Summer in the northern hemisphere officially starts today, which means one thing: sharing strawberries with a loved one in a tranquil hay meadow as you soak up the rays grabbing cheap games in the sales! The folks at HMV know the heat turns us Brits into mushy-minded impulse buyers, and so they've gone and slashed prices on approximately 30 DS titles to around the £12 - £15 mark. Here's the best of what's on offer:
Ever since MySims Kingdom was revealed, we've been patiently awaiting details regarding the title. Now, we've got a bit more to go on, as EA lets us know what this game is all about. It is "a story of adventure, discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom." Okay, sounds simple enough.
The DS version of this game, specifically, will offer several different mini-games and very much resembles Animal Crossing. EA's Rod Humble (is that not an awesome name?), whom heads up The Sims division, said MySims Kingdom will contain "rewarding quests, building houses, bridges or even making contraptions powered by electricity or water." It sounds like the title will have a lot of customization options, however we wonder if it won't be the simple little game that EA promised it would be back at launch. Is this not getting to be a bit too big for a casual title?
Be sure to hit up our gallery below for first screens from the game.
Posted Feb 13th 2008 3:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News
Apparently EA's strategy of releasing games with the word "Sims" in the title is paying off. Citing the success of the MySims games on DS and Wii -- to the tune of $100 million in revenue and 3 million copies -- EA Casual's Kathy Vrabeck revealed two more games in the spinoff franchise to be released on Nintendo systems.
No details have been released for either game except the titles (MySims Kingdom and MySims Party) and release schedules. Kingdoms is planned for an October-December release, while Party is scheduled for early 2009. We're pretty sure we can guess what MySims Party is, but Kingdoms? We're hoping for a medieval-themed MySims. Wouldn't it be awesome to design your own cute lil' king and then outfit his castle with tapestries? Yes, it would.
GoNintendo's "inside guy" is usually spot-on with his scouted information on upcoming Download Station games, but keep in mind that this tally is anything but official. According to the mole's report, this Version 7 update to the in-store wireless stations will feature a total of twelve game demos and five videos, all of which you can see after the post break.
Playable demos for Contra 4 and Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword top the gossip, promising to bring run-n-gun shootin' and ninja-of-the-night flippin' to our handhelds soon. Once this update hits, we are going to be on these two titles like gravy on mashed potatoes. Who knows, we might even eat some mashed potatoes with gravy while we play the demo. These are crazy times we live in.
GoNintendo offered us an updated look at the DS version of MySims, and we must say that we're pleased to see such vast improvements. The few review scores that are in so far are all over the place, however, so the jury is still out on whether or not the updated graphics will be enough. If you're picking up the DS version, let us know what you think!
The updated screenshots are in the gallery below, along with some older shots for comparison.
No rest for weary wallets this week -- but is that really a bad thing? Our sources say no, though it can certainly be hard to find fundage for all the DS games that catch our eye. Good thing they're cheap!
7 Wonders of the Ancient World
AniMates
Backyard Basketball
Digimon World: Dawn
Digimon World: Dusk
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
Master Jin Jin's IQ Challenge
MySims
Namco Museum DS
Nancy Drew: Deadly Secret of Olde World Park
Sonic Rush Adventure
Anything catch your eye this week, or are you saving up for later releases, or still hurting from previous weeks?
Why can't publishers be more charitable with preorder gifts in the states? We're doing them a favor whenever we put down an advance for one of their games, giving retailers an idea of how many they should order to stock their shelves. Japan and Korea seem to get reservation rewards for almost every release!
The latest preorder prizes, a branded system pouch and a stylus set, come with EA's SimCity DS and MySims, both due later this month for Korea. Publisher Fujitsu was more creative with its Cooking Mama gift, offering a limited edition pair of cooking mitts to any gamer who reserves the kitchen-themed minigame collection. Hand over five bucks and head past the post break for more photos of the bonus items.
We just cannot look at MySims DS screens and see anything other than Animal Crossing.Everything we see of the game just further reinforces the similarity between the two games. These new screenshots are no different.
It's just ... there's the wishing well! And the beach! And the shop! And the little houses, the interior and exterior of which look just like Animal Crossing houses! Maybe if the screens focused on the character editor and not on walkin' around town, we wouldn't get such a strong Crossing vibe. But looking at these ... who could be so shameless? Oh, right.
The latest from MySims DS looks so much like Animal Crossing that we kept scanning the background for Tom Nook. There's even a fishing interlude. And according to IGN's interview with producer Mitch Ueno, "You can even design your clothes with the DS stylus." The only real difference is in the character designs, so if you hate animals, but always wanted to play Animal Crossing, your day is coming.
Despite our disparaging tone, we here at DS Fanboy will probably turn in hundreds of hours on MySims, especially if you can power off the DS without getting a ten-minute lecture.
EA is proving that they really are interested in Japanese audiences: not only are they designing MySims with Japanese gamers in mind, but they are making training games. Three of them!
They're all about drinking, too: Bartender DS, about mixing drinks; Sakashou DS, about sake, and Sommelier DS, about wine. The software is designed to help you choose fine beverages and properly store your wines. Sim City DS producer Hiroshi Murakami said that it was his hope that people would spend the 2950 yen on Sommelier DS and then buy good wine instead of going directly to the cheap stuff.
