Topic: GBA vs. DS

[Artimus]

I own both a GBA and a DS. I own about 4 GBA games (I've borrowed/played through about 4 others) as well as about 4 GB/GBC games. I  only own Mario for the DS, so this post will mainly be regarding the future lineup of the DS.

Is it just me or does the DS already have a better lineup than the GBA (not necessarily in numbers, it's only 6 months old, afterall)? The GBA, despite a few good original games, was so full of ports it was quite crazy. But already with the DS we have a new Mario platformer, a sequel to Mario and Luigi within the first year, a Metroid FPS,  a new Final Fantasy, brand new games and franchises, online titles, etc.

How do you feel the two stack up? I think the DS is by far the best handheld available, as far as games/future releases go.

[jasonditz]

The DS has almost too many good games coming out in the next year. I've got almost 20 games on my "must buy" list for the DS that are coming out by year's end, and the lack of current titles got me to pick up Warioware Touched today (along with reduced copies of GBA NES Classic Zelda and Zelda 2).

I'm worried some excellent titles might get "lost in the shuffle" for a lot of people, especially when online hits.

[Arbok]

GBA: Advance Wars, Minish Cap, Castlevania (take your pick), Ogre Tactics, Final Fantasty Tactics Advanced, Mega Man Battle Network, Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire, Fire Emblem, Golden Sun, Mario and Luigi, Metroid Fusion... I don't think you are giving enough credit to the GBA here. The DS has a lot of promise, but there were some fantastic games on the GBA.

[Artimus]

I don't mean the GBA only has 4-8 worthwhile titles, not at all. I meant that the DS is closing in already and has been out just half a year, not four.

[nickmitch]

The GBA has a backlog of worthwhile games while the DS has a future of worthwhile games.
So, either way, they're pretty much equal libraries.

[Arbok]

Quote
Originally posted by: Artimus
I meant that the DS is closing in already and has been out just half a year, not four.

Then I will answer with a simple no, I don't think the DS is "closing in" and that it still has a ways to go before it will match what the GBA has to offer. Do I think the DS library will be better than the GBA one at some point in its lifetime? Yes, but it's not close to that mark yet.

[Ian Sane]

"Is it just me or does the DS already have a better lineup than the GBA"

Well I wouldn't say "just you" but you're in the minority.  The DS' best game right now is Warioware and the GBA has two Warioware games that are both considered better.  Plus the GBA has three great Castlevania games, Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire, two Metroids, two Advance Wars, Tactics Ogre, Fire Emblem, Mario & Luigi, the two Golden Suns, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, etc.  The GBA just kills the current DS lineup.  The DS' greatness is largely based on future titles but you can't use that to justify the DS as being superior.

I haven't bought a DS yet and probably won't for quite a few months.  I bought a GBA a week after it was released.  The GBA launch lineup was better than the DS' entire current lineup.  The GBA just beats the sh!t out of the DS.

Plus the GBA can play GB/GBC games and the DS can't so right there you can have games like Link's Awakening and Pokemon Gold/Silver that cannot be played on the DS.

[Mario]

Well, right now, the GBA has better games than DS, i've been playing more GBA games on DS than DS games recently, the awesome DS screen brings my GBA games to life. Looking at the DS's future lineup however, by as early as the end of the year, the DS could have a much better game library than GBA.

The DS launch lineup absolutely destoys the GBA launch lineup though.

[MaleficentOgre]

technically the DS has a better lineup cause it has gba games as well. but if you count in shantae and MGSC the gba>DS by a long shot.

[MrMojoRising]

The DS may beat out GC and N64 (which are tied) for my favorite console of all time with the momentum it has going.  It's too young in the DS's life to really compare it to the GBA.  

[Aretak]

I don't think the DS has anything like as good a library as the GBA as yet. The potential is there, but until the highly anticipated games for it are released you can't really say it has a better line-up.

[jasonditz]

Quote
Originally posted by: Mario

The DS launch lineup absolutely destoys the GBA launch lineup though.

How dare anyone speak ill of Castlevania: COTM?!

[Ian Sane]

"The DS launch lineup absolutely destoys the GBA launch lineup though."

You are insane.  The GBA had Castlevania, F-Zero, the first American release of Fire Pro Wrestling, a really cool portable version of Tony Hawk (for the time period anyway) and Super Dodgeball (and a Super Mario Bros 2 remake no one wanted or needed).  The DS had a Super Mario 64 port that no one wanted or needed with wanged controls, Feel the Magic, and a bunch of EA crap.  The DS launch lineup was just outright dismal.

