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Post by madhair60 on Jul 31, 2011 15:35:32 GMT
I may be misremembering but I'm pretty sure the original DS launched with some good games, and not too much of a lull.
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Post by Alex on Jul 31, 2011 16:21:02 GMT
You are.
The original DS launched with the following titles:
Note that this is the American release, the European release was the best part of 4 months later and had these:
That's a few more, but nothing of any further quality. Of the launch titles, the best was arguably the Mario 64 remake.
It's hard to get a firm list of titles in the year that followed now, since no-one really keeps that great a record of these things, but between the NA launch in November 2004 to the end of January 2006 there were (and again this is hard to properly quantify, so this is a rough count) about 50-60 releases for the system in total, including the 15 titles the system launched with in Europe.
Those releases includes such classics as 'SBK Snowboard Kids', 'Pac-Pix', 'Goldeneye: Rogue Agent', 'Marvel Nemesis' and 'Disney's Lizzie McGuire & That's So Raven'...
Of those releases, the only notable titles of any quality, or indeed, effort were 'Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow', 'Advance Wars: DS', Nintendogs, Mario Kart DS, Sonic Rush and the first Phoenix Wright port.
The earliest of those - Castlevania - was in September 2005, 2 months short of the DS' first anniversary, followed the next day by Advance Wars. Nintendogs followed in October and the rest didn't show up until November at the earliest - barely short of the 1 year mark by mere days.
It was also a few months later after that that a steady stream of worthy titles started to appears for the system. Notably, after Mario Kart had taken the DS to the number one spot that Christmas. And then, of course, the system really took off with the release of Brain Training in April 2006 and Pokemon Diamond and Pearl's (delayed) releases in September (Japan) and April 2007 (US).
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Post by Alex on Jul 31, 2011 16:36:18 GMT
And, just for comparison with the 3DS, its launch titles were:
I'd actually say there were more quality and original titles available at the 3DS launch than the DS'. Though none of the heavy hitters the system needed.
And going over the games already released and scheduled for its first year we obviously have Zelda, two Resident Evil games (one out: Mercs, one due out: Revelations), Star Fox 64 3D, Kirby Mass Attack, Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Kid Icarus (maybe, it's been pushed back again to the start of next year), Driver Renegade 3D (which should be good if it's anything like its console big brother), Shinobi 3DS, Pokemon Rumble Blast (and at least one more 3DS Pokemon title to be announced for this year), Tetris 3DS, Sonic Generations and Metal Gear Solid 3D.
If you excuse Zelda's release as something that should have been at launch, and compare it to the DS' Mario 64 launch title, that still gives you the Starfox 64 remake in September, 7 months after the system's release. The other titles listed are all due out at the end of this year, with the exception of Resident Evil Revelations, which is due in Q1 2012, so could be just before the anniversary.
There ARE less titles total listed for that 1 year period (again, can't give a solid number, but roughly by about 15-20ish, although this is for a shorter period than the DS window above) but there is a far better ratio of good to crap among them.
And I really do have to point out that we have a Mario Kart title due out for this Christmas too, the very thing that pushed the DS forward in the first place, which is out 10 months after the system's release, rather than days away from 12. Not a huge difference, but worth noting that in America, that meant Mario Kart DS was out for the system's second Christmas, while this Christmas will be the 3DS' first on the market. Considering the not small amount of other strong titles available for it by this Christmas, it could well be a far stronger holiday for it than the DS enjoyed in 2006. Especially now retailers can show the system as having a price cut.
Edit:
It should also be noted that the DS didn't have any online marketplace as the 3DS does, either. So, even though the 3DS software may have been slow to get off the ground, since the launch of the e-Shop in early June, there has been a steady stream of downloadable content for the system - including all the DSiWare titles, a number of Virtual Console titles and even free downloads of an ExciteBike 3D 'remake' and a Pokedex application. Throw in the 10 free downloadable NES and 10 free downloadable GBA Virtual Console titles early adopters will get before the end of the year, and that's a fair amount of extra content that the DS just didn't have as an option, relying instead on GBA games to pick up the slack - which, unlike DS titles, which are still on-going currently (again, with at least one more new Pokemon title to be announced for the platform) - dried up the instant the DS was conceived.
