A Lot Of Xgp Kids Information


Does any of it matter? The fact is the "Kids" is a pointless system. Screen is too low res and small, the CPU is weak, it is just filler. Why bother. Want emus? get a GP2X. Want snazzy wizzbang 3D? buy a PSP or DS. Want a cheapo system that plays weird knockoffs or old games get a onestation. The Kids fills no niche.
 
The GBA's resolution was annoyingly low. Compare Gunstar Heroes and Gunstar Heroes (MegaDrive/Genesis, 320x240) and Gunstar Super Heroes (GBA, 240x160) [images not to scale, these are meant to show onscreen sprite distribution and size proportion]:

gunstar.png
gunstar-super-heroes-20050809040533015-772820.jpg


Note the first image, on the MD/Genesis at 320x240. The character sprite is in a large open area and has great freedom of movement for shooting and melee attacks. Now note the 2nd-- the resolution is lower so for a reasonably detailed player sprite, his character sprite seems huge compared to the shrunken world, reducing his range of motion and agility, and making the playspace feel cramped. This isn't even a port; it's a from-scratch original version! The exact same scenario arises in an even more apparent fashion with the Metal Slug title custom developed for the GBA.

.. you simply can't get away with as much at that resolution. It's just a fact. Now if you really want to make such a big deal out of a console that will primarily run simple puzzle games from cell phones, be my guest, but don't be surprised when no one here is interested in it because it's not capable of running most games, or emulators of nearly any system, or reasonable-quality video, all functions the GP2X provides.

So this community is fully anti-XGP eh? This isn't an XGP model; the XGP series' real systems (XGP/Mini) use MES VRender-3D chipsets with 200 Mhz ARM920T processors and 2D/3D accelerators. This machine has an anemic CPU and no acceleration, and a tiny screen size and shares extremely little with the other 2 systems that share its namesake. I'll be one of the first in line to get an XGP once they are available and proven to be a good device-- I want to develop for them as they package the GP2X's best features with much-desired high-end 2D acceleration and greater screen real estate, two factors I greatly desire in a game development platform. But that won't stop me from detracting from a product that shouldn't exist, and will just deplete Gamepark's funds making XGP/XGP Mini units, the real attraction, cost more to build.

EDIT: While I appreciate your admitting to causing this little clusterfuck of an argument, you carry this sort of thing on all the time, in lots of topics on all the subforums; spreading mindless obnoxious hate to the GP2X side of things nonstop. It's like barging into a forum about a spinoff band to talk shit about how much better the original band was. That's essentially what you're doing with all this mindless fanboyism of a console that doesn't even exist yet. I see the XGP/Mini as being viable and powerful development platforms but nothing is available yet, little is known, a lot is up in the air. How can you slander an existing machine by the virtues of one that does not yet exist?
 
Epicenter, show me one RECENT offensive post that I have made (besides this one of course).
 
Of course, this doesn't answer anything else I brought up.. :p

I don't need to give examples; there's been plenty in recent weeks, the most recent I can note was where you commented on GP doing beta testing of their machines, taking yet another jab at the GP2X. You've at least done a good job of staying out of other forums with such obnoxious and useless negativity.
 
Dzz made a good point, too. They're going to be up against lower priced products that have tons of games pre-installed. If the things got games, it's still twice the price of the handheld he linked to. That can't be a good thing.

It's hard to see a market for this device. The XGP sounds interesting, and I have to wonder why they're bothering with this underperformer. Wouldn't it have been smarter to release something that was compatible with the GP32, even if your target audience were children?
 
Really GOOD points about the XGP Kids.

- MP3 playback, probably OGG too.
- Any game, commercial or homebrew will likely be exclusive to the XGP
- All the emulators that CAN be ported easily to the system will run fairly fast.
- It'll impress people that have never seen a PSP do homebrew or a GP2X
- Fairly inexpensive in comparison to other handhelds
- Easier to control than a cellphone game
- No annoying ringtone.
 
You know, sometimes flameing people just "disapear", you guys dont want that to happen, do you?
So be nice and peacefull.
 
Yono posted on Aug 19 2006 at 04:00 AM said:
Link 1. Ok that one was kind of offensive
Link 2. That's just an observation
Link 3. It's the truth
Link 4. Tell me how saying a game is "original" and "quality" is offensive
Link 5. And tell me how giving ideas for GP2X's promotion is offensive
 
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I'll tell you the #1 problem with Gamepark's vision for the XGP Kids. They say the thing is for "kids and casual games."

Find me one kid or casual gamer in this forum or any other GP2X forum. I'd be surprised if you could.

I have trouble believing I'll see this thing in brick-and-mortar stores, like Gamepark suggests, so casual gamers and kids will never hear of this thing... Let alone be able to set it up once they get it.
 
Ok after a good night's sleep, I can now say that I agree with you guys. 220x176 is too small. Therefore, thanks for showing your (very) honost opinion on the XGP Kids. I will send them an e-mail explaining your thoughts about it, and I will ask if they could use the XGP Mini's 320x240 resolution screen instead.

BTW if for some reason you want the email you sent to Gamepark answered almost immediately, send it around 7:30 PM US Central time, or 1:30 AM UK time :p
 
Vimacs posted on Aug 19 2006 at 11:08 AM said:
You know, sometimes flameing people just "disapear", you guys dont want that to happen, do you?
So be nice and peacefull.
Keep up the good work vimacs :p
 
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JaqMs posted on Aug 19 2006 at 11:58 AM said:
Ok after a good night's sleep, I can now say that I agree with you guys. 220x176 is too small. Therefore, thanks for showing your (very) honost opinion on the XGP Kids. I will send them an e-mail explaining your thoughts about it, and I will ask if they could use the XGP Mini's 320x240 resolution screen instead.

