Datel is a UK company that has been providing essential accessories for Nintendo platforms since the days of the NES, easily surviving in the turbulent market whilst competitors fell by the way-side.
Cubed3 was lucky enough to get some questions answered in the wake of the release of the new Action Replay for Nintendo DS…
Cubed3: Datel has been around for so many years now creating accessories across so many formats. What do you feel makes the company so special in comparison to other competitors that have faded away over the years (an example being the Game Genie)?
Ian Osborne: Datel has stayed at the front of the pack through constant innovation and improvement. While other companies allowed their products and product range to stagnate, we’ve always stayed one step ahead and never rested on our laurels.
C3: Nintendo has in the past come down hard on import stores, such as Computer Exchange, forcing them to remove any US or Japanese games being sold in the UK. Has Datel ever had any problems with the company, considering devices such as the Action Replay and Freeloader opening a gateway to import gaming?
IO: Import gaming is not illegal, and neither is a software solution to unlocking a console to take advantage of import gaming. Datel refuses to be bullied, and will continue to make the products the gamers want, even if some companies don’t want us to have them.
C3: Normally Datel is extremely quick off the mark when it comes to cheat devices for new systems, with a recent example being the one for Sony’s PlayStation Portable. However, the Nintendo DS version has only just been released, with the Action Replay MAX being initially released near launch instead. Is there any particular reason for this delay?
IO: Research and development is not an exact science. Sometimes, you hit a snag or two which holds things up for a while. This is what happened with the GameCube Action Replay too. It’s worth bearing in mind that we’re the only company that’s released a codes-based cheat system for the DS at all, and I’m sure you’ll agree it was worth the wait.
C3: Roughly how large is the team that works on accessories for Nintendo systems, or does it vary drastically depending on the product?
IO: It varies, depending on what product is being worked on and how many Nintendo products are being developed at the time.
C3: What hurdles do you have to overcome when devising something for a new platform? Are you able to get hold of early development kits to start your work, or do certain companies prevent that from happening?
IO: As our products are unofficial, we never get development kits or early prototypes to work from. We’ve often no idea what we’re going to produce for a console until the day it’s released, and we can get our hands on it. Difficulties to overcome usually involve reverse-engineering processes required to get our products running on the console.
C3: Could you please explain to our readers what is currently available for the Nintendo DS and what future plans Datel has for the system?
IO: We currently have several products for the Nintendo DS.
Action Replay for GBA/DS combines a codes-based cheat system for the Game Boy Advance, and a saves backup utility for the DS. You can also share your DS saves online and download other people’s from the CodeJunkies server using the software that comes with the package.
Action Replay DS is a traditional codes-based system for the DS, which lets you input enhancement codes to give yourself infinite lives, infinite health, open all levels and similar cheats. You can update the unit online, so it never goes out of date.
Wi-Fi MAX is ideal for anyone who wants to play DS games online, but hasn’t got a Wi-Fi router. You plug in the dongle into one of your internet PC’s USB ports, and it acts as a Wi-Fi access point, allowing you to play online.
There’s also MAX Media Launcher, which lets you play home brew games and media files off a flash card, and MAX Media Dock, which is MAX Media Launcher and a dock for Compact Flash cards.
Finally, there’s our Headset Communicator, used for chatting when playing with your DS online.
C3: Have any thoughts gone into accessories for the Nintendo Wii yet? For example, controllers with greater wireless distance capabilities?
IO: We won’t know what we can and can’t do for the Wii until it’s released, but rest assured we’ll do something.
C3: When considering something like the Action Replay for Nintendo Wii, would it be likely that new codes will be made available via the WiiConnect24 online service, possibly for a small monthly fee or something similar?
IO: Again, that’s something we just can’t look into until we’ve seen the console.
C3: With the Virtual Console playing a large part in Nintendo’s plans for the new generation, does this mean that the Code Junkies site will possibly be updated with new sections for codes that cover the retro games released via the retro service?
IO: See above. Sorry if this is getting repetitive, but we need to see it before we can produce materials for it.
C3: Would there be any scope for re-releasing prior Action Replay software via the Virtual Console, thus giving gamers instant access to all the previous NES, SNES and N64 AR codes that were compatible with Datel’s older hardware?
IO: That’s an interesting thought. We’ll look into it as soon as we get our Wii…
Many thanks to Ian for taking the time to answer these questions. Myself and the rest of the team wish him and Datel good luck for the future!
