Black and White DS Preview

[bapenguin]

IGN (http://ds.ign.com/articles/611/611241p1.html) has a short preview of the Nintendo DS port of Black and White.The Nintendo DS version, in development at Full Fat, will feature eight unique island environments to control, as well as ten different species of creatures to train and command. Some breeds have never been seen in the Black & White universe. The Nintendo DS version will take advantage of touch-screen stylus control where players can train and/or punish their on-screen creature with specific stylus motions. The system's microphone will also be employed for speech recognition, so players can use voice commands to encourage or berate their creature.

But can you fling poo with the stylus?

[homunculus]

Oh. My. God. I have been waiting to play this game for ages, but never got around to it since I don't really game on my computer. This is something unexpected, but that I couldn't be happier about. I pray it comes out as amazing as I heard the computer version was. This is like a gift straight from the heavens. (godlike puns intended) (lame parenthetical pun identifier not intended)

[president_fred]

I can see how this would make sense, the control scheme always seemed to need a touchscreen stylus type interface. It's funny that the DS is becoming more and more like a mini pc type platform with what seems like promising RTS's and FPS's. I did not see that coming.

[Borys]

It would make sense to port old PC adventure/ RTS games to the DS since it can emulate mouse so easily and they are often 2D requiring little to none 3D capabilities.

However, EA is not smart and ports Command & Conquer to ... PSP. Go figure. (http://psp.ign.com/objects/737/737755.html)

[TrackZero]

?!?!?!?!? I didn't even know this was coming out! Sweet! I can't wait.

[Savok]

B&W's control scheme could work quite well with the DS.... even if the main game sucks, just give us a sandbox and we'll have a great time killer on our hands.

[jacob.armitage]

this might be interesting.

right now im really excited about age of empires 2 for the DS, although i really think they should give it a diffrent name, as apparantly its a turn based strategy.

and im praying for a Heroes of might and magic game on it! i mean come on! they did on GBC, why not DS

[Voidlessvoid]

This is going to be great! I get to play B&W again. I'm not sure if thoes who have never played this are aware but B&W dosen't work with windows XP. At all. Going to be nice to be able to play this again. Can't Wait!!

[Rirath]

C&C will be great on the PSP. The wide screen will look incredible and the graphics will blow away what the DS would have done to it. You don't /need/ a touchscreen to play an RTS, not when you have an actual control scheme above and beyond doodling.

I played B&W just fine on XP when it first came out... though it got old after a few days. It was too much of an experiment and not enough of a game. Give me AoE, Warcraft, Starcraft, C&C, or Sacrifice any day.

[Montgomery_Python]

B&W was a vile game. I felt great glee when I threw the CD's in my trashbin.

[homunculus]

Anyone who has ever tried to play an RTS or anything like it on a console can tell you, rirath, that it's unwieldy at best, and frustrating to the point of driving one insane at worst. I think most people here who can talk w/o fanboyism can tell you that.

I offer a challenge to fanboys everywhere. Instead of throwing out childish derogatory terms and ideas (an actual control scheme above and beyond doodling) that proudly and prominently display your ignorance, attempt to really put one over on us. Make us think that you are coming at the topic with an objective viewpoint, instead of like the half-mad jackal that you present yourself to be.

Example:
1) I fear that certain posters here fail to put behind them their basal viewpoints and prejudices when posting on these topics, as such, the topic as a whole becomes tiring and I lose any interest as my hopes of knowledgable discourse fades into the sunset. May I suggest opposed to giving prudent and thoughtful comments that are worth my time to read from hereon out to the populace.
2) Fanbois suck the coq!! Shut up!!

P.S. This is unfairly directed at rirath, and for that I apologize. This was just the straw that broke the camel's back after all the fighting over the handhelds. I own both, and want them both to be killer, however each has their limitations. Now, who wants a hot carl?

[Heretic Machine]

First of all, I'm almost positive Black & White works with Windows XP... being that the first time I played it was on this XP machine. Second, Black & White sucks... The end <.<

[CapnBob]

One the one hand, it could be cool if they fix the innumerable things that kept it from being fun or even really a game. On the other hand... what are the chances that they'll fix anything? Give the animal and people enough smarts for basic survival so that we don't have to micromanage EVERYTHING AT ALL TIMES and then provide some actual game-like structure to it. But we'll probably just get another poop-eating sim.

[Worldcrafter]

I was enjoying this game until I left the training area and suddenly had to micromanage up the wazoo. If they can soften that learning curve, then this port will be infinitely more fun to play. Of course, I don't own a PSP or NDS, so my interest is mild at best. Once both systems have something more than ports, I might take a look.

[Rirath]

Anyone who has ever tried to play an RTS or anything like it on a console can tell you, rirath, that it's unwieldy at best, and frustrating to the point of driving one insane at worst. I think most people here who can talk w/o fanboyism can tell you that.

I have played mouse driven genres on more than a PC thanks, and yes, it's perfectly possible to do. Don't blame the entire industry for a few poorly written control schemes. Do you also blame the entire 3d platformer industry for a few poorly written cameras?

The PSP has an analog control stick, and it will most likely be perfectly capable of fine enough movements to select units and order them around. You simply don't /need/ a touchscreen for this, as I said. Keyword: Need.

Aside from that, I can only imagine the GUI will be leaps and bounds ahead, which alone will make control that much easier. I base this assumption off the differences in the titles already out. Look at Ridge Racer for the DS, and look at Ridge Racer for the PSP.

I offer a challenge to fanboys everywhere. Instead of throwing out childish derogatory terms and ideas

You realize this started with "However, EA is not smart and ports Command & Conquer to ... PSP. Go figure."

