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Glory Days

AprecheApreche
edited November 2006 in Video Games
Here's a mother f'n DS game! Defender + Choplifter + U.N. Squadron/Area88 + Military fanboyism

http://gonintendo.com/?p=8233

Comments

  • AndrewAndrew
    :O


    Wow. When is it being released? I would definitely buy it without reservations.
  • AlexAlex
    I was going to call this "Choplifter, updated for today's jingoist gamer." There are way too many US flags at once in those screens, and I'm pretty sure I saw the old World Trade Center towers in one shot. But it's made by a UK company, so now I'm less sure about that.

    In any case...roflcopters.
  • tuttle88tuttle88
    That looks cool, do you have to face the political consequences if you accidentally bomb a hospital?
  • La Petit MortLa Petit Mort
    It looks badass.
  • SailSail
    That is t3h awes0me.

    Something just occurred to me... the majority of good DS games are in 2D or 2D with partial 3D...Why is that?

    I know that before launch, I was expecting the majority to be full N64 style 3D. But, it seems the standard graphics for the DS has become a 2D-3D hybrid...thoughts?
  • La Petit MortLa Petit Mort
    Because apparently people like their graphics that way.
  • thaneofcawdorthaneofcawdor
    Finally, a worthy successor to Jetstrike.
  • BrineshrimpBrineshrimp
    It looks awesome to me. Can't wait to try it
  • GreatTeacherMacRossGreatTeacherMacRoss
    Hmm, looks interesting.
  • La Petit MortLa Petit Mort
    edited November 2006
    That is t3h awes0me.

    Something just occurred to me... the majority ofgoodDS games are in 2D or 2D with partial 3D...Why is that?

    I know that before launch, I was expecting the majority to be full N64 style 3D. But, it seems the standard graphics for the DS has become a 2D-3D hybrid...thoughts?
    I have come up with a better answer that's a question.

    What do you think is one of the reasons the PSP sucks?
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • KilarneyKilarney
    I'm no expert, but I suspect that 3D graphics push the envelope of the DS. Therefore, if you don't have good programmers, it's much easier to push out 2D titles. Take Top Spin Tennis, for example. The big complaint with that title is that it is sluggish.

    I have the Sims 2, and it's in 2d with no problems whatsoever. But then again, it's not a high-action title with all sorts of stuff going on at once. Same with the upcoming Final Fantasy release. Turn based battles don't exactly burn up the processor.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited November 2006
    I'm no expert, but I suspect that 3D graphics push the envelope of the DS. Therefore, if you don't have good programmers, it's much easier to push out 2D titles. Take Top Spin Tennis, for example. The big complaint with that title is that it is sluggish.
    This is not entirely accurate. The DS is about as capable at doing 3D as the N64. It doesn't push the envelope of the system at all, unless you try to do too much 3D.

    The DS has two processors, an ARM7 and an ARM9. The system architecture is designed where you are supposed to use the ARM9 to handle the main action going on one screen while the ARM7 handles the other stuff on the secondary screen. The system has two 2D units and one 3D unit. If you want 2D on both screens, piece of cake. 3D on one screen and 2D on the other? Also cake. 3D on both screens? It's possible, but the design of such software goes against what is intended by the hardware architecture. To get the most out of the DS you have to write software that takes advantage of its hardware design, not software that fights against it.

    Also, the 3D unit in the DS has a limit to how much it can do. Here is a quote from Wikipedia:
    The system's 3D hardware performs transform and lighting, texture-coordinate transformation, texture mapping, alpha blending, anti-aliasing, cel shading and z-buffering. However, it uses Point (nearest neighbor) texture filtering, leading to some titles having a blocky appearance. The system is theoretically capable of rendering 120,000 triangles per second at 30 frames per second. Unlike most 3D hardware, it has a limit on the number of triangles it can render as part of a single scene; this limit is somewhere in the region of 4000 triangles. The 3D hardware is designed to render to a single screen at a time, so rendering 3D to both screens is difficult and decreases performance significantly.
    Translation? The 3D hardware of the DS can do a bunch of 3D stuff in hardware. If you want to do more, you have to do it in software, which is not good. Also, if you make models or scenes that are too complex, the DS won't be able to handle it. You also have to keep your 3D on one screen if you don't want to lose frames.

    If you want to see the DS pushed to the limit, look at a game like Metroid: Prime Hunters. If you want to see the DS 3D used as intended, look at Mario 64 or New Super Mario Bros.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • SailSail
    edited November 2006
    I'm no expert, but I suspect that 3D graphics push the envelope of the DS.
    What Scott said is pretty much the answer I would have given.
    What do you think is one of the reasons thePSPsucks?
    I actually disagree. I think the PSP owes much more of it's suck towards the craptastic games that have come out for it. Not only that, but it seems that the people who make games for the PSP are used to making console games, i.e. they are not games that you can just pick up and play for 5 minutes like games on the DS. You have to commit hours to them which does not bode well for a "portable" system.
    Post edited by Sail on
  • tuttle88tuttle88
    It also owes much of its suck to its price tag.
  • AprecheApreche
    Yeah, I just looked at a circular that came in the mail today. A PSP is the same price as a Wii. If that isn't pwnage, I don't know what is.
  • thaneofcawdorthaneofcawdor
    I can't wait for the Sony fire sale.
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