Nintendo have announced the release date and street price of the upcoming Nintendo DS in Australia. The new portable unit will have a cost of $199.00 RRP and will be on sale from Febuary 24th country wide

“With the astounding US and Japanese results we are excited to confirm when this amazing interactive entertainment system will become available to Australian consumers” says Rose Lappin, Director of Sales and Marketing, Nintendo Australia. “At the end of February the Australian public will witness a redefining moment in interactive entertainment that will cement Nintendo as the major innovative force of this industry”

For a limited time Metroid Prime™ Hunters : First Hunt demo will also be included. As of yet, Nintendo Australia have not confirmed the lineup of games that will ship on the same day as release in Australia.

As of yet, Nintendo Australia have not confirmed the lineup of games that will ship on the same day as release in Australia.

...but you can bet your bottom dollar that one of the games will be a plumber game! :D

$199 not bad!

I'm in the states at the moment, coming home tommorow and I'm tossing up as to whether if I should get one. They are about $140 here I think. I probably wouldn't use it if I got it :(

bring it back, sell it before australian release date?

finally. i had to start my own thread. Anyway. Im Getting it. Expect me to show up with a DS at the march InLAN in South Australia.

Should be great collecting all the old N64 games over again.

>8-)

You mean Mario 64. Well it does have extra plus i never owned Super Mario on the N64.

btw if your a PSP person. Expect to pay around $400 for it. For only 3 hours of gameplay before re-charge!

its 3.5 hours with Wifi usage etc.
PSP looks awesome just for portable GT4. Sif get PS2 just for that game. Buy a PSP, play the game, steal the LCD and do a $400 case mod ;)

Also, Mario Kart DS will rock.

actually PSP IGN did a test and one of the results was 2hours 48mins and 37secs. I would go find it however i know im right or around right.

ah sorry, I just remembered it wrong.
Apparently the batterys will be imporved later on, but its still a s***ty score compared to the 10 hours with a ds.

I spose it depends how and when you use them. How often are you going to be away from a powerpoint to plug your PSP into for 3 hours? Maybe if you were doing a roadtrip accross the country or something, but how often does that happen?

i tried the metroid demo at eb the other day and it felt very natural useing the stylus as a mouse on the bottom screen, i intend to get 2 1 for me and 1 for the gf saves haveing to get up to talk if we are in different rooms

you must really be lazy if your going to do that.....

I'm playing with one right now. It kicks ass. The stylus is kickass and the wrist-strap is a genius idea. I don't know what sort of games are in the lineup, but the default features like wifi, text and picture chat rooms, download ability and so forth are extraordinary.

Two thumbs up.

I played with a ds about 2 weeks ago at work, and it seemed ok, but it was bigger and heavier than I thought. Plus as far as I am concerned (to each their own) there are no 'awesome' games coming to the ds. PSP looks soooooo much better.

well unless people these days are ready ship out over $350 for a PSP then go for it, plus the time to rechardge it.

We might not have some awsome titles however we do have some impressive ones. Advance Wars, Mario Kart, Dynasty Warriors, Metroid Prime Hunters...and so much more.

'We'? You work for nintendo?

"we" As in "I'm a Nintendo Fanboy who is one with the big N"

yeah what he said....i would work for nintendo. U know a contact:)

I still don't really see THAT much of a problem with the battery life. I mean sure it could be better, and sure, compared to the competition, 3 hours is short, but like I said before, how often are you going to be using it for 3 hours and not be near a powerpoint to plug it in or recharge it?

Sure, you might play it for an hour or 2, then end up at a powerpoint...it just means that basically everytime you play it you're going to have to recharge it afterwards. I doubt I would run out of battery, but it would be a pain in the arse having to recharge it after EVERY time I play the stupid thing.

When I had a GBA, I would charge it whenever I remembered to, which usually was once the red light started blinking at me, and that only happened every 3-4 days...so basically it's alot like my mobile phone.

Yeh It does get a bit of a pain in the arse when you have to stick around a power point just to power a PORTABLE device. I usually get a little apprehensive and save frequently when my DS gets to red.

last edited by AdamtehGreat at 02:03:10 17/Jan/05

thats why the DS will own all....

Can't wait till it comes out though. I can't wait till i get into some wifi action.

I recently just left Japan (I am in Korea atm) and purchased a DS and a PSP.

In my opinion I would say the PSP is slightly ahead of the DS in the coolness factor.

The PSP battery lasts about 5hours with low backlight and sound volume to about midway (This is because I have been travelling and didn't always have access to a power outlet). Just recently I have been playing it on full volume and at the brightest backlight and the battery lasts in the region of 3 hours.

The DS on the other hand lasts 10+ hours and the touch screen is rather cool.

I've got Ridge Racer for PSP which is cool still trying to unlock everything.

and for DS i've got made in wario and prince of tennis crystal drive 2005.

I find myself playing the PSP more often, but thats probably because I purchased the DS first and had a good play already.

I'm looking forward to mario kart ds and the new Jump comics game.

As for PSP I only really bought it for Gran Turismo, hopefully it comes out soon.

Well personally. Ive been reading around and by the sounds of it. People/Reviewrs prefer the PSP. So atm im currently thinking of holding out till the PSP....

hehe Naked_Gamer; You sound like a confused fanboy to me ;)
I own a DS, and its very cool. I still get goosebumps when I see the boot sequence virtual sorround sound effect. That said, I'm still going to buy a PSP once the price over here is announced and battery life is improved....or until GT4 lures me into its trap of awesomeness.

yeah, i am.

I might wait till the PSP has version 2 out though. 3 hours battery life. Stuff it.

im going for the DS myself, one thing i generally have found in the past between Sony and Nintendo is that Sony have the bulk of games out there but Nintendo release games that are actually fun and far more addictive i.e. monkeyball, mario kart etc

i can't wait for Monkeyball 3 to come out on the GC, hopefully it's not too far off but as far as im aware, no date has been announced yet.

excellent some DS / PSP discussion thats not a silly insult war....

I think the DS seems pretty cool and has more interativity for me with my friends and others. I mean being able to play games wirelessly and with ease seems nifty. Plus with all the third party stuff going on now getting the DS online shouldnt be hard. Im especially excited about advance wars DS. Number two was just the best. can see the DS taking off quickly here I mean in north America already had 2.5 million SPs before the PS 2 came out and PS 2 hasnt even got close to the number of gameboy SP units sold in that region. I think they have the experience to make the Ds succesful, and from what i hear the launch already ahs been elsewhere.

I am dissapointed as always with Nintendo Austrlias lack of advertising and disregard to anyone over 10. We all have money too.... One of my Friends rang headquarters to get a release date ( I think it was for Zelda four swords). They didnt have one yet but promised they had mnay exciting Pokemon games coming out. You would have hoped that by the sound of his voice they could tell he was 24!!! stunts such as these are really sad...

