A DS In Every Pot

At last year's GDC Nintendo President Iwata made the claim that the company was reaching out to everyone, in an attempt to expand the gaming market. They were planning to appeal to hardcore gamers, folks who used to play games, and folks who have never played a game in their lives. At the time, it sounded like a tag line. Today, I have impressions from three titles which suggest they've got what it takes to make us all into gamers. Hardcore players can sink their teeth into Metroid Prime Hunters, and have one of the most intuitive FPS experiences ever to come to a console. Folks looking for some nostalgia can enjoy Tetris DS, blockstacking like it's 1985. Even your grandmother can try Brain Age, proving to her bridge club that even though her license says she's 80 she's got the brain of a 20 year old. Read on for my impressions of three titles that give powerful evidence to support Iwata's grand claim.

• Title: Metroid Prime Hunters
• Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
• System:DS

If you're a PC FPS player, Hunters is precisely your cup of tea. Nintendo has taken the frantic energy of a Quake 3 match and miniaturized it on your DS screen. Hunters is, in reality, not a 'real' Metroid game. It's essentially a shooter based in the classic Nintendo world. While the GameCube and GameBoy games concentrate as much on exploration as action, Hunters is all about shooting for the kill. This focus is obvious in the dirt simple control scheme. You use the joypad to move, the touchpad to aim, and the right shoulder button to fire. You can drop into ball mode and switch weapons with icons on the touchscreen, and to jump you doubletap with your stylus.

What results from this fusion of simple control and Metroid trappings is nothing less than a grown-up shooter on a very small console. Single-player mode has sort of 'mini-Metroids' scattered around a small part of the galaxy. You head into an area, explore, fight a boss, and move on. It's not much compared to some of Samus' other epic adventures, but it is a good way to learn the controls. Despite the size of the single-player missions, they also manage to fit in some nice puzzling.

If you're wifi connected, you can get your ass handed to you by the thousands of people waiting to personally destroy you online. Just like with Mario Kart, the system just works, resulting in a lightning fast asshanding that will leave you wondering why you opened the DS's lid in the first place. There are numerous maps to play on, and many other bounty hunter personas available to change things up from the normal Metroid experience. Online play is wicked fast, with smooth framerates aiding in the sense of speed and danger.

Folks who dislike FPSes will not like this game, and even folks who enjoy the Metroid Prime titles on the GameCube may be turned off by the game's unrelenting speed. Quake 3 really is the best PC comparison I can draw, and being fragged moments after you've spawned is not out of the question. PC gamers who have avoided console shooters may actually be the real winners here, as you're going to find a lot to love in the 'touchpad look' system they've come up with.

I see this title as not only a great game in the here and now, but a preview of what's going to be possible in the DS's future. The control scheme and graphics (which simply should not be possible on a Nintendo handheld) speak of far-off games that will keep the hardcore coming back again and again to Nintendo's twoscreened juggernaut.

• Title: Tetris DS
• Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
• System:DS

Like Metroid, Tetris DS is a new take on a classic Nintendo title. Unlike Metroid, this new title recaptures much of the flavour that obsessed moms across America in the mid-80s. It's not a remake so much as a refresh, with many new modes and ways to play a game we never really put down.

The vivid displays on the DS play gracious host to the new game. Your first impressions of Tetris DS will be of crisp imagery and bright sound. The game manages not only to be a small shrine to the blockstacker itself, but almost every classic Nintendo title. The Mario theme accompanies the Standard mode, while a Metroid background scrolls past in Catch mode. The only drawback to this is that, if classic Nintendo isn't your cup of tea, the music is going to get grating sooner rather than later.

The sheer number of modes can be intimidating at first. Besides the original game (playable both by yourself or vs. other people wirelessly), there is Catch (a strange mode that has you creating four-squares while flying through a Metroid level), Push (a competitive classic Tetris mode), Mission (which has you completing specific objectives), Puzzle (which has you complete a screen with specific pieces), and Touch. Touch is the only mode that takes advantage of the touch-screen, and requires you to move block around in a tower of Tetris pieces. You break down the foundation of the tower, eventually freeing the trapped balloons at the top of the heap. Touch and Push are very fresh experiences, requiring you to use Tetris thinking in lateral ways. Catch is kinda funky, and I didn't get as much out of it.