[Mario]

Alright I discounted Castlevania then, because i've never played it, and I included Wario Ware Touched which was a launch title here (and everywhere else except the US =P... though if I didn't get Wario Ware Touched I would have got Feel the Magic, which looks good, but I haven't played it). Don't like GBA Tony Hawk, Super Mario Advance is good (I had never played SMB2), F-Zero is good, but I only got it when it was cheap ($20 AUD), and Super Mario 64 DS's mini games alone > Super Dodgeball and Fire Pro Wrestling. =P

When I got my GBA I only bought Super Mario Advance.. and that was the only game I wanted 'til Mario Kart came out. With DS I already have Wario Ware Touched, Super Mario 64 DS, and if I had the money i'd have Feel the Magic, Zoo Keeper and Polarium as well right now. Not to mention Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt. I'm enjoying my DS now much more than I enjoyed my GBA when i got it.

[Ian Sane]

"I included Wario Ware Touched which was a launch title here"

Well that makes a little more sense.  If you compare the Australian DS launch to the Australian GBA launch then the DS might be better depending on your tastes.  I still feel the GBA launch provided more variety though.

[Bill Aurion]

Um, a new 2D Mario platformer...That's all I have to say right now...

[jasonditz]

I'm with Ian... the DS had a pretty lame launch here in the US.

I mean, look at what a Nintendo fanboy I am. Its 6 months since I got my DS, and I only own 3 titles for it (Mario 64, Pac Pix, and Warioware). And looking at what's on the market, the only other one I'm strongly considering getting is Puyo Puyo.

OTOH, now that the titles are starting to get settled in, the depth of the upcoming lineup even in the next 6 months is nothing short of remarkable. I can't think of any time in Nintendo's history where they had a system pumping this many good titles out in this short of a timespan.  

[vudu]

It's not so much that the GBA doesn't have great games, it's just that you have you dig through more crap to find them than you do with the PS2.  The ratio of good games to bad games for the GBA is probably around 1:20.  The ratio for the DS is probably around 1:4.  I like those odds.

[Ian Sane]

"The ratio of good games to bad games for the GBA is probably around 1:20. The ratio for the DS is probably around 1:4"

Yeah but the DS only has like 20 games so there's at best 5 decent games overall.  The GBA had 5 decent games at launch and several more at this point in its life.  I'll admit the GBA has a lot of crap but like the PS2 it has a lot of options.  The DS right now is a lot like the Cube in that if you like the "good" games you're set but if you don't you're out of luck because the variety and the options aren't there.  Don't like drawing stuff on the Touchscreen?  Then you're screwed because there are virtually no decent DS games out right now that don't focus on that concept.

[PaLaDiN]

I just gave in and bought a DS recently (22 hour plane flight, so help me if I couldn't resist the temptation) and I have to say that I'm enjoying it a lot more than my GBA.

People talk about Mario's wanged controls but I have no idea what they're talking about.

People say YT&G is too short but that's the point of the game... it's supposed to be played like Tetris, in short bursts.

People say the touch screen is a gimmick but it does what it's supposed to do and it does make for enjoyable games that wouldn't be possible otherwise.

With regard to the topic, I think it's pretty clear by now that the DS is getting quality games at an accelerated pace compared to the GBA. It may not have them right now, but by the end of the year it'll probably be obvious that the DS lineup is nothing to scoff at.

"The GBA had 5 decent games at launch"

Sorry, no. Try just one: Castlevania. Which also happened to be almost unplayable because the screen was too dark. I didn't think nostalgia would cloud over people's memories when the GBA isn't even dead yet, but apparently it's like the PS2 that way.

[darknight06]

"People talk about Mario's wanged controls but I have no idea what they're talking about."

Do you play with the thumbstrap or control pad?  If thumbstrap, THANK YOU!  I finally don't feel like the only one in the world who has NO problem with the controls.  I mean crap, it works 10x better than Rayman's faulty response touch crap.

Also, I completely agree with you on YT&G.  Even though I had to sell it recently to help pay for another game, whenever I get the chance I'll get it back.  With the library I have for it now it would've made for a nice change of pace every once in a while.

[PaLaDiN]

Thumbstrap, yup.

[MrMojoRising]

Quote
Originally posted by: PaLaDiN
Thumbstrap, yup.

[vudu]

Quote
Originally posted by: MrMojoRising

Quote
Originally posted by: PaLaDiN
Thumbstrap, yup.

[jasonditz]

I still can't get used to the thumbstrap. I basically played Mario 64 with the D-Pad