Nintendo DS Revisited

GohanX

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We've been talking about how awesome the DS was in the 3DS thread, so to prevent that thread from going even more off topic lets move it here.

So yeah, the DS is awesome. Discuss.
 

ggallegos1

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My favorite portable system. I spent hundreds, maybe thousands of hours on it. some of my favorites

Final Fantasy III/IV/Tactics A-2
Chrono Trigger
Ace Attorney series
Professor Layton series
Castlevania series
New Super Mario Bros
Contra 4
Elite Beat Agents
Dragon Quest IV-VI
999 (seriously, an incredible experience from beginning to end)
The World Ends with You
Radiant Historia

So much fun with the system, and since I was using a DSlite, the GBA functionality was a great bonus.
 
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GutsDozer

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I wish they would make a new Trauma Center for 3DS.
 

GohanX

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I think one of the things that I really loved about the system was just how much many of the game surprised me. I was blown away playing Phoenix Wright, and the series is one of my favorites ever. Also Layton, Rhythm Heaven, Elite Beat Agents, Space Invaders Extreme... SO MUCH weird, unique stuff.
 

Viewpoint

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Ok so Gohan beat me to the punch but I guess I should list off some of my favorite games on this system but for starters. The Nintendo DS we know has been thru quite a few hardware revisions being of course the original DS.

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This thing was pretty much the powered up successor to the Gameboy Advance which of course moved away from those original fat cartridges we all knew from the old days.

Of course Nintendo obviously known for not wanting to leave well enough alone came out with a few more revisions.

The DS lite..

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This was the last portable version to support Gameboy Advance software sadly but it's also pretty much the best for the advance carts to play on. The system's speakers were nice and loud and while I hate small screens, I had no real issues reading text & playing games on it.

And then we move on to the 2nd to last revision of the original DS systems. The Nintendo DSi.

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As you can see, No Gameboy Advance port and of course it was slighty bigger if I recall over the DS Lite. To me this thing was the bastard child DS because it just never had anything on it that made me had to have it now over my earlier DS model. The only thing which of course was new to this model is being able to go online and download software thru the Nintendo E-shop.

Moving on to the final original DS revision being the Nintendo DSi XL.

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As you can see it's pretty damn huge compared to the DS Lite in terms of screen size and I was happy enough to know there was no sacrifice in native resolution on the bigger screen.

The DSi still has a very clunky E-Shop even now which is supported and I've plucked a few decent games off it. It supports standard SD cards so you can store your games on the card instead of having to re-download them. There isn't too much I can say on the negitive aspect of this piece of hardware only I wish it had come out sooner then later.

There are of course a few special edition 3DS models out there inculded that Mario Bros unit I posted a picture of and a Zelda unit also which of course is gold in color with a Triforce emblazed on the top of the unit.

As far as the games go that'll be in my next post but I can say that with the way the market has been over the years with the need for people to grab onto a retro-fix where having games for older systems is the cool thing, I can only see DS titles going higher and higher in value due to low supply and demand.

It's only going to be worse since places like Gamestop have made it a bad habit of tossing original boxes and instructions in the name of saving store space which of course we all know is bullshit.
 

GohanX

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The original DS was kind of a POS compared to the followup models. I never really did play it much since it was uncomfortable and the screen wasn't very good, but once I got a DS Lite it was like WOW! New system! It's still one of my favorite portables that's actually small enough to be portable. While I prefer playing on the XL models, they are too big to just throw into your pocket.

I'll disagree with you on GBA stuff though, the fact that they mapped the buttons to B and A instead of Y and B always threw me off, and I prefer playing most GBA stuff on a GBA SP. However, I ordered a flash cart to go with my DSi XL that supports GBA emulation, which I would assume includes custom button mapping, and if that emu works well I may change my mind.
 

Viewpoint

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Hookay I guess it's time to dig into some of the games for this system. This by far isn't a list of all the good games because there's just way too fucking many but let's go after some obvious ones to start with...

