Nintendo DS

[Ironbear]

Yeah, but the insanely high difficulty is part of what makes it fun. Of course, I still wasn't fond of the Triti operations. Those were just weird puzzles, and they didn't feel at all like a believable disease.Umm... I'd consider the Triti the most realistic disease... A heart-seeking ringworm and shark-like parasites against an extra membrane forming around the organs? Ok, the spikes, but still...

Triti is a puzzle from hell. Truth.

What is all this talk about this Phoenix Wright game. I have not played it so I am not going to knock it. But from the preview I have seen it does not look that good and I would not even consider it a game from what I have seen.Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a humoristic detective game, with an anime theme.
You play the part of Phoenix Wright, a rookie defensive attorney and go around talking to witnesses, searching for clues and then, finally, try to defend your client in the courtroom.
Even if detective work isn't an attorneys job, in the game it works and without that, you'd just be given the evidence and marched into the courtroom. Searching for clues yourself is one of the most fun parts of the game.

The game has good humour, requires you to think most of your objections and evidence thoroughly and has a cool theme, to boot.


That's the fuss about Phoenix Wright. It's basicly the top must-have game on DS. Try looking at a few reviews:
Phoenix Wright on Gamerankings (http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/925589.asp?q=Wright)

[Lemina]

I'm one of those who is actually looking forward to getting a Nintendo DS Lite. I recently had purchased the original Nintendo DS only to know that Nintendo was going to release a new improved version of it. I ended up returning my DS, and choose to wait for this new one slated to be released June 11th. I wouldn't mind if it was released sooner, either way, I have my money ready for this, I can't wait!! ^_^

[Smith]

http://animenation.net/forums/showthread.php?t=192082
I'm pretty sure you saw this thread, am posting it for anyone who may have missed it too. I'm going to stop by Target today and see if I can't score a lite. Will report back in a few hours.

[Bezerker]

Good luck, it seems that since IGN reported this information to Nintendo; Sears, Walmart & Target corporate offices have gotten memos to pull all stock from shelves. Two local sears' websites say that its available for store pickup, after ordering, both stores have called me back saying that they are "recalled". Seems like no one is able to find any today. Congrats to anyone who was able to get one.

[Smith]

No luck. Thanks IGN. Of all things you do, you do this. I think it's better to have stores wait till the 11th, anyway. A number of people would be expecting to walk in a store on the 11th and get one, and if all lites were sold out before that, that'd be discouraging and would make Nintendo look bad.

[Ironbear]

I'm happy with the "chunky" DS. Atleast you notice when it drops as the sidewalk buckles, and doesn't flutter away in the wind. :P I'm just kidding.

Still, when playing GBA games for a long time, my hands don't find the console very ergonomical.

I'd SO like to listen to the soundtrack of Phoenix Wright while driving around... Only reason I'd yank it out of the game. For personal showing-off and enjoyment...

[Bezerker]

BTW for whoever asked, the re-release date for Phoenix Wright is 6/14. Ive been wanting to play that one for a while (i had a few copies, but sold them for $55 each on ebay, lol.)

[The Gevin]

BTW for whoever asked, the re-release date for Phoenix Wright is 6/14. Ive been wanting to play that one for a while (i had a few copies, but sold them for $55 each on ebay, lol.)
THANK YOU !

[Rahxephon91]

The US DS plays Japanese games without having to do anything right? If I do get a DS I would love to get the Bleach DS game.

[Smith]

Yes. The DS is region free. It seems all handhelds are this way, including the PSP.

[Siendra]

Yes. The DS is region free. It seems all handhelds are this way, including the PSP.

Only for games.

[Ironbear]

I've ordered a couple of games from the US to Europe without any compability problems. I just wish they'd arrive in less'n two weeks. ^^

[Rahxephon91]

So should I expect that DS Lite units are going to hard during the summer?

[Smith]

So should I expect that DS Lite units are going to hard during the summer?
I assume you mean hard to find. I think they will be hard to find for a couple of weeks or a month after the launch a week from now. It is also possible Nintendo prolonged the launch and announcement of the lite in America so they could have enough for everybody. That would be the smart move, move and sell a million lites the first month or so. It also may be very easy to find, depending on where you look. Say, EB and Gamestop will be sold out and backed up on preorders etc. Other stores may sell out quick like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. I myself would look in other smaller chain stores like Circuit City etc.

[Lord Dagoth]

Does anyone know how much store credit you can get for a DS at EB Games?

[Smith]

$70, towards a DS lite, until this sunday, or so I've heard. If not towards a lite, $50 or so.

[Lord Dagoth]

Oh...that sucks. I guess I'll just sell it on Ebay then.

[Ironbear]

I've gotten hands-on expirience about Lite:

The DS Lite doesn't weight practicly any less than the original DS. Only the casing has been changed to a smaller model.
Lite feels like some special hospital PDA device. The shape and colour make it pretty clinical and sterile-looking. Of course, youre not freed from washing your hands...

I don't know, if there are any hardware alterations. But the same weight suggest little tampering with the insides, unless theyve just switched a couple of components. Like increased cordless range.

The screen light can be set to three levels, but I didn't try these out much. I can only say, that the brighter the screen is, the less time you have to play. More light needs more energy, as you propably know.

In all other aspects, the Lite seems identical to the original, but I only had one chapter meeting night to test it.


I still prefer the "broke my foot as it fell on it" chunky DS. Standard-scifi-grey is cooler to me than hospital-clinical-white.

[Siendra]

I've gotten hands-on expirience about Lite:

The DS Lite doesn't weight practicly any less than the original DS. Only the casing has been changed to a smaller model.

Pardon? I just threw my DS and DS lite on a kitchen scale and the Lite is slightly less the 3/4ths the weight of the DS...

I don't know, if there are any hardware alterations. But the same weight suggest little tampering with the insides, unless theyve just switched a couple of components. Like increased cordless range.

You missed the higher resolution screen, brighter backlighting, extended battery life, new Stylus, increased audio range, and the new (Now not stupid looking when viewd in natural lighting) touch screen matrix.

In all other aspects, the Lite seems identical to the original, but I only had one chapter meeting night to test it.

The button layout is completely different. How did you not notice that, at the very least?

[Bezerker]

Since it seems Gamerush has 0 DS lites on order, i decided to pre-order one at Gamestop. Traded the original DS for $70 off. Given its not the $50 up front i could've paid at Gamerush (-$10 after trading in my original DS) but it beats having to wait on GR's crappy shipping schedules.

[Ironbear]

Well, I had only a few hours to look at the Lite, before I headed home.
I didn't of course test it all that time. Lots of other eager people, too.

Well, I'll still stick to the regular DS. I see few problems with it.

[Smith]

Just picked up the DS lite at WalMart in Wichita Falls, Texas. Dude in front was arguing with the worker bee drone that they are supposed to come out on the 11th (Since it was past midnight, it was technically the 11th) and forced the drone to call the other WalMart to confirm that the DS lite comes out on the 11th. Nintendo and their sunday launches, heh.
The DS lite is a little different from what I expected with its desgin, but nonethless is sleek and easily worth it. Best of luck to those looking for a DS lite today, I belive these things are going to fly off the shelves of just about every store out there today.

[Mr. Referee]

Best of luck to those looking for a DS lite today, I belive these things are going to fly off the shelves of just about every store out there today.

Yeah, I work at my Walmart electronics deptartment, and I can't wait to see how many I sell today. It's going to be quite interesting, seeing as how fast we sell the regular DS.

[Smith]

If your Walmart is a 24 hour Supercenter, I don't reckon there will be much, if any DS lites left when you arrive to work.

[Lemina]

Today is the day the Nintendo DS Lite is officially released in the US. Unfortunately, I won't be able to get it just yet as other things came up, but I look forward to getting it sometime in the near future. Hopefully, it won't be hard to find a few weeks from now. I wonder what colors Nintendo is planning on releasing later on.

