Nintendo handheld aims to double fun
| • | Video-game trends previewed at expo |
By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service
Nintendo, the No. 1 maker of handheld video games, hopes to double the fun of portable gaming.
The company's new DS portable console, which was introduced at the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles last week, features dual screens (hence the "DS" name) for more robust game play. The DS improves on Nintendo's Game Boy line of handhelds, which have sold more than 168 million units since launching in 1989, according to the company.
The Nintendo DS, which will be available later this year, sports dual screens. One is touch-sensitive and works with an included stylus.
The Nintendo DS houses two 3-inch-square color screens, one on the lower potion of the flip-open device and one on the top. The bottom display is a touch screen, so gamers can use their fingertip or the bundled stylus pen to control game action and much more.
The Nintendo DS is expected in stores this fall.
Here are some early impressions.
In "DS Metroid Prime: Hunters," a first-person shooter with 3-D graphics, players use the stylus pen to aim and fire, change weapons (by tapping an on-screen icon) or morph into a ball. Using the stylus is remarkably intuitive as long as the Nintendo DS sits on a flat surface, a shortcoming for a so-called handheld device.
The DS also features two types of integrated wireless technology: 802.11b, commonly known as Wi-Fi, and a proprietary Nintendo technology that connects units at distances up to 100 feet. Depending on the title, as many as 16 players can engage in a multiplayer game.
When closed, the silver Nintendo DS is slightly smaller than two decks of cards side by side. The unit includes a microphone for voice commands, a directional controller and six buttons (including L and R triggers), a slot for tiny Nintendo DS cartridges (each capable of storing 1 gigabyte of information, about a third more than a standard data CD) and a second slot for Game Boy Advance games to ensure compatibility with older devices.
Other ways the dual screens work to improve game play:
- Baby Mario slowly falls from the sky in Nintendo's "Balloon Trip," a title that uses both screens as one long vertical display. On the bottom screen, the player draws clouds for our protagonist to slide down. Gamers can use the stylus pen to tap enemy creatures, turning them into coins for Baby Mario to collect.
- In Namco's "Pac Pix," players use the stylus to draw a Pac-man character, which comes alive and starts chasing ghosts. Players then must alter its direction by drawing lines or else it falls off the screen.
- In Nintendo's "Wario World Inc. DS," players perform silly tasks such as painting in fingernails, lassoing chickens into a coop, or slicing airborne vegetables and fruit with one quick swoop of the stylus.
Nintendo hasn't announced the Nintendo DS's price tag yet, but the company promises it will be "very competitive." The DS eventually will face stiff competition from Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP), which is scheduled to go on sale in the United States and Canada in March 2005.
Video-game trends previewed at expo
Gannett News Service
Here's a look at some trends to watch following E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the video game industry's largest trade show, which wrapped up last week in Los Angeles.
• More sophisticated handheld game systems: Nintendo, Sony and Nokia showed off new or updated portable game units that feature advanced 3-D graphics and wireless connectivity, plus a few surprises. The Nintendo DS, for example, is designed purely for gaming and boasts two screens for expanded action. Sony's PSP portable unit is an all-in-one entertainment solution, while the Nokia N-Gage QD updates the original cell phone/video game hybrid.
• A parade of 3-D shooters: Action games played from a first-person perspective garnered huge buzz. Microsoft Game Studios' "Halo 2," sequel to the best-selling Microsoft Xbox game, is among the most anticipated titles. Due Nov. 9, the new version will allow players to log onto the Xbox Live service to "run and gun" online.
• More online console gaming: Expect online console gaming to continue to proliferate. According to Sony, more than 3 million PS2 Network Adapters have been sold since they launched almost two years ago. Microsoft says close to 1 million subscriptions to its Xbox Live online gaming service have been activated, and more than 150 Xbox titles will be available for play on Xbox by the end of the year. Electronic Arts says more than 2 million console gamers have registered to play the company's games online, too.