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This game really needs no introduction and if you're never played it then you probably don't even have a pulse. This has been pretty much claimed as the perfect version of the game. SE added so much to this version with new weapons, new contents, and a lot more story about the characters we all grew up with over the years. This for a lot of people was the reason to own a DS System.

The next game or games in this case really stand out and puts the DS in the lead for a classic RPG system that if you're a fan then you've gotta have em.

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Dragon Quest IV was the start of a saga that spanned 3 full games. This was released in droves so finding a copy for a decent to low price shouldn't be hard.

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The 2nd chapter in this series which of course was one of my favorite DQ titles. SE really didn't print too many copies of this as far as I know and of course the price has gone from insanely high to mid-teir. It's one heck of a game and the story drew me in from start to finish.

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The final chapter in the saga doesn't fail to deliver. This one is still easily obtainable at some retail outlets so finding it online for cheap shouldn't be a problem as well. Overall the game's engine is a lot of Dragon Quest VII on the original playstation with a 3Dish map in towns where you can rotate the camera and explore to the classic overworld map design you would expect of a Dragon Quest title.

I'll be the 1st to warn anyone that while Dragon Quest is a fun game, it's not a title some people will finish easily. There is SO much content in all 3 games and so many things to do and find that you could spend tons of hours alone figuring it all out.

Moving on...

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A classic turn based RPG with a lot of unique elements which involve you changing history to suit your needs. It's got an amazing soundtrack & overall was so damn good, Atlus for the 1st time in forever made a 2nd reprint of the game due to the insanely high demand.

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This is one of Gohan's favorite titles and after playing it for a long time I can see why. It's a unique action/rpg with a feeling of elements from Skies of Arcadia. There's more I want to say on this but I'm sure Gohan will be able to fill in the gaps.

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I'll be honest. I've not been a big fan of Konami in the recent years but holy shit at how well this was done. It's got all those awesome SotN elements and more. The ability to customize your weapons from the souls of the monsters you kill open up endless ways of combat.

If you're a fan of some classic Castlevania play then I 100% suggest this title.

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This one came out of nowhere also. It's a game where you as your character gets sucked back into time into Japan in the early 80s, turned into a little kid and is forced to play classic Famicom games to be able to return to where you came from.

This isn't anything like NES Remix but actual full classic Famicom games along with digital magazines you can flip thru reading about these games and all the awesome stuff each of them have inculding cheat-codes, Reviews and previews of the games that are coming out as you progress thru the challanges.

I'll be honest. This isn't like uber graphics even for a DS system but it's got the gameplay factor I loved, Action Games,Space Shooters, Racing and even a full RPG are in this game.

If you somehow missed this due to the cheesy boxart then I suggest you give this one a 2nd chance.

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I'll be honest. Playing a game with a stylus was a gimmick I didn't think would work too well but Nintendo managed to pull it off and they did an amazing job of it.

Set in the artstyle of the Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker, The 1st game takes place after the events of the Windwaker while the sequel takes places many years after. Overall it's Zelda so you can't say too much about it if you've played a Zelda game before. Control wise like I said before, It plays very, very well considering I'm not a fan of gimmicks but Nintendo did a wonderful job of incorparating the controls with the stylus that after a few minutes, it plays seemlessly.

There's a few more select titles I can list off but for now I don't want to whore up the thread so I want to see what other people's favorites are with some images to boot!
 

Mac91

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Dragon Quest IX, Advance Wars DS, Pokemon, Nostalgia. Great great games.

Oh, and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is the best CV on the DS. Hands down, no argument.
 

GohanX

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SOLATOROBO!

Yeah, BK's right, it's one of my favorites. If you look at the game data on my 3DS it is still my most played game on the system, topping actual 3DS games by a fair margin. On the surface it just looks like a furry RPG, but the setting and characters are interesting, and more importantly, the battles in the game are actually fun. It also gets bonus points for having a fake ending SOTN style.
 

