We all already know that ninjas are better than pirates. They are crafty, skilled, live by honor, have a dojo and hide in trees. How could some sea-dwelling, loud-mouthed pirate ever beat that? It couldn't. End of discussion.
Recently, ninjas were very disappointed by one of their own. Tenchu: Dark Secret just didn't quite represent.
In fact, it did such a horrible job of holding up the ninja honor that IGN only scored it a 3.5. Ouch Tenchu, ouch.
We didn't quite understand what went wrong. The PlayStation version rocked and now we have this awkward DS version with dodgy controls, crap graphics and mute-worthy sound.
Looks like the score for Tenchu: Dark Secret is now:
One of the highest-profile Wi-Fi titles of the year has finally released and the critics were quick to offer up their opinions. Generally, the game has seen a fair amount of praise, however critics have mentioned that the title's multiplayer is not exactly on par with the game's single-player experience.
The scores are as follows:
IGN - 80%: "It's at the very least a great start to the franchise. Bump up the difficulty, add some variety to the missions, bring back the forced-scrolling on-rails levels and the wingman-in-danger elements in a sequel and you'll have yourself the ultimate Star Fox adventure."
Gamespot - 75%: "Star Fox Command has great controls and introduces a strategic layer that's fairly interesting. However, the random feel of the story battles and the frantic multiplayer mode don't make the most of this game's solid foundation, which might cause nostalgic fans to long for the series' good old days."
1UP - 70%: " None of the strategy elements that comprised the core of the single-player game are in multiplayer -- how cool would it have been to battle for strategic positions and race to key items on the overhead map against friends? How loudly does this game scream for a custom map editor? Should Command see a sequel, competitive strategic multiplayer ought to be a big part of it."
We've heard from the critics, now how about the readers?
There are some great previews coming out of Leipzig, and GameSpot has a look at Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 that compares the game now with the build available earlier this year at E3.
The control scheme for this forthcoming DS title seems very similar to older versions. The DS's left trigger feints, the right trigger is for a dash, and the d-pad moves your player. The Y button shoots, and the X, A, and B buttons all perform various passes. For anything more complicated, a series of buttons is required.
Further, they report the game seems to be playing faster now than at E3, and the movement and graphics seem to be improved. Unfortunately, for the purpose of the preview, only the single player mode was activated, but GameSpot reports the following menu options: world tour, network, Konami Cup, original team, and training. Sounds like a bevy of options for the soccer fan with a DS.
Famitsu, the most popular gaming magazine in Japan, is notorious for their uncompromising and strictly regulated review system. Indeed, only six games in their history have ever received a perfect 40/40 review score.
Since their opinion is highly valued, a couple people over at GoNintendo have compiled a comprehensive list of the top-scoring DS games on the market. First place belongs solely to Nintendogs, picking up one of those coveted 40/40 scores, followed by Meteos with a 38/40, and then Animal Crossing: Wild World at 37/40. For a (very) full list, click that underlined blue clicky thing at the bottom of the post.
(If you were wondering, the six perfect scores belong to (in chronological order): The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Vagrant Story, Soul Calibur, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Nintendogs, and Final Fantasy XII.)
We here at DS Fanboy can tell you with authority that 2006 is the year of the threesome. Of course, it's with GameBrink's authority, but who's keeping track? The site recently put up a review of Mario Hoops 3 on 3 that is so hot it burns -- on their rating system, it pulled a 95, outscoring such DS classics as Phoenix Wright and Trauma Center. In fact, the only game to score higher with their reviews was Mario Kart.
What makes this more interesting than it otherwise might be is that Mario Hoops has only local Wi-Fi capability -- if you've a friend with a DS nearby, you can go head-to-head. The game does not, however, feature the open online play that many expected. Imagine if it did. Why ... Mario Hoops might take over the world, then. See? They left out online play to save us. Mario is here for you.
But, y'know ... sometimes we like to suffer. In this case, it might have been a worthy tradeoff.
