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Thread: Considering to buy a Nintendo DS, advice please!!

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    Pretzel (Level 4) dcescott's Avatar
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    Default Considering to buy a Nintendo DS, advice please!!

    What draws me is the wifi. I have some questions and I need to know some pros and cons about the unit.
    How many games will utilize the wifi besides Mario Kart?
    Is the connection to the net free?
    (I use DSL at home anyways, but is there a fee to play against others across the country)
    Do I need to wait until the bundle comes out on Nov 28th?
    thanks a bunch!

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    Peach (Level 3) tonyvortex's Avatar
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    as of now all they have said was the new tony hawk,animal crossing and metroid hunters.im sure after some people see how mario kart works they mmay add it into more games.

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    Default Re: Considering to buy a Nintendo DS, advice please!!

    Quote Originally Posted by dcescott
    What draws me is the wifi. I have some questions and I need to know some pros and cons about the unit.
    How many games will utilize the wifi besides Mario Kart?
    Is the connection to the net free?
    (I use DSL at home anyways, but is there a fee to play against others across the country)
    Do I need to wait until the bundle comes out on Nov 28th?
    thanks a bunch!
    Connecting to the Wifi service is completely free of charge. Since Mario Kart's release a few days ago, people across the world have been connecting up in their free time at no extra cost. It really is the killer app on the DS now, if you ask me.

    Besides Mario Kart, I believe the new Tony Hawk game also uses Wifi. Nintendo has already stated that their Animal Crossing game (due out in a couple weeks) will also use Wifi. Rest be assured, Nintendo will probably milk the Wifi thing on most of their 1st party releases. As the system gains more steam, I can only imagine more developers will pick up this functionality.

    The only big catch is that you need a wireless network in your house, so if you have DSL but no wireless router, then you can't use it. Nintendo will be selling adaptors you can plug into your PC though to turn it into a DS hotspot. If you ask me, now is the perfect time to buy a DS - the games library is catching on, the price is low, and the multiplayer runs amazingly well!


    My Complete Collection - Currently expanding my PS2 collection by buying up every five dollar game I see

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    Cherry (Level 1) ice1605's Avatar
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    Yeah, follow Needle's advice. Be sure to get SM64DS or WarioWare: Touched. There are a few other good games, but they will keep getting better. Get an Electric Blue DS!

    May the Force be with you

    Ice
    Lurking since '05

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    Pretzel (Level 4) dcescott's Avatar
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    cool,
    no wireless router I know. Special adapter costly?
    I did see Metroid Hunters coming spring 06, wifi, dual screen, very cool. I would like to play a deathmatch online! I suck at Halo1&2 but I'm quick in TimeSplitters Future Perfect.
    So I can get whatever color I want (blue or silver), a wifi title and that special adapter then rock n roll?
    Folks here in DPland are good people.
    Thanks again!

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    The wireless USB connector for the DS costs about $35. It literally just plugs into an empty USB slot on your internet-ready PC, and acts as a makeshift wireless hotspot for your DS. That way, even if you're not running a wireless network at your home, you can still connect to the network.

    Right now there are three DS colors: Silver, Blue, and Teal. The Teal package comes with a special edition copy of Nintendogs and costs $150. The other two colors don't come with games, and cost $130.

    There will also be a Mario Kart bundle for $150, due out on November 30th. That DS will be bright red!


    My Complete Collection - Currently expanding my PS2 collection by buying up every five dollar game I see

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    Pretzel (Level 4) dcescott's Avatar
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    thanks needle,
    I will have to get a used ds with the $35 dollar adapter and game. I've got to keep the cost down to 150 buckaroos!!
    This is my Christmas present. My wife is getting a dvd/vcr combo with a few movies. She's a movie junkie. I on the other hand am not a movie guy more of a gamer but not I-spend-300-a-week-hardcore-gamer-because -I-own-every-system-known-to-man, you know what I mean?
    I enjoy a good game to chill after a blistering day of work. That's all. I own an xbox, NES, Genny, Vertrex and a crap load of roms/emus on my Macmini

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    ServBot (Level 11) exit's Avatar
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    I think I've finally decided on choosing a DS over a PSP, especially now that my store gave out an extra %10 percent employee discount for any one item for the holiday. The whole WiFi thing is what really sealed the deal.

    Breaking Bad 3x02 - Caballo Sin Nombre

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    Pretzel (Level 4) dcescott's Avatar
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    Vertex??
    Vectrex, sorry!!

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    Pretzel (Level 4)
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    I'm curious about the wifi adaptor. Is there any software that you must install, or could I carry it around and slap it in a friends win2k/winxp machine and roll?
    Run, run, or you'll be well done! -Kefka

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    Pretzel (Level 4) philosophyst's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Avatard
    I'm curious about the wifi adaptor. Is there any software that you must install, or could I carry it around and slap it in a friends win2k/winxp machine and roll?
    Yep, you have to install a driver. The adapter is packaged with a CD-Rom that must be installed. I got mine a couple days ago and it was amazingly easy to get connected, I was online 5-10 minutes after the UPS guy knocked on the door.

