DS Lite buyer's guide 3.0

@48

Thanks for the intelligent comment.

I am not in favor of violent games per se.

Yet, you portray the situation in black and white. Clearly, I don't see why the choice would be between games targeting children and games filled with despicable violence.

There has to be a middle ground, no?

In the same way, I do not understand why gamers would have to chose between graphics and gameplay. What about graphics AND gameplay? What's so unreasonable about that other choice?

Again, similarly, why would we have to chose between action and storytelling? What about games that have both?

It seems manufacturers, developers and publishers try to differentiate themselves by convincing gamers these complementary virtues are mutually exclusive. That's just a lame strategy that puts gamers last and their profits first.
(that's to be expected, I guess)

To go back to Nintendo's game characters and games...there is nothing wrong with them. I see a lot of creativity in their games. This being said, I feel a little silly playing these games at 30+, while my friends play golf, tennis and spend the rest of their time driving sports cars. I don't think it's unreasonable to recognize a game like Animal Crossing: Wild World is designed to appeal to the mind of a 10-year old, or at most the mind of a teen.
It doesn't mean an adult cannot find some fun in it for some time, but it's silly not to admit these games are not designed with adults in mind.

@ Darth

it is black and white and you want to know why, because that's how publishers market their wares and we, the gamer, eat it up. Again, look at your argument. Animal Crossing is made for a teen, then who is Metal Gear made for. I don't see any aspiring black op agents among the hardcore gamers. Ratchet and Clank, Death Jr, God of War...who are these games made for? How is playing God of War going to make you look cool for the masses? lol You're argument is totally ridiculous.

You feel silly because you're a gamer and you friends aren't? That's a personal problem that you need to deal with. You can't blame Nintendo because you want to look "cool" and live up to someone elses image.
Don't play that age card either. That has no bearing what-so-ever on my choice of entertainment. Nintendo makes quality products. As far as storytelling goes, you must have never played a Fire Emblem or Mario and Luigi SuperStar Sage or PAper Mario. All of these games are brillantly written and funny too. Metroid isn't an epic Adventure. How about Metroid Prime...How about Star Fox...even custom robo had a deep message at the end of the game that reflected a lot of our real world problems now.

The graphics in the current gen are good enough for cut scenes without the use of CG so get off that argument. You're entitled to think what you will but I reject your logic. Everything you've said I have a games and examples that prove otherwise.

I've owned a PSP for a year now. Bought my DS lite a few days ago actually.

In the few days I've had my DS lite, I've likely played it more than I have the PSP.

I own Liberty City stories for PSP, and damn was I pissed when I found out it was a port of GTA 3, and I had paid 60 CND for it. I got Metroid and Brain age for that same cost, and holy hell are they much better.

I believe I played LCS for a couple hours at the most, playing with Edison Carter's Cheat device. It was entertaining for a little while, untill Sony released the new firmware, I've found I havent played LCS at all anymore.

Metroid /w Wifi Connection is incredible. Brain age is the most addicting thing you play, how can one say that the PSP is better than the DS when its starting to seem as if the PSP's primary use it playing 3 year old movies that cost 25 bucks when you can get them for a fraction of that on DVD and watch it on a TV (Not to mention ripping it to your memory stick -.-)

The only thing I like to do with my PSP now is admire its esthetics, it looks cool. As for DS lite, not only is it sexy, but its actually fun to play, and it came at much cheaper than the PSP, even with an extra game.

Heres how I see it:

PSP = Movie, music, photo viewer
DS lite = Game system
Thats how its been for me. I thought I was buying an A-list title with LCS and instead recieved a garbage 5 year old port. Thanks sony... I'll stick with Nintendo for now on, I shouldn't have ventured in the Sony camp, I regret it :(

Damn futureshop was sold out of MKDS :( I cant wait to have that.

striderhayasa,
What are you talking about? First of all FireEblem is not a Nintendo game, it comes out on Nintendo systems but Nintendo does not make it. Secondly it's stories suck and seem like they are written by 15 year-olds.

No one can argue that Nintendo games have any artistic element to them outside of pure gameplay. They are fun but intellectually vapid. Not to sayy that that's wholly bad, but I would like some more depth offered to me, from all companies but it seems like Nintendo gets a free pass.

Also, violence does not mean it will be good or bad, just violent. Games cannot be divided into bl;ack and white catagories. Or are you going to tell me that Bonnie and Clyde was a terrible movie because of the bloody ending?

John,

Sony didn't make GTA:LCS, Take-Two did, be pissed off at them.

I know brian, I am. I was really hoping for an original GTA title for the PSP :(
Now that Vice City is on its way, I've lost hope for any original contenct from Rockstar for the PSP, atleast GTA wise anyway.

Its nice to see how well Nintendo is doing. Between the Lite and the Wii, I think they are coming back on top :D

@ brian

Intelligent Systems is a second party developer for Nintendo, just like NST and Retro. That makes their games, Nintendo games since they're under Nintendo jurisdiction. Read up on it. If you think the stories are bad that's on you. wait...did you even play them? The GBA Fire Emblem had a great story, what are YOU talking about.

