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Point: Uh, yeah, it totally will get redesigned

Posted May 14th 2008 11:00AM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Features

While we all think it would be totally rad if Nintendo issued either another redesigned DS model or a whole new handheld unit altogether, certain things must be considered first. Like, will it make Nintendo some money? Also, is there a demand? And, finally, is the DS as it is now outdated and no longer a viable option for the consumer?

Let's look at the facts, folks:

• The original Game Boy released in 1989 and saw several revisions, including a color change in 1995, a smaller system in the Game Boy Pocket in 1996, the Game Boy Light in 1997 and the Game Boy Color in 1998
  
• The Game Boy Advance released in 2001 and saw 2 revisions before it was officially retired, with the Game Boy Advance SP releasing in 2003 and the Game Boy Advance Micro releasing in 2005
  
• The original DS was released in 2004 and since has received one revision, in the DS Lite, which released in 2006
  

But, this is not all that needs be considered. For one, the DS Lite is still selling incredibly well, and Nintendo might think to adopt the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" plan of attack on this one, choosing to sit back and let the thing sell as long as it possibly can. However, due to the lowering manufacturing costs and Nintendo's profit on each unit sold, a revision with newer features might be manufactured for the same, or a very similar, price. This would allow Nintendo to sell the new unit at a higher price than the DS Lite and make even more money on each handheld sold. There goes the answer to the first question.

What about demand? Well, the demand for the existing DS Lite is there, but we'll be the first to tell you that, while we love the handheld , it's not perfect. Alterations in the best interest of the handheld may still be made, including generic improvements such as improving battery life and the like.If the people still love the DS Lite, we find little reason for them not to upgrade and froth at the mouth for something like a DS Liter.

What about its use to the consumer? Does it still remain a great choice for the general consumer? Sure, but in technology years, the thing is like a Brontosauras with Jesus resting comfortably on top of it. What we're saying is, the thing is old. While its appeal may never go away thanks to the easy control scheme and mountains of amazing titles available for it, one cannot ignore the competition. As new features are released everyday for Sony's PSP system, the DS Lite is increasingly dwarfed by the technological wizardry capable with Sony's handheld. If Nintendo went with a new version of the DS, we'd like to see them implement some of the more standard technological features that exist in other handheld devices on the market.

So will Nintendo release a revision to the DS? Sure, whether it's a new handheld entirely or a new DS, Nintendo would be crazy not to build on what they have with the DS Lite. Will we see it at E3 this year? This blogger thinks so, because, to be honest, what other megatons could they possibly drop on us?

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	Back	Not so fast there!

Two PlayStation ports summoned to the DS

Posted Nov 15th 2007 1:10PM by Eric Caoili
Filed under: News, Imports

Further emphasizing the DS's status as the system that companies want to rerelease their old RPGs on, the latest issue of Shonen Jump revealed today that Summon Night 1 and 2, both originally PlayStation titles, are headed for the DS. We haven't been able to glean much information from the Japanese magazine's photographed page yet, but it looks like the two SRPGs will be released separately and not as a collection, the first one slated for Spring 2008, its sequel planned for Summer.

Though the GBA and DS received several Summon Night side-story ARPGs, the first two of which were eventually brought to the US by Atlus, this will be the first time that entries from the main series see a handheld port. Neither Summon Night 1 or 2 ever made it stateside -- this seems like an excellent opportunity for a North American publisher to finally localize the games!

[Via Ruliweb]

Metareview: Hoshigami Remix

Posted Jun 29th 2007 3:40PM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: Metareview

Hoshigami Remix may look a little bit like Final Fantasy Tactics, but apparently that's the bitter end of all similarity. The best thing we can say here is that the reviews are packed with hilarity. The bad reviews say good things, and the good reviews seem delivered with disdain. It's like everyone signed a pact to be as confusing as possible!

But when it comes to the scores, we're disappointed -- a less-than-good SRPG on the DS just seems like a waste, considering the platform is so well-suited to the game type. Some of you reported difficulty finding Hoshigami Remix in stores this week -- and upon reflection, that may not be such a bad thing.

RPGFan -- 70%: "I did not enjoy playing Hoshigami: Remix. I did not find it fun. I found it irritating, monotonous, and cruel. There is a dedicated fanbase for this game, however, and if you're one of them, you will love the port. Also, if you play on Easy mode, none of the enemies can use Coinfeigms making most of the game a joke. I played on Normal and found the difficulty to be very uneven. Overall, you'll need to figure out for yourself whether or not you are the type of person who would enjoy Hoshigami: Remix. Most likely, however, you're not."

