I want to play the DS Zelda games, but...

I don't necessarily want a DS. I'm not one who plays handhelds on the go; mostly just around the house. I have a PSP that I mess around with but am not in love with. I love Zelda games... Ocarina was a highlight childhood experience. Majora's Mask was great and had so much depth when I revisited it. Wind Waker is a work of art, and Twilight Princess was engrossing. While I liked Minish Cap, A Link to the Past and the other Zelda handheld games weren't really for me.

So... what should I do? Shall I shell out $200+ to play these two games? Are they worth it? Get a new DS lite and buy both games and call it a day? Should I wait another year and get a possibly backward compatible DS 2? (with some vague hope of other Zelda games and remakes on the system?)

Fishing for feedback ;)

Well just so you know Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are very good, and are a blend of the things that made Minish Cap and the 3D Zeldas good

I'd say, find a used Lite if you can. No sense in waiting for a $200 DS2 this/next year if you're not gonna play it much like you said, go buy a used lite at gamestop for $89, or one off craiglist in your area. Then get the games off craiglist too if you can cheap and used

But PH goes for $25 used at gamestop and ST for $30.

There are plenty of good DS games, i'm sure some will catch your attention. Additionally, FYI the DS zeldas use all touch control

Trust me. If you like the PSP, you will love the DS.

The DS probably has the best library of any system ever made, in my opinion.

Get one for Zelda, then you will want more games. You can get one cheap, too.

The DS Zeldas are different. They may not be as good as Ocarina, but they may possibly have the best writing of any Zelda game. The dialog and characters are very fleshed out. I tell you, Phantom Hourglass felt ten times more cinematic than Bioshock, and its on a 3 inch screen.

Phantom hour glass is great, and the DS has plenty more to offer. When I had a psp I didn't play it much either, honestly it just doesn't have many good games. The 2 systems are completely different and the standards in gaming is far higher on the DS.I would say that Zelda is reason enough but there is far more, look on amazon you can find DS lite for 70 or lower usually and the games for less than 30.

If you didn't really like Minish Cap or A Link to The Past, I really really doubt you're going to enjoy Phantom Hourglass. I can't say about spirit tracks since I haven't played it, but chances are it won't be your thing either. It definitely won't be a Ocarina/Majora/Twilight type of experience, that's for sure.You might still have a bit of fun with the control scheme though. I wouldn't say buy a DS just for Zelda, but if you can find some other titles that interest you on top of Zelda then I'd say go for it. Also, can some of the fanboys calm down please. The PSP has its own respectable collection of games, it certainly doesn't offer the same experience as the DS, but as the same time the DS doesn't offer what PSP can provide either.forgot_it

One dude said one thing about the PSP, not even bashing it, just referencing it, and you jump on him for being a fanboy? Calm down.

TC, the handhelds of this generation are no longer really just "on the go" systems, but full fledged systems in their own right. If you're meh about handhelds in general, then just skip it. Both handhelds have some awesome games that are leaps and bounds better than a lot of games on their mainstream consoles (Wii, PS3) so I would highly recommend getting a DSi, as well as taking more interest in your PSP.

The DS Zeldas are different. They may not be as good as Ocarina, but they may possibly have the best writing of any Zelda game. The dialog and characters are very fleshed out. I tell you, Phantom Hourglass felt ten times more cinematic than Bioshock, and its on a 3 inch screen.

Heirren

Very true they both have the best writing of the series. I would shell out 200 bucks to play these great games

[QUOTE="forgot_it"]If you didn't really like Minish Cap or A Link to The Past, I really really doubt you're going to enjoy Phantom Hourglass. I can't say about spirit tracks since I haven't played it, but chances are it won't be your thing either. It definitely won't be a Ocarina/Majora/Twilight type of experience, that's for sure.You might still have a bit of fun with the control scheme though. I wouldn't say buy a DS just for Zelda, but if you can find some other titles that interest you on top of Zelda then I'd say go for it. Also, can some of the fanboys calm down please. The PSP has its own respectable collection of games, it certainly doesn't offer the same experience as the DS, but as the same time the DS doesn't offer what PSP can provide either.Khadaj32

One dude said one thing about the PSP, not even bashing it, just referencing it, and you jump on him for being a fanboy? Calm down.

