Nintendo DS Questions

[ClassicBoy]

I'm thinking about finally picking up a Nintendo DS but wanted to ask those who have had a DS for awhile a few questions first. I apologize if these questions have been answered in other topics. However, my questions are fairly specific and I had trouble finding anything that addressed my questions.

 

Are the screens on the DS noticeably sharper and brighter than the one on the GBA SP? Do GBA games look noticeably better, screenwise?

 

Have you noticed the touchscreen starting to get scratched and worn? If so, how much do you play and about how long did it take for noticeable wear to appear? I've noticed some pretty bad demo units. Is this common with typical home use?

 

I know that the PSP has a much more powerful graphics engine. However, I'm still interested in how powerful the processor in the DS is. Graphically, where does it fall between the N64 and Gamecube. Is it just slightly better than N64 or quite a bit better?

 

Thanks!

[CPUWIZ]

I know that the PSP has a much more powerful graphics engine.

 

Yes, much more powerful, in every regard. Not only the graphics engine.

 

However, I'm still interested in how powerful the processor in the DS is.  Graphically, where does it fall between the N64 and Gamecube.  Is it just slightly better than N64 or quite a bit better?

 

Thanks!

935548[/snapback]

 

The processor that developers are allowed to program, is the main CPU. Which is a ARM9, running at 66MHz. The secondary processor is just a ARM7, running at 33MHz, it is the one that runs GBA games and sound processing, etc. on the DS side.

 

The DS is not as powerful as the N64, by a long stretch, unfortunately.

 

Trust me, I have both devkits on my desk and am programming engines on both.

[Jasoco]

The DS screens are sharper than the older GBA SP. But I assume they're about the same as the new SP that came out today with the BACK-LIT screen. The answer is yes, the screens are crisp and bright. Puts the older SP to shame.

 

I notice no scratches. And anything that looks like a scratch is easily wiped away.

 

It's all about the games. PSP is great, powerful, but only if the system has a game you want is it worth it.

 

I'd say it's better than a PS1 but like an N64 without the blurry aftertaste. (Antialiasing) It's not better than the N64 that I've seen. But maybe it is. It sure ain't a GameCube. This is where the PSP is superior, the PSP looks almost like a PS2 game. But the DS is pretty much an N64 with AA turned off.

 

But it's ALL ABOUT THE GAMES, MAN! Both have great games now, and both have great games coming. Especially Nintendo with the plethora of Mario games and ANIMAL CROSSING: WILD WORLD!!! Oh, and ElectroPlankton. This holiday season will be a wallet breaker for any DS or PSP owner, I'll tell you that much.

[ClassicBoy]

Thanks to both of you. I know the PSP blows the DS out of the water but I'm really looking to the DS to provide a different experience than my home consoles. The PSP seems to be pretty much a full-blown PS2 for "on the go." I don't really play portables that much when I'm out and about so the DS seems optimum for a fun experience that my Ps2 or Xbox doesn't offer. The PSP seems to pretty much offer straight ports of games I'd rather be playing on a big screen. Not knocking the PSP...it's obviously an amazing system. I just don't think I'd get as much use out of it as the DS since I have the full-size consoles already around.

 

CPUWIZ, I trust your knowledge on this specs of the DS. I'm confused, though. Most of the initial reviews said that the DS version of Mario 64 was superior, graphically, to the N64 version. So, is this a case of Mario on the N64 not "topping out" the capabilities of the N64 as a launch title? So, the best that the N64 has to offer, graphically, is better than the best the DS can do?

Edited September 21, 2005 by ClassicBoy

[Zoop]

my DS touch screen scratched up failrly quickly ,and easily. it got real bad when playing the mario 64 DS mini game of rolling the snow man head. the scratches from that are still there after a few cleanings. but it hasn't affected any of the games ,and or viewing the screen that i noticed. i think the DS is just worth having for the online mario kart ,and metroid prime along with the resurrection of super mario bros. i've thought about getting a psp now ,and then but right now its far too expensive for a handheld which its games are 50-40 bucks a pop ,and most of them get very medicore scores ,and with complaints of the controls, battery life, and dead pixels turns me off to PSP until theres a major price drop

[classicgamingguy]

Hi, just my two cents.

 

Yes, graphically, the PSP is better, the battery life is shorter as a result, but better overall if you want crisp, PS2-quality play. However, the DS is innovative in it's design and use of it's touch screen. Yes, there are scratches evident after excessive wear and tear. Buy a screen protector for both screens.