"sigh" and what makes a God of War intelligent or GTA? What makes a Devil May Cry deep but not Metroid? Why is Pikmen not deep? or an Advance Wars? Can somebody answer this question? Because I'm having a hard time understanding the logic. Especially after I see someone get flanked in Advanced Wars by a mech platoon hiding in the mountains during the Fog of War and then have to watch as their troops get decimated.

so brian, darth, somebody...If you don't like Nintendo games that's cool, to each their own but don't tell me Nintendo games don't have depth or good stories or good production value because the examples are there for all to see.

@ john, I feel you. I like the overall design of the PSP but I need a game portable and it comes up short. I have an Ipod so I have no need for a PSP. give me a better library and I'm there.

@ Stryderhayasa

"A good game is a good game and to be more accurate, Nintendo has always stressed that they wanted games that the entire family can play."

In order for a game to be "family friendly" as you say, the company has to mold it's content to the lowest common denominator (i.e. the child). Therefore, a "family friendly" game made my Nintendo HAS to be geared toward the child in order for it to be "family friendly."

You psp people are just mad because you bought a 200 dollar paperweight.

Seriously, I have no pity. PSP had it's day in the media sun. It got so bad that I'd be reading the DS described, in the DS section of Gamespot no less, as the "readheaded stepchild of portable gaming now that the PSP is released." I for one enjoy a good turnabout. Take that!

Fvvv!

I bought a DS Lite... I am very pleased with it... Cheap fun... The last portable I bought was the original grey Game Boy... I did lust after the PSP for a time(wi-fi, browser, divx/mp4, games and compact) I still think it's cool (I'd steal yours;)... Yet Sony keeps killing the homebrew... so that sours it a bit... and it's fairly expensive...

I would say that most of the writing in video games is aimed between 6th to 10th grade in reading level...

What are these secret "mature" games and who writes them?

There is nothing in Halo that a frat boy with fetal alcohol syndrome can't understand...

GTA:SA is just a white rip-off of oh so many John Singleton movies (that were not that great anyway)... Why not just read Things Fall Apart and then Listen to the album? Hmmm...

The Metal Gear Solid series has many cringe inducing themes of machismo and heroic male ":Substance"...( It may be more fun to point out the subtext of homosexuality between Solid Snake and his Enemies...)

Hey, I like these games, I've enjoyed them for many hours...

Yet, I love Katamari, and I would say that it is a more "mature" game (Not like TEEN, MA, OR ADULTS ONLY :(_ )... As Katamari has no pretense in who it's for... and almost anyone who sees it can immediately understand what is going on and what is going to go on & on...

I'm 26 years old! I love Stroszek, Der Todesking, Pinocchio 964, Possession (1981), Visitor Q, The Curious Doctor Humpp, Irreversible, F for Fake, Suicide Club, and Putney Swope! Want mature and deep? Try Au Hasard Balthazar or Andrei Rublev or Dr. Strangelove or The Color of Pomegranates...

Video games are still just lil' babies... I love them... I do...

In playing video games I accept that mostly they will be immature and targeted to the youth, with occasional brilliant random ambient noise bursts of fun and genius.....

I beat 'I have no mouth and I must scream' years ago... what next?

hah, Phoenix Wright is actually widely available here in norway =D i think i'll have to buy it + brain age.

Could someone please explain to me why, Metroid, Zelda, StarFox, FireEmblem, Smash Brothers and FZero are considered kids games. Until somebody can explain to me why this is I reject the notion that Nintendo only makes kids games.

striderhayasa,

They are not kiddie games, they are emotionally shallow. Nintendo will never make a game like Shadow of the Collossus or KOTOR or NeverWinter Nights.

@ Brian,

Did you play Metroid Prime 2? You're telling me that reading the Lore on how the Luminoth society was eradicated by the Ing wasn't emotional? What about the lore regarding the Luminoth Builder that was assassinated by his own mech defense systems when the Ing figured out how to possess them. How about the monologue that Ganon gave in WW when he said that his quest for people was for his people to save them from the punishing heat of the Sun and the damning cold of the night while condemned to the vast desert. What about when Zelda's Father the King of Hyrule allowed himself to drown in the flood that destroyed "old" Hyrule, when he realized that his efforts to save his Kingdom where selfish and it was time for a new era in Hyrule's history...

I disagree Brian...what you're saying makes no sense and until someone can tell me why these great moments in gaming are kiddy, I will always stand against that arguement.

Sorry@ brian

I should have also put Emotionally devoid...I just don't understand how you can say that. Every Nintendo game isn't emotionally deep but neither is every game made by any developer.

striderhayasa,

I didn't say they were kiddy. Nintendo games, for the most part, do not convey emotion as well as some other games. They do not make me care about wether or not I finish the game, they do not make me care about the protagonist - hell so many of their protagonists are silent. Zelda has decent storytelling and great gameplay but no real emotional impact.

Please, don;t get me started on Metroid Prime, I hate that game so much that I will never stop. Don't even bring it up.