5 reasons why GTA Chinatown Wars shouldn't have launched only on DS
Despite its limited release, GTA Chinatown Wars managed to leave its mark on fans. The game features an intense storyline, a top-down camera, and certain other gameplay components that make it interesting as well as enjoyable. However, Rockstar Games only launched it on the DS initially, but a couple of other handheld devices like the PSP and mobile phones also support it now.
Most fans wish the studio had released the game on other platforms like the Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. This article will list five reasons Rockstar shouldn't have restricted the game's initial launch to only the DS.
Note: The article is subjective and only based on the writer's opinion.
5 reasons why GTA Chinatown Wars shouldn't have been restricted to DS and other handheld consoles
1) DS has limited graphics and other technical limitations
While a great gaming device, the Nintendo DS lacks in numerous departments compared to other consoles. Releasing GTA Chinatown Wars only on that product lowered the game's graphics and limited its features.
The title's launch on the DS further restricted the amount of content the developer could add to the game as well. Since the device doesn't offer much in the way of performance, it cannot handle heavy games with too many features and gameplay components. This is one reason the studio should have brought the title to other devices at launch.
2) It limited the audience
The Nintendo DS was super popular back in the day but lacked the larger audience enjoyed by other consoles like Xbox and PlayStation. This is a huge reason GTA Chinatown Wars failed to reach a wider audience. Even compared to the PSP, the DS had a niche audience that limited the game's reception.
If Rockstar Games had gone with PSP and other consoles for GTA Chinatown Wars' initial launch, the game would have been much more popular.
3) DS was a good, but not the best option
Nintendo DS offered multiple features and portability back in the day. However, it was still not the best or the most powerful option that Rockstar Games had at their disposal. The Sony PSP offered a bigger screen and a more powerful processor that ran the game smoothly.
However, initially releasing Chinatown Wars on DS restricted the audience and affected the game's popularity, even though it was rolled out for the PSP and other platforms at a later date. The GTA Chinatown Wars mobile version was arguably one of the best as well.
4) Not future-proof
The original Nintendo DS family had the game for around five years after its release in 2009. This means releasing GTA Chinatown Wars initially on this platform sealed the game's fate when it comes to future-proofing. With the system now discontinued, there is no way for new players to enjoy the original content meant for the DS.
Fortunately, Rockstar did release the game on PSP and mobile devices, which has allowed fans to explore the streets of Chinatown and experience this title's thrilling plot. If the developer had restricted the game to only DS, then it would have died alongside the device.
5) Porting it to other consoles rendered the original version outdated
GTA Chinatown Wars has amazing features but the original DS version lacked several of those and arguably had worse graphics compared to the PSP and mobile versions. This means once Rockstar Games ported the game to these platforms, the DS version immediately felt outdated.
The other versions featured more radio stations and much better graphics and textures. While the PSP edition lacked the touch-screen mini-games, the mobile counterpart was capable of offering these mini-games alongside better graphics.
This is one of the reasons why the developer shouldn't have only targeted Nintendo DS for the initial release of the game but gone with multiple platforms altogether.