DS loses to PSP in December.

[Ashen Victor]

Yeah, is there a site that reviews every UMD coming out?

me for the win: http://www.pspmoviereviews.net/

it's not quite everything, but it's pretty much the only place in town that does.

[SpoDaddy]

I can play Super Mario 64 on my N64. I can play Mario Kart on a bajillion Nintendo systems. I can play Tetris for free. Who gives a shit? Similarly, who cares if LCS is coming to PS2 when I can play it now, in portable form, wherever I want?

Finally having Mario Kart online (portable and free no less) is far more fresh an experience than a GTA3 side-story with worse control IMHO, not to mention wildly original stuff like Kirby, Nintendogs, Trauma Center, etc. It's like either you're a GTA clone, a Fast and the Furious themed racer, a FPS, or an EA game if you're on a console and people are tired of the same old thing. DS offers fresh game experiences. I really think that's all there is to it's appeal, and it's why a large chunk of DS owners never really got into handheld gaming before now. Handheld gaming offered nothing you couldn't get a better version of on consoles before now.

[Tommy Tallarico]

people are tired of the same old thing

This has been the argument against Nintendo the whole time. Outside of AC and MK being online, it really is the same old thing. It just happens to be that Sony is being even less original and varied while costing a shitload more.

[sethsez]

people are tired of the same old thing

No, most of them aren't. Really.

[James]

I just played Need for Speed on the Xbox 360. It was ok, not a bad way to spend an evening when I didn't want to think too hard. There's nothing wrong with the same old thing in moderation.

The world could use more Trauma Center/Electroplankton-style creativity, though.

James

[SpoDaddy]

James do you know what the deal is with that Black Edition of NFS? I've heard it's got extra cars in it, which systems is it available for? I played the regular editon on Xbox a while ago and had fun, I love that they brought back hot pursuit mode.

[Yoshi]

Ranting makes the web go 'round.

QFE!

[Yamcha]

I was looking at Magic Box and the top 10 weekly sales numbers. The DS software sales over there are pretty crazy:

# Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju Kanshuu: Motto Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS Training (NDS, Nintendo) - 141,307 [845,885] units
# Doubutsu no Mori DS [Animal Crossing: Wild World] (NDS, Nintendo) - 50,032 [1,565,251] units
# Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju no Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS Training (NDS, Nintendo) - 49,774 [1,321,504] units
# Mario Kart DS (NDS, Nintendo) - 39,182 [990,369] units
# Mario & Luigi RPG 2 (NDS, Nintendo) - 29,639 [260,799] units
# Yawaraka AtamaJuku (NDS, Nintendo) - 25,780 [1,023,979] units
# Tamagotchi no PuchiPuchi Omisecchi (NDS, Bandai) - 24,550 [870,921] units

OK maybe not Mario & Luigi and three of those are those brain-training games, but 800k+ is not oridinary as far as I understand it (didn't only 5-6 games break 1m in Japan in 2005?) Wonder how much GTA:LCS has done so far in the U.S.

[James]

On the one hand- High Japan sales means more companies developing for the system, meaning more great stuff to either be brought over or imported.

On the other- 500,000 different Brain Training games. Wheee...?

I need to start getting up to speed with a few PSP imports. I'm guessing Sengoku Cannon isn't coming out over here if it hasn't shown up by now.

James

[Cowdisease]

Next Generation has a good article on why the DS is selling so well in Japan, in case you guys are interested.