DS gets 'Point Blank' tap, light gun not required
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Jun 8th 2006 at 4:25PM }
Namco's classic arcade shooter Point Blank ships for the DS next week, as Point Blank DS. Back in 1998, the game was ported to the PlayStation and required the use of Namco's GunCon peripheral. Obviously, it would be awkward -- especially in public -- pointing a light gun at the DS's 3-inch screen, unless it was a really tiny zapper -- which would still be awkward in public. Thankfully, the stylus acts as an intuitive, if not unorthodox, alternative.Point Blank DS will be an important test for Nintendo's handheld, and if well received, will expand the possibilities for simple, addictive fun on the DS.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gonzo @ Jun 8th 2006 4:47PM
But I already tried shooting styluses at my DS. Needless to say it didn't work too well after I sent one straight through the machine.
KingOfGods @ Jun 8th 2006 4:49PM
I just pre-ordered the DS Lite from BestBuy (My first DS) and I loved Point Blank, it had some great multi-player.
Anyone else think that Point Blank and Time Crisis would be great on Xbox Live? Come on Namco and MS...make it happen.
John Q. @ Jun 8th 2006 5:15PM
It actually sounds a bit like Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents, (though obviously not rhythm-based), tapping the screen at certain times. We'll see if it works out as well.
Dan @ Jun 8th 2006 5:23PM
I still have my Point Blank for the PSOne... I love those games. Seems like a stylis would make it lame though. Like playing DDR with a controller.
robotplague @ Jun 8th 2006 5:24PM
I would buy a mini zapper for the DS...that would be pretty awesome actually.
The New Revelation @ Jun 8th 2006 5:27PM
"simple, addictive fun"
It's good some of the time. But that's exactly why I haven't purchased a DS yet. Too much "simple addictive fun", not enough adventure/platform/sports/action games. Then again, I haven't bought a PSP either, but its has a GTA, Syphon Filter, Winning Eleven, Daxter, Katamari, Virtua Tennis, SSX. That's more what -I- am interested in.
Some Wario Ware is good though too.
cringer8 @ Jun 8th 2006 5:40PM
@The New Revelation
Here you go:
http://www.gamespot.com/games.html?type=games&platform=1026
Scroll through the DS titles (382 of them) and find all the genres you'd be interested in. They're all there, adventure/platform/sports/action.
Colin @ Jun 8th 2006 5:45PM
Did you ever hear of "Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow"? Perhaps you missed the announcement of Final Fantasy III for the DS? Even Metroid Prime: Hunters is a step beyone "simple, addictive fun".
Although some Wario Ware IS good.
Erik Novak @ Jun 8th 2006 5:47PM
Cringer, don't lie. I have a DS. I've tried the supposed adventure/sports/action games. They're terrible compared to what's on PSP in that respect.
About the only exception is New Mario, and that wasn't even that great...I'm pretty much ready to trade it in after beating all the levels. I don't really feel like getting all 3 coins for each stage.
If you're not looking for the quickie experience that Nintendo offers, get a PSP. You'd be far better off w/ Daxter, Syphon Filter, the Megaman games, and Ratchet & the MGS3 sequel in the near future. Having played many games on both consoles, trust me on this one.
CYRiX @ Jun 8th 2006 5:50PM
This deffiently shouldn't be a $30-35 msrp game, if it isn't it could be end up being a good game.
cringer8 @ Jun 8th 2006 6:01PM
LOL Erik, did you notice your contradiction? You blazed through New Mario Bros without collecting all the coins (or shortcuts) and then complain that Nintendo doesn't offer a "deep" enough title? Try playing a game to its completion.
Also, the battery life on a PSP doesn't lend itself to long hours of gameplay (try an hour and a half). The PSP is the "quickie" experience in the portable gaming world.
Exo @ Jun 8th 2006 6:04PM
If you want longer game experiences, why dont you buy a console?
The whole point of handhelds is that they are portable, and games you can play in shorter intervals work alot better in that respect
Dan @ Jun 8th 2006 6:06PM
Not to mention the long load times.
