Nintendo DS - Seriously, What Am I Missing Out On?

[msimplay]

I expected the DS to be like a handheld Nintendo 64. It only seemed logical. Gameboy Color is to NES as Gameboy Advance is to SNES as Nintendo DS is to Nintendo 64, right? Well, actually most 3D games on the DS are really weak. The only 3D DS games that lit my world on fire were Mario Kart DS and Super Mario 64 DS. Generally, 3D games on the DS are lame. It's a better 2D system.

Bit strange your expectations really I mean every single Nintendo Handheld has never been a total clone of the console counterpart and has always been a generation or so behind current gen technology (Nintendos Current Gen Wii / Gamecube).
Even last generation the GBA had very few ports of Snes games and the Gameboy / GBC also had very few direct ports of their Nes counterparts.
Also Super Mario showed that ports from N64 games could be done well but it clearly shows that the System had no anti aliasing.

Its actually really unfair to compare Sony PSP from a graphical standpoint because everyone knows that the Sony PSP is based on the PS2 and the DS is based kind of based on N64 but actually isn't since it has more in common with the Gameboy Advance with it's Arm 9 processor the GBA had Arm7

The handheld market has always been unique because it offered a different experience to the home consoles

Also this is when Nintendo started going in a New direction with the whole new way of playing touchscreen and wiimote stuff.

3D games are fine on the DS they represent the generation that DS hardware is based on.
PS1 / N64 era. Although I agree yup it's a better 2d system

[Anayo]

Its actually really unfair to compare Sony PSP from a graphical standpoint because everyone knows that the Sony PSP is based on the PS2 and the DS is based kind of based on N64 but actually isn't since it has more in common with the Gameboy Advance with it's Arm 9 processor the GBA had Arm7

My argument isn't that I like PS2 graphics better than N64. My argument is that I like 3D Nintendo 64 games better than 3D Nintendo DS games. The developers just did a weak job of making good 3D games for the DS, whereas the N64 was awesome in that regard.

[noiseredux]

Its actually really unfair to compare Sony PSP from a graphical standpoint because everyone knows that the Sony PSP is based on the PS2 and the DS is based kind of based on N64 but actually isn't since it has more in common with the Gameboy Advance with it's Arm 9 processor the GBA had Arm7

My argument isn't that I like PS2 graphics better than N64. My argument is that I like 3D Nintendo 64 games better than 3D Nintendo DS games. The developers just did a weak job of making good 3D games for the DS, whereas the N64 was awesome in that regard.

maybe that's a good view... I have no opinion on the DS's 3D capabilities, as I'm really not much of a 3D fan to begin with. Generally the 3D iterations of a series are my least favorites (save for perhaps Wind Waker...).

[pepharytheworm]

To be honest, with the types of games you listed that you liked on the PSP, I would say your missing out on nothing on the DS. Now if you like retro games and innovative games then you are missing a lot. Like many pointed out why play a watered down port of current games? The best PSP games in my opinion are all remakes or exclusives.

To all those complaining about the DS's 3D, I personally think it looks fine. The 3D reminds me of mixing PS and N64 3D with something new. Didn't you all once complain that n64 games looked milky, lacked textures, no CD audio and no FMV cutscenes, and that PS looked too pixelated, long loading, memory card and shaky/wavy? The DS fixes both systems problems.
I own Diddy Kong racing and S Mario 64 on both systems, and they look much better on the DS to me, besides being small. The only thing that bothers me about the 3D games is that there is no analog controller and the sytlus is a poor substitute for one.

[AmishSamurai]

While I personally prefer the 2D games on the DS, or the ones with 3D sprites on a 2D field, you can see a massive improvement in the DS' 3D capabilities. Just like how Super Mario 64 was by no means the upper limit of the N64's capabilities, it's DS counterpart shouldn't have pushed you away either. While we won't get an equivalent of Majora's Mask in graphical power, the capabilities aren't to be sneezed at. After all, the 3D Ho-Oh and Lugia in the most recent Pokemon games looks very crisp, possibly on par with early PS2 models.

[msimplay]

Its actually really unfair to compare Sony PSP from a graphical standpoint because everyone knows that the Sony PSP is based on the PS2 and the DS is based kind of based on N64 but actually isn't since it has more in common with the Gameboy Advance with it's Arm 9 processor the GBA had Arm7

My argument isn't that I like PS2 graphics better than N64. My argument is that I like 3D Nintendo 64 games better than 3D Nintendo DS games. The developers just did a weak job of making good 3D games for the DS, whereas the N64 was awesome in that regard.

I don't think they have done a weak job from what I've seen of 3d games they look good and respective to the era that the Nintendo DS respresents the PS1 / N64 era.
I fully expected the games to look like PS1 games because of the lack of anti aliasing.
Although IMO from what I've seen the DS seems to have the edge over the N64 polygon pushing wise but it lacks the Anti Aliasing.
Mario 64 on the N64 the coins are 2d sprites but on the DS they were fully polygon coins.

I personally think because the DS is up against the PSP the developers would rather create a better looking 2D game because the DS is up against still competition with regards to 3D
I mean take yourself for example you have a PSP and your complaining that the DS has weak 3D when it doesn't it looks exactly as most 3D games used to look back in those N64/PS1 days.

When you look at the ports from that era they have been nigh on perfect and sometimes better than the originals 3d wise.

Resident Evil , Mario 64 , Diddy Kong Racing and even some games that were not Ports such as
Kingdom Hearts and Metroid far outstrip what I used to see back in those days with regards to the graphical style.

I personally think near most any N64 / PS1 game could easily be ported to the DS

Final Fantasy III and IV are great examples of 3d updates if you look back.
Everyone back then was thinking how great Final Fantasy 7 looked but when you compare them to the DS remakes of FF3 and FF4, FF7 looks worse.
The DS used full 3d environments and charachter models and Final Fantasy 7 had a mix of pre rendered and 3d.

[Mr.White555]

I haven't played a single game for a psp that made me actually want one. Its mostly a novelty. Playing console series on a handheld is cool but its not up to par with the console iterations. I would have totally bought a psp if the gta games were actually good.

Now I won't leave out that the ds IS a novelty, but it has titles that are great. Four games that warrant a purchase of a ds are: Contra 4, New Super Mario Bros., Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside story, and Mario Kart DS.

Software(games) quality> Hardware quality

P.S. If this starts into a software vs hardware debate then you must be trolling because this is a goddamn retro forum. Who the hell here plays games for their system's capabilities rather than the games themselves? Anyway on a completely objective level the PSP is superior, technically, then the DS.

[pepharytheworm]

Anyway on a completely objective level the PSP is superior, technically, then the DS.

So the psp has a touch screen and two screens? I would say the PSP has better processing power not necessarily superior technically, but then again I didn't go to tech school.

[lisalover1]

What is that, and where can I get it?

part shouldn't have pushed you away either. While we won't get an equivalent of Majora's Mask in graphical power, the capabilities aren't to be sneezed at. After all, the 3D Ho-Oh and Lugia in the most recent Pokemon games looks very crisp, possibly on par with early PS2 models.

Yeah, there are a ton of great-looking 3D DS games out there. Just look at this trailer for Tales of Innocence: Pretty impressive stuff, moving at a speedy framerate, no less!

[AmishSamurai]

Yeah, there are a ton of great-looking 3D DS games out there. Just look at this trailer for Tales of Innocence: Pretty impressive stuff, moving at a speedy framerate, no less!

Wow. That looks a lot like Final Fantasy VIII's overworld and towns, but a bit cleaner and not as much FMV floating around. I'm impressed.

Now if only that makes it to the states