It's a depressing fact that cheating will always be a part of online gaming, regardless of your platform of choice. For some time, those of weak moral fiber have been able to grant themselves infinite energy, infinite ammo, and the ability to levitate in Metroid Prime: Hunters (encouragingly, Nintendo claims it is now taking measures to prevent this), while the whole Mario Kart DS/snaking debate has rumbled on for some time (though we know of at least one Nintendo representative who would argue that the method isn't actually cheating, and we're sure many of you would concur).
Today, we'd like to hear about some of your own experiences of cheating opponents. Which games do you find attract the most online cheats, and have any of you indulged in this dark art yourselves?
Sometimes, you encounter those weird DS games that are just perfect for online play ... except they don't have it. Okay, so it's sometimes more than just "sometimes," but what can you do? Talk about it, of course! From Puzzle Quest to Mario Party to the upcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, what do you wish had a little wi-fi multiplayer?
Nintendo has fired a volley of fifty Advance Wars: Days of Ruin screens in our direction, a fortnight before the game launches on January 21st. This fresh batch focuses on the title's wealth of options, and it's fair to say that the game is looking as menu-heavy as ever.
As well as the title screen, we also get to see quiteabit of the Map Center, someshots of the various Wi-Fi functions (including a reminder that the game will support full voice chat online), and even, uh, what the game's icon will look like as you boot up your DS to play; comprehensive, much?
Fortunately, there's also lots of nice fighty-fighty screens, such as the one to the right, so get clicking, future COs!
Last week we told you about the Swiss group "and-or" and their innovative homebrew game, Wardive. As it turns out, they have another interesting homebrew application called Sniff Jazzbox. Instead of turning wireless signals into enemies, though, it turns them into musical notes (or rather, it turns the names of the hot spots it picks up into musical notes). In a sense, it allows you to hear what your environment sounds like.
Sniff Jazzbox definitely can't be considered a game, and the music it produces is just a bunch of notes jumbled together, but we like how and-or is integrating adaptable wireless aspects into their programs. See an example of how the app works here.
Wardive, made by a Swiss art and research group called "and-or," is one of the coolest and most ambitious homebrew projects that we've seen yet. The game changes and adapts based on the player's location, environment, and position. As these factors change, Wardive creates different levels based on the new data. We're not sure if the gameplay is any good, and the game may be a little too experimental, but the concept is certainly impressive.
You can read about and download the game here. If you try it, let us know what you think in the comments.
Just when we were beginning to think it was no longer possible to further expand the audience of the DS (it's everywhere), Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata says the company is planning to do just that. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Nintendo execs mentioned practical, wireless content for use in "train stations, amusement parks or museums" (where have we seen that before?). There was also mention of a television-programming feature for Japan that would allow users to check listings and plan out their viewing schedule. We can't help but wonder if it's related to that TV tuner that recently resurfaced, since it sure sounds like it.
Personally, we welcome our new DS overlords in every part of our daily lives -- if Nintendo can manage something a little classier (and more common) than the Nintendo Fan Network that debuted at Safeco Field this year. The DS has a lot of useful functions that can certainly be exploited for more practical uses, and we already carry one around, so we hope some of these make it over to our side of the ocean.
We've been on this whole "best" kick lately with our morning questions, and we've got another one for you today: what are your favorite multiplayer DS games? But we're going to offer some restrictions on this, however. You know we don't like simple answers. Let's forget a lot of the games that are more popular, particularly at our weekly Game Night, and instead tout some that people may not know as much about. Instead of talking about Pokémon and Mario Kart, tell us about Worms or something else. Online or not -- no limits there -- so long as the game is (in your opinion) a little less well-known!
Yesterday's Game Night was one that I ended up not participating in. I showed up, then something came up and I was away from my laptop for the majority of the time. For that, I apologize. All of you new folk who showed up, please understand that is not a usual thing for me. I just wanted to let you all know I feel pretty guilty about it.
Hit up the poll below (new and improved!) and let's get the ball rolling toward next week's session.
Oh, you have no idea what a relief it is that it's Thursday. We've been waiting for this since ... well, since last Thursday. And now we finally get to take a break this evening and throw down in some DS games with you fine folks. Are you prepared? Have you told your loved one that you are not to be disturbed? You better have.
Following up the first Game Night where we could take advantage of the wi-fi compatibility for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, we understand that the next week might seem a little less exciting by comparison. But, keep in mind that once you're on our list, you're there to stay. Unless the people don't like you, but that game is not in danger of having that happen to it.
Hit up the poll below to decide what next week's theme game should be.
We added a new game to the poll last week and, sure enough, you all voted for it. And, considering it stars a certain green-clad youth, we're certain that the majority of you attending this evening will have the game in-hand, ready to go. If you're new to the whole Game Night thing, then head past the break and get the info you need.