[Mr. Referee]

If your Walmart is a 24 hour Supercenter, I don't reckon there will be much, if any DS lites left when you arrive to work.

Nope, it's not a 24 hour Supercenter... thank god. It's busy enough during the 14 hours a day it IS open. I start work at noon, so I reckon that there'll still be some there, because most of the traffic comes in during the afternoon until around closing time.

[Bezerker]

If you got a best buy, circuit city or sears you can order online for store pickup, that way you can save yourself the ride and possible dissapointment.

I got mine today, its pretty nice, the higher brightness makes the picture look a lot sharper. Got lucky, no dead/stuck pixels. My only complaint has to be the fact that the GBA carts now stick out ><.

[TheMantiCore]

I just picked my DS Lite up (goto Best Buy.com and print out a cupon, get Brain Age free with the purchase of a DS Lite at a Best Buy in-store, or go back in Best Buy with Brain Age still wrapped and get a 20$ credit :D). Holy hell, this thing is slick. Its tiny and stylish. I picked my old DS to play my brother on Metroid, and jesus, the old DS is completely obsolete now. While I know the jump from GBA to SP was a almost required one with the GBA being backlight-less, but this transition is just about as great and worthwhile.

The screens are both HELLA brighter, and the screen construction, especially of the bottom screen is alot more durable and tough.

It looks kinda goofy with a GBA cart sticking out of the system, but that is basically the only downside to this thing.

A 129.99 well spent.

[Smith]

I play my GBA games on my micro, so I doubt I will ever use the GBA slot on the lite.

[Gaming_Bum]

I play my GBA games on my micro, so I doubt I will ever use the GBA slot on the lite.


Lite is brighter, and bigger screen. I don't know why you wouldn't use it! But whatever floats your boat

[Smith]

Heh, it's not like the micro is unplayable. It is darn bright in its own right. I feel the micro is perfect for RPGs, and I probably will occasionally play action games on my DS lite, it's just that with the old DS, I could leave a GBA game and a DS game in the DS and bring that with me. With the lite, it isn't exactly something you put in your pocket with the GBA cart sticking out. At least Nintendo left the option of using GBA carts on the lite(there's a rumble cart for some games). I think Nintendo should consider making a smaller rumble cart specifically for the lite though.

[pigz4brains]

I wanna get a lite, but I have a question first before I go and buy one. I remember when I was setting up my WiFi connection on a few games for my DS, and I seem to remember seeing something about not being able to use the cart with other DS's to get online, so if I buy one will I still be able to get online with my games on my new DS?

[Bezerker]

Yea, you can transfer your wifi settings to another ds as long as you have both with you. If you dont then you have to register for a new friend code, and have all your friends re-register you.

[pigz4brains]

So if I trade it in, I am basically screwed?

[Robobandit]

If you trade it in to pay for your Lite, talk to the employees and see if they'll let you transfer your wifi settings beforehand. They might let you do it if you're cool and ask nicely.

[Catalyst-40]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6152621.html

Just thought I confirm what's been said about the DS Lite.

I really want one now. Though, I'll wait until I can get more gift certificates from Best Buy to buy the handheld. So many interesting games . . ..

[armax1980]

I bought one today at best buy while using $15 of my reward zone cert. I'm not sure if all Best Buy is doing it, but the place I bought it at gave me a $10 gift card with the DS lite purchase.

[Rahxephon91]

I also got a Lite on sunday. Brain Age is actually really good. I hope to get Bleach DS this week also.

[Ironbear]

I picked my old DS to play my brother on Metroid, and jesus, the old DS is completely obsolete now.Please don't tell me your serious?

What if your new Lite breaks down for some reason and you got only the "old" DS? Won't use it anymore? At any cost?

Why would the "old" even become obsolete? You wouldn't have Lite without the "old" DS... <_<

[Batou]

Look at it this way. The DS was an market experiment in itself by Nintendo. The DS lite is simply the evolution and use of a brighter pair of screens, better touchscreen, longer lasting battery, and best of all, is much sleeker and lighter than the DS.
It's fine if you feel upgrading from the DS to the DS lite is not necessary, it is a free country and you are free to do what you please. Although I must admit that as great as the DS is, it does has an antiquated feel once I sunk my teeth into my DS lite. :D

[CrossboneGundam]

Look at it this way. The DS was an market experiment in itself by Nintendo. The DS lite is simply the evolution and use of a brighter pair of screens, better touchscreen, longer lasting battery, and best of all, is much sleeker and lighter than the DS.
It's fine if you feel upgrading from the DS to the DS lite is not necessary, it is a free country and you are free to do what you please. Although I must admit that as great as the DS is, it does has an antiquated feel once I sunk my teeth into my DS lite. :D

You just described why those of us who already got a DS should regret not waiting for the Lite. Thanks. :P

[Batou]

Heh. You could always wait for the second redesgin. I'm betting it will be called the DS macro. :D

[cbfan]

Got a lite when it came out. The only problem I've been having is finding cheap used games. Even a used game thats been out for a while costs around 30 dollars. (excluding brain age and bad launch titles like that xx/xy game) I dont know, I just feel weird paying more for a ds game than a ps2 one.

[Lemina]

I finally got around to getting the Nintendo DS Lite today. I was going to get it last Sunday (on June 11th), but certain things pushed me back. I got it today and wow, is it beautiful. I like the plastic finish the game system has, and the dual screens really look great. I wish the volume was a little louder without headphones but its ok, you don't want to disturb many people anyways. I wish the GBA Slot was a little deeper so the game wouldn't stick out so much, but its understandable considering this system is smaller and slimer than the original. I had gotten Tetris DS about a month ago back when I got the original DS (which I ended up returning in anticipation of getting this system) and it was enjoyable to play. I now look forward to getting some more games sometime in the future. ^_^

[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]

Personally i was thinking about getting a DS,but a thought came to me.While on the verge of "Next Generation" consoles,why should i waste my time on a hand held devise?When i can play a system that is stronger than the PlayStation2 or X-Box 360?

Is there a point with these small screens?Sure,they can be made more,but why waste money on a small screen,when you can get killer graphics and beautiful backgrounds?

[Jon]

Personally i was thinking about getting a DS,but a thought came to me.While on the verge of "Next Generation" consoles,why should i waste my time on a hand held devise?When i can play a system that is stronger than the PlayStation2 or X-Box 360?
There's nothing stronger than a Xbox 360 right now, except a really expensive computer. Even then the 360 manages to out perform a computer.

Is there a point with these small screens?Sure,they can be made more,but why waste money on a small screen,when you can get killer graphics and beautiful backgrounds?
Because it attracts more people. With smaller screens, the price of the item goes down significantly, and price is one the biggest selling points to consumers. We've seen that a huge powerhouse (such as the PSP) does not always mean better. I'm pretty sure most people know this by now. Innovation>half assed handhled

I don't care if you buy the DS Lite or not, but it has fun games. Hope you don't miss out because its graphics aren't good enough.

[Lemina]

Personally i was thinking about getting a DS,but a thought came to me.While on the verge of "Next Generation" consoles,why should i waste my time on a hand held devise?When i can play a system that is stronger than the PlayStation2 or X-Box 360?

Portable game systems are just that, video gaming you can take on the go. You can't do that to an Xbox360 as you'll need a television to play the games. If your looking for older portable games, you should get the Gameboy Advance SP as it can play all GameBoy games from the old classics all the way to the GBA carts. Its sold at quite an affordable price and it has much of the same bright screen technology used in the Nintendo DS Lite. If your looking for more advance portable gaming, you can always get the Nintendo DS or the Sony PSP. The DS can play GBA carts too.

Is there a point with these small screens?Sure,they can be made more,but why waste money on a small screen,when you can get killer graphics and beautiful backgrounds?