Jason W @ Jun 8th 2006 6:22PM
As someone who just traded in my PSP I must come to its defense. It has some good games, but most if not all are done better on a console.
Now a nice light gun game on the DS would be cool. Bring on house of the dead, time crisis, even area 51 would be fun for the point and shoot in us all. If you add a duck feature like the TC games then you would add that extra level of gameplay.
IAMTHEJESUSOFSUBURBIA @ Jun 8th 2006 6:48PM
cringer8, I don't know where you've gotten the idea that you only get 1.5 hours of gaming out of a PSP. I've played much longer stretches then that. I would put the play time at closer to 5 hours. Wi-fi drops that figure but I still wouldn't put it at 1.5 hrs. If you need to play more then 5 hours between charges maybe a second battery would be in order?
In addition, I would hardly consider coin collecting, "depth". It's more like a cop-out to pad the game's length. It's sad that Nintendo fans have to be so biased all the time. I have all the console systems, a PSP, and might pick up a DS now that it's not so ugly anymore. Instead of knocking the competition all the time how about enjoying the diversity they offer?
jp007 @ Jun 8th 2006 6:49PM
I wish there were some more adventuring happening on the DS as well. While a few titles are in the works, waiting is a bitch :) I think it would be AWESOME if Blizzard released a Diablo game on the DS. Imagine the DS could handle the graphics pretty well based on the previous PC Diablo games. Top screen as a map, action on the bottom. Stylus to move around/attack. The d pad and buttons could be hotkeyed to ready certain spells/items. Hit R or L and the action moves to top screen so you can still see what's going on, and bottom becomes invintory/EQ screen. Drag and drop EQ on char, etc. Throw in Nintendo WFC and they have a guaranteed a million seller.
But no one ever listens to me so.....
And well the hell am I going to be able to get a copy of Phoenix Wright? Is another run going to be shipped? I want that game!
lebowsky @ Jun 8th 2006 7:03PM
Capcom is reprinting Phoenix Wright on 6/14. You should be able to score a copy if you're quick enough.
As far as DS vs. PSP, if I wanted to play ports of PS2 games and wait for load times, I'll play my PS2, thanks.
Let's face it, Sony has a serious identity crisis going on right now. They don't know what they want their consoles to be. Are they media players? Blu-ray players? Computers?
Nintendo gives us gaming platforms and games. If you don't like what Ninty offers, that's one thing, but at least I know where I stand with them.
Slag the DS all you want, but Nintendo is ramping up for selling 2 million DS Lites a MONTH. The PSP hasn't even cracked a million in Japan whereas the DS is over 2 million right now. I wish I knew the story behind the PSP vs. DS in the US, but unfortunately Sony either releases bad NPD data, or somehow it's "not available."
Alden @ Jun 8th 2006 7:21PM
Yeah I've been waiting a while for another Phoenix Wright game. I've either played/beaten most DS games, and yes, they pretty much are "quick addictive fun". I have a PSP and I've wanted to trade it in for days(but thats a personal choice(its a great system and I think I'm just going to keep it)) but I think its the thing if you want to go and play the longer/more complicated games.
(btw I'd consider myself a Nintendo fan boy but I am just bored as hell with the DS titles out right now(they seem to easy and to quick(kind of repetitive too))
John Q. @ Jun 8th 2006 7:46PM
Argh! No no no! The DS has plenty of great, deep titles. Small list:
-Trauma Center
-Phoenix Wright
-Castlevania
-Advance Wars
-Animal Crossing (not everyone's cup of tea, but not "simplistic" no matter how you slice it)
-Hunters (best portable shooter yet, though admittedly that's not saying much)
-Ouendan (crazily difficult and complicated on the harder difficulties)
Nothing simple about any of those. Not that there's anything wrong with simple games, as Meteos and WarioWare can attest to.
Pixelbox @ Jun 8th 2006 8:13PM
And I thought all the DS/PSP holy wars were a thing of the past.
Anyhow, I think light-gun games could work if the bottom screen is the "aiming" screen, but the action takes place on the top screen--a bit like MPH. It'd be a bit weird to be tapping right on targets to fire at them. But maybe it'll work.
