Talk:Nintendo DS/Archive 3

Earlier discussions

• /archive1:

Reason for GB/GBC compatibility

As far as I know, the lack of compatibility for GB/GBC games is not due to the lack of a Z80 processor, as the GBA SP is able to easily emulate the processor. I've heard that it is actually due to the different voltage required for the legacy games, and adding support would lower the battery life unacceptably. I'll see if I can pull up some references. --Poiuyt Man ^talk 07:06, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Alright, after searching on Google for a while, I can't find any technical details on why exactly GB/GBC games are incompatible with the DS. Unless someone can provide a reference for the "lack of Z80-like processor" information, I'm removing it. --Poiuyt Man ^talk 15:30, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Really? I thought that the GBA had a Z-80 in it, not a software emulator. I've always thought the Z-80 was the issue, but I could be totally misinformed. Don't take my word for it. Ask some DSLinux dudes, they're in a position to know. --Carl 15:47, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

The GB/GBC uses a 5v Z80 processor. It is because of both the lack of the Z80 as well as the lack of the 5v power output. It was also probably for marketing reasons along the lines of Nintendo not wanting to replace the GBA line with the DS line. This is also more shown by the fact that the DS doesnt support any GBA multiplayer functionality, and also by the release of the backlit SP and the Gameboy Micro. The GBA/SP does NOT emulate the Z80, it physically has the chip internally. [1] There is a switch in the cart slot on GBA units to switch between GBC and GBA modes. [2] -Darkain Dragoon 22:13, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for the clarification. I'll see if I can reference that FAQ in the article. --Poiuyt Man ^talk 03:41, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Games for GameBoy and GameBoy Color, such as Super Mario Land and Game & Watch Gallery do not fit in the Nintendo DS. --ZachREMOVETHISKudrna18@yahoo.com

Nor do they "fit" in the GBA, they stick out...

So, is there any way to get the DS to play GB/GBC games? I mean, shouldn't it be as simple as mounting a z80 (the one found in the GBA is really tiny...) and an extra battery in the DS? (There should be plenty of room...) Maybe an on/on switch in the gamepak bay for detecting which processor needs to be activated? Please drop a note on my talk page if you reply, I might not remember to check back here, thanks :) --Wulf 06:09, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

There is no way you could just place an extra chip into the DS and expect it to use it. There must be software programming built into the BIOS or at least a hardware switch that tell which processor to use when it boots up.(And then it still needs to understand how to access the hardware)

The GBA had more than just the Z80 to get backwards compatibility to work. I can put a Pentium3 into my PSP, but that won't mean anything if there is no software to interpret and manage the signals to and from the other hardware. Liquidtenmillion 00:31, 25 January 2006 (UTC)

new colours

Two new colours in Australia, Mystic Pink and Cosmic Blue. See: http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo/news/index.php

Okay, what games should be in here?

Nintendo_DS#Current.2Ffuture_games

Meteos, Yoshi Touch and Go, Bomberman, Pac N' Roll, and Advance Wars have been released in NA. I know that some of the above-listed haven't been released in Europe yet. So...what games should be in there?

DS and Surround Sound

I have noticed in several games like Mario 64DS and Kirby Canvas Curse that you can set it surround sound, it sounds like surrround sound but who does it do it with only 2 speakers? I'm not an expert on this kind of thing.

Taken from this site: When we listen to the sounds around us in the real world, we can determine with great accuracy where each individual sound source is. Our head and ears operate as a very sophisticated ‘directional acoustic antenna system’ [1] , such that we are aware not only of the location and distance of the sound sources themselves, but also of the type of acoustic environment which surrounds us. When sound waves arrive at the head, they are modified acoustically in a directionally dependent manner by diffractive effects around the head and by interaction with the outer ears. Also, there is a ‘time-of-arrival’ difference between the ears, which the brain computes accurately.

As far as I understand it, virtual surround systems work by applying filters to simulate the refraction of sound waves caused by the shape of your head and ears, and by adding delays between the left and right channels. --Poiuyt Man ^talk 05:35, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

All the Pretty Colors

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think all those depictions of every color variant of the DS is unnecessary. It's alright to display one or two different-colored models to illustrate the fact that the system comes in a variety of colors, but a gallery of every last one strikes me as a gross overuse of copyrighted material, not to mention a waste of space. As helpful as visual aids are, I think that a plain ol' list of the colors would probably suffice for this article's purposes. — Prizm ^(talk) 00:22, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