The Nintendo DS is unlike anything that has ever been released in the portable market. A duel screen system with the bottom being touch sensitive. You can use a stylus to draw and chat with people and play games online with the WiFi connection. The Nintendo DS also has built-in wireless connectivity to play multiplayer games with other DS users without any use of cables or even other copies of the same game. I think Nintendo has gone to another level with portable gaming. It certainly isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy playing videogames while outside of home, it's a great buy. It isn't all about graphics, it's about having fun!!

[CrossboneGundam]

Personally i was thinking about getting a DS,but a thought came to me.While on the verge of "Next Generation" consoles,why should i waste my time on a hand held devise?When i can play a system that is stronger than the PlayStation2 or X-Box 360?

Is there a point with these small screens?Sure,they can be made more,but why waste money on a small screen,when you can get killer graphics and beautiful backgrounds?

Obviously you're one of the people who buys the system for the name and the graphics, not what games it has.

As such, you probably wouldn't like DS anyway, since all it's got going for it are the fun games, wi-fi, multiplayer, etc.

[Gaming_Bum]

lol small screens so its affordable and portable! And you get a ds, because its one of the few places where you can get a true 2d fix. Plus games like trauma center wouldn't work to well on xbox 360. and there are tons of great games on it......... and its portable

[Smith]

Personally i was thinking about getting a DS,but a thought came to me.While on the verge of "Next Generation" consoles,why should i waste my time on a hand held devise?When i can play a system that is stronger than the PlayStation2 or X-Box 360?

Is there a point with these small screens?Sure,they can be made more,but why waste money on a small screen,when you can get killer graphics and beautiful backgrounds?
This seems like a thinly veiled troll attempt. You were doing good when you were thinking about getting a DS. You must've had a brain fart when you decided aganist it.

To quote whoever said it, "I play games and not consoles", you should too.

[Bezerker]

Here you go Collosus, is this a better portable system?

http://www.pibmug.com/files/portable.jpg

Yea, that looks a lot better than gaming that fits in your pocket. Maybe if you pray to Bill Gates, your system will have a portable version.

Oh wait, here it is:

http://www.xbox365.com/gdb/images/EpyFAkZVFlBigSCLCZ/Xbox_News_53.jpg

Only weighs 25lbs and battery life is only 3 hrs, wow thats awesome.

[Jon]

Oh Bezerker, that was the funniest thing I've read all day!:lol:

[MightyDustLoop]

Well, in Colossus's defense, some people don't game in a lot of places. They like to do it in their entertainment center, and they feel like they spend a more than adequate amount of time getting it done there.

Me personally? I have a couple tvs, and I don't really carry my portables with me often, but I actually find myself playing them around the house. Sometimes during a sports game or show or even news I'm trying to keep a free eye on, I'm gaming away on my portable. Stupid job has probably made me this way, but it all comes down to how gaming fits into your lifestyle. Some have no use for portables, and some only using gaming to kill time during travel. It certainly goes both ways, and I still consider both groups true gamers, they just have different styles of doing it.

[Smith]

The only game I have no problem playing with on the go is Brain Age, and it is due to its all white or clear background. Most other games are hard to see in broad daylight, so I only really play them around the house, or in the dark before I go to sleep.

Add: Watch out for Pirated DS games. here's a link (http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/2006/06/13/spotting-pirated-nintendo-ds-carts/) showing how to spot them.

[Ironbear]

Personally i was thinking about getting a DS,but a thought came to me.While on the verge of "Next Generation" consoles,why should i waste my time on a hand held devise?When i can play a system that is stronger than the PlayStation2 or X-Box 360?

Is there a point with these small screens?Sure,they can be made more,but why waste money on a small screen,when you can get killer graphics and beautiful backgrounds?
There's nothing stronger than a Xbox 360 right now, except a really expensive computer. Even then the 360 manages to out perform a computer.

Because it attracts more people. With smaller screens, the price of the item goes down significantly, and price is one the biggest selling points to consumers. We've seen that a huge powerhouse (such as the PSP) does not always mean better. I'm pretty sure most people know this by now. Innovation>half assed handhled

I don't care if you buy the DS Lite or not, but it has fun games. Hope you don't miss out because its graphics aren't good enough.
Cause some of us are pretty tired with nothing but graphical updates... <_<

And the 360 might out-perform an "ordinary" PC in gaming power, but what was the 360 designed to do? Maybe, play games? It's been optimized for that... <_<
Also, the statistics and graphs are twisted and used in the most devious ways to make it seem like the 360 beats a PC, but have you tried this out for yourself? Gimme results or shut up.
Plus, you can do only a fraction of the things on a 360 that you can do on a PC. Can you do Flash-animation and games on 360? 3D modeling and texturing? Chat on three different messengers at once?
Do you even have a messenger program on 360?

Some people also like to play games out of their home. Wich would you rather do: sit and look out of the window, read a book or play games on a long train trip? Plus, I'd much rather carry a DS around rather than a 360. Heck, even the Gamecube has a handle for carrying it around and is of decent size!

[Rahxephon91]

Why would you compare a gaming machine to a computer in any other way then playing games?

The xbox 360 is a gaming machine not a creating/comunication tool. And in regards to gaming the xbox 360 is(this can be argued) better then a computer at this time. If you are comparing them any other way you are an idiot.

Now the PS3 is a diffrent story.

[Siendra]

There's nothing stronger than a Xbox 360 right now, except a really expensive computer. Even then the 360 manages to out perform a computer.

Yeah, no. My current rig (AMD 64 X2 4000+, 7950 GX2, 2 Gigs Hyper X Cas 1 Ram) trounces the 360 performance wise.

[Jon]

Yeah, no. My current rig (AMD 64 X2 4000+, 7950 GX2, 2 Gigs Hyper X Cas 1 Ram) trounces the 360 performance wise.

Yeah, and it costed tons more than a 360. We have yet to see the 360's true power, and yet it's still up there with the highest performing computers.

I can't say the same when those DX10 cards come out, though :P


Cause some of us are pretty tired with nothing but graphical updates... <_<

And the 360 might out-perform an "ordinary" PC in gaming power, but what was the 360 designed to do? Maybe, play games? It's been optimized for that... <_<
Also, the statistics and graphs are twisted and used in the most devious ways to make it seem like the 360 beats a PC, but have you tried this out for yourself? Gimme results or shut up.

Results? I speak from experience. I have an AMD X2 4200+ with a 7900GTX, 1 gig of 3200 RAM, and the 360 looks the same or in some cases (GRAW) better than my PC. I love PC games, but to say they look a ton better than a 360 is false.

Plus, you can do only a fraction of the things on a 360 that you can do on a PC. Can you do Flash-animation and games on 360? 3D modeling and texturing? Chat on three different messengers at once?
Do you even have a messenger program on 360?
No I can't perform those things on the 360, but who really gives a **** when you're gaming?

Some people also like to play games out of their home. Wich would you rather do: sit and look out of the window, read a book or play games on a long train trip? Plus, I'd much rather carry a DS around rather than a 360. Heck, even the Gamecube has a handle for carrying it around and is of decent size!
I don't know where you're going with this, but I love the DS. For the record, I enjoy reading books on long trips, as well.

[Ironbear]

I love the DS too, don't get me wrong.

Play for the games, not the grahpics, performance or the consoles. Except in the case of Wii. The controllers allow for a lot of cool games. Paradoxial?

I'm no expert on any field, and those were just my oppinions, but it is true, that statistics about console performance don't really tell the truth. Only the most "important" numbers are taken into account, in a way, that displays most optimal situations and performance. You rarely get games, that FULLY use all aspects of the console, cause the programmers can't know each and every little detail about the console their making the game for.


Ugh... It's too hot for decent thinking... >_< I'm not gonna argue a couple of points right now, cause I wouldn't know, what I'm thinking.

[mecegirl]

I don't think that I will get a lite untill they get more colors. I got a pink ds from japan because in America they didn't offer it. But the lite dose look cool.

They have yet to release a game that shows the 360's "true power". I would like to hope that they do soon. From what I have seen the graphics "look" the same on the 360 as they do on the first x-box.