SH @ Jun 8th 2006 8:13PM
@ IAMTHEJESUSOFSUBURBIA
Actually play the new mario for the DS, and you will find it is definatly not been padded out, with 8 worlds and hours of replay making it one of the best games for the DS so far. The idea of the DS is for people to play on the go and i've still to see a game on the DS that does not make that happen, so its great to see Point Blank on the DS due to its quick play style.
I hope people realise the DS has more to offer than the PSP and actually think about the games they are saying make the PSP so great, cause last time i checked Pro Evolution Soccer 6 is coming to the DS, Daxter is just a poor mans Mario and Megaman games are coming out for the DS if not theres 1 out already.
striderhayasa @ Jun 8th 2006 8:15PM
Don't forget Age of Empires, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario Kart, Tony Hawk, Jump SuperStars, Bleach in addition to the games that have already been mentioned.
You won't get an experience as good as Metroid on PSP because the analog nub is not accurate enough...period.
You won't get a 2D castlevania on PSP unless you emulate because Sony doesn't want it.
Lumines is great but DS has Meteos so we're covered there.
There is no Jump Superstars or anything similar on PSP and DS is getting a sequel
Bleach is better on DS - play it and see
There are no platform games as good as Mario on PSP. Daxter is cool but he's no Mario.
May have better racing games overall but Mario Kart is a great game regardless
the list goes on...but you get the point. People that say that DS games have no depth obviously haven't played any. I challenge anyone to play Advanced Wars alone and tell me it has no depth. Come see the vets on Metroid Prime Hunters online and get owned. We got your depth hangin right here buddy.
On the GBA side (forgot DS can play those too huh)
You still have the Final Fantasies, Tactics Ogre, Fire Emblem, Gunstar Super Heros, Phantasy Star, Zelda (pick one) Castlevania (pick some more)...still no depth? Whatever.
Sabre @ Jun 8th 2006 8:57PM
"Also, the battery life on a PSP doesn't lend itself to long hours of gameplay (try an hour and a half). The PSP is the "quickie" experience in the portable gaming world."
Damn...you beat me to it. I was gonna say that before I got to your post.
Seriously though...as someone who's owned the original DS and now the DS Lite and PSP...the DS has way more on the PSP PLUS the ability to play GBA games.
duscrom @ Jun 8th 2006 9:00PM
Depth and Difficulty is not the same thing Fanboys. Daxter May be a poor mans marion, but at least it's not a port. Phoenix Wright is about the only solid argument, but that's mostly because it's the only game you people are listing that I haven't already played.
I played Metroid Prime Hunters and find the control to be cumbersome and awkward, and many reviews agree with me. NSMB is as deep as a mario game can be. It's a simple platformer. It can get difficult.. but using difficulty or repitition to measure "depth" isn't what many of us are talking about.
I've had a DS for the last year, and have been through just about every game that you all are listing. Mario Kart, Mario 64, Animal Crossing, Castlevania. and Advanced Wars.
Now I will agree that the PS's weakness is in it's hardware. The load times and battery life are terrible. But... I've desprately waisted money on DS games I knew I wouldn't like... Like Animal Crossing... Hell I got Resident Evil DS and almost picked up Tao's Adventure.. I was that desperate. But A friend sold me his PSP, and I picked up Syphon Filter, and it really was a breath of fresh air. It was a game where I had purpose, It had character, it had a storyline. I was progressing towards something.. not just the next level. I got Y's on the PSP, and Megaman Powered Up (Which is NOT comming to the DS). Sure Good gameplay is nice.. but it is still only part of a great Experince.
Now.. IMHO there is a place for both simplistic Quick play games, and there is room for great adventures.
And Cringer... How the Hell is AC "Deep". It's the deffinition of simplistic. There is NO story, there is no point. You just do little odd jobs for people. Just becuse the bottom of the kiddie pool is dark blue, dosen't mean it's 12 feet deep. You'd have to eexplain how it's Deep. There is not point to the game.