We've been following one major RPG release for awhile, but the lesser-known Deep Labyrinth has not completely eluded our radar. As a part of this week's releases, 1up got ahold of the game and ran it through their rigorous review gauntlet, throwing traps at it and watching the utter look of shock and fear fall upon the game's face once it saw the vast fire pits and packs of ravenous badgers that inhabit said gauntlet.
Turns out that while one might expect the game to be victorious, perhaps even severing one of the badger's limbs to wear as some prize of conquest, the game instead only managed to barely escape with its life. It still won't talk about the incident, however 1up has no problem explaining the tragic events that took place inside that dangerous gauntlet. They even go on to compare it to King's Field, which is one of the most mediocre series of games in existence and even going so far as to be the worst game for the PSP.
Do you remember that Club Nintendo reward we posted about awhile ago? Well, IGN got their hands on a copy and have decided to put it through its paces. The compilation could easily be considered something else considering it only contains 3 classic Game & Watch titles: Donkey Kong, Oil Panic and Green House.
The gameplay itself, including the graphical presentation, is unchanged in making its way onto the DS, so nostalgic gamers should get exactly what they're looking for if they can collect the points required to obtain the game and, well...live in Japan. IGN even posted a video of the game in action.
Mad video review master 'JoshuaZimmerman' brings us this lengthy look at Starfox Command, but we get the distinct feeling he may not really care. He spends most of the nine minutes going over gameplay and options in mission and wi-fi modes, blah blah blah, lets us know how he feels about the sound and the dialogue, blah blah blah, and overall, offers positive impressions of the game. We think, at least. Maybe we weren't reading between the blah-blahs ....
Gamebrink has posted a review for the Japanese version of Starfox Command, providing overall positive feedback on their experience with the title. While their two biggest gripes about the game are the amount of time it takes to complete the single-player campaign (if you do not take the alternate routes) and overall ease of succeeding in combat, including boss fights, aren't these basically what the only problems people had with the stellar N64 game were?
Composing the longer list of things the guys over at Gamebrink enjoyed about the title, the fast-paced, tense gameplay and non-linear progression take the top positions. Also, they state that the stylus-exclusive control of the title really works well and is implemented excellently into the game's overall formula of Arwing-based combat.
You've seen it in action -- now see it in stills, courtesy of Gameworld Network! Or at least in a regrettably short preview. For such an intriguing title, there seems to be a tragic dearth of footage of Elite Beat Agents out there, so we'll take what we can get. This latest preview focuses largely on comparisons between the original Japanese title Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan and the unconnected "sequel" Elite Beat Agents scheduled to hit in November. The game features all new stories created just for the English version, but from the levels listed in Gameworld's preview, they're just as filled with wacky hijinks as the original. In the two stories mentioned, players have to assist a dog mistakenly shipped far from home and a teenage girl forced to babysit when really, all she wants to do is snuggle with her boyfriend and talk about going steady. When the distress is too much, these sad individuals call for help and those saucy men in black, the Elite Beat Agents themselves, show up to help out with a little hip action, Bob Fosse-style.
A limited amount of attention is given over to the controls, which is fitting, since things don't seem too complicated. There are circles that need to be tapped. Tap the circles. Keep the beat. Save the day. And keep it all cool and superfly. Right on!
Though we could have used some screens, the Final Fantasy III preview at Gameworld Network does have a few juicy details, plenty to ramp up our already frenzied excitement for this title. For those who've lived and breathed Final Fantasy over the years, the turn-based battle system is old hat, but in this version it's served up with a twist: during battle, you chose every character's actions at the same time. Sounds like it's going to take a little getting used to, but when a game looks this good, we're up to the challenge.
The Gameworld preview gushes over the stylized new look, as expected. It's exciting to see these characters get their own unique faces, stories, and even names for the revamped game. It's a whole new world ....
The folks over at Siliconera were kind enough to drop us a note about their one-on-one experience with Mario Hoops: 3 on 3, and their glowing praise has us ready to get off the bench and into the game. The simple stylus commands we recently saw are fully elaborated at Siliconera and the game seems easy to pick up. And if the stylus isn't for you? That's cool, just turn it off in the options mode and use a more traditional control scheme instead.
