Nintendo DS: Is it worth it?

[idontknow]

I am a college student thinkin' about buying myself a nintendo DS and Mario Kart DS with some of the $ i got from my 20th B-day. I am just wondering if the DS is worth getting. What are some great games for it?

Also, does it come ready for WiFi connection right out of the box? Or do you need to buy extra accesories or programs to run it? Additionally, do you need to pay a monthly fee to use it (like X-Box Live)?

And finally, can you hook up a nintendo DS to your TV so you could see it projected onto a big screen? It'd be cool if you could do that or actually hook up a DS to a gamecube & then have 4 people play a DS game using gamecube controllers.

Anyway, any suggestions & explanations would help a lot and be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[goKi]

Definately worth getting. Wi-Fi is completely free, you need a wireless access point that is either unsecure, or WEP enabled (WPA is unsupported, unfortunately).

No i don't know of any peripheral that hooks the DS to a tv, which is a shame.

As for suggestions, if you are a Tetris fan, i highly suggest Tetris DS as an immediate purchase.

[vegeta1215]

I'm with goKi on this one - the DS is definitely worth getting. I held out getting a DS cause there weren't any games I was interested in playing, but the release of Mario Kart solved that problem. Here are the games I have to date:

Lost in Blue
Mario Kart: DS
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Metroid Prime: Hunters
Tetris DS
Trace Memory

There are also a lot of other games I'm looking forward to which are currently in development.

[idontknow]

What's a secured wireless access point? What does WEP supported mean?

Is this like when you go to the internet cafe or certain libraries that are wired for the internet so you could just bring your lab top there (if you have a wireless internet card installed) and serf the net there? Or is this something different?

I suppose then that this wouldn't work in the car? (I'm going to my bro's graduation after school ends in Pennsylvania, from the chicago area, which =12 hrs of driving)

[Tygore]

Here's how it works: the DS has WiFi support out of the box. You have to connect to a router. If the router is unprotected (meaning anyone can come up and connect through it), then you're good to go. If it's a secure network, you'll need the router's WEP key- a passcode written on the router (which a semi-intelligent person will NOT just hand out). You could also buy the USB dongle.

[*b*]

What's a secured wireless access point? What does WEP supported mean?

Is this like when you go to the internet cafe or certain libraries that are wired for the internet so you could just bring your lab top there (if you have a wireless internet card installed) and serf the net there? Or is this something different?

I suppose then that this wouldn't work in the car? (I'm going to my bro's graduation after school ends in Pennsylvania, from the chicago area, which =12 hrs of driving)
don't buy a DS simply because of the wifi capabilities. there's a lot more to it than that

a secured wireless access point would be a wireless router, for your computer. there's also a USB access point you can buy through Nintendo, but I don't know exactly what that's all about

McDonalds was suppsedly going to get free Wifi for a bunch of their resturants, so you could probably find one of those while you're driving. but no, you can't connect while actually driving, though that would be cool

[Vagla]

Not just any access point will work, though. I was unable to get my DS working on my wireless network at home, and my school was unable to get my DS running on their wireless network. My school currently has a network that allows you to connect if it recognizes your MAC address, as well as an old WEP-based network in a few places. The WEP network does indeed work, but I have to warn you that the former simply doesn't work at my school. I don't know why. So definitely do not get it expecting to be able to connect to any network, even if you've gone through the steps that should allow it to connect. You can expect it to connect to all McDonalds networks, though, for example, since those are designed for it. Additionally, you can buy a USB wifi adapter to allow you to plug the adapter into any computer it's installed on and piggy back on its internet connection. It works very well and is simple to use. I think it's pretty neat.

Regarding good games, the following are at least very good, in my opinion (and I've bolded the ones I like the most):
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Jump Superstars (Jpn)
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Mario Kart DS
Meteos
Metroid Prime Hunters
Metroid Prime Pinball
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (Jpn)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Sonic Rush
Tetris DS
Trauma Center: Under the Knife
True Swing Golf
Wario Ware Touched

I also own some others, and for the most part they're all pretty good. I definitely recommend the system, as there are a ton of fun games to play, in my opinion. Additionally, a lot of them do indeed make good use of the touchscreen or dualscreen aspect; most of the games on that list use at least one of those in a very good way. Meteos uses touchscreen input that is really necessary for the game; it wouldn't work otherwise. Same for Kirby. Mario Kart's use of the second screen is increidbly useful and will be missed in the next Mario Kart that's not on the DS or a DS-like system. Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan is a Japanese music game that uses the touchscreen for its input, and it also simply wouldn't work without a touchscreen.

Anyway, yeah, I am really happy with my DS. There are plenty of pretty fun games for it, and it definitely excites me because it's one of the last places to find new 2D games now, though there are, of course, good 3D games for the system, as well. Both Mario kart and Metroid Prime Hunters are amazing games (though Metroid lacks a little in single player compared to most Metroid games). This is definitely my favorite system, currently.

[Rijuhn]

I know at the very least I'm going to get a Revolution when it comes out, but if I have a good job and I'm making a good chunk of money then I'll save up to get a DS Lite, those things look awesome! I'm stoked about getting a DS Lite, but currently my wallet is dry. It definately sucks to be a broke college student, we actually I owe money, so it really sucks right now.

