Somebody call the WAA WAA WAAMBULANCE!, Sony can't take the heat!! Options

[Eclipse]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3143180

Reality check Sony, Nintendo has a firm grasp on the handheld war, and they can't pump out quality games, which is the main reason why it's worthless getting a PSP in the first place.

[David Blazenwing]

"...Nintendo knows its target audience, because it has really narrowed that down; and it's pretty much defined by a boy or girl's ability to admire Pokemon..."

Yeah, because the only franchise Nintendo has is Pokemon... wait, wasn't there that Mario guy? Zelda? Metroid? Donkey Kong? Star Fox?

Of course, Sony has plenty franchises as well to counter the pitiful Nintendo, like... um... wait...

Well, they DO have Jak and Daxter.

*snicker*

Morons.

(And yes, I am a Nintendo fanboy. Sue me. (IMG:http://forums.thesmartmarks.com/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) )

[Anya]

Yeah, but Donkey Kong and Star Fox haven't been relevant in years.

[Jobber of the We...]

Nintendo has a reliable killer app for handhelds with Mario but his problem is he's only recently actually getting a NEW adventure. It's been about porting all the way back since Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins. That's sad.

PSP's games don't have that kind of reliabile track record, but at least they're regularly getting games. GTA, Burnout, SOCOM, SSX, the new Prince of Persia series, Ys, etc.

[dubq]

That's bullshit. Sounds like Sony's just got a mouthful of sour grapes if you ask me. I own a GBA & a DS, plus tons of games, and not one of them is Pokemon or Pokemon related.

[AndrewTS]

It's great that Sony has taken portable gaming out of the ghetto.

With the GBA, we were stuck with sequels, retrofits, licensed games, and SNES ports as the vast majority of the software.

With the PSP, we get sequels, retrofits, licensed games, and PS1 ports as the vast majority of the software. Much better.

And yes, with the DS--we're getting sequels, retrofits, licensed games, and N64 ports as the vast majority of the software. Although thankfully we're getting some quality original games that use the touch screen.

Who cares what Sony Computer Entertainment Europe says, thinks or does, though? That's where this is from.

More Americans are supporting the PSP than the DS, the DS has a pretty firm lead over the PSP in Japan (and as the "What's Up with the PSP?" article on OPM/on 1up points out, for some reason Japanese developers aren't too keen on the PSP). and Europe I think doesn't actually have the PSP out yet.

[ChrisMWaters]

Slightly off topic but...

How come there's never been a handheld version of Smash Bros?

I could see it be done on the DS...sorta like that upcoming Sonic DS game with levels being two screens...

Plus, it'd be fun on the go, I'm sure.

Nintendo has a reliable killer app for handhelds with Mario but his problem is he's only recently actually getting a NEW adventure. It's been about porting all the way back since Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins. That's sad.

What about "Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga"?

[Use Your Illusio...]

Don't fuck with the masters, Sony.

[Scroby]

Just like Sega and Nokia...Sony will learn.

[MarvinisaLunatic]

DS Sales will pick up with Mario Kart DS comes out...

[ChrisMWaters]

DS Sales will pick up with Mario Kart DS comes out...

And that "New Super Mario Bros." game, I'm sure.

...and maybe even to a lesser extent the new Mario & Luigi game.

[Jobber of the We...]

Nintendo has a reliable killer app for handhelds with Mario but his problem is he's only recently actually getting a NEW adventure. It's been about porting all the way back since Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins. That's sad.

What about "Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga"?

Well I meant adventure/platforming. That's more an RPG. Although I didn't think of it when I wrote that post. Probably because I rented it and it was the worst game in terms of handling and control that I'd seen in some time. And I loved the original Mario RPG and Paper Mario 2, so there.

[claydude14]

I'm a Nintendo fanboy myself and keep wanting to jump on the DS bandwagon with all the innovative stuff coming out, but I have yet to bring myself to do it. Mario Kart and Amial Crossing DS will however push me over the line. Hopefully there's a bundle with a game for Christmas time.

[Matt Young]

I'm a Nintendo fanboy myself and keep wanting to jump on the DS bandwagon with all the innovative stuff coming out, but I have yet to bring myself to do it. Mario Kart and Amial Crossing DS will however push me over the line. Hopefully there's a bundle with a game for Christmas time.

They just had a Super Mario 64 bundle (which I missed out on by a week... fuck) and they're supposed to have a Metroid Prime: Hunters bundle in the fall. But yeah, those 2 games (especially Animal Crossing) are the mainr easons I got a DS, along with Nintendogs. Also, Sonic Rush is amazing judging by the demo I played at E3, and Meteos, Kirby Canvas Curse, and WarioWare: Touched are also on my list to buy. That new Castlevania looks pretty damn promising as well, and the reviews of the just released Japanese version are very positive.

[Guest_MikeSC_*]

Don't fuck with the masters, Sony.

They did with platforms.

They handed Nintendo its stale ass.

Nintendo HAS to have a big handheld market to make money. Their console business doesn't make squat right now in the US.

Sony pulls down even 40% of the market --- which they, no doubt, will --- and Nintendo might have to pull out of the console business entirely.

[Jer]

Nintendo isn't going anywhere in the handheld market, but comparing PSP to Sega's and Nokia's efforts isn't right either. I mean, isn't PSP already the market leader in the US (compared to DS) even though DS has had a Christmas season and PSP hasn't? Pretty impressive given that it's Sony's first shot at the handheld market.

[Matt Young]

No, it was statedon G4 yesterday that the DS has moved more units than the PSP.

