Nintendo DS ROMs

[Hakushi]

I got Apollo and Layton today.

Thoughts:

-Still on the first case with Apollo...but so many damn twists!
-Layton's puzzle makes my brain feel embarassed for not being able to solve them.

[Shadowless]

Don't worry too much about Layton. You'll get better as you go... even if it doesn't always feel like it.

And don't worry about skipping puzzles and stuff, either, if you want to come back to it later. You can't ever 'lose' them.

[esaka]

:P
Can you make that a little more specific?
To recap the entire thread:

The World Ends with You
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (puzzles)
Phoenix Wright 1, 2, 3; Apollo Justice
Pokemon/Pokemon Mysterious Dungeon: Time/Dark, if you're into that.
(Shiren the Wanderer if you want a 'serious' roguelike)
Rondo of Swords, Front Mission, Advance Wars: DS or Advance Wars: DR
CastleVania (Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin), Megaman ZX, ZX Advent
Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan 1, 2
Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Bangai-O Spirits
First party titles
Etc.
Etc.

Anything else that's non-Japanese? I can't read moonspeak worth crap

[Viewtiful]

I'm sure that everything listed is localized, except for bangaio and the Ouendan games.

Mariokart, Cooking Mama, Hotel Dusk, Kirby Canvas Curse,
Yoshi's Island, Mario+Luigi, CONTRA 4, Sonic Rush, Bleach

[VeggieH8R]

YES! Keygen music is badass. But I feel bad about using tracks from other artists so I roll my own. Still hawt though.

A new version will be released within the month.

I'm no good with artistic creativity but I still like listening. You have a place where you post your stuff?

[Utils]

Nothing complete yet, just pieces & bits. If I ever did it would go up on Jamendo. I'll actually be releasing samples soon.

[Shadowless]

As Viewtiful said, everything up there is available in English except for Ouendan (don't need to be able to read it) and Bangai-O (...might need to read, if you haven't played it before).

Shame on me for forgetting Hotel Dusk. That one's good, too.
You also might enjoy Geometry Wars, Rondo of Swords, Ultimate Jump Superstars (Japanese), SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters, Puzzle Quest, Feel the Magic & The Rub Rabbits, Animal Crossing (if you're into that), Jam Sessions, Contact, Nanostray & Nanostray 2... or they might at least keep you busy for a while.

And then there are the first party titles, like Metroid Prime Hunters, Metroid Pinball, Mario Kart, Mario Hoops, New Super Mario Bros., and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, ...

But, you know, that's like 50 games, now. Are you looking for something particular?

[bananayonkers]

I just beat The World Ends with You last night. Loved it. Story was meh. Some of the characters were annoying(although some of the slang was great. "Oh, Snap!"). It had some problems with pacing and annoying restrictions on where you can go on certain chapters. However, the game play is GOLD. Definitely my favorite implementation of DS hardware in a game to date. Setting up different decks to dominate enemies in all sorts of ways is incredibly satisfying. Although I must look like a fool on the bus when I'm frantically scratching/tapping the screen and blowing into the mic furiously.

[Shadowless]

I beat Legend of Kage 2 today. It was pretty good, I thought! Not really very ground-breaking, but I still had fun playing it.

It's a basic platform action game, really, like its predecessor. I haven't tried it on hard, yet, but if you can play Contra 4 then the normal difficulty level shouldn't hold you back for too long. It's a little short, which might bother you if you're paying to import it or something crazy.

Your character gets a longer life bar and more MP points as you find a limited number of power-ups in the stages. You gain skills by performing certain actions (still not entirely clear, but seems to be: you use your sword a lot, get a sword technique. Use your secondary attack a lot, get a secondary attack technique). You can also find orbs, which you can then place onto a small grid. Depending on their placement relative to other orbs, this gives you your special/magic attacks.

Anyway, it's a pretty decent, fun platformer.

[Hakushi]

Just got the R4 and downloaded Pokemon Pearl. Unzipped it and put the .nds file into the H: Drive.

