Still waiting for that awe inspiring game...

Look, I'm all for accesibility, but I'm starting to worry that that's just going to become the vast majority for the DS's library.

When the GBA came to being oh so many years ago, there were a few games that I knew I HAD to own. Golden Sun 1 & 2, Street Fighter, and Castlevania series to name a few. When these games came out, they boasted graphics, style, and innovation to spare. What the heck happened to these games?

When the DS came out at first, I was not exactly enthralled by it's launch titles. I did not even purchase a DS until Pokemon had hit the scene.

Pokemon is just something I obsess about so that was pretty much a "Gimme" title. I purchased Elite Beat Agents, a surprisingly fantastic rhythm game that featured great touch-based play, and a few other titles that I believed would be entertaining. As it stands, the current library of DS games feature a lackluster set of touch based games that feature little, if any, replay value and even less production values then even GBA games have!

So, thankfully, the DS has backwards compatibility and now I can focus upon going backwards and picking up older GBA titles by the truckload at much lessened used game prices. I even find myself foraging back upon my older GBA titles and starting them up far more than my current library of DS games.

With the exception of a few choice titles, Contra, Castlevania, Mega Man, where did all the great games go?! I know Nintendo is trying to branch out and expand it's currently mainstream market, but they are currently alienating it's other market: the people who have been playing their handhelds for years.

The DS, as it stands now, is a fantastic little system, but with un-"tapped" potential. Give me more online fighters! I know you have it in you! Where are all the other action games? And finally, stop shoe-horning that touch system into every single game! Give my fingers a rest will you!:?

Yeah man I know just how you feel. I find that if you're not a big fan of RPG's or 2D-Platformers, then the DS falls short for you. There are a few games I bought that made the system worthwhile. Elite Beat Agents, Pokemon: Diamond, Zelda: Phantom Horuglass, Super Mario 64 DS & Hotel Dusk:Room 215. I love these games.

The DS line-up for '08 is alright but just alright. I'm looking foward to a few games this year. And by a few I mean like.. 3, tops.

Like said before, I strongly suggest you give bleach the blade of fate a shot. It is a great fast paced fighter. You don't need to know anything about the manga or anime to enjoy this game, but being a fan just makes it better.

Also, have you tried Lunar Knights?

I hate the anime/ manga scene so I'm very picky about games that involve them. But what is it with this Bleach game? I've been seeing someone around here promote the game like crazy in a bunch of threads. One was asking for a shoot 'em up game and someone recommended Bleach (?).Lyphe2k

lol it came up in a shoot em up reccomendation :P. Most anime fans are absolutely crazy about this game because there are not many great anime based games, especially that have been released this year. That could be one explanation for everyone suggesting it, and also, anime and manga fans are usually crazy!(I'm not one of the crazy ones, but I am an anime/manga addict)

0_0 wow. graphics, action games, fighters? Seriously, what did you expect from Nintendo? Don't expect anything amazing from the genres that aren't used by their mascots(you know, mario,samus,pikachu,DK) You sound like you need a PSP. Not that I have one, but from your game likings these are some of the few things the PSP actually has. Off the top of my head I can think of Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Tekken, Mega man, Mega man maverick hunter X, Burnout something, Ridge Racer, and some pretty good shooters with nice graphics.

0_0 wow. graphics, action games, fighters? Seriously, what did you expect from Nintendo? Don't expect anything amazing from the genres that aren't used by their mascots(you know, mario,samus,pikachu,DK) You sound like you need a PSP. Not that I have one, but from your game likings these are some of the few things the PSP actually has. Off the top of my head I can think of Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Tekken, Mega man, Mega man maverick hunter X, Burnout something, Ridge Racer, and some pretty good shooters with nice graphics.

2-10-08

Couldn't agree with that post more, mad because I didn't think to mention buying a PSP >_>

While Nintendo may not offer all of the things I do want from a given system, the PSP is even worse in my opinion. There's a good reason I opted not to buy one, and quite frankly, a PS2 is a better investment.

