Topic: Backwards Compatibility: Wireless DS, Wireless GBA, GBA Multiplayer

[Shecky]

So part two of my backwards compatibility questions, and this one is likely tougher to answer.

We know that the DS can play games via its wireless 802.11 and proprietary short range modes.

My question is if the DS will be able to:

1) Use the native wireless of the DS (without need of the GBA adapter) to play GBA games that were specifically written with the GBA wireless adapter in mind.

2) Use the native DS wireless to play against a GBA that has the wireless adapter (for the same kind of games mentioned above)

3) Use the native DS wireless to play GBA games that would normally require a link cable.

It would just seem silly if 1 and 2 above weren't possible, considering the close release of both the GBA adapter and the DS.   (not via the 802.11 but rather via the proprietary short range comm)

Case 3 would be sweet and rather feasible if Nintendo did a little thinking.  Have a little app built into the DS that was a wireless manager, so that you could pick systems in range to link too before 'booting' the GBA game.  Most GBA games require links to be established before playing anyways, no?

So any definitive answers on these?  Or just wait till launch

[foolish03]

The DS cannot emulate regular link cable multiplayer for the gba.  Im not sure about the others.

[Berto2K]

Nope, gba wireless adapter runs on a different frequency than the wireless built into the DS.  None of the above is possible.

[richie23345]

I have a question, will the DS be able to browse the web when connection to a wireless network?

[Bill Aurion]

The DS doesn't have a browser built in because that's the direction Ninty wanted to take the system(thankfully)...However, I find it likely that some 3rd party will produce some sort of internet browser eventually...

[richie23345]

I don't see Nintendo putting that in as a negative.  It just seems so practical, they're already putting in chat software.  Plus it'd be cool to get on the wireless network at school and check email, AIM, and that sort.  Know if PSP will have this?  I'm just being too cheap to get a wireless card for my PDA

[KDR_11k]

If the DS had a browser, email client and a word processor it'd be a PDA and would sell to managers and the like...

[Flames_of_chaos]

Well a 3rd party or nintendo themselves could develop a PDA program or a browser program on the DS. For me it would be helpful to keep memos and such since i wont need to fork over a serious ammount of money on a PDA.

[KDR_11k]

(Palm offers a PDA for 50 bucks)

[Tunnelvision456]

I've been sort of wondering wether or not it would be possable for a developer to write an app for the DS that would allow you to wirelessly link up GBA games in multiplayer. I mean, DS software in the card slot can access the GBA/expansion slot so what if the developer where to make a program on a card that acted as a sort of pass-through for the GBA slot and intercepted the wired link signals and converted them to wireless. Of cource, both people would have to be using DS systems with the same app, also, Nintendo would have to alow it (I don't see why not, but they can be funny sometimes). Admitedly, though, I don't know enough about the way the system works to know for sure if that's possable.  

[KDR_11k]

That would be possible.

[Shecky]

I like your idea Tunnelvision.  I don't think anyone knows enough about the hardware to know if it is possible, but I'm with KDR_11k in that I bet it would be.  However, at that point you had better just give it to people free if it's only  for shortrange wireless GBA play, or charge very little for it.  Unless that same piece of software was also a great online manager (so includes 802.11).  If I could hook up with a buddy 100 mi away and play Advance Wars with him from my couch...  umm yeah, that's a no brainer, I'd shell out a little extra $$ for that feature.

If Nintendo wants to go that route, I'd like to see the equivalent of 'DS Live'.  I believe the DS already has a chunk of space set aside for the wireless management (it has too for the 802.11 alone, I couldn't imagine it not being included).  Hopefully it's flashable so that  they can augment it later to do just what you describe without having the DS card (with the manager) in all of the time.

If Nintendo want's any hope for a good online/multiplayer DS experience, here's hoping for a good wireless manager.

And since I'm almost positive they won't get it right the first time... here's hoping that it's flashable.  

[Shecky]

From: Thread

"Or maybe this is a good sign that at least part of the DS is flashable.  Where not only can you get a Demo of a game wirelessly, but it can also replace the Hunters demo (maybe it has to be done via DS carts).  Or maybe you can replace it with something that's not a demo at all...."

Like the whole "DS Live" idea.  I bet something is in the works (to utilize the 802.11 (or WiFi as it likes to be called) they *have* to be working on something).  It may just not be ready for the launch timeframe.  

[Kulock]

I'm fairly sure the Hunters demo is a seperate DS Game Card, not built into the system.

There is the free RAM for the downloadables (1-card multiplayer, et cetera), but that goes away once the system is fully powered off.

[Grant10k]

I have a question...is it 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g?

[Shecky]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kulock
I'm fairly sure the Hunters demo is a seperate DS Game Card, not built into the system.

Oh, hunters is on a DS card?  When I saw the display unit it said "no pack inserted" on the lower part of the screen, but maybe it was just refering to the GBA slot now that I think about it.... hmm.

[KDR_11k]

Grant: Unknown.

[God Speaks]

Quote
Originally posted by: Grant10k
I have a question...is it 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g?

There's no way it's a. There's not a lot of that gear around. It's most likely b.

[Shecky]

Ditto on 802.11b, most practical and economical in terms of power consumption/wireless capacity.

Also, after being totally wrong (and rather foolish mind you -- had I even thought for a bit) that the Metroid demo is stored locally, and that it is in fact on a DS card:  I'm going to go out on limb and say that we'll see two products for the DS...

The first will likely be either:
a) a GBA cart released by Nintendo for the DS.  It will act as a common interface for games so that they can be played over the Internet.  It'll host an API put out for game developers, and the cart itself can take care of and _remember_ any wireless Internet configurations (like wep keys, 802.1x if they have foresight, bluesocket, etc).  That'll also mean you can use it in places like airport terminals, and other pay to join access points.

b) Interface to the outside world left up to the games themselves.  Which I think is not as clean a solution and will lead to a lot of variation.

The second product would be a DS card (more than likely from a third party) that does exactly what Tunnelvision456's described and incorporates all the features found in (a) above.