Graphics arn't everything. Alot of games with great graphic's suck. If a game has a great story or good gameplay then who cares if the graphics are pretty?

But of course in the real world where style comes before substance as long as it looks good we consumers will waste hours infront of our flat screen hd tvs staring at the pretty colors.

But as far as the new gen's go I can't wait untill the wii. It is the only system with a lot of games that I like right now.

But back to the actual subject of the thread Ds rocks! :P

[Ironbear]

I was studying up to a while ago, and the only 360 game that was in serious use was Geometry Wars 2.

It was quite a surprise, that that kind of a game was the only one, that gathered almost any interest amidst our group. Only the demo of Lost Planet caught some attention, but GW2 was still the biggest hit.

By the way, in Lost Planet, they say "extreme weather conditions" or whatever it was. The "worst" tempiture we saw was -20*C! ( about -4*F ) Even in Finland it gets colder at winter! What a joke!
Extreme weather... try checking Venus, Jupiter or Uranus. Or atleast use REAL cold in arctic environments... ( I'm thinking around -40*C, ( -40*F ) that actually would be classified as "extreme" by certain kind of survivalist professionals )


Even with heavy windshear ( is that the word? ) -20*C isn't very extreme. Atleast to us finnish, and if we think like that, the rest of you can't be as wussy as we are.

[Sachiel03]

Mario Kart is sweet...I have animal crossing also i like that game too.

I really want the new pokemon games thatre comin out for the DS...Diamond and Pearl.

[Smith]

For those who are interested, I recommend Point Blank DS. If you loved the Playstation versions, I recommend it tenfold.
It is better than I thought it would be, contrary to what I thought, it does have challenge in it. It is easy to think a light gun game just would not work with a touchscreen, but I believe this game was desgined extremely well, and is a lot of fun to play. It does not seem to be that deep, but the fun factor is there. There are a few modes. Freeplay, Games Musuem, Arcade, VS and Brain Massage. There is no Nintendo WFC capablities, though, and from what I have read on GameFAQs, there is only 2p multiplayer between one cart and apparently the download takes a bit, but is worth it.
If anyone happens to be looking for this game(it seems to be rare already due to a rather limited release), I picked it up at EBX (EBgames) at the Washington Square mall in Portland, Oregon.

[Siendra]

Yeah, and it costed tons more than a 360. We have yet to see the 360's true power, and yet it's still up there with the highest performing computers.


And? It also does a great deal more then a 360 does. When I average it out by hours of use, the cost is far, far less for a device that does much, much more.

[hiroaki]

http://www.rbbtoday.com/news/20060628/31838-20060628nds01.jpg
Sales on July 20

[Powatanner]

i'm sure someone has said this but
WHERE IS THE METROID PRIME HUNTERS!
also there is Advanced Wars: Dual Strike
Kirby Canvas Curse
Drill Dozer
and a new Pokemon RPG will come out soon

[Kstyle]

Don't forget the new full3D FF3!!!

[Powatanner]

another remake!
i thought they'd be at FF334 by now

[Sachiel03]

Between Mario Kart and Animal Crossing(and more), I don't know how much gaming goodness I can take. :D
What a time to be a gamer.

I have a PSP AND a DS ^___^

Sheer gaming bliss my friend,sheer gaming bliss...

[Rahxephon91]

Anyone have Bleach DS? I picked it up from Frys and I gotta say I think its the best game on the DS.

[Gaming_Bum]

Anyone have Bleach DS? I picked it up from Frys and I gotta say I think its the best game on the DS.


Nope haven't played it yet. But speaking of imports, If you haven't, you should try out Osu! tatakae! Ouendan

its a music game, that came from the same people that did guitar hero.

[Rahxephon91]

How does Quendan play? I guess If Frys has it I'll buy it, afterall I have heard good things about it.

Oh and no, the same people did not develop Guitar Hero

Guitar Hero-Harmonix Music Systems

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan-iNiS

Did you mean Gitaroo Man?

[mecegirl]

http://www.rbbtoday.com/news/20060628/31838-20060628nds01.jpg
Sales on July 20
Yay!!! A baby sister for my pink ds. Now I must save so that I can order it.

Ouendan is great. It is so mcuh fun. I haven't beaten the hardest difulculty setting on it though. It has a lot of good songs inculding Ready Steady Go from Full Metal. But yes get it if you can it can be hard at first but once you get the rythem it is a rather amusing music based game. The game uses the touch screen. You have to touch the circles in sequential order it gain points and stop your meter from running low. Here is a video it is not the best quality but you'll get the idea.vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf05bSB_Dzc&search=ouendan)

[Gaming_Bum]

oops, I did mean gitaroo man. I'm out of it


anyways that video mecegirl posted is from very hard mode. I've yet to unlock that :(. Normal mode is hard enough, I'm a white boy with no rhythm!

[Matsu'o Tsurayaba]

Im wondering if its worth it to get a DS.Im most likely not going to get it,i would rather get a Nintendo Wii.Is the DS that good for people to like it so much?

[Siendra]

Im wondering if its worth it to get a DS.Im most likely not going to get it,i would rather get a Nintendo Wii.Is the DS that good for people to like it so much?

...

You do realise you just asked us if you would like something without telling us what sorts of thing you like, right?

[ShmooZeroOmega]

another remake!
i thought they'd be at FF334 by now

Considering the original Final Fantasy III for the NES was never released in the US, I don't think you should be so critical. I'm looking forward to it.

[Gaming_Bum]

Im wondering if its worth it to get a DS.Im most likely not going to get it,i would rather get a Nintendo Wii.Is the DS that good for people to like it so much?


It has a lot of good games, and probably is the best handheld out right now. considering its able to play gba games as well as ds games. But its a handheld, so great games are pouring out of it left and right. But like I said, its kick *** for a handheld and it compliments my home consoles.

So if you want a good handheld, Ds is the way to go.


there are about 25 to 30 ds games in my opinion. and probably over 50 good gba games.

[Bezerker]

Im wondering if its worth it to get a DS.Im most likely not going to get it,i would rather get a Nintendo Wii.Is the DS that good for people to like it so much?

Depends on what kind of games you like.

[mecegirl]

oops, I did mean gitaroo man. I'm out of it


anyways that video mecegirl posted is from very hard mode. I've yet to unlock that :(. Normal mode is hard enough, I'm a white boy with no rhythm!

Don't rush it those female cheerleaders are evil. Not only does it go faster but the circles are smaller.

[Gaming_Bum]

Don't rush it those female cheerleaders are evil. Not only does it go faster but the circles are smaller.

Smaller circles! I would never be able to beat very hard mode! I have trouble hitting the toilet bowl for god sake. :P

[Akito]

Very hard mode is pure evil. I still haven't managed to beat the stage with the giant rat, or the stage with the robots. And even if I do beat those, I doubt I'll ever finish Ready Steady Go. It was by pure luck that I managed to beat it on hard mode. Hell, I can't even consistently beat it on normal mode.

[Gaming_Bum]

Very hard mode is pure evil. I still haven't managed to beat the stage with the giant rat, or the stage with the robots. And even if I do beat those, I doubt I'll ever finish Ready Steady Go. It was by pure luck that I managed to beat it on hard mode. Hell, I can't even consistently beat it on normal mode.


The Giant rat stage is the funniest.

[mecegirl]

That giant rat mode on very hard was so well hard. It's odd but the cops and cleopatra were easier than the rat for me maybe becuase I don't like the song. I still can't beat ready steady go. Its so hard!!! I mean two seconds and I die every time.

[The Gevin]

I just recieved Ouendan today. :D OMG... LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!

[Texcap]

Between Mario Kart and Animal Crossing(and more), I don't know how much gaming goodness I can take. What a time to be a gamer.

Up until yesterday I've used the DS to play Mario Kart DS, & Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones almost exclusively. Hours and hours of fun with just these two games alone.