With the number of colors now rapidly increasing, I am inclined to agree with you. The pictures are taking up too much space and increase the load time for the page unnecessarily. --Poiuyt Man ^talk 03:12, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Maybe the images should be branched off into their own article then? Like a gallery article of the various colours with a small peice of infomation on each (such as their release dates in each region). This would be a good way to keep the image gallery intact, and also improve upon it, without the clutter on the main DS page. -Darkain Dragoon 03:56, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

This isn't an option on Wikipedia, particularly with copyrighted images. - A Man In Black (conspire | past ops) 04:10, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Alright; I've removed the image galleries. Make any further changes at your liesure. — Prizm ^(talk) 22:53, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

External Links discussion

I personally think that the external link for Nintendo DS Homebrew should point to [3] instead of [4]. DSDev.org is a much more recognized and respected homebrew community, and they also run the popular Efnet IRC channel #dsdev, which the majority of the DS homebrew community collaborate in. -Darkain Dragoon 01:26, 6 November 2005 (UTC)

Go ahead and change it, then. I don't see any reason why not. - A Man In Black (conspire | past ops) 01:42, 6 November 2005 (UTC)

Console infobox

I've just added the console infobox. Hope everyone like it. See this page for the discussion about the template creation. Jacoplane 23:28, 29 November 2005 (UTC)

Shouldn't the Top-Selling game be Nintendogs instead of 64 DS. Nintendogs has been flying off the shelves. User:81.175.155.41 8.12.2005

64 DS has sold more(barely) worldwide. Jedi6 00:31, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

I do not believe that Best Friends is factored in, and it can be assumed that Nintendogs Best Friends has helped it pass SM64DS. - A Link to the Past (talk) 05:45, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

The Super Mario bundle is calculated in either. In about a week or less I should have the official numbers so I will find out then Jedi6 12:22, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, but the Super Mario 64 DS bundle was only in one region, and only in some stores, while the Nintendogs bundle was worldwide and in all stores. - A Link to the Past (talk) 18:31, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, Who would bother changing 'DS' to 'PO', it's not even a good poop joke.DON'T worry I changed it and also updated the online section. YOU PEOPLE ARE LAZY!

Teal DS

File:Teal DS.jpg Hears the Teal DS. — Hurricane Devon (Talk) File:Euro symbol.png 01:23, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Link Depository (revert)

Reverted edits by anonymous user (User:71.193.108.42) who added links despite the warning that the page was not a link depository. He/she also deleted that warning. -Parallel or Together? 05:31, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Wi-Fi Internet Connectivity

This section needs to be revised. It just sounds like an Ad, and doesn't have any specifics. --Nate3000 20:35, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

PDA?

Is there any truth in the rumours currently circulating regarding possible PDA functionality for DS, possibly even including the Palm OS? I think it would work, and be awesome. But, will it happen?

Here's a link to a page containing an early version of the rumour: http://www.pdastreet.com/articles/2005/3/2005-3-3-Nintendo-DS-PDA.html

Please drop a note on my talk page if you reply, I might forget to check back here... Thanks :)

Wulf 06:18, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

Which one is M?

In the software library, it says one game is rated M. Does anybody know which game that is? JQF 15:03, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence. -- ReyBrujo 17:46, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

DS Redesign

I heard it has going to get a makeover with a more sleek body, more scratch resistant touch screen, etc. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Alexzero77 (talk • contribs)

Only a rumor for now. Might happen someday. Jedi6 01:50, 24 January 2006 (UTC)

It is still being planned. A retailer stated Nintendo would show the redesign on January 16, but it was only a rumour. -- ReyBrujo 01:51, 24 January 2006 (UTC)

It's here. Official Announcement It'll be called Nintendo DS Lite. WarChild 07:49, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Here's an image: publicity shot. I dunno if we can put this up in the article, so i'm not going to do so. Anyone feel confident enough to do it for me? --Decept404 09:07, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Trivia - Marketshare

Uhh, the percentages don't make any sense in any way, going by Wikipedia's sales numbers of the PSP and DS.

DS - 13 million PSP - 6 million

...how does that work out to 38 and 13 percent. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Tilla (talk • contribs) .

I would believe GBA (in all variations) and other handhelds hold the rest. -- ReyBrujo 04:45, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Interference?

Nintendo_DS#Interference Sounds interesting, but is there any proof to this? Or perhaps some better info as to how to get/how to avoid DS interference? --BPM 19:09, 31 January 2006 (UTC)

DS first Nintendo system to sell out?

