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Nintendo DS - strange impulse to buy...
oddment
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Registered User regular
I should have the money to get one in a month or so. I was thinking of getting the Brain Training starter pack as the base (I want a white DS and Brain Training, so it makes sense), but after that, I'm not sure what games I would enjoy for it! I had an old fashioned type DS way back when, in the days of slim pickings, and ended up getting rid. However, now its library has grown, and the console itself is much sexier, I keep getting urges to pick one up.
Now, I would probably mostly use this on my lunch breaks, travelling, and occassionally while lounging around at home (passively watching TV with the housemate or whatever). Therefore, I would want a mixture of games. Ones that I can play for 10 or 15 minute sessions and enjoy... and come back to time and again. Also, I'd want a few games that I could spend an hour or two (or three) on, something to really get my teeth into.
I'm usually into RPG's, adventure games, action games, a little bit of racing, a bit of puzzling and a bit of simulation. What games are good now, and destined for release in the next few months? Details and links/pictures would be appreciated.
Now, I would probably mostly use this on my lunch breaks, travelling, and occassionally while lounging around at home (passively watching TV with the housemate or whatever). Therefore, I would want a mixture of games. Ones that I can play for 10 or 15 minute sessions and enjoy... and come back to time and again. Also, I'd want a few games that I could spend an hour or two (or three) on, something to really get my teeth into.
I'm usually into RPG's, adventure games, action games, a little bit of racing, a bit of puzzling and a bit of simulation. What games are good now, and destined for release in the next few months? Details and links/pictures would be appreciated.
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I also adored all of the Phoenix Wright games and Hotel Dusk for adventure/point-and-click needs. If you think the PW series is interesting, start from the beginning and work your way through the series, since they all build on each other.
There's always the classics: New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart DS, Tetris DS and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass are all excellent iterations of their respective franchises.
If you can find it, Etrian Odyssey is an outstanding RPG dungeon crawler in the vein of Wizardry. The bottom screen is used as a map, so you sketch out every level of a 25+ level dungeon and grind your way to the bottom. I haven't pulled it out of my DS in weeks.
And if you're into rhythm games at all, Elite Beat Agents is hilarious fun. Buy it and then check out Ouendan 1 and/or 2 for importing; if you didn't know, the DS is region-free, so importing is hassle-free.
Also, Elite Beat Agents is a riot, like the above poster stated.
One game I like that doesn't get much press time is Trace Memory. It's a bit short, but because of that you can find it on used shelves pretty cheap. It's very Myst-like, IMHO.
I've been playing a lot of Rune Factory lately, but I just run my little farm and that keeps me happy. I'm weird like that. YMMV on that one.
It has something for everyone, from your traditional games (Final Fantasies, New Super Mario Bros and what not) to completely unique experiences that you can't get on other systems (Hotel Dusk, Phantom Hourglass, Ace Attorney, Ouendan/EBA). The DS is the perfect system to get if you're willing to broaden your horizons a little bit; even the "casual" games might grab you.
Personally, the Brain Training games didn't really do it for me, but I got hooked by Big Brain Academy. Don't know what was so different about it, but I find it a lot more fun. In addition, if you're looking for something to rape your brain, look no further than Professor Layton and the Curious Village (and its two impending sequels).
Edit: for strategy, Advance Wars Advance Wars Advance Wars. I haven't played the new one, but if you can find the original (Dual Strike) it's still worth playing. There's a pretty big thread on the new one on these very forums.
or Brawl. 4854.6102.3895 Name: NU..
I second the Professor Layton game though. It's fantastic.
If I were to get a DS at the end of the month, and could only get one other game with it to start with (except for Brain Training obviously), which would you recommend above all others?
Also, is the new Crystal Chronicles DS game any good? Is it playable without others, or would I be missing a lot?
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I'd like to second the Phoenix Wright recommendation, and based on what I've heard, Hotel Dusk as well.
For the action genre, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is on my radar.
(http://ds.ign.com/articles/777/777221p1.html)
And when you mentioned something to "sink your teeth into," the first game that came to mind was Etrian Odyssey. Though if you prefer an RPG more in the vein of the FF series, you may be disappointed, as EO focuses on exploration and strategic party-building over story and character development. But if you consider getting your ass kicked the first time you step out into the wild to be an awesome challenge rather than a frustration, I insist that you start finding a copy of this game now.
