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March 17, 2005
I'm naming my first child Yoshi
The Nintendo’s DS launched here last week, and I would have been first in line to buy one, if I hadn’t already imported one from the US before Christmas.
A brief rundown for the poorly-informed: the DS is Nintendo’s latest handheld console, about as powerful as Nintendo’s home console was about four years ago. It has two screens, the bottom one of which is a touch-screen. If you’ve ever used a personal data assistant you’ll be able to imagine the use of this in games pretty quickly; if not, a dinky pen or careful finger lets you touch the game objects directly on screen, and have them respond.
Given the ton of gaming hardware I have in my house, why on earth would I buy a DS? Because the new interface is a fantastic thing. It lets just about anyone intuitively play games on the system without needing to jump through the mental hoops required to translate joypad movements into on-screen action. That joypad, staple of console-gaming since its inception, has been a barrier to universal pick-up-and-play gaming no matter how ergonomically they build them.
They have this new, digital version of crack cocaine out now, called Zookeeper; if by chance you buy it, keep your significant other away from it or you’ll never see your DS again. It’s the perfect example of the direct manipulation touch-screen majesty you’re not going to get on any other console. Drag pieces into place to make them disappear. Playing it for five minutes is enough for your subconscious seize on it like some maddening pop tune.
Yes, I know about Sony’s Playstation Portable. It’s a beautiful piece of hardware (ignoring the poor battery life), but I’ve played many games during my short time on this earth, and I don’t see the PSP giving me that sense of a new gaming experience the DS with its touch screen has. The PSP will have its great games, but they’ll be games that could have as easily appeared on any recent home console - or even on the DS itself.
Every PDA maker ever should be kicking themselves for not turning out a few innovative touch screen games sooner. I cannot wait for Yoshi: Touch and Go.
Disclaimer for the gaming hardcore: yes, the DS has other great features: wireless multiplayer, gameboy advance compatibility (and GBA games will look better on the DS), good 3D performance, blah blah blah. Such features are pretty much required of any new portable console at this stage. Without the touchscreen the DS would just be an under-specced, ungainly rendition of the PSP. With it, a whole new way of designing and playing games becomes possible; required, even.
Posted by Oliver at March 17, 2005 05:59 PM
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