Every once in a while, GameFly throws a storewide sale our way. Fortunately, now is one of those times -- until May 19th, at least -- so it's worth checking out the used games that the site has to offer. Whether you're looking for something fun to play during Game Night or just want to pick up a cartridge that you don't already own, there are a lot of noteworthy titles available.
Here are some that we found intriguing, either because they're awesome games or they're just too cheap to resist (or some combination thereof):
Ubisoft's DS guitar ... thing Jam Sessions has dipped down to $20 before as part of a sale, but now the drop is permanent. Both GameStop and Amazon are now selling the novel virtual instrument at a $19.99 price point. As a bonus, GameStop has also dropped the price of the Nyko JAMMIN' Guitar Pick Stylus set, from $7 to $5. A fake guitar pick seems like an appropriate accessory for a fake guitar.
Now, for the same price, you can have an all-DS trio instead of an all-DS duo! Just in case the lack of a third bandmate was the only thing keeping you from starting a Jam Sessions-only band.
Last night we commemorated (a pretty good amount of) a year of the excellent Promotional Consideration column, which deals with game advertising. There's no doubt that game advertising has the power to entertain, but can it also, you know, sell games?
Take the Let's Tarot campaign, for example. Did anyone see popular actress Kanako Yanagihara in the ads and think, "I believe I will purchase this product. The reason is that I am a fan of Ms. Yanagihara's work, and she has accepted money in exchange for the association of her likeness with the item in question."? Or Jam Sessions's bizarre New Zealand ad campaign, which associates receiving the product with becoming an awful person.
Is being memorable all it takes to be successful as an ad? Have you ever been swayed by game advertising, or reminded sufficiently of something you were interested in to go get it?
We don't normally have any reason to talk about the Frag Dolls at all, since the "competitive gaming" community doesn't really associate itself with the DS that often. And we really try to avoid that Portal song whenever possible, which is usually pretty easy for a DS site to do. (Yes, it's a funny song, but it has been run into the ground, okay?) But we docoverJam Sessionsadvertising, and that's exactly what this video blog entry from UK Frag Doll Kitt is.
In this video, Kitt performs Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive" using nothing but a DS Lite and a copy of our favorite guitar non-game. And it's pretty good! If you don't mind listening to "Still Alive" again. At least the computer-simulated guitar is thematically appropriate.
Likely positioning this deal as an incentive for Christmas shoppers to purchase family-oriented titles for younger gamers, Best Buy is throwing in a $5.00 gift card with every video game purchase from its selection of E (Everyone) and E10+ (Everyone 10+) ESRB-rated offerings. Here's a list of the electronic retailer's DS games currently on that list:
Ben 10: Protector of Earth - $29.99
Cars (GBA) - $19.99
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker - $29.99
Drawn to Life - $29.99
Jam Sessions - $19.99
Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck - $29.99
Ratatouille: Food Frenzy - $29.99
Aside from Jam Sessions, these aren't really great bargains, but if you were planning on eventually buying one of these games anyway, why not do it now and pick up a free gift card with your order?
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.
This marks the third time we've featured Ubisoft'sJam Sessions in our Promotional Consideration column, but these latest ads for the New Zealand market are the best ones yet. We're not going to ruin their illicit content for you before you've had a chance to watch these not-safe-for-work commercials yourselves, so hurry past the break and see what all the kids are nattering about at recess.
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.
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.
It physically pained us to see Ubisoft's print campaign and European boxart for Jam Sessions, but the publisher came through with its commercial for the recently-released guitar sim. The 30-second spot is broken up into three scenes of alleged teenagers playing and enjoying the game, all of them singing along to Sublime's "Santeria," a track that isn't actually included on the Jam Sessions cart. It's a catchy tune, one we're sure you've heard many times on the radio, and we can see why it was picked for the piece. Continue past the jump for the commercial and this week's installment of Promotional Consideration.
Are you feeling mentally down? Does calculating the cost of your groceries at your local supermarket taking you longer than usual? Well, we might just have something that can help you get mentally fit again. Whether you're 88 or 18 (sorry, if you're under 18 years of age or live outside the United States, you are not eligible), everyone can always use some extra mental exercises to help them get fit again.
What will you win? Well, that's simple. One grand prize winner will receive a copy of Brain Age 2 (valued at $20), Picross DS (valued at $20) and Brain Buster Puzzle Pak (valued at $20). With all those puzzle titles, you should be as mentally fit as a young Albert Einstein.
So, do your brain a favor and make a comment below. All we're asking is that you tell us the last time you were feeling mentally sluggish. Hey, we're all friends here, no need to feel embarrassed when you had some difficulty adding and subtracting with The Count.
