DS Daily: On the mic

by Alisha Karabinus { Sep 7th 2008 at 10:34AM }

We've spent our fair share of time complaining about usage of the microphone in most DS games (it's just often unnecessary), but does that mean the mic has no redeeming qualities? In non-games, certainly, the microphone at times has its uses ... but what about in regular old-fashioned games? Sure, it's fun to yell "Hold it!" at times, but do you need to be able to do so? Would games that use the DS mic be just as good without it?

Tied into this question is, of course, another one -- do you ever use voice chat in the games that support it? If you do, do you use a headset, or just the built-in mic?

Tags: microphone, voice-chat

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Hamster @ Sep 7th 2008 11:06AM

I cannot even begin to express how much I hate the DS mic. In my opinion it is the single worst gimmick in video games history. Blowing into the mic is tacky, contrived, horrible and embarrassing. And when I say embarrassing I don't just mean the obvious indignity of having to do it in public (rendering a portable console somewhat useless in the process), I mean just embarrassing as a gamer and a DS fan. How on earth can developers think it's fun? It couldn't possibly be less fun. Please don't tell me they think it's innovative or immersive. It couldn't be further from either of those two things. Hell even casual gamers think it's dumb. I'm tired of having to tell them that they don't actually have to suffer the appallingness of blowing into the DS to blow up their balloons in MKDS's Battle Mode and that they can just press Select. Needless to say they are greatly relieved to discover this. But it makes me sad that they ever had to suffer it in the first place.

I had thought that it'd stopped being used after the DS's release when the general consensus was that no-one likes it, but there are still games being made that feature it! Nowadays if a game features blowing (or yelling) into the mic, then I refuse to buy it. I just dread to think what awful gimmick is coming next. Farting into the controller? If you think about it, it isn't really that much different. I can imagine the Nintendo press release "Farting into the controller is our next big innovation. Sure, it's so awful that it will make most games totally unplayable, but some non-gamers will find it a silly novelty and that's all that matters."

Niz @ Sep 7th 2008 12:30PM

Actually i think Mario Kart was the only game i found that to be useful you could actually move slowly and blow at the same time. at least they had both options.

one0fthethree @ Sep 7th 2008 5:41PM

people play battle mode? lol

Niz @ Sep 7th 2008 6:34PM

if you can get your mates round its fun!

elsng @ Sep 7th 2008 11:24AM

Zelda: Phantom Hourglass practically forced it in order to get a good price on the canon and salvage arm :(

And I usually disable it when I'm playing games like Pokemon which support voice chat. Unless it's with friends that I know in person. Otherwise, I just don't want other people hearing random background noise.

Jacksons @ Sep 7th 2008 11:59AM

There was a minigame in Bomberman Land Touch 2 where you had to blow to move your boat. Hands down the most ridiculous thing I've ever had to do in a video game.

I wish they'd only use it for logical uses, i.e. voice recognition and nothing else. Zelda was the biggest offender, just because the game sat there with its arms crossed and demanded that you "call out" to that woman or whatever before moving on. Link's the one that needs to yell, not me. That part made me groan.

It's a good feature, developers just need to stop using it as a gimmick.

Michael @ Sep 7th 2008 12:06PM

Playing Ninja Gaiden at low to no volume and having to make a sound after every enemy encounter trying to find those darn birds.... not needed to say the least, especially since i have yet to find a less, attention gathering way than to actually yell, tried finger snapping and whistling but to no avail, the mic just doesn't seem to spare me the odd looks of the public.

Wah-hah-ha! @ Sep 7th 2008 12:07PM

I still recall having to escort the Cubus Sisters through that phantom ship in Phantom Hourglass by yelling at them when they got too scared to move

Recall with shame, though

DAud_IcI @ Sep 7th 2008 12:46PM

Whatever you might say, I actually loved yelling "Hold it!" and blowing is totally fine, even though I would never do it in public. However the mini game in Project Rub(the one with yelling "I love you!") was more then embarrassing so I just ended up with blowing.(Now that's the exploit!:P)
I really do hope that they'll make more games with sensible voice recognition and less with silly things to say or strange noises to make.(Clap over your DS? WTF?!)
To the developers: And for God's sake, please incorporate alternative methods when you use voice controls goddammit!(If Capcom can do it with PW everyone can...)