 

There are many great games coming down the pike for the DS, and another advantage is it's ability to play all the GBA games out there. It's price point is another factor for those that can't afford to sink that level of money into a PSP. I've noticed that GBA games ARE crisper and "cleaner" on my DS versus a GBA, but it could just be that it's a mind-control trick used by Nintendo to make me further love my DS.

 

Although not as portable as a GBA, the DS has the same flip screen which adds addictional protection for the screens. Sound is great with a pair of headphones. I've personally compared the DS version of Super Mario to the N64 version...I'm afraid the N64 has a slight edge over it..

 

It's all about the games, I completely agree. If there's some games you want on the DS that aren't available for the PSP, go for it. I haven't been disappointed with my DS since I bought it a few weeks ago. I don't think you'll be sorry.

 

-Steve

[jdrew]

I've had my DS since launch, and play it for a couple of hours per week. My touch screen isn't scratched at all. It gets a little greasy if I use my fingers (i.e. switching weapons in Nanostray), otherwise I haven't had any problems.

 

Josh

[Mendon]

I think the DS display is much, much brighter and clearer than any of the other Gameboy systems. On the day I bought my DS, I tried Metroid and Zelda on the DS and on my GBA-SP (NES Classic Version... ). I noticed a big difference and feel the DS display is waaaay better than my GBA SP.

 

I haven't played too many games that require heavy stylus use (except for Pac 'n Roll) so my touch screen isn't scratched much at all, so far.

 

I have both a PSP and a DS. I'm not getting into the debate of which system is better as I enjoy both systems. But I will say my DS gets much more use than the PSP just because I have so many more games for it with all the regular GBA games I've bought over the years.

 

Mendon

[BydoEmpire]

The DS screen is leaps and bounds brighter and clearer than the SP. In fact, I almost got a DS just because it makes GBA games look so much better. My touch screen is a little scratched up, but I don't notice it at all during game play.

[Lord Helmet]

I use these to keep my touch screen scratch free:

 

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Fellowes-Wr...roductDetail.do

 

 

You have to cut them down to size a little, but they work great

[ClassicBoy]

Screen protectors are a great idea. That solves that potential problem. Hadn't even thought about using one.

 

I'm a bit disappointed to hear that the DS's 3d capability is even less than the N64. Does it feel like you are playing outdated games on 3D games like Mario? The Metroid demo that I've seen looks pretty phenomenal. I thought it looked better than anything I've seen on N64. Maybe the size of the screen fooled me a bit.

 

At any rate, I guess it's not the graphics that matter as long as it's fairly capable of providing a good 3D experience. I don't really look to handhelds for cutting edge graphics. I certainly enjoy my GBA despite it being decade old technology.

[JagFan422]

I hate my DS and will continue to hate it until it is online capable, which should be in a few months. Right now I also hate my PSP, this has to be the worst launches in gaming history for these two systems. So much could be done, but nothing is.

[Jess Ragan]

I don't think it's as simple as clock speed. The Nintendo 64 and Nintendo DS use entirely different processors... the N64 uses an old school RISC processor, while the DS sports a more modern ARM CPU.

 

I suspect, at least from what I've seen so far, that the Nintendo DS is more efficient, meaning that it can do more despite its speed limitations. It's like the difference between the GameCube and the XBox... the XBox has nearly twice the clock speed of Nintendo's system, but a superior graphics processor in the GameCube ensures that the gap in quality between the two consoles is not signficant. XBox games DO look better than their GameCube equivalents, but only marginally. Just look at Soul Calibur II for proof!

 

JR

[pmpddytim]

1. Screen = Much better than SP

 

2. I play mine quite a bit and have yet to get one scratch. I don't have a screen protector either. Should probably get one though. I think people who are scratching the screen are pushing down way to hard.

 

3. While the DS may not technically be as powerfull as an N64 it looks about the same to me.

 

 

-Tim

[Atarifever]

Yeah, regarding the "is it as good graphically as the N64" question, there's only one "fact" you need. Do the games you've seen on the DS look worse *to you* than they would on the 64? If the answer is yes, then the graphics are worse. If the answer is no, then there you go. I have played the Metroid Prime Hunters demo a bunch of times in gaming kiosks and a few times on my friends DS, I have also played the Goldeneye game and Nintendogs. I don't care which machine has the better technology, in those games I think the DS looks about as good as my N64. Someone could tell me one was using holodeck technology and the other was using something from a commodor 64 and if I can't tell the difference, then it doesn't matter.

[CPUWIZ]

I suspect, at least from what I've seen so far, that the Nintendo DS is more efficient, meaning that it can do more despite its speed limitations.

