Possible Use for Nintendo DS's Two Screens

to be honest, i think that's the biggest problem with the DS. no one knows what to do with the second screen. maps: well that's ok, but not innovative. menu screen: ditto. inventory list: ditto. radar: ditto.

what can you do with that second screen to make gamers say "wow!"?

You can watch a porno movie on the other screen.... "utilize the touch screen"
You could also do multi-game viewing type thing... i'm walking in 1st person but the top is in 3rd person what for.... think MG.

the problem that strikes me is the following:
You can't use them both at the same time. Period.

First, it's hard to focus on two screens at the same time. But not impossible.
Second, it's impossible to hold the gameboy correctly and at the same time hold a pen on the touch screen. Unless you use your mouth.

How do you even use the touch screen without having to let go of the buttons with one hand? DS is not asking so much what innovative games you can do with two screens, but as what innovative moves you can do with two hands trying to do three things ;P

My 0.02 swedish crowns.

EDIT: to be nice to the OP; in a racing game the lower screen could be the rear view mirror...

EDIT2: actually I think I found a way to hold all three things, but I think it will hurt. Unless you're a yoga expert.

Yes! John Madden's Tellustrator 2006!

I like the system where Metroid uses it as an analog control interface while the top screen is for play.

Anything that you use the GameBoy Advance for in a GameCube title would be okay, like the WInd Waker Tingle Tuner. Whatever it is, it should use the touch screen. I would like to see a Rainbow Six-style waypoint and order system on the lower screen. Put a mini-map on it in an RTS-type game and use that to issue move, attack or formation orders with the stylus.

Yes, I also think that some portable RTSs could prove to be the "killer app" for the DS. I know they were looking for innovation, but RTSs are games that are just begging to be ported to that touch-screen.

shmoove

I liked those ideas too. But what would you use the controlls and upper screen for? Otherwise those are just Palm games :)

The d-pad could scroll the touch-map (no mouse scroll with a touch-screen), and the the L-Button could switch cursor modes (hold it to select units, release it to command them). The other buttons could be for map or unit hotkeys, or be linked to special abilities (stimpack, cloak, etc. in StarCraft parlance).

Actually; it's rather easy to use the touch pad without the stylus. The system comes with a little thumb nubbin thing on the strap.

Yeah, for action games (i.e. Metroid Hunters) the thumb knob is actually the prefered method.

I think a pretty cool idea would to make a spy/espianoge type game for it. Sort of like a James Bond or Splinter Cell. Itd be pretty handy to set up a remote camera in a hallway and have the second screen be what that camera sees. Or maybe if you have a remote spider with a cam, you can use the touch screen to move it around and keep the buttons to controll your main character.

Also, if your character runs up to a television set or a poster, instead of taking control away from teh player and having them veiw the screen, the image would just appear on the second screen and allow the player to look around the character for approaching enemies.

maybe a Mech game where the screen is like a second camera.
you can see things from the missile, beacon, or satellite's point of view.
or just zoom (boring, i admit).

or maybe the interface needs both full screens.
the bottom screen as the control panel (radar, weapons control, movement) and top screen for the viewing (that sounds boring too.... ahhh nuts)

Quote:

Original post by Alpha_ProgDes maybe a Mech game where the screen is like a second camera. you can see things from the missile, beacon, or satellite's point of view.

Wouldn't that take up too much of the CPU for a decent FPS to be maintained? Or does the DS have separate processors for each screen?

DS is a powerful machine. If I may program one I would do a Mech simulation game where the secondary screenshows the mech information (radar/missiles/heat all that stuff) and the primary uses the combat view.

In a space game I would store there a command computer. Like a Startrek console (always liked when the menus changes and they pressed new commands in the same screen) that would be perfect for that screen while keeping the first view vor the space combat sim.

In a RPG, use it for inventory ok, bout it would be great for a 5 person party to have the 'active' player in the top screen while the other 4 players views are rendered in the lower screen. Change player by pressing its view.

Same than previows can be used for a RTS. You can have a map with all the building commands in the lower screen while the upper screen holsd the action. Maybe in the lower screen you can see your selected hero view.

Really a DS is a nice playground... if only Nintend would allow independent players to access their SDKs.

Luck!
Guimo

Quote:

Original post by nilkn Quote: Original post by Alpha_ProgDes maybe a Mech game where the screen is like a second camera. you can see things from the missile, beacon, or satellite's point of view. Wouldn't that take up too much of the CPU for a decent FPS to be maintained? Or does the DS have separate processors for each screen?

You can do 3D on both screens, but the max frame rate will be 30fps on each screen as opposed to 60fps on one main 3D screen. Depends how smooth you want it to feel - the difference is noticeable but at the lower framerate its definitely still playable.

Kyle

One possible use that springs to mind is if the player has to hack into computer systems. The DS screen displays the hacking game and the main screen shows the "real" world. So while your hacking the computer you quickly look to see what is happenging around you.


The rampaging beast is comming down the hall towars you, your trying to hack into the door controls before it arrives. Being able to glance away from the DS screen and seeing the creatures getting closer and closer would defenitly add tension.

well i guess the best way to attack this question is to ask the obvious.

if you had two screens for any game (for the moment let's assume pre-DS), what would you use them for? or what games would you like two screens for and why?

Personally, I thought the DS was a horrible idea. The extra screen is a waste of juice. Not only that, it's a distraction to both the players AND the game designers. Instead of focusing on developing good gameplay the designers have to think of a way to incorporate that useless second screen. I played Metroid for a little while on the DS and it was a complete headache. Get rid of the touch screen, add a joystick and it would be a decent low cost piece of hardware.

Quote:

Original post by smr Personally, I thought the DS was a horrible idea. The extra screen is a waste of juice. Not only that, it's a distraction to both the players AND the game designers. Instead of focusing on developing good gameplay the designers have to think of a way to incorporate that useless second screen. I played Metroid for a little while on the DS and it was a complete headache. Get rid of the touch screen, add a joystick and it would be a decent low cost piece of hardware.

Well, I somewhat agree. I do think the second screen is useless. Funny how their entire marketing scheme was centered around that. But the touch screen, I think, gives lots of interesting, innovative possibilities for handheld games on the DS. I also totally agree that it needs a joystick. Not including one was an utter mistake on Nintendo's part. Every review I've read has docked points for the lack of a joystick. If only they'd spent the extra money...

Edit: Well, I guess not their entire marketing scheme was based on the 2nd screen. They did have that "Touching is good." slogan.

I suppose if somebody REALLY wanted to, they could use the duel screen to create a sort of 3d stereograph thing.

Basically, the player holds the DS sideways and each eye focuses on a different screen, and each screen shows the same in-game objects but at a slightly differenet angle. So it shows a truly 3D looking image.

I personally don't own a DS and I imagine it would be horribly difficult to control (unless you only had the ABXY buttons in use or the directional cross) and hard to focus on because it's not really ment to be held sideways, but it might be pretty neat. They could even come out with a sort of stand and a dividing card so your eyes can better focus on the individual screens.

Of course, with the difficulty of control, somebody could just use it to show stereographed movies instead of making a cumbersome game.
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The only other thing I can immediatly think of would be for combat RPGs have the bottom screen display the combat data and commanding characters and units while the top screen shows all the cool glitzy special effects. Maybe have it so you can plan your next turn while that long summons sequence is still playing :p.