DS is the new NGPC???

[Galford Forever]

I don't know if I'm the only one, but the DS kind of struck me as being the new NGPC.

It's got some fantastic games on it, but seems to lack the mainstream appeal of "other" handhelds. It's like a niche product for old-school gamers. It's got some great features and is ahead of its time (like the ngpc was).

Plus, the games come in a hard clam-shell case (thank God!!! I hate those cardboard cases and have been patiently waiting for another handheld with clamshell cases -- I know the NGPC and DS aren't alone in this, so you don't need to tell me about other handhelds that have this feature, I'm aware).

 

[Average Joe]

The DS isn't niche.

Nintendogs pretty much took care of that notion.

It's also become extremely popular in the general gaming crowd as of a few months ago thanks to some recent quality title releases.

 

[wizkid007]

The DS isn't niche.

Nintendogs pretty much took care of that notion.

It's also become extremely popular in the general gaming crowd as of a few months ago thanks to some recent quality title releases.

I agree, demographic is a reflection of character. They are differnent.

 

[Galford Forever]

The NGPC enjoyed some decent popularity when Sonic and SNK v Capcom came out. It wasn't cancelled because it didn't do well, just that SNK ran out of money. But I do think of the NGPC and DS as more niche in terms of games, not popularity.

EDIT: And I certainly think of games like NintenDogs as niche. They may be popular, that's besides the point, but they aren't mainstream in the way that GTA is. That's not bad or good, just an observation (I love GTA).

Just my two cents and they way I see things.

 

[johnno15]

EDIT: And I certainly think of games like NintenDogs as niche.

Surely the same thing could have been said of pokemon or tamagochis 10 years ago but through popularity they become mainstream

 

[PlayerOne]

I think it's actually gaming that's niche, and Nintendogs breaks out of that. GTA is mainstream for a game, but that is playing to a much narrower demographic.

 

[Galford Forever]

I think it's actually gaming that's niche, and Nintendogs breaks out of that.

That's an interesting perspective that I hadn't looked at.

 

[topher]

Nope NGPC is the new NGPC...in other words there can be no replacement, it is what it is...nintendo is, well nintendo and can never have the subtle attention to detail in both software and hardware.

 

[Average Joe]

As for the DS not being niche...

Simply take a look at its best-selling and highest-rated games and you'll see that their genres are quite varied and don't really cater to one specific type of gamer, whereas the NGPC, while trying to appeal to the general public, didn't go too far in terms of this and ended up copying most of its titles [all very genre specific mind you] from its parent system -- thus the NGPC ended up being in almost the exact same situation as the Neo is now, a niche system.

Even if you take into account all the various genre types on the DS and say that it's still niche by catering towards the portable gaming crowd (which is a subcategory of the gaming crowd) instead of the general public, that's still easily dismissed when you realize some of its most popular games are games that are easily enjoyable by the casual and even by the non-gaming crowds (Nintendogs and Animal Crossing being prime examples of this.)

Simply put: The DS offers something for everyone, thus killing off its possibility as being labeled as a niche system.

 

[dark penguin]

By all accounts, the DS has more mainstream popularity within a year of its release than the NGPC was able to gain in its entire lifespan.
I don't recall ever seeing an NGPC or games in Walmart back in the day.

Wierd-ish connection though...? Doesn't the DS have some SNK-P cardfighter game scheduled for release in '06? Interessting...

 

[abasuto]

Doesn't the DS have some SNK-P cardfighter game scheduled for release in '06? Interessting...

Not sure, I know there's a Guilty Gear coming to the DS though, so Sammy is atleast showing interest in it.

 

[vintage]

The DS isn't niche.

Nintendogs pretty much took care of that notion.

It's also become extremely popular in the general gaming crowd as of a few months ago thanks to some recent quality title releases.

I have yet to even see a ds, however just about everyone I know has at least one psp in the family

 

[pixeljunkie]

Istn't the DS selling like crazy in Japan? Outselling PSP if I'm not mistaken. Hardly a niche.

 

[kobylka68]

Istn't the DS selling like crazy in Japan? Outselling PSP if I'm not mistaken. Hardly a niche.

Outselling by a very large margin.

 

[Lagduf]

Just to add to what has been said: Most of my friends who play games or like to play games don't even know what a Neo Geo Pocket Color is, let alone that it even exists.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Just to add to what has been said: Most of my friends who play games or like to play games don't even know what a Neo Geo Pocket Color is, let alone that it even exists.

Even hardcore video game fans don't know what a NGPC is. You pretty much have to be a SNK fan.

Everyone knows what a DS is, though.

That said, I think I understand the sentiment; obviously, the systems have more differences than similarities, but they do have a sort of pioneer spirit about them. That willingness to defy the rules unites them at least a little. Who knows, maybe in some alternate dimention where the NGPC was successful, they're the bosom buddies of the handheld world.

Heh, that sounded weird. But consider this: in an infinite universe, everything must happen. So it could be true.

 

[hanafuda]

Istn't the DS selling like crazy in Japan? Outselling PSP if I'm not mistaken. Hardly a niche.

The DS sold 600,000 units in Japan last week. The PSP sold 160,000. The XBOX 360 sold 5,000.

The DS has sold nearly 3,000,000 more units in Japan than the PSP.

http://www.game-science.com/

 

[dark penguin]

Not sure, I know there's a Guilty Gear coming to the DS though, so Sammy is atleast showing interest in it.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/data/930038.html

Well, there she is
I'll be buying this mutha.

 

[Konig]

The guilty gear looks good, I was checking it out a few weeks back. It looks like you can fight on both screens...as if the level is taller than normal.

I saw that SNK vs Capcom card fighter in a DS game listing...not sure if thats going to be lame or what...I never played the NGPC version

 

[Maury V.]

The DS is pretty dominant bar none. Sure you can watch movies and do all that other stuff on the PSP but what games are there to back it up? NGPC could have done well if SNK advertised more outside of gaming magazines. My best friend had the NGPC right around the launch and it was pretty tight! I always played SNK vs. Capcom and that was my favorite fighting game until Marvel vs. Capcom 2 came out.

If anyone has a local Electronic Fry's, they sell NGPC with six game for $70. I might do that one of these days...

 

[Konig]

I watch movies on my DS, I watch family guy a lot too when traveling.

I have one of those Japanese movie player cards for it...it plays video, music, and emulates NES games also if you want....its also a picture viewer and a notepad of sorts... thing was like 25 bucks... uses flash cards, I have a 512mb card in there...and the software it comes with converts any video into a usable format, with quality level control even..... very useful item if you have a DS

 

[Mefffisto]

DS is only a new NGPC for CFC DS, and only for this game...
In other way, DS is a real and unique Handheld Systems, which have a great success, and provide gamers fun and original games, not PS2 games (GTA 3 for exemple)

 

[manly_pirate]

I don't recall ever seeing an NGPC or games in Walmart back in the day.

Wierd-ish connection though...? Doesn't the DS have some SNK-P cardfighter game scheduled for release in '06? Interessting...

Walmart here had the NGPC & Sonic bundle. I even saw someone buying one once.
Cardfighters Clash DS was announced at TGS, no new info since then.

 

[Konig]

walmart had the NGPC in its stores recently?