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Underused features of the Nintendo DS

PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:10 am
by PsychoDuck
"The Nintendo DS is chock-full of features, but some of them go relatively unnoticed by developers. Here are three such features which I feel deserve far more attention."


Full Article Here

I need me more pot-closing action, dang it!

PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:31 pm
by (Insert_Username_Here)
actually for the last feature, I can think of 2 games that use it for gameplay and they are the legend of zelda phantom hourglass when you have to imprint something on your map and in hotel dusk: room 215 where you have to flip a puzzle over....but still not too many games that use it and I also agree with the lack of use for the DS microphone. Oh also I just remembered in New Super Mario Bros. if you close the DS I believe Mario says"bye-bye!" and he says something else when it is opened too but I forgot what it is... :D

PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:02 pm
by Kalava
(Insert_Username_Here) wrote:Oh also I just remembered in New Super Mario Bros. if you close the DS I believe Mario says"bye-bye!" and he says something else when it is opened too but I forgot what it is... :D


In Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2, Mario sometimes shout "Heeey, come back here, you big monkey!". Mario can be so mean :<

PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:43 pm
by PsychoDuck
Still, that's not many games. Also, there's the fact that your character goes to sleep when closing the DS online in AC:WW, but I thought that too minor to include.

PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:06 pm
by WJUK
I was going to mention the Phantom Hourglass thing, but seems I_UN_H beat me to it. That puzzle actually stumped me because I never thought to close it.

Another (sort of) underused feature is Wii connectivity. How many games have Wii-to-DS connectivity. I can only think of one off the top of my head: Pokemon Battle Revolution.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:06 am
by PsychoDuck
WJUK wrote:I was going to mention the Phantom Hourglass thing, but seems I_UN_H beat me to it. That puzzle actually stumped me because I never thought to close it.

Another (sort of) underused feature is Wii connectivity. How many games have Wii-to-DS connectivity. I can only think of one off the top of my head: Pokemon Battle Revolution.


Geometry Wars: Galaxies uses it, too.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:17 am
by ryanrab1
The best breaking the 4th wall moment in gaming would have to be the Psycho Mantis fight in MGS.

Closing the lid in DS game, though, sounds a little bit gimmicky.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:30 am
by PsychoDuck
ryanrab1 wrote:The best breaking the 4th wall moment in gaming would have to be the Psycho Mantis fight in MGS.

Closing the lid in DS game, though, sounds a little bit gimmicky.


It can be gimmicky at times, but man, play Trace Memory. Then tell me it's gimmicky. That puzzle had me screwed for a week because I wasn't thinking outside the box.

Note: I'm not saying what puzzle it is so as to not spoil it for anyone.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 3:03 pm
by WJUK
The Psychomantis fight was legendary: "So you like to play Castlevania?!"

It's totally a WTF moment.

The thing about these features though are that they shouldn't be over-used. Only put it in games where it makes sense, don't shoe-horn them in just because you can.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:54 pm
by Psychogoose
I agree with the WJUK's post. If the leaked facts about GTA DS are true, hopefully the touch screen minigames such as hot wiring cars are implemented more seamlessly.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 8:34 pm
by WJUK
Hot wiring cars is good and all, but I don't want to do it all the time. Maybe it doesn't happen when you steal a car; but only in "training". Where you can improve the speed in which you can hotwire a car.

I wouldn't mind that. I like how it's done in GTA IV too. You can speed up the process of hotwiring by repeatedly hitting the RT & LT. Seamless.

PostPosted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:22 am
by Tónythegamer
What we need is DS firmware 2.0, to add a GPS, a way to download your VC games, (except for N64) and maybe a phone service, over wi-fi. That's all I can think of now.

PostPosted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:43 pm
by WJUK
I'm not sure how Nintendo are going to distribute a new DS firmware but it'd be a good idea. If my DS was a GPS I would use it a lot more.