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Beat Writer  Posts: 217 Joined: 16 Jan 2008     | |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3868 Joined: 25 Jan 2008     | Ok, you're getting SCREWED. I know AusDollars are less than CAD, but our DSLite is $140.00 and games range from $10.00 to $45.00, with the typical non-Nintendo made game at $35 as new release. But yes buy one, and MarioKart DS too. |
Paperboy  Posts: 19 Joined: 12 Mar 2008 |
Can't say it much better than that really. If you don't travel much that does somewhat diminish your need for a handheld console, I agree, but you shouldn't let that stop you, I use my PSP whilst at work between lessons, I sat in my living room playing my DS with my housemates, I play them for amusement and time killing regardless of where I am or what I'm doing. Plus you'll be amazed how often a handheld comes in useful. Driving to see Grandma one weekend and your daughter is bored? Toss her your DS and a copy of Pokemon or Animal Crossing (OK, I don't know many kids, I don't know what kind of things they might like to play) and she'll keep quiet for the rest of the trip. Plus buy a copy of Dr Kawashima's brain training, the joy of being told your brain age is 20 (I'm 22 and was worried that those good old days of being a care free 20 year old were gone!) is indescribable. |
Press Junketeer Posts: 429 Joined: 17 Oct 2007   | Yes. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 181 Joined: 13 Dec 2007 |
I <3 my DS (well I will when it finishes being repaired) but I completely agree about the prices. At 93 AU cents to the US dollar, we should be paying around $37 for our DS games. We get charged nearly double that. But that's not exclusive to DS games, we get screwed over when it comes to every platform. |
Beat Writer Posts: 217 Joined: 16 Jan 2008 |
What happens when you hit 1000 posts? :-) |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 3868 Joined: 25 Jan 2008 |
I think they award me a small Hawaiian island... That or a new title. Ok, lets make this simple... There are very few people willing to put up with the eyestrain of playing 8-,16-, or 32-bit retro games on their TV... What with LCD/Plasma demanding everyone have much larger screens than the NES anticipated, and having to find adapters for that pesky old coaxial plugin... The DS gives you a range of games from as retro as the NES, or as far forward as the N64, plus exclusive titles you can't play on any other system (MarioKart DS, Kirby Squeak Squad, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin). In addition, the DS Lite supports all GBA cartridges, which (if you can find them still) doubles the available titles. Add in the above-mentioned fact you can play it to kill time when away from home, I'd say its worth the money. PSP vs DS, can't say much since I don't own a PSP... I can say the DS Lite is more compact, and the games aren't much bigger than a pair of SD cards stuck together. The internal LiIon battery is phenominal for power output, and Nintendo actually backs their product quite well (say F**K YOU to any jerkoff trying to sell an extended warranty, just call Nintendo and they'll fix it). |
Beat Writer Posts: 181 Joined: 13 Dec 2007 | Just a word of caution. The classic DS is much more durable than the DS Lite. The plastic it's made from is a lot harder than then Lite, so if you're a clutz like me, go for the classic style. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 401 Joined: 25 Mar 2008   |
<3 DS Phat. The buttons of the Lite aren't that good either, to my experience. The D-Pad just seems so flimsy, and the buttons all-round too small. Prone to finger cramp imo. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 163 Joined: 22 Nov 2007  | I've been a pc gamer for years, but since about a year ago I've got a DS Lite, and I love it. In addition to the DS I've got a CycloDS Evolution card, which basicly is a game cartridge that carries a small flash memory card. There's lots of great homebrew games on-line that can be played on that card, not to mention Quake 1 and 2. You can also put downloaded roms on it, if you're so inclined. |
Beat Writer Posts: 181 Joined: 13 Dec 2007 | Wow that's nifty! How much did that set you back? |
Beat Writer  Posts: 200 Joined: 22 Feb 2008   | DS Lite, PSP slim, both excellent machines. Mario Kart for the DS, God of War for the PSP, different flavours for different demographics. I prefer my PSP for the more mature themed titles, but my DS wins for pure 'pick up & play' old school fun. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2844 Joined: 3 Mar 2008   | I say buy it, but you need to know what you're buying. hat games do you prefer to play? And I liked the DS Lite better than any other handheld game device made by anyone (Kill the PSP), but I have had cracking problems before, and the GBA games don't fit too well, so maybe "ye olde" DS is for you. Anyway, Happy Playing! |
Beat Writer Posts: 181 Joined: 13 Dec 2007 |
Yeah, sticky-outy GBA gmaes are no fun when you aren't playing them, and they aren't aesthetically pleasing at all. Plus, if you do it right, you can use the DS Phat's game-spring-eject thingie to launch your game cards at your friends. They won't think you're annoying at all. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 353 Joined: 22 Jan 2008 |
As both a fellow Australian gamer and PC gamer, I can honestly say, you could do far worse then getting a DS Lite. I love mine, and while I don't have bear-paw hands, they're not dainty either, and the DS Lite fits quite well, all things considered. Also, Khell, we know we're getting screwed - all the more reason why Aussie PC gamers jack up when 'mericans complain about the price of computer hardware. Also, there are some absolutely brilliant DS-exclusive titles - Elite Beat Agents comes to mind for quick "jump right in" gaming, and there are more than a few involved RPGs available too. In terms of portable-entertainment value, I'm actually conflicted as to whether I rank the iPod higher or not. |
Beat Writer Posts: 163 Joined: 22 Nov 2007 |
In the Netherlands it was €40, I heard you can get for about 50 dollars in the US. In order to play Quake II you'll also need an external RAM pack, the 3-in-1 RAM pack is one of the cheapest options, and also the one Q2 is most optimised for. And props for the Tardis pic :) |
