Update: The staff has left the Game Night chat. Plenty of folks are still in there, getting their game on. If you'd like to check it out, then head right on in.
Thursdays are the best. Not only are we one day away from Friday (weekend, woohoo!), but we also get to take a break and enjoy some gaming with you guys. Frankly, it's what we live for, because when you're blogging so much, you often don't get a chance to stop and enjoy a game or two. Do you have Tetris DS, Mario Kart DS or Clubhouse Games? Any other online-compatible title? Then get in on the action tonight at 7pm ET!
For those of you unfamiliar with how this works, head past the break for all of the details. Hope to see you there!
Atari has provided us with an exclusive new Dragon Ball: Origins video focusing on Goku's arsenal of touch-controlled attacks using his Power Pole. They're all fairly self-explanatory -- the attacks all have various speed, distance and multiple-targeting advantages, and can be used to smack environmental objects in order to solve puzzles.
In addition to his proficiency with a stick, the little monkey boy is powerful on his own. Non-pole abilities include the Rush Attack (not to be confused with the Rush 'n Attack), in which Goku dashes straight into an enemy; the Power Punch, a combo punching attack; and, of course, the famous Ka-me-ha-me-ha, in which Goku throws an ancient Hawaiian king. If the video isn't enough Dragon Ball awesomeness for you, or even if it is, we've also got eight exclusive new screens in our gallery!
Since the first footage of Ni no Kuni: The Another World appeared at the Tokyo Game Show last week, it has become the DS game I'm most looking forward to. A Level 5/Studio Ghibli collaboration is the stuff dreams are made of. The animation, predictably, looks wonderful. I already just want to hold the includedspellbook. Maybe stroke it. Is that wrong?
Plenty of other titles were showcased last week in Tokyo, so now seems like an appropriate time to see which made the most impact on each of you. Are you crazy about Chrono Trigger? Giddy about Gyakuten Kenji? Cuckoo for Castlevania? If you could have one upcoming DS title in your hands right now, what would it be?
With Halloween on the way, it seemed like a good time to feature some cosplay in The DS Life! As you can likely guess, the most popular costumed gamers we've posted about so far were the cosplaying Link duo (see gallery below), who took their inspiration from The Legend of Zelda's Four Swords spin-off.
We've picked out another group who've dressed themselves up as the colorful Link clones, and while they might not seem as "sensual" as the blondes we featured before, we think they better capture Four Swords' bouyant, playful feel.
An official website for Exit DS in Europe just launched, and its first order of business was to announce that the game is on its way to the region. When can fine European individuals such as yourself expect to get your hands on the game? This month!
A release day hasn't been finalized yet, so we're not sure as to when this month the game will release. Seeing as how this month is half over, at least you won't have to wait that long.
For this edition of Bury the Shovelware, we're talking Space Invaders. We'll be examining the recently released and critically acclaimed Space Invaders Extreme against 2005's suspected shovelware Space Invaders Revolution.
Pedigree
Space Invaders is a staple of the industry. Some incorrectly identify it as the first video game. Though this is incorrect, its significance to gaming as a whole just might make it the most important game of all-time. Released in 1978, the title was groundbreaking in that it changed the public's perception of gaming from being an interesting obscurity to a major form of entertainment. Check your local Wikipedia for more information.
Like many classics, the game has been re-packaged and re-released countless times. In its four years of life, two separate versions of the game have been released for the DS. Both versions were developed by industry veteran Taito, creator of the original ground-breaking title. But while Space Invaders Extreme was published by heavyweight Square Enix, Space Invaders Revolution was published by Rising Star Games. Though virtually unknown by comparison, the publisher has been given access to a surprising number of classic franchises, including Bomberman, Dungeon Explorer, Bubble Bobble, and New Zealand Story.
This Chrono Trigger trailer from TGS may seem familiar to you. No, not because it's the same ol' Chrono Trigger, but because it's the same ol' trailer. Not precisely the same -- the new trailer is a little longer and differs in parts, but most of it is the same.
Listen, we love Chrono Trigger. Which is why we think that maybe Square Enix could use that entire game they have lying around, largely unaltered, and hack out a little more footage for a new trailer.
Whatever we think about GameStop's latest initiative to bring people (specifically, women) into the store, we can at least say with certainty that it's fairly interesting. We aren't sure how well it will work, but it's interesting.
Most game enthusiasts end up in a GameStop now and again even if they don't care for the chain, either because they want to pick up new releases without waiting or paying for shipping, or they want something that isn't available new anymore -- or because there's one nearby and they're bored.
What is your opinion of the in-store atmosphere? What could be done to make it friendlier and/or more inviting? Besides just giving us some free games, that is. That would work pretty well. If any GameStop execs are reading, you can go ahead and write that one down and present it as your own at the next big meeting. We don't need credit or anything.
After almost two years of hard slog, Starmen.net's Mother 3 fan translation patch has finally been completed, and will be released at the end of this week ... a whole month ahead of schedule! That's according to the latest blog entry on the project's site, in which team member Mato records that, "Testing's pretty much over now. Some bugs did turn up over the last few days, but they were all minor and quickly remedied. Some really hard-to-spot typos were also found and fixed."