"No Nintendo system has ever sold out in Japan before." Is this true? I was under the impression that the Super Famicom sold out in Japan previously. From the Super Famicom article: "An instant success, Nintendo's initial shipment of 300,000 units quickly sold out." Raiknii 15:23, 5 February 2006 (UTC)

• Didn't Nintendo themselves make that claim. If so I see no reason to doubt them. Jedi6 04:05, 8 February 2006 (UTC)
• I don't know, that's why I'm asking. But I don't think they did... Or at least, I've never seen a mention of it. Maybe you are thinking of the fact that the DS is the first to reach 5 million units? Do you have any sources? --Raiknii 00:32, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

Merge

I have suggested the DS Lite content be merged into this one since it is not really speculation anymore and the consoles will be same in most respects. This article also needs to be tightened up a bit as the list of game releases really belongs in a separate article. Garglebutt / (talk) 22:49, 7 February 2006 (UTC)

• Against - it is fine for the DS Lite article to contain the basic info of the DS light and for this page to point to that page. It's common wikipractice to do this since it keeps the length of articles down. As far as the game releases i'll agree with that. Seraphim 22:55, 7 February 2006 (UTC)
• Oppose -for same reasons as above. Jedi6 03:47, 8 February 2006 (UTC)
• Oppose -for all purposes listed above and the fact that it will have new features that the origional ds did not have (4 level light control).
• Oppose -for same reasons as above, different model deserves different article, more differences may also become apparent following launch. Proteus IV 16:10, 8 February 2006 (UTC)
• Oppose - Same as above reasons. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.123.53.3 (talk • contribs) .
• Support, the DS Lite is just a cosmetic variant of the original DS, with no major functional differences. With articles like PlayStation (PSOne), PlayStation 2 (slimline model) and Mega Drive (Mega Drive II etc.), the variants are all covered the original article. FredOrAlive 15:28, 9 February 2006 (UTC)
  • Oops, spotted that PSOne did have it's own article, which also has a "merge this" banner though. The SNES doesn't have a seperate article for it's shrunken model however. The Gameboy Pocket and Light don't have seperate articles either, but the Advance variants do. It's all a bit random what does and doesn't qualify really... FredOrAlive 15:39, 9 February 2006 (UTC)
• Support, It seems like people just want an extra page for the DS Lite for the sake of having another page. When a new users to Wikipedia comes along and wants to find out about the Nintendo DS Lite, they will just put Nintendo DS in. Thus resulting in the wrong information being obtained. Moreover, there really isn't enough information about it to have as one seperate article. I think that a sub section on the Nintendo DS page is more than adequate, and you could have a redirectory to the main DS page if anyone types Nintendo DS Lite in. user:bendragonbrown47 20:33, 09 February 2006.
• Oppose, common Wikipedia practice. See Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Micro etc.

K1Bond007 07:12, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

• Support, The Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DS Lite are two completely diffrent hardwares. My views are that they shouldn't be merged, but perhaps the N-DS page could mention the DS Lite more, so that people who are looking for the DS Lite are sure to find it.
• Support, there is not enough to talk about the Nintendo DS to warrant its own article, it's just a shrunk down DS. The GBA variants however at the very least were radical departures from the GBA's original design. cave 13:54, 10 February 2006 (UTC)
• Against because Nintendo DS Lite is a lot different than the older version. Cabinet redesigned, firmware slighty different, button replaced, different AC adapter... Merging the two article mean a too much longer and difficult to read Nintendo DS article. --Olpus 14:24, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

Game Releases

Move game releases in the Releases section into separate article, perhaps simply flagging them in List of Nintendo DS games

• Oppose-Other articles have a list of launch titles and it is important information. Separating them into another article like PlayStation Portable launches isn't a bad idea. Jedi6 04:03, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

• I was proposing moving them elsewhere. I don't mind whether they get flagged in the List of Nintendo DS games or have a separate article.
• Well I decided to be bold and have moved the Releases section to Nintendo DS launches ala the PSP. Garglebutt / (talk) 06:35, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

Software Library

Remove titles from Software Library section since these are already in List of Nintendo DS games

• Oppose-It is a good idea to give people an idea of some of the titles the DS offers. Jedi6 04:03, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

• Oppose - there should be some "highlight" titles listed. Seraphim 05:32, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

• Oppose, at the very least the killer apps (MKDS, ACWW, Nintendogs) should be listed. -- stillnotelf has a talk page 05:37, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

• There are many titles already mentioned in the body of the article. I am trying to make this article shorter and tighter as it is already rather long and likely to grow. The problem with a "best of" is that it is each person's opinion and, based on what I've seen of other lists, will grow steadily. Garglebutt / (talk) 06:21, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

