Nintendo DS and Sony PSP

[Guest]

[Geek Boy]

Well Santa was very good to me this Christmas - I got both a DS and a PSP!

[Roz]

Very cool!

I wish you all the best with the super cool DS - wifi games are great - pictochat provides an excellent chance for the girls to discuss the boy's christmas presents - not that I'd know of course

he hee

We have the Mario 64 DS game but I am looking forward to Metroid, and Yoshi's Touch and Go, and also Animal crossing.

Did you get any games?

[olly]

I have the Mario 64 and Spiderman.

Mario is great, even better than the N64 version.
A little weird to play on such a small console.

Spiderman is quite cool, but I found it a bit hard to be honest and very repetitive.

Looking forward to more 2005 releases.  

[Roz]

Yeah it's all too easy to go mad on the release games but I limited myself to 1

Then I am waiting for the proper Ninty releases... everything looks good but I'd like a new Zelda one

And I'd like the moon on a stick please... thank you!

[Geek Boy]

I got Mario for the DS and as it was the US version, it came with the Metroid demo.  Didn't fancy anything else.  I'm not a huge fan of M64 to be honest but the touch screen mini games are great fun - I've enjoyed those more than the main game in fact!  We had the neighbours round at New Year along with some of the kids and they were blown away by both machines.  Funnily enough, the adults ended up playing them more than the kids.  There's a PS2 in the lounge at the moment and one of the little boys said "why have you got a PS2?  Adults don't play video games".  Funny how they seem to think games have just been invented for them!

As for the PSP, I got Ridge Racers and Vampire Chronicles.  I understand Lumines is very good as well.  This machine really is amazing.  Once you get through the standard rounds on RR (which are a bit too easy and not especially fast), you get pro and expert levels which are just incredible - the power of this thing is something else.  It's a lot smaller than you might think, not a great deal wider than the DS.  One of the really good things is that if you hit the power switch mid game, it starts back exactly where you left off - main menu, mid race, mid fight etc.  Sort of like a sleep mode.  The system menus can be set to English text when you first set the unit up and you can transfer JPEG's and MP3's via a USB cable although one isn't supplied with the unit.

Both machines  are catering for different markets but I think the DS has got it's work cut out.  So long as they make good use of the touch screen (and not just for starting or quitting games) the DS should do well and of course it has a huge back catalogue of GBA games to call on.  My only worry with the PSP is that it will just end up with portable versions of existing PS2 games rather than anything particularly new.  Still, Gran Turismo 4 Mobile is not something I will turn my nose up at.  Can't wait to see it - end of Jan I think.

[Roz]

To be fair, I am glad to hear that your PSP works and doesn't have dead pixels, or throw the UMD out of the machine whilst you are playing (I've seen this happen  ).

But it does look a pretty cool machine... but keep it wrapped in cotton wool - don't get it scrached

I haven't played the main game of Mario either to be honest, the mini games are more than enough for me at the moment, and I've played the Metroid demo too but sadly Mark (MakTheYak on this forum) is way too good and keeps killing me so I have stopped speaking to him

I think the DS has a lot of potential but with that a lot of chances to flop too - it's had a good start so I'll keep my fingers crossed (which could give you a clue as to why Mark's better at video games than me!)

[MakTheYak]

I am steering clear of PSP for that reason - I'm just worried that it'll end up having a slew of PS2 ports on it. Although I heard somewhere that Sony would be monitoring releases carefully for that reason I don't see why they wouldn't just a get a bit of a tweak (like Mario 64 DS) and get a re-release just the same.

I love the DS. I love it because it's inventive, clever and different, which is what has always made Nintendo stand out from the rest. I love because it was designed for games, not to be an iPod or a portable cinema. I love it because I know it will have some great games like Mario, Zelda, Metroid and all the other great franchises which Nintendo has built its name on and I love it because I can play all my old GBA games on there. And what's more they will be using the GBA game slot for expansion peripherals like rumble packs, cameras etc. It has a lot of potential yet.

I might well end up buying a PSP but they are going to have to iron out a few of the reported bugs and release a fair few exclusive games beforehand.

And yes I will kill any one of you on Metroid! MUAHAHAHAHA!  

[olly]

Mark have you played the main Mario game yet??

[Roz]

That would be the reason why I haven't ...   somebody keeps stealing it!!!

[Geek Boy]

On the subject of the mini games in Mario, you know you can open up more if you catch rabbits in the main game?  I like the one with the catapult , reminds me of Missile Command  

And yes, the PSP screen is prone to scratching.  And sticky fingermarks - it gets dirty very quickly!  I clean the screen with the cloth that came with my Apple display but it has got one or two slight scratches already.  I don't know if that's the carry pouch though, it's not the softest thing in the world.

I hope they do Starfox for the DS - what a great game and I'd PAY to see a version of Jet Force Gemini.  And Banjo Kazooie.  I know that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is coming out (Feb), Viewtiful Joe (May) and Advance Wars (Oct).  Dates subject to slippage of course  

[olly]

That would be the reason why I haven't ...   somebody keeps stealing it!!!

How far is he?

I am 67 stars into it and still haven't rescued Luigi or Wario  

And you have to rescue them to complete certain tasks  

AND I CAN'T FIND THEM  

If anyone can help please let me know  

[Roz]

Roz with Mark here

50 stars in  

But guess who has both Wario and Luigi

 

[olly]

Can you tell me which course you get the key for Luigi please?

I think I skipped ahead somewhere I have spent the better part of two evenings trying to retrace my steps and rescue the green plumber  

[MakTheYak]

It's pretty well hidden... you've got to go in the birdcage dropped by the big Boo in the courtyard. Then inside the mansion there is a picture of luigi and you go in that. Then there's another level which you have to do and beat the boss of and then you get your key... it's pretty hard to find though! Good luck... and don't worry yes I had help finding that one too - Wario is pretty easy to do after that though).

[olly]

Cheers Mark....off home now to try that  

[olly]

Did it! And found Wario 5 minutes later.

See I didn't know there was another level in the haunted house.
I didn't float high enough  

[rns91294]

Is the PSP out in the US yet?

[MakTheYak]

Not yet... although they have announced a launch date and price for the DS in Australia now. I can't remember offhand but it wasn't  a bad price at all

[Roz]

Did either of you lot - Gadgetboy and Olly get any cases when you got your DS?

I am not carrying mine around in the safest way and am looking into some screen protectors and cases.

I like this case

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-j30-71-b6-84-j-70-evl.html

But no one has it in stock - (do you know any different?)

So I am wondering about this case:

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-j30-71-b6-84-j-70-ewn.html

Clearly Mark should have this case ROFL

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-j30-71-b6-84-j-70-goc.html

And I am wondering about these screen protectors because they are Nintendo approved:

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-j30-71-b7-84-j-70-ewm.html

What's the verdict?

PLEASE PLEASE help me find that first pouch somewhere in stock

[Roz]

Damn that's a nice case

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-j30-71-9e-84-j-70-ee7.html

if I chop bits off the end and widen it - reckon it will fit the DS?