A DS Successor Mentioned at GDC

[Dangy]

...Details have surfaced from GDC at San Francisco, CA pointing to a potential release this year of Nintendo’s DS follow-up. This isn’t a new iteration of existing DS tech, either. The report mentions dual screens being used as one, an accelerometer, and development kits comparable to the GameCube...

Sauce

 

[Mr.Positive]

Its a good thing I didn't get any DSes past the very first one.

 

[scrtmstr]

dual screens being used as one

that's going to be intresting, the other things were already known.

 

[Dangy]

Its a good thing I didn't get any DSes past the very first one.

Same here. I still have my 6 year old DS Phat.

 

[Pliskron]

I hope it's compatable with the port I had installed at the base of my cortex.

 

[syko5150]

as long as i get another Mario platformer and another Zelda i dont really care what the new hand held looks like or what it can do =p...

 

[haflore]

...Details have surfaced from GDC at San Francisco, CA pointing to a potential release this year of Nintendo’s DS follow-up. This isn’t a new iteration of existing DS tech, either. The report mentions dual screens being used as one, an accelerometer, and development kits comparable to the GameCube...

Assuming that means it has a decent performance boost over the original perhaps we'll see a Zelda: OoT port later on

 

[FireEmblemGuy]

All I really want from this is some ports of, at the very least, some N64 games. I mean, Wind Waker portable would be cool too, but I was hoping for a bit more then Mario 64 for the first DS.

 

[Rydian]

The development kit is said to be comparable in power to the GameCube. Game creators who are familiar with the GameCube or Wii will be right at home crafting games for the new handheld. Developers busy working on games said there isn’t much of a learning curve.

With the way they worded it it doesn't sound like they mean it'll be as powerful as the gamecube, but that it'll be similar in use/features/functions to already-existing kits so people wanting to develop games for it (that have already developed for the GC/Wii) won't have to switch their methods around much, if at all.

This could mean games that are closer in gameplay and features to their Wii versions/relations. X3

 

[DeMoN]

A release later this year? Highly doubtful. I'd be glad just for an official announcement by the end of the year.

 

[granville]

What I got out of the comparable to Gamecube statement was that the programming language is similar. I don't see much in there that says the DS2 would be graphically similar to it at all. For all we know, it could be less powerful than a Dreamcast in terms of graphical fidelity. Gameplay experiences might come close to the Gamecube and such though.

I am more curious about seeing games before i get a quote on the power. Too often, developers never even USE the power they're given, squandering all of the system's talents. Wii is a perfect example and many DS games as well (looking like they'd be at home on SNES or GBA). I also want to see the buttons and controls. I doubt they could have included an analog stick of sorts in the design, but we'll see.

And about the screens, it would be neat to see games developed where you can flip the DS2 on its side and use a widescreen orientation. I don't guess it's impossible to see a release this year, but it would be a pretty dumb move to alienate DSi customers so early. I'm glad i never got a DSi though.

 

[Raika]

Sounds damned sweet! The freaking Gamecube? HELL YEAH, I can finally enjoy Super Mario Sunshine standard graphics!

 

[Mr.Positive]

There was a really cool fan made mockup of the DS2 I saw earlier:

 

[Haloman800]

I haz a DSi, I'm never upgrading again.

 

[Jakob95]

What I got out of the comparable to Gamecube statement was that the programming language is similar. I don't see much in there that says the DS2 would be graphically similar to it at all. For all we know, it could be less powerful than a Dreamcast in terms of graphical fidelity. Gameplay experiences might come close to the Gamecube and such though.

I am more curious about seeing games before i get a quote on the power. Too often, developers never even USE the power they're given, squandering all of the system's talents. Wii is a perfect example and many DS games as well (looking like they'd be at home on SNES or GBA). I also want to see the buttons and controls. I doubt they could have included an analog stick of sorts in the design, but we'll see.

I agree with you when you say that the Wii was never used to its full potential much. But the DS actually has been used for its full potential, such games like Kingdom Hearts, Super Mario 64, Mario kart DS, and many more other games have used the DS's limits.

 

[granville]

I was referring to MOST games. And i believe most systems HAVE been pushed for a few games, just most of them. Referring to cheap little 2D games that completely squander even the GBA's talents. Wii has been pushed nicely a few times itself, games like Mario Galaxy and The Conduit. I'm referring to MOST games on the systems, much of it i'd label as shovelware to be precise.

@Mr.Positive-

I think that's pretty fugly myself, no offense. Needs to be sleeker and slimmer. Not that this is much better in terms of fan mockups, but i'd like a system somewhat closer to this in terms of sleekness-

Make it too sleek and slim though, and it becomes fragile. Something i'd rather not happen.

 

[syko5150]

the only thing i dont like about this fan made hand held ^ is how the cartridge sticks out on the side lol

 

[Mr.Positive]

@Mr.Positive-

I think that's pretty fugly myself, no offense. Needs to be sleeker and slimmer. Not that this is much better in terms of fan mockups, but i'd like a system somewhat closer to this in terms of sleekness-

Make it too sleek and slim though, and it becomes fragile. Something i'd rather not happen.

I agree, but I like the first mockup's mode where you can tuck away the buttons in order to make playing touch based games more comfortable.

EDIT: This one looks pretty decent:

Don't like the button colors, though.

 

[Fat D]

I hope this slimness trend will be over soon personally. I prefer my electronics a little beefier, so I can have something in my hands.

 

[granville]

the only thing i dont like about this fan made hand held ^ is how the cartridge sticks out on the side lol

I'm not saying it's the prettiest thing ever or could replace a REAL DS2, but i'm 99% sure the cartridge doesn't stick out, it just is sticking out to show us where the slot is.

Reminds me of the SD slot in DSi. I could name a bunch of crap about that mockup i hate, including how the screens are different sizes. It basically looks like 2 iphones duct taped together (funny statement considering a lot of people referred to the Wii as 2 GC's duct taped together, but here it's pretty obvious that's what it is.

Anyways, i just hope they can find a suitable way to control 3D games. I've played some excellent 3D DS games that DID get the controls right, but some kind of analog usually gives us some amount of confirmation that a 3D game will control well enough. Perhaps a sort of "set-in" analog, like a track ball. Except one that retracts and has a springy kind of motion to it for feedback. I hate having to constantly roll a trackball. Whatever, we'll see. They'd better not ditch buttons entirely and go touch screen only buttons like iphone though...

Oh and about this one-

Buttons remind me of the Japanese Super Nintendo (Super Famicom). Those were colored like that. I guess any new DS will have a hinge on the BACK of the screens, not in the middle. They'd have to do that to make the screens closer together. Really not sure how they'll handle closer screens and the hinge thing. >_>

MUST....MAKE.....OWN.....MOCKUP