Slashdot Log In
Nintendo DS Wireless Game Roundup
Posted by
ScuttleMonkey
on Mon Aug 29, 2005 02:02 PM
from the touch-and-go dept.
from the touch-and-go dept.
ImaNumber writes "Brittlefish has posted a nice roundup of the major multiplayer games currently available for the Nintendo DS. They make their picks on which ones have good wireless play and which ones just added it in as a gimmick." From the post: "If you have 2 Nintendo DS's or you know someone else who has one you've probably played some multiplayer games. And you want more. But which games are worth buying with the incentive of good multiplayer?"
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
For a narrow definition of game.... (Score:4, Interesting)
Profit! (Score:5, Insightful)
2. Include link to Amazon.com with referral.
3. Post blog link to Slashdot.org
4. ???
5. Profit!
Wireless Game Roundup? (Score:3, Funny)
Aren't there some sort of leash laws?
text (Score:4, Informative)
August 29th, 2005
If you have 2 Nintendo DS's or you know someone else who has one you've probably played some multiplayer games. And you want more.
But which games are worth buying with the incentive of good multiplayer? Here are our notes on some of the most popular games out right now:
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Advance Wars: Dual Strike Wireless Rating: 5 Bars!
Get this game. This is hands down the best game for the DS available right now. And with 8-way multiplayer it will satisfy your wifi hunger. Bonus: The ability to draw your own maps makes this a game that has a great replay value....draw a map and let your friends download it.
Wireless Rating: 5 out of 5 bars
Bomberman DS
Bomberman Wireless Rating: 4 Bars!
The first 8-way multiplayer game available for the DS. Loads of fun with lots of people, but if you are planning on only having a 2-way game most of the time it probably shouldn't be your first pick. However, with a lot of players this can be great fun. Especially if all the players are using the mic to call out battle commands.
Wireless Rating: 4 out of 5 bars
Meteos
Meteos Wireless Rating: 5 Bars!
This game makes for some great 4-way puzzle action. There is nothing finer than watching your Meteos launch and seeing them collide with someone else's planet. This game is great wireless fun, in addition to the loads of single player fun you'll have.
Wireless Rating: 5 out of 5 bars
Metriod
Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt Wireless Rating: 4 Bars!
The first console FPS that feels right. 4-way multiplayer action is very good on this demo, and with the recent announcement that the full version will have Internet play we can only expect more from the Samus Touch N' Kill department. My only beef with the multiplayer on this game is that the game is too dark. Of course, maybe that is just an excuse to why I am not any good at it. You probably already have this game, since it probably came with your DS, but after playing it in multiplayer mode it will make you want to buy the full version when it comes out.
Wireless Rating: 4 out of 5 bars
Nanostray
Nanostray Wireless Rating: 2 Bars!
2-way multiplayer and not terribly fun at that. Two players can play together to kill the bad guys, but not to help each other out...only to score points. The person with the most points wins. This is very limited and only huge fans of this genre will find any long-term playability in it. It would be nice to have a mode that allowed two or more players to play the main game together. It would also be nice to not have to use the download play if both players have the game.
Wireless Rating: 2 out of 5 bars
Polarium
Polarium Wireless Rating: 3 Bars!
A 2-way puzzle game that actually has a pretty fun multiplayer mode. If you can get past the plain graphics this game will have you and a friend swearing at each other in no time. Of course, if you have more than one friend with a DS you will probably want to look at other puzzle games like Meteos or Pop Puyo Fever instead.
Wireless Rating: 3 out of 5 bars
Puyo Pop Fever
Puyo Pop Fever Wireless Rating: 5 Bars!
This 8-way puzzler is the first DS game where you probably won't use the touchscreen at all. It is also the first DS game which appears to be marketed directly at girl gamers. If you can get past that (and you should try), you'll find an addictive puzzle game that has great wireless play. This is also a great game to play with your wife or girlfriend. They'll really love it when they start kicking your butt. And they will start kicking your butt.