 

I am sorry, but you are incorrect, I can not go into too much detail without violating my non-disclosure agreement.

 

I wonder sometimes why people even ask about these things, if they don't like the answer, then theory/speculation automatically becomes the truth to them anyway.

[Lord Helmet]

I hate my DS and will continue to hate it until it is online capable, which should be in a few months.  Right now I also hate my PSP, this has to be the worst launches in gaming history for these two systems.  So much could be done, but nothing is.

935829[/snapback]

 

Why do you buy / own stuff you hate?

[sega saturn x]

I have two complaints about my DS the screen has scrached up, but it doesn't effect the games when you play them at all. I can feel some of them when moving the stylus fast but i hardly consider that effecting play.

 

The other is the D pad just doesn't work well on true 3-d games like mario 64 so they are hard to control. Those are my biggest complains both are pretty minor though. And with my D pad complaint developers have already started using the touch screen for control any way like in pac N' roll.

 

And as far as graphics goes i have to say who cares? Even if the system isn't as powerful graphic wise as the psp or even the n64 i really have to ask what does it matter? The games still look sharp in there own right like nintendogs nanostray and pac N' roll are all fun crisp looking games. Unless the game looks bad and the muddy graphics effect the gameplay then that's a whole different story. But overall i never saw how graphics were important.

 

My most played games on my DS are 2-d anyway. I think the 2-d stuff coming out looks a lot more fun than any of the 3-d stuff coming out on either the psp or DS.

[Atarifever]

I suspect, at least from what I've seen so far, that the Nintendo DS is more efficient, meaning that it can do more despite its speed limitations.

 

I am sorry, but you are incorrect, I can not go into too much detail without violating my non-disclosure agreement.

 

I wonder sometimes why people even ask about these things, if they don't like the answer, then theory/speculation automatically becomes the truth to them anyway.

935919[/snapback]

Jess Regan didn't ask the question; And classic boy hasn't implied that he isn't paying attention to the facts.

Edited September 21, 2005 by Atarifever

[CPUWIZ]

I suspect, at least from what I've seen so far, that the Nintendo DS is more efficient, meaning that it can do more despite its speed limitations.

 

I am sorry, but you are incorrect, I can not go into too much detail without violating my non-disclosure agreement.

 

I wonder sometimes why people even ask about these things, if they don't like the answer, then theory/speculation automatically becomes the truth to them anyway.

935919[/snapback]

Jess Regan didn't ask the question; And classic boy hasn't implied that he isn't paying attention to the facts.

935939[/snapback]

 

No sh*t, Sherlock. That's why I seperated the second sentence from the first one.

[Atarifever]

I suspect, at least from what I've seen so far, that the Nintendo DS is more efficient, meaning that it can do more despite its speed limitations.

 

I am sorry, but you are incorrect, I can not go into too much detail without violating my non-disclosure agreement.

 

I wonder sometimes why people even ask about these things, if they don't like the answer, then theory/speculation automatically becomes the truth to them anyway.

935919[/snapback]

Jess Regan didn't ask the question; And classic boy hasn't implied that he isn't paying attention to the facts.

935939[/snapback]

 

No sh*t, Sherlock. That's why I seperated the second sentence from the first one.

935944[/snapback]

 

In that case I agree with you. Thank you for your time.

[Lord Helmet]

No sh*t, Sherlock.

 

935944[/snapback]

 

HA! I haven't heard that since jr. HS.

[pmpddytim]

Graphics, Shmaphics. I think the important thing to remember is this: If you hold your DS sideways and open it up about 1 inch you can fill it with meat, cheese and other tasty taco fillings. Do THAT with a PSP.

[Atarifever]

Graphics, Shmaphics. I think the important thing to remember is this: If you hold your DS sideways and open it up about 1 inch you can fill it with meat, cheese and other tasty taco fillings. Do THAT with a PSP.

935967[/snapback]

Hey! The N-Gage is the only taco related handheld gaiming product. If the DS wants some funny nickname, I'm afraid it'll have to look elsewhere.

[ClassicBoy]

I'm sold on the DS. Thanks for all your help. The taco argument pushed me over the edge.

 

...and I agree. The graphics don't matter. I've never expected a handheld's graphics to be cutting edge, anyhoo. If graphics mattered, we'd all throw away our old systems when a new one came along. As long as it provides a fun, unique experience then that's really all that matters. If the DS were priced at $250 like the PSP, then I guess DS owners might have grounds for griping when comparing the DS to the PSP.