BTW if for some reason you want the email you sent to Gamepark answered almost immediately, send it around 7:30 PM US Central time, or 1:30 AM UK time :p

Glad to see you saw the light.. thanks for this. :) I sent them the same idea; maybe they'll go forward with it but the product is probably already too far into development. But if mass production hasn't begun (almost definitely hasn't) there's still a chance... but if you ask me GP should just be pouring all their resources into XGP and XGP Mini, not wasting money on this and cranking up XGP/XGPM's prices.
 
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This was the worst debate, like ever. Honestly, what the heck is this that you can't play a game on a screen smaller than 320x240? I don't know about you but I have fun (keyword here) playing my Gameboy and my NeoGeo Pocket. Yes, even today with these new fangled PSPs and Gameparks. Nobody here can say honestly that they wouldn't enjoy a game on a smaller res screen. That would be just absurd.

Proof:

ngp_1.jpg
ngp_2.jpg
ngp_3.jpg
ngp_4.jpg


Would these games be better in bigger res? Maybe. I've played the NeoGeo originals of the two first games and to be honest I had as much with these Pocket versions as I did with their bigger brothers. However, one point stands, all four are perfectly playable on their own and I bet my money that anyone here would enjoy any of these titles, even being low-res and whatnot.

All the earlier examples that were given were fucking awful. Comparing Gunstar Heroes to Super Gunstar Heroes? Terrible, because SGH was nowhere near as good as the original. This has nothing to do with the available hardware, the game just lacked good design and execution. How about we compare Sonic on the Megadrive to the one on the NeoGeo Pocket:

md_1.png
ngp_5.jpg


MD version looks better right? Guess if it plays any better? Nope. In fact the level design in the Pocket version is tighter and more fun.
 
Sorry, nem, but you're wrong. Absolutely you can enjoy games on a smaller screen. The current screen's practically the same as GBAs, and GBA's one of my favorite consoles. BUT GBA has strong commercial support; there are a lot of good games made for it. Even the Neo Geo had decent support compared to what we should expect for the XGP Kids.

For a system that'll mostly thrive off of emulators, the larger resolution is pretty essential.
 
nem posted on Aug 20 2006 at 06:06 AM said:
All the earlier examples that were given were fucking awful. Comparing Gunstar Heroes to Super Gunstar Heroes? Terrible, because SGH was nowhere near as good as the original. This has nothing to do with the available hardware, the game just lacked good design and execution. How about we compare Sonic on the Megadrive to the one on the NeoGeo Pocket:

md_1.png
ngp_5.jpg


MD version looks better right? Guess if it plays any better? Nope. In fact the level design in the Pocket version is tighter and more fun.

What the hell does that have to do with anything? I said the screen area was more cramped for the character sprites, which couldn't really be shrunken without losing tons of detail to where you weren't even sure what you were looking at. I said nothing about level design or which was overall a better game. For what it's worth, I felt GSH/GSSH had their own merits. GSSH had more intense gameplay which I preferred but inferior graphics and audio clarity (Thanks to the GBA's mediocre sound hardware) while GSH had less intense gameplay but superior graphics and music quality even if there were some catchier tunes in GSSH. As far as Sonic for NGPC, it was a solid enough game but it was pretty scaled back from the MD original. It can't hold my interest for long with the real deal beside it.
 
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Guys, you shouldn't mess up peoples' threads. He was only trying to inform us about this system. ;) I can think of things that this handheld could do easily:
-portable system emulators(gameboy color, ngpc, gamegear, lynx, wonderswan)
-maybe homebrew games would be fun too
-mp3 playing capabilities
I would buy it just for the gameboy color emulation and mp3 player. It costs less than a gba with a flash cart and it uses sd and aa batteries(i'm sure battery life is good for the specifications).
 
Epicenter posted on Aug 20 2006 at 10:58 PM said:
What the hell does that have to do with anything? I said the screen area was more cramped for the character sprites, which couldn't really be shrunken without losing tons of detail to where you weren't even sure what you were looking at. I said nothing about level design or which was overall a better game.

Good level design is dependant on a screen size that isn't cramped, so my argument is valid. Here's a demonstration done with capping the MD screen to the NGP res:

md_2.png


Definitely shades of Gunstar Super Heroes there.

shinneri posted on Aug 20 2006 at 05:33 PM said:
For a system that'll mostly thrive off of emulators, the larger resolution is pretty essential.

Exactly, so if it won't have a bigger screen then it won't thrive off of emulators. That's no restriction for good homebrew, though. I'm not arguing the fact that a product like it will severely cut down interest in DaveC-alikes everywhere that are only looking for their next emulation fix. My (not very eloquent) point was that good, enjoyable games can still be made for a smaller screen res, and since I believe restrictions are what drive many developers, a better product with the same idea as the XGPKids (cheap, small, "low-tech") with minimal emulation support could still work out.
 
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nem posted on Aug 21 2006 at 12:14 PM said:
Exactly, so if it won't have a bigger screen then it won't thrive off of emulators. That's no restriction for good homebrew, though. I'm not arguing the fact that a product like it will severely cut down interest in DaveC-alikes everywhere that are only looking for their next emulation fix. My (not very eloquent) point was that good, enjoyable games can still be made for a smaller screen res, and since I believe restrictions are what drive many developers, a better product with the same idea as the XGPKids (cheap, small, "low-tech") with minimal emulation support could still work out.
That's a good point. It doesn't increase my guesses for the success of the platform but this aspect makes it interesting enough that I'll probably get one myself to play with.
 
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