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

DS also had a holiday season, PSP didn't. I'm still rooting for Sony to fail at the handheld market.

[Eclipse]

Right now, as I look over the entire PSP game lineup, there is not ONE game that would make me by a PSP. So many people that I know that bought PSP simply gave into the hype. Seeing them JUST PLAY Ridge Racer all day was crap, but when I play some Zookeeper, or Mario 64, or Nintendogs, I am happy. Hell, one of my friends has only Ridge Racer, and then an SNES emulator. Nice waste of 250 bucks.

DS is gonna have a huge burst of sales this Xmas, when Mario Kart DS, and Animal Crossing DS come out. Hell, now that Metroid Prime Hunters is online as well...that game should be selling as well.

[MarvinisaLunatic]

Yeah, its ashame Nintendo had to delay MP: Hunters, but they did it to add the online feature, which I find unbelievable, but whatever.

I would love to have a DS..the only problem is I dont have enough time to play it, Im barely playing my Gamecube lately as it is.

[El Psycho Diablo]

Personally, neither is worth getting.

The PSP has some nifty features, but doesn't justify the cost. The DS has a game or two (both imports) that I'd like, but the dual-screen/touchscreen bit is just too gimmicky for me.

[Rendclaw]

Personally, neither is worth getting.

The PSP has some nifty features, but doesn't justify the cost. The DS has a game or two (both imports) that I'd like, but the dual-screen/touchscreen bit is just too gimmicky for me.

What he said.

[Kapoutman]

The DS might look gimmicky, but a lot of games barely use the touch screen as a radar or something like that. So instead of concentrating on the "touch" gimmick, it gives you a lot of infos in-game and concentrate the upper screen on graphics. And it plays any new GBA game coming out as well.

[Star Ocean 3]

Personally, neither is worth getting.

The PSP has some nifty features, but doesn't justify the cost. The DS has a game or two (both imports) that I'd like, but the dual-screen/touchscreen bit is just too gimmicky for me.

So what are the imports?

[ChrisMWaters]

The DS might look gimmicky, but a lot of games barely use the touch screen as a radar or something like that.  So instead of concentrating on the "touch" gimmick, it gives you a lot of infos in-game and concentrate the upper screen on graphics.  And it plays any new GBA game coming out as well.

Which kinda makes the Game Boy Micro that they're releasing pointless.

Speaking of Game Boy Games...anyone know if the DS or the upcoming GBM will still play the old, old OLD...pre color Game Boy games?

[AndrewTS]

"Speaking of Game Boy Games...anyone know if the DS or the upcoming GBM will still play the old, old OLD...pre color Game Boy games?"

Micro is just a GBA in a new casing. It plays all Game Boy games including those.

DS only plays DS games and GBA games.

Why?

Well--there are a couple ways of looking at it--

(from ArsonWinter's excellent Game Boy compatibility FAQ, hosted on GameFAQs.com)

Q. Why can’t older Game Boy games work on the DS?
A. There are now two answers to this question.

Simple Answer:
In order for, say, GBC games to work on the DS, the voltage would
have to be increased internally. On the GBA, GBP, and SP, there was a
switch that did this when an older game was inserted (compare the
notches at the bottom of a grey DMG cart to the bottom of a GBA
cart). The extra ridge of the DMG cart pushes down a button to switch
the GBA/GBP/SP into “GBC mode,” making it work just like a GBC. The
switch changes the voltage internally, so the processor has more
power to work with (to try to bring it up to normal GBC speeds). The
DS doesn’t have this switch, and thus, blocks this ridge, and thus
prevents DMG/GBC games from being inserted.

Advanced Answer (with personal conspiracy theories):
From Nintendo's website: "...the Nintendo DS lacks the special
processor that is required to play these [Game Boy/Game Boy Color]
games. Because of the age of the processor, and the difficulty in
adding that processor to an already highly complicated architecture,
the processor was not included in the final design of the DS."
However, regardless of this, the DS hardware is powerful enough to
emulate the processors of the GBC. Even with this power though, you'd
still need an increased voltage to use specific cartridges (Game Boy
Camera, larger games, games with Save RAM, etc). Rather than allowing
support for only some DMG/GBC titles (without a link port, I might
add), and adding a voltage switch (and more importantly, extra
hardware) to the DS, the option was to drop support for all DMG/GBC
games. Newer games that use cartridge-specific features (Boktai,
Wario Ware Twisted, Play-An, etc) have been streamlined to use as
little power as possible. I think it also has something to do with
the system's image... the SP is still going to be around for a while
until the next Game Boy, and a major selling point for the GBA is
it's backwards-compatibility. Adding this feature to the DS (even
sans a GBA link cable port) would eliminate the need for the SP
altogether in many consumers’ minds. After all, the only advantage
now for consumers to purchase an SP is the form factor, link cable
port, and backwards compatibility.

[Guest_MikeSC_*]

Wow. I came within a few miles of actually CARING about this. Kudos, Andy, for bringing the content and all.

[I like Forums]

Why is MikeSC so negative about everything..... unless it includes Bush?

[Star Ocean 3]

Why is MikeSC so negative about everything..... unless it includes Bush?

Cuz Asian porn is great.

[AndrewTS]

Why is MikeSC so negative about everything..... unless it includes Bush?

He's desperately seeking a purpose on the forums, it seems. He should stick to the Pit, honestly. Outside of CE stuff, he has nothing to contribute.

Myself and half the mods have him on ignore already. Just try that.