Nintendo DS - Is it worth it? NBK Overall Review!

nintendobratkat · Spoiled Rotten >^..^< Gender: Joined: 14 Sep 2003

Well I have now owned the Nintendo DS for a few months (since the day it came out and have aquired/played enough of the games to make a worthwhile review of the product.

We all know the PSP is going to rock our world, but for those considering the DS also, is it really worth the money? It really comes down to what you consider a portable system to provide in the end.

I don't have much time to play much of anything to be honest. The DS games that are out as of now (February) are mostly quick I am on my lunch or I have to keep busy for a lil while kinda games. My collection is featured below:

The pink unreadable one is the Japanese Yoshi Catch! Touch! (Yoshi Touch & Go) game that I mentioned in an earlier review. With the exception of The Urbz, all consist of quick games. Even at some points, the Urbz has it's own minigames where you can earn money. If you are an RPG person, I would wait for a few months til the RPG lineup for the DS is out, or stick with the PSP.

Now for the review:

The DS itself is a lot like the SP, only a little larger in size but folds down offering protection for it's two screens. The system itself is a little bit heavy for a handheld, but it does have two screens, which really come in handy for a few games. The stylus is kept in the back and you get a spare when you purchase the system along with a black tie that connects to the back of the DS and serves as a thumb stylus. The buttons are small but responsive, the touch screen seems to be abusable and still usable, and the mic is amusingly sensitive. The system can play GBA games and DS games, but not older system games unfortunately. The best part is it comes with a charger and an insane battery life! The wifi it offers is nice, but until they release the USB wifi adapter to allow us play worldwide, it's not as useful as you might think. The sound is amazing for such a small machine. You have to hear it for yourself, don't just take my word for it.

It comes with some features that are nice straight from the box. The DS keeps time with it's internal clock, and even allows you to set an alarm if need be. I have found it handy on a few occasions where my cellphone has gone astray. Pictochat was originally planned to be a seperate game but in the end they made it a part of the DS. I can't see it to be that useful for anyone outside of school to be honest, but since it looks like a PDA (to an observer) it's a plus to being a student and owning one. The DS has an options menu allowing you to choose any language and what settings you want your DS to have.

The price is $150 and once Nintendo releases the accesories (Wifi adapter and USB writable cart), it will have the same capabilities as the PSP for the same price.

The games for the DS range in price from $30-$40. There will be games in the future that are $50 that match the price range of the PSP games, but I wouldn't expect them til halfway through the year.

Ally's System Rating : 3.5 out of 5

The game titles for the DS were a disappointment on release, or so it would seem to anyone who hasn't played them. I will say that I picked up a DS not wanting any of the available titles, thus picking out Super Mario 64 DS as my first title.

The games out right now worth playing:
Mr Driller: Driller Spirits
Sprung
Feel The Magic
Zoo Keeper
The Urbz: Sims in The City
Super Mario 64 DS
Wario Ware: Touched!

The rest of the games were too lame to talk about. The Japanese release list was much more interesting and they had a few more games that were worth playing. Since you can play them on your US DS, you might even consider getting one or two of them.

Ally's US Launch Rating: 2 out of 5
Ally's JAP Launch Rating: 4 out of 5

That would be it for my review. I would recommend you play some of the not so sucky games out on the DS before making any opinion based off of my review since this review is my opinion of the system. You may love the system or you may loathe it.

Peace!

*EDIT* Please keep in mind that I am a female and my taste in games is relatively different than that of my american male counterparts.

Riel · Senior Otaku Gender: Joined: 12 Oct 2002

Looks like we have a DS expert,lover over here Very Happy

...awesome post bratkat,as soon as i actually see some for sale around here i think i'll grab one.

nintendobratkat · Spoiled Rotten >^..^< Gender: Joined: 14 Sep 2003

LOL I like the DS but it isn't as impressive as I think it could have been. Hence the 3.5... my roomate actually gave it a 4 of 5. ; )

Shino · Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:04 am Post subject:

nintendobratkat · Spoiled Rotten >^..^< Gender: Joined: 14 Sep 2003

Heh at first I was worried there were too many games that wouldn't use the touch screen, but of the games I own, 4 of the rely heavily on the touch screen. I like the touch screen but I also like games that don't use it. *shrugs*

Johnny is gonna bring me Puyo Puyo Fever when he comes back from Japan to visit! Hooray!!!

RivaOni · Full English! Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 24 Sep 2002

i tried a DS today, played metroid hunters using the thumb pad, tried the stylus, it didnt feel right holding the DS with one hand, but i enojoyed myself for a good half hour before the staff at the game store kicked me off it lol