Even if you're playing the classic game on your cell phone every day, this game is well worth experiencing on the DS. Like all Wifi-enabled DS games, it's seamless to fall into an online match, and the polish level displayed here is going to please every puzzler you know. Nintendo hit it right on the money with this one: Not too much newness, just enough to keep you interested. The only real complaint I have is the title's price. Thirty dollars for the cart is enough to ensure that not everyone that gets a DS will end up with this in their library. Which is a shame; The ubiquitous presence of Tetris for the original GameBoy was one of the pivotal moments in classic gaming. (Or so says my mom.)

• Title: Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day
• Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
• System:DS

The 'not a game' titles available for the Nintendo DS just keep coming. Nintendogs and Electroplankton are obvious examples, but Brain Age manages to slip into that category through the backdoor; It's a game that's also good for you. Brain Age is basically a series of mental exercises designed to give your grey matter a work-out. Lateral thinking isn't the name of the game here: Speed is what matters. One hundred arithmetic problems fly past, and you have to solve them as quickly as you can. Count the number of syllables in the sentence, but do it quickly. The 'easiest' task they'll put to you is forcing you to read snippets from classic works of literature. Reading the Brontes for speed is a new experience, and one which will definitely stretch your prefrontal cortex.

All of these simple games are intended to be completed on a daily basis. You do one or two each day to 'Train Your Brain', and after finishing up the game assigns you a 'brain age'. The younger the better, with 20 being as low as you can go. The amusement factor of the game doesn't sound very high, but the presentation sells it with gusto. The floating head of Dr. Kawashima (the man whose research the game is based on) is a very personable character, turning the DS sideways makes for a different feel to the game, and the cheerful attitude of the interface is hard to ignore.

I have some minor complaints with the title, but they don't detract at all from the enjoyment of the title. Specifically, the handwriting recognition can get a little confused at times. Even a few extra seconds writing out a '9' will seem like forever when you're on the clock. Similarly, I found the voice recognition would occasionally spaz out. I particularly had trouble getting the game to understand me when I said the word 'blue'. Be sure to enunciate your words so that the game understands you.

Those minor quibbles aside, the package is a great, simple, time-waster. For folks not used to playing games this is the perfect setup. Brain Age offers a series of discrete, approachable tasks that only have to be completed once or twice to feel that you've accomplished something. If you play daily, you only have to invest about 10 minutes to get your stamp from the Doctor. If you want to play more, for American audiences a Sudoku game was added. I don't play myself, but I'm told by accomplished players that it's a challenging set of puzzles. They're also convenient, allowing you to write down your guesses on the side of a box before committing yourself to an answer.

While Tetris and Metroid are great games, I'm most impressed by the reaction I've seen from non-gamers sitting down to Brain Age for the first time. There's a smile they get, and a light in their eye. When I talk to them about it, there's an understanding there about games and gaming that wasn't there before. That's the reason President Iwata gave away the title at his GDC Keynote; It's a subversive recruitment tool. You may not get your grandmother playing Unreal Tournament, but Brain Age can be a starter experience for an entire new multi-generational crop of gamers.

A DS in every pot?

They'd have a lot more takers if they included pot with every DS.

Re:A DS in every pot?

Ummm, you misspelled tokers.

RE:

In all seriousness- Older people who live in retirement villages are ridiculously similar to college students. (My grandfather was in one)
You have people who have massive amounts of time, and excited about sitting on the couch and enjoy TV. (Of course not all older people or college students are like this)
My grandfather's place had a dorm feel to it. I could very easily picture the "oldsters" playing video games.

Only thing missing:

A DS tactical RPG, a la Final Fantasy Tactics.

Seriously, FFT:DS would be an incredibly good idea. A whole extra screen for data readouts? Touchscreen movement rather than awkward scrolling over terrain and through menus? All combined with the awesome portability of FFT:Advance? Sign me up!

Well

It might've helped if they lowered the price of a DS shortly before announcing that a better, cheaper version was going to come out soon. Anyone who got one for christmas got totally hosed.

Re:Well

"Hosed" is exactly the right word! The "old" DS design completely sucks - so badly in fact that you can't even really play games on it. Is it even compatible with the newer DS games coming out? And getting it as a gift in December really blows. That might be worst of all since everyone knows that the best part of gaming is waiting six months or more for new hardware!

I'm pretty sure the above is sarcasm...

Grandmother

Even your grandmother can try Brain Age, proving to her bridge club that even though her license says she's 80 she's got the brain of a 20 year old.