Im an adovocate at the moment for gamer lobbying of nintendo AUS for things like release dates, and some promotion of the good games not the bad.... The have GC titles with european dates but no AUS date even though the USA has had a version for 1 year and the Europe version is normally what we get here anyways...

As for the PSP I saw it at the Tokyo Game Show in September. I really feel It needs another year or more of development. I mean a 3 hour battery? I cant even take that on a bus to town and back with out recharging. Its really disappointing. The sp battery is the best. Like someone said before you dont have to worry about charging it till it goes red which is after 10hrs of play or more. this is hard to do in one sitting but like with my phone only gets recharged every 3-4 days when I have been using it. I dont see how a portable has such a short battery life. That would be the most unattractive feature ive seen. The other is that its not anything truely new. It wont enhance or change my gaming experince so I dont see myself with one till the price goes down.

On PSP reviews of recent Ive been wary especially of places like IGn who seems to be corporate whores when it comes to any kind of journalism of a new product. eg 5 stars to the highest bidders. I was shown some DS reviews adn was discussed at the writing and hidden agenda. what i mean to say is when reading reviews take into account the source and any agenda they may have.

so how many here will end up with a DS on the 24th of Feb?

Alot of us will be hanging around at Adleaide Uni oweek at the Adelaide Uni Video Gamers Society stall with DS('s) in hand. Thats an open invite to all those interested.

Drew

finally, a newb that doesn't suck and post s***.
Good write-up, and I'll be getting a DS

BloodThirstyBusinessman>> nice writeup, i'd agree with all you said there. I'll be getting my DS on the 24th, i'm really hoping Nintendo Australia do a midnight lunch with lots of freebies like microsoft did with the xbox (with 2 free games & a free hand controller u can't go wrong) ;) .... i know Nintendo did a midnight launch for the GBA but i didn't attend it so i can't comment on it but the midnight launch EB Games did for the Gamecube was pretty poor, i think all they gave out was a free carrybag and it was pretty dodgy at that, anyway time will tell.

IMO, Nintendo's biggest downfall for console launches is the lack of games and they have a bad track record for it, i mean you wouldn't expect too many games but i'd say maybe 10 would be a nice number to aim for. The N64 only had 3 games, i think the GC was around the same number but im not sure about the GBA or consoles prior to the N64, i have a feeling the NES was only released with about 5 games available when it first came out but thats stretching my memory back a bit.

Most ppl i know that haven't bought a nintendo over a different console complain about the lack of games nintendo have out but imo, i prefer to have 5 games that i find really enjoyable and that i never get tired of rather than owning a different console with 30 games that i play once or twice then never bother with again.

I havnt touched my DS in about 3 days now, just been playing ridge racer on PSP whenever I get some free time (when i'm not sightseeing :).

I've gotten a bit bored of made in warrio, it was kinda fun and funky at the start but its very basic gameplay that dosnt hold my attention for very long. It is a decent game if you want to pick it up and play for 10-15mins but I usually prefer games with more depth.

As with Prince of Tennis Crystal Drive 2005 well its cool and all but matches take too long and super moves are way too BS as with all other Prince of Tennis games. I did sort of expect that when I bought the game but I was hoping for something extra I havnt seen before.

I am eagerly awaiting more games for either system as the ones out now that I don't already own don't tickle my fancy, but I can see myself with a draw full of games for both systems already.

I was down at some huge electronics district yesterday called Yongsan in Seoul (apparently its the biggest electronics district in asia). They had some PSP's on display running some movies, probably divx/xvid. I can't wait to get back to Australia so i can get on my PC and check it out, I have already bought a 512mb mem stick duo pro awaiting it :)

Well personally once again Nintendo will disapoint. Ive been a fanboy ever since GCN......i used to own a Nintendo Website(More hits then any other australian based one). Ive contact Nintendo repetadly and have spent many days of my life studing Nintendo.

Ive read alot of news and interviews and Nintendo is still seeing gamers as 10 year olds. Its really dispointing. Since all the NES lovers that got in the grove of Nintendo are now 24 years old and want some gore, blood and action which only Playstation and Xbox can provide (and maybe PSP).

There is still some fanboys that want Mario, Zelda, Metroid games. However if nintendo really wants to live they need to make the revolution different. However still be the same as the other companies to allow developers to develop for there console. Such things as using 1.5gig dicks and no Online or even LAN.

Makes developers shudder at the system. Otherwise me and my friends would be playing Mario Party online or even Super Smash. Nintendo has the games which would be even better titles with multiplayer....

Nintendo has planned to be different next gen. however i personally would like them to stick with Sony and M$ however offer a better range of titles. Since Zelda, Metroid, Mario would provide a better range. If nintendo really wants to become number one. They need some exclusive "Mature" games to get teenagers back into the Nintendo Grove...



With the DS its excatly the same thing. We have Mario Kart, Metroid however your not going to see "GTA, RE4, Devil May Cry, Halo, MGS" or any mature games. This is where Nintendo will fail and the PSP will run all over it.

Naked, in case you didn't know, the old president of Nintendo was in charge of such blunders as the holding back on the BBA with GCN. There is now a new acting president, and the DS is his first action(from what I've read). So-far Nintendos future prospects look suprisingly aggressive, much more innovative and less aimed @ kids. RE4 IS for GCN anyway.
I think the Revolution will either make or break Nintendo, not the DS (its garunteed to sell; I saw 2 ~10 year olds today attached to their SPs, knowing full well what they will want for christmas this year.)
But from what I've seen from the 'new nintendo', chances are the revolution will rock.

Also Nintendo Australia sucks, accept it. They are just lazy bastard prats.

Naked_Gamer>> I'm not quite sure why violent games on a console are so important to you. Nintendo do release violent / gory games for their systems, just not games made by themselves, only by third party games... e.g. Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat etc. (though imo, Metroid is fairly violent). I'm not too worried if they release violent games because if i want to play something violent or gory i'll use my PC, im only concerned with them releasing games that are fun to play whether they be aimed at 10 yr olds or 30 yr olds. I do agree with you that they need to gain some grounding in the online world but i think they're moving in that direction, the DS wireless link sounds promising.

Nintendo do have a range of all kinds of games for all ages available, it's just that mainly the more adult oriented games are fewer and far between and the ones they do have are basically available on every other console anyway, im not sure why Nintendo have this urge to market their stuff solely toward kids because all the children that grew up with the original nintendo consoles are at least in 20's by now, myself included.... My only thought on that (and i could be wrong in saying this) is that Nintendo are essentially a japanese company and the japanese people seem to like cutsie things (e.g. the GC slaughtered the xbox in Japan) so Nintendo cater to that market but unfortunately they don't stop at the japanese public, i don't think they realise a fair majority of the rest of the world has a different taste in gaming.