Castlevania, I will admit, just isn't my type of game. After being lost for 7 months in the game, I finally sold it. (Yes, for 7 months I couldn't find where to go next.. that's not deep, that's frustrating) And.. finally, gameing is about what's Fun. It's not about what's cool, or selling millions of units or anything.. it's about what kind of games you enjoy. I personally like console experinces that don't have me teatherd to a TV. Like when I have to go out of town for 2 days every month, and don't have a TV to drag along.
Every type of game has it's Place.. the problem is that the DS dosen't give us a choice yet. If I didn't have to bother with PSP's loading times, I'd be happy having the games I want on a DS.. but.. I can't.
Quit being such fanboys...
duscrom @ Jun 8th 2006 9:02PM
Sabre: As any Nintendo fan should know, it's about the games, not the technology. The batary is 4-7 hours long on a PSP. You obviously don't own a PSP, so I forgive you and whoever on that faux pas.
Sabre @ Jun 8th 2006 9:10PM
Uhh...hate to break it to you but I do own a PSP and I laugh everytime someone tries to defend 4-7 hours for battery life. The DS on the other hand has 8-10 hours. Can you read that 8 HOURS MINIMUM not the ~4 hour minimum the PSP has.
You should try not assuming things...
John Q. @ Jun 8th 2006 10:18PM
Duscrom:
First, may I recommend Trauma Center and Ouendan? Both are certainly deep and fun. You may like them.
I claimed that Animal Crossing is deep, and I stand by it. You are obviously misinformed as to what "deep" means for games. Deep doesn't mean "long storyline," deep means "much to experience and play with." Example: Counterstrike is deep. It contains many gameplay mechanics to work at and master. It has no serious story or point besides "Kill the terrorists/anti-terrorists," but it's not necessary. Depth is not about how much "point" there is to the game, it's what the game gives you to work with.
AC creates a town in real-time, with changes throughout the year, festivals, and hundreds of items and characters. You might not like it, many don't. But don't insult it by calling it "simple."
Same goes for Metroid: a bad/challenging control scheme can't remove depth (not to mention, at least as many really liked it). It can make that depth harder to access, but the game remains. And like you said, difficulty =/= depth. Metroid's got as many gameplay options as your average FPS, with tightly balanced characters and weapons. Definitely not a simple game.
John Q. @ Jun 8th 2006 10:21PM
Oh! And Advance Wars and Age of Empires. Both turn-based strategy games, both quite good. Explain how these are simple, please.
epobirs @ Jun 8th 2006 10:34PM
Yeah, a mini-Zapper for the DS could make for some odd situations, especially in public.
"Jim is that man mugging his own PDA?"
"Hold it right there! We've had reports of an armed assault on a video game. Put down the mini-Zapper and the DS, then lie face down with your hands behind your neck. We'll work this out downtown."
Sheriff Bart taking himself hostage in 'Blazing Saddles' comes to mind.
Sabre @ Jun 8th 2006 11:11PM
Duscrom is a lost cause...leave him be.
As for Metroid...it takes time to get used to the controls and while they might not be "rock solid" they are still far from being terrible.
John Q. @ Jun 8th 2006 11:41PM
Yeah, I really like them, especially with the thumb strap. But I'm willing to allow that other people will disagree.
IAMTHEJESUSOFSUBURBIA @ Jun 8th 2006 11:55PM
@SH
New Mario may very well be a deep game. I wouldn't assume otherwise having not played the game. I was referring to the earlier comment that you can't complain about the depth of a game if you didn't collect all the coins. "Find the item" challenges don't create depth and that is often a cheap ploy added to games to pad their length. Not saying New Mario is guilty of that, I just wouldn't refer to that as a measure of its depth.
Bottom-line should be that the PSP and DS both offer different experiences and that neither one is inherently superior to the other. If they both provided the same experience what would be the point of them co-existing? Enjoy each of them for what they offer and leave it at that.
Capt. Castellanos @ Jun 9th 2006 12:16AM
the metroid games on the GBA are fun too...
fusion is deep.
zero mission is a quicky, but still fun.
