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GameKinG
05-12-2004, 12:50 AM
In short:

-DS is only a codename

-Two screens cabable of 2D and 3D graphics

-The pictures you see of the DS and the console used at the event is still a prototype and will very likely be changed, expect a sleeker look, especially since they have seen the PSP and will probably get feedback from E3-goers.

-It will have two forms of wireless play: one allows you to play with people up to 100 feet (30 guaranteed) of your radius. The other, Wi-Fi, will allow you to play with people thousands of miles away through hot-spots where you can get broadband access on your DS.

-Touch-screen: can control items on screen, draw on screen, and many other applicable things keyboards, etc.

-Microphone: You can have voice-recognition to even control the game with your voice and yours only.

-Graphics somewhere between N64 and Gamecube

In Length:
Nintendo's latest innovation, code-named Nintendo DS, provides users with a unique game-play experience using features never before offered by any other home console or hand-held game system. This portable personal entertainment and communications unit provides owners with new perspectives on dual screens, new control using both touch and voice, and new connections with two kinds of wireless game play. It's a newfound canvas on which developers can express their creativity.


Dual Screens: Two LCD screens offer one of the most groundbreaking game-play advances ever developed: experiencing a game from two perspectives at once. Imagine the possibilities. In a racing game, drivers might see their own vehicle's perspective on one screen and an overall track view on the other. In a role-playing game, the action could take place on the first screen while the second provides a reference for a player's tools inventory. Game play also could use both screens at once, offering a giant boss for heroes to defeat. In the future, games could be created allowing users to play games on one screen while text messaging other DS users on the other. Each 3-inch screen can reproduce a true 3-D view and is backlit to assure comfortable play in any lighting condition.


Touch Screen: The lower screen will offer something never before provided by any game device: PDA-like touch capabilities. Players no longer have to rely on just buttons to move characters or shift perspectives. They can navigate menus or access inventory items simply by touching the screen with stylus or fingertip. A software-based keyboard might even allow the screen to be used as an input center for games and messaging. The possibilities are limited only by developers' imaginations. The screen will have a tougher film cover for durability, and will come with a stylus.


Microphone: An available microphone port means that in the future, players might need only to tell their games what to do. DS software could identify everything from voice commands to hand-clapping. Players might be able to move their characters simply by telling them which way to go. The voice capabilities also could allow gamers to chat with one another over the Internet while playing.


Wireless: DS users will be able to connect with a local wireless network of up to 16 players. Nintendo's guaranteed range is 30 feet, but will extend far beyond that depending on circumstances. It assures high response rates required for real time game play, and will make use of both IEEE 802.11 and Nintendo's proprietary communication protocol, which provides low battery consumption. Players will be able to chat and play games without any connecting cords, completely untethered. The DS technology also provides for a wireless LAN connection, which could allow a theoretically infinite number of players to connect at a hot spot and compete at a central game hub on the Internet, even if they're thousands of miles apart.


Wireless Game Sharing: If software developers desire, multiple players can compete in wireless games, even if only one person has a game card inserted. Players could also test-play games for themselves as long as they stayed connected.


3-D: With the newly developed graphics engine, DS can reproduce impressive 3-D renderings that can surpass images displayed on the Nintendo® 64. Games will run at 60 frames per second, and allow details like fog effects and cel shading.


Sound: The 16-channel sound allows for greatly expanded use of voices and music, and a richer, more immersive game experience. A plug for headphones transmits stereo sound.


Battery & Power Management: The battery is rechargeable and the unit features a low-energy-consumption design. The DS also has Power Management functions of Sleep mode and Standby mode. In Sleep mode, players can stop and resume game play whenever they like. If the user receives a message from a friend or user nearby, DS activates itself from Standby mode.


Processing: The unit will run on two processors, one ARM9 one ARM7.


New Media: For its compact cards, the unit uses newly developed semiconductor memory, which allows for lower cost, shorter manufacturing time and memory capacity of more than one gigabit of information.


Dual Slots: Nintendo DS makes a vast library of Game Boy® Advance games readily available. Developers could find ways to make new connections between GBA games and DS games. The GBA port could be used for new hardware, enormously expanding the functional expandability of the DS.


Games List (confirmed):

Nintendo
Animal Crossing DS (on video)
Mario Kart DS (on video)
Metroid Prime: Hunters
NEW Super Mario Bros. DS (on video)
Nintendogs (on video)
PictoChat
Super Mario 64X4
WarioWare Inc. DS
DEMO: Baloon Trip
DEMO: Carving
DEMO: Mario's Face
DEMO: DS Pikachu
DEMO: Special Effects
DEMO: Submarine
DEMO: Table Hockey

Activision:
Spider-Man 2

Atari:
Title TBD

Bandai:
ONE PIECE
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM SEED
Several Titles

Banpresto:
DRAGONBALL Z

Capcom:
Mega Man Battle Network (New Game)
Viewtiful Joe (New Game)
Gyakuten Saiban (New Game)

Electronic Arts:
Need for Speed (New Game)

FromSoftware:
Several Titles

Hudson Soft:
BOMBERMAN
Several Titles

Koei:
Dynasty Warriors

Konami Corporation:
FROGGER 2005
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Several Titles

Majesco:
Title TBD

Namco Limited:
Pac-Pix
Pac’n Roll
Mr. Driller
RPG Title (New Game, TBD)

Sega Corporation:
Sonic E3 Demo
Project Rub

Square Enix:
Egg Monster Heroes
FINAL FANTASY: Crystal Chronicles (New Game)
Dragon Quest Monsters (New Game)

Tecmo:
Monster Rancher
Team Ninja Title (New Game)

THQ:
SpongeBob SquarePants

Ubisoft:
Rayman TBD

Vivendi:
Title TBD (New Game)

Over 100 developers signed on to make games before E3

Dyne
05-12-2004, 12:58 AM
Touch screen.. Microphone.. Animal Crossing..