Just wanted to document this because I'm afraid of anything bad that might happen.

Would Games in Japanese not be playable in English at all?

I got an SanDisk adapter with my SD card. What is that for?

[NightBlade]

You do know how to use a computer with storage drives right? So unless you jam butter into one of your comp's or your DS's slots nothing should go wrong lol. I'm not familiar with the R4 but unless stated otherwise you might need to convert the room for proper use. You do have the manual with you right?
And why would a game in japanese play in english if it is in japanese?
I'm guessing the adapter is to make it fit with standard SD card readers.

[Hakushi]

You do know how to use a computer with storage drives right? So unless you jam butter into one of your comp's or your DS's slots nothing should go wrong lol. I'm not familiar with the R4 but unless stated otherwise you might need to convert the room for proper use. You do have the manual with you right?

I fail at electronics and yet like Games so I tend to worry needlessly at times.


And why would a game in japanese play in english if it is in japanese?

I was hoping mods would help in that department. :o


I'm guessing the adapter is to make it fit with standard SD card readers.

Standard SD card readers?

[NightBlade]

Mods? You're outta luck, only mod I've ever heard is one for Jump Ultimate Stars that translates a good bunch of stuff from the game to make it 90% functional on english.
Also do your research before buying stuff you don't know anything about, look up SD cards on google or whatever. They're pretty much standard issue technology these days.
Okay I should prolly throw you a bone to get started. These days, there's a bunch of flash memory out there that come in smal card thingies. Think of the SD card as a very small floppy disk with much larger storage. It gets a little more complex, since there's 3 types of SD cards: regular SD, miniSD and microSD, regular being the largest (in physical size, not capacity) and microSD the smallest.
Ok, so what does this have to do with an "adapter"? If it's the adapter I'm thinking about, I'll give you my example. My Supercard miniSD obviously needs a miniSD card to work. But my current card reader (the way I plug the thing on the PC so it shows up on My Computer) only has a regular SD slot. The adapter makes a miniSD card fit into a regular SD slot, thus being able to read it. I have something like this:
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9182/800pxminisdmemorycardinkr8.jpg
Does yours look anything like the one above?
Hopefully this was a little more helpful.

[Redux]

Has anyone tried 'NeoDS', the NEO-GEO emulator for the DS, that was just released earlier this week?
You can get it here: http://groups.google.com/group/neods
Even the initial release seems to run a lof of games already (see the compatibility list on the homepage).

Here's a few youtube videos of it running:
giiN63ZfQfE
0XlrTwOhtic
SHNr2JgoOic

Here's also a big thread about it:
http://www.ds-scene.net/?s=viewtopic&nid=5477&p=1

I haven't tried it myself yet, since there seem to be some complaints from a few users who experienced that their ds crashed and their their sd card getting erased or wrecked.

According to the author of the emulator:
"I'm very sorry about the corrupted cards . When NeoDS is running, it hammers the fat driver because it has to constantly stream data into the tiny DS ram. So if there is a problem anywhere, it will probably manifest at some point. Anyway, make sure to back up your cards first. I wish I had put a warning about this in the readme, but I didn't think about it. I'm sorry.
I've tested with a Ninjapass x9 (microsd) and a Maxmedia Dock CF pretty heavily, and never experienced any data corruption. So I hope it is just an issue with certain cards. It could be a buggy dldi driver even. But I will try to get to the bottom of it. "

I'm personally waiting for either an update of the emulator or another SD card, which i'm getting anyday soon.

[Viewtiful]

help

To expand upon this and be R4 specific:

The R4 uses microSD cards (aka Transflash). You can either use the regular-sized SD adapter with your card to transfer your files (but this requires an SD card reader (http://216.55.176.103/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=233)) or use the usb adapter that came with your R4 (http://www.coretex.hk/images/microSD1.jpg) since it only requires USB ports.

