Octopus Overlords

When the GBA came out, I held off on getting one due to the backlight issues. I'm glad I did, since the GBA SP is so great. For those of you who bought a DS, are there any glaring design flaws that you think Nintendo might correct in an updated version of the same console, like the SP?

Size, and handling while not at a table are two big problems that I've heard and experienced with my friend's DS.

Basically, it's big, especially when opened. It's also a little heavier than the what most are used to for a handheld system.

This leads to the second problem, which is actually holding the thing while playing, especially if you don't have a table or something to rest your hands/arms on. Since it's double the height when opened, there's sometimes the problem of it being off balance in your hands, add to that the general heavy weight it feels a little awkward at times. This isn't a dire problem where you'll be dropping it or getting tired of holding it quickly, but you'll notice it when compared to other handheld devices.

The benefits are that the screens are great, and the true backlight does a lot for the system.

I got on on launch day and have zero problems with it. I don't thiunk it is too big at all and I find it funny that so many people complained about how small the SP was and then complained about how big the DS is. I have Mario 64 DS, The Urbz, and Madden and I play them all comfortably. I play sitting on the couch and lying down on a bed.

As far as design flaws go, I am not sure what else they could really do, other than make it slimmer somehow. Really, the two things they fixed from the GBA to the SP were size, rechargable battery, ane backlight. They can't fix the backlight and rechargable battery on the DS because it already has them. The only thing would be size, so maybe one day there will be a slimmer, less weighty one, but I wouldn't hold my breath on it.

I love my DS and I recommend it to anyone.

The only problem I've heard of was from the very early production units. The cooling fan tended to seize up causing the CPU to heat up and explode, in one case killing the user. The problem seems to have been fixed for the release models but Nintendo has publicly stated they’re still looking into how to improve the safety and stability of their DS design.

Windows98 wrote:The only problem I've heard of was from the very early production units. The cooling fan tended to seize up causing the CPU to heat up and explode, in one case killing the user. The problem seems to have been fixed for the release models but Nintendo has publicly stated they’re still looking into how to improve the safety and stability of their DS design.

Please say that's a joke! Please?

Windows98 wrote:The only problem I've heard of was from the very early production units. The cooling fan tended to seize up causing the CPU to heat up and explode, in one case killing the user. The problem seems to have been fixed for the release models but Nintendo has publicly stated they’re still looking into how to improve the safety and stability of their DS design.

No, no, no. You're thinking of the PSP. Fortunately, the battery on the PSP doesn't last long enough to allow the CPU to heat up enough to actually explode. Sony calls this its "safety shutdown".

Eduardo X wrote:

Windows98 wrote:The only problem I've heard of was from the very early production units. The cooling fan tended to seize up causing the CPU to heat up and explode, in one case killing the user. The problem seems to have been fixed for the release models but Nintendo has publicly stated they’re still looking into how to improve the safety and stability of their DS design.

Please say that's a joke! Please?

It is a joke. Unless you're the guy who died.

Windows98 wrote:

Eduardo X wrote:

Windows98 wrote:The only problem I've heard of was from the very early production units. The cooling fan tended to seize up causing the CPU to heat up and explode, in one case killing the user. The problem seems to have been fixed for the release models but Nintendo has publicly stated they’re still looking into how to improve the safety and stability of their DS design.

Please say that's a joke! Please?

It is a joke. Unless you're the guy who died.

No, no, no. I heard the DS made him become undead.

I sure hope it's good, I'm getting one as a Birthday/Christmas present. (We got it yesterday, and my wife has left staring at me on the sofa. I'll have to wait for over a week though to try it out) Looking forward to getting it, only problem is that the game that came with was Spiderman 2, and from what I heard it ain't great. I ordered Mario from a export shop, mainly for the mini games, so I'm hoping to get that before XMas.

Yeah, I was really not thrilled with Spiderman 2. Could be that I suck, but I couldn't get past the second level. In that one, you have to kill 23 thugs. Not super-villians, just escaped cons. Problem is that if you're too close to them, your attacks whiff through them. They, otoh, have no problem hitting you. After a dozen tries, I couldn't get past the sixth guy. Took it back, picked up Feel the Magic and Sprung to go with Mario. I'm much happier.

I was very tempted to pick up Feel the Magic myself. The thing that interests me the most about the DS (and the reason I picked it over the PSP) is all the new gadgets like the touchscreen and microphone. And it sounds like Feel the Magic makes good use of all that. To be honest I'm not that interested in playing a portable version of the Playstation as I already have a XBox, but a portable that makes good use of new playing styles sounds great to me. I'm heading back to Ireland tomorrow, so I will be PC and XBox free for over 3 weeks. It'll give me a good chance to try it out. I just wish I had Warioware DS. I'd say that will be a classic.

I picked up Feel the Magic basically to tide me over until Warioware comes out. It does make very good use of the DS's extras, probably better than any of the other release titles. From the reviews, its main problem is length, and from my playing, it looks like it is going to be a short one. That said, this little sucker gets hard pretty quick. Also, once you complete a game in story mode, it becomes available in the individual game mode, and most of them are twice as long in that version.

DiscoJason wrote:As far as design flaws go, I am not sure what else they could really do, other than make it slimmer somehow. Really, the two things they fixed from the GBA to the SP were size, rechargable battery, ane backlight. They can't fix the backlight and rechargable battery on the DS because it already has them.

Not to be picky, but the SP has a "front light" LCD screen, while the DS is a true "back light" LCD. The difference is that the SP's game colors are not as bright or vivid as they are on the DS.

Draco wrote:

DiscoJason wrote:As far as design flaws go, I am not sure what else they could really do, other than make it slimmer somehow. Really, the two things they fixed from the GBA to the SP were size, rechargable battery, ane backlight. They can't fix the backlight and rechargable battery on the DS because it already has them.

Not to be picky, but the SP has a "front light" LCD screen, while the DS is a true "back light" LCD. The difference is that the SP's game colors are not as bright or vivid as they are on the DS.

Whoops. I meant front light up there. And yes, the difference in color is incredible. I love my DS and have recommended it in many threads to people even just based on the fact that it makes GBA games look better.

They also look pretty spiffy on your TV (through the Gameboy Player).

Draco wrote:They also look pretty spiffy on your TV (through the Gameboy Player).

I have a Gameboy Player for my GC and I don't like it as much as this. Probably becausre you are taking something that is supposed to be on a small screen and enlarging it. The colors are fine, it is more of a thing of taking a low resolution game and making it really large.