Hands on the DS

**Dyne** · 30 Nov 2004, 12:56 AM

so why did kosh just say "I should be able to get in free this year with my shmups moderator status."

emphasis on the words "should" and "free".

**1CCOSA** · 30 Nov 2004, 01:06 AM

OK, here's what happened with my E3 2002 experience. Waaaay back in April 2002 I registered for E3. I was going to get a free pass as a shmups reviewer (and yes, that's a perfectly valid reason to go there and rep for our site as there were more than a few games there that year folks on the board were eagerly anticipating such as Shattered Soldier, Orta, Contra Advance, R-TYPE 3 GBA, Robotech GBA to name some...ok maybe not 'eagerly' on the last one

).

I called their customer service # up and was told that yes, I should be able to get in for free with that. So Akira was trying to get me a free pass from Gamespy to go there for shmups. When the registering deadline closed in and it looked like they weren't going to come through i panicked and bought an exhibits only pass registered under my name for shmups. Just before the deadline though I was told by Akira I had gotten a free pass, yowza, that smarted a little. It was worth it though and it was fun keeping the folks on the board updated on how stuff like Contra SS was shaping up. Me and Akira talked about putting a featurette on the front page of my visit and impressions of SS, ect. but his work schedule that year was nightmarish, plus malc wasn't really able to be with us at the time so it never panned out.

Anyways this year I will definitely get a free pass and won't spaz like I did the last time.

**Jeremy** · 01 Dec 2004, 01:43 PM

Good DS news, 500,000 in sales - http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=5731

The first sales figures from Nintendo's latest hardware launch are expected to be announced today, with half a million units of the Nintendo DS handheld sold in North America in the launch week.

That represents around 90 per cent of the stock which Nintendo shipped to retail stores across North America for the launch, and indeed many retailers have reported that the console has sold out at their stores.

Online auction site eBay has seen an upside from the early popularity of the console, with some bidders paying over twice the standard retail price of the DS in order to get their hands on one last week.

The 500,000 unit launch week puts Nintendo well on track to meet its target of selling a million units of the console in North America by the end of the calendar year, along with two million units in Japan - where the DS launches this week.

For the full calendar year, which runs through to March, the firm recently raised its shipment target for the DS to five million units worldwide, a figure which includes the European launch in Q1 2005.

According to the Seattle Times, which reported the half-million sell through figure this morning, Nintendo also sold some 800,000 units of the Game Boy Advance SP hardware last week, making it into the single biggest sales week for handheld consoles ever.

**Roufuss** · 01 Dec 2004, 06:08 PM

So what is everyone going to do with their DS once they are done with Super Mario DS and Feel the Magic?

I was this close to buying one today, until I realized everything good for it comes out sometime NEXT year, and I just ended up buying a gba game instead.

**Eirikur** · 01 Dec 2004, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by Roufuss

So what is everyone going to do with their DS once they are done with Super Mario DS and Feel the Magic?

I was this close to buying one today, until I realized everything good for it comes out sometime NEXT year, and I just ended up buying a gba game instead.

Today I bought Mr.Driller: Drill Spirits which will occupy me for a while (loves me some Mr.Driller) and then I'm going to pick up Zoo Keeper later this month as well. Sure, they're not killer app/must own titles, but they'll keep me very happy for a while.

**Roufuss** · 01 Dec 2004, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Interpol

Today I bought Mr.Driller: Drill Spirits which will occupy me for a while (loves me some Mr.Driller) and then I'm going to pick up Zoo Keeper later this month as well. Sure, they're not killer app/must own titles, but they'll keep me very happy for a while.

They seem more like titles to get on the cheap after all the big names come out.

Definately a drought of DS titles, though, and it looks to continue for awhile.

All the big name titles that Nintendo went on and on about, like Mario Kart and Animal Crossing, aren't until September 2005? And Advance Wars is October 2005?

It seems the system picks up steam from March to May, and then just drops down again until September. I sure hope a shit ton of titles pop up for it in that remaining time period.

I want one, it seems like a cool system, but the gba's software lineup is just overpowering it.

**remnant** · 01 Dec 2004, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by Roufuss

So what is everyone going to do with their DS once they are done with Super Mario DS and Feel the Magic?

I was this close to buying one today, until I realized everything good for it comes out sometime NEXT year, and I just ended up buying a gba game instead.

Metroid Hunters and Sonic DS

**jarrod** · 01 Dec 2004, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by Roufuss

I was this close to buying one today, until I realized everything good for it comes out sometime NEXT year, and I just ended up buying a gba game instead.

Well... it'd make FF1&2 look/sound better. Just do what PS2 owners did the first year and play last gen games.