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Nintendo DS - European Launch
Nintendo DS launch
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Nintendo's new DS console will launch in the UK on the 11th March, priced at £99. Tiscali was at the launch and brings you this report.
Nintendo's DS press conference in Paris wasn't just about announcing the launch details of the new console. This was also a chance for Nintendo to say sorry to Europe. There was an apologetic realisation from Nintendo that they have treated Europe badly in the past - late release dates, poor conversions - and that things needed to change. The relatively quick arrival of the DS is one such improvement although some of this haste can be put down to Sony's imminent arrival in the marketplace. So it's credit to Nintendo then that the DS offers innovation, rather than just a simple beefing up of graphics and sound.
The DS is an ugly beast, but packed full of gaming innovation. Games like WarioWare (180 seemingly banal minigames that are easy to pick up and highly addictive) and the virtual pet sim Nintendogs (the title, thankfully, should change)
There are fifteen games available at launch, which is massive in comparision to previous Nintendo launches. As well as big names like Super Mario DS and Pokemon Dash, there are some pleasingly quirky titles like the aforementioned WarioWare and Project Rub, where players use the stylus and microphone to seduce a virtual babe. Third party support is impressive too, with EA (The Urbz), Activision (Spider-Man 2) and Ubisoft (Rayman DS) all on-board for launch.
One of the higlights of the presentation was the first ever live showing of the multiplayer Mario Kart DS. This proved that wireless gaming is a real draw. It's also worth mentioning Pictochat. This allows DS users to communicate with words and pictures, without wires.
Whichever way you look at it, £99 (149.99 euros) is a good price for the DS. But then it has to be. Sony's PSP is on the horizon and, while it won't offer the innovations of the DS, it will certainly triumph in looks and desirability. As Apple has shown, looks ARE everything. But those who see beyond the cheap ugly styling of the DS will find games that try to offer something different. Whether it's Project Rub's breathing and touching, or WarioWare's frantic anarchy, the DS offers a unique gaming proposition. Today in Paris Nintendo threw down the gauntlet. We'll have to wait and see how Sony responds.
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