DS

Contact

November 1, 2006

DS / Reviews / by Roger Helgeson Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Rarely does a title do everything right, especially in role-playing games which are often criticized to a degree beyond many other genres; RPG aficionados tend to be sticklers more so than fans of other types of games, and I am no different. Contact is not a flawless title, granted, but it comes so strikingly close to delivering a perfect and unique role-playing experience that the few flaws fall well to the wayside, and the end result is a must-have RPG. Contact is an isometric RPG for the Nintendo DS which features full stylus control, and full button control for that matter. In fact, the game is designed so that players can easily use either system freely and can switch back and forth without even going to a menu. Admittedly, tapping things with the stylus can occasionally frustrate, and the game easily allows players to switch to using the A button, such as when the on-screen character is visibly blocking a creature that you may want to click on.

Contact’s narrative is genuinely unique, if for no other reason than it incorporates you, the player, as a central character in the game, in addition to the in-game character being controlled. At the beginning of the game, you witness a distressing Star Wars-style dogfight between two UFOs in space, and are summarily contacted via your DS by the visible loser of said battle. This individual is an 8-bit-looking professor with a pseudo Tamagotchi dog named Moichi (who, incidentally, wants to become a cat). This professor asks for your help, as you are the only one who can directly communicate with him using your handheld. To do this, you aid Terry, the on-screen character who somehow gets wrapped up in the professor’s affairs as part of a A

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime

October 23, 2006

DS / Reviews / by Ben Jacobs Make a comment! / Tweet it!

[i]Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime[/i] falls into the category of games labelled “Charming”. It stars our favorite [i]Dragon Quest[/i] enemy, Slime, in an adventure that will steal your heart. The game is not overly difficult or deep, but the presentation and outright fun make it one of the best Nintendo DS titles to date.

The bulk of [i]Rocket Slime[/i] places you in the role of Rocket, a Slime with a mission. See, all of his friends and family were kidnapped by an evil organization called the Plob. Engaging, eh? Well, thankfully, the game is executed well. You play it from a top down perspective, ala Zelda, and most of your attacks involve hurling yourself at the enemy. Rocket can also carry items on top of his head which can be chucked for various pleasing results. [i]Rocket Slime[/i] is incredibly easy to pick up so even rookies will have a fun time with it.

When you are not adventuring around areas beating up baddies, you’re jumping in your gigantic Slime tank to do battle with the Plob’s army of tanks. Here is where [i]Rocket Slime[/i] sets itself apart from other adventure games. Every item you find in the adventure portion of the game can be sent back to town and used as ammo for your tank. Clubs, bombs, arrows; The works. You also get a crew of 3 helper characters, which can be picked from dozens of characters. There is plenty of strategy here. Tank battles are done using the same interface as when you are walking around the levels. To shoot at the enemy, you need to walk to the ammo chutes and pick up some ammo, then throw it into your cannons. What makes the battles especially intense is that both sides can walk over to the opposing tank, beat down the door, and wreak havoc. Tank battles are one way you can rescue the 100 slimes that have been captured by the Plob. Rescuing your friends results in your town coming back to its former glory, Soulblazer style.

Those who have an appreciation for 2D graphics will get a kick out of [i]Rocket Slime[/i]. Rocket and every other character is represented and painstakingly animated. A lot of the music is classic [i]Dragon Quest[/i], and I recognized many tunes from playing through [i]Dragon Quest VIII[/i] recently.

The main problem I have with [i]Rocket Slime[/i] is the difficulty. It is not a very hard game. It is fun, and absolutely engaging, but you will rarely lose a tank battle, and dying is simply a non-factor given how many hearts you have. Fortunately, [i]Rocket Slime[/i] has what may be the most entertaining multiplayer mode in wireless gaming. You are going to need multiple copies of the game, but it’s part of the fun. Each player takes their tank set up they have built up over the course of the single player game up against their friends. The difficulty not found in single player definitely comes into play when you are against a human opponent. Buy your friend a copy of this game if you have to, because if you don’t play multiplayer you are missing out on a significant portion of the game.

Well that’s it. [i]Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime[/i] is awesome. It is one of the most entertaining games in recent memory and will provide you with hours of bouncy, gooey fun. Highly recommended for both the [i]Dragon Quest[/i] fan and new players alike.

Clubhouse Games

October 20, 2006

DS / Reviews / by Ben Jacobs Make a comment! / Tweet it!

About time, is really all I can say. This is the multiplayer game that I have been waiting for on the Nintendo DS. It offers dozens of simple, fun games that not only can be played with single card wireless, but over WiFi. From chess to blackjack to darts, [i]Clubhouse Games[/i] has a little something for everyone.

Every single game on this card plays exactly like you think it would, employing the touch screen for every action. At first, the names of some of the games are a little disconcerting. What I always called ‘Speed’ is called ‘Spit’ here and there are many other examples. Thankfully, there is Stamp mode, which is what the single player game is mostly made up of. You play through every game in the Clubhouse, getting a feel for them all.

Don’t know how to play Rummy? No problem! Every game has its rules extensively written out in a very useful help system. Every game, even the more obscure ones, can be puzzled out via the rules system. Thankfully, every interface in [i]Clubhouse Games[/i] works together to create a cohesive system. When you are reading the rules, the game will tell you if it is your turn. This becomes especially useful when you are chatting. Yes, [i]Clubhouse Games[/i] has in-game pictochat. While you are writing to your friends, it will inform you when you need to make a move. It all comes together to be both enjoyable and easy to use.