I have no idea what "Brain Age" is, but wouldn't the Bridge Club get a better idea of her mental faculties based on how she, you know, plays Bridge?

DS has revitalized my gaming

[Disclaimer: I'm a Nintendo whore]

However, recently i haven't been playing as many games as I used to. I actually own Metroid Prime Hunters, Tetris DS, and Brain Age comes out today and I'm going to go pick it up tonight.

The thing with the DS is variety. And by variety, I don't mean 10 different kinds of FPSes. These are truly DIFFERENT games. It's not just these titles, things like Nintedogs (as mentioned in the summary) and Kirby's Canvas Curse that has brought me back to my handheld. They keep managing to release games that are actually interesting. The last few months, I'd saying my gaming has been split like so: 95% DS, 5% PC (CS, FarCry)

(I cancelled my WoW subscription, not because I don't love it, quite the opposite. I love it too much :) )

Maybe I'm just getting old? Oh well. As long as I keep getting my variety of games, I'll be happy. Probably why I'm most excited about the Revolution, just like a lot of others seem to be. I can't wait.

The gaming industry might be in decline, but Nintendo is showing that it's more resilient than the gaming industry as a whole. (Past AND present!)

Re:DS has revitalized my gaming

The gaming industry might be in decline

It's not in decline at all, it's just not experienceing exponential growth like it has, but in the world of Wall Street if your growth isn't insane you may as well be dead. For example, Microsoft has never made money off of the XBox and Nintendo made a huge chunk of change off the Gamecube. Because Microsoft sold a few hundred thousand more than Nintendo, somehow Microsoft is a "winner" and Nintendo was the "loser". Voodoo Economics at their best.

Funny thing is

Funny thing is, I got almost the exact opposite multiplayer impression from my time spent reviewing Metroid Prime: Hunters on the DS. It's really nothing like Quake 3 or Unreal at all. The difference? amount of health. It takes a lot of whittling to bring down a fully charged bounty hunter in this game. Also, the weapon affinities and alternate forms add layer upon layer to the strategy of your typical deathmatch. Check out my multiplayer play rating at The Game Chair for the full story. [thegamechair.com]

DS Lite

I've been thinking about getting a new portable game system, and with more games like this (and Mario Kart DS), I am getting more impatient. I really don't want the old style DS system though. When do we get the new DS Lite over here in the States? C'mon big N hurry it up already!

Brain of a 20-year-old??

I hope not. My brain was foolish when it was 20. At 80, I hope it's *much* wiser.

Just Got Mine

I just bought a DS this past weekend along with Castlevania and Advance Wars. I also wandered into a Best Buy and played a bunch of the free demos from their download center and have tried a few of my friend's games. I must say that so far, this is shaping up to be the best console purchase I've made, especially for the $200 total I spent on it with two games and a couple accessories :)

Tetris DS online... love it

When I first got Tetris DS, I bought it on somewhat of a whim... I knew there wasn't really anything too special about it, it was still the original tetris... just made a little prettier.

But once I played it, first I was amazed by the controls. The speed of playing just couldn't happen the same way on the original game boy... the feel of the d-pad and buttons just feels right.

And once online gameplay was put into the equation, I was blown away. I've totally fallen in love with Tetris again, and I hadn't played it at all in probably 15 years. I forgot how simple, yet addictive, a game it is. I never realized how great multiplayer Tetris could be.

600 wins online later, I realize it's the best 34.99 I've spent in years...

Obligatory link to other review

Chicago Tribune review located here [chicagotribune.com], registration semi-required, etc. etc. Reviewer's email address is at the bottom of the article, DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER!

----

Nintendo plays with YOUR MIND
`Brain Age' is for gamers who aren't all thumbs

Playing "Brain Age" is like taking the SAT all day long. If that sounds like your kind of fun, you'll love this new game for the Nintendo DS.

You'll solve more than 100 logic and memorization problems. Writing your answers on the DS' touch screen and speaking into the game system's microphone, you'll memorize words on a screen and try to recall as many of them as you can. You'll quickly count to 120. You'll solve match questions. And ultimately, the game will calculate how old your brain is, based on research by the Japanese professor whose book, "Brain Age," is a sensation in Japan and spurred Nintendo to create this video game in only 90 days. Nintendo plans to release another brain game, "Big Brain Academy," next month.

