ASH Screenshots (Nintendo DS)

[EvilBob46]

The Magic Box has some screenshots (http://www.the-magicbox.com/0510/game051030e.shtml) of MistWalker's Nintendo DS RPG ASH (short for Archaic Sealed Heat). The game will "have pre-rendered graphics" and battles with "simulation RPG elements." The article doesn't specify what this means. MistWalker is the new company lead by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. The two other games from the company, Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, are being developed for the Xbox 360.

[NoName]

Wow, those are some nice graphics on the DS. Is this confirmed going to be released in the US or for now is this Jap only?

[Ernst_Jager]

Looks good, but pre-rendered graphics and simulation RPG elements almost make it sound like it plays itself while you watch to me.

[crazyfrazee]

Pre-rendered graphics? That means limited interactivity and repetitive shots... pass.

[TrackZero]

Like any game, I'll wait to find out if it's any good before I pass judgement.

[Heretic Machine]

Sounds... odd. Do they mean that it's a game with pre-rendered graphics similar to Dragon's Lair, or what? o.o

[Cubfan]

Archaic Sealed Heat?

[Dabombpizza]

Pre-rendered graphics? That means limited interactivity and repetitive shots... pass.
Pre-rendered, as in Final Fantasy VII, as in the background is rendered and you walk on it. And of course limited interativity, it's a J-Rpg.

Personally I'm extremely intrigued by this game. Not only is it pushing the limits of the DS, it's being devolped by an FF father, which may prove to be a damn good RPG on the DS (no Lunar). I'm still set on Children of Mana though...

Looks good, but pre-rendered graphics and simulation RPG elements almost make it sound like it plays itself while you watch to me.

Yea, I'm curious as to what "simulation RPG" means... On one hand it could be Harvest Moon, on the other hand it could be Ogre Battle...

[SuperMonkeyFighter2]

Pre-rendered, as in Final Fantasy VII, as in the background is rendered and you walk on it. And of course limited interativity, it's a J-Rpg.

Personally I'm extremely intrigued by this game. Not only is it pushing the limits of the DS, it's being devolped by an FF father, which may prove to be a damn good RPG on the DS (no Lunar). I'm still set on Children of Mana though...


I'm with you, man. The game looks good. Personally, I think pre-rendered is the way to go on this system. While it can push some polys, it can't push nearly enough to give off a convincing 3D world. I kind of wish they took this approach with the upcoming RE title, as those shots look a bit underwhelming. If they had went pre-rendered on the backgrounds (as they did with the PS1 versions), then they could have payed closer attention to character detail with the saved polys.

[Kamalot]

Lots of games had pre-rendered graphics and turned out great.

Think Donkey Kong Country.

[if76]

Whatever's going on with these screenshots, the DS is incapable of doing 3d on both screens at once as is indicated in the picture. Actually very little in these screenshots looks real to me. There's no way in the world, with its limited polygon capabilities, that the DS could have objects as smooth as the handle of her rifle or as intricate as the strands of hair coming out the bottom of the monster.

[jacktion]

Whatever's going on with these screenshots, the DS is incapable of doing 3d on both screens at once as is indicated in the picture.


Woah, dude. You just shot your credibility all to heck. The DS does 3d on both screens all the time. There are too many instances to note. Right now I am playing Metroid pinball and it has six polygonal balls bouncing around on both screens at the same time. Not that impressive but technically it is 3d on both screens at the same time.

[Venkman]

I'm with you, man. The game looks good. Personally, I think pre-rendered is the way to go on this system. While it can push some polys, it can't push nearly enough to give off a convincing 3D world. I kind of wish they took this approach with the upcoming RE title, as those shots look a bit underwhelming. If they had went pre-rendered on the backgrounds (as they did with the PS1 versions), then they could have payed closer attention to character detail with the saved polys.

You can, however, play the new Nintendo DS using RE4 style controls and viewpoints.

That is bad ass. That's all the original ever needed, besides better voice acting. ;-)

[SuperMonkeyFighter2]

You can, however, play the new Nintendo DS using RE4 style controls and viewpoints.

That is bad ass. That's all the original ever needed, besides better voice acting. ;-)

Hey, leave the voice acting alone! That was the best part! :)

[EvilBob46]

You can, however, play the new Nintendo DS using RE4 style controls and viewpoints.


Did the developers say so? Is the game going to be more action-oriented too?

[Dabombpizza]

Did the developers say so? Is the game going to be more action-oriented too?
Yes. But there will be a classic mode so you can still get frustrated and run into walls.

[Achilles]

Well it looks great and I’ll get it as soon as it’s out. But Archaic Sealed Heat? Come on! Surely a whole company full of people could think of a better acronym for ASH than Archaic Sealed Heat. This is what happens when people try to match an acronym to words instead of the other way around.

It does look a little too good for a DS game though, I wonder if these are just concept renders.Woah, dude. You just shot your credibility all to heck. The DS does 3d on both screens all the time. There are too many instances to note. Right now I am playing Metroid pinball and it has six polygonal balls bouncing around on both screens at the same time. Not that impressive but technically it is 3d on both screens at the same time.Are you sure those balls aren’t pre-rendered sprites? That would be a really easy trick to pull off. I can’t think of any DS game that I’ve seen that’s running 3d on both screens at the same time. From what I know it can't be done. It's possible that a company out there rewrote a bunch of really low level code, or emulated 3d on the other screen similar to what people are doing with the GBA these days (they can get 3d on a GBA). But really it's just easier to render out the 3d image as a bunch of sprites and run that from screen to screen.

[Nessus]

The DS can run 3D on both screens. The second DS processor is slightly better than the GBA's processor, and the GBA can do rudimentary 3D.

But even beyond that I think there might be a way to do limited 3D running of the main processor on both screens. I seem to recall some game other than Metroid Prime Pinball doing it.

[Kamalot]

Feel the Magic runs 3D on both screens at the same time, and that's a launch title.

[alienchild]

wow... 3D... its such a breath-taking concept, and to imagine that on a hand-held!

ASH looks fucking awesome, I'm gonna have to pick that up along with the new RE title. Anyone know of any other jap-rpg titles coming for DS, some that might look a bit more mature than most GBA RPGs?

[Kyle Jones]

The character art is pretty neat!

[mister_slim]

Feel the Magic runs 3D on both screens at the same time, and that's a launch title.
Which really points out that choosing the right art style is more important than raw technology.

[Achilles]

Ah I guess there is a trick to allow the same processor to run 3d on both screens, it just cuts your texture memory in half. I stand corrected. Perfect for a pinball game or feel the magic.

[sorvey]

for anyone interested they have videos of the battles at gametrailers, looks pretty snazzy.

[Kamalot]

I believe this is the oldest thread I have ever seen revived. You do realize that it is almost 2 years old, right?

Anyway, why not provide some linkage to these GameTrailers videos of which you speak?

[sorvey]

oops, my bad didn't even think about checking the date, as for the link, http://www.gametrailers.com/game/5510.html

[Libuke]

Hey at least he used the search function.

[Kamalot]

Hey at least he used the search function.

Agreed! :D