Ipod MINI, Nintendo DS

Edfilho

Edfilho

Cry some more!
Hi all.
I intend to get a MP3 player, nothing too large and fragile (10gb+ ipods) or too small (256mb thingies). I'm between creative's MUVO nx200 with 1GB and the 2nd gen ipod mini (4GB), which is enough to carry around a good selection of tunes.

Any recommendations? Good or bad experiences?

I also think of buying a Nintendo DS, not only for the new games but also for GBA stuff. What do you guys think about it?

BTW, i'm no go on the PSP, no way I'll spen 300 bucks on it.

thanx in advance.
 
Do you already have a GBA of some sort? I can't really reccomend the DS over the GBA SP at this point -- the DS games just aren't worth the added ungainliness of the thing yet. The GBA SP is really cool because it's so tiny... I can carry my SP with me wherever I go. The DS is larger and the dual screens are just sort of awkward (although they're individually sharper) on any of the older games.

Also, the DS doesn't play original GB or GBC games -- most of todays modern idiots don't care about older games, but it's a big drawback for me.
 
I don't know about the Muvo 1gb, but I have the new 5 gb fm version. I love it. Plenty of space for my cd collection, built in fm/mic, good (though annoying at first) software package, and the thing is tiny.

I have a GBA advance, and will probably stick with it for awhile. I haven't really seen enough of the DS to make me want to buy one.
 
Wait for the Gameboy Micro if you don't have the Gameboy Advance, it's a tiny little thing, no bigger than most cell phones, coming out in late 2005. It's nice, better screen quality than a GBA SP, and it fits in your pocket, for real this time. If you do want a DS, wait for a price drop. Actually, wait for June. June will be an amazing month for the DS, as many good games will be coming out for it. Honestly though, if you're really not sure, wait until the good games like Animal Crossing, Metroid Hunters, and Mario Kart come out for it. They're all schedueled for later this year.

And yeah, from what I've heard, Ipod minis are very, very nice.
 
I would also recommend the GBA SP for now. There are a few games for the DS I like right now, but none that would justify buying the DS on their own. They are still producing games for the GBA at a good rate too. I bought the new Fire Emblem on Saturday and I can't stop playing it, and it's still GBA.
 
Well, I have no portable gaming whatsoever... I was thinking of the DS because of all the nice games coming up (nintendogs [yep, worst title ever for such a cool game], super mario ds, advance wars ds...). I also want to play GBA stuff like FFtactics advance and so on.

Considering how I don't have any GB or GBC games, it won't be an issue, but the size still bothers me a bit, the GBSP is really the perfect form factor. the lack of GC connectivity is kinda annoying too, but the upside is wireless stuff, and games like the aforementioned Animal Crossing DS, mario kart and so on.

I'll buy these things in june, 'cause that's when I'll be in NY (i'll gete there next monday, actually).

The micro is just too small. the screen is way too tiny.

I've looked at the muvo 5gb, looks nice and it seems cost about the same as the mini. how big is it, though? the mini is quite small and ergonomic, and the click wheel just rocks. how good is the muvo's interface?

BTW, any tips on good eletronics retailers in NYC? I know there must be hundreds of them, but i'm aiming for the best prices :)

Again thanks for all the tips.
 
I agree about the Micro. Small is cool, but only to an extent. The GBA SP is the perfect size for me, they're making it smaller just for the sake of making it smaller. I don't know about you guys but I don't plan on keeping a GBA in my pocket at all times like a cell phone.
 
I have a DS and can wholeheartedly recommend it, not so much because there are really superb games for it but because of the hardware.
Theres something about Yoshi Touch and Go and Wario Ware Touched, they're NOT amazing games but are simply so much fun to play with the touchscreen systems employed by each that I couldn't imagine passing them up. Yoshi in particular gets hours of use from me.
Mario 64 DS, perhaps because I'm a leftie, is actually more precise to control with the stylus, and I have never hit the edge of the screen with said stylus, but then my spacial awareness is pretty good so I don't end up "sliding" the analogue control area.

Don't get an SP with the new GB micro on the way since its smaller and has a much better quality of screen, I could never go back to the SP screen now. But the point about portability is a valid one, I've sold my SP now as I still have my GBC and DS but would consider buying the micro if it is released at a low price.

As against the whole overpricing of the iPods as I am if you can afford one, get one. I have a muvo and I'm frankly dissapointed with the controls and have heard the reliability is somewhat poor but mine still works fine.