Uniquely, you play the game by turning the DS sideways and holding it like a book. "Brain Age" is meant to be played small chunks over a long period, up to one year. The more challenges you solve, the more challenges you unlock and the younger your brain age becomes. Age 20 is the goal. While I don't feel smarter than I did three weeks ago when I began playing the game, my brain age has become younger. That's because, according to research behind the book and the game, working on the problems stimulates blood flow to my prefrontal cortex.

My brain's age? I'm not telling; my brain is young enough to know better.

----------

[e-mail]

I don't think grandma likes

The screens are too small for her aged eyes to stay focused on. I have a DS and enjoy it very much, but Nintendos business ethics are really aggrivating their core gamers with features like wi-fi and the ability to communicate, but only in the lobbies and only to friends. They say they do this so new gamers don't have to be discouraged by all the smack talk that goes on during game play. In all honesty I doubt those players will be using the online play as much as the hardcore players will. Nintendo needs to stop thinking that I'm still 8 years old. I grew up, so grow with me and build games or build your games to meet my needs not the needs of someone who will buy a DS and then maybe a game or two.

Wishlist: Games I'm looking forward to play in DS

Some games I'd love to play in DS:

A Quake Port

We had Doom and Doom II for GBA, it's time to bring Quake or even Quake II to the DS.
After the success of Metroid Hunters can you imagine Quake on the go? that would kick ass!

A Blizzard RTS port

Warcraft II or, if possible, Starcraft would be awesome to make full use of the systems integrated Touchscreen and Wifi

Left Handed?

I'm seriously considering buying one of these, but I tried out metroid at the local targét last night, and found it kind of awkward due to my being left handed. Has any one else found this to be an issue. Holding the stylus with my right hand and manipulating the dpad just seemed odd...

What I want to see

1. DS Lite. Not gonna buy the current DS, the screen is bad.

2. Adventures and RPGs. Many of them.

3. Personal organizer software.

Re: Grandmother's?

I'm 25 and I love my DS as does my wife. Haven't broke down and picked one up for her yet...might after the Lite comes out...sort of a hand me down ya know ;)

Can you turn off the speaking bits for Brain Age?

If i'm playing the game in public somewhere i don't want to have a voice recognition task pop up in the middle of a sequence. Playing video games on my DS in public is fine, but i don't want to be like those guys on the blue tooth cellphone headsets wandering down the street talking loudly to themselves.

How about a PDF reader?

Maybe .doc as well. That way it could capture a slice of the ebook market.

This is probably a shameless plug

I will go ahead and do it though. If you have a Nintendo DS (or are just interested in them) and using the WiFi Service (WFC) I would like to invite you to check out WiTendoFi.com [witendofi.com]. We are a social website dedicated to helping you find people to play against and share information in unique ways.

Here are a few things we have to offer:

• WiFi Cards to quickly share your info
• Metroid Prime Hunters Stat tracking/comparisions
• Animal Crossing Turnip Watch
• Tournaments for multiple games
• Full Message Boards
• IRC Chat
• Custom sigs for other forums to show your "stuff"
• It is free, free, free

So, I hope this plug wasn't too shameless, but it seemed relevent to the topic at hand.

Awesome reviews!

Don't listen to these haters, I think the reviews were spot-on. I've been trying to tell everyone that Hunters is basically Quake 3 on a handheld, and as a long-time Quaker I really love what Hunters has to offer. Finally, with the power of /. people can appreciate this game for what it is.

DS Web Browsing

Sony has been doing everything in their power to nerf the ability to web surf on the PSP.

Then we learn that the DS will be able to browse the web via its wi-fi link using a version of Opera designed for it.

I think Sony needs to change their strategy fast or loose ground to Nintendo fast.

Voice Recognition..

I particularly had trouble getting the game to understand me when I said the word 'blue'.

Did you try 'brue'?

Seiken Densetsu!

You speek about RPG's, well I would say Secret of Mana would be the best one.

Rembember Secret of Mana I and II (Seiken Densetsu II and II in japan) for the 16-bit SuperNintendo?

It gives you the choice between classic RPG or a more straight forward action game style (you do not have to chase numbers if you do not want to), it is a pure Square-game of old, but most importantly, you can play up to three at a time.

To be able to play Secret of Mana with two friends on our own DS's would truly be a dream scenario.

How about the worst games?