Mario Hoops is stuffed with features, from mini-games like dribble races to booby traps on the court. Nothing like a basket that fights back when you roll up for a dunk, eh?
And thanks to Square-Enix on the development side, several unlockable characters with roots in the Final Fantasy series turn up. A moogle, a white mage, a black mage, a ninja, and a cactuar are included. Think the black mage's special move will demonstrate his mastery of the dark art of destruction? For now, we can only dream.
Deep within the recesses of the DS Fanboy labs, the SD version of the GBA Movie Player has been enduring poking, prodding and occasional squeezing for quite some time now, up until the point where failure to post a review would be deemed by many as inappropriate and downright offensive. Doubly so considering that said labs don't actually exist. Compelled by the logo prominently emblazoned all across this site, we mainly tested the device on the Nintendo DS and the DS Lite and were pleased to find that the device performs surprisingly well.
There is a caveat, however, one that should loom over your online purchase like an owl slowly circling a confused mouse, waiting for the opportune moment to swoop down and devour a furry feast. Once you look up and become aware of the bird of prey, you'll be better equipped to determine whether or not the Movie Player is worth your money. Ignoring it will only lead to disappointment which, going by this ill-conceived allegory, means you will get eaten by an owl. A big one.
Essentially, the problem with the GBA Movie player isn't a problem with the GBA Movie player at all. It's that thing it plugs into. As a media playing device, the DS is a bit crap.
Opera fanatic Jon recently got his hands on a prototype build of the Opera browser for the DS, scheduled for release in Japan on July 24th for around 33$ U.S. dollars.
Jon seems quite impressed with the early build. One can use "dual screen" mode, where the page simply occupies both screens at once; also available is a "zoom" mode, where the top screen shows a downsized overview of the entire page, and the stylus can be used to drag around a box to view things in actual size. He praises the intuitive interface, high compatibility, and sleek design. Here's hoping this thing can get here fast.
We all already know that ninjas are better than pirates. They are crafty, skilled, live by honor, have a dojo and hide in trees. How could some sea-dwelling, loud-mouthed pirate ever beat that? It couldn't. End of discussion.
One of the highest-profile Wi-Fi titles of the year has finally released and the critics were quick to offer up their opinions. Generally, the game has seen a fair amount of praise, however critics have mentioned that the title's multiplayer is not exactly on par with the game's single-player experience.
There are some great previews coming out of Leipzig, and GameSpot has a look at Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 that compares the game now with the build available earlier this year at E3.
Famitsu, the most popular gaming magazine in Japan, is notorious for their uncompromising and strictly regulated review system. Indeed, only six games in their history have ever received a perfect 40/40 review score.
We here at DS Fanboy can tell you with authority that 2006 is the year of the threesome. Of course, it's with GameBrink's authority, but who's keeping track? The site recently put up a review of Mario Hoops 3 on 3 that is so hot it burns -- on their rating system, it pulled a 95, outscoring such DS classics as Phoenix Wright and Trauma Center. In fact, the only game to score higher with their reviews was Mario Kart.
We've been 
Do you 
Gamebrink has posted a review for the Japanese version of Starfox Command, providing overall positive feedback on their experience with the title. While their two biggest gripes about the game are the amount of time it takes to complete the single-player campaign (if you do not take the alternate routes) and overall ease of succeeding in combat, including boss fights, aren't these basically what the only problems people had with the stellar N64 game were?
You've seen it 
Though we could have used some screens, the Final Fantasy III preview at Gameworld Network does have a few juicy details, plenty to ramp up our already frenzied excitement for this title. For those who've lived and breathed Final Fantasy over the years, the turn-based battle system is old hat, but in this version it's served up with a twist: during battle, you chose every character's actions at the same time. Sounds like it's going to take a little getting used to, but when a game looks this good, we're up to the challenge.
The folks over at Siliconera were kind enough to drop us a note about their one-on-one experience with Mario Hoops: 3 on 3, and their glowing praise has us ready to get off the bench and into the game. The simple stylus commands we 
Opera fanatic Jon recently got his hands on a prototype build of the Opera browser for the DS, scheduled for release in Japan on July 24th for around 33$ U.S. dollars.