That said, I was finally able to locate a complete & affordable copy of Advance Wars (GBA) and because I'd waited long enough, I decided to get Advance Wars: Dual Strike while I was at it. I've held off on picking up the latter for months just trying to be responsible, but: I can't waits no more!

Knowing how strong a developer Intelligent Systems is, thanks to Fire Emblem, I'm sure I've got a ton of quality playing time ahead of me in Advance Wars as well. And with Super Robot Wars: Original Generation coming out in August (IIRC) I'm going to be set for an awful long time on the DS. And that's without mentioning Super Mario Bros. DS, Xenosaga I & II, and a hanful of others.

I couldn't be happier with my DS purchase!

[Dij]

Nintendo DS IS THE DADDY!!
Metroid Prime Hunters is astonishing, Brain training is unique, Mariokart and Animal Crossing are the most fun you can have mutliplayer!! I think that the DS needs a totally kick *** beat em up, like maybe a Soul Caliber game. I need to get hold of a copy of the Viewtiful Joe for the DS too!

That said, I was finally able to locate a complete & affordable copy of Advance Wars (GBA) and because I'd waited long enough, I decided to get Advance Wars: Dual Strike while I was at it. I've held off on picking up the latter for months just trying to be responsible, but: I can't waits no more!
The Advance Wars Games are excellent. Challenging, fun and cute. Dual strike especially will keep you going for a good few weeks of play.

[Texcap]

Metroid Prime Hunters is astonishing...

From what little I've been able to play (and from what I hear), I'd have to agree. As it is, Metroid Prime Hunters is on the "sooner-rather-than-later" list of DS games I'd like to own as well -- if those darn bills didn't get in the way I'd already done own it! I also wouldn't mind picking up Animal Crossing either, but that's a game I can wait awhile for (in particular for the inevitable price drop).

The Advance Wars Games are excellent. Challenging, fun and cute. Dual strike especially will keep you going for a good few weeks of play.

If they're anything like Fire Emblem, for me, it'll be [years] of play! Like so many classic Nintendo games, they're just worth playing over and over again -- if even at liesure. Anyhow, appreciate the feedback.

[Gaming_Bum]

Here the numbers for June for North America. (I got these numbers from the ign boards, so believe them if you want, if you don't whatever)

DS 593k
PS2 312k
360 277k
PSP 221k
XBX 24k

Here is a chart for this year. Sony was catching up slowly, But then dsl came out and blew up.

http://static.flickr.com/60/189049793_da2a8c3f9a_o.png


As for overall sales in North america. The dsl really widen the gap

DS - 5.2 million
PSP - 4.7 million

[Dij]

Long Live The DS!! WOOO! Thats an insane increase in just one months sales!

[Bezerker]

Im guessing there are shortages of DS lites in some places. A guy on ebay (41 positives, no negatives) bid $147.50 on mine and theres still 4 days left...

No, im not selling my personal DS Lite, i'm selling a new one that i got for $60.

[Ironbear]

I personally didn't like Hunters at all. The control scheme wasn't to my liking. On Prime it worked nicely, but I didn't find Hunters that enjoyable on somewhat-short my demo run. I found the stylys a little too tricky to use.

*sigh* I wish I could get a bunch of Amiga games for my new old Amiga 500... Found one for spare change at a recycling center, but I got only Pang for it. I'd really, really like to try or even get Detroit. ( car manufacturing simulation ) I'm actually working on a Flash game kinda similiar to it...

I did a little research on the subject, and obviously it's pretty impossible to write anything, that the Amiga could read, to disks on the PC. Ok, Amiga uses double-density ( correct me if I'm wrong and youre not ) and you can actually find these disks ( although in HDD ( high double density )) format, but I don't think that's a big factor... The big issue is, that you need a specialized drive and software for writing Amiga disks.
Amiga emulators on the other hand... I tried to get one to work, just for a test run... No way. I'm better off finding that specialized drive than getting that emulator to work!

Spore is coming out on mobiles at some point. Or so I heard... I wonder if DS would be a possible format for Spore? I wouldn't be that surprised...


I really wish everyone would just stop shouting about cool features and graphics ( including those, who make the games ) and concentrate on the fun in games. I've played acouple of hit games in the recent year ( many FPS's... what a surprise ) but their lacking a certain something... a feel of real enjoyment, that was still present during 199X and before that. I guess games have become too concentrated on the techical side...

Augh! I gotta stop listening to Turrican II's intro! Takes me back years... But it is Turrican II's intro! Argh!

[The Gevin]

Give MPH a second chance. It's incredible fun!!
I'm not even a big fan of the MP games on the GCN,.. but, ever since getting into MPH, I've been playing with the idea of returning to MP on the GCN & giving it a second chance. MPH truly is incredible fun. I have yet to get the hang of multiplayer, but single player is a blast.

[Siendra]

I personally didn't like Hunters at all. The control scheme wasn't to my liking. On Prime it worked nicely, but I didn't find Hunters that enjoyable on somewhat-short my demo run. I found the stylys a little too tricky to use.


Are you talking about First Hunt? If so, don't judge a games based on a demo that came out a year earlier then the game.

[Akito]

Yeah, the final version of MP:H is far better than the First Hunt demo. I can't say I love the game, but it's still pretty fun.

[Dij]

I didn't play the First Hunt demo but I expect that the full game is a lot better. As for the control system I thought it was a little tricky to get used to, but overall worked excellently. Shades of a PC shooter if you ask me (stylus control was much like a mouse).

[senseinobaka]

Does anyone know of good accesories for my DS to emulate, homebrew, and play movies with. I was looking at IGN's review of Datels HDD an was turned off to it, but i would like to get some multinedia use out of my DS

[Ironbear]

I just found the demo's control style too tricky to fully enjoy. I haven't played the game itself, and my oppinion is based on the demo.


DS robot tactics! Gimme!

[Gaming_Bum]

This is old but I'll post it anyways

21 nintendo ds units have been sold worldwide.

http://ds.ign.com/articles/720/720589p1.html

The horn's tooting again -- Nintendo today made the announcement that its Nintendo DS system has sold through more than 21 million units since the handheld debuted back in November 2004. To put it all in mainstream perspective, Nintendo once again compares the Nintendo DS to Apple's sales-blazing iPod system -- which sputtered out of the gate with only a million units sold in the same 19 month time.



"We're thrilled to be announcing this milestone today," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications, "especially since Nintendo DS was North America's top-selling video game system of any type in June. We attribute this success to Nintendo's overall strategy of offering something for everyone -- from five-year-olds caring for their Nintendogs to 65-year-olds tuning their mental agility with Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day."

The launch of the sleeker, sexier, Nintendo DS Lite earlier this year didn't hurt things, either.


Oh yeah here are the numbers from japan.

July 17 - 23rd

DSL - 262,000 (The Pink DS had of course a huge impact)
PSP - 35,000
PS2 - 22,000
DS - 6,300
GBASP - 2,900
Xbox360 - 1,400

http://www.australian-postcodes.com/pink-prints-more.gif

NDS NEW SMB - 145,000
NDS Shaberu! DS Oryouri Navi - 126,000 / 52% [NEW]
NDS Brain Age 2 - 72,000
PS2 Battle Stadium DON - 49,000 / 31% [NEW]
NDS Brain Age - 44,000
PS2 Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 13 - 44,000
PSP Bleach 3 - 35,000 [NEW]
NGC Battle Stadium DON - 35,000 [NEW]
NDS Animal Crossing WW - 35,000

NDS Kanpeki Kanji - 22,500 [NEW]
NDS Kanpeki English - 7,100 [NEW]
NDS Bomberman Land DS - 10,700 [NEW]
NDS Project Hacker - 16,900 (2nd week)
NDS Naruto RPG 3 - 11,700 (2nd week)
NDS Rockman ZX - 9,700 (3rd week)

PSP Ultraman FE0 - 7,400 [NEW]
PSP Portable Island - 4,600 [NEW]
PSP Kings Field Additional 1- 3,600 [NEW]
PSP Loco Roco - 16,000
PSP Quiz Gundam - 5,000
PSP Tekken DR - 11,000

PS2 Wrestle Kingdom - 17,800 [NEW]
PS2 GPO Blue - 9900 [NEW]
PS2 Garou Battle Archives - 7,100 [NEW]
PS2 Persona 3 - 22,000



wow locoroco isn't doing to good

[Ironbear]

Just goes to show you, that power isn't everything with consoles. Atleast with handhelds...