My first Nintendo console was the NES which i got in 1986 when i was 6yrs old, i've pretty much always stuck with Nintendo for consoles though I did own a PS1 and currently own an xbox but i always seem to find myself going back to Nintendo systems because they release games that I never get sick of.... I will never grow tired of Double Dragon 2 on the NES ;) heh

I'm surprised that you've only just gotten into Nintendo with the GC, how old are you? you've definately missed out on some timeless classics... ebay is your friend :) anyway, i can't remember if i have a point to all this becasue im just about to fall asleep so i'll just leave it here for tonight.

Im 17, however i was a more PC person with Stunt, Skie or Die, Offroad Racer and LEMMINGS! Plus i had a Atari with over 300 games. Get my drift?

yeah its true RE4 is on GameCube however its also on PS2. (Exclusive my arse capcom!). Its true that GCN has some of the best games. Its proven. Including Metroid Prime and RE4 (http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/simpleratings.asp)

Plus some of the most known brands Zelda, Mario etc. Its great. However livin in Australia doesn't help. We still don't have Four Swords or Mario Tennis not to metion Custom Robo or Baten Katios..........

Its really annoying and someone in NAL needs to step up and get into gear. Otherwise we might not see a Revolution 2. However with what they've said already. Its looking good. The new person at NOA (reggie) is doing a excellent job. Since, before it was mostly Japan running the American show....and america runs the Australian side (it seems).

With the rumors saying: Revolution can connect directly to a PC monitor (great for LANS, no TV needed) and the scary one. No D-pad or A-B buttons. You have to wonder whats going on?


However the DS is going quite well. Already past 2.5millions units sold (Stronger then the GBA release). its looking good for Nintendo in the Handheld Side).


I still would rather more mature games. I wish if nintendo tryes to create a new character. Not on which would replace Mario but one for mature games, so once again nintendo could have another "cool" character.

Hehe Ive been labelled....

From a business student point of view I cna understand to some degree the way nintnedo markets towards the younger generation. This is because in the age bracket of 0-12 theyre are always new customers being born and will at some stage want videogames. Unlike us who are suppose to "grow up" and with most eventually giving up games or puting them to the side this younger generation has all the time in the world to play and hefty parent purses to use to buy things(not always).And by the time they leave the market theyve been replaced by 2 more. Thats just one way to look at it.

The other thing nintnedo is promoting of recent is the familar chrarcters. This is because they know that we all trust that the next installment of zelda or metroid will be the best thing ever and we will buy it because the last 3 were solid gold. We now trust the brand name. This is why for many years the GC hasnt had many games to choose from (comparitively speaking)but the majority have been golden and are almost never put down for long. The reverse is the playstation which licenses everyhting and anyhting for the console and you get a lot of s***ty games in with the good. this Im sure makes it hard for parents to buy a decent game for the kids. (and i wasnt PS bashing then just stating something). Im glad to see though that Nintendo have been loosing their grip on licensing titles and even letting characters appear in basketball games, fighting games (soul calibur) and DDR titles...

I am saddened however that Nintendo Austrlia are very slow at getting games here or setting release dates. They got a new president 2 years ago and nothing has changed. I mena the eurpean release for most agmes is what we get anyways and yet 1.5 years later zelda four swords isnt out. Mario tennis is awesome but no word. th sad thing is it is cheaper at the moment even after postage for us Australians to buy US or Europe regioned discs and use freeloader then pay retail here when it finally arrives 1-2 years later...

www.dvdcrave.com.au is a good SA local online store that sells GC games cheap and imports too at simliar low prices. with places like these I cnat understand why we wait so long for a release?

I deal with nintendo for between 3-6 months of a year while organsing AVCON (selfless promo www.avcon.org.au) a video game and anime con in adleaide, and they are very hard to do anyhting with. Even getting posters or any promo is a headache. No wonder most stores around town dont stock GC games anymore or have a limited selection. Ive almost attempted organisng a petition about releases and dates, just to see if they sit up and listen so if anyones up for that let me know! 8 )

I cna only see the titles getting better if nintendo makes it easier for developers. And god Capcom exclusiveness what a joke... now the PS re4 has extra scenes or somehting.... what poo!!!

Such things as using 1.5gig dicks and no Online or even LAN.

I wish I had a 1.5gig dick :(

I some how resisited commenting on that spelling error............

Reggie is the marketing rep. I meant the new Nintendo Japan President.

BloodThirstyBusinessman>>>

Your like me...he he. Anyway there is a release date for Mario tennis, its just like 3 months after the American Release. (27 Feb)When i should be picking it up:)

Even RE4 is 2 months later and i can't wait to get my hands on it, i really want to "show it off" at the LAN's. Im sick of PS2 Fanboys saying GameCube has kiddie games and no killer titles. I played MP2E infront of one the other day. He couldn't believe how good the game looked and how good the game was.

I know what you mean. Ive tried ringing up Nintendo Australia for a deal thing. However it took over 8 weeks for this person to finally ring me...couldn't believe it. Im not sure what they do there? most stores don't even stock GameCube games. (Myer, David Jones). Plus the titles which could introduce more sales like MP2E they didn't even try to make sales. Instead they advertised paper mario 2 which is great however MP2E would capture teenagers more.

anyway. We all know Nintendo could improve. However its very unlikely......however one day i plan to change this *shakes fist*

I do also agree with you about the liencing of characters. "Dance Dance Revolution with mario" game should sell alot more. Im interested:)


ive also shopped at dvdcrave however ive never liked buying NTSC it doesn't feel right.......plus most people are buying overseas which means less money for NAL..then people start complaining about NAL about not spending money. Think about it. How can they when ur buying NTSC stuff!

What? I'll buy NTSC if the Release date over here sucks. Same with a movie; Finding nemo was almost out in the US on DVD when it premiered in Autralia. Honestly, I think that if a company wants my business, they should stay on time. This goes doubly for movies. RE4 is out in the US and doing well. Why wait? (aware of regional settings, mod the damn cube!)

who needs to mod when you just override it with a freeloader disk... Ive got two!
(silly online ordering mistake) but I now have two cubes and two different places.... go figure...

and as above. Why should I have to wait for a game thats so good everyone on the otherside is playing but i have to wait longer for no good reason.

Why should I have to wait for a game thats so good everyone on the otherside is playing but i have to wait longer for no good reason.

Because it's cheaper to produce the same discs for both Europe and Australia. Considering Europe needs multi-language discs and it's easier to translate the game into the extra languages once it has been finished, we have to wait a while.

That doesn't mean WE have to wait. They are released in the US and Oceana is 100% English Speaking.
Import = win.

AdamtehGreat>>

Its the developers that create PAL and NTSC. Not Nintendo.

Well last time I checked Nintendo was a publisher and a Developer.

Nintendo don't really develop that many titles....2nd party developers make the "really cool games". Nintendo might have a say in the development however they won't "make it".

