A Tale of Two (Wildly Different) Platforms: DS Games vs PS3 Games
I confess to being something of an overgrown kid, but when it comes to video games I just can’t help myself. My current two favorite game systems are the venerable Nintendo DS and the incomparable Sony Play Station 3. While those two systems are very different in both their hardware they often show even greater differences when it comes to their video game libraries. After all, all the hardware and creative design choices don’t mean anything without excellent and engaging titles to play on it right?
I’ll start with the Nintendo DS games because they are often a little quirky or unusual and often seem like they might be instant classics. While there are some ports and the occasional shovel-ware to be found amongst the otherwise truly unique DS games library, most titles offer a high degree of originality. Even perennial favorites like Mario return in a number of unique ways from sports themed games such as basketball to a cute but surprisingly engaging Olympic Games collection featuring numerous luminaries from all over the video game world. For those old school gamers like myself who enjoy nostalgia with a few updates, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a number of remakes going all the way back to an updated Donkey Kong title. Other favorites such as Team Star Fox, the entire Kong Family and Yoshi all make appearances and/or have their own titles.
The PS3 games are wildly different than those found on the Nintendo DS side of the fence, and rightfully so. The rather meager hardware that can be packaged into a handheld that will last long enough to play a game on a flight isn’t even remotely close to the league that full-fledged consoles pack under the hood. That being said, developers have spent years trying to wring the most performance possible out of consoles, and the current crop of PS3 games is starting to show the strength of the underpinning Cell architecture.
PS3 games are almost all splendidly gorgeous, everything from sports titles that are so realistic that you’ll never need to watch a real game again, to breathtakingly awesome role-playing titles such as Fallout 3. There are a few really unique titles such as Little Big Planet, but by large and far the library of PS3 games is comprised mostly of games that easily fit into well-established genres such as fighting games, shooters, and adventure games of various flavors.
When I’m in the mood for quirky gaming with a side of familiar personalities I reach for my Nintendo DS. If my son is hogging my DS or if I’m in the mood for some of my more violent games, I go for the PS3.