Do you use quick save? [DS]

[The Grue]

I was reading a review on the MTV Multiplayer Blog regarding the new Final Fantasy game on DS and one of their Lows was regarding no Quick Save.  Here's what they had to say:

The DS is ideal for jumping into a game when you have five or ten minutes to play; "Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light" is not. Save points are only found in towns and in dungeons right before you're about to battle a boss. This unfortunately means that you need to battle through an entire dungeon in one sitting, hoping to make it to the save point, or you may have to run all the way back to the closest village if you're subway stop is coming up, negating any forward progress you've made in the game.

Now, my question is...has this guy ever heard of just closing the lid?  No, it doesn't save, but it is basically a pause that uses minimal battery.  In fact, I never use Quick Save in DS games.  I aways just close the lid or if I want to turn it completely off, which is pretty much never, I just do it when I am given a save.  I've just never been in a scenario where I had to turn the DS off and was in a place where I needed to use Quick Save to do so.

What say you?

[Kevin Grey]

I think it depends on how much you swap out games.  Personally, I tend toward one game at a time so sleep mode works just as well as Quick Save for me most of the time.

[Dramatist]

I tend to play one game at a time too.  And I'll just close the lid.  I very rarely quick save.

[coopasonic]

I use Quick Save because closing the lid offers no protection in case you forget about it and the battery runs out. It doesn't help that my DS gives no indication whatsoever that the battery is about to die, so I'm unwilling to take that risk.

[wonderpug]

It doesn't help that my DS gives no indication whatsoever that the battery is about to die, so I'm unwilling to take that risk.

Really?  What model DS do you have?  My Lite has a green light in the corner that flashes when it's got a game loaded in sleep mode, and if the battery gets low the light blinks red.

[Bullwinkle]

I like to play many different games on the DS and will let a lot of time go by between play sessions.  Mid-dungeon, I would probably close the lid and try to get back to it, but I feel like the option should be there in case I don't.  More to the point, quicksaves are common in modern games (especially on handheld devices).  Not including one does seem like a comparative knock against it. 

[Eel Snave]

I use quick save all the time. I'm very battery-conscious, so anything that saves my battery is appreciated.

[Misguided]

I never use it, because I tend to play one thing at a time, like the others. I could see why people might want it, but to suggest that's the only way to pause a game because you're at your bus stop seems a bit silly.

[Bullwinkle]

Add in the fact that Nintendo has just said the 3DS will have a shorter battery life, and not bothering with a quicksave seems potentially problematic.

[EddieA]

I jump around games all the time, so quick save is very nice to have.  I really don't understand the reason why a developer would not include it.  It can't be difficult to program, so why leave it out?

[The Grue]

Yeah, I can definitely see how people would want it there.  I just found it interesting that I never use it in any game that has it and others feel like t is a major flaw not to have it.  I agree they should probably have it in there as an option for those that use it.  It just got me wondering how many were like me.  I, too, only play one DS game at a time, usually, so don't need to swap carts, but even if I did, I think I would only swap if I got to a part in this particular game that has a full save.  I wouldn't just want to swap out in the middle of things.

[Destructor]

I jump around games all the time, so quick save is very nice to have.  I really don't understand the reason why a developer would not include it.  It can't be difficult to program, so why leave it out?

Because making the space for more rewritable memory is expensive on a cart? That's all I can think of.

[kathode]

I've literally left my DS on and closed for days on end.  I remember at least a couple times where I got it out and opened it up intending to turn it on only to find I had left a game running previously

[Nth Power]

I use it occasionally.  There's been a couple times where I've come back to my DS to find the battery dead and I hadn't saved in awhile. 

[hitbyambulance]

i power off the DS whenever I'm not using it, so any sort of 'quick save' functionality is appreciated.