Finally, Mario Kart DS is a must-have. This is not opinion, this is simple truth.
Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney.
And I second the board's addiction to Puzzle Quest. Mucho Funno.
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Apart from that, Elite Beat Agents is possible the best game i've ever played. I honestly think I have had more fun with it than any other game in my 15 years of gaming.
If this is going to be your only game aside from Brain Training, I wouldn't go with Phoenix Wright. It's very linear and can be frustrating at certain spots -- it's a great game, just not as your only option. I'd say something like New SMB or Phantom Hourglass, so you have one pick-up-and-play game and one more involved, meatier game. Or definitely Advance Wars, if you like turn-based strategy.
Lunker makes a good point. Much as I love PW... It can be frustrating and MIGHT not be the best choice for your ONLY other game.
I didn't play Phantom Hourglass, but my wife tore through it, so I'm pretty sure it's a damned good game.
For instance, I really haven't found a "new" RPG on the thing, and the only SRPG is the Advance Wars stuff (which I don't like for SRPG). There's a handful of "adventure" games, but there's also a lot of mixed response to stuff like, say, Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. The stylus is both a blessing and a curse, in my opinion -- lots of unique games, but it means the console is by and large "untraditional." I typically play a game for a little while, enjoying myself and having a lot of fun, but then getting bored with it and not finishing. Usually it comes down to the stylus -- I feel like I need a more "structured" play space for it.
Now, if you're into the puzzle stuff like Prof. Layton, great, and you'll probably get into it for those short-burst moments. I'm not really into the non-games like Animal Crossing or Nintendogs, but you might be. I'm a big fan of the DS and enjoy the games, but I don't play it as much as I'd like to.
edited to add: Mundane's post reminded me that I'm too planning on picking up a PSP for some more "traditional" gaming, namely the old/new SRPG love that it gets (disgaea, fft, jeanne d'arc, etc.), as well as some regular ol "portable playstation" games that get surprisingly good reviews/ratings, like the recent God of War and the latest Syphon Filter game. It's not as groundbreaking or "amazing" as a DS, but if you just want some more traditional gaming on the go, it seems like a good fit as well. Even though I think the DS is the better console, I wish there was more room for "boring ol' regular games" on it.
I fear I'm going to come off as a DS fanboy, but look harder. You mention Kirby's Canvas Curse as something that's fun but different, and wish there were more "normal" games. Well, the DS also has Kirby Squeak Squad, which is a good old-fashioned Kirby game. If you count the GBA, you can play every major Mario game except for 2j, Sunshine, and Galaxy, and pretty much every pre-PSX Final Fantasy, on top of dozens of other brilliant RPGs and platformers.
Even ignoring GBA games and first-party titles (Mario Kart, NSMB, Tetris, etc) there are TONS of more "traditional" games - Contra 4, Geometry Wars, the Metroidvanias, etc, many of which don't require the use of the stylus at all. If you're looking for some DS SRPG love, check out Luminous Arc and Front Mission, with FFT and Disgaea games in the pipeline. There are plenty of "boring old games".
(It also has Contra and Super C for the NES as unlockables, so three games in one.)
Its VERY hard, but much like the older contra's, once you play it over and over and start to learn where all the baddies are, what their patterns are and timings, it get's easier. I can beat the campaign in about two lives now, but it took me a week to get past level two.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Well, my response was directed more at the OP, who's looking at getting into it at this point. I owned a GBA, played many of those games, and I DO like, say, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Mario Kart DS. There is a lot of variety, but MOST of the variety, and especially more recent games, are very focused on the stylus. I discovered after buying Mario Kart DS that the reason I like Mario Kart so much was playing with friends, and there's no 2 player racing (and online bites it).
Which is great, I really like how the stylus works, and the DS pulls it off with aplomb. Yes, there's been FF12:Revenant Wings for SRPG, FF:CC:RoF for dungeon crawling, but there's also a lot of quirky, weird games. They're a lot of fun, but if you're just not feelin' them, or get in a funk about always tapping or yelling into your system (something I personally hate, I don't want to talk to my damn game), but I personally don't feel the DS is all gold.
I'd still recommend it to someone over a PSP if they had neither, but I know I've been suffering from DS fatigue for a few months now. My wife played Hotel Dusk last year, and I didn't even get started because I didn't feel like poking around rooms w/ the stylus. Maybe it's just playing w/ the stylus makes my neck hurt.
