With Majesco's environmentally aware RTS, Eco-Creatures, scheduled for the next DS Download Station update, we're reminded of how great it is that we can actually try out some handheld games now before buying them. And it's not all Nintendo-developed titles, either -- third-party manufacturers are putting out demos for quality titles, too.
So, have you taken advantage of Nintendo's DS kiosks yet? Or are you waiting for Nintendo to finally bring Everybody's Nintendo Channel to North American Wiis so you can download demos without ever leaving home?
Just recently, I opened up a game box, as I was planning to lend Hotel Dusk to a friend ... and it wasn't there. Now, I've a bad habit of leaving my DS carts lying about, all scattered and free, but they're usually somewhere on my desk. This is the first time I've not been able to find one, however, after a quick, frantic search underneath unfiled papers and beneath the pen case. The dilemma (and the tears that followed) led me to ask: have you found yourself in a similar situation? Did you later find the games? Give a girl some hope here. Those carts are awfully small ....
Just the other day, a listing popped up on Circuit City for a blue and black DS Lite, not long after rumors of the imminent release of a blue Lite started to circulate. Since then, the listing has been removed (boo), and we've heard nothing else.
So what do you think is up? We doubt it's a complete mistake -- as in, a fabricated page or anything. It seems likely that we will see a black and blue Lite at this point, if we've seen it once. Do you think Circuit City jumped the gun with their page, revealing what was supposed to continue to be a secret?
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin is proving quite the distraction. Intelligent Systems' strategy game has occupied our DSes for the last few days, with hours of play already racked up. When we close our eyes to sleep, we only see tiny tank and artillery sprites, moving in right angles across the back of our eyelids.
As the game also proved to be a popular choice at our most recent Game Night, we're guessing we're not alone in carrying out late-night, under-the-duvet sorties, so what are your impressions so far? Is Days of Ruin better or worse than Dual Strike, or even superior to the excellent GBA games? Are you focusing more on single-player, or fighting campaigns online? And do you miss Grit as much as we do?
We saw this topic on NeoGAF and thought it would be interesting to see what you guys thought, in the context of DS games. So tell us -- what DS titles did you want to like, but just couldn't? Maybe it was a game that you heard people say bad things about, or read negative reviews for, but you stubbornly wanted to like it anyway? Or maybe it was just a game that you wanted to like, but found it to be over-hyped? And, what were the reasons for you not enjoying said game or games?
Share your thoughts, folks. That's what the comments are here for.
Popular television shows, for some reason, often seem to make it to gaming systems of all types. Not just game shows, either, but just as with games based on popular films, popular shows often get the gaming treatment as well. There are rumors of the Lost game heading to the Wii, and we recently ran across a press release for a DS game based on 1 vs. 100. It got us pondering things like that and Deal or No Deal, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? and more, and wondering ... who buys these? No, scratch that; we actually know several people who enjoy Dancing with the Stars on the Wii. The real question is: do you buy them? Have you ever? You can tell us. We won't judge you.
We've all got 'em, collecting dust on a shelf, or lying on the floor behind the couch. Maybe they're forgotten in a drawer or tucked away in the car. Wherever they are, they're those poor, abandoned games you played a little and then forgot about. Maybe something else came along and you got distracted, or the game required a lot of grinding or otherwise repetitive play and you just weren't in the mood. Maybe something else came up in your life and you just haven't picked it up again, but something's kept you from selling it or trading it off. Tell us about your level three characters and half-built towns.
It's been a while since we've asked about cases. In the intervening period, at least one major gift-giving opportunity has occurred for many of us, meaning that a few new acquisitions in the DS-snuggling department are quite likely. Also, some of us are out on the prowl at the moment for an eye-catching new DS accessory.
Your case: show us it. Or show us a link to it. Did you buy it? Make it yourself? Find it in the trash? If you have yet to find the one for you, what do you want in a case?
This week's U.S. releases brings us a battle of epic proportions. On the one hand, you've got a mascot title that actually manages to look more compelling than its console counterpart, and on the other ... hell, man, it's Advance Wars. But since not everyone likes the same things, we're wondering which of the two you might pick up. There's also a third option, of course ... will you rebel and buy neither game? The horror! But we're sure there are such people out there.
We're gonna guess that you haven't bought an actual DS lately, since they're sold out most places we look (seems to be a trend for Nintendo), but we still like to keep up with the games you're picking up. Taken advantage of any great sales or preorder bonuses lately? Just picked up a game because you had to have it? What have you bought recently? Since there haven't been a lot of big releases (but that is changing, as of right about ... now), we're curious what you've done to tide yourself over in the last month or so. Or, if you're not buying games, are you buying accessories? We've been doing a lot of cooing over various cases lately here at the DSF offices.
Also, we always like any excuse to watch this. Sure, it's not from a DS game, but hey, who's drawing battle lines between various Nintendo products here? Not us!
It's a depressing fact that cheating will always be a part of online gaming, regardless of your platform of choice. For some time, those of weak moral fiber have been able to grant themselves infinite energy, infinite ammo, and the ability to levitate in Metroid Prime: Hunters (encouragingly, Nintendo claims it is now taking measures to prevent this), while the whole Mario Kart DS/snaking debate has rumbled on for some time (though we know of at least one Nintendo representative who would argue that the method isn't actually cheating, and we're sure many of you would concur).