Beat Writer Posts: 181 Joined: 13 Dec 2007 | Cool, I'll be looking into that when my DS recovers from being sat on by some guy. Thanks! It came out surprisingly well for 5 minutes of playing with a screencap. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 3868 Joined: 25 Jan 2008 | Ok, there's this device I bought for my DS Lite that solves the big-beefy-hands problem (Hence why I bought it). I think it's Intec brand, but it's a white battery extender that doubles as a grip. The DS Lite sits cradled in the top of it, the pen is removed and placed in a new slot on the grip, and this plastic peg goes in where the pen was, locking the DS in place. The back of the grip slides down into the charging slot, locking it in back there. The grip itself is shaped closer to a Gamecube controller, and fits very well in my hands. More than that, the actual purpose of the device is that it has a built in battery (roughly 50% more charge than the DS internal batt, thus giving you 250% total gametime. The only place I have seen this is Bestbuy, and I can't find images of it on the web, but if you see it, its worth the $30CDN (thats like $80US :D ). |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 89 Joined: 8 Jan 2008 | It's the "console" that got my wife playing video games again. (She used to play Quake back in the day.) Now we can sit on the couch together and swap velied hints about how to solve the puzzles in Professor Layton. Almost half the games I own can download a demo level to another DS so way can play together with only one cartridge. |
Anonymous Source  Posts: 4 Joined: 29 Aug 2007 |
That isn't necessarily true. Right now, I tend to play on my DS Lite at home a whole lot more than when away, especially once I bring the online capable games into the mix. In any event, there are a ton of great games to be had (first and third party) on it from pretty much any genre one can imagine, so you can't go really wrong there. It sure does say a good bit about the platform when the DS trumps my Xbox360, Wii, and computer as favorite gaming platform. |
Paperboy  Posts: 16 Joined: 22 Dec 2007 | MY PSP slim with custom firmware gets way more time than my DS lite. In fact, I don't think I've even touched my DS since I got my PSP. I'm on the verge of selling the DS, it seems pretty useless to me now. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 146 Joined: 15 Feb 2008  | 1. the older ones are more durable |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 3868 Joined: 25 Jan 2008 |
DS games are the cheapest shelf price of any console/system ever, to resort to piracy on a $20 game is pathetic. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1043 Joined: 31 Oct 2007   |
I don't know about every publisher, but Square-Enix games start at $39.99. Actually the median price is $30 for new DS games in general. When you take into account purchasing.. say.. 5 games, that's $150. If you say that's nothing.. then you've obviously lived your entire life a very privileged human being. But that wouldn't mean you get to tell others how to spend their money. I'm not saying piracy is great, and everyone should do it.. but I wouldn't call it pathetic, either. It is what it is. It's somebody trying to save themselves some money... without the moral dilemma that actual stealing has with it.. such as walking into a store and robbing a physical item off of a shelf, for instance. (with piracy there is no missing item.. so certainly you can't just call it stealing without adding some new philosophical context to the term.) Anyway.. just my 2 cents. As for the OP.. Absolutely get a DS.. they're fantastic little devices. I had to sit in line at the DMV the other day.. and I would have gone insane from boredom without it! |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 3868 Joined: 25 Jan 2008 |
Not having the money to purchase something does not give a person the right to take it anyways. I'm not going to argue this overmuch because it won't change anyone's mind, but whether it's stealing a pack of chewing gum, or stealing a car, theft is theft. The argument that digital media isn't theft because you aren't taking the original is utter bullshit that pirates tell themselves to feel better about being low-down criminals. Now if this were a matter of stealing bread to feed yourself, I cold sympathize... But games are a luxury item, and not essential to life. |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 925 Joined: 25 Jan 2008 | Emphatically, yes. There's something on the system for everyone, including the mighty Mario Kart DS, probably the greatest Mario Kart ever made. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 126 Joined: 19 Mar 2008  | If you like bad graphics and 97 out of 100 crappy games then yes buy one in fact buy 2. Seriously though advance wars and caslevania are pretty fun. |
Muckraker  Posts: 308 Joined: 15 May 2007 | I own both a psp and a ds. My psp hasn't been seen for months and i've only owned it for maybe 4 months. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 483 Joined: 5 Jan 2008 |
Yes you can. Buy one, MarioKart DS, and Contra 4. Contra 4 may not be something for your daughter, but it is an awesome game. Nothing like a lil' retro action to get the blood pumping. It's tough, but that's the whole appeal. It gets crazy difficult when you're fighting a boss that's one-and-a-half DS screens high, and two screens across. Tell me that ain't awesome or manly. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 3868 Joined: 25 Jan 2008 |
MarioKart DS is only king till MK Wii comes out... Something to be aware about on DS multiplayer-ness-ness... I was initially misled into believing all multiplayer games only required one copy. |
Anonymous Source  Posts: 10 Joined: 9 Jan 2008 | Saved me on a 18hr bus trip back home. The DS made that trip feel like maybe 3 hours. It works wonders. |
Beat Writer Posts: 217 Joined: 16 Jan 2008 | Thanks for all the comments, nice to see some constructive ones instead of the flames that tend to abound from disillusioned grumps. My daughter is only 3 so probably the only sorts of games I could get for her would be Dora, Drawn to Life, etc. She'd grow into it I guess - but is there any word on the street of a new handheld that would replace the DS-Lite? Would hate to buy this then it's obsolete in 12 months. |
Muckraker  Posts: 330 Joined: 17 May 2007 |
Uh yeah, way to explain your point instead of just abusing your opponents. Look, that argument is correct: it is not theft if you're not taking anything away from anyone. That doesn't mean it's not bad, it's just not theft. By definition.