There are so many DS games I'm looking forward to getting, but I know I'll never taste them unless I have the cash after buying a Revolution.

[vegeta1215]

I was unable to get my DS working on my wireless network at home, and my school was unable to get my DS running on their wireless network.

Really? Have you been able to connect to any wireless access point? What kind of router do you have at home? Do you have it set up to accept wireless B connections? (which is what the DS is)

[MottZilla]

You also can check the nintendowifi.com site to see if you router is just plain incompatible with the DS.

[Vagla]

As I said, I could connect to the WEP network at school without a problem. My router at home is a Dell TrueMobile 1170, I think. I have a USB wifi adapter now, though, so I don't care as much; this works fine. :)

[MacWeirdo42]

Gee, I wish I had the money for half the DS games I want at the moment. And don't forget, New Super Mario Bros. is coming out later. As is a web browser, which I'm totally psyched about. The idea of surfing the 'net from pretty much anywhere with wi-fi... Hey, I don't have a laptop, can't afford one, so it's the next best thing.

[Grasshopper]

In order to minimize the risk of security compromise on a wireless LAN, the IEEE-802.11b stndard provides a security feature called Wired Equivalent Privacy which provides a mathematical method for encrypting data transmissions and authenticating each computer on the network. :tongue: Went all technical there.

Oops, seems likes it already been mentioned...

I don't have a USB adaptor so I was trying to log on at our school, and it was WEP encrypted. And of course, they wasn't going to just give it to me. The told me to log in with my user name and password, but I show them that I was using a DS, they thought I was talking about a laptop. I did manage to find a couple of unsecure access points in the same building while I was outside, and some outside source, but all my signals were too weak. Looks like I'm going to have to buy me a USB adaptor.

As far as it being worth it. Now that I'm actually getting into the games I bought several months ago, they seem to be adding a lot of content, and for the most part, the games are getting the WiFi treatment, so I would say it is worth it if theres at least a few interesting games on it that you like.

That Opera browser is only slated for Japan at the moment. I really do hope it comes out though, just in case I find a hotspot on the go, and browse the internet.

[Kairyu]

Actually, my dad's router is listed as not working at all, yet I just finished playing some MP:H on it a few minutes ago.

[idontknow]

Alright, well can you play other people who have a DS that are sitting in the very room you are sitting in without a router & wireless network & so forth? I thought there's like an automatic, wireless linking compatability with the DS for multiplayer gaming but i'm not sure. Or perhaps you need a cable/link for this, or maybe i'm confusing this with WiFi. Please clarify all this for me. Thanks!

[MottZilla]

You can play with anyone wirelessly if they are in the immediate area. Something like 50 feet or less gives you a good signal strength. No cables for multiplayer, which also means not GBA multiplayer.

[Gerudo]

wireless = someone in the same room, but no cables
wifi = hooked up to a router, and can play anyone on the nintendo wifi network.

the ds has wireless out of the box. if you've got a buddy who has a copy of the game (and its multiplayer), you can play sitting across the room from him/her. many games support the ds-download option, which gives you a toned down version of the game (not as many options, and mostly a simplistic-gameplay version of the full version).

as far as wifi goes, you need a wireless router, or the nintendo wifi adapter that apparently is now offered in stores. if not, you can get it from nintendo.com's online store. games that use wifi (mario kart, mp:h, and animal crossing ww) use friend codes for authorization to be added to a list for a specific game.

did that clarify it for you?

[Grasshopper]

The WiFi games are a few more than that. Go here to see all the games that support it.
http://www.nintendowifi.com/global/index.jsp

[Nimono]

From what I've read about Nintenod WiFi Connection in the booklets that come with WiFi-compatible games, you need to have a Broadband internet account ALONG with the wireless router in order to play on Nintendo WiFi Connection. I do NOT like that, since it means I have no one to play my WiFi-compatible games with. At least they're fun on their own.

[idontknow]

Wait, is this router like a nintend-specific product? or is like one of those purple things i see with like 2 attenaes that that you hook up to your computer? Also, how much do they cost? I may consider gettin' a nintendo DS and a wireless router if the router is farely cheap.

[Nimono]

Wait, is this router like a nintend-specific product? or is like one of those purple things i see with like 2 attenaes that that you hook up to your computer? Also, how much do they cost? I may consider gettin' a nintendo DS and a wireless router if the router is farely cheap.
1: I don't really know. I THINK it's Nintendo-specific. But I can't remember if the wireless router is the thing that goes in your DS or if it's the thing that goes in your DS. Check nintendowifi.com to find all the details. Nintendo ALSO suggests that you plug up your DS for recharge when playing WiFi Connection since it takes up EVEN MORE BATTERY POWER THAN NORMAL!
2: I have yet to see a wireless router, so I wouldn't know.

[MottZilla]

No, Nintendo makes a USB wireless access point to use with any computer connected to the internet. Nintendo does NOT make Routers. Any decent router will do such as Buffalo, LinkSys, NetGear.

[vegeta1215]

Nintendo has some great support pages on their website site for those having problems or those wondering what they need to connect to Nintendo Wifi: http://www.nintendowifi.com/customersupport/SupportHome.jsp