DS Birthday party, discussion 1

[bignds]

What was it like in the run up to launch, and your first impressions on the DS?

Please go into much detail as possible, try and make this thread lively and interesting.

[ShadowMarth]

I don't see why the birthday part is there, but regardless, here goes.

My run up to launch was full of fanboy fighting at the Gametalk forums, some of which alongside mormon. The Vs forum there was absolutely littered with spam, and as forums go, it was a bloody battlefield with corpses of good topics all over the place. Making me very glad to have eventually found this site a month later.

My first impressions when I heard about the DS were astounding. All those great-looking titles, they promised online, and so many great little features back then that impressed me so. Of course, once I actually got mine and played through all the great stuff in Mario 64, I was somewhat disappointed with the initial lineup, and the public's reception of it in comparison to that of the PSP. Luckily nintendo succeeded in whetting my appetite for fun touch-screen functions with the impressive minigame selection in Mario, and Wario Ware furthered that.

With YTAG also in tow, I liked my DS but still didn't much like the lineup, which ultimately makes or breaks a system. Not to mention that terrible drought lately, but these days I'm extremely proud to own one.

[bignds]

I read tid-bits on the DS since the beginning of the year and at that time, i knew next to nothing of the system, but what ultimately led me to buy it was the confrimation of a new Pokemon RPG, SM64DS, WW:T! and most importantly, Mario Kart DS. I then played the DS for the first time beggining of Febuary, a quick 5 minute go with WW:T!, and this heavily interested me in the system.

It was 2 weeks before launch that i decieded on buying one, so i took £140 and picked up the system along with the MP:H demo, SM64DS and WW:T! on UK launch. I was amazed at the sheer quality of the system, the games and just the whole round feeling.

I picked my DS up for the first time properly since June in October to fire up Castlevania:DS and fell in love with it all over again, within the next week i played through Advance Wars DS and ensured my relationship with the DS would be a lengthy one, and now with all the great games and online on the way, im quite happy with this little touch screen wonder.

[Pilot_51]

Before E3 2004 I was slightly skeptical, not knowing how 2 screens would work out. As soon as I saw the DS in action in the E3 coverage, particularly games like Metroid and the news of Wi-Fi, I was instantly hooked, more than the Revolution when I saw it in action in the TGS promo, and I ended up keeping track of every bit of DS news I could find ever since.
I pre-ordered my DS from the EBgames website and SM64DS and AUGT ordered to my door, I picked up my DS from the EB store at about noon on launch and over the next few days AUGT came and then SM64DS, giving me some time with the games instead of trying to decide which brand new game to try first.
I'm already past half as many DS games as it took me all some 4 years to get on my GBA, so clearly the DS is a highlight of my interest in gaming. Even though it's been a year already I'm still amazed at what Nintendo came up with for the DS and many of the games are as innovative and fun as the system itself. I still have my GBC and GBA, and I expect my DS will last longer than any of them (even the original GB which unfortunately was a family system that was sold before I knew how much of a collector item it could've been to me).

[theONE]

unlike everyone here... my story is not that of a normal NDS fanboy.. nor of anyboy i know... up intil about early january 2005 i thought DS was gay and i knew sony was gay in fact the only gameing system i ever had was a gba and a gbc and i loved those to death, but after a while they got old, and until i looked into it i never thought i would have gotten another 'gmae boy'. But in early january i went into gamestop and got castlevania aria of sorrow and minish cap and those games got me back into the portable nintendo... so i saved up and got a DS and it was one of the smartest choices of my life.. and i have convinced 4other people to get one

[Euan]

Well, my experience went:

In December 04, when I out of the blue discovered what the PSP and the DS were, it led to a great deal of thinking on my part. Since I wasn't that big a gamer, E3 was an enigma to me but I decided, "I'm going to get one handheld." Ironic now that I have both, but over many days I thought and thought about it - the PSP had the upper hand at first, but then one day the DS just clicked, and I wanted it desperately badly. I was seriously checking Gamespot forums daily, hourly almost, to keep in touch with the DS. I was thinking about it in school, even. So, just before christmas I decided to ask to import it rather than wait, and surprisingly enough, they actually met my request...

[bignds]

anybody else before we move onto the next discussion on thursday?

[Lkr]

well, i was planning on getting a PS2 for Christmas '04, because I didn't know much about the DS. Then I started Googling PSP Vs. DS constantly. I didn't want the PSP, I just wanted to see what the pros and cons of the DS were. Not many cons imo. i finally came across this site and fell in love. registered had a blast and couldn't wait till Christmas. Then on Christmas morning, I ripped open the DS, put my SM64DS in and fell in love. I did my nickname, favorite color, and I was just amazed by the quality and of course the touch screen of my lil DS. I knew it would be great, but it was beyond my wildest dreams. Then I'm afraid to say there was a huge game drought, and I got bored with my DS. Wario Ware was too short and I got bored of that very fast. But I got a PSP and PS2 and sold my DS. Three of the largest mistakes of my life I'm afraid. I got Nintendogs, and the touch screen got touched again. returned it got Advance Wars, which I'm afraid I have to return, so I can get some Mario Kart unless I can make some $$$ fast.

[ShadowMarth]

After all, what better way to get an "objective opinion" than by googling PSP vs. DS?

[Lkr]

if you are trying to make fun of me, i was a n00b around the intraweb back then...