Brad Lee @ Jun 9th 2006 1:07AM
At first I was looking forward to this game, based sorely on the fact that it is an arcade shooter on DS, but I'm not so certain anymore. I read about it and it seems to just be a lot of mini-games like a shooting gallery and stuff like that. I was hoping for a game like Time Crisis on DS... and I'm still wondering why I'm not seeing it. It would be a great game on DS. Just hold the L or R button to stand up and fire away, then release to reload and take cover. The top screen could be used to show your partner, similar to the arcade game. Sigh, it probably won't happen though.
As for the DS/PSP debate, I bought a DS for two reasons. One, innovation. As soon as I heard about the touch screen, dual screens, and microphone, I was intrigued. But, then I saw Feel the Magic and I just had to have it. The game itself is rather rudementary, but the intial playthrough was great, simply because it offered several new gameplay experiences (new experiences in gaming is hard to come by these days). The second reason, Pokemon. I got hooked to Pokemon since Red/Blue, and Ruby/Saphire was the only reason I bought an SP. And I figured I'd eventually buy a DS for the new Pokemon games anyway, so why not now? With that said, I am very, VERY glad with my purchase. I've bought an astonishing twenty games for the system already, and plan to buy many more in the near future. I say that is astonishing because I only bought a handful of games for the GBA in its entire lifespan, and I've already doubled the amount in DS games. I mean, the DS just has so many great games: Castlevania, Animal Crossing, Pac N Roll (screw the critics, I enjoyed this game a lot), Advance Wars, Meteos, Viewtiful Joe, Mario Kart, Brain Age, and New Super Mario Brothers just to name some of my favorites. There are just so many unique experiences to be had on the system. I plan on buying a DS Lite for no particular reason. Just because I've enjoyed the DS so much already.
As for the PSP, I don't have one and really don't plan on getting one anytime soon. The graphics, sure, are pretty. But, that kind of thing really doesn't concern me too much. I could also care less about the multimedia fuctionality. UMD movies are not worth the money and I already own an MP3 Player. As for the games, I haven't really seen anything I really want. At first I wanted Lumines, and after seeing how awesome Meteos was I really wanted to play it, but not for $250. Then I found out it was coming to XBLA... for less money, so that takes care of that. I was also looking forward to MGA, but then I found out it was a 'card based tactical game' and that completely ruined it for me right there. Everything else just looks like mediocre console games to me, and paying extra money for a handheld to play console games just doesn't appeal to me. It also doesn't help that I played several games at stores with demo discs and it takes about 1-3 minutes to sift through countless menus and load screens to actually begin PLAYING the game. With the DS I can begin playing most games in under 20 seconds.
I mean it is all up to personal preference. Do you want to pay $200-$250 and $40-$50 each game to play console style games portably? Or would you rather pay $130 and $30-$40 a game to play unique, innovative games and retro 2D experiences? The choice is up to the individual, but it is quite clear who is winning the handheld war right now.
justchris @ Jun 9th 2006 3:09AM
I'll add my arguments to the PSP vs. DS debate.
Depending on the types of games you play, they offer different experiences. Sports & Racing games are pretty much the purview of the PSP right now, not because the DS can't do the games, just because no one is really making them right now. To be fair though, some of the best racers for the PSP are made internally by Sony, whereas Nintendo only has 2 racing franchises two draw upon (F-Zero & Mario Kart) neither of which are racing simulations.
On the other hand, no one can argue that the DS lacks 'depth'. I will put Advance Wars against any game you care to bring that you claim has more depth. Certainly, each individual mission is short, but the potential, whether in single play or multiplay for a deep game is massive.
Don't like New Super Mario Bros.? Try Super Princess Peach. It feels more like a Kirby game or Super Mario Bros. 2 than a Mario game, which may be preferable for some people. But it is also a very deep and entertaining game. Don't like that either, try Kirby Canvas Curse, which is both deep and incredibly innovative. It's also impossible on any currently existing console (although could be decently emulated with a mouse).
There are fighting games, action games, adventure games, RPGs, and FPS, as well as several side scrollers, pretty much the same genre's you'll find on the PSP, and then some.
Please don't tell me Megaman Powered Up has depth because of it's story. It's a remake of Megaman 1, and I can't think of a single megaman game where the depth was a result of its story. It's a great game, very well designed. But it doesn't have much in the way of a story.