Next you need to format your microSD card to FAT format, and install the latest firmware, found here: http://www.r4ds.com/soft/24-en.htm

You're good to go, just drag and drop any .nds files you want.

[NightBlade]

NeoGeo on DS
Hmm it looks a bit slow...

[Utils]

What footage were you watching?

[Shadowless]

The first one? Where the video is choppy as hell?
It looks like it's just the camera settings he was using, though - looks pretty smooth in the other videos.

[Hakushi]

pic



Yes, that is exactly was it is.

[NightBlade]

So I assume you understood everything we told you?

[Shadowless]

Also, I think the R4 can work pretty well with unpatched roms.

Hakushi: Have you successfully been able to use the R4 to play DS roms? If not, how far did you get?

[NightBlade]

The first one? Where the video is choppy as hell?
It looks like it's just the camera settings he was using, though - looks pretty smooth in the other videos.

Yeah you guys are right. I was misled by the first video.
Hmm I'll have to check is the PSP does a good job, haven't seen any Neogeo news for the PSP lately... Too bad about the corruption issue.

[Hakushi]

Yes, nightblade though I can't imagine how the SD card adapter can fit/connect with the computer.

Shadowless, I've been very successful as I've been playing Pokemon:Pearl and Super Princess Peach at the moment. I've been tempted to download some Japanese games but I'm guessing I wouldn't understand what's going on so I've been avoiding those games.

[NightBlade]

Yes, nightblade though I can't imagine how the SD card adapter can fit/connect with the computer.


Tell me then, how did you transfer the files from your computer to the card? THAT'S how the card fits on your computer.

[Hakushi]

I connect through a micro SD usb drive.

[Minx]

Neo Geo emulation on PSP is pretty much flawless. Only issue I've seen with it is that Terry's 3rd round Garou stage borks.

[Shadowless]

Hakushi: Good shit! Glad to see it's working for you.

I just did something like a personal top 50 NDS countdown on the previous page - I bet you'd enjoy at least a few of those games.

[NightBlade]

I connect through a micro SD usb drive.

Oh god then why can't the same principle apply to a larger card?
Ok nvm I'm done with this shit. It's like punching a brick wall.

[Shadowless]

What we have here, is a failure to communicate.

[VeggieH8R]

I connect through a micro SD usb drive.

*slams head on desk*

[Shadowless]

I know when you have something on your mind
You've been trying to tell me for the longest time
And before you break my heart in two,
There's something I've been trying to say to you

But the words get in the way
There's so much I want to say
But it's locked deep inside and if you look in my eyes,
We might fall in love again.
I won't even start to cry, and before we say goodbye
I tried to say I love you
But the words got in the way.

[Shadowless]

I guess Days of Memory 2 is out...

I always wanna play those games to practice my Japanese, but the awful gameplay and insipid writing just kill it for me.

[Shadowless]

I have been carrying around TWEWY on mingle mode for the last couple of days.

I haven't actually run into any other TWEWY players, but who knows! Maybe today will be my lucky day!!

I am glad, though, that the US version gets, like, 5x as many points per mingle as the JP version. That shit would be tedious.

[D.Knight]

I imagine than in Japan you only need to get on a subway and there will be lots of DS users inside.

[Shadowless]

I know!

Although, I think it probably depends on where you are. Also remember that those DS users will have to be using the local wireless multiplayer functionality for them to be picked up by mingle mode.

[Frankie Foster]

How typical of GEL to dislike The World Ends With You.

And watch Speed Racer instead of Iron Man.

That crazy fuck :P

[Shadowless]

GEL doesn't like TWEWY?

Pffft.

[SL¥DE]

I can't stop playing it. I can't. I went and bought a DS cart and all I do is play TWEWY. :s

[thunderbeanjam]

man someone is going to have to explain to me why this bangai-o spirits is good. just picked up an R4 from akihabara, slapped the bangai-o rom on there, and was pretty disappointed. they added way too much to it and lost what made the original so awesome. the DC version had such a simple and pure gameplay, but this one is all over the place. 20 tutorial levels and i still have no idea whats going on. plus, translating the japanese in my head isn't nearly as funny as reading the horrible english in the DC one.