If anyone out there is even looking at the Atari Retro Remix DS cart please oh please do not buy it. Even if it was 100% free to you it is not worth having. Their ports of the games suck horribly and are incomplete at best. Finally their "remix" version of the games are simply badly done graphics by supposed great artists that ruin playability and make the already crappy remakes worse.

I just wish there was a rottentomatoes.com for console and handheld games that would warn people away from the utter crap out there lurking for the unsuspecting buyer.

Pot?

Did someone say pot?

If the DS in any indication...

If the apparent popularity and success of the DS is any indication of the
success that Nintendo will have the Revolution, I think we all have something to look
forward to. :-)

Donkey Kong

Here is another classic dual screen handheld from Nintendo: Game & Watch [ggdb.com]. Would be cool if they ported this to the new DS.

Make it cheaper.

Seriously, the bulk of the profits from ANY game console is in the licensing. When did the Gameboy, or for that matter the Gameboy Advance, really start to corner the portable market? When they fell below $100 per unit, of course. That's why Nintendo beat Sony, NEC, et al, in the handheld wars way back when. Both competitors were asking over $150 per unit, plain and simple. Most folks, both when buying a game system for themselves, or for their kids, find it hard (unless they're really hardcore) to pay more than $150 for a game system, and will wait for the price to drop after market saturation occurs.

Re:Grandmothers?

I'm 21 and I play my DS every day.

Re:Grandmothers?

Me. I'm 23, and I own one. It's as much a kid's toy as any other video game console.

Re:Yawn

UMD load times are terrible. I will pass on Sony PSP.

Re:Grandmothers?

My 82 year-old grandmother was intrigued by the usability of the Revolution's wand controller, or at least my description of its usability. She never gave video games a thought before that.

Re:Grandmothers?

Seriously, who over the age of twenty is going to buy a DS?

Many more people than you think.

These are kids' toys we're talking about.

It's whatever you convince yourself it is. Those of us that aren't worried about being "mature" or scared of some bright colors and cuteness are quite comfortable with Nintendo and their "kids' toys".

Marketing can only do so much,

You keep thinking that. Meanwhile, Nintendo's laughing all the way to the bank :)

Re:Grandmothers?

I'm 36 and waiting for the DS Lite to hit the market. I need the brighter LCD screen since I went blind on the pre-SP AGBs testing Atari Anniversary, Nicktoons Racing, Driver 2 Advance, Backyard Hockey and DBZ: Buu's Fury when I worked as a lead tester at Atari. Of course, if Nintendo brought out a DS adapter for the GameCube, that would be sweet!

Re:Oh and don't forget about...

Would it be a better game if they called it "Troll Racer"?

Re:Paid ad or free ad?

As a nintendo stockholder(yes, for real :P though buying at 52 week highs isn't the smartest idea in the world...) I say you are clearly missing something. Everyone loves good wholesome Nintendo fun that you can only get with Nintendo's fine products. Yes, look for the NIntendo seal of quality at fine retailers everywhere!

Re:Everyone with access to tagging beta

The fact that Zonk didn't even mention the "infinite rotation [gamerz-edge.com]" issue/feature doesn't help.

Also (and I'd be saying this no matter what game is getting reviewed or who is reviewing it), I really hate this: "The sheer number of modes can be intimidating at first". There's something about phrases like this that grate my mind. I'm not the only one like that, right? Anyone?

But I'm looking forward to a DS Lite and Tetris DS.

Re:What I want to know is...

With the fracas over hidden stuff in San Andreas? Probably never.

The Mario people are probably as legendary for perversion as the disney people. Just think of all the crazy shit that's locked up in the Super Princess Peach rom.

Re:Grandmothers?

Seriously, who over the age of twenty is going to buy a DS?

I'm 28, my wife is 28 and we BOTH own one. My wife isn't a gamer, but the DS has titles that we both can play (zookeeper, metriod pinball, etc) together AND has the addicting games that I can play by myself (Advance Wars DS, I'm looking at you).

Re:Grandmothers?

Going on /. and trying to insult people for being uber-nerds is like going onto MySpace and insulting people for being drunken emos.

We already know who goes where; please move along.

what?

uhh... neither? You must be a PSP fan :P (just kidding :D Please dont hurt me, mods!)

Seriously, this is more a game review than an ad. Zonk played the games and wrote a review for each saying why certain people would like each game. It's not an ad.