• • Using gamerankings.com it is easy to make a subjective list of the "best". Seraphim 22:57, 8 February 2006 (UTC)
    • I added an editor's note stating to use the talk page before adding any titles. This should stop insane growth of the lists and if anyone adds a title without using the discussion page we can revert it. Jedi6 02:27, 9 February 2006 (UTC)
    • I've compared the lists to what is on gamerankings.com and they don't match based on the searches I did so I think we need to specify the criteria for ranking to avoid any confusion. I also don't see how unreleased products can be major titles since they may end up laying an egg. Garglebutt / (talk) 02:55, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

Voice chat

Reggie Fils-Aime has confirmed that Metroid Prime Hunters will be the first game to feature voice chat before and after multiplayer matches (not during game, I guess they are afraid of lag issues). He also stated that 14.4m of DSs have been sold since its launch, and that US will see special kiosks where DS owner can download different games, which will stay in memory until the unit is turned off (like the ones already available in Japan). -- ReyBrujo 19:01, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

DS/DS Lite Merge

• Strong Oppose I'm not even sure who's creating all these merge requests, but there's a pointless one for the GBA/SP/Micro pages as well. The DS Lite page has lots of info and the DS one is long enough, for a start. Tphi 14:21, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

• Strong Oppose I agree there should be no reason for it --Link25 04:48, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

• Strong Oppose Game Boy Advance SP is in its own article and Game Boy Micro too. These are different consoles. When more information becomes available then it will expand and then become too big for the Nintendo DS article. Not a good idea for merging, ever. --Thorpe | talk 10:42, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

• Strong Oppose This is a ridiculous idea. These are separate consoles and the DS article is too long as it is. --User:Kelestar 12:56, 11 February 2006 (GMT)

• Oppose I don't think so - I agree with those who decided to give the GBA SP and GBA Micro their own articles, DS Lite is a different console etc.

• Strong Oppose - keep'em the way they are! Mr Beige 22:56, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

• Oppose - GBA/SP/Micro have their own pages. Case settled. - SmeagolSquid 01:11, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

Nintendo DS images/media

If anyone puts a new image/media into the article be sure to categorise it (Category:Nintendo DS media). Thanks. --Thorpe | talk 15:45, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

No critiscims section

The ds has no critiscims(Sorry for incorrect spelling) section. Though there are no profound critiscims, there are stll complaints which are not noted in this article, such as the lack abilty to use multiplayer on gba games, which seems to be intentional, lack of compatibilty with gbc/gb games which though seems to be a hardware problem, it looks af if they purposely withdrew putting in the components. Also that many games seem to be revampes of exsisting titles albiet a few new additions (mario kart ds(Mario kart 64),Super Mario 64 ds(the title spells it out) Bomerman game and a few others ) Some games are not diffrent AT ALL from there game boy advance version (Star wars 3, Spiderman game and a few others) The fact that nintendo have not been able to cope with demand in japan. Also the fact that ds lite the new model of the ds is coming out under a year of the release of the original, which is a bit of insult as these new vesions of the originals do not come out untill after a good few years . The original ds unattarctive design. Also not all the colours are available everywhere, which is not fair to people in certain regions.

Please do not feel i am some anti-ds person, i am a happy owner. And i have brought it to discussion. And obviously the fact that some people may disagree strongly with the points stated. Thanks Daniel williams —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.129.137.117 (talk • contribs) .

I've moved the interference info into a new criticisms section. Some of the criticisms you mention are design and marketing choices as much as anything. The decision to drop support for GBC and GB games is very reasonable considering how new this console is and how old those games are. I don't want my DS to have a gaping slot to handle older large format cartridges. Some of the third party games moved to DS will unsurprisingly not do much that is new with the DS and will be punished by poor sales. The redesign of the hardware was certainly quicker than the GBA to GBASP update but once again that is a marketing decision by Nintendo and I don't see anyone disadvantaged. The lack of colour choices I think is one of the nice quirks about Nintendo.

Criticisms should be more about the stylus falling out, or battery life failing, or screen becoming dull and scratched (ala iPod Nano). Not that I'm suggesting any of those are issues with the DS! Garglebutt / (talk) 23:06, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

Interference is not a valid critisism of the ds, it's caused by it's use of the 802.11 spectrum which all wifi products use. It's a critisism of the 802.11 spec not the DS. I agree a critisism section should exist, but I removed it because we can't leave an empty section. The interference is caused by all the devices operating on the same 2.4ghz spectrum. Seraphim 23:11, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

The paragraph you removed has been in the article for ages and I only moved it to separate it from the main body. It is a reasonable criticism because I have my wireless laptop right next to my widescreen TV and get no interference so it is the implementation of wireless that is causing the problem. Garglebutt / (talk) 23:19, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

Can you find a reference for it then? One other then the very small sony portable tv. One that shows it to be a widespread problem, that is significant enough to include in the article. Seraphim 04:23, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

The critiscims section is gone completely. Aint wikipedia supposed to be about facts. Because i dont think nintendo ds is the perfect console. And the interference thing is a problem because i dont have any electronic product that wireless functions mess with my tv screen

Virtual Boy Successor?