Wireless Rating: 5 out of 5 bars
Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario 64 Wireless Rating: 3 Bars!
4-way Yoshi action. Race against the other players to get as many stars as you can before the time runs out. And you can, uh, stick out your tongue and, uh, eat the other players. Then spit them out. Uh, yeah. Anyway, the multiplayer is fun, but not fun enough to j
Rate of technology acceptance? (Score:5, Interesting)
Is it me, or does it seem like these nifty handheld things from (Sony and Nintendo) are not catching on very fast? I am a console owner, and plan to upgrade whenever the PS3 comes out and all that jazz, but I have felt pretty much zero interest in these new handhelds, at least among my friends and peers.
Maybe I'm just in the wrong demographic, but I remember when the Gameboy came out oh so many years ago and we all rushed to the store to grab one. It just doesn't seem like people are that excited about having one more handheld device to carry around.
Come see one of the world's oldest webcams: www.mitwebcam.com [mitwebcam.com]
Re:Rate of technology acceptance? (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Rate of technology acceptance? (Score:2, Interesting)
My brother is currently in the hospital and he's probably going to be there for a while, so the other day I bought him a used GameBoy SP. I bought two RPG's and Zelda. I toyed around with it for quite a while and quickly realized the appeal these handhelds have over consoles or PC games. They are very nostalgic and fun. They don't drown you with k00L Gr4f1X. They have to rely on playability instead of glitz. I'm prob
Re:Rate of technology acceptance? (Score:5, Insightful)
The PSP tries to do exactly that, and this is where it fails - most handheld buyers want gameplay. If they want eye candy, they won't be looking at a 2 inch screen.
Nintendo is doing so well in the handheld arena because they realize it's about gameplay, games, battery life, variety - NOT extra polygons.
Parent
Re:Rate of technology acceptance? (Score:3, Informative)
It's doing pretty well in America, too. I've got one, as do most of the guys my age that I know. Sales numbers are good over here.
And I can honestly say that I don't know anyone with a PSP - though that's obviously anecdotal and doesn't mean anything.
Re:Rate of technology acceptance? (Score:3, Insightful)
If you look at the failed challengers to the GameBoy reign you quickly notice how much better most of the units were *on the superficial* aspects that everyone thinks are important. Turns out portable gaming is more about portability (imagine!) and a
Is anything bad? (Score:5, Insightful)
Did Homer Simpson review these games? Five thumbs up for everything!
Re:Is anything bad? (Score:2)
That's my problem (Score:5, Funny)
That's always been my problem - finding someone else with the DS. I see them on "House" - but not in real life. One other guy I know has a PSP, but that's about it. I don't know if it's where I life, the fact I'm a 32 year old guy who's got three kids (who think that Daddy's DS is very cool, mainly because I won't let them come within 10 feet of it - that's what the GBA is for
Is this just an issue where I'm outside the age curve, and if I was back in college these portable systems would be "all the rage"? [sarcasm]I mean, I guess I could go troll the junior high schools looking for Pokemon opponents, but my wife tells me it's a little creepy to hand around the school asking the kids if they want to play a game with my pocket computer.[/sarcasm]
Ah, well - at least as my kids get older, they become more challenging gamers (my daughter almost beats me at chess now, and I think I can get her trained as a good 'Soul Calibur' competitor with more time - at least before she starts noticing boys or something.).
Weird article. Warioware has no multiplayer option (Score:5, Informative)
WarioWare: Touched Wireless Rating: 3 Bars!
An interesting 2-way fast-paced "party game". The first few times through this game will keep you on your toes as you try and figure out what to do in each mini game, but after you learn what to do on all the games it becomes simple recollection. If you own the game the multiplayer is nice, but with only 2 player capacity and limited replay value this isn't going to go to the top of many people's lists.
Wireless Rating: 3 out of 5 bars
Weird, even without ZERO multiplayer options (a shame, really), it still manages to get "3 out of 5 bars"?