TC, the handhelds of this generation are no longer really just "on the go" systems, but full fledged systems in their own right. If you're meh about handhelds in general, then just skip it. Both handhelds have some awesome games that are leaps and bounds better than a lot of games on their mainstream consoles (Wii, PS3) so I would highly recommend getting a DSi, as well as taking more interest in your PSP.

The PSP is not the only portable gaming option in history. You are trying to stir something up that should be in system wars that really shouldn't be.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm not really into buying a used system... especially one with a touch screen. So now I'm debating over the DSi because it's not all that much more than a new Lite, and it is apparently built better with better speakers (big gripe with the PSP is the pathetic speakers which necessitate constant headphone use). I don't care about the camera or the GBA slot so those kind of cancel each other out, lol. Is the DSi a more comfortable handheld?jedinat

the screens are bigger, the speakers are better, and you never know what cheap quick fun you can get out of DSiware if you ever choose to use that

I'd say DS Lite is smaller and probably more portable. DSi barely sticks out of my pocket but i never carry handhelds in my pocket anyway, usually in a carrying case in my backpack

Its all up to you, but i'd say if you don't care about DSiWare or the cameras or the media playback of DSi, then save $40 and get a new DS Lite for $129 and buy Phantom Hourglass or Spirit Tracks basically for the price of a DSi

that way, if you end up using your DS very little or not at all, and if you don't enjoy the DS zeldas somehow, you will have spent the least amount of money in disapointment

The PSP is not the only portable gaming option in history. You are trying to stir something up that should be in system wars that really shouldn't be.

dovberg

"The PSP has its own respectable collection of games, it certainly doesn't offer the same experience as the DS, but at the same time, the DS doesn't offer what PSP can provide".

That means they're both great systems and offer something the other can't and not that the PSP is the only portable gaming option. :|

Well, I just rather wildly blew $170 on a DSi from Amazon. I went through the same obsessive-compulsive buyer's fever that came over me a year ago when I decided I somehow needed a PSP 3000. I couldn't stop thinking about it, read everything I could find about it on the internet, then spent all my extra cash.

The killer for me is the XL that's coming out soon with bigger screens and longer battery life for a mere $20 more. I hate the incremental pricing, lol. But, well, I figured it was going to cost me some mental fatigue in waiting another month, coupled with the fact that I think the original DSi looks better--and sharper screens are probably a plus for me.

Well, I just rather wildly blew $170 on a DSi from Amazon. I went through the same obsessive-compulsive buyer's fever that came over me a year ago when I decided I somehow needed a PSP 3000. I couldn't stop thinking about it, read everything I could find about it on the internet, then spent all my extra cash.

The killer for me is the XL that's coming out soon with bigger screens and longer battery life for a mere $20 more. I hate the incremental pricing, lol. But, well, I figured it was going to cost me some mental fatigue in waiting another month, coupled with the fact that I think the original DSi looks better--and sharper screens are probably a plus for me.

jedinat

When Phantom Hourglass was announced for the DS, I didn't have a DS nor was I really into gaming at all. But something about the Zelda games always brings me back. I ended up getting a DS about 6 months before Zelda even came out and ended up falling in love with it more than I ever thought I would or could. Turned into one of possibly my favorite systems of all time. But that's just me.

Both Zelda games are excellent for it, and I especially loved Spirit Tracks. Find a used DS Lite like people suggested, and definitely give the Zelda's a whirl but don't be surprised if you find other DS games you like...possibly alot.

Portable system or not, I like it most for one reason. The games are FUN and there are a ton of them.

I'll be curious to know what you decided to do.

I'll be curious to know what you decided to do.zeonin

Two posts up ^^. I had the original DS way back when and sold it since there were hardly any decent games back in 2004-5. I took the free shipping option so we'll see how much I enjoy my DSi in a week or two.

I think the DS had a very weak launch so I understand getting rid of it. It seemed like forever between Mario 64 and the next games, but as soon as advance wars and castlevania came out there was never a lack in new games until now.