DS Daily: Favorite feature
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_thumbnail.png "Defenders of Law, Inc: Crime in Willburg (PC Screens)")
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
7-27-2008 @ 1:33PM
offday said...
You don't think a Wii or 360 have enough games to justify dropping money on one?
You must be the pickiest gamer in the world.
7-27-2008 @ 4:48PM
aj said...
I meant to say that there are not enough games that I am interested in on any of the "next gen" systems.
And no, I'm not picky, I just don't like "casual games" on the Wii, and I don't like shooting games, which is about 90% of what the 360 offers.
Different stroke for different folks.
7-27-2008 @ 1:30PM
Mike97 said...
The games are what make any system great. I did buy a PSP and was absolutely enthralled for about 4 weeks until I ran out of games I was interested in playing. I would have kept it for movies and the occasional game if they had a downloadable movie rental service, but I sold it because Sony is giving such poor support to the PSP. The DS has such strong third-party support now that it's almost impossible to run out of good games to play unless you do nothing else.
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7-27-2008 @ 3:36PM
Gennataos said...
The clamshell design. If the PSP had a clamshell design I'd be hard pressed to decide on a favorite. It just depends on my mood....I love both systems for different reasons.
Can we please have a discussion in which the PSP is mentioned and NOT have someone claim the PSP doesn't have any games? Pretty please?
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7-27-2008 @ 3:51PM
Sally said...
Touch screen and long battery life. The "unofficial" features would be the ability to just plug a flash card in and run moonshell and comicbook DS on it - anime and manga on the go!
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7-27-2008 @ 4:33PM
chibi_wings said...
hmmm.....there are a few things, the extensive game library, the touch screen (without it games like trauma center would not be possible), and the fact that it has a rechargeable battery unlike the original GBA.
I think my DS is aging because the battery life isn't as long as it used to be....it can still outlast a long car ride, but probably not a airplane ride.
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7-27-2008 @ 4:51PM
aj said...
Does anyone know what the average battery life is on a DS?
I thought mine was starting to die after just two years, but it turns out *someone* set the brightness way up and I never turned it back down to a reasonable level.
I was thinking of getting a new battery anyway, but if I can expect another several years out of the old girl, then why bother?
7-28-2008 @ 7:28AM
tekdroid said...
Funny you should mention that. I'd rather have easily replaceable rechargeables (like found on the original Game Boy Advance) than a single embedded battery. That would have to be one of the worst points of recent portable consoles (PSP notwithstanding, because they sanely designed their battery to be easily replaceable with a spare without a screwdriver).
Swapping DS's current battery for another needs a screw (and of course a spare batt pre-charged in the DS prior). It sounds like you need to just get the battery replaced. They only last for 300-500 charge cycles before starting to really not hold much charge at all. Normal behaviour.
Anyway, back to my point:
You're on the train, on a camping trip, or just in the park and you played a bit longer than expected. Whatever. You're somewhere, anywhere... battery runs out. What to do? Reach for power point. No power point nearby? Damn. Got a spare batt? Great. But you'll need that screwdriver as well. Uhhh...
Original Game Boy Advance model? You simply replace your rechargeable AAs with another set of rechargeables you brought along.
Done. Game on. And not only that you can bring several spares for longer trips, etc. No messy screwdriver. Easy pop-in and pop-out. Everyone has an AA recharger these days, I would think. If not, they are cheap enough.
7-28-2008 @ 7:28PM
chibi_wings said...
I actually like rechargeable batteries because they cost less then buying the good AA batteries every couple of days and they last longer then the rechargeable AA batteries....I know it's a hassle to change the DS's battery, so I'll probably hold out till they release a new color or new model. The battery life isn't that big of an issue, it usually lasts long enough.
@aj: mine is two years old too and now that you mention it, the battery does deplete faster on a higher brightness setting. Maybe that's the reason.....
7-29-2008 @ 9:06AM
tekdroid said...
Disposables are definitely a waste, agreed. I wouldn't even consider them.
Longer life of Nintendo's embedded rechargeable battery versus rechargeable AA can't be proven on the DS unless it accepts AA battery(ies) for a proper comparison. Rechargeable AAs have improven tremendously in recent years (up to 2700mAh storage capacity per battery).
There's also Eneloop low self-discharge batteries too... so IMO whether or not they would last longer is very much up in the air. Dunno about the the capacity of the internal battery of the DS, but if bored enough will look it up :)
7-27-2008 @ 4:34PM
m-p{3} said...
Battery life
Touchscreen
Moonshell !
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7-27-2008 @ 5:45PM
BlackDS said...
The Touch Screen is revolutionary, everything else about the DS Lite is evolutionary IMO.
Peace.
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7-27-2008 @ 5:48PM
Wiinterfang said...
Alarm clock.
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7-27-2008 @ 6:07PM
Zealot said...
I think I have to agree with the people who are stating that it's not any particular feature of the DS but its games that have made it the amazing system it is. Every genre is represented to some extent, and those genres that have been all but forgotten on consoles this generation (RPGs, rhythm, quality puzzle games, point-and-click adventure, 2D platformer) thrive on the DS. It's truly inherited the "something for everyone" mantle passed from the SNES to the PS1 to the PS2. Without the DS, I would have likely given up gaming for good by now, considering that all three consoles are pigeonholing themselves and attempting to appeal to specific types of gamers rather than stressing creativity and inclusiveness. My DS library is 750% the size of my Wii library, and between the 360 and PS3 there may be five games I'd like to play. It's a bleak age for those who aren't fans of shovelware or shooters, and I'm so thankful that we have this one system that dares to be different (and prints money doing so, even.)
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7-27-2008 @ 6:45PM
TJF588 said...
The size of the current DS hurt my hands to hold it, but the screens being as they are (that is, two) make for more access to more information while you play. Eliminates such things as map pull-ups or HUDs.
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7-28-2008 @ 7:41AM
tekdroid said...
older ds had better dpad (larger and clicky, not soft and small), and better shoulder buttons (more comfortable, less blocky).
I think the current one is also lacking in these areas.
7-27-2008 @ 7:10PM
bombchu said...
I could honestly do without th' mic... but I happen to love when developers think of new ways to utilize the double screen thing. Well... I love when they find new ways of utilizing everything... and do it well! Like Zelda. That game absolutely blew me away with innovation... and stuff. It's just an experience I couldn't have on any other console (if i had them >.>) and 'tis actually affordable.
So, innovation... and stuff.
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7-27-2008 @ 8:39PM
elsng said...
It's ability to play great portable games.
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7-28-2008 @ 1:52AM
algarcia said...
best+nintendo+portable= best device ever!
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7-28-2008 @ 7:36AM
tekdroid said...
This is boring, but the clamshell design certainly counts for something. Of course the touchscreen makes many many enjoyable games possible that just can't be done on the PSP.
I'll mention this because it hasn't been mentioned (that I saw):
the Nintendo-designed speakers were the first thing that surprised me; they had an uncannily good stereo image for their size and particularly their short distance apart (at least those on the Lite, and if memory recalls the original was not as good, though I could be wrong). Under the circumstances, I think they did a fanstastic job on those onboard speakers!
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