    DCESCOTT - just want you (and everyone else) to know that to use the WiFi adapter thing, you must be running Windows XP.

    The DS is great, don't hesitate to pick one up!

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    oh man that sucks
    How come only Windows XP??
    Or do I need a wireless router instead??

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    Pretzel (Level 4) dcescott's Avatar
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    oh man that sucks
    How come only Windows XP??
    Or do I need a wireless router instead??

    That was me, I thought I was logged in!!

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    Pretzel (Level 4) philosophyst's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dcescott
    oh man that sucks
    How come only Windows XP??
    Or do I need a wireless router instead??

    That was me, I thought I was logged in!!
    I'm not sure why but that's all it works with. Here is a link to the USB connector from the Nintendo Store:

    WI-FI USB CONNECTOR <----- Link

    Here is a list of what is required to use the connector from Nintendo:

    PC (The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector is not Mac compatible)
    Windows XP
    A high-speed internet connection (such as DSL or cable)
    A Wi-Fi compatible Nintendo DS game
    and, of course, a Nintendo DS.

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    Pretzel (Level 4) dcescott's Avatar
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    I am very bummed out
    I don't have airport express either.
    Hotspots are Micki D's around me as well. That's not a bonus either!!!
    I am not computer savvy, a wirless router is pricy right? I'm running a Macmini G4 1.25 ghz with 1GB of ram. I needed it for work and freelance work. Will there be a mac friendly adapter soon??

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    Alex (Level 15) boatofcar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dcescott
    I am very bummed out
    I don't have airport express either.
    Hotspots are Micki D's around me as well. That's not a bonus either!!!
    I am not computer savvy, a wirless router is pricy right? I'm running a Macmini G4 1.25 ghz with 1GB of ram. I needed it for work and freelance work. Will there be a mac friendly adapter soon??
    Don't hold your breath. Pick up a used Airport Base Station on ebay.

    Here is a good example of one.

    http://cgi.ebay.com/Airport-Base-sta...QQcmdZViewItem

    EDIT: Or you can just go to Wal Mart and pick up an 80211.b wireless router for $35. I run a mac and that's what I use.

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    Pretzel (Level 4) dcescott's Avatar
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    That's all I need?
    I'm dead serious, my computer experience deals with color seperations and revectoring other folks art to get jobs done at work. I never screw with networking or hardware other than what affects my work flow.
    These questions are below IQ ,bare with me please,
    but, if I buy the airport base, plug it in, not in my computer right? I have the DSL in my ethernet port right now. Is this going to complicate things? Do I have to use the airport base with my computer. We have one (new) imac G5 at work with an airport card and the file swapping is super slow. I prefer to just plug this in and use it for the wifi only, is that what you are getting at?

    BTW, sweet avator!!! I checked it out on AtariAge's link. That took some talent my friend!

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    Pear (Level 6) Daniel Thomas's Avatar
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    You can get online at just about any coffeeshop by now, possibly your nearby University, and even the odd sports bar or two. There are many, many places that have wi-fi, which will allow you to play Nintendo DS without any problems.

    Heck, half the shops in Minneapolis are wired. I'm sure this is a bigger problem in more rural areas, but then there's the option of buying Nintendo's wireless-stick-thing.

    Getting connected and playing is a snap. There's a bit of a wait while your system waits for more players, but this should go down considerably once more DS owners are going online. And more developers will jump on the bandwagon, trust me.
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    ServBot (Level 11) slip81's Avatar
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    Like Boat said, just go out and get a cheap Linksys 802.11b wireless router. They cost about $40 and are super easy to install. Just plug the ethernet cable from the modem into the the router (the WAN port I think), then plug your computer into one of the numberd ports, restart eveything and you're good to go.

    On a Mac you don't even need to install anything, plug and play.

    You get super easy to follow visual instructions with the thing anyway. If you can plug a console into a TV, then you can set up wireless on your mac.

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    Pretzel (Level 4)
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    Quote Originally Posted by dcescott
    I am very bummed out
    I don't have airport express either.
    Hotspots are Micki D's around me as well. That's not a bonus either!!!
    I am not computer savvy, a wirless router is pricy right? I'm running a Macmini G4 1.25 ghz with 1GB of ram. I needed it for work and freelance work. Will there be a mac friendly adapter soon??
    I love that there are a lot of mac people on these forums. Welcome brother

    Like the guy above me said - wireless routers are really cheap now. You can usually get one for around $40 - check the ads in the sunday paper.

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