The trivia section refers to the DS as "sometimes considered by fans to be the successor of another Nintendo system, the Virtual Boy." This is "because both systems sport 3D graphics and other parts that make them different from the Game Boy systems."

I have never heard the DS and VB compared before, except in a derisive way (e.g. "2 screans? zomg next Virtua Boy, Nintendo d00med!") In addition, any next-gen Nintendo handheld that could produce 3D graphics would be considered "the successor to VB" under those rather vague criteria. Can anyone give a more substantive link between the two? Spencer F. 06:18, 13 February 2006 (UTC)

You know, the Nintendo 64 sports 3D graphics and other parts that makes it different from a Game Boy.

Just saying. - A Man In Bl♟ck (conspire | past ops) 06:28, 13 February 2006 (UTC)

Exactly. I'm taking that paragraph out, unless there are objections. Spencer F. 00:33, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

You have my support.Seraphim 00:43, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

We're talking about handhelds, here. Of course the frikkin N64 has them, or else we would kill Nintendo. Also, the N64 and GCN are rather conventional, featuring proprietory media storage but nothing really radical. The VB was supposed to be a huge change, a revolution, and it kind of did - a portable device that had 3D graphics, much different from the GB. Likewise, the DS is a radical depature from the GBA, featuring two screen, Wi-Fi, and a touch screen. - Hbdragon88 22:14, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

VB was not a handheld. It's controller required 2 hands, you had to prop up the eyepiece on a table. Seraphim 23:20, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

I asked about this question on the Virtual Boy talk page. What do you disgress of the answer posted by Jedi6? - Hbdragon88 23:38, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

Virtual boy is a handheldbut the DS is more like the game and watch than the virtual boy Jedi6 02:22, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

But it's still a handheld and the VB can be considered a spinoff of sorts from the console and handhelds (due to the very different designs), so I think the comparison is still valid. - Hbdragon88 03:33, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

Comparing them both as third pillars would work. Jedi6 04:38, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

Virtual boy was no more a handheld then the NES. It would be impossible to play the virtual boy as a handheld. Also I don't see any possible way to call the DS a VB successor, or warrant the mention of the VB in this article. VB was 3d with line graphics and no color. DS has 2 screens, a touch screen, a microphone, is portable, has multiplayer games. Saying that the DS is a VB successor does not belong in this article. Seraphim 05:39, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

Also i'd like to point out that at no time did nintendo ever call the virtual boy a "3rd Pillar". And it was marketed as "portable" not a hand-held unit. Seraphim 05:59, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

I agree that the DS is not a VB successor but the VB was a third pillar since it wasn't a successor of the Game boy or SNES. Jedi6 06:01, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

They never referred to it as a third pillar. If anything it was the sucessor to the SNES since it was rushed to release to keep people interested while the n64 was getting delayed. Seraphim 06:10, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

Just because Nintendo doesn't state it doesn't make it false. It was a third video game system, not a replacement for anything. Also we probably should continue this on the Virtual boy page Jedi6 06:12, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

No it's relevant here since you are trying to include the fact that the DS is related to the VB in anyway, which is both un-verifiable and false. Seraphim 06:16, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

Possible DS Hard drive

Check out this link for a supposed DS hard drive. However I haven't found any other corroborating sources for it. Do you think it's legit enough to be mentioned, or not? And if there is any more information, please post it. DS has sold enough to merit a device of this nature, but I've seen some pretty convincing fakes out their. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.21.157.72 (talk • contribs)

Looks like an amazing Play-Yan Clone. Wow that even excited me :p I just remembered, codejunkies is an official 3rd party perephrial manufacturer's website. I'm definatly for adding this to the article, however as usually, more people should have a chance to comment :) Good find :p Seraphim 00:47, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

Looks legit. I've added it. Garglebutt / (talk) 01:33, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

Opera

Could someone clean up news about the web browser? I just wanted to be the first one to put it in :-b

DS TV Tuner

[5] Both a version of Opera and a TV tuner are on the way for the DS. Should this (as well as "Opera DS") be listed under accessories? --BPM 18:53, 15 February 2006 (UTC)