Before you do that, though, make sure that you read the official rules before entering. The contest will be open from Wednesday October 10th, 2007 9:45am EST until Sunday October 14th, 2007 11:59PM EST.
Up until October 23rd, those who're able to construct their own tunes, complete with vocals, in Ubisoft's Jam Sessions have the chance to win a trip to New York city. There, 2 winners will perform live on Fuse TV. All one has to do is upload a video of themselves performing their track to Ubisoft's YouTube page, where winners will be selected on November 6th.
So, any of our fine readers plan on participating in this contest?
All good things must eventually come to an end, and that includes our latest giveaway of Jam Sessions. The three winners have been selected, and the copies will go to:
Tom, who said:
"How 'bout Over the Hills and Far Away by Led Zeppelin?"
Kronus, who said:
"For the songs in the game, I would really enjoy to learn to "No Rain"
by Blind Melon. As for original songs, I know one of the five will be
"MakeDamnSure" by Taking Back Sunday."
and finally, Michael Dotson, who promised he would,
"ROCK you like a HURRICANE"
Congratulations to our winners on both their free games and their taste in music, and we hope they have fun practicing their prowess. Keep your eyes peeled for the next DS Fanboy contest, and maybe you'll end up in this space!
We just wanted to remind you that the Jam Sessions giveaway ends this Sunday at 11:59 pm EST. If you want a crack at one of the three copies we have available, head on over and leave a comment about the first song you'd like to learn to play on Ubisoft's guitar simulation. We'll announce the winners on Monday!
The Jam SessionsPerformance Bundle, with its included amplifier, was only kind of big. It was an "awesome" bundle, but not a "DUDE OMG AWESOME" bundle. If you want to give a loved one a "DUDE OMG AWESOME" gift this holiday season, GameStop may have the solution with their DS Lite Music Bundle.
Comprising a Polar White DS Lite, the Jam Sessions Performance Bundle, and a set of JAMMIN Guitar Picks, the set makes up a complete musical instrument (and a set of JAMMIN Guitar Picks). And it only costs $207.97, a savings of ... hey, wait! Nothing! This bundle is just three currently-available regular-priced items sold together! Well, even so, this would make a great gift for the musically adventurous.
Are you strapped for cash after facing the deluge of awesome DS releases? We understand, and DS Fanboy is here to help. We've got three copies of Ubisoft's Jam Sessions, valued at $29.99, for three lucky readers, and we need to make sure they go to good homes. If you have the urge to get your strum on without giving up any cash, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us what song you want to learn to play sometime between now and Sunday, October 7, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. You may enter as many times as you'd like, so long as you always answer the question. On Monday the 8th, we'll select three lucky winners in a random drawing and ship off your free games. Does it get any better than that? We think not.
There are, of course, a few caveats. Winners must be both U.S. citizens and over the age of 18 (sorry, guys!). You can check out the full official rules here.
Ubisoft's Jam Sessions isn't a guitar. It sounds kind of like one, and encourages you to play melodies with it that were written for guitar. There have even been guitar-pick-shaped styli designed to be used with the program. But don't think of it as a guitar. It's not even a "virtual guitar." It's certainly not a game either, and not in the way that Brain Age is a non-game, but rather in the way that the web browser is not a game.
Jam Sessions is a new, digital musical instrument that is every bit as innovative as Toshio Iwai's Tenori-On, with the added benefit of making sense to someone other than Toshio Iwai. It is endlessly configurable, ridiculously feature-rich, and easy to operate. It is potentially useful for traveling musicians, but is just as enjoyable for amateurs who just want to mess around and make some impromptu music.
Ubisoft's DS guitar ... thing Jam Sessions has dipped down to $20 before as part of a sale, but now the drop is permanent. Both GameStop and Amazon are now selling the novel virtual instrument at a $19.99 price point. As a bonus, GameStop has also dropped the price of the Nyko JAMMIN' Guitar Pick Stylus set, from $7 to $5. A fake guitar pick seems like an appropriate accessory for a fake guitar.
Likely positioning this deal as an incentive for Christmas shoppers to purchase family-oriented titles for younger gamers, Best Buy is throwing in a $5.00 gift card with every video game purchase from its selection of E (Everyone) and E10+ (Everyone 10+) ESRB-rated offerings. Here's a list of the electronic retailer's DS games currently on that list:
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.
The Jam Sessions Performance Bundle, with its included amplifier, was only kind of big. It was an "awesome" bundle, but not a "DUDE OMG AWESOME" bundle. If you want to give a loved one a "DUDE OMG AWESOME" gift this holiday season, GameStop may have the solution with their DS Lite Music Bundle.