It's nice to know, that atleast some people aren't that stupid to go only for performance...

[CrossboneGundam]

What's with that picture of two random white women with a DS shopped in? Totally pointless... Coulda at least gone for the original with actual nintendo execs.

[demon_arian]

I wanna play AC:WW with someone now...:(

[final flash]

DS rocks, especially with pheonix wright out

[Texcap]

Curiously, anyone else highly anticipating Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime? The game is already a hit in Japan and while I'm already sold on the game (pre-ordered and all) this would've certainly done the trick had I been mulling it over:



[i]"Since the tanks are so close together (making a hilarious looking stand-off on the top screen), players can literally walk the distance between the two entrances, opening up the ability to trot up the doorstep and into the enemy tank. From there, it's all about mindless destruction. Players can whip themselves into electrical equipment, steal items from the enemy tank, or even walk up to the other player and toss them into their own cannon in the ultimate "screw you" strategy. If done in a fast enough fashion, the player has free reign to do whatever they want in the enemy tank, which includes a ton of heckling as he watches his enemy shoot into the air in an over-dramatic (and time consuming) fashion. After all, you can't operate a cannon if you're thousands of feet in the air."

- IGN

Ha!

Now I'm just patiently counting the days until I pull off this exact strategy. It's almost like Advance Wars, with slimes...and their slimey strategy! :P

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v53/Texcap/Album%201/DQ_Rocket_Sig1F.jpg

[Gaming_Bum]

What's with that picture of two random white women with a DS shopped in? Totally pointless... Coulda at least gone for the original with actual nintendo execs.


Because the Pink Ds just came out, which is targeted towards women. And its tough to find a good picture of a woman Nintendo exec.

[Mercenary]

Question, soon to finally pick up a DS, how needed are screen protectors? I hear they reduce sensetivity of touch screen a lot. How likely is it to get scratched with or without these protectors?

Also, for WiFi play, is "LINKSYS WRT54GL IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless-G Broadband Router" a good router?

Thanks.

[Akito]

Screen protectors are a scam, really. I've scratched away at my DS screen furiously while playing games like Trauma Center and Ouendan, and the touch screen is perfectly fine. There is a tiny scratch on it, but it's only noticable under intense sunlight or heavy flurescent lighting, and I seriously doubt that a scratch that small could have been caused by my stylus. Also, dust and finger prints can be easily wiped off.

Oh yes, your router should work just fine.

[Gaming_Bum]

I never used a screen protector, and I haven't really notice much scratches. Especially when I turn on the ds its impossible to see any scratches.


as for the router, I personally don't have that router. But here are some router ratings from nintendowifi.com. I believe all routers should work, just some are harder to set up,a nd the cheaper ones don't tend to work as well.

http://www.nintendowifi.com/customersupport/supportedRouters.do

[Mercenary]

Okay thanks, saves me from wasting money on screen protectors.
It lists: "Linksys WRT54G ver 3" and the WRT54GL seems to essentially be a newer model/version of WRT64GL so it should be good.

:)

[Bezerker]

I can vouch for the WRT54G, i've had one for about 3 years, thing works like a charm with all my wifi devices, range can vary depending on what obstacles are between you and the router, it doesnt like metal, or devices that emit microwave signals.

For screen protectors, as long as you're the only one playing the DS, and dont go stabbing the touch screen, you should be fine.

[Mercenary]

Cool, I got the Lite, perfect condition no dead pixels or whatever.
Was just going to get brain age but I decided to get NSMB instead, its cool. It reminds me of like a hybrid of Mario 3 and Mario 1 with its own classic spin. Heck even the many games are nice.

The system is nice, so small and everything. I like the touch screen :D

Anyway, I guess I'll order that router then, thanks. Going to use it to set up a second computer to the internet too so that'll be useful and since its only like $20 more than a dongle I think its worth it for use with other devices.

[Gaming_Bum]

Here are the July numbers for america I believe.

NDS 377k
PS2 241k
360 206k
GBA 163k
PSP 161k
GCN 44k
xbx 12k

The Ds is pulling farther away from the psp. But we'll see how the holiday season goes.

[Mercenary]

Yeah if you add up the actual sales (sold)
Then its around ~22mil to ~14mil currently.

I predict by 2012 DS will outsell the PS2 in total units, mainly because its expanding the market. THe PSP will probably sell about as good as the n64 (which is still fine).

[senseinobaka]

right now the gap between the two is less than 4 million, more then likely. Sony likes to do this thing were they report units shipped not units sold... so by their numbers they have moved 20 million. But vgcharts.org sheds more light. In america for example, 5.5M DS's have sold thru June while PSP has 5M sales thru June, a far cry from their claimed 8M, so I figure they are exaggerating by 3M units unless they have sold 3M units in July. But thats not the point.

This precieved schism between the amounts of units sold of DS and PSP is not reality. PSP could easily catch up. But sony may have to decide to spiral deeper into proverty to close that gap by lowering the price of a yet not profitable console.

[Mercenary]

Actually according to the latest sales as reported by places like NPD and Media Create, its closer to 7 or 8 million worldwide. :/

Not that it matters, software sales is the huge difference between the two.

[Skyy Blu]

Cool, I got the Lite, perfect condition no dead pixels or whatever.

Lucky you no dead pixels. Almost everyone I know have this problem. Not that it actually bothers me.

[senseinobaka]

Actually according to the latest sales as reported by places like NPD and Media Create, its closer to 7 or 8 million worldwide. :/

Not that it matters, software sales is the huge difference between the two.

7 to 8 million WHAT?
-PSP Sales
-DS sales
-PSP vs DS sales

i'm confused :)

btw Sky Blu... Nintendo has great customer service and no tolerance to dead pixels. At one time they even went as far as sending a spare DS to the customer while they replaced the LCD screens. I would call Nintendo and see what they would do about your Dead Pixels.

[Skyy Blu]

btw Sky Blu... Nintendo has great customer service and no tolerance to dead pixels. At one time they even went as far as sending a spare DS to the customer while they replaced the LCD screens. I would call Nintendo and see what they would do about your Dead Pixels.
I know, but I think you have to pay something like $50 US for them to send another unit and honestly it doesn't bother me on bit. I'm just worried about that clicking thing that happens when you open it all the way.

[senseinobaka]

Yea it's a $50 dollar deposit that is refunded when you return the loaner. I think that click is natural. The hinge is two-staged. It could be opened to 45 degrees, then you push harder and get a click that way it could be opened to 180 degrees. It's a nice touch i think. I hope sony puts it in the inevitable dual screened portable.

[Skyy Blu]

I think that click is natural. The hinge is two-staged. It could be opened to 45 degrees, then you push harder and get a click that way it could be opened to 180 degrees. It's a nice touch i think.
Me too but I remember watching Attack of the Show and they destroyed a DSL by just opening it past 180 and it just broke...even though I don't treat my systems like that but it made me wonder.

I hope sony puts it in the inevitable dual screened portable.
Hahahaha, that would maybe make the PSP good....maybe.

[Gaming_Bum]

Me too but I remember watching Attack of the Show and they destroyed a DSL by just opening it past 180 and it just broke...even though I don't treat my systems like that but it made me wonder.


Hahahaha, that would maybe make the PSP good....maybe.

He didn't just open it pass 180, he tried to break it. Its not like it breaks so easily. Its not as strong as the old ds, but its pretty sturdy, the screen is actually a bit more sturdy.