Some times I'd prefer Nintendo to just give it up before that totally soil the reputation, and just develop games.

Well who made Mario then? And Zelda? And Pikmin?
Are these not "kick ass" titles?
And Titles like Prime 2 are still published by Nintendo, thats why they're 2nd party, not 3rd.

I don't think some of you guys know what 1st, 2nd and 3rd party developers mean.

Eg.
Nintendo is a 1st party developer.

Retro studios (Metriod prime) is a 2nd party developer, they are owned by nintendo and make games solely for the cube/sp. (think of rare)

Capcom(?) is a 3rd party developer, they are making starfox, but are not owned by nintendo and make games for who ever they like.

Namco is developing Starfox Assault, not Capcom.

dude I just said that. 2nd party is published by nintendo.
BTW Naked_Gamer, what was this Nintendo website of yours?

It seams to me that there is a large amount of people that usally dont speek up comming about because of this thread, maybe ausgamers should address this small part of the community with a sibling site?

gameboy.ausgamers.com
console.ausgamers.com
ausconsole.com
ausgameboy.com

i don't know why they can't make another pure starfox flying game like starwing on the snes and lylat wars on the N64, they were so much better.

Nailbomb - Umm, that's exactly what Starfox Assault is. They've just included on-foot missions which are a bit like the Starfox 64/Lylat Wars multiplayer.

Nailbomb - Umm, that's exactly what Starfox Assault is. They've just included on-foot missions which are a bit like the Starfox 64/Lylat Wars multiplayer.

I thought thats what it was meant to be but wasn't sure when i saw those screenshots.... the last starfox game didn't do anything for me because of those missions wandering around on foot, if i wanted to do that i'd play mario64/sunshine or zelda

Whoops, it is namco.
And I was just outlining what 1st, 2nd & 3rd meant; wasn't singling out you AdamtehGreat, you were right.

So long as they have an independence day mission like they did on the 64, a solid dog-fighting multiplayer, and that awesome training mission again, I in.

last edited by Lynx at 23:28:49 24/Jan/05

oOoh, Resident Evil 4 for the Gamecube is good, got my copy today :D

Cool, hurry up and finish it and tell me the storyline.

ummm thets see. Theres this guy in the middle of nowhere and he gets attacked by zombies and uncovers a conspiracy of some sort etc etc and possibly saves the day, the life of some girl or finds riches.....


though I could be wrong, yet i put money of the zombie plot 8 )


Im hoping that new starfox is better then the last s***ty game....


Drew

plot in a nutshell.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2005/20050114l.jpg


Betcha doom movie is just like it, except with s*** zombies, not cool RE ones.

Also, just browing my Bookmarked DS sites and came across a NFSU2 DS image. looks mighty swish if you ask me.
check it out

last edited by AdamtehGreat at 02:56:52 25/Jan/05

From everything I've seen the plot behind RE4 looks pretty interesting. Everyone publicised that first level where you aren't fighting zombies, you're fighting weird crazy villagers. But then I remember a video that was released a long time ago when the game was first announced that dropped mention of returning to the cradle of the Progenitor virus (the very first virus, the one that led to the creation of the T-Virus) and it had some cool evil looking visuals and stuff, so I reckon there will be a bit of meat to the story.

I found the story in RE0 to be pretty cool, and all the extra story bits that added in the RE remake were pretty cool too.

i've never understood the interest in Resident Evil. I played the first one on the playstation when it first came out and i couldn't stand the gameplay so i never bothered with them again after that, i imagine they've improved greatly since the original but are the new ones still a similar style gameplay to the original?

Just wanted to know a few weeks out form release how many people ahve pre registered a DS? I finally have! $250 with one game and accesories at toys r us.

now I just have to wait for the 24th! doh...

Drew

Okay okay..for hte noobs that know nothing of RE4...it's nothing like the previous Resident Evil games. The previous games were survival horror, this is more action /adventure that just happens to also freak the s*** out of you.

Personally I'm enjoying this game sooooooo much more than the previous games in the series. The voice acting is pretty reasonable but the script is just lame, some of the things Leon says make me groan in pain. The storyline seems reasonable, but just as the game doesn't resemble the previous games in the series the storyline in this appears to have nothing to do with the previous RE games. I think Umbrella was mentioned once (?).

So far I'm about 13 hours into the game, I'm pretty sure I should be finished it soon as I'm on the second disk and into the last full chapter.

If you're wondering whether or not the game is good, it is. If you didn't like Resident Evil games before this there's a VERY VERY strong chance that you'll like RE4...if you're a totally hardcore RE fan though, there's a chance that you won't like this game as you won't see it as "true Resident Evil"..but if you can look passed that I don't see how you couldn't enjoy it.

It's action packed, intense, scary and interesting. The environments differ throughout the game and the bad guys get pretty f***ed up towards the end.

The GCN is like $100 now or something stupid, so buy one and RE for like $200 total turn the lights off and enjoy. After you've finished RE there are quite a few good games that you can play as well so it's hardly wasting.

last edited by Tim Tibbetts at 19:04:10 01/Feb/05

Tim, is your version an import or has it finally been released over here?

As for the DS, which is what the topic used to be about, I'm interested in getting one... also, the rumours of Nintendo organising online play and such make me more interested, though I'm not a big online player.

The touch screen... whilst not innovative itself, it's kind of innovative in terms of console gaming. It'll be interesting to see what happens with it. I know Castlevania DS uses the touchscreen for spells like in Black & White where you used gestures to do stuff.

It'd be great to see Darwinia on the DS. http://www.darwinia.co.uk/

As for the PSP... meh. Just another plastic toy from Sony. It'll have mature rated games, but mature rated and actually being mature are not the same thing. Though I suppose that's a matter of the people who play the games, not the games themselves.

Tim, is your version an import or has it finally been released over here?

The Australian release date for the DS is the 24th of Feb... so no, it hasn't been released here yet.

I think he was referring to the australian release of re4. It is probably on nintendo.com.au

My ntsc copy still hasnt arrived :( and it shipped on the 13th of Jan from dvdboxoffice. Did you get yours from there TimTibbets?? It will eventually show, but its a painful wait after so many ppl have been claiming it as one of the best games of this generation.

I got mine from Play-Asia. I find I tend to get my games a lot quicker from there, even with the default $3.00 US shipping or whatever it is.

And yes, it's the NTSC/American version.

Also, as far as the DS goes, the only thing that really interests me is the pictochat at the moment...there aren't any great games that justify me buying one. Mario DS, bah, I've played through freakin' Mario 64 a gazillion times, I don't care if I can be f***ing Yoshi either.

last edited by Tim Tibbetts at 09:11:31 15/Feb/05

I've imported a DS and currently playing Wario Ware and M64 DS.

