DS games are more original says Pocket Gamer
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Nov 22nd 2006 at 2:05PM }
Pocket Gamer painstakingly grabbed data off of Metacritic's website and analyzed each portable system's line up to see how much of the top 60 games on each system are "original." This subjective test revealed that the DS has an originality score of 47 percent, versus PSP's 15. Games like Nintendogs, Brain Age and Elite Beat Agents helped boost the DS's originality ratings through the roof. When breaking down genres, the DS has 28% of its games in the genre-breaking "other" category. The PSP only has 3% of its games there.
Although the PSP may not have as many original games, it still beats the DS in terms of number of highly rated games. The PSP has 37 games with an 80 average or above, while the DS only has 27 (and three of those games are called Nintendogs.)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JRM @ Nov 22nd 2006 3:25PM
That graph kinda look like the Korean flag.
...a little anyways...
page @ Nov 22nd 2006 4:11PM
What these silly critics always overlook is the fact that many like myself are truly portable gamers. I never had nor have I ever played a PS2 (never liked being tethered to a TV). My prior systems were all nintendo handhelds, so for those of us like myself, the PSP has a plethora of original games whereas the DS is full of touch based variants of extremely tired marioesque junk (aka gameboy + tiny stylus).
page @ Nov 22nd 2006 4:19PM
By the way, why in the hell does a site calling itself pocket gamer say that the PSP has a lot of games that they've played before? Did they used to be tethered to a TV gamers in a past life? And if they find the DS is original via stylus have they never picked up a pda?
Blue @ Nov 22nd 2006 5:12PM
I kind've agree with this. Nintendogs was a big hit, I wasn't a fan but I know it sold big.
SuicideNinja @ Nov 22nd 2006 5:52PM
"And if they find the DS is original via stylus have they never picked up a pda?"
Most people don't use PDA's for gaming other than maybe solitaire or Mahjong, so the comparison is moot.
I love how being "tethered to a TV" is such a bad thing. If I were to make a pie chart of portable games for both systems that were actually worth spending time on vs not, the former would only take 1% of the pie.
pixelator @ Nov 22nd 2006 5:39PM
I agree with how they determine original games, but counting Nintendogs four times is pretty ridiculous, as is saying Metal Gear Acid 2 lacks new gameplay, unless they're saying that the first one makes the second unoriginal (which would further contradict giving Nintendogs four slots). They also said Killzone wasn't original gameplay, which makes no sense at all.
The author also doesn't know his history, either: "Innovating with control systems is something Nintendo has always been a master of; this the company that brought us the D-pad, the analogue stick, pad vibration"
Nintendo most certainly DID NOT 'bring us' the analog stick. I'd been gaming with analog sticks since my Apple ][+ and Vectrex *long* before the N64. The Atari 5200 had a digital proportional control that was basically the same application. Meanwhile, the Microvision and Intellivision had d-pads well before the Famicom/NES.
Still, the article is useful. Corrected for Killzone, MGA and Nintendogs, the DS still clearly has more new gameplay going on.
pixelator @ Nov 22nd 2006 6:49PM
"Most people don't use PDA's for gaming other than maybe solitaire or Mahjong, so the comparison is moot."
Surprise, you're full of shit again. Games are the #1 download for PDA phones and standalone units.
"the former would only take 1% of the pie."
So WHY do you spend so much time commenting on handhelds, again? There are those of us who prefer to not be tethered to a TV. Maybe some of us like to game at work or on trips. Some of us have active lives that put us away from our home consoles a lot.
Once again, you superimpose extremist and likely fabricated preferences to justify your personal assertion that PSP games are worthless. And also again, nobody cares.
Drew @ Nov 22nd 2006 8:21PM
Nintendogs is NOT original!
Dogz (and the series) has been around a WAAAAY longer time!
edit @ Nov 22nd 2006 11:00PM
As Drew stated, Nintendogs is a lame imitation of Mindscape's Dogz which I believe first came out in 1995 for the PC. Brainage is totally a filched hack of a CD-Rom era edutainment titles. In other words, both of these DS titles are clichéd and not original.
zjoe @ Nov 23rd 2006 2:13AM
Pixelator,
You seem to have an extremist facist view of anyone who says anything remotely negative towards the PSP.
And while the DS may have more so-called "original" games, these games are of a variety that only a 5 year old or persons with ADD find entertaining. Nintendodogs is basically Sims for dogs, and I HATE the fucking Sims.
But I digress. My point is the PSP clearly has more games that appeal to console/hard core players than the DS. And in my book that's a plus.
The gameboy advance is a perfect example of what I mean. I had a gameboy advance and only owned one Zelda game for the fucking system. Everything else was literally for 5 year olds and ADD adults.
The PSP is clearly a superior portable system for more mature gamers.