After Atlus announced at E3 that they were bringing Draglade stateside, we hoped to see a little of the localization -- and instead of starting small, with screenshots or extra press releases, they put out a video just in time for our weekly video spotlight! That was pretty nice of them, don't you think?
If nothing else, we're interested in this title because it is a fighting game with Wi-Fi multiplayer on our beloved DS, which is something American gamers have been often denied. Toss in a few other elements, like rhythm? We're ready to get down.
At first, when we saw these shots, we were confused and even a little alarmed. Hadn't this game already come out in Japan, or had we hallucinated the entire thing? Was it pushed back over a year? What happened? Then we remembered that it's a Romance of the Three Kingdoms title, which is probably why the screenshots for the sequel look almost exactly like the screenshots from the first game for the DS. It all makes sense now.
After some in-depth study, we noticed brighter colors and some cleaner lines, but the differences are subtle. Verdict? If you enjoyed the first one (which was not released outside Japan), then the sequel is probably right up your alley. It does feature online play, which makes us a little jealous, considering we love online games.
The sequel is set to hit in Japan November 1, and you can check out the screenshots at Dengeki Online.
... but all good things must come to an end, eh? It's always nice to wallow in the explosion of news that surrounds a trade show, and even the diminished E3 was no exception. Sure, for Nintendo fans, at least on the DS side, things started out a little slowly, but once the media hit, we no longer had anything to be disappointed about! So what was tops for DS owners? Here's the best -- according to us, at least.
Top E3 trailers:
Contra 4 -- After all our Contragasms, you knew we were going to say this!
Front Mission DS -- What can we say ... we're big fans of ass-kickery.
Brain Age 2 -- We know you'll probably disagree with us here, but we can't help it. We a) dig a good, brainy challenge and b) think the selection of games looks even better than before.
Less-discussed games we desperately want right now:
Professor Layton and all his mysterious locales -- Okay, we wanted this before. But it was mentioned in passing around E3, and now we're more rabid for it than ever!
Nintendo Magic -- Another game we weren't sure would head our way, but that just sounds like fun.
Advance Wars 2 -- The first is one of the best the DS has to offer, though it seems to rarely get a mention.
Worst trailer that should have been awesome:
Insecticide, hands down. Please pass us some Dramamine on your way out.
Biggest disappointment:
Probably the missing wi-fi for Mario Party DS. C'mon, Nintendo, slip it in there! We promise not to complain about friend codes for at least a week.
To those of you who were less-than-pleased at the idea of a RTS title with a bacteria flavor, it looks like Ecolis is now known as Ecoris. The good news is that the game is still adorable, and it looks like the Wi-Fi capability will in fact be online multiplayer. Now if only someone would explain exactly what the hero, Dorian, is. Jeux-France likens him to a Totoro, but we remain unconvinced. You can ponder his origins while perusing the new images in our updated gallery below.
Ecoris is scheduled for an August release in Japan, and we're crossing our fingers for a localization some time after that.
Sometimes, you encounter those weird DS games that are just perfect for online play ... except they don't have it. Okay, so it's sometimes more than just "sometimes," but what can you do? Talk about it, of course! From Puzzle Quest to Mario Party to the upcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, what do you wish had a little wi-fi multiplayer?
Nintendo has fired a volley of fifty Advance Wars: Days of Ruin screens in our direction, a fortnight before the game launches on January 21st. This fresh batch focuses on the title's wealth of 
Last week we told you about the Swiss group "and-or" and their innovative homebrew game, 
Wardive, made by a Swiss art and research group called "and-or," is one of the coolest and most ambitious homebrew projects that we've seen yet. The game changes and adapts based on the player's location, environment, and position. As these factors change, Wardive creates different levels based on the new data. We're not sure if the gameplay is any good, and the game may be a little too experimental, but the concept is certainly impressive.
Just when we were beginning to think it was no longer possible to further expand the audience of the DS (it's everywhere), Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata says the company is planning to do just that. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Nintendo execs mentioned practical, wireless content for use in "train stations, amusement parks or museums" (where have we seen 
We've been on this whole "best" kick lately with our morning questions, and we've got another one for you today: what are your favorite multiplayer DS games? But we're going to offer some restrictions on this, however. You know we don't like simple answers. Let's forget a lot of the games that are more popular, particularly at our weekly 
At first, when we saw these shots, we were confused and even a little alarmed. Hadn't this game already come out in Japan, or had we hallucinated the entire thing? Was it pushed back over a year? What happened? Then we remembered that it's a Romance of the Three Kingdoms title, which is probably why the screenshots for the sequel look almost exactly like the screenshots from the first game for the DS. It all makes sense now.
To those of you who were less-than-pleased at the idea of a RTS title with a bacteria flavor, it looks like 