Games I'd like to see on the PSP or DS (Score:5, Interesting)
*MIDI Maze (aka "Faceball 2000") - the original multiplayer FPS that is still kid-friendly. Perfect for a DS.
*Todd's Adventure in Slimeworld - old multiplayer hit from the Atari Lynx and the Sega Genesis. Obviously, a FPS update would be needed on the PSP, but possibly the sidescrolling method might still be useful on the DS.
*Warbirds - great dogfighting game. Was really addicting playing against 8 other players on the Atari Lynx. Definitely worth updating yet still retaining the title's charm.
*Battlewheels. 'Nuff said.
And finally...
*Duke Nukem Forever - Considering the development at this point is probably so far behind for the current and nextgen consoles, why not sell the title as an exclusivity to either of the handheld platforms? C'mon, 3DRealms, Sony, and Nintendo.
Re:Games I'd like to see on the PSP or DS (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Games I'd like to see on the PSP or DS (Score:3, Funny)
DS really is fabulous for multi-player (Score:5, Informative)
That, however, is by far the biggest strength of the DS, and the feature that, to me, puts it far above the PSP when it comes to multi-player gaming: multiple players off of one copy of a game. There are many times when your friends would play a game, but don't like it enough to own it. Or, the other way around, where you don't want to buy a specific game, but still enjoy playing it multi-player.
One of my friends picked up Bomberman, and now we can all play together off of his copy, and it is great fun. Sure, the PSP has fancy "console-quality" graphics and whatnot, but when I have a copy of X game and nobody else does I'm still just sitting there playing it by myself.
As well, while I'm certainly not the type to say things like "games used to be better in the old days!" and whatnot, most of the games for the DS are fun yet simple games that can easily be understood and played, and can be enjoyed by almost anybody, gamer or not. My girlfriend, for example, isn't overly thrilled by my PSP, but nearly every one of my DS games she's played she has loved.
I'm almost glad the system isn't a 3D powerhouse, because instead companies seem to be concerning themselves with making a game that is fun instead of a game that pushes the graphics but forgets about the gameplay. I think the PSP and DS actually compliment each other, instead of directly compete, and that's the best possible scenario in my opinion.
Re:DS really is fabulous for multi-player (Score:3, Informative)
Well... regardless of the technical implementation (of which I agree with you on), they compete in my front pocket (or backpack) where I might be dragging it around, and they compete in my back pocket where the money comes from.
That last bit makes the PSP a deal breaker for me. Beyond the one time cost for the device itself, I refuse to pay 50$ a pop on games for a secondary platform. My console with the nice entertainment
Demographics (Score:2, Insightful)
1.Most adult gamers will go straight from home to work, then back again everyday, and you shouldn't play video games at work. Kid's have recess, and hang out away from home to avoid parents. And, if you're going to play games at home, you might as well use a console or PC on a larger screen.
2.Most kid gamers already have a GBA, so why would their parents shill out for anoth
Unbelieveable... (Score:5, Funny)
Ok now that is just sick.
Never expected nintento to have a "hot coffee" style cheat on a Mario Game.
Personal review of Multiplayer Ridge Racer DS (Score:4, Informative)
Ridge Racer's gameplay is really smooth, and while playing multiplayer, you do not ever see any lag (or screen skipping). BUT, for some reason or another, there seems to be a certain delay in the game. For instance, if I'm speeding past my opponent, he won't see it on his screen until a few seconds later. This means, there are certain times during the game where we both can be in first place. Additionally, sometimes I purposely bump my opponent but on their screen, they have a clear path.
I'd give the game a 1 out of 5 for multiplayer - as the races never reflects its true state... leading to confusion in real-time.
StarcraftDS (Score:3, Interesting)
There are more multiplayer games (Score:3, Informative)
The list is not complete and there are more multiplayer games coming soon. Too bad I don't have the time to put an Amazon Japan referral site to make some profit from
Re:Whatever (Score:3, Informative)
The first WiFi Internet DS title on the schedule is Animal Crossing and that one was pushed back recently - to November if I remember correctly.