WhatIsThatThing @ Sep 7th 2008 1:09PM

This is off-topic but I just have to say that today is the day my DS hinge broke. I knew that stupid hinge crack would amount to something soon...I managed to fix it with superglue but who knows how long that'll last.

RIP my DS. Too bad my DS is launch day and can't be covered under warranty. I might as well get a new one because the shipping costs to repair this one would probably make it about the same price.

Ericj @ Sep 7th 2008 1:12PM

The Mic totally has to be in there for some games, take for instance the Phoenix Wright Games, as great and Campy they are, without the ability and the possibility to scream OBJECTION, or Hold it, and even Take that. The whole experience would've been Dampened.

Shiaoran @ Sep 7th 2008 1:48PM

OBJECTION!

It does have potential to be fun to use!
How I wish that Super Sentai-like game where you need to scream the names of the attacks was released in US... XD
(does anyone remember it's name? I suddenly want to import it :P)

Crass @ Sep 9th 2008 1:49PM

It is called Zekkyō Senshi Sakeburein (Exclamation Warriors Sakeburein) and is a Club Nintendo exclusive (woot woot Game and Watch Collection 2 is coming soon). So it is a rather hard game to find/import, however it is attainable by less than legal means. *cough cough*. I've tried it and I didnt really enjoy it, but it does take the microphone to a new level (i.e. the game is only played with the mic)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclamation_Warriors_Sakeburein

Shiaoran @ Sep 9th 2008 8:11PM

Thanks ^^

Holden @ Sep 7th 2008 2:22PM

How self-conscious are we, as a people, when we shudder to affront the concept of, dare I utter it, "Blowing in public"? This whole movement towards sheer generics while out and about is seriously spooking my beans.

It's like being shushed during the commercials at a movie theatre - who really cares?

I just feel like we all need to stop thinking about the thousands of prying eyes that are carefully inspecting our every move; gamers of the world, know that if everyone is trying to be so damn inoffensive, no one is allowed to dare watch you anymore! Blow and blow 'til your face turns blue, the world mustn't bat an eye because it would just be "improper"!

I hate that we all work so hard to pretend no one is bizarre or different - like there are social queues that we should all spend our lives trying to ignore.

If I want to play shout "I LOVE YOU" into my Rub Rabbits game, god damnit, I'm gonna do it.

Hamster @ Sep 7th 2008 3:15PM

It's not so much the fact that it's embarrassing, more the fact that it isn't remotely fun.

MagNet @ Sep 8th 2008 10:08AM

The problem is that when you're actually in public or any kind of noisy place the mic tends to pick it up. At least in some games, for instance in GH: On Tour it keeps turning on the star power, they should've bloody used the L/R buttons for that, select on lite is unusable.

Anyway back to using the mike in public, I have no problems blowing... but shouting, most of all it's annoying to the other people.

Fel @ Sep 7th 2008 2:24PM

Yeah, about the whole "blowing into the mic" thing... Whenever I have to blow, I just use one of my fingers, and sort of "rub it" against the mic, in quick sideways swipes. It works perfectly. I use it all the time for The World Ends With You and their stupid pins that need to be be activated by blowing.

Shoyz @ Sep 7th 2008 3:00PM

It's a feature I really could do without, if not just for the fact that I forget it exists until a game makes me use it, I've never seen it used in a way where it's more convenient than conventional controls, useful, or fun in any way.

manaman @ Sep 7th 2008 3:07PM

Wow,

I'm really surprised. I personally love the mic and enjoy using it. Sure, I am mostly playing at home but, even when I'm out and about, I simply don't care what people think. Games like "Rub Rabbits" or "Feel the Magic" wouldn't be the same without the mic. The puzzles that used it in "Phantom Hourglass" was my initiation to the mic and I still think of using it fondly. I've yet to feel that it's unnecessary or not fun.