Today, we'd like to hear about some of your own experiences of cheating opponents. Which games do you find attract the most online cheats, and have any of you indulged in this dark art yourselves?
Recently, this blogger had the displeasure of losing all her data in Geometry Wars: Galaxies. One minute we were best buddies, inseparable and joined at the hip; in just an instant, however, the save data became corrupt and everything was lost. All unlocked galaxies and drone level-ups were gone, along with high scores and gold medals. Instead of starting over, Geometry Wars has remained untouched ever since.
Have you ever lost your data in a DS game? And if you haven't faced corruptions, have you played any games that had bugs or glitches that made you want to stop playing? Even better, have you experienced any funny glitches in your games?
Or, has your time on the DS managed to be bug and problem free? If so, we envy you!
We all pretty much agree that friend codes aren't exactly Nintendo's best decision ever, but every week after Game Night (which is probably when this blogger does the lion's share of weekly online DS gaming), there are always a few thoughts rumbling around about things that could be better. Being unable to add new friends to Clubhouse Games while in a room, for instance, or the 2-or-4 player restrictions on Tetris. Any other issues you can think of? Sometimes it seems that online multiplayer functions just weren't quite subjected to the same quality control issues. They work well enough, to be sure, but they could easily be better in a lot of cases.
Yesterday's massive list of Nintendo's upcoming releases was stuffed with all sorts of news, news of big releases and their dates (or at least, release windows), and many smaller titles that hadn't yet been announced for localization, or even at all. There were a few mystery titles that we'll be waiting for information on, and a few, like Bangai-O Spirits and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon titles, got a little excitement stirring around the DS Fanboy offices. But enough about us! We want to know what excites you. In fact, given an unlimited budget and all the free time to play, how many titles would you pick up?
Everyone loves the big names: Mario, Sonic, Link, Phoenix Wright ... but what about the other guys and gals who make up our video game worlds? Most games (and franchises) don't just center around a single character, after all, so what we'd like to know is: who do you love, and who do you hate?
Some answers are so obvious that they've enjoyed their own spin-offs (like Tingle and Yoshi), and mere mention of some others bring grimaces to the faces of gamers everywhere. You know, like pretty much everyone who isn't Sonic in a Sonic game.
With Majesco's environmentally aware RTS, Eco-Creatures, scheduled for the next DS Download Station update, we're reminded of how great it is that we can actually try out some handheld games now before buying them. And it's not all Nintendo-developed titles, either -- third-party manufacturers are putting out demos for quality titles, too.
Just recently, I opened up a game box, as I was planning to lend Hotel Dusk to a friend ... and it wasn't there. Now, I've a bad habit of leaving my DS carts lying about, all scattered and free, but they're usually somewhere on my desk. This is the first time I've not been able to find one, however, after a quick, frantic search underneath unfiled papers and beneath the pen case. The dilemma (and the tears that followed) led me to ask: have you found yourself in a similar situation? Did you later find the games? Give a girl some hope here. Those carts are awfully small ....
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin is proving quite the distraction. Intelligent Systems' strategy game has occupied our DSes for the last few days, with hours of play already racked up. When we close our eyes to sleep, we only see tiny tank and artillery sprites, moving in right angles across the back of our eyelids.
Popular television shows, for some reason, often seem to make it to gaming systems of all types. Not just game shows, either, but just as with games based on popular films, popular shows often get the gaming treatment as well. There are rumors of the Lost game heading to the Wii, and we recently ran across a press release for a DS game based on 1 vs. 100. It got us pondering things like that and Deal or No Deal, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? and more, and wondering ... who buys these? No, scratch that; we actually know several people who enjoy Dancing with the Stars on the Wii. The real question is: do you buy them? Have you ever? You can tell us. We won't judge you.
We've all got 'em, collecting dust on a shelf, or lying on the floor behind the couch. Maybe they're forgotten in a drawer or tucked away in the car. Wherever they are, they're those poor, abandoned games you played a little and then forgot about. Maybe something else came along and you got distracted, or the game required a lot of grinding or otherwise repetitive play and you just weren't in the mood. Maybe something else came up in your life and you just haven't picked it up again, but something's kept you from selling it or trading it off. Tell us about your level three characters and half-built towns.
We're gonna guess that you haven't bought an actual DS lately, since they're sold out most places we look (seems to be a trend for Nintendo), but we still like to keep up with the games you're picking up. Taken advantage of any great sales or preorder bonuses lately? Just picked up a game because you had to have it? What have you bought recently? Since there haven't been a lot of big releases (but that is changing, as of right about ... now), we're curious what you've done to tide yourself over in the last month or so. Or, if you're not buying games, are you buying accessories? We've been doing a lot of cooing over various cases lately here at the DSF offices.
Recently, this blogger had the displeasure of losing all her data in 
We all pretty much agree that friend codes aren't exactly Nintendo's best decision ever, but every week after 
Yesterday's 
Everyone loves the big names: Mario, Sonic, Link, Phoenix Wright ... but what about the other guys and gals who make up our video game worlds? Most games (and franchises) don't just center around a single character, after all, so what we'd like to know is: who do you love, and who do you hate?
