Post by Fryguy64 on Jan 11, 2007 7:59:30 GMT -5
So, the Nintendo MP3 Player (known as Playan in Japan) for the DS and GBA has been released in Europe. You wouldn't know it though - none of the videogame retailers seem to stock it. I found one copy in a Virgin Megastore.
After buying it I found it didn't work without an SD card inside with music. I would need some additional equipment: an SD card reader/writer for my PC and an SD card. Luckily these are inexpensive, and will also come in handy for various Wii things (as the Wii memory cards are, in fact, SD cards). After tracking down a reader (in a camera shop - being the only place that seemed to stock them) and hooking it all up with the Wii memory card I bought with my Wii (for VC overload purposes), I started stuffing songs onto it.
From what I have gathered so far, it doesn't seem to work with iTunes, so I'm stuck with the numerous videogame MP3s that I have downloaded from Galbadia Hotel. No worries! I can always do with a bit of orchestral SSBM, or remixed Super Mario Land music. Or, of course, "Go! Go! Go Go Mike!"
You get a choice of characters. Either Super Mario Bros. era Mario (cameo alert) or a green stick man (he does have a name, but I can't remember or find it - Mr. Pix or something). There's very little difference to the system itself. Basically, your songs are arranged in steps, and you press left and right to run up and down the steps to pick your song. Press SELECT to cycle through play options (shuffle, repeat, etc.), and START or A to begin playing a song. You can then put the system into sleep mode while you're on the move.
You can also try tapping A to the music to make Mr. Pix or Mario dance to the beat. As you do more complex sequences, their moves will change. In this regards, perhaps surprisingly, Mr. Pix has considerably more character than Mario.
One thing you may be wondering is - compared to the iPod or other MP3 players - how does it feel? The answer is - it entirely depends on the system.
A GBA SP or GB Micro are, unsurprisingly, the most pocket sized systems the player is compatible with, and so they suit the player much better. The DS and DS Lite are bulkier but have a longer battery life. I'm personally fond of the Micro. If you're wondering how you listen to it on the SP with its headphone socket deficiency - the player comes with its own headphone socket, and it plays music independently of the system volume. You can change the volume with Up and Down on the Control Pad.
Unfortunately, I usually want to listen to music while I'm playing a game. You don't get this option, even with the DS which could (you would think) easily support it. The Japanese website also suggests that movie playback is possible, but only MP3 file formats are recommended on the European format. I have yet to try an MPEG, but if there's a chance I can transport porno on my GBA then I'll take it. The Japanese version also seems to have additional updates for improved functionality - none of which have been implemented.
All in all, it's a pig to use compared to the iPod, requires a load of extra hardware, doesn't seem to have half the functionality of the Japanese version, and really isn't "fun" like you would expect a Nintendo game to be.
After buying it I found it didn't work without an SD card inside with music. I would need some additional equipment: an SD card reader/writer for my PC and an SD card. Luckily these are inexpensive, and will also come in handy for various Wii things (as the Wii memory cards are, in fact, SD cards). After tracking down a reader (in a camera shop - being the only place that seemed to stock them) and hooking it all up with the Wii memory card I bought with my Wii (for VC overload purposes), I started stuffing songs onto it.
From what I have gathered so far, it doesn't seem to work with iTunes, so I'm stuck with the numerous videogame MP3s that I have downloaded from Galbadia Hotel. No worries! I can always do with a bit of orchestral SSBM, or remixed Super Mario Land music. Or, of course, "Go! Go! Go Go Mike!"
You get a choice of characters. Either Super Mario Bros. era Mario (cameo alert) or a green stick man (he does have a name, but I can't remember or find it - Mr. Pix or something). There's very little difference to the system itself. Basically, your songs are arranged in steps, and you press left and right to run up and down the steps to pick your song. Press SELECT to cycle through play options (shuffle, repeat, etc.), and START or A to begin playing a song. You can then put the system into sleep mode while you're on the move.
You can also try tapping A to the music to make Mr. Pix or Mario dance to the beat. As you do more complex sequences, their moves will change. In this regards, perhaps surprisingly, Mr. Pix has considerably more character than Mario.
One thing you may be wondering is - compared to the iPod or other MP3 players - how does it feel? The answer is - it entirely depends on the system.
A GBA SP or GB Micro are, unsurprisingly, the most pocket sized systems the player is compatible with, and so they suit the player much better. The DS and DS Lite are bulkier but have a longer battery life. I'm personally fond of the Micro. If you're wondering how you listen to it on the SP with its headphone socket deficiency - the player comes with its own headphone socket, and it plays music independently of the system volume. You can change the volume with Up and Down on the Control Pad.
Unfortunately, I usually want to listen to music while I'm playing a game. You don't get this option, even with the DS which could (you would think) easily support it. The Japanese website also suggests that movie playback is possible, but only MP3 file formats are recommended on the European format. I have yet to try an MPEG, but if there's a chance I can transport porno on my GBA then I'll take it. The Japanese version also seems to have additional updates for improved functionality - none of which have been implemented.
All in all, it's a pig to use compared to the iPod, requires a load of extra hardware, doesn't seem to have half the functionality of the Japanese version, and really isn't "fun" like you would expect a Nintendo game to be.
