Dual Screened Wonder

[Ouenben]

Hello there.
Everyone when mentioning DS tends to say how games use the touch screen really well like Ouendan, but it got me thinking. What games use the "2 screen" function of the DS really well? What would you call a bad use of the extra screen?


I myself think placing maps on bottom screens although lazy, can be handy for certain games.
My 2 games with best use of both screens is probably Metroid hunters (demo was out before goldeneye RA) due to the aiming on bottom screen and action on top screen, done well. Plus Another code's excellent puzzle's such as the woodblock one and the book.

[HaHaUK]

Ridge Racer's use of the touchscreen for a steering wheel is appauling.

[Kaladron]

Metroid Prime Pinball
Sonic Rush
Rub Rabbits

Sorry for the list without comments but it's late and I'm tired. Check em out though as they all make full use of both screens.

[charlesr]

Metroid Prime Pinball - awesomeness - the gap between the screens is also a real gap, so the ball can get lost in there for a while at the top of a gravity loop. It comes with the gba cart rumble pack too. I'm really loving this game right now.

[Kubrick]

I've not played too many DS games so far, but I've yet to play one that has used the 2nd screen to really good effect.

Mariokart - Just a map. Game would be exactly the same without it.
Nanostray - Gimmicky weapon selection and boss "scanning". Game would be exactly the same without it.
Rainbow Islands - Used well for certain bosses, but main game would be exactly the same without it.
Super Monkey Ball - Gimmicky touchscreen controls. Good job you can still use the d-pad.

[flutey]

Age of Empires uses the dual screen perfectly. I only got a DS Lite recently and this was my first DS game, so I didn't really have much to compare it to. But on one screen you get the map layout with your army, and the AI's army, and on the top screen the display depends. You can switch between unit info, terrain info, you can display the whole map etc. It's quite genius.

The only other game I have for now is brain age, which uses the dual screen sublimely.

[Dogg Thang]

I would certainly agree with Metroid Pinball. That's the only one that I feel benefits from the second screen as it gives you the full playing field at once. Ouendan does too to an extent but, in-game, you really can only watch the second screen during the breaks in the songs or you'll mess up - this would have been no different if it was all contained on one screen but just switched to the story bits at the breaks.

Even the likes of Sonic Rush - okay so he moves from the top screen to the bottom. So what? This is no different to the camera tracking Sonic as he moves in every other Sonic game. It's not like you gain any extra game information by having that second screen (be it top or bottom) show the rest of the level.

Metroid Hunters - sure, using the bottom screen as control but...would I really prefer this over an analogue stick? Not a chance.

[SubparMario]

You could have dual screen on the PSP. Seperate the left and right areas with a piece of 'virtual plastic'

[r3z]

Game would be exactly the same without it.

I think you could say the same for most games. You don't need a second screen exclusively for displaying instructions/scores/data/map/select screen/etc but a lot of the time it's nice to have the information there anyway without having to pause/bring up a menu screen or to have it all cramped onto a single small screen.

For Mario Kart I would say it can be useful to see what items your enemies have so you can plan ahead, and you can use the map like a rear-view mirror (yes, I know karts don't have them!) to see what is coming up behind you, or when you get inked by a squid so you are still able to manouvre your kart in the correct direction. Not essential really, but useful nonetheless.

[Dogg Thang]

when you get inked by a squid so you are still able to manouvre your kart in the correct direction. Not essential really, but useful nonetheless.

Now we differ here because I saw this as a flaw. The squid attack is utterly useless when you can just use the map to guide you. I felt there was actually too much information on the map - it would show you the fake boxes, for example. I think the map should have been removed or seriously simplified for Mario Kart.

[r3z]

I agree that it makes the squid pretty useless, but I don't think they would've put it in if you didn't have the map and that probably the whole point of the item is to get you to use the map to drive, which although not difficult is not totally as accurate as using the main screen.

[Ouenben]

I find the map is done so well on Mario kart DS I can use it to race through entire tracks.

[Emir]

You wont get far in Cooking Mama without the touchscreen, infact you'll get nowhere. Who wants a burnt steak?

[Keith]

I really liked the second screen being in Mario Kart DS, just because the original Mario Kart had two screens (per se), and that was quite cool in a funny sort of way.

But the DS' second screen is a nightmare in a lot of cases; people using the touch screen just because they can really narks me, and I can see there being some huge steaming piles on the Revolution if it follows suit.

[parkinho]

Metroid Prime Hunters uses both screens superbly, and I much prefer it's control method over any console FPS that uses dual analogue sticks.

While not many games need two screens, I find them very useful where maps are referred to regularly, ie, Resident Evil, Castlevania. Keeps the action flowing as there is no longer a necessity to pause and view the map every other minute.

Zelda: Phantom Hourglass looks as if it will take this to the next level with the ability to write notes on the map whenever required.