Joyous news indeed, though the patch will require a few other things before it's of any use: namely a slot-2 flashcart, a GBA emulator, and -- cough -- an entirely unauthorized ROM copy of the Japanese game. While we don't condone piracy, a western localization of Mother 3 doesn't exactly look likely at this stage, and we do condone passionate fan projects such as this one. Hit up this FAQ to learn more, and don't forget to check out some beautiful, AnglicizedMother 3screens.
We've said goodbye to the GBA, but it's not dead yet, and never will be if these people have a say. Modders and artists keep systems alive and relevant even after everyone else has forgotten about them. The Game Boy name and changing face has been a favorite of modders for some time, and today for Show and Tell, we're going to celebrate a small part of that.
Jump right into the gallery below if you're so inclined, or take the guided tour.
Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts.Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.
Posted Oct 14th 2008 11:36AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News
Let's get the obvious joke out of the way: The original name for the new GameStop initiative was "Let's Try to Get a Woman Into GameStop Maybe."
GameStop has announced a new program called "Me Time, Anytime" in which customers are encouraged to come into one of 1,500 US GameStop locations and try out the DS and its games. From 11a.m. to 2p.m. on October 18 (otherwise known as "not anytime,") this special demo station, called the "Me Time Test Drive" will be available, and employees will, of course, be on hand to answer questions.
In addition, seven GameStops in major cities (see the press release for locations) will host Marquee events from 10a.m. to 6p.m. which will include "refreshments and music" as well as prizes. Nintendo representatives will be present to "help with your Nintendo DS needs." According to the press release, GameStop stores have already started handing out "designer carrying cases" with purchases of a DS console and a new game.
We don't think transparently desperate promotions and free refreshments are going to do anything to bring more people into GameStop. For future events, we'd suggest "We Won't Make a Big Deal Out of It When a Woman Comes In" day and "You Probably Don't Want a Preorder, a Warranty, or a Discount Card, So We Just Won't Bother You About It" day.
GameStop can't take all the blame for this futile, vaguely exploitive promotion. The presence of Nintendo reps at the larger events, as well as the way the "Me Time" name ties so nicely in with Nintendo's own "I Play for Me" campaign suggests that it is a coordinated effort between the retailer and Nintendo.
Which DS game (recent release or older title) do you think really has the right stuff in the controls department? Is it a matter of touch-screen controls or plain old use of the d-pad and buttons? Why do you feel it's a great control scheme? Is there an upcoming game you're excited for that looks like the controls are really spot-on? Lay it on us!
Rising Star Games just unfurled an official list of Marvelous games that it plans to localize for Europe, including Luminous Arc 2, Avalon Code, Rune Factory 2, and a fourth game that is yet to be announced for North America: Steal Princess. We expected most (if not all) of these to reach us at some point, mainly because Rising Star Games is totally awesome and we love them.
Previous evidence has suggested that Steal Princess and Luminous Arc 2 won't be appearing before the end of March 2009, but we can't be mad at Marvelous. The company has had an action-packed Tokyo Game Show, and this is the cherry on top of a whole pile of other excellent announcements for Nintendo fans. Make the jump for screens, screens, and more screens!
With Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia due out in Japan and the U.S. later this month, the Tokyo Game Show represents the last major event at which Konami can show the game off; and shown it off they have, with this spectacular trailer.
The first minute and thirteen seconds consists of Order of Ecclesia character/location art, so if it's gameplay you're after, you'll want to skip to around one-third of the way through. Though why you'd want to skip Castlevania art is utterly beyond us.
Like Castlevania? We do -- to an embarrassing degree. Check out our impressions of Order of Ecclesia from E3, settle in for a trailer, or go Behind the Boxart with a Konami graphic designer.But enough talk -- have at you!
"Wha? Who is this impostor in my beloved column," you ask? Well, I kindly asked Matt if I could step in and guest write the column this week. Luckily, Matt is a fan of not working and allowed me to do so. I imagine he's sitting on a beach right now, complaining about the salt in his drink.
So, Electroplankton. Many of the longtime readers will know it's one of my favorite DS games. But, what's it all about? Well, it's a pick-up-and-play music game by Toshio Iwai, where you can create a variety of looped tracks for your listening pleasure. And utilizing the headphone jack, you can take your musical creations and export them to your computer or some other device for saving. For those who crave an overall goal or some end to work to, then Electroplankton might not be the game for you. The game may seem a bit shallow to those that aren't intrigued by the prospect of simply making music, but I assure you it's a charming and fun game, and one that is perfect for gaming on the go for any lover of the quirky and unique. If there's one thing you can say about Electroplankton, it's that there isn't any other game on the planet like it.
Tick tock of the clock ringing in your ears? Tell your timepiece to shove it! We live busy lives, but remember this: there's always time to game. Check back with Gaming to Go every week for the latest and greatest titles you should spend your precious few minutes with. And if you're looking for more original content from DS Fanboy (bless your heart), then check out our Point/Counterpoint feature and Bury the Shovelware.
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Let's get the obvious joke out of the way: The original name for the new 
Which DS game (recent release or older title) do you think really has the right stuff in the controls department? Is it a matter of touch-screen controls or plain old use of the d-pad and buttons? Why do you feel it's a great control scheme? Is there an upcoming game you're excited for that looks like the controls are really spot-on? Lay it on us!
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