If you're going to say Animal Crossing has no depth, then you also have to discount SimCity, the Sims and the upcoming Spore, since none of those games have a "point" either. They just have structure. What you do with it is up to you. If the game lacks depth, that's more of a reflection on the player than the game.
From personal preference, the DS has more games I like. This is because I don't actually like Sports, Racing or FPS games. I do like platformers, puzzle, strategy, action, fighting and adventure games, most of which needs the DS satisfies.
I didn't like Point Blank in arcades, I won't like it on the DS, so instead I'll go play Lemmings on PSP.
sabre @ Jun 9th 2006 3:27AM
If you thought Point Blank was gonna be like Time Crisis then you obviously have never seen Point Blank in the arcades or on the PS1. It's always been a bunch of competition mini-games.
duscrom @ Jun 9th 2006 9:31AM
John Q. How can I be mistaken about what depth is.. espically when it's subjective.
I find depth in a solid experince. An Experince that takes solid gameplay, storylines, and a solid goal. I already Have trauma center, and it's fun, save for the obnoxious learning curve.. which is based mainly on them not explaining some things... and the non-sensical storyline. While it's a step in the right Direction. FOR ME... at the end of the day, the adcventures I want are like Mario 64.. but not a port.
But the thing is, I'm not trying to bash the simplistic short session games. Based on the idea that you play a portable while on a bus or while waiting a short time, those games are perfect. But for the times I do need a Console replacement.. like going out of town, or because I want to go lie in bed and play something.. THe DS leaves ME dissapointed.
When I say I want to love the DS, you don't understand. It's really almost a sad despiration. Like, i just picked up Over The Hedge last night. I'm not a man with money to throw around. And waiting for prices to drop on games on a Nintendo console is a lost cause... Like, why is WarioWare still $35? I haven't played Ouendan, because I don't know japanese and find it hard to spend the $50 bucks to import a game.
Scorch: I am not "Defending" the PSP battery life, just correcting you. 1.5 hours is wrong. It's proven to be 4-8, depending on your activity. If it's a game that dosen't require all the CPU, and dosen't have the disc drive constantly spinning, you'll get higher.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like Sony's hardware. The media stuff is nice... but I'm talking soley about game experinces. I'm waiting for a Non-Suck DS RPG.. which is funny cause i've heard more then once that Handhelds should never have RPGs.
But that's entirely moot. I'm playing Y's on PSP while waiting for Children Of Mana, and FF3 for DS. Y's is pretty awesome.. would be better on a DS... Should have been on the DS. I hate the 15 second per screen load times. But it's fun to play and has a pretty neat storyline. It frustrates me, because I know the DS CAN do these type of games. The DS is as powerful as a PS1, and the PS1 had some great experinces. The first MGS game was on playstation. FF7 was on the Playstation.
The battery life of the DS is 8 hours.. and for me that simply means I don't have to charge it but once a month. If That.
antonioARA @ Jun 9th 2006 12:30PM
The DS is a great system and no one can argue about his great upcoming lineup of games like FFIII, Children of Mana, Starfox DS, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Elite Beat Angels, Cooking Mama (looks fun!), Meteos 2, Phoenix Wright 2, Hotel Dusk, Magical Vacation, Mario Vs DK 2, Mario Hoops, Yoshi's Island 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
duscrom @ Jun 9th 2006 3:10PM
Actually Yes,, I could. I don't like Castlevania.. But.. Cooking Mama does NOT look fun, Mario Basketball has no proof that it will be as good as any modern basketball game. (Considering Basketball is a very american sport and it's being made by square) Starfox and Zelda have dropped of my fun radar by their Touchscreen only control-scheme. Think for yourself, Just because nintendo tells you it'll be good dosen't make it good.
Now, Meteos, Hotel Dusk Magical Vacation, Beat Agent, FF3 and Children Of Mana.. thos are deffinatly games that look good. It's just too bad we have to wait for them.
Sabre @ Jun 9th 2006 4:59PM
Meteos has been out for sometime...it'll be a year this month here in the US.