I'm so sold already :D

Seth
05-12-2004, 01:02 AM
Would it be fair to compare the DS's graphics to that of the Dreamcast?

GameKinG
05-12-2004, 01:08 AM
I wouldnt doubt it, especially companies that really pump out the juice. Metroid and mario already look great.

Seth
05-12-2004, 01:11 AM
So, is there going to be two slots for media or just one?

It would be nice if I could watch some dvd quality movies on the gizmo. Don't know how cartridges can handle that.

And did I miss an announcement about the price?

Dyne
05-12-2004, 01:29 AM
I don't think they mentioned the price, did they?

I still expect the $149.

GameKinG
05-12-2004, 01:45 AM
The slot for the DS's media (easily holds 1 gig) is on the top screen, like the original GB. The GBA port is on the bottom, like GBASP.

Crash
05-12-2004, 01:55 AM
forgot this fact...

The DS is by far the biggest surprise at E3, and it is the coolest thing I've ever seen..... I love Nintendo for this one.

Ginkasa
05-12-2004, 02:12 AM
The DS is by far the biggest surprise at E3


Yeah, 'cause, they sure kept that a very closely guarded secret... Never once did they mention the DS. Boy, I sure didn't expect a dual screen handheld system to be shown at E3. Nope, sure didn't...

:hmm:


*shrugs and walks away*

The Germanator
05-12-2004, 02:17 AM
Well, the surprise could be how good it actually turned out to be, eh?

*walks and shrugs away*

Crash
05-12-2004, 02:38 AM
Yeah, 'cause, they sure kept that a very closely guarded secret... Never once did they mention the DS. Boy, I sure didn't expect a dual screen handheld system to be shown at E3. Nope, sure didn't...

:hmm:


*shrugs and walks away*

wise-ass

like german said, i was expecting a complete flop, it was wayyy better than i had ever expected.

Jonbo298
05-12-2004, 04:16 AM
I think the mature zelda is the biggest surprise of E3. NOTHING will top that.

Dark Samurai
05-12-2004, 07:59 AM
I think the mature zelda is the biggest surprise of E3. NOTHING will top that.

AGREEED!!!

And I knew that wasnt going to be the final product for DS, because that my friends, looked like shiznit

Canyarion
05-12-2004, 09:47 AM
(easily holds 1 gig)
Make that 1 GigaBIT. Not byte. So 1 Gb means 131 MB. :(

tarakan69
05-12-2004, 10:05 AM
Yes this isn't fake... It looks horrible IMO.
http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2004/2004-05/11-nintendo-inside.jpg

Null
05-12-2004, 10:35 AM
Would it be fair to compare the DS's graphics to that of the Dreamcast?

your kidding right? Its not at all comparable to dreamcast. id say comparable to N64. and have to see more screens as to if its above or below n64. pretty close tho.

Jonbo298
05-12-2004, 01:48 PM
FINAL FANTASY: Crystal Chronicles (New Game)

What the hell did I saw in the other thread? Damn square, they were watching me and decided to spite me.

And graphics arent gonna matter. The screen is small enough that your not really gonna see that big of a difference.

Null
05-12-2004, 01:51 PM
FINAL FANTASY: Crystal Chronicles (New Game) And graphics arent gonna matter. The screen is small enough that your not really gonna see that big of a difference.

exactly, many corners are cut that you will never see because its on a small screen. thoes MSG pictures for PSP i can see some very low polygon area's but you'll never notice in the game because of screen size.

tho i really tend to notice it on a game like mario kart. the new mario game tho not as much.

Rndm_Perfection
05-12-2004, 01:56 PM
thoes MSG pictures for PSP i can see some very low polygon area's but you'll never notice in the game because of screen size.

Somebody's been celebrating the PSP by eating Chinese food =¬Þ

GameKinG
05-12-2004, 09:17 PM
"your kidding right? Its not at all comparable to dreamcast. id say comparable to N64. and have to see more screens as to if its above or below n64. pretty close tho."

These are pretty early games, mostly Nintendo ones too. Nintendo is not after pushing the system. Its like saying gamecube tops out at pikmin. Have you SEEN RE4?

Dyne
05-12-2004, 09:23 PM
These are pretty early games, mostly Nintendo ones too. Nintendo is not after pushing the system. Its like saying gamecube tops out at pikmin. Have you SEEN RE4?

Some teams are pushing the DS, some aren't.. I mean, the Mario 64x4 models looks pretty nice, as do the Sidescrolling mario ones. Games like Wario Wares are definitely not pushing anything in terms of graphics though.

Joeiss
05-12-2004, 09:33 PM
Yeah, Mario64X4 is looking quite nice.

GameKinG
05-12-2004, 11:44 PM
Wario Ware isnt suppose to push graphics either. Look at the GBA and GC versions. Its just crazy nonsense everywhere.