There are two things that stand out about the Nintendo booth. One, it's the best booth of the three consolers. The lineup of digital signs looks good from every angle, and the layout lets you see everything quick and easy. Two, there are a lot of new titles coming out for the DS. At long last. Yeah, we hear about the big flood of titles. It's always just around the corner. But when you see it, you have to believe it. People may have been a little disappointed about the sparse Revolution details, but they're delivering on DS content. I counted two dozen titles that are not on the shelves yet, at least in the US.
The stand-out title, for me, is Advance Wars DS. My life will change when it’s released. I love the GBA version so the two-screened DS title will consume me, I’m sure. The demo they have available is a two-player map, with you playing the lower screen’s map and the AI taking the upper screen. It takes a moment to get used to it, but it’s worth duking it out. All that extra screen space will probably force me to put the good old AW cart in the closet.
Then there’s Fire Emblem for the GC. It’s no graphical powerhouse, but it looks like they may pull off the move to 3D. The design is sweet, bascially taking the best elements of FE’s look and adding a dimension. The control scheme is seamless, letting experienced players slide right in. If it’s as addictive as the GBA’s then this one could sell a lot of consoles.
More Nintendo booth impressions to come.