Games Radar -- 40%: "Almost all of these annoyances were present in the original Hoshigami, which is perhaps the most aggravating part of Remix. Despite all of the criticism levied against the original, the remake team failed to fix what needed to be repaired most. That's not to say there aren't any gameplay improvements - revival magic, once rare in the original, is available right off the bat, the stylus-controlled interface is quite intuitive, and you're allowed to save far more frequently (though there still isn't an in-battle quicksave feature). But in the end, these miniscule improvements tacked onto a broken game are like repairing a wrecked car with duct tape."

1UP -- 55%: "Basically, if you approach the game the wrong way, the newly tweaked difficulty will become a moot point by the time you get halfway through the game. Unfortunately, though, concentrating early on building your magical skills (which is really the best way to go) makes the first half of the game that much easier. Too easy, really. You'll be able to perform spells that your enemies just can't handle at that point in the game, thus wiping out entire armies in the blink of an eye. With all that being said, Hoshigami Remix is a satisfying role-playing experience, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into. Hardcore players may actually lament the slight ease in difficulty and the fact that the game doesn't give them the character development freedom it really should. But as far as portable RPGs go, you could do a lot worse than Hoshigami."

Check out Hoshigami Remix

Posted May 12th 2007 12:25PM by James Konik
Filed under: Screens

The English version of Hoshigami Remix is well on the way to completion, as these new screens show.

The game's battle screens are looking very much like Final Fantasy Tactics, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The three difficulty settings should help out players who are new to the whole tactical RPG scene, whilst keeping veteran players happy.

We're promised around 50 hours of gameplay, with branching storylines and multiple endings to find. You'll also be able to trade items with your friends over wi-fi.

Head past the break for the screens.

Continue reading Check out Hoshigami Remix

Hoshigami Remix turns to the US

Posted Mar 26th 2007 12:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News

The DS remake of the Playstation strategy game Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth is headed to the US as Hoshigami Remix, published by Aksys Games. According to the announcement, the game is getting a ton of new content, including a new character, new missions, and redrawn art, plus the most welcome addition: three difficulty levels. Of course, there's also a new control scheme, but that's part and parcel with being a DS game.

Aksys is aiming for a summer release at $29.99. Localizing an RPG and releasing it just a few months after the Japanese release seems pretty ambitious for a company that's only released one game (Eagle Eye Golf on the PS2) and no text-heavy RPG's. We're impressed by their confidence!

[Via Insert Credit]

GDC07: Classic Suda 51 weirdness hitting the DS

Posted Mar 11th 2007 12:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News, Imports

Suda 51's first games as part of Grasshopper Manufacture are being remade for the DS. The games, called The Silver Case and The Silver Case Ward 25, were originally released for the Playstation and mobile phones, respectively. Suda revealed this fact during his GDC keynote "Punk's Not Dead".

Both are graphical text adventures; Ward 25 uses static art and the original Silver Case uses full-motion video. Unfortunately, because of the amount of text that would have to be translated, Suda isn't sure the remakes will be released outside Japan. Someone tell him that American DS players love graphical text adventures! And tell him that we <3 Grasshopper Manufacture too.

NES transformed into a DVD player

Posted Mar 1st 2007 3:30PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Fan stuff, Hacks

Eventhough he owns a PSP, Joystiq reader Zach sent in this beaut to the fine folks over there, looking for some props on his masterpiece. Well, he gets them here at DS Fanboy (we'll overlook the PSP) as we wouldn't mind one bit fusing a DVD player with a NES. It's just yet another way we could instill more Nintendo into our lives (never a bad thing).

What do you guys think? Senseless butchering of a timeless console or an ingenious method of putting some life back into dead technology?

Nokia re-entering handheld gaming arena, looks to beat Sony and Nintendo

Posted Dec 1st 2006 1:55PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

Nokia, those folks responsible for the near-useless N-Gage system, have apparently learned from their mistakes and are looking to take consumers away from Sony's PSP and Nintendo's DS. According to the company, publishers and developers have already signed on with their next-gen wave of mobile phones. According to Nokia's head of games for UK and Ireland Martin O'Driscoll, gamers will be forced to choose between Nokia, Sony's PSP, or Nintendo's DS:

"The consumer will have to make a decision: does he wants a standalone gaming device with a limited browsing capability or a phone with an MP3 player, a camera and a bloody good games platform? I think consumers will be prepared to spend £300 on a phone that offers all those different things rather than £100 to £150 for a standalone games machine."

So how do you feel? Given the DS' library of excellent games, something we've always thought made the platform, should it really feel threatened by a company's second attempt at creating a viable handheld platform? Even one that will, supposedly, have twice the amount of features for almost twice the money?

DS Gunpey vs. PSP Gunpey

Posted Nov 13th 2006 2:25PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Reviews, Fan stuff

The next game from the folks at Q? Entertainment, responsible for the masterpieces that are Lumines and Meteos, have been working on a new puzzler for both the DS and the PSP. Each version is unique in how it plays and looks and, according to 1UP, the DS installment is superior to the PSP's game.

