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Guest Reviewer

Kyle Hebert

Kyle Hebert has been heard nationally for the past several years on Cartoon Network in the hit anime shows, "Dragonball Z", "Yu Yu Hakusho", "Blue Gender", and most recently, "Case Closed".

Visit his home page at http://www.kylehebert.com/index.htm

PRE-GAME

From the company that just downright OWNS the handheld gaming console market, Nintendo has unleashed its DS upon a drooling public (just in time for rabid granny catfights and other consumer warfare tactics, all in the name of holiday cheer). Sure, gaming geeks may have a significantly higher drool quotient for the Sony PSP, but we won't see that for months. What's a geek to do??? Why, trade in that old Game Boy Advance SP, of course!

EYE-SPY

THE HOOK: The Nintendo takes the GBA to the next level with the addition of a second screen (hence the name DS for "double screen") for PDA-style/touch screen functionality. Why switch between screens to access a character's statistics or maps when all of that vital info is constantly on display a mere few inches down? Link cable schmink cable.....the Nintendo DS can handle multiplayer action wirelessly (up to 30 feet away). There's stereo sound with headphone jack, and a microphone so you can vocalize your commands on future games. Schweeeeeeeeet!

HOW IT LOOKS AND FEELS: The Nintendo DS comes in one color.....silver. Its roughly the size of a PDA, so its a bit bulky when putting it in your pocket. The twin screens seem about the same dimensions as the GBA, only this time they are backlit, which makes a world of difference. The brightness alone instantly blows away the SP and certainly previous handhelds. You've got your Nintendo style d-pad on the left hand side along with the power button, while the right side provides your select, start, and A,B,X,Y buttons. On the underside lies volume control, cartridge slot for GBA games, and headphone jack. The top side gives you left and right trigger pads, battery charge port, DS game slot, and stylus slot. The PDA functionality of the lower screen brings the stylus into use, though your finger works just as well (if ya don't mind greasing up the works, eeeeeew). Playing on a flat surface, all the buttons are within reach and are very responsive. As I tend to play lying down, the d-pad's position puts a little stress on my inner thumb, though that's just a symptom of my own playing style.

HOW IT SOUNDS: Stereophonic bliss. Much more oomph than the SP, and when you play with headphones on.....WOW! My first DS game is the racing title, "Asphalt Urban GT", and with the cars in the mix going from the left to right channels, its truly an immersive experience.

EXTRAS: The DS comes packed with a wall adapter charger, extra stylus, wrist strap, and a demo version of Metroid Prime: Hunters. The rechargeable battery pack claims a good 10 hours of gameplay from a 4 hour charge. The DS has a slot for GBA games, though it won't play Game Boy or Game Boy Color games.

BEST GAME: Online, unanimously, Super Mario DS, has gotten the highest marks for not merely being a port of the N64 classic, but adapting and evolving to the strengths of the DS unit. Admittedly, the only DS title I own at this point is Asphalt Urban GT. Its certainly not a groundbreaking racer, in fact it heavily borrows elements from others. However, it is solid and addictive fun. Its got super smooth graphics, shaky cam during turbo boosts, responsive controls, and an excellent stereo mix (gotta hear it on headphones). The bottom screen does not take advantage of the DS functionality other than a constant display of the map, which does come in handy. 

Asphalt Urban GT was the only launch title that really intrigued me, though there are plenty of titles in development that have my eye. The Metroid demo that comes with the DS not only shows off the graphical prowess, but utilizes the touch screen technology of the bottom screen. Using your finger/stylus/thumb strap, you manipulate your character in the first person. Takes a little getting used to, but can quickly become intuitive. Definitely an excellent choice to show off what the DS can do.

GAME YOU NEED: This one is all subjective of course, but personally, I'm looking forward to the Banpresto DBZ title, Gundam Seed, the full version of the Metroid Prime: Hunters, and basically continuing to enjoy the GBA library. I'm very excited to see what the future has to offer for the DS.

GLITCH ITCH: Load times are quick, no noticeable pixilation problems, both screens remain vivid and bright, and controls work very well. Just wish the unit itself were a little less bulky.

END GAME:

It doesn't take a mentally challenged clam to figure out that Nintendo has a sure-fire winner on their hands.  The launch timing is perfect for the holiday season, with new games hitting shelves weekly. Backwards compatibility is a big deal to the fans, so its great that GBA SP owners aren't left in the dark here. GBA games appear letterboxed on the top screen with no graphical improvement per se, though with the brightness of the backlit screen certainly makes everything stand out nicely. Given my limited hands-on exposure to a few launch titles and online observations, the DS offers plenty of eye candy. The only potential obstacle standing in the way of Nintendo's continued portable dominance is the Sony PSP. But for at least this holiday season and early 2005, I think gamers will get allot of mileage out of the Nintendo DS. Highly recommended.

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