E3: Nintendo DS Technical Demonstrations [Archive]

News

05-13-2004, 10:49 AM

Today at E3, many of the new Nintendo DS titles were on display for all attendees to get their hands on.  Beyond just a few games, however, Nintendo displayed some of the new innovations that could be utilized in future Nintendo DS titles.  These demos appeared in the form of what some would consider mini-games as they, indeed, were not full-fledged titles all there own…   …but that’s not to deny how intriguing they actually are.
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For Example, “Carving was on of the demos showcased on the E3 show floor.  Basically, this demo has the player choose from six different cylinders of various materials ranging from wood to metal or even Mario themed textures.  From there, the cylinder moves partially to the lower screen and begins to spin as if it were on a lathe (a power tool that is used for carving wooden solids like fancy table legs or banister posts).  Players can then use the Stylus to “carve” away at their selected cylinder.  Once finished, the newly formed solid moves back to the top where it can be viewed in full 3D.  What this demo highlights is the Nintendo DS’s 3D capabilities in addition to the sensitivity of the Stylus.  If the player wants to carve deep crevasses or pixel sized pieces… …they can.  While how this concept may be used in an actual game is a little foggy, its uniqueness is quite apparent… …and from what I hear, it’s a lot of fun too.<o:p></o:p>
Balloon Trip:<o:p></o:p>
In this zany demo reminiscent of Yoshi’s <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Island</st1:place>, Baby Mario is falling from the sky with only balloons keeping him from plummeting to certain death and it is the player’s duty to save him.  How you ask?... …by drawing clouds that guide him through the treacherous skies, of course.  To explain this further, the air is filled with hazards, enemies, and the occasional coin.  It is the players goal to draw the clouds on the lower screen in a way that hopefully navigates Baby Mario away from obstacles (all while defeating the enemies and gathering as many coins as possible) and eventually to safety on the back of Yoshi himself on the upper screen.  Points are determined based upon how many times you were hit and how many coins you managed to collect.  It should be noted that this demo isn’t as easy as it sounds.  The concept may be easy enough to grasp but actually drawing the clouds on the lower screen to make them appear correctly on the upper screen is quite the task.  Again, this demo is in no way a game title by itself, but would be a very fun addition to a more developed Yoshi or Mario gaming experience.<o:p></o:p>
Sonic E3 Demo:<o:p></o:p>
This little piece of software basically showed up at E3 to make clear Sega’s intentions of bringing the blue flash to the Nintendo DS.  In this demo, players basically move the stylus back and forth as fast as they can on the bottom screen, causing Sonic to run faster and faster on a predetermined path on the top screen.  If you get Sonic to move fast enough, he seemingly breaks the sound barrier as the motion dynamics change to a slow motion filtered look.  The point of the game is to get to the end of the path in the shortest time possible, all while jumping to collect the most coins by taping the upper portion of the touch screen.  While it may be a great portrayal of what the DS can do graphically, it is by no means a game in it self.<o:p></o:p>
Pikachu Demo:<o:p></o:p>
Seeing that both the Nintendo 64 and the Nintendo GameCube had one, Nintendo felt it shouldn’t let the Nintendo DS feel left out.  You got it…   …a new Pikachu title is in the works for the Nintendo DS.  Like its predecessors, players will get the chance to play with Pikachu in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Pokemon</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Park</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.  One game has Pikachu giving you a measuring tape as he hops to the upper screen to go catch some fish.  The player’s job is to then drag the measuring tape, using the stylus, across the Magikarp that Pikachu tosses down to you. Obviously, the bigger the fish, the happier Pikachu gets. You can play many other games with Pikachu, like playing the Xylophone while he dances, or pulling at his ears or cheeks to make him laugh.  There was also a game that involved tracing over Pikachu with the stylus as he struck a pose.  Rumor has it that Nintendo plans to have this game use the DS’s voice recognition function as it did with the use of the microphone in Hey You Pikachu on the Nintendo 64.  While very limited in terms of available activities and gameplay options, this demo highlights some of the new ways Pokemon fans will be able to interact with the ever cuddly Pikachu on the Nintendo DS.<o:p></o:p>