The relative ease of the Naga class in Let's Yoga was apparently a cruel joke meant to make yoga seem easy. After three lessons in the next step, the Krishna class, it is clear that yoga is not easy, not at all. The Master's Lesson quickly moved from "This isn't so bad!" to "OMG whaaaat?" in the space of a few sessions. Ever looked at yoga poses and thought some looked hard? You were right.
But after completing over half of the Krishna class, it got a little easier, and I'm willing to concede that maybe the exercises weren't quite as face-rockingly hard as they seemed at first. They were, however, a huge leap forward from the Naga class.
Four days in and the first course is complete! The Naga class in Let's Yoga wrapped up with a simple review of the poses learned throughout, so instead of focusing on that, today we'll be exploring the extras available in Konami's training title. There are loads of options available beyond the basic lessons, including the ability to design your own workout.
After a look ahead at the beginning of the Krishna class, I must say that playing with the options looks a lot easier than what's in store, lesson-wise ... there are rough times in my future.
As promised, today we're covering two lessons in our continuing yogathon. Lessons three and four combined for nineteen minutes of yoga (and many glorious minutes spent breathing and relaxing in Shavasana), and at this point, not only is it really starting to feel like a workout (albeit a more relaxed one), but I can get a little further in certain poses than before. Something's working here with Let's Yoga!
When it comes to the DS, great games may be the order of the day, but when you're unprepared going into your gaming session, everything suffers. That's why we decided to take the time and put together a little list of accessories any DS owner shouldn't live without. It's by no means the be-all, end-all list for all time, so if we missed something, let us know! We want to know what you all have out there as much as inform any unaware gamers what's available on the market.
So, without further delay, click the button on the bottom right to get going. Then be sure to come back here and let us know what you think!
forget what the game says! Sure, maybe you don't need any sort of a mat, but it really does make things easier, because carpet is rough (suddenly glad I don't have hardwood), and
definitely remember the breathing, because it helps tremendously
Overall, day two with the DS yoga trainer was a resounding success. There are still certain poses with which I have some trouble (but hey, it's only day two), but I can already see definite progress, and that's exciting. But let's start with the basics. Lesson two of the Naga class began with an explanation of just what yoga is, and it's useful knowledge that I'll pass on here.
According to Let's Yoga, the term "yoga" itself basically means "to bind." This doens't mean it's binding you up; instead, it's about melding -- or binding, if you will -- the mind and body into one strong unit. The poses are known as Asanas, or "positions of the body." I'll typically refer to them here by their English names, because they're easier to remember and also easier to spell. There is one exception, however, though I'll get to that later.
I've always wanted to try yoga. I've bought mats and cubes and even a DVD, and once I went so far as to sign up for a class I never attended. There's just never been time, and these days, I have even fewer moments to spare for something that seemed so esoteric. However, when Konami first announced their yoga trainer for the DS, I got excited. Maybe this time I would be able to put some effort into it; after all, DS training is fun and mostly effective, right?
Then I had a baby, and everything changed. I despaired at ever having time to do anything again. Between juggling work and the tiny boy, as well as other hobbies and family obligations (and, hey, gaming), finding ten minutes a day to sleep is a challenge, much less ten minutes to focus on any sort of workout. But with the long-overdue release of Let's Yoga in the U.S., I was determined to try.
Strategy RPGs aren't exactly rare on the DS -- some people might even argue that the genre is too plentiful on Nintendo's handheld (though this writer would beg to differ). Regardless, it's always nice to see something refreshing in an SRPG, which is why I was looking forward to playing Rondo of Swords. Having heard of its unique gameplay system, I wanted to see if this title would force me to think differently and not rely on strategies I was used to.
At the same time, though, I was a bit apprehensive. While change can be a good thing if it's implemented correctly, it can often feel forced if it's not. Moreover, one reason that strategy games don't differ at their core is because the formula works. Can throwing away such tried-and-true methods really lead to an enjoyable game? Just mosey on past the break to find out!
2008 is shaping up to be an incredible year for the DS, and not because of old franchises. Zelda, we love you. Final Fantasy, we think you're great, and you'll probably dominate a good portion of our summers. But the first half of the year belongs to the new guys. After playing Professor Layton and the Curious Village, we thought we'd seen one of the most wonderful DS games to date, and that's true. But when it comes to sheer innovation, The World Ends With You blows it right out of the water. Anyone looking to create an ARPG or anything with stylus-based action controls should study The World Ends With You, because -- no exaggeration -- nearly everything here is done right.
Of course, almost nothing's perfect, and that includes this game. Most of the few flaws here are visible right from the beginning; that, combined with the unusual look and the fact that it's a new IP, may turn some gamers off. Don't be one of them, because this one is worth playing.
When I received a box on my doorstep last week, I was honestly expecting something else. But, that something else never came. Instead, I received a package that contained both Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness. And while I would've been fine with just turning around and handing the games off to our readers, I knew that my responsibilities would not allow that. Oh no, I must review the games!
