Nintendo DS vs. PSP

[Brass Monkey]

Okay, quite a bit of hype going around the two new handhelds which are just on the horizon. I've been keeping up on both systems for a while and I'll go over the DS first.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/ds_hardware.gif

When first announced it was said to be a handheld with 2 screens. I just thought WTF? Okay... crappy gimmick. But I had some faith in Nintendo. If it's one thing they know, it's handhelds. It's the one market the've dominated since they entered it. I saw the first designs and thought it was kindy clunky, but the final version (shown above) is pretty slick.

Now how it works is that the top screen is the main screen where the action usually happens, and the bottom screen is a touchpad much like that on a PDA. You can use your thumb or the stylus and trace on it. Okay, it's sounds kinda wierd just being explained. The graphics power is really amazing. It's not FMV or anything, but this system is still cartrage based.

For a game like Metroid Prime: Hunters:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/ds_mh_shoot1.jpg

Gameplay on the top screen and map on the bottom. Then you use the stylus to aim and the pad to move, also the controls can be adjusted for righties and lefties, notice how the button pad is shaped in the same diamond patten as the control pad? Also has the L and R shoulder buttons.

And a look at a Mario 64 port that is coming over with a few additions and what looks to be better textures:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/ds_m64_1.jpg http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/ds_m64_2.jpg


Other games on the release list include; Mario Kart DS, Legend of Zelda DS (a sequal to the Four Swords), Viewtiful Joe, Sonic DS, The Urbz: Sims in the City, Final Fantasy III (the Japanese III not the American 3... no shit... I would not lie about this), Madden NFL DS, Spider-man 2, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicals, and a whole lot more.

Now Final Fantasy: Crstal Chroncals will be extremely workable compaired to the Gamecube version and probably also do away with any major Gameboy Advance and Gamecube compatable games. With FF:CC you basically had to have a GBA for each player, and it really was meant to be played with multiplayer. You'd have the main party on the screen and your personal command menu would be on your GBA. Now you have both screens right there.

But what about multiplayer? Already taken care of with built-in WiFi and can easily network. Imagine playing a game of Mario Kart with 7 friends, no cables and extremely easy to set up. There is also a built in program for the DS that loads up when there is no cartrage installed and you can send messages and play tick tac toe or whatever.

Going to sport a rechargable battery much like that of the GBA SP and is going to retail for about $150... and going to be released just in time for Christmas. I'm sold!!!

Here's a few shots of Mario Kart, The Sims, and Spider-man 2:
http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/554/554875/mario-kart-ds-20041007020951617.jpg http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/554/554908/the-urbz-sims-in-the-city-20041007100223757.jpg http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/555/555142/spider-man-2-20041007013516433.jpg



Now for the PSP.
http://www.consolesandgadgets.co.uk/catalog/images/news/news14/psp.jpg

Sony is basically taking a handheld a making it able to play PS2 games on it. This uses kinds of mini-DVDs. The screen is crisp and wide, taking up much of the face of the unit. Sony also confirmed that it is capable of MP3 playback. However I wonder about the battery life of and handheld with a CD drive in it... takes a considerable amount more energy to spin a CD than to read from a cartrage. Also the PSP is said to be priced at $350 when it gets released... a release date which still hasn't been set. The US probably won't be seeing it until 2005. Also any music you would want to play on it with the MP3 function would have to come off a memory stick... so what, $40 more for just 256MBs of songs?

http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/551/551329/need-for-speed-underground-rivals-20040925071704315.jpg
http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/547/547240/metal-gear-acid-20040913093757451.jpg
(above: screenshots from the Need for Speed and Metal Gear games that are due out.

...fuck that. I'll spend $150 on the DS and take the extra $200 to put to a new iPod or getting a bunch of games... or to even buying a PS2. Why pay twice as much to play the same games in your car for 5 hours (when the battiers will probably die) compaired to playing them at home on a much bigger screen... graphics like that really shouldn't be a concern when the screen is so small in compairson.

[Truth]

by comparison, the graphic quality is far superior on the PSP.... The DS is revolutionary for the fact that it has a dual screen.... Now, I would think in a years time Nintendo will come out with a new DS so it can play all the GameCube games... Just a hunch, but I bet they will...


As far as Price, I am just under the assumption you get what you pay for... I like that stencil on the DS tho... damn..

[Rainbow Brite]

Mario looks all fat and bloated in the one pic....

I think all the graphics would look all blurry during play

[GrumpyBear]

I'm getting a PSP for sure. I'm pretty confident that it'll be worth the extra cost, and I'm not hugely worried about battery life.

My main issue with the DS is it's n64 like graphics, I literally got sick from n64 graphics which is why I no longer have one. I'm not sure why as I've never had the problem with anything else (well if I sit in front row of theater I get a migraine lol but no motion sickness or anything). There were a few good games, but overall it wasn't anything special in my book. I don't understand the point of the dual screen at all, maybe that's just me.

