Topic: GBA and DS Dev Kits Get Video Applications

[Pryopizm]

Actimagine makes FMV even more likely on the GBA and DS.

Nintendo Co., Ltd. Selects Actimagine Video Technologies for its GameBoy Advance and Nintendo DS Software Development Kits    

PARIS, November 15/PRNewswire/ --     Actimagine announces that Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japan) has  licensed its video codecs to integrate video sequences in video games for the Game Boy Advance(TM) and the Nintendo DS(TM) handheld video game systems. It will be provided at no charge in Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS Software Development Kits (SDK). It will allow all Nintendo's game developers to enrich their games with attractive video content.    

   

    On the Nintendo DS, Actimagine software video codec can achieve full screen 256x192 video up to 30 frames per second from 100kbps to 700kbps, with stereo sound from 8KHz mono to 48KHz stereo. Dual screen can be supported up to 15 frames per second.    

   

    Metroid Prime Hunters(TM): First Hunt and Jump Super Stars(TM) are the first two games using those outstanding video capabilities.    

   

    In 2004, Actimagine had previously licensed to Nintendo Co., Ltd. its video compression technologies allowing Nintendo to deliver up to 90 minutes of TV-like video titles on 32MB cartridges on its range of hand-held  consoles: GameBoy Advance, GameBoy Advance SP and Nintendo DS. This is a purely software-based solution, making the video cartridges compatible with the vast installed base of Nintendo hand-held consoles that are already in the market.    

   

     "This new license confirms our commitment to Nintendo's handheld consoles success. Providing Nintendo with cutting edge technologies is a permanent challenge," says André Pagnac, Actimagine's President.    

   

    "Actimagine's tools and technologies strengthen our ability to support our developers efforts in delivering high quality games," says Ramin   Ravanpey, Director of Software Development Support, Nintendo of America Inc.    

   

    Actimagine will exhibit at the CES 2006 in Las Vegas, USA, from January 5th to 8th, Sands Convention Center booth 70608.  

[KDR_11k]

So that's why they're making Xenosaga DS?

[Darkheart]

Cant wait to see what Squeenix will do with it ~!

[Arbok]

Quote
Originally posted by: PGC NewsBot
Metroid Prime Hunters(TM): First Hunt and Jump Super Stars(TM) are the first two games using those outstanding video capabilities.

A possible US Jump Super Stars release to include the technology, or am I reading that wrong and it was already used in the Japanese version?

Either way, as long as there is no loading time it sounds good to me.  

[Pryopizm]

Since it's on a cartridge format rather than a disc format, I imagine any loading time being pretty much nil.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

I don't know how big that GBA cartridge was for Shrek 2, but it looked like ASS it was so compressed.  I hope Nintendo comes out with DS cards larger than 128 MBytes soon.

[ruby_onix]

This was posted on the Gaming-Age forums a while back.


8MB 3DM + 0.5KB EEPROM
Bomberman (Ubisoft/Hudson)

8MB 3DM + 8KB EEPROM
-Polarium (Nintendo/Mitchell)
-Yawaraka Atama Juku (Nintendo)
-Zoo Keeper (Ignition Entertainment/Success)

16MB 3DM
-Animaniacs: Lights! Camera! Action! (Ignition Entertainment/Warthog)
-Electroplankton (Nintendo)

16MB 3DM + 0.5KB EEPROM
-GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (Electronic Arts)
-Kenshui Tendo Dokuta (Spike)
-Madagascar (Activision/Vicarious Visions)
-Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt (Nintendo)
-Nanostray (Majesco Games/Shin'en)
-Pac-Pix (Namco)
-Ping Pals (THQ/Wayforward Technologies)
-Retro Atari Classics (Atari/Taniko)
-Space Invaders Revolution (Mastiff/Rising Star Games/Taito)
-Spider-Man 2 (Activision/Vicarious Visions)
-World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series (Crave Entertainment/Sensory Sweep)
-Yoshi: Touch & Go (Nintendo)

