What can I do with a NDS?? (besides playing)

[xnunes]

Hi guys,
Im considering buying a PSP or NDS, but i like Nintendo games more.

But I saw that I can do a lot of stuff with PSP besides playing. So, what can I do with NDS besides playing? Can I play, mp3, Videos and Stuff? Can I make notes? Can I browse Internet? Is it easy to connect internet from every wireless access point I can find? What can I do more??
I know that I should search the forum, but I started browsing and there is A LOT OF STUFF and DS community is really BIG, and im afraid of missing something very important for my decision and buying the wrong system.

Thanks

[xShrimp]

you can surf the internet using the new ds internet browser, which you can find at your local eletronics retail store, or you can watch movies and listen to music with flash carts, and if you dont want to spend money on it... then use it as your alarm clock

[Azariel]

Look,if you are looking to emualte PSone adn Snes roms, PSP is your friend, watching videos and stuff also. the games are good alos, but jsut if you don't ahve already a PS2. Some stuff is originla, but jsut a few.
But if your thing is to play soem different stuff, and you are maybe a mature +casual player, DS will fit you more. The homebrew scene on NDS has a bunch of nice thigns around, but msotly you can use your NDS as MP3 player and play games, I wouldn't recomend using a browser since is a paininthearse brwosing itnernet with NDS or PSP, get real, take a PC and you will thank me later.
About battery life, the NDS wins by far, you can play maybe double and more on a NDS , while the PSP will dry out fast, specially if you'r using UMD,...if you are using memory stick ( ahem....) keeps longer, but even so maybe 5 hrs at max, mean everyday you will need to plug once.
Games on PSP are basing on a good looking engine more like Ps2, if you ahve a PS2, then there is not much of a difference, while NDS has its own style of games, unplayable on otehr platforms, like ouenadan, EBA, Kirby canvas, etcetc...
From the extra thigns I have seen so far, interesting thigns on NDS are the aplications, homebrew or commercial, like Japanese Alphabet learnign ( JDS ), Korean, Chinese etcetc, Kanji learnign stuff ( like kanji sono mama ) that features a Kanji recognition engine for people woho would love to learn and read Japanese, but can't find how :) , Culture stuff and so on. Some emualtors work nice like Nes and soem others, but Snes are far from perfect now.
About watching movies on NDS, forget about, is a waste of time, compressing , coding etcetc. Doesn't look much better than the opening on Castlevania and Megaman ZX, the graphic engine of NDS is not for that, but beleive me NDS is a lot more in terms of interactivity. If you ahve firends with NDS , so go for NDS, the multiplayer experience with games like EBA on NDS is jsut too cool.

[grd94533]

Both systems are equally good and they both have there ups and downs. But if you own a PS3 then I highly recommend the PSP because you're now able to connect to your PS3 no matter where you are (as long as there is a wifi source). You can access your computers hard drive and play all your video files or listen to your music files with the new media server. You can't do that with the NDS!

[Azariel]

Both systems are equally good and they both have there ups and downs. But if you own a PS3 then I highly recommend the PSP because you're now able to connect to your PS3 no matter where you are (as long as there is a wifi source). You can access your computers hard drive and play all your video files or listen to your music files with the new media server. You can't do that with the NDS!
Really, i don't think that's a point on buying a handheld, I was thinking the main purpose was to play games and maaaaybe extra stuff....
And anyway, if you can connect while around the hosue.., ok... but :o but the ability to handle stuff frrom far could be nice ( internet ), because if is only LAN, is just a show off, but maybe from far away you would get soem fiels, when u need them, and off coruse, if you have th time to transfer ( adn teh charge holds ). NDS can't do that with firmware, but you can do other stuff via homebrew & Wi-fi on your computer, I never tried. I use my handheld.. like it should be.:)

[xnunes]

Thanks for replies.

Actually I own a Wii.. What about portability? which one is smallest?
One thing is VERY important for me, what about ONLINE playing? Is it good? Is it free?

I read a lot about the flashcards to buy, but i Still cannot decide, which one is better? Slot 1 or Slot 2? Does Slot 1 emulates any other system, if yes, what systems? or only slot 2 can?

So many questions lol...

[bgmnt]

I believe both systems have both local and worldwide wireless multiplayer services. I know the DS's is free, and I would imagine the PSP's would be as well.

As for the DS...
Slot-1 devices are easier to use and are usually less expensive. Most emulators now support DLDI, so you'll be able use most of them on both devices. There are a few older homebrew titles and emulators that require slot-2 devices (for instance SnezziDS, one of the SNES emulators for the DS), but there are usually other alternatives (in this case SNEmulDS, which is better than SnezziDS). For GB/GBC emulation, a slot-2 device was previously needed to run the GBA-only Goomba Color emulator, but now Lameboy has appeared, which works well enough and gives slot-1 users GBC emulation capacity. For Genesis emulation, PicoDriveDS isn't that great, but it emulates all games up to 3 MB on any device, with larger games requiring a slot-2 device with extra RAM.