[Ironbear]

I wonder why it's so hard for some people to notice the click, and they just keep opening the console until it's "leveled" or what seems open to them. That's like trying to open the trunk of a car "far too" open, just 'cause it didn't stop entirely yet...

I hope both DS and Wii get some Front Mission-like games...

[Ironbear]

Anyone here played FF Crystal Chronicles on Gamecube with GBA's? Remember how much fun that was? DS + FF CC + Wii... Promises a lot of fun.
You could propably just download the game information from FFCC to your DS from Wii and start playing. ^^

[DazzleKitty]

Sorry if this is OT. I recently got into Wifi. I am looking for people to add to my friends list in Animal Crossing.

AC Town: Pinecone
Name: McKenzie
FC: 3565-6435-2181

If you add me to your list, I'll add you.

[Gaming_Bum]

Sorry if this is OT. I recently got into Wifi. I am looking for people to add to my friends list in Animal Crossing.

AC Town: Pinecone
Name: McKenzie
FC: 3565-6435-2181

If you add me to your list, I'll add you.

aww too bad you didn't ask last week. I just gave my nephew my ds a week ago, because his got broke in a car accident. I'll probably buy a new one later though. I'll talk to you when I do

[ryushe]

I just deleted my file in AC to start a new one. When I do sit down to start it I'll give you a holla.

[Ironbear]

aww too bad you didn't ask last week. I just gave my nephew my ds a week ago, because his got broke in a car accident. I'll probably buy a new one later though. I'll talk to you when I do

As long as your nephew didn't get broken. >_>

*sigh* Maybe I should try this Animal Crossing on DS... I haven't been that interested in it, but I don't know if I should, as I know zero wifi spots in Finland, and I haven't got a wireless network.

[kittynboi]

Im picking up FF3 DS today, and intend to get more DS games this Dec. I already have a decent amount of DS games.

I have to say its still outshining the PSP. There are good games for the PSP, but so many of the best, like the Gradius Collection, Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, and the Megaman remakes, are pretty specialized and not doing much to draw in a general audience like the DS titles such as Animal Crossing and Nintendogs have.

Its not impossible for the PSP to catch up, its only impossible for it to do so unless it starts getting some real heavy hitters for the console. This holiday season may be kind of a lost cause as far as that goes. Yeah, theres Lumines 2, which I plan to get, and the evre popular yet insipid Grand Theft Auto which is set to churn out (or already has in recent days) another title, but up against Final Fantasy 3 DS, Yoshi's Island 2, and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, I don't see the PSP catching up in sales until sometime in 2007. Sony kind of got shafted when Konami decided to continue to develop 2d Castlevania games for Nintendo.

A 2d Castlevania game for PSP could certainly sell units, moreso than anything else on the PSP has done so far.

I'll probably get Contact, Magical Starsign, Cooking Mama, Scurge:Hive, Konductra, Mario vs Donkey Kong 2, and Children of Mana, in time.

And there are plenty of older DS titles I missed but should probably check out, like Mario and Luigi:Partners in Time, Meteos, Polarium, Phoenix Wright, Brainage, Big Brain Academy, Super Princess PEach, and I'm sure theres a few more I'm leaving out.

I never tried Advance Wars:Dual Strike, and I meant to, but I heard that some of the gameplay is similar to the faux tactical interface of Starfox DS, which I HATED, so I don't know now.

I'm also unsure about Megaman ZX. I loathed Megaman Zero for GBa, since it was so hard as to be an unplayable chore, and I'm kind of wary of Megaman titles because of it. Can anyone give me an idea if I would find ZX as annoying as Zero?

[ryucross]

Megaman ZX is easier than Megaman Zero sadly, mostly due to the inclusion of the Megaman X charge tanks. 2-3 charge tanks virtually guarantees victory over any boss.

[kittynboi]

Good. Megaman Zero was one of the worst games I had ever played.

[ryushe]

Im picking up FF3 DS today, and intend to get more DS games this Dec. I already have a decent amount of DS games.

I have to say its still outshining the PSP. There are good games for the PSP, but so many of the best, like the Gradius Collection, Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, and the Megaman remakes, are pretty specialized and not doing much to draw in a general audience like the DS titles such as Animal Crossing and Nintendogs have.

Its not impossible for the PSP to catch up, its only impossible for it to do so unless it starts getting some real heavy hitters for the console. This holiday season may be kind of a lost cause as far as that goes. Yeah, theres Lumines 2, which I plan to get, and the evre popular yet insipid Grand Theft Auto which is set to churn out (or already has in recent days) another title, but up against Final Fantasy 3 DS, Yoshi's Island 2, and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, I don't see the PSP catching up in sales until sometime in 2007. Sony kind of got shafted when Konami decided to continue to develop 2d Castlevania games for Nintendo.

A 2d Castlevania game for PSP could certainly sell units, moreso than anything else on the PSP has done so far.

I'll probably get Contact, Magical Starsign, Cooking Mama, Scurge:Hive, Konductra, Mario vs Donkey Kong 2, and Children of Mana, in time.

And there are plenty of older DS titles I missed but should probably check out, like Mario and Luigi:Partners in Time, Meteos, Polarium, Phoenix Wright, Brainage, Big Brain Academy, Super Princess PEach, and I'm sure theres a few more I'm leaving out.

I never tried Advance Wars:Dual Strike, and I meant to, but I heard that some of the gameplay is similar to the faux tactical interface of Starfox DS, which I HATED, so I don't know now.

I'm also unsure about Megaman ZX. I loathed Megaman Zero for GBa, since it was so hard as to be an unplayable chore, and I'm kind of wary of Megaman titles because of it. Can anyone give me an idea if I would find ZX as annoying as Zero?

Wow it's like I typed this whole post.

But I'd like to agree, With every one of the PSP games I have, I have like 5 DS games in reserve and I only got 2 PSP games, and that's gonna change this holiday season for the DS.

All I gotta say is if the PSP would deliver games like Syphon Filter and Daxter, it's possible for the PSP to catch up if not win the handheld war. Those two games were exceptionally good. I was actually taken back on how good it was. But alas it's only two games.

Also kittynboi, do yourself a favor and get Advance Wars: Dual Strike, It's easily the best, time consuming game game on the DS I have. And it's challenging, The hard mode in this game is honestly something to fear.

Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time was very good but I wouldn't really warrant a second play through once you beat it.

Brain Age is good but can get tired quick. It's not a bad game (Doing arithmetic for fun is only something Nintendo can do) but trying to say on your daily schedule is a little hard since you might have a life. I pick it up now and then for the Sudoku.

Super Princess Peach...Ha, what can I say about this game....GREAT...All the way until the final stage. They really throw you a loop there. If you ever get it and get to the final stage you'll see, Never did beat it. It's also a little easy to.

What I'm honestly trying to get for the DS right now is FFIII, Children of Mana, Cooking Mama, Meteos and Phoenix Wright. I can maybe waste my whole check this week for all of them (Thank god DS games are so cheap :P)

[regus 5000]

i got a new ds lite this month and i love it. still love my psp just as much but im wondering. how do you put homebrews on a ds?
do i need to buy a usb cable or something else?

[Soluzar]

i got a new ds lite this month and i love it. still love my psp just as much but im wondering. how do you put homebrews on a ds?
do i need to buy a usb cable or something else?
You would need to buy a flash cartridge of some kind. It's a special cartridge for the DS (and sometimes for the GBA as well) that (these days) usually takes SD cards, and you load your homebrew software onto that.

I won't say anything more about that, though... because while they have legitimate uses, some do use them for illegal purposes.

[regus 5000]

thankies youve said plenty and i wont be using it for anything illigal. thats what i have my psp for. j/k

[silent_kupo]

does anyone have the link to make mario kart emblems on here?

[sazae]

does anyone have the link to make mario kart emblems on here?

DS decals (http://www.ds-play.com/decals.asp?decal=boo_large.gif)

This one is my favorite place.