Cant wait for castlevania, if anyone is interested go over to IGN.COM

As they have a video preview.

Personally im waiting for the PSP to go down in price and or for them to announce a PAL price point before i get one.

The 3-5hr battery life is a bit worrying, especially when it comes to RPG's. I know i personally play RPG's for more then
3hrs in a row. Especially with some that are out on the PS2 atm.

And as for "being near a powerpoint" if you are always near a powerpoint, whats the use of having a portable gaming machine? Why not just get a console?

Yes Phatmike, I was referring to the RE4 release date. I checked nintendo.com.au and as I expected, no release date. Looking for release date information on nintendo australia's website is like trying to find ... something... that isn't there... :|

And also Zelda: The Minish Cap... I can't find that anywhere, yet it's out in both the US and Europe. :|

Minish cap rocks - go ebay importers! :D

It's a fairly short (no pun intended) game, but is still an excellent zelda adventure. A couple or extra dungeons would've been nice, but rather they added 2 seperate 'collect em all' style things to the game to give it a bit more playability.

I want my ds dammit!

Yes Phatmike, I was referring to the RE4 release date.

Note to self: do not post on forums when half asleep.


Seems the biggest problem for the DS is that pretty much all the games released for it on the launch date are s*** e.g. wario, some dating game etc. mario and metroid will probably be the only ones worth bothering with. I am looking forward to some of the upcoming titles though, one of the most noteable would be bomberman because it rocks in multiplayer + zelda & mario kart and with any luck we'll see a new version of monkeyball released on it.

I am hoping that lik sang release a mod for the DS that will allow multiplayer support for GBA games though, even if requires a cable to do it.

Anyone know if the DS is available in different colours i.e. black like the GBA was?

I dunno, that wario game has the potential to be pretty addictive and fun. They have a demo of it going on a DS setup in target in the city, and today a few of us were in there killing time between lectures and played it for hours :P

Its stupid and its random, but its addictive.

I liked Wario Ware on the GBA. The DS version has more possibilities to get frantic with all the buttons plus the touch screen and microphone.

Is Bomberman coming to the DS? It's one of my favourite games... for multiplayer anyway.

I'm also keen to see anything about the Mario game for the DS... not the 64 port but the original game they're releasing. I've seen one screen of it so far... which doesn't really give a good indication of what to expect. :/

I saw a demo DS in Target also, but it may have been buggered since pushing power made a little red light come on... then go off shortly after. :|

I am hoping that lik sang release a mod for the DS that will allow multiplayer support for GBA games though, even if requires a cable to do it.

eh? The DS doesn't have support for the multiplayer cable to hook upto the GBA? I hadn't seen anything about that yet & assumed that they would include the ability to hook up the M/P cable for the GBA to the DS so you could still play multiplayer stuff..... bugger.. oh well - bring on thursday!!

I liked Wario Ware on the GBA. The DS version has more possibilities to get frantic with all the buttons plus the touch screen and microphone.

I never played the version on the GBA either, always looked dodgy from screenshots but if ppl here do actually like it, im willing to give it a bash and see what it's actually like.

Is Bomberman coming to the DS? It's one of my favourite games... for multiplayer anyway.

It is... or at least it was listed on nintendo.com in their release list anyway, secret of mana was also listed there which a friend of mine will be creaming his pants over. I've still got bomberman 1,2&3 on the SNES and they rock.

eh? The DS doesn't have support for the multiplayer cable to hook upto the GBA?

Thats correct, I'm just hoping that lik sang end up releasing some kind of modification that will allow multiplayer for GBA games and im guessing the only way that could be done would be by a cable, but im not sure what physical ports the DS even has on it.

anyone from murwillumbah on here have a ds i want to play multiplayer

last edited by Jazza at 15:51:45 26/Feb/05

Are the re4 controls as dumb as the other resident evils?

The controls for RE are actually very good...mainly because if you press the R button you're able to aim properly with the analogue stick...so you can actually shoot people properly! You can't shoot and move though, which I suppose makes the game slightly more freaky because you can't run backwards and shoot.

They should port it to XBox, then it'd be even better.

Well it's coming out for the PS2 at the end of the year if you don't mind waiting that long.

plus itll look like absolute s*** on the ps2 :P

buy a cube, share the nintendo love.

I had a cube, I sold it because there was absolutely nothing I played on it. I debated the merits of keeping it until RE4 and then selling it, but instant cash was more preferable than having a console I hardly used sitting around gathering dust.

How much did you end up getting for it though? You can buy second hand ones from EB for like $100, not really worth selling it when you would only get $100, but meh, your choice obviously.

Personally, if the only games I played on the GCN this year were RE4 and Zelda, I think it would still be worth owning.

I got $150 for it, a memory card and a wavebird. But I'm a poor uni bum, $150 is a lot to me :P

Fair enough, have you actually had the chance to play it? I've been raving about it for the last month or so (as I'm sure you've heard)...at least Mantra doesn't have to listen to my raving/ranting very much anymore :P

Also..been playing more of Warioware for the DS, I'm really enjoying it now. Very very addictive, perfect travel game for me because you can play it for as little as 5 minutes and still feel like you've actually accomplished something!

Does anyone find Metroid on the DS really awkward to play? I've had a run through the demo but atm i've pretty much decided im not going to buy it based on this unless i manage to get the hang of it a bit better. It's mainly the touch screen acting as mouse look that i find too awkward to use.

Other than that I picked up Mario DS and Wario (based on opinions in this thread) and I actually quite like it. Mario DS has been good to run through again so far, obviously very similar to mario64 but still different enough to keep me playing the game. Hopefully they'll get some more decent titles out soon.

Ive had Resident Evil 4 for the Gamecube for like 2 weeks now, but I still dont have a Gamecube to play it with!

I'm actually really happy with the control of Metroid on the DS…I think it's probably going to be the best control scheme for a portable for quite some time, simply because it's like a mouse.

The only thing I find a bit akward is jumping…oh and obviously you want to use the thumb strap and not the stylus

I'm with Nailbomb on the Metroid control... but that becasue you can't invert the Y axis. If the game had an invert mouse type option then I'd be getting it :(

I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that there is going to be an invert option in the final version, but don't blame me if there isn't :P

Tim Tibbetts I hope you are correct, as it would be a shame to leave this option out...

At the moment I keep looking at the ground when I want to look up and its driving me crazy.

EDIT: I should really blame the flight sims I played as a kid, damn you BoB and my forever needing inverted control!!!!

last edited by AstrO at 11:34:48 28/Feb/05

Yeah, put me down as another vote for invert. The control scheme seems cool, but it needs the option to invert the Y axis, and also some option for increasing the sensitivty. At the moment, trying to quickly turn 180 degrees involves a lot more work than it should.