With slot-2 devices, you must also purchase a slot-1 NoPass device to run them in DS mode, though you can afterwards install FlashMe so you don't have to carry around the NoPass everywhere.

You can also get a slot-1 device and the EZ-V 3in1 expansion pack, which gives you the benefits of both worlds for a relatively cheap price.

[Azariel]

I own a EZIV slot-2 device ( great for the GBA compatibility and NDS also ), and a R4DS ( currently is the one with better compatibility ) , M3 is the same as R4, but don't get confuse, and purchase a R4, their Update are always earlier than M3, and they come from the same makers.
IF you want to play GBA roms on your NDS, you need a Slot-2 also, actually "Passme" device are built in on msot slot-1 devices like R4 or M3, so they work fine with EZ slot-2 devices. The updates on NDS are simple as copy a file insdie your MicroSD card ( isndie your Slot-1 card, let s say R4 ), different than PSP where you need to commonly downgrade once, and then update . Long time ago , NDS were using "flash me" , but now all u need is a slot-1 and a micro SD card, generally u purchase both on oen pack, some packs are avaliable with slot-2 as well.
For the sake of compatibility, and easy use, I would recommend a R4. The slot-1 device as R4 and M3 firmware are comming out now with DLDI autopatch, for homebrew aplciations. Don't worry, there is a lot of room there for you to explore, a lot of games to play, and as the collegue up said neitehr NDS or PSP has a charge for online service, all u need is a WiFi access.
About wight, I would say the NDSL it looks lighter to me than PSP, also is easy to carry on, you don't need to worry about scratching screens, and generally Nintendo products are built based with a extreme use in mind. PSP is not fragile, but I wouldn't dare to throw it anywhere, the screen needs extra protection.
The charge on NDS ( 10-12hrs on low bright ) is far better than PSP ( 4.5-5hr no UMD mode), as games are larger on PSP , they need more space too, and the $$$ of extra memory cards ( 2GB , 4 GB Sony Duo ) is something to considerate , against the cheap MicroSD 1GB for $14. jsut as an estimative Ic an fit maybe 40 ogg ( mp3 ), and some 14 games, depending on size.
Not that is bad on PSP, generally one can play simultaneusly, 2-3 games maaaaybe... some people more, but I am talkign about "really" play them and not just open and close, and go next :D , so looking that way,m both systems are equal, but on NDS you can put moooore roms if you need at lower co$t.
As NDS has more casual games than PSP, be sure you will have maybe people around you, casual players wishing to play on your NDS ;) . Happens to me, happens to anyone, with PSP, that happens less ( except from a group o friends ), since you won't draw so much attention from casual players. I am alredy on my thrid NDS at home ( all with R4 ).. :D they just love it. My friend has a PSP, and we trade sometimes. I didn't buy a PSP for myself yet, I will buy , just waiting the good Rpg's come out. Actual titles are not my choice on high % of cases. Is jsut a matter of taste.
About NDS and Wii, I think there are thigns you can do, not sure actually what, as the system has constant updates, maybe they incldue some functionality, but NDS doesn't have updates, even that some games like Pokemon has some compatibility, but dunno so much, my Wii didn't come yet. :D
I do recommend a DS lite , and R4 + MicroSD Kingston ( Japan ). No patch neeed for roms, u can "trim" them to use even less space. Easy to use to anyone.
For GBA and NDS opera broser you need a Slot-2 device like the EZ expansion, or EZ IV Compact Deluse. Don't bother with Rumble, u are just wasting charge, and is very noisy. Don't forget the screen protector ( plastic adhesive ) to protect your touch screen from scratches.

[xnunes]

Thanks very much Azariel.. im getting a DSL with R4 next week :D

[seiji]

wow after reading this post it made my head a bit clearer lol so now all i have to do is buy that R4 slot 1 card and EZ slot 2 card and a kingston 1G mem card and im all set. then again ill be asking alot of question after i get them :D

[Azariel]

wow after reading this post it made my head a bit clearer lol so now all i have to do is buy that R4 slot 1 card and EZ slot 2 card and a kingston 1G mem card and im all set. then again ill be asking alot of question after i get them :D

You need a MicroSD for each slot ;) , both devices slot-1 and slot-2 are MicroSD adapters at the end. Some devices are built with internal memory... I don't recommend, are expenssive than buying a Slot-1 and microSD ( also u can buy extra MicroSD as you wish.. believe me, you won't need more than 1GB each :D )

[bgmnt]

If you get the slot-2 EZ-V 3in1 expansion pack, it will have its own built-in flash memory that you write to using software on the DS itself. I've heard it's still a great addon to a slot-1 card however.

[Azariel]

I don't know how that one works, I have a EZ IV Lite Deluxe, and it ahs internal memory 256 mbit of Nram to handle GBA roms also Sram, while DS games pretty run from the DS itself.