That being said, I can't ignore some of the titles that are indeed on the PSP. Graphics aren't a huge concern for me, but when Nintendo takes a step backward, that's kind of disappointing. Fighters and action games adorn the PSP but they do it for another reason. It's due to the fact that Nintendo has them beat in every other category. I can think of a few games I like on DS, but every game that I would care to play on a PSP is already on that PS2. Dulled down ports with bigger pricetags then PS2 games are not my cup of tea.

Arg! No more PSP! This isn't a console wars forum! :lol:

I thought that the current titles kinda sucked, Not all of them but most for sure. Zelda PH, and the FF games as well as a few racing games are all that is out there for me.

the 2008 line up looks a lot better than this years. And some of the games coming out for the DS look almost of not as good as PSP in the graphics area that is.

I had a PSP and IMHO your better of getting a Zune or a Ipod becuase all my games exepte Metal grear solid PO sucked. And I only liked MGSPO becuase I'm a huge fan of the MGS games.

I think if the DS got some more great games then it would easly beat the PSP to death put as for its current state they are both a little under the water.

I'm sorry, but the DS has had far more support, both major and minor than the GBA ever did :?

Just look at DQ9, a handheld exclusive, who saw that coming?

I'm not buying this bull about markets being alienated, did you buy everygame Ninetendo made for the GBA? Even the not so good ones? Weren't those alienating the market too :? Isn't all that has happened is those games have actually changed into something profitable?

[QUOTE="starfox15"]It's not that I don't appreciate the titles available to the DS, I just wish there was more variety. /QUOTE]

The DS already has the GBA beat in breadth both in current and upcoming support :?

Let me explain your problem very succintly to you: "the DS is not the GBA". I think that sums it up.

Also...the touchscreen is sort of oriented such that you don't have to use it.

The real issue here is the GBA wasn't really as good as you remember it, IIRC I remember it being a secondary system and a tertiary concern of developers, whereas nowadays handhelds are considerably more in the forefront of both developers and publishers. Furthermore there were large gaps between qualiy titles, but more worryingly there was no tantalising news of good games coming with the exception of trade shows, whereas the DS seems to have potentially exciting news almost every other week.

Look, I'm all for accesibility, but I'm starting to worry that that's just going to become the vast majority for the DS's library.

starfox15

Were you born yesterday? Of course it's going to happen to the vast majority, and it always will. The games that sold the GBA were not the ones you remember fondly, but that cheap tat the THQ, this is what is the majority is going to be, why would publishers bother with quality titles when they can do just as well with cheaply made games?

This was no different on the GBA, you've just chosen to remember the GBA very differently.

Warioware and Warioware Twisted

Street Fighter Alpha 3

Pokemon Ruby/Leafgreen

Racing Gears

Mario Kart Super Circuit

Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission

Castlevania: COTM, AOS, and HOD

Final Fantasy 1,2, and 4

Rayman

Astro Boy

Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance

Golden Sun 1 and 2

Gunstar Heroes

R-Type 3

Zelda: A Link to the Past

Drill Dozer

Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland

That is the span of my GBA library, a few titles aside. Now I don't know about you, but I'd say those are some pretty big shoes to fill. The DS may have counterparts of a few of these games, but check the ratings on these games on this very site and compare them yourself. The GBA games had an outstanding market. You can say what you want about support, but the GBA's library was outrageous, even considering that vast amounts of it was usually crappy. Much the same with the DS. Unfortunately, the good ones all incorporate the touch screen. Fine. That's ok but after a while I just get sick of it. I remember the GBA because it was novel and compelling to play these titles without even the thought of the touch gimmick. One thing I can definitely say about the GBA is that it had something for EVERYONE. There wasn't a genre that the little system couldn't handle! It had shooters for crying out loud! Once again, the GBA was not perfect, but it did its best under the circumstances.