Haven't played much Mario DS, but it seems pretty cool. Warioware owns though, so silly and addictive, can't stop playing it! Which kind of annoys my brother considering its his DS :P

I agree Warioware is fantastic…I wasn't that excited about it when I played it initally, but I've got into it a lot more…I think I've almost unlocked most things though. I think my high score on the guy that gives you a mixture of all the mini games(I think it's the pink bear) is around 55…it just gets so flippin' crazy!

...and I left it at home today!! NOO!

it's probably not having invert thats giving me the s***s because i have no hope of playing without it anyway, i've been using it in every game that requires it (for me) since day one and i'll be damned if im gonna change now :)

It's odd, because I didn't have a problem with the invert setting, I play with mouse inverted in FPS games generally, but with this, I just went the "normal" way.....I did want to turn the sensitivity up though.

if they've added invert to the full version but have left it out of the promotional demo they're really not doing themselves any favors..... most ppl i know play FPS's inverted so i think it would make or break a lot of ppl's decisions on whether to get the game or not (going on the basis that most ppl would just assume that invert isn't included in the full thing), in all honesty, it couldn't have been that hard to add that option to the demo.

also, one really big let down about Wario Touched for me is that fact there is no multiplayer.... wtf??? wario is essentially a party game and would have been perfect for wireless multiplay. It'd be interesting to know why they decided not to include it. It's still incredibly addictive regardless but multiplayer would have been fantastic.

May I ask HOW you would intend to make the games in Wario Ware: Touched multiplayer? From what I have seen from this game it's all very 1 p based, and thats also how I like it. True, a multiplaer feature would be cool for a few games but overall its still the sort of game that I can play on the 10 minute trip to uni then just turn it off witough stressing about saves etc.

i wasn't talking about making it purely a multiplayer game, i would keep all the current single player content.... multiplayer would be simple, one person starts a server, ppl join into a chat room style area, server player selects a mini game from a list (or a group of mini games) and there you have it. simple.

What's the story with lighting on the screens, are they backlit?

The screens are both backlit and it still goes for a good 6 hours before you need to recharge :)

and now to piss off all sony fanboys and M$ Fanboys:


"The retail and consumer feedback from Thursday's Nintendo DS launch has been astounding," according to Nintendo Australia's sales and marketing director Rose Lappin. "We are eagerly awaiting the official market sales figures this week to fully solidify our place in the Australian marketplace as the most successful current hardware launch ever."

Source: Read it.
And yet can't play with mine until 8th march.......

The more I playe the metroid demo, the more I dislike it =\

well don't play it. Its only a demo. If u want the real thing get Metroid Prime Eachos....what a great game

That and MItch's amazing awesomeness at that game.
Damn Mitch.
Also, being a corporate fanboy is just lame; We are all consumers; buy what you think is the better system and STFU. Seriously, the fanboy wars ended with grade 7, if that.

Also Metroid is gay. Yes I said it. I can't see the big f***ing deal with that game. Its not amazing; its some bitch who keeps losing her suit and finding it again. EPIC!

last edited by AdamtehGreat at 22:09:23 01/Mar/05

Im 17 (18 in 7 days). Im still a Nintendo Fanboy and will probably always will be a fanboy.

Soon to become like a Iwato...lol.

That and MItch's amazing awesomeness at that game.

Heh, true, being smacked around by Mitch didn't help. But its even worse when you have to battle with the frustrating controls, and that rocket whoring bitch at the same time =\

So...Are you saying that Metroid on the DS isn't good, or that Metroid on the GCN isn't good...or both suck?

If you're saying Metroid on the GCN sucks then someone should kick your ass!

"If u want the real thing get Metroid Prime Eachos....what a great game"


I said its a great game. I own them both 1 and 2. I really need to finish 2 however been to busy with mario tennis.

I'm talking about Metroid on DS, being that this is a DS thread. What would make you think otherwise?

well people have been jumping around like crazy...and no, it's not just me doing
the jumping :P

Just wanted to make sure :P I think with some tweaking and more options the control scheme for the DS could work quite well, and make FPS games viable on a portable system.

ive played it on the DS. The demo that is, on a friends. I really don;t like the style, then again. I don;t think im used to it yet. since ive really only used the device for 15mins. The Super Mario mini games are way to addictive.

I still don;t think the DS has released its true potential. Theres rumors going around that at E3, nintendo is going to release something to make the DS a PDA, along with online.

Its all very exciting....then again theres a rumor going around that the GBA2 is coming out this year. Its all so very worring.

No I meant the series itself. Metroid. Is. Gay.
I just don't have fun with it....cause its repetative (limited) enemies. Yes the levels are lush. Some of the puzzles are fun....but I get bored of it way too quick in a game about a stupid lady who keeps losing her suit. Sorry but I just don't get excited when that is the goal of the entire game. I mean, If her suit was evil and was going to destroy all those close to her after having sex with her dog I may be swayed. Can't have any injustice to animals now can we?

so thats a yes on the GCN Prime = gay

It would be pretty possible for someone to emulate the DS on the computer so why the hell isnt someone trying yet :-(

Heh, true, being smacked around by Mitch didn't help. But its even worse when you have to battle with the frustrating controls, and that rocket whoring bitch at the same time =\

Heh, stop your bitching! You not being able to find the glowing rockets in the center of the map hardly makes me a rocket whore :)

And you cut me deep, Adam... I love Metroid, and the goal has never been to get her suit, although it is an objective... And on the note of the evil suit, you dont realise how close you came to describing the plot of Metroid Fusion, do you? :)

What? Theres a dog in Fusion? :S



last edited by AdamtehGreat at 23:42:06 01/Mar/05

... Yeah, I think it was called Samus :)

Btw, I assume you meant dog not god...

EDIT: damn you and you edit...

last edited by Midda at 23:42:55 01/Mar/05

yes edited thankyou mitch.

No worries ;)

And about the PDA stuff, I read that Nintendo licenced PalmOS, and are releasing it after E3. It's called Nintendo V-Pocket or something, and is apparently pretty much the same as the current PalmOS. That should really broaden the possibilites with the DS. Might help with homebrew stuff too, who knows.

It would be pretty possible for someone to emulate the DS on the computer so why the hell isnt someone trying yet :-(

Well I would think emulating the DS would be about on par with emulating the N64 (maybe a bit more complex cos of the two screens and the touch screen). It took quite a while for a stable N64 emulator to come out on PC, and I think even these days theres no perfect emulator for N64 available that can emulate everything.

Heh, stop your bitching! You not being able to find the glowing rockets in the center of the map hardly makes me a rocket whore :)

I could never find them cos you'd always picked them up before I got there! Rocket whore.

It would be pretty possible for someone to emulate the DS on the computer so why the hell isnt someone trying yet :-(

There are already several DS emulators in development.

last edited by Tael at 00:04:58 02/Mar/05

I didn't realise that there were already some DS emulators in development. Just do a Google and you'll find a few.