With the PSP I'm very confident that I won't have an issue with graphic display and won't have to worry about wasting money on something that makes me puke. The MP3 feature will be great, games AND music in one. Two of my favorite things when it comes to traveling and the need for something small and portable. And although outward appearance doesn't really matter much as graphics and game play far outweigh it in my opinion, but I think PSP design is much easier on the eyes.

On battery life:

Originally posted by http://www.psinext.com
The way the machine is used will dictate how long the battery last. While playing a movie off a UMD, the battery will last roughly 2-2.5 hours. This is equivalent to current portable DVD players on the market. While playing music off a UMD will increase battery life to 4 hours. This is because the screen will not be needed to display any images. In both instances the optical drive will be constantly spinning and the Media Engine will be used exclusively.

Playing movies and music off a Memory Stick is potentially much greater. Movie battery life could extend to over 10 hours and music battery life over 20 hours. This is because there would be no spinning drive, only the processor (and screen while viewing movies) would be used.

Most owners will be using their PSP to play games. The battery life for each game is strongly dependant on how the game is programmed. Obviously, the screen will need to be on regardless of the type of game. What differs from game to game is the amount of processing required and the amount of data retrieval required. Games which minimize on both accounts could see battery life extended to nearly 10 hours. The more time spent by the developer to optimize power consumption, the longer the battery will last.

Complete article (http://www.psinext.com/itex.php?iid=262)

So unless my boyfriend or some family member gets a DS I probably won't be playing it, I'll be saving up for my PSP.

[Clive]

I want to buy both, but I am poor. I want a psp because I must have all things playstation, but the DS has Final Fantasy III

[GrumpyBear]

I love FFIII but I have it on SNES and also have anthology so I think I'm set :D

[tadaoNakamaru]

Too bad MGA (Metal Gear Acid) is going to be a card based strategy game. God, I hope Kojima knows what he's doing.

[lain13ego]

DS all the way. I hate when my electronics try to do too much. video game systems play video games, my dvd payers play dvds, my cd, or mp3 players play cds or mp3! Go fuckin figure!

besides the psp's screen being out and unprotected while i can chuck a ds in my bookbag and not think twice. good job once again, on a mobile system, nintendo!

[Brass Monkey]

Originally posted by lain13ego@Oct 14 2004, 03:27 PM
DS all the way. I hate when my electronics try to do too much. video game systems play video games, my dvd payers play dvds, my cd, or mp3 players play cds or mp3! Go fuckin figure!

besides the psp's screen being out and unprotected while i can chuck a ds in my bookbag and not think twice. good job once again, on a mobile system, nintendo!
Exactly. It is innovative thinking like that which is what keeps Nintendo as #1 as far as handhelds go. Many big name companies have tried to take them down, Sega with Game Gear, the Neo-Geo Pocket, Nokia's N-Gauge, and more all failed pretty miserabely. Granted a lot of these handhelds had good qualities to them or cool features, they just didn't stand up to the sensible and creative designs from Nintendo (not to meantion their insanely large library of games).

Nintendo introduced backlight screens way after Sega did with the Game Gear, but Sega's attempt just drained all the life out of those 6 AA batteries in just a few hours; when Nintendo did it, the technology and batteries were efficient enough to make it practical. Now Sony is trying to implement a mini CD drive way before its time... which also makes for an insane price for a handheld. No handheld should cost more than it's console counterpart... period. And this power problem is now being handed off from Sony onto their developers:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=4667

PSP is just going to be another blink in the eye in terms of competitors for Gameboy.

[GrumpyBear]

Everyone complains about the batteries with Game Gear but I honestly never had and issue with it o.O I still have my game gear and play it actually. For traveling they sold a hookup that plugs into the car's cigarette lighter, for home you could always plug it in, and any other time batteries worked fine for me. I always preferred it to my gameboy by far.

[lain13ego]

well battery life, so far, on the psp, is estimated at 3 to six hours. so, if its low one day and you watch a movie, which you have to buy on their stupid movie dvd things, and it runs over two hours, its possible it may die. I love long battery life on things that are portable, so that way they are portable. I don't want to be plugged in, because I can't always be. If I could I'd be at home or somewhere where these extras are available to me.

The price tag is gross, and it won't be out for some time. Nintendo pwns when it comes to prices for systems...their console is fifty dollars cheaper than a ps2 or xbox already, and they do it with the hand held too. they know how to work the handheld market. more kids have handhelds than anyone else, and DS appeals to them. They can now play the N64 classics that they may not have been able to play before. Same goes for the PSP but they have more games with an appeal to children. Kids don't have a lot of money and have to depend on a parent who hates spending money on this kind of thing so it will be that they go for the cheaper system.

Its the only system that parents have come in to talk to me about for christmas that they are honestly excited about. They don't have to buy stupid connector cables, the screen is protected, its a reliable name and the price is right.

[Palmer of the Turks]

I don't need to repeat anything said.

It all sums up why I've been a Nintendo Fanboy since the NES.

Nintendo especially knows their shit in the portable realm.

The original f'n gameboy is still a good system, in my eyes.
Just like the SNES - greatest console ever.