Topic: Console and Handheld Redesigns

[HyperSonicEXE]

Well, sit back, because redesigns are the newest ride that the Big 3 want to seem to take us on. Not that this is anything new, mind you; even the Game Boy had its Pocket and Color renditions, but now even consoles are getting the same treatment, what with the different GB sizes and functionalities of PS3 and XBox360 models. Of course some consumers do like the upgrades, and less demanding buyers like having fewer bells and whistles for fewer $$$'s.

The one big thing I did like about Sega is that they attempted to only make add-ons to systems so that you wouldn't have to buy completely new consoles, and backwards compatibility would not be an issue. These became bulky, though, and the prices of the upgrades were often bad-mouthed (especially the Sega CD; it didn't even seem to improve the graphics a great deal, and that probably hurt the 32X's consumer perception that much more).

So what's your take on redesigns?

[Police Girl]

Depends, if its something good (GBA to GBA SP) its fine with me. If its something unnessacary (GBA to GBA Micro, or Gamecube to "Gamecube without component cable slot") Then there is no reason for them.

[Satoryu]

i'm kinda 50/50. it's mostly case by case. the GBA SP was one of the best things Ninty did for the Game Boy, but the Micro was disgustingly unnecessary.

though if they're going to improve an existing feature, there's really no excuse for not doing so in the first place. for example, there was no [tornado fang]ing reason the PSP2000 could only output games in progressive. and the toaster NES is such a stupid design choice. it should've stayed a toploader.

[Hypershell]

Yeah, it is definitely a case-by-case thing.  It all depends on what kind of benefits such a hardware revision offers.

The Mico WOULD have been awesome if Nintendo hadn't axed GBC compatibility (the really ridiculous thing is that the Z80 was left on the Micro's circuit board; all they did was cut the traces and the voltage switch mechanism).

GBA SP, that is AGS-001, was pointless.  AGS-101, that was awesome.  If you're going to light the screen, do it right.  The frontlight was a stupid idea.

Generally I view revisions as catering to late-adopters and people who might need a replacement.  I usually avoid new hardware if it doesn't play new games, the heavy investment isn't worth it.  That and sometimes they genuinely screw things up in the process.  I'm still wondering what the hell Nintendo was thinking with the DS Lite's slider.

[Sky Child]

The only good redesign was the NES toploader IMO.

[Hypershell]

I don't know about that one.  I can tell you from firsthand experience that the slim PS2's beat the hell out of the launch PS2's.  My brother has the latter and I have the earlier.  Besides the simple benefits of not having to waste a brick or two of shelf space, the DVD playback in the later model is *FAR* more reliable.

[Gotham Ranger]

This is a major pet peeve for me, especially recently. If you're gonna make a console/handheld, get it right the first time, god damn it. Sometimes it doesn't bug me, as everyone seems to agree with the GBA to the GBA SP, but the [tornado fang]ing  DS to DSi process has me pretty friggen ticked off. Alot of it because the DS Lite shouldn't fixed everything wrong with the DS, the biggest being the WPA connection issues, and it didn't. It just gave it a nice new screen and tinier shell for nearly the same cost. Good going, Nintendo.

Its a terrible trend and it makes me angry

[Sky Child]

I don't know about that one.  I can tell you from firsthand experience that the slim PS2's beat the hell out of the launch PS2's.  My brother has the latter and I have the earlier.  Besides the simple benefits of not having to waste a brick or two of shelf space, the DVD playback in the later model is *FAR* more reliable.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that.

The slim one was pretty smex.

[Hypershell]

Alot of it because the DS Lite shouldn't fixed everything wrong with the DS, the biggest being the WPA connection issues, and it didn't. It just gave it a nice new screen and tinier shell for nearly the same cost. Good going, Nintendo.

Well, as I said above I don't think highly of the Lite either.  But regarding WPA, programming architecture is partly to blame for that.  The DS/Lite firmware has no Wi-Fi interface, it is instead programmed into each individual game.  For this reason, it is impossible for any hardware to connect with WPA while playing an older DS game.

I read a rant not too long ago chewing Nintendo out for that mentality, particularly as it applies to the Wii, as it results in a lack of future-proofing and the pretty much complete impossibility of doing anything major with the firmware updates.

[Protoman Blues]

This is a major pet peeve for me, especially recently. If you're gonna make a console/handheld, get it right the first time, god damn it.

But, doing it there way makes them a fuckton of money. 

[Jericho]

Someone said it earlier that the PS2 to PS2 slim redesign is the king of redesigns. I wholeheartedly agree. Most other console redesigns try so hard and drop the ball frequently. Keep in mind though, I don't consider things like GB > GBC a redesign when I say this. The DSPhat > DSLite seems cool as well. I can't say much until I have one in my hands though. *dodges strange glances*

[HyperSonicEXE]

Honestly, I'm glad the DSi will be bigger; the DSLite cramps my hands, and the DSPhat was too big to lug around in one's pocket.

[Klavier Gavin]

Honestly, I'm glad the DSi will be bigger

Bigger? I thought it was THINNER and LONGER?

[HyperSonicEXE]

longer

Yeah, that. Longer so that your hands aren't cramped. I might still have to get a third-party grip/carrying case for the darn thing (or mod my DSLite case...further).

[Fxeni]

Compared to the DS Phat, the DS Lite's buttons just flat out suck ass. Same goes for the micro... blasted thing is useless for anything remotely action oriented.

[HyperSonicEXE]

I didn't mind the buttons at all, although I pity the person who buys my DSLite used from that Gamestop; that L shoulder button is going to give out any day now.

[Hypershell]

Indeed, the Lite's buttons do blow.

Speaking of which, one issue of mine with the Lite that was *NOT* resolved with the DSi:  What the hell is with Nintendo and the period-sized Start and Select buttons?  On the original DS they were actually USEABLE.  Then they go back to the squishy dots entirely too close to each other (not to mention the bottom screen).  Ugh.

Honestly, I'm glad the DSi will be bigger; the DSLite cramps my hands, and the DSPhat was too big to lug around in one's pocket.

Quotes like these make me glad to be a tall guy.

[Police Girl]

Indeed, the Lite's buttons do blow.

Speaking of which, one issue of mine with the Lite that was *NOT* resolved with the DSi:  What the hell is with Nintendo and the period-sized Start and Select buttons?  On the original DS they were actually USEABLE.  Then they go back to the squishy dots entirely too close to each other (not to mention the bottom screen).  Ugh.

I was having issues in BN5 with the 100 enemies thing because of the shitty D-Pad. But the Start/Select buttons don't really bother me. The Volume Control/Start Slider are another story all together...

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