[Shadowless]

Well. Stop playing it and start playing TWEWY! It worked for me, anyway.

[thunderbeanjam]

yup yup got that on there in english and japanese, but im being sidetracked by this professor guy and some weird village. i could get to like this pirate thing. arr.

[Shadowless]

Yeah, Professor Layton is pretty awesome, too.
Don't forget to grab the weekly puzzles!

[Hakushi]

The weekly puzzles are archived right?

I'm busy playing the Pokemon Pearl and EBA roms. :o

[Shadowless]

Yeah, you don't have to actually grab them weekly, but there's a new one made available every week.

Woot EBA. You should try out Ouendan, too, if you like it. Some of the songs are good.

Pokemon. :(

Still, looks like you've got some DS games on your plate.

[Shadowless]

Whoah! The Kunio-kun dodgeball game got an English release! Color me surprised. It's a very small game - only 8 MB rom, I think - but as long as it's cheap/free, you could have some fun with it. At least, as long as you loved Super Dodge Ball on the NES.

And Front Mission 2089 is out in Japanese! I guess it's a remade cell-phone FM game. Huh. Probably only for those who speak Japanese, although I think you could play through it without knowing the language if you really wanted to - equip screens tend to be pretty easy to understand, and it looks like it's very similar to the SNES FM1 on top of that. And it might even get an English release, since FM 1st Mission didn't bomb.

Super Robot Wars OG Saga is out! I don't know if I can be bothered to play it, though. I get real tired of watching the same animations over and over again. And low-res robo-breasts just aren't going to make up for that.

Rondo of Swords, out in English! Not very new, I know. But it looks like an interesting game, if you're not immediately turned off by the generic fantasy setting.

Luminous Arc 2 in Japanese! The first one got an English release, I think this one might, too. The first game kinda pissed me off, though, and I quit before I got to a battle. Did anybody play it?

[Hiryu no Ken]

Super Robot Wars OG Saga is out!
atlUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Shin ATproof]

Super Robot Wars OG Saga is out! I don't know if I can be bothered to play it, though. I get real tired of watching the same animations over and over again. And low-res robo-breasts just aren't going to make up for that.


Mugen no Frontier?
From what I saw, it looked like had a NamcoXCapcom-ish engine...it even has the two main characters from NXC. It certainly got my attention...plus its a Monolith/Banpreto crossover, so we get KOS-MOS(ver.4) and Alt Eisen in the same game AND Yushaoh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuyuki_Hiyama) voices the main character.

I gotta get it.


And yeah, As Hiryu no Ken mentioned, Atlus needs to get their shit in gear and localize this game and Original Generations.

[Shadowless]

Yes.

MUGEN NO FURONTIA: SUPAA ROBOTTO TAISEN OG SAAGA.

I guess I'm the odd man out for thinking Namco X Capcom was incredibly boring? I think I quit after like 5 battles or something.

[Shadowless]

atlUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Did you mean BANPRESTOOOOO?

[Shin ATproof]

Well I didn't think NxC was boring, just easy...but I enjoyed the system it used.
and I think Hiryu was shouting at Atlus to bring the game stateside...hopefully they'll announce something over the summer that they'll be doing more of the Original Generation SRW games.

[Shadowless]

I've been playing Rondo of Swords. I like it! It actually requires you to think a little. If you've been looking for an SRPG that isn't just "walk up to the enemy and hit them," you might want to check it out.

The setting and characters are sort of generic fantasy anime types, but they could be a lot worse, so far.

I'm starting my game over because I realized that I've been really screwing things up. But I think if you're too smart, or follow a FAQ very closely, you might end up sucking the challenge (fun?) out of the game. So beware.

[Hakushi]

How have you been screwing up? can you share without spoiling too much?

