Power Source: Unlimited Options

Disclaimer: The proceeding article is editorial content. The views expressed are those of the author and do not neccessarily reflect the official position of the Advanced Media Network.

Ever since the DS first came out, people noticed a minor glitch that sometimes appeared with a Game Boy Advance game in the GBA slot. The startup menu would indicate that “There is a DS Option Pak Inserted.” At the time nobody knew what that meant, though we had an idea. Sure enough, Nintendo had planned to use the GBA slot for more than just playing games, but also to bolster the abilities of the DS using Option Paks to create new game play experiences. It stands to reason, because DS Game Cards are simply too small to house the extra features that could be incorporated into a Game Boy cart. The first of these Option Paks was the DS Rumble Pak, which came included with Metroid Prime Pinball. This is exactly what it sounds like of course, as the term “rumble” has been used to describe all force feedback devices in game controllers. The little shakes given off by the Rumble Pak are minor, but they add a lot to the game play, helping to draw the player into the game world. Of course, this recently released new toy got me thinking. What other ways could the GBA slot on the DS be used to enhance the gaming experience?

The Option Pak system is really a no-brainer for Nintendo. Giving the DS a GBA slot added a lot of flexibility to what they could do with the system. Besides adding a large library of older game titles, they could also use the slot as an expansion for DS games. This was first evident by the unlockable content hidden in some DS games. By having both the DS Game Card and the proper GBA Game Pak in the DS at the same time, hidden features could be revealed. This was put to good use in games like Feel the Magic XY XX and WarioWare Touched! But so much more can be done. What they have here is the potential for a modular game play system, similar to what they have done with the controller for the Nintendo Revolution. The potential is actually limitless creatively and might only be hindered by cost and feasibility. I would like to propose some new types of Option Paks for the Nintendo DS. Some are obvious and some are a bit far fetched, but if utilized properly they could all be great fun and add a lot of excitement and value for DS players.

First, there are the obvious ones. The Rumble Pak is already here so no need to worry about that. One of the most obvious things to add to the DS would be a motion sensing Gyro Pak. Following in the footsteps of GBA games Wario Ware Twisted! and Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, the use of motion sensors could add a whole new dimension of DS gaming. Also, with Revolution on the horizon, it would make a great companion to its console brother by incorporating these features. You might even be able to wirelessly link the DS and Revolution for added fun. Of course, using all the features of a gyro enabled DS might be difficult, but Wario Ware Touched and Twisted! sounds like a blast! Actually, if you just incorporated the stylus along with twisting motions instead of D-pad control, things might even get a little easier for some games. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a Gyro Pak coming out sooner rather than later.

One thing that has always been an advantage for cartridge-based systems is the ability to add hardware upgrades right through the game cart. The NES and SNES used all kinds of ever advancing chip sets in their games to get better and better features and abilities. This accounts for a major visual difference in first generation and later games. Adding the latest MMC or a Super FX chip allowed developers to do things that weren’t possible before. Of course, DS Game Cards are again far too compact to have fancy processing chips inside them, but that’s where the GBA slot can come in handy again. The N64 went the route of allowing a RAM expansion to be added to the system itself, making it unnecessary for all games to posses the increasingly expensive hardware. A onetime purchase added a significant memory boost to the system and the same could be done for the DS if needed. Of course, the “if needed” is the key. DS games aren’t usually held to the visual standard of console titles. Still, with the comparisons to the competition’s handheld always in vogue, maybe a little more dazzle wouldn’t be a bad idea. The possibility is always there.

The US market has definitely gotten stiffed on one hot item that Nintendo has only released in Japan. That’s the Game Boy’s SD Movie Player, or the “Play-Yan”. This is a highly sought item that works with Game Boy Advance and allows users to load an SD memory card full of pictures, music, or videos and then view them on their GBA. I know Nintendo has been concerned over copyright issues and Digital Rights Management, but the PSP has these features built in and it isn’t hurting them one bit. In fact, it has become a major selling point for the system, more so than even the games. I know Nintendo doesn’t want to go into the “Jack of All Trades” business model, but this is a device that customers want. With the iPod users taking over at every turn, Nintendo would be foolish not to get in on the trend while there is still time. An upgraded DS SD Pak would be a great addition to the system. They might even consider a hard drive-based model, though the size and power consumption might make that ill suited for the DS. Still, the ability to play MP3s and view video on the DS is very appealing to a lot of gamers.