And that's what I'm doing here. After a week of putting the duo of titles through their paces, I'm finally ready to weigh in on this latest pair of Pokemon spin-off games. Having not played the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, I found it fairly weird that all of the Pokemon speak like, well ... like human beings. But that wasn't enough to stop me from getting into the game. What did I think of my time with this latest entry? The latest Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games aren't too shabby!
Never have the St. Louis Cardinals had a better pitching game than in my days on the mound in MLB 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars. Under the influence of my super arm and eagle eye, the Cards threw out would-be hitters by the dozens, and laughed as they stumped off the field, their over-large shoulders swinging dejectedly. Those golden moments dripped glory, and there upon the mound, we found joy.
The problem is that the Cards never suffered worse at the plate than they have under my regime. So it goes.
This week, we're getting away from our usual Show and Tell format. We're not sharing pictures of cute crafts or decorated DSes. Instead, we sat down with one of our readers to discuss a pretty serious subject: smoking. Or, more specifically, quitting smoking. More specifically still? Quitting smoking by playing Pokémon. Reader Dan is doing just that, and we sat down with him to discuss his unusual decision.
Next week, we'll be back to our usual format, but remember -- if you have something to show off, be it a collection, a craft, or yes, even a story (like Dan's), take some pictures or write it up and sent the lot to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.
Tetris DS has become a hard-to-find item, leaving the DS with the distinction of being the only Nintendo handheld (except for the Pokémon Mini stuff) without a ubiquitous Tetris game. And that just feels wrong. The surprising rarity of the Nintendo-nostalgia-themed puzzler has driven prices on eBay way up. In order to clear lines without clearing their bank account, many would-be Tetrists are buying Japanese copies -- including DS Fanboy staffers eager to drop Tetriminoes every Game Night.
It's easy enough to play Tetris DS even without understanding the menus. Just push enough buttons and eventually something will happen. But it's somewhat trickier to engage in multiplayer without being able to read the interface. In order to help anyone stuck in such a situation (and to encourage online Tetris-ing, of course!) we've gone through the menus in a Japanese copy of Tetris DS and translated the screen text.
Click the picture to browse the entire gallery, or you can pick your starting point from the list below. We hope this guide is the I-piece in the prospective Tetris that is your Tetris DS experience!
Welcome to Point/Counterpoint, in which two DS Fanboy bloggers get into a verbal slap-fight over a divisive topic in the field of DS gaming.
Few DS-related topics are more divisive right now than Guitar Hero: On Tour. Activision and Vicarious Visions have tried to cram the experience of one of the best-known party games onto the DS by grafting a big ... thing onto the side of the system. We can all agree that the Guitar Grip doesn't look anything like a guitar, but is it sufficient for Guitar Hero? Is there any chance that this game could shred, or is it going to be all guitar face and no totally sweet solos?
Oh man, is that Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime over there, bringing you a giant bag of popcorn? It must be your lucky day!
Too bad it's April Fools' Day! You're not getting any popcorn at all! Nope, it's just another bag of the usual stuff -- disappointment, regret, and the simple pain of living.
Rather than spend your day weeping over missed opportunities and movie snacks, why not peruse our collection of April Fools' Day DS pranks? We've gathered up all of this year's handheld shenanigans we could find around the internet, providing you a concentrated punch of lulz to counteract Reggie's kick to your head.
Once upon a time, April Fools' Day was an innocent little "holiday" filled with harmless pranks and jokes that never hurt a fly -- or a gamer on the Internet. Somewhere, sometime, however, we seem to have lost our way; at some point, April 1st became a minefield of heartbreaking stories that weren't, and woe to the hapless reader who believed in the amazing port, the desired sequel, or the new game announcement posted by a prankster gleefully rubbing his or her hands and cackling madly from on high.
Consider this a pre-emptive strike -- we're declaring ten things completely sacred. There are some things you just don't joke about!* *Okay, you can, but it'll really, really hurt our feelings.
This week, we're getting away from our usual Show and Tell format. We're not sharing pictures of cute crafts or decorated DSes. Instead, we sat down with one of our readers to discuss a pretty serious subject: smoking. Or, more specifically, quitting smoking. More specifically still? Quitting smoking by playing Pokémon. Reader Dan is doing just that, and we sat down with him to discuss his unusual decision.
Tetris DS has become a hard-to-find item, leaving the DS with the distinction of being the only Nintendo handheld (except for the Pokémon Mini stuff) without a ubiquitous Tetris game. And that just feels wrong. The surprising rarity of the Nintendo-nostalgia-themed puzzler has driven prices on eBay way up. In order to clear lines without clearing their bank account, many would-be Tetrists are buying Japanese copies -- including DS Fanboy staffers eager to drop Tetriminoes every Game Night. 
Oh man, is that Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime over there, bringing you a giant bag of popcorn? It must be your lucky day!
