Topic: those new batch of screenshots look incredible!

[ActorJ]

I was of the opinion that Mario 64X4 looked pretty sucky back at e3. Well, no more, the new screenshots posted on Nintendo's japanese website (http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/index.html) are a revelation. The character models are fantastic, gamecube quality for sure. the overall grpahics of course are something short of that, but they are certainly a step above N64 quality. Ditto for MarioKart. Remarkable transformations.  

[kirby_killer_dedede]

Mario Mahjong WTF!??!

[Jdub03]

Check out the character models on nintendo dogs.  Thats pretty amazing.  It will look much better in motion too!

[Gamefreak]

When I saw the screenshot of Metroid Hunters with Samus on a space station on one knee (you know, the one she's in at the end of the customary super jump opening up Metroid Prime) I was like....holy cow that looks almost as good as Metroid Prime on gcn save for the background models....then I saw the other pics and realized it must be FMV...

But think about it. The FMV in Hunters (you can see a lot of it in the 14 min presentation) is basically a little under GCN quality graphics (the Samus model looks identical to the Prime one, save for lower res screen of course, and the environments aren't as detailed as prime) while the in game graphics are around upper N64 game quality, all aspects taken into account, and only based on content already shown. In a year or two don't you think it's feasable to see games with GCN quality graphics (as in, the game LOOKS like a GCN game, on the DS's screens, of course there is no way it will actually be pushing the polys, textures or effects of a GCN title). How far do you think they can push the DS? Of course, it all depends on how smartly they allocate the two CPU's power...a game with nothing but text on the 2nd screen can basically use all system power on just the other screen....

PS just a random thought. Dreamcast Soul Calibur, ported to DS, updated with the movesets and new characters from Soul Calibur 2, a new weapon master mode if Namco is not feeling too lazy, and online enabled, slapped with Soul Calibur DS title....would be freaking amazing. And it's so obvious, that I'm sure it's happening already.... I've heard rumors but nothing's official, but even Namco can't be that dumb...I hope they stick Ganondorf or Marth, or Sheik, or a Stalfos Knight, or Iron Knuckle, or Gerudo chick, or all them in there....you know...Nintendo should just get the Soul Calibur engine and slap Zelda characters onto it. Or stick it in the next Smash Bros. as a new mode. Too bad Japanese companies don't license game engines like they do here in the US with PC titles (Quake and Unreal engines anywone?).

Wow i ramble a lot.

[ActorJ]

gamecube graphics arent gonna happen. But certainly what i have seen is pretty impressive, certainly adequate if not amazing. I'd love to see a Ds style handheld with the power of PSP, but theres no way i would want to sacrifice battery life and price to get there.

Nevermind the fact that I don't belive we will see many games that really push the PSP except for ports, because the development costs are going to be insanled high for a handheld.

[MaleficentOgre]

Cube graphics aren't possible, but you can certainly fool the mainstream public into thinking they are as good.  With the smaller screens you can make the graphics look better than they really are.
If the DS had PSP power with two backlit screens the battery would last approximatly twenty-five minutes with a price tag $450.  Sony will pay someone to push the PSP to its limits because none of their first parties could.

[Gamefreak]

Yeah that's what I said. Of course you can't actually have true cube graphics, but on such small screens a DS game that fully uses the system's capabilities can in effect look just as good as a cube game.... It's pretty easy to fool people with all these new graphical tricks too. Just look at DOOM 3 on PC....take away the bump mapping and fancy textures and the game is actually pretty simplistic, especially the models.

[kennyb27]

Quote
Nintendo should just get the Soul Calibur engine and slap Zelda characters onto it. Or stick it in the next Smash Bros. as a new mode.

I couldn't disagree with these statements more.

[Gamefreak]

Hey i wasn't really being serious. I was just rambling. The first one about Zelda Calibur is pretty stupid. But I wouldn't mind seeing a new mode in the next smash bros. that has the characters fighting in true fighting game style. I'm not saying take away the normal SSB mode because that would be dumb. But more modes can only be better.

[SatansNemesis]

The graphics look a little like GC without the great bump-mapping/textures. But it is more like what N64 would look like if Rare had their hands on N64 development in 2002/03. Probably our best glimpse of what the N64DD looked like. Or if N64 had another RAM upgrade or had used CD media (for more storage space).