Okay, I did mention that some of these would be obvious, but how about some more fun ones? One idea is the DS Camera Pak. Okay, that is obvious too, but there are ways to use it that many people might not have thought of. Besides the use of a webcam function for online play, a DS Camera Pak could also be used like an Eye-Toy, actually affecting in-game events based on input from the lens. At E3, I had a chance to play with the Gizmondo. It’s not really that great, but there was one thing it did that was pretty neat. The camera on the back could show you a real-time shot of your surrounding while adding items that weren’t actually there, like a hidden door in the wall. New games utilizing technology like this could be lots of fun, especially when coupled with a touch screen. Gizmondo also has GPS built in to the unit. A GPS Pak might be a consideration for Nintendo as well though it would be a costly addition. Of course, the last thing Nintendo needs is to be blamed for ripping off Gizmondo. Well, who’s going to know anyway?

One of the great things about it, though, is that unlike Game Boy paks with rumble features, the DS Rumble Pak requires no batteries- it actually draws power from the DS itself. Granted, this shortens your battery life a little but removes a major technical obstacle in the creation of new Option Paks. This also helps along my strangest idea for a DS Option Pak. Have you see those plasma televisions with the ambient light that emanates from the sides? They have colored lights that shine out based on what is happening on the screen. If you are watching a sunset, an orange and red glow will shine across your living room. Well, the Ambient Light Pak for the DS could incorporate similar functionality. Besides adding a little atmosphere to the game (in a darkened room anyway), this could also shine color coded lights indicating certain events. A player’s health could be indicated by a green light that slowly turns to red as the health decreases. This could add an element of reality as guess work might be involved in knowing exactly what your health is based on the light. After all, you don’t know exactly or numerically how much health you currently have and how much you can lose before you die. The lights would have to be rather bright, though, and might be a drain on the DS battery. Still a lot of fun could be had with some ambient light.

My final idea is one that stems from the Revolution itself. With Revolution, Nintendo has created a completely modular control system that can be used for just about any game. Any control type can be attached to the expansion port depending on the needs of a particular game. Well, the one thing the DS is missing and is often complained about is the lack of analog control. Don’t worry, because the Analog Pak could be the answer. This pak could be inserted to the GBA slot and connected to an analog handle like the one on Revolution. This could either be freehand (nunchuk style) or on a clip that affixes to the left side of the DS (or the right if you prefer). There you have it, instant analog stick. If they wanted to they could even just make an Option Pak with the same port as the Revolution remote control and allow the same peripherals to be attached through the slot, thus creating symmetry between their flagship devices. I personally would prefer a full-size analog, but they might use a smaller nub for easier transportation. Either way, the precision of analog control could be easily added to the DS for an even better system.

Okay, so there you have it. I think Nintendo has an untapped market out there for these devices. As pack-ins they could add value and fun to DS games. Of course, a lot of people don’t like extra gadgets, but they can just not use them. Nintendo should encourage the use of the peripherals, especially by third party developers so that none of these fun gadgets would be relegated to just one or two games. Of course, as long as they are packed in and at a reasonable cost, it wouldn’t really matter. I guess I’m just a sucker for gadgets. I bought Metroid Prime Pinball right away, but I might have waited if not for the Rumble Pak. I just had to get my hands on one. Right now it’s a permanent fixture in my DS, even though no other games even use it. Anyway, the options are out there, all Nintendo has to do is exploit them. It will be interesting to see what the future will bring for the Nintendo DS.

Brian Langlois is an editorial columnist for AMN. Readers can catch his columns regularly at Power Source with Brian Langlois on GCA and DSA.sirno