DS Gets Developer Praise

At E3 in May, Nintendo will formally unveil the Nintendo DS. While this will be the first time that the public will learn the details about the system, many Japanese developers have been lucky enough to get information on the portable system already. Some are even working on launch titles. Weekly Famitsu, one of Japan’s most popular videogame magazines, recently spoke with a few of these developers and there is definitely enthusiasm in the land of the rising sun for the DS.

Toshihiro Nagoshi of Amusement Vision -“I read about it first and I was very surprised. I think the system represents the desires of both players and developers. There are some many ideas to explore which were previously impossible.”

Koji Okada of Atlus – “This is the way of the future – having two screens operated by two CPUs. It will force developers and players to think differently and that’s important in this industry.”

Takanobu Terada of Banpresto – “The dual-screen setup maybe a hurdle for most developers. The handheld market is important for us and we’re making preparations for it. We want Nintendo DS and Sony PSP to enliven the handheld market this year.”

Hiroyuki Takahashi of Camelot Software – “I’ve always been a fan of Nintendo’s hardware, and the DS will allow developers to create games that were previously impossible. As a producer and a player, I’m very excited about the hardware. We’re looking forward to E3.”

Shibuawa Kou of Koei – “For war-simulations which feature large battles we can have the action separated between the screens.”

Akira Yoshizumi of Namco – “Initially I thought the DS was going to be a remake of Nintendo’s “Game & Watch” handheld line. I was excited but also somewhat puzzled. There’s a sense of anxiety about the hardware.”

Yuji Naka of Sonic Team – “We’re looking forward to it. We definitely want to have software available for it at launch.”

These positive comments from those who have actual knowledge of the system can do nothing but increase hopes for the DS. Nintendo seems to be placing a lot of significance on the DS as evidenced by recent comments by top Nintendo Brass. This left many confused, but as these developers say, the DS just might be that special something that Nintendo needs to thwart off competition from its increasingly aggressive rivals.