Sarty said:
I agree about the Micro. Small is cool, but only to an extent. The GBA SP is the perfect size for me, they're making it smaller just for the sake of making it smaller. I don't know about you guys but I don't plan on keeping a GBA in my pocket at all times like a cell phone.
Click to expand...

Actually that is EXACTLY what I'd like to be able to do, you can rarely predict when you'll be in a queue of some description and other times you'll just forget. Being able to take a portable with me constantly is the major draw for me.

EDIT: Post 1000, still no avatar :p At my current rate of posting it'll be 2010 when I hit 2000 :p
 
Jesus said:
Wait for the Gameboy Micro if you don't have the Gameboy Advance, it's a tiny little thing, no bigger than most cell phones, coming out in late 2005. It's nice, better screen quality than a GBA SP, and it fits in your pocket, for real this time.
Click to expand...

The Micro is very cool, but it's for a particular market. The screen quality might be better than an SP's, but the screen is half the size. I don't think it's for Filho at all. I'd probably recommend a DS over an SP, though the biggest drawback for me isn't GB/GBC games, it's the lack of multiplayer GBA game support. No Prophecy Advance multiplayer for you. But among all the handhelds at E3 this year, the DS actually had the strongest game lineup. New 2D Super Mario, Metroid, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, Advance Wars, Nintendogs, Viewtiful Joe and several good RPGs are all high profile games that should make it out later this year. No GameCube connectivity, but it sounds like there will be a wireless link to the next Nintendo system. PSP is good as a combo mp3 player if you get a good memory card. Some very good games out and great graphics, though the upcoming games lineup is actually a bit worse than the DS'.


Pedro said:
Don't get an SP with the new GB micro on the way since its smaller and has a much better quality of screen, I could never go back to the SP screen now. But the point about portability is a valid one, I've sold my SP now as I still have my GBC and DS but would consider buying the micro if it is released at a low price.
Click to expand...

Just like I said above, this isn't valid for most people. It might have a better quality screen, but the screen is half the size. For some people, this will be great, but you're really gonna have to be into the ultra portable segment of people who'll always have it in their pocket. The SP screen quality isn't bad, and the size is much more comfortable for normal use.
 
Well, there's now Nintendo world in NYC.

I mean, come on, where better to buy a Gameboy/NintendoDS? Also, if you wait til what, June 6th I think, then you can buy an Electric Blue Nintendo DS. Very nice looking.

pic15kn.jpg


Certainly not my style, I'll stick with platinum, but hey, it's better than just one option.

And yeah, I bought Fire Emblem: SS on wednesday, and I can't put it down. Well worth the $30.
 
Edfilho said:
I intend to get a MP3 player, nothing too large and fragile (10gb+ ipods) or too small (256mb thingies). I'm between creative's MUVO nx200 with 1GB and the 2nd gen ipod mini (4GB), which is enough to carry around a good selection of tunes.
Click to expand...
I bought an MPIO brand MP3 player about 18 months ago. The major selling points for me were that it was small and light (one AAA battery and solid state memory) and that it had an FM radio. I listen to a lot of night-time radio (not much advertising, no DJs) and if I hear something that I like, I can record it for later. Cycling through channels is easy and if there's nothing on I switch to MP3 playback for a bit. This was a pretty rare feature at the time and if radio doesn't suck in your part of the world, you might want to take it into account.
 
Well, chris, I have noone to play WCP:A with anyway... So far, the DS is winning (mainly because it can play all the cool GBA games plus the new cool stuff)

So, Porthos, what about the Muvo's thoughnes... Can it be carried on a pocket all around, or will it break? I know the mini looks kinda resistant. the price is about the same, but the Muvo is easier to move files into it and back out (the ipod system makes a pretty mess out of them).

I actually use cargo pants and backpacks a lot, so I guess carrying the DS around won't be such a problem.

And if I get, I will certainly get the blue one.
 
KrisV said:
I bought an MPIO brand MP3 player about 18 months ago. The major selling points for me were that it was small and light (one AAA battery and solid state memory) and that it had an FM radio. I listen to a lot of night-time radio (not much advertising, no DJs) and if I hear something that I like, I can record it for later. Cycling through channels is easy and if there's nothing on I switch to MP3 playback for a bit. This was a pretty rare feature at the time and if radio doesn't suck in your part of the world, you might want to take it into account.
Click to expand...

well, the thing is radio sucks really bad 'round here. :( only commercial crap, not only the international one (ashlee simpson, boy bands, R&B), but the local commercial crap too (axé, pagode, funk). So chances are I'll never use radio features. Although the Muvo has FM radio tuning and recording.