Phantom Hourglass is a great way of showing how an adventure game should work with the stylus. I personally felt that the game was over shortly after it really got into its stride -- you finally become able to do cool stuff, and you're at the 2nd to last "dungeon."
The treasure system is shit though (why does Nintendo have a hard-on for trading with friends?), and there's not much challenge except for some boss fights (which usually come down to figuring out what the trick is). It's a very inspired and fun game otherwise -- tracing enemies/items with the boomerang and whizzing around with the grappling hook is great fun and makes you think "This is how Zelda should always be done!" And then it's over
I can recommend the PW series/Hotel Dusk too; Hotel Dusk is less linear and utilises the DS's unique controls more if that's your thing. I also enjoyed Big Brain Academy more than Brain Training, too. Kirby: Canvas Curse was good fun, and Rocket Slime is another game that hasn't been released in the UK but is just really fun. I also put many hours into Pokémon and Animal Crossing (though the latter is an evil, evil game :P)
Never managed to get into most of the traditional games - they kick my ass. I lent them to my 10 year old brother and he beat all of the games I couldn't get past the first level in!
I cannot find fault in any of the above suggestions. (Alas, it makes me mourn my lost copy of Etrian Odyssey - stolen along with my old DS)
You just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake
Shiren FC: 3093-6912-1542
I only bought this recently, and yeah it's easily in the top 3 of my DS games. Love it to bits.
*Thanks Thanatos!
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You might need a wireless dongle -- it depends on how your network is set up. However, unless your network is really weird, you should be fine without; don't buy one right away. As far as I know, the main impediments to DS connectivity are browser-based logins and maybe certain encryption schemes.
You cannot download demos through wireless. The DS has a barebones sort of, um, operating system -- the main menu launches games, sets some options, provides a nifty alarm clock, and does nothing else. You won't find any online functionality outside of specifically net-enabled games, and those can vary a great deal. For example, FF3 only has a goofy letter-swapping gimmick; Prof. Layton offers free downloadable content; Mario Kart has matchmaking + multiplayer.
About the mp3-player attachment: it depends on which one you mean. Check out the DS Homebrew thread.
RE: Deadly Silence is basically just the original RE game on the PSX with a simple knife fighting mini-game and a couple of rudimentary DS controls-based puzzles. Though not an awful game, I really can't recommend it when there's the vastly superior Gamecube remake available. You might want to try Dementium though; that's a new horror game that came out for the DS and got okay reviews.
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FF Tactics Advance -- to be precise.
Mario Kart DS
New Super Mario Bros
Meteos
Elite Beat Agents
Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin
Tetris DS
Contra 4
Konami Arcade Classics
I absolutely love Contra 4 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys tough shooters. It's not impossible, either, it just takes some patience to get good at. It's one of my favorite DS games.
I heartily recommend Mario Kart DS and New SMB, because they are fun and accessible to everyone.
I recommend a puzzler like Tetris DS, Planet Puzzle League, Meteos, Picross, or anything like that because puzzle games are good for short or long sessions and have incredible replay value, and are good pick up and play types.
I also recommend Konami Arcade Classics because it includes arcade perfect ports of Contra, Gradius, Rush'n'Attack, Time Pilot, Track & Field, Yie Ar Kung Fu, and RainbowBell aka Twinbee, among many others. The collection is packed full of extras and bonuses. And there are TONS of options for tweaking each game or doing various things; including tweaking a virtual arcade board. It also lets you save replays and such. Excellent collection of good pick up and play games.
I'm really looking forward to Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (as you can see in by my sig).
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
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I don't think buying a DS is going to help the wallet situation any.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
(edit) wow, typed friend instead of thread. that's new for me.
While it's more of a novel puzzle type game rather than point n click puzzle game, it has a lot of similarity in its good puzzle solving gameplay and humorous writing.
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
That's cos it's an old school dungeon crawler, practically a rogue-like. If you love those games, you devour anything that's close to them because you think they're fun. If you think the overall design is antiquated and meh, then you'll despise the things.
I hate the idea of a game that depends so much on mapping a dungeon. I enjoy a good story and couldn't care less about exploring all the nooks (except for possibly mad loots, as long as i'm not already overpowered). So yeah, Etrian, that unemployed ninja game, and a handful of other DS games that are all in that similar vein just do not interest me. As such, I typically don't recommend them, as they cater to a specific kind of gamer.