Again: I'm not saying it isn't bad, I'm just saying a casual glance at the dictionary will tell you it is not theft. And I suspect you're not Australian. Australians get unjustifiably price-gouged for digital media. Game and music label execs are on record admitting that the only reason prices never went down when the value of the Australian dollar rose is because people had got used to paying a lot to import this stuff when our dollar was cheap, and now that it's almost on par with the American dollar ($AU1 = $US0.93) most of them just haven't figured out they should be paying less, so the companies can pocket the difference. Now maybe in your hardline view of things that makes no difference, Piracy Is Always Wrong. Well, I don't know if you're American, but the United States was formed as a country when it refused to keep being overcharged by its hegemonic supplier, Britain, and few people think of that as criminal fraud. So let's say we have a certain precedent. (I'd mention the Eureka Stockade, but I don't suppose many of you foreigners have heard of it.) Blah blah blah, that example is irrelevant because tax is compulsory and commerce is voluntary. To paraphrase you, that's utter bullshit that corporate suits tell themselves to feel better about being low-down extortionists. I'm not going to deny myself all forms of my favourite pastime on a point of abstract ethics. * * * Ok, sorry, back to the topic. Slyder: get a DS. Don't worry about it becoming obsolete; it's (close to) the best-selling console in history, so it will be well supported for a long, long time yet. In fact, one of the best things about it is that it has such a huge library of games. Sure, a certain percentage of them are shovelware, but even in just the cream of the crop there are more outstanding games than you'll ever get around to playing. I have a DS Lite which I play every day and I've never had any of the problems mentioned above, but I bought a protective plastic case to go with it - probably a good idea for any handheld, especially with a child around. For your daughter: do get Nintendogs. DON'T get Catz, Ponyz, Hamsterz etc. |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 68 Joined: 10 Apr 2008 | I've been thinking about getting one myself lately, I know there's at least a handful of DS only games I'd play, it's just considering whether the enjoyment I'll get is worth the significant outlay originally ($169 for the handheld, plus $50+ for new games). Then there's the consideration of how much I'll actually get to use it. I bought a PSP shortly after launch, and it's been a relationship with ups and downs. I've got only about 6 games for it, and although I love those games, I haven't touched it in a quite a few months, maybe even a year. Being a handheld it's not as convenient to play as a console or even a PC if you're at home (charging it, small screen, cramped fingers after long sessions, etc). If you've only got a few games for it, it's also very easy to just get bored - you beat all of them, or get to parts you're stuck on (that's a problem with any system you only just bought though). One of the reasons I'm a bit concerned about buying a DS is that I think it'll go the same way, since all the problems I've had are with handhelds in general and not the system itself. The PSP is great for mature aged games: FPS, racers, sports games, that sort of thing, its also got all the added multimedia features, but I personally don't use those much. The DS seems better for the good old action-adventure games, retro classics, and kids' games. Then again, I might just get one, I'm in a gaming mood lately. Looking to buy a few more PSP games and get a decent library going, and I've also been considering buying an old NES, just to play all the games from my childhood again. Then again, maybe a DS/Wii would save me doing that. Khell_Sennet, on a side note, I disagree with you on Piracy, but I'll save that for another thread to avoid taking this one off-topic again. |
I am a PC Gamer at heart, all the latest & greatest on my rig - hence I don't own an Xbox or Playstation. BUT - I do have the Wii - just because the games are so different and amusing, and also I can play some of them in co-op mode with my daughter.
The DS-Lite has been tempting me for some while though, at $199 australian, but I'm wondering if there is any gain/advantage in it considering my other 2 gaming platforms? I don't travel much. Also I find $69 for a DS game a bit of a rip.
Comments?