[Shadowless]

Yes, I can. But in retrospect, it's kind of obvious.

Basically, you can get new characters. I missed, like, all of them. All you have to do is have one of your units talk to them, usually (move next to them), and I didn't do it. So, like, there was a guy imprisoned? Didn't let him out. I guess he's your only archer? Well, shit.

[thunderbeanjam]

Man I love having an R4. Im right in the middle of the good part of like 5 different games right now. TWEWY's characters were pissing me off for awhile. The girl talks a lot like one guy I know, and he likes Shibuya a lot, so its authentically annoying. But the fighting was sweet so I'm keeping at it and its a little better right now. I'm stuck on some pig noises that I can't seem to kill fast enough on the second day of the second week. One cool thing was last weekend I had my DS on mingle mode while actually walking by Hachiko and dougenzaka. Only it was like 9 AM so I didn't actually connect with anyone. This was after I fell asleep on a train after being out at a club all night. Apparently I managed to totally kill my friend's game as he was hitting on Maria Ozawa. oops!

[D.Knight]

I didn't knew who that Maria Ozawa was and after a quick GIS i have to say DAMN! that chick is really really hot!

[Frankie Foster]

English Puyo Puyo 15th Anniversary (http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,5827.0.html)

I pimp this here because I helped with the translation. That's all.

GEL's free to yell at me for making Amitie say "Wicked!" :smalltran

[D.Knight]

You should hade made a GEL reference just to make him happy :D

In other new i have been playing Etrian Odyssey II : Heroes of Lagaard, nice game, it's a 3D maze where you draw your own map with the stylus, quite hard but after a while it requires some grinding which is never a good thing in my book, so far i am at floor level 3 and i believe that maps should be bigger and whit some warp points in them, also special monsters are insanely hard, you have to level or just plain avoid them, anyway nice game try it and see for yourself.

[Shadowless]

I've been playing Etrian Odyssey II also. A lot. I played the first game for a couple of hours, then gave up. But I think I'll stick with this one.

It's very similar to the first game in concept. There are two new classes, skills have been adjusted and rebalanced, and there's been a round of polishing and improvement. But it will be familiar territory... I think, I didn't beat it or nothing.

Mini-review!

If you haven't heard, it's very much an 'old-school' dungeon-crawl. Old-school in ways that most other games would never even think of being. Old-school in ways that can be hard to appreciate at times.

What it's not is a typical, 'modern RPG.' You don't have a party, or even a main character given to you - all of that is custom made by you before setting out. 5 people in a party (up to), 12 classes to choose from. You choose your skills, too - but you only get one skill point per level up, so choose your skills wisely. If you want to make a new character, no problem - you can have up to 30 in your 'guild.' If you absolutely must, you can 'restart' your character, halving their level, giving them a few small bonuses, and resetting their skill choices. It's a lot to think about, because your choices can really matter. Wanna pump up your warrior's HP, or STR? Stats, or skills? It's up to you, one point at a time. And no, you can't buy them all.

What else is old-school? Map-making of course. The bottom screen is dedicated to a map of the labyrinth. However, it's little more than graph paper. It's up to you to keep track of the map as you go. The game will plot the squares you stand on into the game for you, but all other details are up to you. You can make your maps as accurate as you choose, but having an accurate map can sometimes mean the difference between life and death...

And one thing that you can do in most RPGs today that you absolutely cannot do in Etrian Odyssey is move from point A to point B killing everything in your path. Even in the best of situations, you have to budget your combat, because even under-leveled monsters can wear you down. Especially if they get the jump on you. And the really tough ones, FOEs, aren't 'bosses,' they're slaughter. Avoid them or die, period. Once I understood that they're there to add a puzzle-element to the labyrinth, I did a lot better.