"The PSP version is the purest taste of Gunpey you're likely to receive anywhere. The skin collecting is addictive, and as long as you don't mind the brutal, linear, hours-long grind needed to collect them all, then this is probably the version most older gamers will go for. But if you're looking for a more full-featured game, with greater variety -- and don't mind the cartoony milieu of Gunpey DS -- then you will find this version not only a superior value, but a superior game."

[Via PSP Fanboy]

New Sony PR guy compares DS and PSP

Posted Nov 6th 2006 3:30PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Interviews

DS Lite vs. PSP: who has the best picture quality?

Posted Oct 26th 2006 3:15PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

In the third part of their Picture Quality Shoot-Out series, PC Magazine, along with DisplayMate Technologies' Dr. Raymond Soneira, put Nintendo and Sony's handhelds under the magnifying glass to try and discern which had the superior picture quality. Given that most folks are happy with whatever choice they made for handheld gaming (or both if they're pretty hardcore), picture quality superiority isn't all that important in defining a console's overall worth. However, having the word "fanboy" in our title means we need to comment on the report and you fine readers undoubtedly need to comment (we welcome the comments!).

Surprisingly, the picture quality on each device is close to equal. The PSP has a better DPI (dots per square inch) coming in at 130, with the DS Lite trailing at 110. However, the brightness on the DS beats out the PSP, even when plugged in to an AC outlet, by featuring a 200 cd/m² brightness (compared to the highest possible on the PSP being 148 cd/m² and 115 cd/m² when unplugged. Finally, the article points out that the DS is leagues better at handling colors than the PSP, with the largest color gamut of handheld devices at 74%, compared to the PSP's 54%.

According to the report, the PSP wins with a score of B+ compared to the DS Lite's B. Still, the margins of victory are fairly small on each aspect tested, so the technical superiority of either platform is easily argued.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

Kawashima ditches the DS for the PSP in Europe

Posted Oct 4th 2006 11:55AM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

Dr. Kawashima, the jovial floating head accompanying you on your travels through swift mathematics problems and furiously shouting "brew!" at your DS whilst playing Brain Age, has decided to float on over to the competition with Mind Quiz for the PSP in Europe.

Ubisoft, the publisher behind Mind Quiz, looks to bring the same experience to Sony's handheld, sans touch-screen capable and voice-recognizing gameplay. One thing that makes Mind Quiz stand out from its Brain Age cousin is that it will feature online gameplay and mock exams to quiz your mind.

[Via Joystiq]

DS expected to outship PSP by almost 30% percent this year

Posted Sep 8th 2006 12:25PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News

It's no mystery that the DS has been continually kicking the crap out of the PSP when it comes to units sold. We've been paying attention to the numbers and when we saw this story where market research firm In-Stat is projecting that the DS will out-ship the PSP by almost 30% this year, we figured that was about right. Number of units shipped does not have as much weight as number of units sold, obviously, but it's another feather we'll gladly place in our cap.

Considering the rampant obsession the DS enjoys in Japan, its cost-effective price tag, and large library of incredible games, Sony is in dire straits to find a viable way to present their handheld to consumers in such a way as to generate as much appeal as the DS. They've already cut the price once and even given another cut, we can't see them breaking through the impenetrable force field of popularity the DS has erected over Japan. Game over man, game over!

LGC wrap-up: How did the DS do?

Posted Aug 25th 2006 9:45AM by David Hinkle

Note: This editorial is the opinion of David Hinkle and does not represent the opinion of DS Fanboy, Joystiq, or Weblogs Inc.

Leave it to the PSP guys to be immature and bait us into an all-out fanboy war. Especially one they cannot ever hope to win. While we'd like to be the more mature blog, without a response to such a heinous act of defamation would show weakness, and you know we are anything but that. So what made these guys think the PSP had such an excellent show?

Continue reading LGC wrap-up: How did the DS do?

EA: DS great, PSP not so much

Posted Aug 14th 2006 11:00AM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Interviews

You know what they say, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. We kid, we kid, we love those guys over at PSP Fanboy and thank them for this latest nugget of news.

Recently, EA executive VP and COO of worldwide studios David Gardner slammed the PSP, citing that Sony has some serious issues they need to address in regards to the platform. Admitting that his company has backed the PSP more in the past, he now claims that they will invest more effort into putting games out for the DS.

"There's no doubt that EA has historically bet more on PSP. I think we were excited by the technology, but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun. We must never forget that what we need to focus on is fun and so EA is putting more effort behind DS games – and creative ones that really take advantage of the hardware."

Ouch. It's no wonder that the company is going this route, being one of the handheld's biggest porters supporters. With all of its major sports and non-sports franchises gracing the system, the company has undoubtedly taken huge losses due to lackluster sales. Hopefully the company will keep Gardener's word and not look to just port everything over to the DS as it did with the PSP, stripped of all features.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

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