I could never find them cos you'd always picked them up before I got there! Rocket whore.

They respawn... <_<

adam, u suck for paying out on metroid prime and it's awesomeness!

/kickbans adam

seriously, anyone who actually sits down with the gcn versions and gives it a go will be amazed by the design and gameplay structure of this ADVENTURE. That's right, its not a fricking FPS you noobs :P

ok, done ranting. It's your opinion, but to say that Metroid: the whole series is 'gay' just is hilarity in its purest form.

Bring it!

also, to keep on topic, I bought a DS on Saturday after being damn tempted by friends (adam, doh) and playing Mario64 on another persons. It is really fun, the mini games are great, and the game is quite refreshing as the new characthers, stars and situations are interesting, even though I probably finished the N64 version at least 3 times before.

However I do say that I don't quite like the Metroid demo (not for the controls, which I think are good) because of the way the demo has been layed out as a straight FPS. Sure there is some small puzzle elements in there, I'm just not hopeful it will be as large in scope as the GCN games with each room being totally unique in design etc etc, to create such an alien environment.

Retro Studios who created the GCN versions have many talent developers from the iD and UT teams, and they know their game design. Not a knock on the DS version at all, I suppose I'm just ranting about how it can't live up to the GCN versions :P

anyways, highly recommend the DS, and bring on Mario Kart and SSB!!

I had the first Metroid Prime on Gamecube, and I ended up getting really really bored with it, to the point where I couldn't be bothered playing it any furthur and sold it. It just felt way too repetitive, and the fact that every time you leave a room and come back, all the enemies have respawned, was just annoying to the utmost, especially considering how much running back and forth there was in that game. I'm sorry, but I dont find it fun killing the same monsters in the same room over and over and over again.

Yeah but killing all the enemies would also make the game boring cause there'd be nothing else to do if all the puzzles have been solved. The backtracking is annoying too but i guess they wanted to keep it traditional to the previous metriods. The final boss fight dragged on abit and the ending was disappointing and didn't leave much to be desired. That being said, overall i personally enjoyed it.

last edited by Booyah at 01:18:21 02/Mar/05

respawning ememies kinda defies the point of killing them in the first place doesn't it? I've watched mike just run past rooms full of them and asked myself why he wasn't even attempting to kill anything. Guess I know now... god thats s***. I mean... christ. That is almost as crap as having a tower which takes you 50 minutes to climb only to fall off to the bottom again just becasue of some last stupid jumpy-jump ledge bitty at teh very end.

Glad I bought an Xbox :) Now where's my Forza Motorsport?

this isn't the xbox thread....or the metroid..lol

Personally your jumping up the wrong tree. Its a adventure game, and in most games you can usually find the poeple respawning. It's what makes the game more intreging.

If your gonna compare, i wouldn't suggset it. Metroid prime is in a league of its own. Very well desgined some of the best visuals. However on MP2:E the Multi really isn't up to par.

We still have RE4 and the new zelda.

NOr is this the GCN thread ^_^
Anyway, you guys hear about the GBA 2? It's due to be shown at E3, aloong with the Revolution, Xbox 2 and PS3.

Stolzed from CNN

"NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – While Nintendo's next generation console gaming system likely won't hit living rooms until 2006, that doesn't mean the company won't introduce new hardware this year. A new analyst report suggests the company is planning to ship the next version of the Game Boy portable gaming system by the end of 2005.

If so, that would be the third new handheld gaming system in as many years for Nintendo, whose Nintendo DS was one of the hottest items of the 2004 holiday season and Game Boy Advance SP was one of the must-have gifts of 2003. The new Game Boy would face stiff competition, though, from Sony's PSP – which will hit U.S. stores in March.

"We believe it is likely that the next version of the Game Boy Advance SP will ship as early as this holiday, ahead of most expectations of calendar year 2006," wrote P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research.

The new system, he predicts, will launch at a $99 price point, with prices on the Game Boy Advance falling to $49. Nintendo DS prices, he wrote, will likely remain unchanged.

Nintendo downplayed the report, but stopped short of denying it.

"There is always speculation on what the next Game Boy will be, however, at this time there are no announcements about a new Game Boy Advance SP product," said Beth Llewelyn, senior director of public relations for Nintendo of America.

Official confirmation of the new Game Boy could come as early as March 10, when Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is scheduled to give a keynote speech entitled "The Heart of a Gamer" at the upcoming Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco.

It's unclear at this point what sort of advances might be found in a new Game Boy. While this may be a graphical leap forward like many next generation consoles, it could just as easily be an incremental step, slightly enhancing the company's current offering.

Releasing a new Game Boy on the heels of the Nintendo DS, which features two screens and a touch pad, might seem a bit odd, but Nintendo has been quite vocal in saying the two systems are built for different audiences. The Game Boy has traditionally been aimed at children, while Nintendo hopes to reach an older audience with the DS.

McNealy said the numbers seem to be backing Nintendo up.

"The Nintendo DS has, by and large, been additive to Nintendo software revenue and units sales and not cannibalistic," he wrote. "Even with the DS launch in November, GBA software revenue and unit sales were up double-digits in December and January."

That's not to say it has all been smooth sailing for the DS. While the system enjoyed tremendous success during the holiday period, software sales have been rather disappointing. So far in 2005, new title releases have been minimal, which has stymied the system's momentum.

And the imminent launch of the PSP will only make the fight harder. Sony's system has been getting rave reviews from overseas users – and demand will almost certainly exceed supply when the PSP launches in the U.S.

But a new hardware launch would help keep Nintendo top of mind with consumers during the holiday season. Sony will be heavily promoting the PSP as December draws near – and Microsoft is expected to launch the next version of its Xbox gaming system this fall. Without a new device, Nintendo could easily be overshadowed.

There's also the real threat of piracy with the current generation of Game Boys. Although piracy of GBA games has not been a major problem in North America, the company has seen a dramatic rise of digital theft in the Asia-Pacific region. The cartridges used for GBA cards are fairly easy for hackers to crack and the games are often posted online. The DS, which uses flash memory cards, has not had the same problems, writes McNealy.

A new Game Boy could give a boost to some game publishers. While industry leader Electronic Arts (Research) and Take Two Interactive Software (Research) do not have big presences on Nintendo's handhelds, THQ (Research) makes a large number of games for the system. And Activision (Research) has shown an increased interest in them recently.

"We believe that a new GBA SP could mean between $10 million to $20 million of additional revenue for both Activision and THQ in FY06, and an additional $0.02 to $0.04 in earnings," wrote McNealy.

The question is, though: Will Nintendo's audience be willing to shell out another hundred bucks (or more) for the third year in a row? Or will they invest their gaming dollars elsewhere? "

Personally your jumping up the wrong tree. Its a adventure game, and in most games you can usually find the poeple respawning. It's what makes the game more intreging.

