DS Daily: Add-ons

by Alisha Karabinus { Aug 29th 2008 at 9:00AM }

A suggestion in the comments of yesterday's DS Daily about a portable GameCube led to another, all-new thought: would you pick up another add-on for your DS if if offered some sort of neat functionality like that? We say another because the Guitar Grip obviously went over well, and most folks who tried the paddle controller, for instance, with Taito's games enjoyed it. Too many add-ons may spoil the portability of the system, but are some things worth it?

Tags: add-on, guitar-grip, paddle-controller, portable

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

aj @ Aug 29th 2008 9:22AM

My thinking is that if a handheld gaming device requires add-ons, then it's a bad handheld gaming device.

So no, I don't really think that any add-on for the DS adds anything of particular use or value.

Jacksons @ Aug 29th 2008 2:06PM

Couldn't have said it better myself. Portability is key to me.

Feba @ Aug 29th 2008 10:24AM

There is one addon I think would be worth it. Although it could probably be done with just the wifi card.

Remote Wii playing. Mainly for WiiWare and Virtual Console; although publishers should be given the ability to work it into their Wii titles (past and present).

Sony already does this with the PSP and PS3, so it's clearly not too hard. Any game that supports the Wii controller (with the exception of motion controls, although even that could be added through the expansion slot) sideways would fit the DS controls just fine. That doesn't quite get us to "playing OOT on DS! OMFG", but it does get us playing many many great games. Many of them do of course have GBA releases, but VC releases are going to be about the same in price or cheaper, and it's less to lug around assuming you can find a wifi connection.

Besides the obvious Virtual Console games, it could probably be adapted to a good share of WiiWare games. I only own Gyrostarr, but the DS could handle it just fine. It would sure as hell give me a reason to buy Tetris Party. From what I've seen, we could even have Lost Winds on DS by using the touchscreen to replace the cursor.

Wii Games would benefit from this too. Super Paper Mario and WarioWare: Shake It! (this would probably need the addition of a motion cart, or replacement with the touchscreen so people don't shake their poor DSs to death) would be right at home on DS (I'm already imagining how Super Paper Mario could work SO WELL on DS. Menu on the bottom, player on the top, press the "Tippi" button to switch to pointer mode which swaps the screens; and use the touch screen to examine things.)

I don't think I need to say how kick ass SSBB on DS would be, and its control scheme is certainly adaptive enough. Basically unchanged except maybe moving the heath bars into the touch screen (to save space for fighting)

Obviously, like the PSP-PS3, it would work for almost all classic games, a good amount of downloadable titles, and could even be worked into supporting some full retail titles.

Feba @ Aug 29th 2008 11:01AM

Note: I meant to say software card, not wifi card.

Gewurztraminer says: R.O.B. is the last Cylon! @ Aug 29th 2008 5:33PM

From the moment the ideas Virtual Console and Wii-DS connectivity came about I've been wondering the same thing.

I mean, the GBA could download NES games from the Gamecube version of Animal Crossing. I did it all the time. So why not have VC titles downloadable to the DS?

I'm not holding my breath, but I'm still kind of hoping for it in the back of my mind.

Donald @ Aug 29th 2008 10:32AM

The only add-on I would pick up would be a GBA slot addon if the rumored redesign removes it.

PiemanPieman @ Aug 29th 2008 10:32AM

I like add-ons because they give me more choices. I don't really mind more of anything like that because I'll either buy it or I won't.

I also own a DS paddle controller and the thing pretty much rocks.

mark @ Aug 29th 2008 10:39AM

nintendo needs to learn to stop making accesories :P i mean back in the day for nes they had about 15 acc., snes had a few also. and some were always mandatory to play a bunch of certain games, n64 had a few also rumblepak, expansion pak , pokemon gameboy pak, they had a few more but it was like you want to play zelda majoras mask, or perfect dark u needed expansion pak, gamecube had the same problem -_- look them up too many to post. the gameboy/color and gba had many acc also. and now if you look at the wii you will need wiifit to play like 80 games to come. and there making wiimotion plus sound like it will be mandatory in the future. and they have so many more acc.

but as the ds goes depends on what this new addon is could be a motion pak i would probably buy it.

Feba @ Aug 29th 2008 11:00AM

Just because a game supports a controller doesn't mean it's required. This is why the Wii uses the motion controller out of the box, for everything; it would flop otherwise. Just look at the EyeToy-- plenty of games SUPPORT it, but only the EyeToy games themselves really require it.

mark @ Aug 29th 2008 3:06PM

yes true but you dont understand if developers make newer wii games(after may 2009) that only use wii motion plus to play them and you wont be able to play them with out the wiimotion plus . meaning there gonna force people to go out and buy this 30-50$ acc for each wiimote that you have, if you wanted to play the game single and multiplayer. That being said there wont be any standard wiimote motion games anymore, because wiimote alone is not 1 to 1 ratio in motion which requires wiimotion plus, and all of the games will be 1 to 1 motion.

eyetoy is a different concept than the wiimotion plus , eyetoy is a different controller to play its games. wiimotion plus which should have been in wiimote from the start is a acc. added to the wiimote for 1 to 1 motion in future games, and that is why the wii mote is not used for everthing in the near future.

Feba @ Aug 29th 2008 6:13PM

The idea that all Wii games are going to need or want WMP is silly. It's like the N64 Expansion Cartridge-- it has its uses, and it can be a huge help in some cases, but very few games are going to need it.

And I have no idea where you for $30-50 from, but most people are guessing $10-20 for WMP.

mark @ Aug 29th 2008 11:06PM

again your refering to something different than wiimotion plus this is an actual requirement for future games which is why nintendo spend 40 mins just talking and demonstrating this at e3. they say wmp is cheap to make thinking of the hardware nintendo makes 1 wmp at 10$ selling to a consumer is twice the price $20 but wiisports costs 10$ as does every other type of demo game ie. wiiplay, so its +10 for wiisports resort also .so right there is $30 easy lol plus tax, and at e3 they stated wmp will only be sold with wiisports resort.

in a kotaku article iwata states if you have 4 wii remotes you [B]will[/B] need to buy for all 4 wii remotes to play the games that will be coming out. and with a firmware update he states oldergames obtain the feature to add this into there controls.

why would they be making it backward compatable with all other wii games? seems like a lot of time to just make it a acc if you want to buy or not.

atastysammich @ Aug 29th 2008 10:55AM

I'd say they're worth it. I'm loving the Rumble Pak and am awfully tempted to pick up an Arkanoid paddle controller at some point.

The DS add-ons bring something unique to the table and, with maybe one or two exceptions, are optional anyway. From an accessory standpoint, they make more sense than, say, tethering an entire controller to another controller for the sole purpose of being a power source without the option for just using separate batteries.

Matdredalia @ Aug 29th 2008 1:16PM

Personally, I love accessories. I think they add choices to the system and the games I play, and I like that. I don't HAVE to buy them, but I have the option to, and I enjoy that. In my mind, the more accessories there are, the more ways to play there are, the more choices I have.

That makes me a happy panda.