Archived from groups: alt.games.video.nintendo.gameboy.advance (
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"Doug Jacobs" <djacobs@shell.rawbw.com>
> Short answer: The DS is a better GBA than the GBA or GBA-SP, but I'm
> still not impressed with the touch-screen concept nor the DS' library.
>
> Longer answer:
> I had a GBA with Afterburner installed, and then received a DS just before
> Christmas, so I took it along on my trip.
>
> The DS is about the same size as the GBA, but is thicker (for the 2nd
screen)
> and heavier. This didn't bother me though. Sure, you can't easily shove
a
> DS into your pocket like you could a GBA-SP, but at the same time my hands
> didn't feel cramped holding the DS like they did the GBA-SP. I used a
> large change purse-like bag as an improvised DS-case, which I then tossed
> into my carry-on luggage.
>
> I didn't think much of the Mario64 game that came with the DS. It felt
> like a rehash of Mario Sunshine, and the the whole touch screen element
> just felt like a gimmick that was tacked on. "ooh - I can touch the
> arrows to rotate the camera" Not very impressive, if you ask me... Being
> on an airplane, I obviously couldn't try out the Pictochat feature.
>
> Continuing with the touch-screen, I'm really not that impressed with the
> idea. I can certainly see the benefit of a second screen - for maps or
> secondary information for instance - but using the screen while playing a
> game just felt awkward, and in no time, I had fingerprints all over the
> screen from my, my wife's and my brother's attempts at playing the Mario
> game. Yes, I know about the stylus, but explain to me how you're supposed
> to hold the DS, have your fingers on the buttons, and still hold onto a
> stylus to tap the screen? The little finger-tip lanyard thingie doesn't
> really look like a viable alternative either. I can just see Pelican and
> others selling special DS screen-wipes now - and you'll probably want to
> buy them, (or something similar) trust me.
>
> The fact that the DS is backwards compatible with GBA/SP games is nice,
> though I really wish they could have also made it compatible with the
> GBA's link cable as well.
>
> Since the DS is so new, there really aren't a whole lot of games out for
> it at this time, meaning it's going to have to rely on the GBA's existing
> library for gaming goodness.
>
> If you've been wanting to buy a GBA, and don't have any GB/GBC games, then
> leapfrogging to a DS may make sense - especially if you don't like the way
> the GBA-SP feels in your hands.
For cleaning the DS's screen(s), I just use the same method that I do with
my PDA's -- a few quick hot breaths across the screen followed by a wipe
with a (dry) lint-free camera lens cleaner. (Can get a big box of them for
only a few dollars -- and it's essentially the same thing as the "PDA wipes"
that are rediculously priced.) Works just fine, but then again I try not to
touch the screens (DS or PDA's) with my fingertips as it leaves oil on the
screen.
Touchscreen is pretty cool to have, but I hope developers don't use the TS
just for the sake of using it as an afterthought. It is a little annoying
that the "Save, Continue, Quit" screen in Mario forces you to use the TS.
Why the D-pad and buttons couldn't have been also mapped to it, I have no
idea.
I'm with you on the "thumb stylus". It can be annoying at times. Even with
the Metroid demo, you find yourself having to lift the "thumb stylus" from
the screen and then put it back on to get full range of motion. Nice
solution to that would be if games are developed with a feature that allow
you to adjust the sensitivity to the range of motion on the TS. (If thats
even possible.)
As for stylus pointer, only thing I ever use it for is simply just some of
the "point and click" mini-games in "Mario 64 DS" -- and of course the menu
mentioned above. It'll be nice for application software though. At least
one developer is working on "PDA-like" applications for the DS. What I'd
really like to see, and I've said this many times, are a web browser and
email client for the DS. I use my PDA's with 802.11 at home, work, and in
several public hot spots. PDA's can be a pain for web browing and emailing
though, mainly because of a single screen. With the DS's two screen, I
think such applications could be done very well.
I have "Mario" and "Asphalt: Urban GT" for the DS. Likewise, no other games
currently available for the DS are really attracting me. There is a lot of
cool stuff on the horizon though.
Just a few more pennies to throw into the wind...
I couldn't wait 
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