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Life & Arts

Nintendo has gamers seeing double

Handheld console features extra screen, better graphics to give gamers unique experience

By Derek Lanphier
The Daily Cougar

Get one thing straight: If you are obsessive-compulsive about your video games, the DS is not for you; that bottom screen can get real dirty. Those who are not suffering from OCD might want to give the DS a shot, but not right away. 

The Nintendo DS is probably the most powerful handheld to date. Although the two screens are only about 3 and one-half inches wide, the 3-D graphics that are produced by the DS processor are better than the Nintendo 64 in its prime. The graphics themselves blow other handhelds like the N-Gage out of the water. 

The console sports a traditional directional pad on the left, four buttons (A,B,X,Y) on the right and two shoulder buttons (R,L) on its outside corners. It folds in half in order to protect the two screens and is lightweight.

Obviously, the console's gimmick is the two screens. Many gamers are skeptical about this feature as it would be difficult to watch two screens at a time, but once they play some games on the DS, they'll be believers. 

As the ad campaigns on TV suggest, touching is good ' well, fun at least. For most games, the top screen is where the majority of the action takes place, while the bottom screen doubles as a map, inventory or menu screen of some sort. This is a nice feature because it means players don't have to press a button to go into these menus. Plus, the lower screen is touch-sensitive which means not only easy access to the menus, but also that players can simply touch items in the menus to select them. The screen can also provide extra buttons to perform different actions according to what game players might have loaded into the system. If players want to keep their touch screen smudge free, the DS comes with a plastic thumb pad and a stylus that fits neatly in the back, although the screen still might get a little dusty.

Another great feature is the fact that it also plays GameBoy Advance games, which means you can throw out your old SP, but not the games. This is also good to pass the time as gamers wait for the games planned for the system to be released.

As with any console, there are downsides, the first being getting used to the DS, unique style of play. Gamers might not like playing with a stylus and the normal buttons at the same time because there is a hefty learning curve associated with it. And game developers will have a hard time making sure the controls both utilize the DS's features and feel right when played. The second problem is, at this moment, there aren't a lot of good games out for the DS, although some will be on their way soon. So gamers definitely need to check the DS out, but might want to wait before throwing 150 bucks down for it.

If you can't help yourself and have already picked one out, Mario DS, Spiderman 2 DS, and The Urbz -- which is like the Sims, but in the city -- are all worth their weight. As for any of the others, don't even bother.

The Nintendo DS has some great potential, but the best games out for it are only slightly better than average, unfortunately. This will change as more games are released. Plus, the impending battle against the Sony PSP, due out later this year, will be an event not to be missed as it will be a trial by fire for both systems.
 

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