I wish I had a decent radio station to listen to.

Oh, You guys can bet i'm going to the N store... I'm looking for a place to get the player (and a Canon a95 too). I know of B&H Photo.

EDIT: Sorry 'bout the double posting. I didn't see Kris' post when I was writting mine, and when I pressed the quote button...
 
Oh, wow, yeah, the lack of multiplayer support is awful -- especially since they continue to release popular Pokemon games that require trading with others to catch 'em all.

As for electronics in New York... pricing is pretty standardized for things like Nintendos and iPods in the US. Pick up a Sunday paper the week you want to buy one and see if any of the big stores are having any kind of sale -- otherwise pretty much everywhere will have the same deal. The Nintendo Store will probably be more expensive, but it'll be the only place to get a pretty blue DS.

I, too, am looking forward to Nintendogs (though I feel the opposite way - I love the name. I wish UO was still called Multima.)... and Animal Crossing should be really really cool. I'm sure there's other neat stuff to play (I'm told I should import Electro Plankton... and the DS version of the Episode III game apparently has a cool space sim mode added to it). Still, there's just something ungainely about the DS, and I don't think I'd be happy to just own it. It may be ahead of its time and end up being incredibly fun in a year... but for now it seems like a cool gimmick (with some big downsides) that they haven't supported enough yet (like the e-Reader Cards, which have since died).

I guess I can quantify it in Origin terms -- I'd rather have a GBA SP that'll let me play the Ultima GB games than I would a DS that lets me rub Mario's face with my finger.
 
Edfilho said:
Well, chris, I have noone to play WCP:A with anyway... So far, the DS is winning (mainly because it can play all the cool GBA games plus the new cool stuff)

So, Porthos, what about the Muvo's thoughnes... Can it be carried on a pocket all around, or will it break? I know the mini looks kinda resistant. the price is about the same, but the Muvo is easier to move files into it and back out (the ipod system makes a pretty mess out of them).

I actually use cargo pants and backpacks a lot, so I guess carrying the DS around won't be such a problem.

And if I get, I will certainly get the blue one.
Click to expand...

Muvo 5gb
2" 3/4" by 2" 3/4" and is 4/5" thick. Not much bigger than, say, a block of post-it notes.
Weighs a few ounces, I'd guess. I don't know I'm carrying it unless I have it on.


I carry it with me on my motorcycle. It's held up to several rather nasty rainstorms where it got pretty moist. It's been dropped once on pavement from roughly 3 feet up. That was a month ago. It still works great. I'm averaging 10 hours of use per charge, give or take, and I have the volume up a bit due the noisyness of riding a motorcycle.

It's more of a shuffle mode player than anything else, as it has no jog dial. It has a joystick/d-pad sorta thing that gets the job done. But, if you're planning on keeping it in your pocket, it comes with a wired remote that I'm very happy with so far. Sound reproduction is great.

It does a nice job of file transfering, and hasn't garbled anything yet.

The interface took some getting used to, as I'd switched from an old 20gb zen which had more of a list-based system. This is an icon-based interface. At first I wasn't too keen on it, and now I like it.
 
Yeah, there were two Ultima games developed exclusively for the original GameBoy some years back - Runes of Virtue I and II.

There's also a great Commander Keen game for the GameBoy Color.
 
Gameboys are like the PS2s of the handheld world. If you have a handheld, you probably have a Gameboy. That's also because everyone makes games for Gameboys, since they're the only way to go in the portable market. Kind of like you own a PS2 because it has tons of games, and developers go to the PS2 because it has a big audience awaiting tons of games.
 
I don't have a PS2. There's millions of garbage games for it, but the games I'd want are better on other systems. I don't think your analogy fits. You had a Game Boy in the past because it was the only real option. Now the PSP is an excellent option, but it overlaps a lot less than the PS2/XBox, so you have to figure out what you're looking for.
 
There's always been an alternate option. Most are actually better graphics and power than the gameboy. Gamegear, N-gage, PSP, there's something every generation, but somehow, Nintendo still stands strong in the handheld market. Even now, DS is selling more than the PSP.
 
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