So what are all these great adventure games with respawning enemies? Because I've tried to think of some, and off the top of my head I can't. Most of the adventure games I have enjoyed in the past dont have respawning enemies at all. Sure, you may backtrack through areas you've already been in and new enemies will attack you again (like in RE), but its not just the same enemies respawning over and over and over ad-nauseum, its new events happening.

I dont see how having enemies constantly respawning makes the game intriguing either, it just makes it repetitive.

So what are all these great adventure games with respawning enemies? Because I've tried to think of some, and off the top of my head I can't.

ummm. Zelda. All of them.

Personally, I like Metroid, I've never had a problem with the respawning enemies because normally when you need to go back through a room for whatever reason by the time your at that point in the game you've normally got a much more powerful weapon and any enemies you've already gone up against go down in a second, either that or you just bolt straight past them. Anyone who doesn't like metroid is missing out because Ripley is one of the best bosses ever created imo but each to their own.

ummm. Zelda. All of them.

Never played them, probably a good thing if they're also full of respawning enemies. Infinitely respawning enemies is just a cheap way to add extra longevity to a game.

The Metal Gear series has respawning enemies.

WoW has ifinate respawning enemies ;P

Khel you just got owned.....lol

never played zelda. LOL. back on topic. ds owns :)

haha wd Toll

WoW has ifinate respawning enemies ;P

Ok, so when theres a metroid mmorpg, I'll forgive it for having infinitely respawning enemies (which at least in a mmorpg, serve a purpose). Until that day though, its still cheap and gay and reptitive and pointless.

The Metal Gear series has respawning enemies.

Never played the first one much, but it annoyed the s*** out of me in the second one. Nothing worse than doing some awesomely cool stealth take-downs on a room full of guys who never knew you were there, then you walk out the door and come back and they're all back where they started. Talk about making the player feel like all their efforts amount to nothing.

Well, that's your preference. That doesn't really make the game bad. All games are repetitive. Life is repetitive. I repeat myself often... like you've also done.

I could say the same about Halo 2, you start a level, watch a movie, shoot people, watch another movie, load the next level. etc.

Racing games: you race, you upgrade your car, you race again.

In the end, nobody really cares what sort of games you play, unless you like the same type of game, then you can talk about it rather than just having to read or listen to the other person say "Hay, you like game 'Q'! that makes you teh gayzo0rz!?!!!11."

It's like, I don't really understand the whole look invert thing. I like my up to be up and stuff, but I don't harp on people for liking it the other way around.

Anyway, respawning enemies in Metroid is useful for the ammo & health they drop mostly. But each to their own.

As for the DS, I played the metroid demo once and hated it, then I gave it a better play later on and just mucked about with the controls to find something I like. Though I think I need some sort of thumb extension... that'd be sweet. I kind of like it, it was a decent taste, but I'm more interested to see how the actual game will be like rather than just some training modules. Gameplay aside, I really liked the opening movie with samus spinning in opposite directions. It tripped me out a bit.

Just picked up Mario64 today, it's pretty nice. Kind of awkward controls again, but I'll get used to it eventually.

For a release game, I got Zoo Keeper. Addictive puzzle action. The multiplayer in it is pretty tops and the wireless connection is tight.
I'm really interested in what sort of PDA stuff I'll be able to do on the DS... maybe I'll get organised one day.

Also discovered that the PAL release of RE4 is set for the end of March... according to EB anyway. Good thing I'm a patient man.

And a rambling man, so I'll stop here since rambling's not so good.

Yeah, Mario 64 on the DS is actually pretty fun, I'm really enjoying it, and anyone who knows how much I hate a certain red and blue ethnic plumber will realise what high praise that truly is.

I read up on Zookeeper, it sounded interesting, but I can't really justify spending $60 or $70 or whatever on a copy of Bejeweled which I could play for free on my PC. Actually, theres a mini game in Mario DS which is sort of similar to Bejeweled if I really wanted that anyway.

As far as addictive puzzle games go, you really can't go past Warioware. Even though I guess its not strictly a puzzle game, it'd probably fit into that genre neater than any other genre, and it offers a lot more variation (something like over 180 different mini games).

so how far along in Mario DS are you guys? I've got about 68 stars and am just about upto facing bowser for the second time. With all the extra added content to the game so far it feels like there's going to be heaps more than 120 stars.

Is there 7 stars to get even on the stages which aren't "real" stages? Like the stage where you go to get the key to rescue mario, and the stage where you go to fight bowser for the first time?

I've only got 14 stars so far and just fought bowser for the first time.

you fight bowser for the 2nd time after getting 30 stars. currently I have about 45 stars. and there are 150 stars in this game. 30 more :P and more new worlds apparently.

each world there is now 8 stars to collect instead of 7. they added another challenge to collect 5 silver stars per world, on top of the original 6 challenges, and the 100 gold coin challenge star.

the extra areas scattered around are really cool, esp the bosses of those areas.

i swear i should be getting a job at nintendo as a rep. i've shown the ds capabilities and mario64 and minigames to like 6 people and all of them want to buy a ds now.

the new gaming experience is delivering, and nintendo is going well. Go Nintendo! woo :P

Well apparently its the fastest selling piece of gaming hardware in Australia ever, according to http://www.nintendo.com.au anyway. That should probably be taken with a grain of salt, depending how much spin they've put on their statistics, but its still impressive nontheless.

I picked up a DS yesterday and had two dead pixels instantly on the top screen. I opened it at the shop after reading this thread and it's pretty lucky I did. Anyway, the store was Mr.Toys (They had the cheapest at $184)at the top of the Mall and they replaced it on the spot.

they added another challenge to collect 5 silver stars per world, on top of the original 6 challenges, and the 100 gold coin challenge star.

nah, it's not always the 5 silver stars as the extra power star in each level, it seems to vary from level to level. Most are switch stars, some are the silver stars and i think there are some others as well. Reason why i got so many stars without facing the second bowser yet is that I try to get as many stars as possible before going any further in the game, I've got 74 stars now and am on the second bowser level, if i can just find Wario's painting though and get his key then theres a butt load of stars in the first part of the game i can get because you need wario for them.

My super card arrived on friday and now I can watch movies, mp3s, read ebooks and play homebrew games with my ds, yay

Yeah, Bejeweled can be played for free on the PC, but I like to play it where ever, it's a bit of fun... WarioWare is that too, but I read that all the mini games are stylus based. I already own the GBA version. I dunno. Have you played the GBA version also, Khel? I'd like to know how it compares.

It's interesting the different total number of stars people are giving for Mario64 DS. Someone put 120, someone else put 150 and I was under the impression that there were 130. Though any of those totals will probably take me a while to get. Though I don't really mind. :D

The super card sounds interesting. How do you get data onto it?

Thats the best thing, it takes compact flash