Finally, a look at MySims on DS that looks worth playing. We were starting to get a little sulky, because it looked like all the fun went into the Wii version and we were left with some lackluster Mii knockoffs, but these latest scans from Famitsu show off what DS owners can expect from the upcoming Sims redux. Hit the jump to see the scans, complete with inset screenshots.
Posted Mar 30th 2007 11:15AM by Eric Caoili
Filed under: News
Though EA announced MySims for both the Nintendo DS and the Wii, we haven't spotted many previews for the handheld version like we have with the console's. Looking at the screenshots Jeux-France posted earlier today for MySims DS, we're a little worried about where EA plans to take the game.
We understand that MySims will have to be pared down for its portable adaptation, but the limited character customization options on the DS seem bare-bones compared to what we've seen on the Wii. Also, the media released for the Wii's MySims features the cartoonish characters in a range of activities -- hosting parties, playing in fountains, and eating spaghetti dinners at the neighborhood restaurant. These DS screenshots show the Sims strolling through empty streets and exploring lonesome piers. How depressing!
We're hoping that EA won't wait too long to reveal screenshots of MySims DS that better resemble the Wii version's cheerful attitude. As it stands now, the handheld game looks like it has more in common with REM's music video for Everybody Hurts. Jump past the post break for a preview of the bleak neighborhood.
A new take on The Sims is coming this fall, and we want to know how you feel about it. Will you give the newly redesigned Sims a shot, and if so, do you think you're more likely to play it on the Wii or the DS? What do you think of the new look?
We always enjoyed the building aspect of The Sims more than the game itself, but this one looks like it might just change our minds about that. With the new look, it seems like it'll be easier to care about the characters -- at least for us. Did you enjoy the game in the past, or is it one you've skipped?
Posted Feb 27th 2007 10:00AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News
My Sims, EA's designed-for-Japan take on their amazingly popular franchise, is coming to the US, and bringing its strangely Servbot-esque characters along! We actually weren't sure we'd see this one, since it was made expressly for Japanese audiences.
They've set up a web page for the localized release, with an English trailer and screenshots. Strangely, the website doesn't seem to distinguish between the Wii and DS versions at all, and between the simple art style and EA's too-perfect screenshots, we can't tell which one we're looking at, if not both. Therefore, we decree that the game either looks fantastic on DS or not that great on Wii!
We're ... kind of looking forward to The Sims again! What a nostalgic feeling. We'll try to remember this feeling in a couple of months when we're rolling our eyes at My Sims Pets Go to College Expansion 2: New Dorm Furniture for Rock Stars!!!
You know, we haven't heard anything at all involving the DS specific installment of My Sims, left in the dark without batteries for our flashlight as we blindly navigated the dark tubes that comprise the internet, desperately searching for any small scrap of news involving the title. Well, we have finally found the light at the end of the tunnel tube and can now bring forth to you, fine reader, some details regarding the game.
See, the game has you beginning in a rundown town, a real dump, and you're in charge of sprucing it up, which will in turn bring more residents. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, sure, but this time around you aren't just confined to your house, as through a Relationship menu, you have to constantly keep tabs on your buddies and make sure your relationships are in good standing order.
Aside from that, players can choose from 30 different characters in the DS version and customize them in numerous ways, including adding tattoos, as well as create custom furniture and hosues from scratch. Sounds like a lot of fun to us. How about you?
Summer in the northern hemisphere officially starts today, which means one thing: 
Ever since MySims Kingdom was revealed, we've been patiently awaiting details regarding the title. Now, we've got a bit more to go on, as EA lets us know what this game is all about. It is "a story of adventure, discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom." Okay, sounds simple enough.
GoNintendo's "inside guy" is usually spot-on with his scouted information on upcoming Download Station games, but keep in mind that this tally is anything but official. According to the mole's report, this Version 7 update to the in-store wireless stations will feature a total of twelve game demos and five videos, all of which you can see after the post break.
GoNintendo offered us an updated look at the DS version of MySims, and we must say that we're pleased to see such vast improvements. The few review scores that are in so far are all over the place, however, so the jury is still out on whether or not the updated graphics will be enough. If you're picking up the DS version, let us know what you think!
No rest for weary wallets this week -- but is that really a bad thing? Our sources say no, though it can certainly be hard to find fundage for all the DS games that catch our eye. Good thing they're cheap!
We just cannot look at MySims DS screens and see anything other than Animal Crossing. Everything we see of the game just further reinforces the similarity between the two games. These new screenshots are no different.
The latest from MySims DS looks so much like Animal Crossing that we kept scanning the background for Tom Nook. There's even a fishing interlude. And according to IGN's interview with producer Mitch Ueno, "You can even design your clothes with the DS stylus." The only real difference is in the character designs, so if you hate animals, but always wanted to play Animal Crossing, your day is coming.
A new take on The Sims is coming this fall, and we want to know how you feel about it. Will you give the newly redesigned Sims a shot, and if so, do you think you're more likely to play it on the Wii or the DS? What do you think of the new look?
My Sims, EA's designed-for-Japan take on their amazingly popular franchise, is coming to the US, and bringing its strangely Servbot-esque characters along! We actually weren't sure we'd see this one, since it was made expressly for Japanese audiences.
You know, we haven't heard anything at all involving the DS specific installment of My Sims, left in the dark without batteries for our flashlight as we blindly navigated the dark tubes that comprise the internet, desperately searching for any small scrap of news involving the title. Well, we have finally found the light at the end of the 