Re:Yawn

Actually there is a group working on a distro of Linux for the DS. It even allows the use of the touch screen. Check it out [dslinux.org].

Re:Grandmothers?

"Seriously, who over the age of twenty is going to buy a DS?"

Seriously, you're showing your age. Seriously.

Here're some facts from this century:

Average age of a gamer is 30. 19% of gamers are over the age of 50.

More stats from the Entertainment Software Association via The Pixelantes: http://pixelantes.blogspot.com/2005/11/who-are-the se-video-gamers-anyway.html [blogspot.com]

Re:Grandmothers?

I'm 44 and I love my DS.

Re:Paid ad or free ad?

I'm going to have to agree with you on this one. This struck me as pure marketing disguised as a game review. How come we haven't seen as many PSP game review, eh? For what it's worth, i own neither and plan on continuing that trend into the forseeable future.

Re:Hunters is overrated, bad idea

Don't use the stylus - that's what the thumb button on the wrist strap is for.

Re:Paid ad or free ad?

I don't gain any insight from it, it's not entertaining, it's not informative, it's a push for Nintendo. Or am I missing something vital?

You're missing something vital. People always ask this kind of thing when there's some kind of positive review on Slashdot. Positive reviews can happen when a reviewer likes the product they're reviewing, not just when the reviewer is a shill. This kind of review can actually be useful to some of us because we get to learn more details about a product that we can then consider purchasing.

I'm glad reviews aren't the backbone of Slashdot, but they can be valuable "News for Nerds." Yes, even the positive ones.

TW

Re:Hunters is overrated, bad idea

Its like the developers were sitting around scratching their heads on how to use the touch screen and picked the worst control scheme imaginable. Is there some law that requires all DS games to use the touchscreen? Just because its there doesn't mean you have to use it, especially if you don't have good reason to.

I don't know - the thing about using the touchscreen for aiming in Metroid is that it gives you a level of control on par with mouse-look on a PC FPS. That's not something you can attain with a normal console controller - certainly not a D-pad, but not even an analog thumbstick will reliably give you that level of control.

I think that is a damn good reason to use the touchscreen. If you don't want to use the touchscreen - I believe there is an option for that, too.

The only time touchscreen control has really bugged me is in Mario 64. The game was made for analog controls, so there are places where not using the touchscreen is a major handicap. But using the touchscreen is awkward because of the way they set it up - the "center" position of the control is not stable, but rather follows your stylus around the screen.

But, yes, there is a law that requires DS games to use either the touchscreen or the microphone for something. An inordinate number of DS games include play challenges which in some way involve blowing on something, scratching something, or operating a slingshot. :)

Re:Hunters is overrated, bad idea

Imagine steering Mario Kart with the stick because Nintendo had to promote the touchscreen. Yeah its that bad.

What does that mean? Mario Kart isnt controlled using the stylus. And IMHO Metroid on DS does a fantastic job of displaying the prowess of the system especially with it only being a year old (the system). If you don't like the stylus control you dont have to use it either...that's what options are for. They provide a great selection of control options but the best is the stylus option which is a great compromise between the size and limitations of a handheld and the needs of an FPS.

Re:Paid ad or free ad?

The news is that Zonk, Slashdot's resident rabid Xbox fanboy, actually made a pro-Nintendo post.

Re:Gaming v. Masturbating

Considering the general quality of recent games, I'd say your vision would clear if you sat further away from the TV.

Re:Hunters is overrated, bad idea

Metroid's wacky stick-based controls hurt my hands. A lot. I can't see how anyone can deal with the default settings for more than 20 minutes. Then I realized I'm playing a FPS on a handheld when I bought the handheld to get away from the typical Sony/Xbox grind. If anything, Metriod Hunters is a seriously wrong move for this device. Its another 'me too' title with a control gimmick.

It took a lot of getting used to for me. Basically, I have to put the DS between my middle and ring fingers on my right hand. then hold the stylus with the 3 fingers on top. This exact position makes it very playable for me. I'm used to it now. Also, I haven't played a FPS in a long time because I hate console controls for them. It's a compromise because it's the DS. But in this case, I think they did a good job. I set the difficulty to easy which had made it very enjoyable to play. Comparing the interface to something like wolfenstein for the SP, or even any of the FPS games on the xbox, I think hunters has a better interface and is easier to play.

Re:ZONK SHUT YOUR FAGHOLE

Don't you mean 'you're the asshole...'