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Post by Balls on Jul 31, 2011 17:07:45 GMT
the original ds doesnt have any good games to this very day
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Post by Mark on Jul 31, 2011 18:01:16 GMT
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Post by madhair60 on Jul 31, 2011 18:20:32 GMT
Ah, yeah, the 3DS eShop and GBA games I've already 100%'d don't really inspire me to purchase one. DS had SM64, Rayman, Project Rub and Wario Ware from the off, so that's me right catered for. The only game on 3DS that interests me is Ghost Recon, which is effectively the 48k Spectrum's Laser Squad. Everything else is either a port, or a bad game.
Edit: Though I accept that SM64 and Rayman are also ports. Back then, those kind of games on a handheld was never before seen. And the 3DS launched with the same Rayman game, lol.
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Post by Alex on Jul 31, 2011 19:04:47 GMT
I'd say Super Street Fighter IV is pretty much on a "never before seen on a handheld" level. The PSP has fighting games of a similar depth, but not as technologically powerful. Counting in the fact that SSFIV 3DS still has the best use of the 3DS' array of networking features, it's a really impressive game, even if it is a port.
The strength of the game library is very much slanted towards the end of the year though. I also wouldn't say that the 20 free downloads is incentive enough to go out and purchase one before the price cut in a couple of weeks - it's really more just to appease early adopters for the early price cut, which is a pretty nice gesture either way. Personally, I have no regrets because I didn't get it for the launch titles, I got it for the games I knew were coming in the future. Being able to play with everything from day one is just a happy bonus for me. Plus, it meant I could play Pokemon B/W online, which I couldn't do with my DS Lite.
At either rate, the 3DS hasn't failed - it's sitting on about 5 million sales worldwide and the title of the fastest selling video game console in most regions of the world - and it's not going to. It failed to find a satisfactory consistent selling rate, but that's a mix of the price, the marketing and the software available right now. By the end of the year, with the price cut, the new ads clearing up confusion about whether or not it's just another DS, and the rather big headline titles due out before Christmas, means the 3DS is looking pretty secure for a big holiday push.
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Post by madhair60 on Jul 31, 2011 21:47:05 GMT
I have tried SSF4 on 3DS a fair bit, and it's very impressive visually, but why would anyone want to play it on handheld? It sucks on the 3DS. It's a big telly game!
But I absolutely agree - the second wave will, I think, be amazing, as with the DS.
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Post by Mark on Jul 31, 2011 22:42:18 GMT
Not regretting buying one to be honest, but I'll totally agree with Stu. While it's visually nice, it's worth it on an actual telly. However, must say, for someone whose never played Ocarina of time, the 3DS was perfect because I'm more focused when I play RPGs handheld and the original just looks a bit cack in comparison.
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Post by Juliett. Bravo. Alfa. on Aug 1, 2011 8:56:08 GMT
I do like that on SS43DS I can just tap a corner of the touch screen to do a super move. Because I am terrible at inputting them in. Apart from Akuma's. Just cant do the 236236PPP moves. Wierdly, on occasion I can do Sakura's 214214. I dunno whats up with that.
What I seemed to remember was that the Original Fat DS did well against the PSP. But then they released the DS Lite and Brain Training and then everyone got one of those.
Also yeah the 3DS will do better soon but I suspect more people are waiting for a 3DS Lite. And Brain Training 3D. And I dont think they are going to do that this time.
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Post by madhair60 on Aug 1, 2011 9:48:11 GMT
Man, shut the [censored] up with that 623 crap. Just say 2xQCB+K like a normal person!
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Post by Samface on Aug 1, 2011 9:54:46 GMT
I've just been comparing prices on various sites - I've finally got a job so I'm planning to pick up a 3DS soonish - and on Amazon the blue model is selling for twenty quid more than the black model! Yeesh.
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