All of these features are present in [i]Clubhouse Games[/i]’ robust online mode. Wifi play is supported in over 30 of the games present. They also play exactly like they do in local wireless or single player mode. Unfortunately, you can’t pictochat with strangers, just people on your friend list. Also, each game has its own lobby, so finding a game in some of the more unpopular offerings is a little difficult. Texas Hold Em always has competition going, though.

Some of the offerings in [i]Clubhouse Games[/i] are a little dry, however. The version of Battleship is a little broken. Texas Hold Em lacks an “All-In” feature. Billiards is painful to play and almost embarassing. There are plenty of little gripes to be made about all the games in this package, but for $30 dollars, you are getting a lot of gameplay. The interfaces are clean, and multiplayer is an absolute blast. Hell, my mom steals my DS now to play Solitaire. This game is sure to be very popular with anyone who just wants something simple that they know how to play.

Metroid Prime Hunters

August 31, 2006

DS / Reviews / by Ben Jacobs Make a comment! / Tweet it!

The handheld first person shooter market is decidedly thin. Unless you’re up for a game of [i]SOCOM[/i] with one analog ‘stick’ or are hankering for a 16 player game of [i]Faceball[/i], you’re going to come up short. Nintendo thinks they have found the answer to all of your FPS woes by implementing a touch-screen interface on its wildly popular handheld. The good news is that it absolutely works. The bad news is that it will take you about an hour to realize that.

Most of you who have a DS probably got a demo of this game with it, and the premise remains the same. There are several control options for both right handed people and southpaws. You can use the touch screen pen, the thumb strap, or a strangely intuitive setting that uses only the buttons. For the true experience, you definitely need to play this game with the thumb strap; the problem is that that peripheral no longer comes with your DS. Beat up your brother and steal his DS Phat thumb strap if you have to because it truly makes this game. Find a comfortable way of holding the system, possibly propped up on your leg, and within an hour, it feels as comfortable and accurate as a Keyboard and Mouse combination.

You are going to need that accuracy because this game is hard. The enemy hunters you meet in the Adventure mode are going to really test your skills. The single player mode is surprisingly robust, considering the focus on multiplayer. You travel to a variety of planets, battling enemies and other [i]Hunters[/i] in your search for wildly hard-to-find alien artifacts. The story is weak, but many of the weapons and abilities from the Gamecube releases find their way to the DS, including the Scan-Visor. There is a story to be found in this game, just like in Prime 1 and 2, if you want to look for it.

The graphics manage to push a lot of detail out of the Dual-Screened-Handheld-That-Could. The environments are large and varied. One minute you are in a space ship, the next on a fiery planet. The particle effects manage to make the game look a lot prettier, while never slowing it down. In fact, the game runs at a smooth frame rate all of the time. The Metroid series has always been known for very ambient but good music, and [i]Hunters[/i] delivers in this aspect as well. You’ll notice a lot of familiar themes from the other Prime games.

And then there was Multiplayer. The multiplayer options in this game are just too many to name. It features a slew of characters to choose from, which you must unlock in single player mode before you can use them. Every character has their own ‘morph-ball’ mode, which is distinct for each character. They provide the range of attacks that you would expect from any PC first person shooter. The sniper is a personal favorite. The modes run from standard death match to King of the Hill style. [i]Hunters[/i] supports Wifi-connection, and it is always pretty easy to get a game going. Beware, however, because the online mode is very competitive, and you would be better off to bust your chops in single player first anyway.

[i]Hunters[/i] isn’t just a DS version of [i]Metroid Prime[/i]. It manages to pack a single player campaign that, while it isn’t on the level with the Gamecube releases, is still a very strong product. The multiplayer is really where the meat of this game is, and if you have friends with DSes, there are enough options to keep you busy for months. It might feel a little awkward at first, but give the controls an hour and you will be happy with the result. I’ll see you online! Go easy on me…

Magnetica

June 28, 2006

DS / Reviews / by Chris Rasco Make a comment! / Tweet it!

To say that I am really into puzzle and strategy games right now would be a huge understatement. I spend half my available gaming time working out my brain playing Sudoko. It seemed only fitting that I would give [i]Magnetica[/i] a try. Magentica began life as the arcade game [i]Puzz Loop[/i]. Not a very dynamic name and looking at the game, it was in dire need of a facelift. Nintendo grabbed the concept and released it for the DS under the Touch Generations brand. Touch Generations represents games that anyone, from hardcore gamers to the completely inexperienced, can pick up and enjoy.

In [i]Magnetica[/i], there is a chain of colored marbles. Your goal is to make the marbles explode before they reach the end of the line. It seems like a relatively easy concept, but easy concepts often lead to games that are impossible to master.

[i]Magnetica[/i] sports 3 single player modes: Challenge mode, Quest mode, and Puzzle mode. Each of the game modes has a different goal and number of levels to clear. Challenge mode simply has you clearing marbles to advance levels. Clear all 99 levels and you win. Quest mode mixes things up and has you playing through 50 unique missions which are cleared by destroying all the marbles that appear. Every 10th Quest mode level is a special boss or bonus mission. Puzzle mode changes things up considerably by making you use all the provided marbles to destroy all the marbles on the track. This takes careful planning and thought to achieve. [i]Magnetica[/i] also supports a WiFi Versus mode via DS Wireless Play or DS Download Play. In Versus mode you get to battle head to head with a friend and make use of attack items to wreak havoc on your opponent.

In the end, [i]Magnetica[/i] is a quick and fun puzzle game that will keep you busy for hours, depending on your attention span. The graphics are solid and playing on that bright DS Lite screen sure was a treat. [i]Magnetica[/i] is a definite must have, but only if you can find it on the cheap. $35 for this little gem is a bit steep and most of you hardcore folks will tire of this one after a few sessions.

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