You're welcome.

Re:Yawn

I just ordered the M3 perfect for mine so I don't need that crap. With this I can back up all of my DS games to a 4 gig CF card. I can also play videos, mp3s, images, etc. It also has built in emulators for NES and the supernin. I guess I'm not as 1337 as someone using a gamesave hack to run emulators and paying 200 bones for a harddrive. I also get to play Nintendo's in house games. Why is the PSP so much better again?

Re:Everyone with access to tagging beta

Wow some fascistic moderating going on - I honestly want peolpe to tag it slashvertisement (which is exactly what it is) and I get modded 2 troll, 1 underrated, 1 insightful

Re:Yawn

The other consoles doesn't support Nintendo-made games.

Neither does any Nintendo system support Katamari Damacy or Amplitude or Lumines (except through homebrew for the last one [pineight.com]).

Pass.

Me. [pocketheaven.com]

Re:Grandmothers?

Well, me (age 29) and wife (age 29 and gasp!! a physician!) both have nintendo DSs... We must be immature for our ages.

My mother regularly plays Tetris (offline, no wifi at her house) and I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up getting one of the brain games.

Sometimes you just want to pick up the "toy" and play 5 minutes of Mario Kart DS and then put it down.

Re:Grandmothers?

Seriously, who over the age of twenty is going to buy a DS?

Seriously? I'm 34 and waiting for the DS Lite.
My brother is 30 and already has a DS (he will buy a DS Lite).
My fiance's brother (future brother-in-law) is 29 and has two DS's.
My step-mother is 62 and already has a DS.
My dad's PhD advisor (they've been friends for 30 years) has two DS's. Don't know how old he is, but I think he knows Methusela personally...

These are kids' toys we're talking about.

You mean in the same way that Lego bricks are kids toys? Yeah, I've got a pile of those too, and I'm waiting for the new Mindstorms kit to come out soon...

I think that your definition of kids toys could use some tweaking, but that's just my opinion. Toys for grownups don't have to cost a fortune...

Regards,
Ross

Re:Grandmothers?

People have different ways of amusing themselves, TV, books, parties, bars, etc. I am a 55 year old grandmother, and I love gaming. I have bookcases of games, some of them on 3 1/2 inch floppies from the 1980s. I had to quit the MMORPGs because i was calling in sick to work in order to play them. Right now, I an involved with Oblivion, and am considering buying a Nitendo system to play the RPGs. I'll make you a deal. I won't sneer at the way you have fun, if you don't sneer at the way I have fun.

Re:Oh and don't forget about...

"Super Mario Bros 37 and Mario Cart 56!!!"

Mario Bros. != Super Mario Bros. != Super Mario 2 != Super Mario 3 != Super Mario World != Yoshi's Island != Super Mario 64 != Mario Sunshine != New Mario Bros.

I'll grant you a little credit with Mario Kart. Fundamentally, it's the same game across it's handfull of variations. The big difference there, though, involves the number of people playing. Mario Kart - 2 Players. Mario Kart 64 - 4 Players. Mario Kart Double Dash - 16 players, though I doubt this happened often. Mario Kart DS - HOLY GRAIL, INTERNET PLAY!

It's a LOT easier to pick on the PSP with regards to ho-hum sequals. Oh, and they cost more. I still can't believe I actually paid $50 for Liberty City Stories.

Re:Oh and don't forget about...

Final Fantasy? Grand Theft Auto (6+ games and another on the way?), Metal Gear? Splinter Cell? Ghost Recon? Madden? wait wait here's a good one... Need for Speed....or should I say damn near any EA game? Grand Turismo? Do you think they'll stop making Halo after #3?

Everybody wishes the hand a franchise like Mario games. Don't fool your self.

Re:Brain of a 20 year old?

Sure why not. Old women need love too. Even if they have to get you drunk first.

Re:We don't want softwares

You -do- know that those games you play on your console are -also- "software," right?

Re:Paid ad or free ad?

I don't gain any insight from it, it's not entertaining, it's not informative, it's a push for Nintendo. Or am I missing something vital?

Meh, ... it didn't seem terribly different from any of Zonk's other reviews (including those for games made by Sony and Microsoft), except that he tied three together in order to demonstrate a market strategy (one which is relatively unique). I thought it was kinda nice to have the reviews tied into a theme.

Re:What I want to know is...

Funny that you mention it, just today I've seen one in a store.