

IMHO, the DS is like the GBA SP SP. It would almost be beneficial for Nintendo to release such a system with the DS' screen. It would be the ultimate gameboy ever created.

Man that's a great idea, I'd would totally buy a streamlined GBA with a single backlit screen like the DS, too bad it'll probably never happen.

I know some of you might say "Get a DS then", well the DS is great and all, but for GBA games I'd like to be able to hold a less bulky handheld with a perfect screen.