KAZ @ Nov 23rd 2006 7:31AM
zjoe,
the PSP itself is an inferior PS2. inferior graphics and inferior controls (single analog nub and only two shoulder buttons). this is the reason its not doing as well as the competition. do u expect everyone to buy a portable inferior PS2? no.
the DS offers a uniqueness no other system has, and thats why it sells like hotcakes all over the world. and the reason the GBA still kicks ass is because it also offers something no other system offers in a dedicated way, which is that old school 16-bit goodness. yes i know XBLA also offers retro gaming, but the library cant be compared to the GBA library in quantity or quality.
Alien @ Nov 23rd 2006 7:52AM
PSP is an inferior PS2 , even if it would have 50% of its power it would be superior , only because its portable , so WTF ??? Most sports games look batter on the PSP , and games like Syphonfilter , Daxter and Tekken clearly prowe , that the PSP is capable to give us full PS2 graphics games , even at only 60 % of its power .
lowallyn @ Nov 23rd 2006 10:29AM
according to game rankings psp 27, to 24 with min 20 reviews. where the hell are you getting these numbers from......
sidenote:psp fanboy should put up the jap sales charts like everyone else does on this networks when it has to do with consoles/handhelds. not only when its good to see how everything is.
zjoe @ Nov 24th 2006 4:40AM
KAZ,
Everyone seems to insist that software sells systems and not hardware. Regardless of your view point that the PSP is an inferior PS2 and the DS is truly innovative, the software for the DS is geared to 5 year olds and adult retards.
The PSP's software is geared toward traditional hardcore/console gamers.
Considering the GBA's success and target market, might it be the DS is actually just a successor to the GBA? Oh, how could it be? For those of us older than 16, the PSP is a more thoughtful device with better software. The DS may have more "pick up and play games" but at the expense of depth and true value. But go ahead and play a game for a 5 year old, see if you don't feel your brain starting to rot.
pixelator @ Nov 24th 2006 8:02AM
"You seem to have an extremist facist view of anyone who says anything remotely negative towards the PSP."
Go look up fascism. You could at least spell it correctly if you're going to use it (incorrectly) in a sentence. Furthermore, I AGREED with the basic conclusion of the article, just not with Nintendo creating analog sticks and other discrepancies.
"Everything else was literally for 5 year olds and ADD adults. The PSP is clearly a superior portable system for more mature gamers."
And you call ME a fascist?
"the PSP itself is an inferior PS2. inferior graphics and inferior controls"
You again. More DS trolling - you guys spend more time bitching about the PSP than you do playing or discussing the DS, you realize that? It's hilarious.
So by your logic, the DS is an inferior, hmm, N64 with lower resolution displays and NO analog? Sorry, stylus input doesn't cut it.
"the DS offers a uniqueness no other system has, and thats why it sells like hotcakes all over the world."
LOL - 'uniqueness'. The DS isn't unique. The dual screens are straight out of the Game & Watch 80's, the stylus was news in the Apple Newton days maybe, and a lot of its games are still licensed kiddie tripe like KIM POSSIBLE. The thing that sells the DS is the assortment of BIG NAME franchise characters like Mario, Kirby, Yoshi, Wario, etc. -- Nintendogs has even spawned its own toy line. It's all about the secondary toy and trinket market with Nintendo, and they work their target demographic with masterful skill. The secondary sales of Nintendo character toys alone is enough to sustain sales and enhance exposure for their games.
"the GBA still kicks ass is because it also offers something no other system offers in a dedicated way, which is that old school 16-bit goodness."
Whatever this means. You really have no clue as to what you're talking about. There are plenty of popular retro collections and 2D games on the PSP. Just because an older game is OLD doesn't mean it's good, or worth playing over and over again (although you wouldn't know that from all the rehashes hitting the DS like Mario Kart, Mario Bros, Mario this, Mario that).
zjoe @ Nov 24th 2006 3:24PM
Pixelator,
You're right I didn't take the time to write my comments in a word processor and use spell checker to ensure I correctly spelled fascist. (did I get it right this time?)
You've have successfully discovered that I am not entirely an anal person.
But since your last rebuttal seems to make references to at least 3 posters comments, I don't know how to attack it. Direct address helps prevent such confusion.
And since you said I used the term fascist incorrectly, a quick look yields the following definition: A reactionary or dictatorial person.
Hmmm. With a penchant for labelling anyone a DS troll or PSP detractor for having a valid but conflicting opinion to yours, I think you can properply be labelled a fascist. But go ahead, tell me how I used it incorrectly again.
pixelator @ Nov 24th 2006 6:56PM
The Merriam Webster dictionary's second most common definition for FASCISM reads: " a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control "
Sorry, not me. For starters, I have no control over what people say. Second, I torpedo trolls where I see fit (there's plenty here) but also own a DS and enjoy it. You won't even see me saying the PSP is 'better' overall or that the DS is 'teh suxxorz'.
If you're confused with which replies applied to whom, simple: The quotes you didn't write weren't addressed to you.