[Ironbear]

Now that Front Mission is out on DS, I'm carrying it around even more.

I really suggest getting some kind of an "armor" for DS, as it offers good protection from scratches and some let you theme/pimp your DS to your favourite game.
I got some "bullet-holed armor" images that came with my armor, and they go well with Front Mission. I've actually gotten a few looks in the underground for my DS. :D

[Ironbear]

How much do people use their DS' online? As in internet-online.

Do you actively play an online game or don't you even bother with the feature?

[Sushikins]

As in the internet browser? Never, I have a laptop and a PSP for that, and I tend to take my laptop most places. For games online, that depends. I only play Jump Ultimate Stars online, but I rarely use the online functions of games like Pokemon or Mario Kart DS anymore.

[Ironbear]

I'm thinking of trying Front Mission online, unless it requires friend codes. Haven't got any friends with FM yet...

I propably should show off my Phoenix Wright decal on Mario Kart. It's an odd game. I haven't played it in ages properly, and it doesn't appeal that much to me anymore, but it still is in my shelf, instead of being considered for a trade-in for another game at the stores.

Generally I'm very careful about going online with any game. Most people can't seem to enjoy playing anymore, aiming for winning instead of fun.

[Siendra]

How much do people use their DS' online? As in internet-online.

Do you actively play an online game or don't you even bother with the feature?

I haven't played at all recently, but I played MK, MPH, and Phantom Hour GLass, and Portrait of Ruin online a ton when I got them.

[Ironbear]

I haven't played at all recently, but I played MK, MPH, and Phantom Hour GLass, and Portrait of Ruin online a ton when I got them.Metroid Prime Hunters ( wondered about that MPH for a while... ) demo really set me off, and haven't had the slightest interest in it since the demo. The controls feel too clunky for my sausage fingers.

How was your online gaming? No lag? Good company? Fair players?

[Siendra]

Metroid Prime Hunters ( wondered about that MPH for a while... ) demo really set me off, and haven't had the slightest interest in it since the demo. The controls feel too clunky for my sausage fingers.

How was your online gaming? No lag? Good company? Fair players?

I've played the odd really laggy match on all the games I have, but they're not at all common. And I've only encountered cheaters twice - once in Mario Kart and once in MPH.

[Ironbear]

The new Advance Wars features voice chat over internet. 'bout time someone used the DS microphone constructively...

Anyone else planning to get Advance Wars: Days of Ruin?

[Hara!]

The new Advance Wars features voice chat over internet. 'bout time someone used the DS microphone constructively...

Anyone else planning to get Advance Wars: Days of Ruin?

Already have it. The voice chat works great. I love having conversations with real people.

[Undrave]

I tried some random Bleach matches. Both time it was kinda laggy and I got my best character's butt kicked by two Tosen -.- a character I find a pain in the neck to play myself.

The new Advance Wars features voice chat over internet. 'bout time someone used the DS microphone constructively...

Anyone else planning to get Advance Wars: Days of Ruin?

So did Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

[sfried]

I was planning on getting Days of Ruin...but instead I speant $40 on a brand new sealed Phoenix Wright instead. :(

Like most Nintendo published games, I might have to wait untill their prices drop down from the usual $35 before I get it. I'm somewhat of a cheapster nowdays, and new releases seem like a luxury to me now...

[Vaikyuko]

I tried some random Bleach matches. Both time it was kinda laggy and I got my best character's butt kicked by two Tosen -.- a character I find a pain in the neck to play myself.

So did Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

Dude, Tosen...? Come on...at least get killed by dual Kenpachi or something. :P

[Undrave]

Dude, Tosen...? Come on...at least get killed by dual Kenpachi or something. :P

It was two one on one matches actually ^^;

I'm not very good I guess >< I kept getting stuck in loops.

Poor Momo!

[Hara!]

Hollow Ichigo + Momo Special C = YOU JUST WON THE GAME!

[Vaikyuko]

Lol. Try using Renji or Ichigo for a while. Ichigo's cheap Zangetsu spam and Renji's ridiculous range make them close to top tier and probably better than the top tier when it comes to 2v1 matches.

[Hara!]

I prefer Kon and Yachiru. The short characters can tear up.

[Vaikyuko]

I prefer Kon and Yachiru. The short characters can tear up.

I haven't played around with those two yet, but yeah, smaller = better. Not to mention most of the attacks tend to be wide area, so if you're smaller you've got a much better chance of avoiding it. Komamura is always a bad choice just because he takes up half the damn screen.

Oh, and Yamamoto is ridiculous, because he has a smaller sprite and unbelievably strong attacks. Aizen isn't bad either, mostly because you can easily spam his black coffin special.

[sfried]

Right now, I'm having a dillema of having too many DS game coming out...There's Days of Ruin, but then, there's also Proffessor Layton, Ninja Gaiden and Nanostray 2. I've never really played any of the Advance Wars games (blasphemy, I know...but maybe it's because I find it hard to invest time in turn-based strategy. I've already had difficulty getting into it with Yggdra Union). I've deliberately ignored the new Ace Attorney off my list since I'm starting from the first game once it arrives.

Can somebody single out games akin to my tastes? (I have Etrian, Contra, and Rune Factory)

[lav2k4]

Right now, I'm having a dillema of having too many DS game coming out...There's Days of Ruin, but then, there's also Proffessor Layton, Ninja Gaiden and Nanostray 2.




I'm interested in Professor Layton because it seems to have some sort of cult following but I'd like to see at least more game play footage or a review from someone before I buy it. From the looks of it, it is a puzzle game, but I hope it isn't just puzzle after puzzle to the point it gets boring. I know there's a story behind the puzzles but i'm just skeptical on the whole concept atm.

Advance wars I'm also interested in but I'm not interested in the Turn-based tactics genre that much. I really don't want to waste my money on something I do not like. I just started playing the GBA one to see if I will like it or not.

Ninja Gaiden looks like it's going to be good. I saw some actual gameplay footage and it looks like something Id buy. I'm interested in what else it has to offer. Is it story driven or is it just a hack and slash game? Will see.

Nanostray I have no comment about because I never heard/seen anything about it.

Even if I don't buy any of those games, I will be getting Apollo Justice.

[sfried]

Nanostray I have no comment about because I never heard/seen anything about it.

Here's a video preview (http://www.nanostray2.com/about/screens)

As for Professor Layton, here's a demo (http://www.layton.jp/fushigi/taiken/index.html)...If you can understand Japanese. Basically one of the problems involves getting both wolves and chick across the moat. Only a maximum of two animals can be carried across at once, and only when there is at least one passenger can the raft move. If you leave more wolves than chicks on any side, the wolf/wolves will eat the chicks. There's also a demo of the second game (http://www.layton.jp/akuma/taiken/index.html).

[Ironbear]

(blasphemy, I know...but maybe it's because I find it hard to invest time in turn-based strategy. I've already had difficulty getting into it with Yggdra Union)Since you can save the game much easier, generally, you can invest as much or little time as you have on your hands at any given moment to the game, so wouldn't it be easier to invest in turn-based than real-time games?

[sfried]

Since you can save the game much easier, generally, you can invest as much or little time as you have on your hands at any given moment to the game, so wouldn't it be easier to invest in turn-based than real-time games?

Not all games allow you to save on the fly.

And it's hard to return to strategy games after a long session putting them in "sleep mode". You soon have to familiarize yourself with the situation, etc., before you can even begin to move again.

[Ironbear]

I think most turn-based games have a "suspend" option, where you simply save the current state and continue from there on later.

And do you really ever retire as a commander once you've put the uniform on?

[sfried]

I think most turn-based games have a "suspend" option, where you simply save the current state and continue from there on later.

And do you really ever retire as a commander once you've put the uniform on?
I'm just saying that most of the time, I'm too busy, and it would usually be about 3 weeks to a month before I play resume a strategy game again and by that time, I would have to reaquaint myself with all of the enemy placements, etc.