DS: Reflections on Two Screens

Earlier today, Canthros and I had a discussion about the DS. We touched on the hardware design decisions behind the dual-screen setup, and some of the software decisions that follow. Then, we agreed that I should share our discussion with you, faithful reader. :)

Canthros, of course, started from a rather skeptical position:

I am interested in the DS, or pretty much any game console, as a means of playing games I enjoy, or expect to enjoy, playing (e. g. Final Fantasy III). I’m not deeply excited about the touchscreen so far: using it as a configurable game pad strikes me as iffy in most applications that interest me, and interesting in those that, sadly, leave me cold (Wario-whatever-it-is). The second screen itself, though is interesting, but seems of somewhat dubious value in many games. (I *love* the idea of having certain status screens displayed there for different games, though: a map in Metroid or the party status screen in an FF game, for instance, or even the overworld map in an FF game, I’m just not convinced of it in the general case)

I came back with a quick review of my experiences with the touchscreen-as-controller, which has been praised by several critics, but always gave me hives to think about it:

This is indeed problematic. The results are head-and-shoulders above what I expected. It’s actually quite natural and smooth. Here’s the problem: I don’t think any human will be able to use analog control consistently in a ground vehicle. Perhaps in recognition of this fact, Nintendo provides three control configurations for Mario DS.

1. The first uses the D-pad and buttons, and makes use of the touchscreen optional. It’s still handy for doing the “sneak” moves and traveling down narrow paths, so they don’t disable it completely.
2. The second uses the ts-as-stick configuration, and all face buttons and shoulder buttons.
3. The third — which I thought was dang cool — uses the stylus on the ts as an analog controller, and mirrors the d-pad and left shoulder button to the face buttons and right shoulder button, so that you can control the characters with the stylus in either hand.

In all three of these configurations, a (very useful!) map and camera controls appear on the touch screen.

I also touched briefly on how I’ve used the dual-screen configuration to my advantage in playing GBA games:

One of the cool features of the DS hardware (in case you were not interested in some of the tech articles) is that there are two processors, and either can control either screen. The way this plays out most dramatically (so far) is that you can play your GBA games on either screen, and this is configurable from the startup menu. I have found that, when I’m not using the speakers, I can open the screen half-way and play FFDOS on the touchscreen, giving me a light-shield and making the balance a little bit more appropriate for my bus-bound posture. When I am using the speakers, I open it the whole way and put the game on the top screen. This gives me the full brunt of the stereo sound. Also, it lets me adjust the angle of the screen so that I can set it on my desk in front of TIGGER’s keyboard and play, or balance it on my chest while lying in bed.

THIS is why it wins it.

I will note here that I use the top screen more often for three reasons:

1. The speakers are very good, and bear using when I am home alone. This is the case for most of my gaming time.
2. Since I’m not touching or stylusing the top screen, it tends to stay a little bit cleaner. Its surface is also not recessed, making it more accessible for quick fingerprint and dust removal.
3. As I already mentioned above, adjusting the angle of the screen is a real plus when I’m playing with the unit sitting on my desk or when I’m not sitting down.