OMFG

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Confession: I use my 3DS to play a lot of regular DS games. Aside from Monster Hunter 3D and the Sega 3D games, I'm still putting more time into Infinite Space. Another reason why I prefer the DS over 3DS is the ability to play both GBA and DS. Castlevania games.
 

ggallegos1

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Confession: I use my 3DS to play a lot of regular DS games. Aside from Monster Hunter 3D and the Sega 3D games, I'm still putting more time into Infinite Space. Another reason why I prefer the DS over 3DS is the ability to play both GBA and DS. Castlevania games.

No shame brother. As long as you game on and love every minute of it
 

herb

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I loved my DS, been trying to get back into it as of late.

My favorites are:
Wario Ware Touched
Metal Slug 7
Mario Kart DS
Asphalt Urban GT
New Super Mario Bros
Super Mario 64 DS.
 
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Danthor

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I've actually been jamming on my DSLite recently! Some faves;

New Super Mario Bros
Mario Kart DS
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Metroid Prime: Hunters
Children of Mana
Aliens: Infestation (Seriously. This game is awesome)
 

RevQuixo

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Taito Spinner + Space Invaders Extreme = Sechs fall out.
 

coreykun667

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Speaking of Dragon Quest, I loved Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. The game was pretty fun and I thoroughly enjoyed the tank battles. Those were pretty cool. Though when the next one was supposed to come out on the 3DS, I was pretty upset when I heard nothing about its localization...

250px-DragonQuestHeroesRocketSlimeBox.jpg
 

Slugger

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I've had a ds lite for years but within the past month i've been buying games for it like a mad dog even though I bought a 3ds xl recently. I figured some great games can still be had for reasonable prices like Radiant Historia, Castlevania series etc. so why not buy them now. Bought the DQ saga also and had to pay a pretty penny for V...Still kicking myself for not buying it for a tenner at a local supermarket couple of years ago. Never heard of Solatorobo but will definitely check it out. Looks great! I quite enjoyed Mr Driller Drill Spirits on ds. I've read that the US version lacks some modes/ features though.
 

GohanX

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Excellent call on Rocket Slime. It''s kind of a RPG lite for babies, but it's ridiculously fun. I recommend it to anyone that likes fun. I mean...

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The DS has so many great games that I forget about a lot of them.
 

Magician

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Retro Game Challenge was the last game I played and loved on the DS.
 

ChopstickSamurai

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Retro Game Challenge was the last game I played and loved on the DS.

The fan translation of the second Japan only Game Center CX game for the DS was released not too long ago. I need to find the time to check it out. I absolutely loved the first game.
 

GohanX

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I've never played either one. I really should.
 

Electric Grave

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DSi XL and DSLite both have terrific screens. DS regular has amazing sound, hard to surpass and great for lot of sunlight gaming, other systems can't handle sunlight very well. I'm keeping all 3, 4realz!

Aliens Infestation is a marvelous game.
Shantae DL looks amazing on DSi, don't bother with upscaled 3DS.

I get all my shaz that's available on DS on DS instead of 3DS, don't make that mistake, it's a blur fest.

DSi XL with Tetris DS is a perfect toilette leg numbing tool.
 

twalden

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Aliens Infestation is a marvelous game.

I got this for $10 new on Amazon a while back and didn't have high expectations, but I liked it. The game is kind of lacking with enemy varieties, but it's a Metroidvania Aliens game that's done right. Great music too. Sounds like it's straight out of an Aliens movie.
 
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Electric Grave

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2D Survival at its finest and with the art from Bachalo, I mean this game is fantastic, the outer spce parts were stiff as hell but it adds to the anguish of being out there with speedy aliens ready to kill.
 

K-2

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The DS was is my goto RPG machine.

I even bought a new DSi after buying the XL just for its travel convenience. To this day the best port of Chrono Trigger is on the DS, but my favorite DS title is The Dark Spire. That game was less than $2 at Gameschmuck as its old school brutality made it unsellable to modern kiddos. I always play mine in "Classic" mode with wire frame dungeons and its masterfully rocking c64 style chiptune soundtrack. Give it a shot if you come across it.
 

Endlessnameless

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When I had a ds previously, the game I didn't think I would like all that much but wound up investing hours was animal crossing. Its simplistic nature just made it so entertaining to me.
 
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