16MB 3DM + 8KB EEPROM
-Devilish: Ball Bounder (Star*fish)
-Mahjong Taikai (KOEI)
-Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits (Namco)
-Pokémon Dash (Nintendo/Ambrella)
-Super Mario 64 DS (Nintendo)

16MB 3DM + 250KB EEPROM
-Daigasso! Band Brothers (Nintendo)
-Madden NFL 2005 (Electronic Arts)
-Nou o Kitaeru Otona DS Training (Nintendo)

32MB 3DM + 0.5KB EEPROM
-Robots (VU Games/Eurocom)
-Sprung (Ubisoft/Guillemot)
-Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith (Ubisoft)

32MB 3DM + 8KB EEPROM
-Asphalt: Urban GT (Ubisoft/Gameloft)
-Cool 104 Joker & Setline (Aruze)
-Feel the Magic: XY/XX (SEGA)
-Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy (Square Enix/Bandai)
-Hanjuku Eiyuu DS: Egg Monster Heroes (Square Enix/Neverland)
-Lunar: Dragon Song (Ubisoft/Marvelous Interactive/JAM)
-Need For Speed Underground 2 (Electronic Arts)
-Rayman DS (Ubisoft/DC Studios)
-Ridge Racer DS (Namco/Nintendo)
-Puyo Pop Fever (Atlus/Sega)
-The Urbz: Sims In The City (Electronic Arts/Griptonite Games)
-Tiger Woods PGA Tour (Electronic Arts)
-Trace Memories (Nintendo/Cing)
-Wario Ware Touched! (Nintendo/Intelligent Systems)

32MB 3DM + 250KB EEPROM
-Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Nintendo/Intelligent Systems)
-Bokujou Monogatari: Korobokkoru Station (Marvelous Interactive)
-Madden NFL 06 (Electronic Arts)
-Naruto RPG 2: Chidori vs. Rasengan (TOMY)
-Nintendogs: Chihuahua & Friends (Nintendo)
-Nintendogs: Dachshund & Friends (Nintendo)
-Nintendogs: Lab & Friends (Nintendo)
-SD Gundam G Generation DS (Bandai/BEC)
-Yakuman DS (Nintendo)

64MB 3DM + 0.5KB EEPROM
-Ganbare Goemon: Toukai Douchuu (Konami)
-Naruto: Saikyou Ninja Kesshuu 3 (TOMY)

64MB 3DM + 8KB EEPROM
-Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Konami)
-Jump Super Stars (Nintendo/Ganbarion)
-Kirby: Canvas Curse (Nintendo/HAL Laboratory)
-Meteos (Nintendo/Bandai/Q Entertainment)
-Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (Nintendo/iNiS)
-Tennis no Ouji-Sama 2005: Crystal Drive (Konami)
-Yu-Gi-OH! Nightmare Troubadour (Konami)

64MB 3DM + 250KB EEPROM
-Guru Guru Nagetto (Success/BeeWorks)
-Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (Ubisoft/Gameloft)

Quote
Originally posted by: TheYoungerPlumber
I don't know how big that GBA cartridge was for Shrek 2, but it looked like ASS it was so compressed.  I hope Nintendo comes out with DS cards larger than 128 MBytes soon.

128MB would be the "one Gigabit" number that was being tossed around for DS card sizes before it's launch. Everyone used to think it was a basic starting point, but seeing as that's not the case, I really hope that it's not the maximum limit.

32MB (256 Megabit) is basically a GBA cart size, so if DS cards can't get significantly bigger, then I don't see what the point was in reinventing the cart slot from the ground up, and putting two cart slots in the DS, aside from maybe some cost savings on the DS cards.

[Infernal Monkey]

The lousy Animaniacs port doesn't even have battery back-up, outstanding!  

[KDR_11k]

Guru Guru Nagetto uses the largest carts available?!?

Arbok: It's a NCL press release, they list JUMP because it's available in Japan.