(an actual control scheme above and beyond doodling)

The Pocket PC has an actual stylus control scheme. Many DS games simply don't. In fact, Nintendo is very keen on a doodling control scheme, exactly as described. Entire games are being based around this, and so is their chat program. It's not a PDA, it's a Nintendo product... and Nintendo has their own ideas of how stylus controls should work.

1) I fear that certain posters here fail to put behind them their basal viewpoints and prejudices when posting on these topics, as such, the topic as a whole becomes tiring and I lose any interest as my hopes of knowledgeable discourse fades into the sunset.

Honestly, come on... this is EvilAvatar. That reads like one of Tycho's rants at Penny-Arcade. This place isn't based on "knowledgeable discourse" and if that's what you hope for, you'd be better of looking elsewhere. Even the news posts are biased around here. It's what this place is based on, it's what I come here for. As someone said the other day, "Save it for English 101."

May I suggest opposed to giving prudent and thoughtful comments that are worth my time to read from hereon out to the populace.

2) Fanbois suck the coq!! Shut up!!

You may, but you do yourself a great disservice both by your second comment, and by your labeling me a 'fanboi' based simply one one comment about a control scheme. I have nothing against Nintendo, I love everything from the NES to the N64, the Gameboy original to the GBA. I simply have my gripes about the Gamecube in a few areas, my doubts about the Revolution, and my /very/ cautious optimism that the DS may one day be a worthy successor.

Calling an opposing point of view a 'fanboi' serves no purpose whatsoever... Now can we get back to how much this game is probably going to suck? ;)

[TrackZero]

This is going to be great! I get to play B&W again. I'm not sure if thoes who have never played this are aware but B&W dosen't work with windows XP. At all. Going to be nice to be able to play this again. Can't Wait!!

Apparently you're running another copy of XP than me. Both on my machine and the one at my mother's place B&W works fine, both running XP Professional (mine with SP2, hers on SP1).

[if76]

C&C will be great on the PSP. The wide screen will look incredible and the graphics will blow away what the DS would have done to it. You don't /need/ a touchscreen to play an RTS, not when you have an actual control scheme above and beyond doodling.


Yeah because console RTS's always turn out great. Surely since the PSP's analog stick is WORSE than the ones on consoles an RTS for the system will be BETTER than the lame ones we've seen on consoles so far. I've been waiting for someone to make an RTS for the DS. Now they just have to get to porting Lemmings and I'll be happy.

[MrMeatshake]

that's the longest post i've ever seen on here, rirath.

B&W sucked. i'm a god, u want me to find a sheep? no.

things like that do not a fun game make- that's something people get paid to do. and trying to do it on a PC screen is even less fun than doing it in real life.

[KarmaGhost]

Did anyone take a look at the screenshots? I wasn't really impressed, but anyone who's played B&W on the PC knows that using a stylus for issuing commands and spells would be quite cool.

Command & Conquer was ported over to the N64 back in the day and from what I remember the controls weren't so hot. I'm not sure what they could do with the PSP version, but if they could make it playable that would be cool. I personally, however, don't think I'd enjoy micromanaging an RPG on, say, my way to work on the bus.

[Royal Fool]

However, EA is not smart and ports Command & Conquer to ... PSP. Go figure. (http://psp.ign.com/objects/737/737755.html)
I was quite shocked to see this link, I had no idea there was a C&C game in development for PSP. Wasn't there also some Red Alert game that was said to be in the making for DS? I thought I had read about that somewhere.

Anyway, there are no news listed for that PSP version, how did you come across it? I can't find any announcements anywhere.

[netcraazzy]

I think porting this game to the DS is a pretty good idea; it has a unique game play that I think meshes well with the DS's touch screen capabilities. On the other hand, I remember I bought this game when it first came out and was fairly disappointed with it because the single player campaign was short and the level of micromanagement of the villagers got very annoying. If they add a sandbox mode then I think this game would be worth a look and if they are smart they will leverage the wireless capabilities of the DS and implement the multi-player component that the PC version had too. If done right I think this could be one of those titles that people point to a reason to get the DS.

[Rirath]

Anyway, there are no news listed for that PSP version, how did you come across it? I can't find any announcements anywhere.

Not directed at me, but the first time I saw it I was simply checking out a list of EA's upcoming PSP titles at IGN. It's listen in there. There're several little-known titles rumored / in development. :)

[Gitaroomaan]

C&C will be great on the PSP. The wide screen will look incredible and the graphics will blow away what the DS would have done to it. You don't /need/ a touchscreen to play an RTS, not when you have an actual control scheme above and beyond doodling.


Ugh, I'm sorry man, but there is no way I would want to play an RTS on my PSP. I've tried console-based rts games before, and they just don't work.

[mister_slim]

I have played mouse driven genres on more than a PC thanks, and yes, it's perfectly possible to do. Don't blame the entire industry for a few poorly written control schemes. Do you also blame the entire 3d platformer industry for a few poorly written cameras?

The PSP has an analog control stick, and it will most likely be perfectly capable of fine enough movements to select units and order them around. You simply don't /need/ a touchscreen for this, as I said. Keyword: Need.

Aside from that, I can only imagine the GUI will be leaps and bounds ahead, which alone will make control that much easier. I base this assumption off the differences in the titles already out. Look at Ridge Racer for the DS, and look at Ridge Racer for the PSP.

The Pocket PC has an actual stylus control scheme. Many DS games simply don't. In fact, Nintendo is very keen on a doodling control scheme, exactly as described. Entire games are being based around this, and so is their chat program. It's not a PDA, it's a Nintendo product... and Nintendo has their own ideas of how stylus controls should work.
What the fuck are you talking about? What "mouse-driven genres" are you refering to? Why on earth would you generalize the GUI of two games to the hardware? What is a "doodling control scheme"? Why would PDA interfaces in any way influence game interface design?