I'm in a lonely camp, I suppose, but I do think the mic is implemented well. So sue me.

Out,

manaman

LocalToast @ Sep 7th 2008 3:47PM

I think the mic has it's ups and downs. It was fun using it in WarioWare, and Electroplankton used it in very cool ways. Also, Phoenix Wright makes good use of it.

The only game I have a problem with is Guitar Hero. On top of the already awkward controls and feeling of the Guitar Grip, I'm required to shout, or concentrate my blow into the small microphone slot. And when your focusing on holding up a 4x combo and strumming quickly, it adds to the annoyance.

I don't really use the voice chat feature on Metroid, except for playing with friends I know in person.

chibi_wings @ Sep 7th 2008 10:26PM

I wouldn't mind the mic so much, if only all the games that made use of it, made it optional. There are times when I'm playing, and I simply cannot scream into the mic. Like everyone pointed out, the parts in Zelda that ask for you to scream, do not give you the option of opting out of screaming. I actually happened to be playing late at night during this portion, and I was very annoyed that the game wouldn't let you continue on without completing the screaming gimmick. I eventually spoke into the mic and had to settle for a somewhat high price.

As for blowing into the mic in public, I have done it, but I would rather not. It really does look rather silly. I do, however, appreciate PW and the option of screaming objection, hold it, and take that, into the mic. It really does add to the game. ^^

MagNet @ Sep 8th 2008 10:11AM

Blowing is much louder for the mic than actual screaming :)

aj @ Sep 8th 2008 1:38AM

I hate the mic.

No, I'm not embarrassed by it. If I were that worried about what other people might think of me then I wouldn't even bother leaving the house.

It's just that the microphone is not fun. There are buttons, and there is a touch screen, and there is never (NEVER) a logical or sensible reason for the game developer to decide to require that the player not use any of these buttons or touch screens and just hold the thing up to your face and blow on your 100$ electronic device.

A video game should not force you to do anything you don't want to do. And I don't want to shoot saliva into something I paid money for and which is, like all electronics, probably not immune to water or condensation. I don't consider that "fun", among other things.

Patrick @ Sep 8th 2008 9:47AM

I've disliked it in every game I've seen it in. But I imagine the microphone is essential for something like "My French Coach." You can record your voice and hear how well you're doing.

With some kind of voice recognition, games (and language coaches) could be improved: you'd be tested on saying the right thing in the right way at the right time.

And if the DS had a few PDA features, a voice recorder might be a nice little plus.

But the implementations I've seen so far have been entirely disappointing. The mic was the stupidest part of Phantom Hourglass. And so far I've steered clear of the balloon thing in Mario Kart.

Jason8 @ Sep 8th 2008 10:19AM

Voice chat is useful when playing someone in Planet Puzzle League. I like to get a big chain going, say 20 or 25 or so, and then utter in a Barry White kind of voice, "I'm gonna drop some love on you!"

I haven't actually done this but I think it would be fun.

Jesterace @ Sep 9th 2008 9:35PM

The only time I enjoyed using the microphone was while playing brain age on my old DS phat. Hell when I upgraded to my black slim DS I found the mic did not respond as well. And I had to basically hollar at the top of my lungs doing those silly brain age tests which I ended up telling the game I was not in an area where I could speak out loud. It's a gimmic, even Mario Party 6 with the silly mic got annoying. I don't need to talk to my video games. I talk to myself while playing enough as it is lol.

M E W @ Sep 10th 2008 8:51AM

For me, there's nothing wrong w/ the DS' mic, its cool! Its just that there are games that use it in the wrong way that makes the player look like a dumb in public like Mario Kart DS BUT there are games that uses the mic in a cool way like in Pokemon D/P versions where you will use the mic to voice chat..

Come on guys, come to think of it, its an innovation! Even if you will look like stupid in front of many people in public, we're unique because not all have guts to use it and look public! hehe

AND look at Sonjy now, they will release a new version of PSP (again) w/ built-in microphone and enhanced lcd screen because they think they will outsold the DS because of built-in mic. They mimic Nintendo's innovative microphone.