The other part is that it's grindy... kind of. If you're playing so that you can kill all the enemies from point A to point B and leave a swath of destruction... you'll just about never get there. So the grinding is endless. You have to accept the goal of 'just strong enough to get to the next floor,' and you'll have to map out new floors in two or three attempts. Even then, you'll die sometimes. It's just part of the game. That's where the challenge is.

[D.Knight]

What Shadowless said it's true, but if you feel like you screwed in a character and it has a decent level you have 2 choices:

1.-Make him "rest" at the guild, he will lose 5 levels but will be able to relocate all skill points, this it's pretty useful to use low level skills at the beggining and then relocate all to maximize ultimate skills.
2.-"Retire" him at the guild, if you do you'll get a "recruit" (the same job) with half his level but no more than 30, but besides the skill points that you would normally get for a character at such level you also get some bonuses like +4 to all stats and a few extra skills points, this is not acumulative so you can't keep doing this to get an uber character.

You can recollect 3 kinds of materials at the map which requires skills, "take" for flowers and fruits, "Mine" for minerals and "Chop" for wood, you also get spoils pretty much a la FinalFantasy 12, you dont get money from monsters you sell all that shit that you get and get money and the store uses that to develop new items, armor, weapons, etc.

Having many characters in your guild is encouraged, specially to have diferent "teams" for instance right now i have a main team where the characters are at level 11, but i have like 3 characters that are for collecting stuff, one for each, and i take them with 2 from the main to collect stuff, another great thing is that by taking the weaklings with the main guys to a higher floor they get exp like mad, the exp that took me 3-4 hours to get with my main team they got it like in 1 hour.

ALWAYS carry a "warp wire", you never know when you get your team pummeled and you'll need to run to town.

[Shadowless]

Yeah, what he said! Thanks for the corrections, I realized my mistake and was going to edit my post.

[ninjuichi]

I heard the two biggest "problems" people were having with the sequel compared to the original was that:

a) The price for things is ridiculous, which wouldn't really be a problem if:

b) You're liable to be ambushed the more you "Take", "Chop", or "Mine"

Are these that big of a deal? I bought the original when it came out but I only got to the second stratum (not because it was hard, or I was bored just because I never had the time to play it.) So I was curious whether I should pick it up and hold on to it, what with it being published by Atlus, or pass it altogether.

[D.Knight]

Thing are expensive but so far i don't have a problem with that, the best weapon/armor in the store so far is like 450 En(Money) and i always have like 1500 with me, as for the ambush it does happen but since i go with 2 main characters along the recolectors i can take care of the monsters.


Edit:By the way, i never played the first one so i can't say how much it changed.

[SL¥DE]

FFTA2 torrents should be flooding the net now.

[D.Knight]

Hey! it's true :) Thanks slyde i didn't knew it was out today, only bad thing is that i am already stuck playing Etrian Odissey 2, damn adicting game, damn fucking hard game too, yesterday i didn't calculate a step and went head on to a FOE, it had me like a 5 bucks whore, at least i found a secret door to some nice items which i pick again today after work :S

[SL¥DE]

Hey! it's true :) Thanks slyde i didn't knew it was out today, only bad thing is that i am already stuck playing Etrian Odissey 2, damn adicting game, damn fucking hard game too, yesterday i didn't calculate a step and went head on to a FOE, it had me like a 5 bucks whore, at least i found a secret door to some nice items which i pick again today after work :S

No prob, and if it's free why worry about not getting to it right away? :smalltran

I'm trying to get the torrent for the US ROM (I have the EUR one right now), but bitgamer has a cuntbucket download restriction.

[TODE]

Space Invaders Extreme is tight.

[D.Knight]

Here are the links to a rapidshare/Megaupload download if you want:

http://rapidshare.com/files/124914292/_NDS_Final_Fantasy_Tactics_A2_Grimoire_of_the_Rift _USA__ESPALNDS.com_.zip
http://www.megaupload.com/es/?d=OIB0R5W1

[SL¥DE]

For the hubbers: FFTA2 is now in my share, among other NDS rom goodies.

LOL Thanks, D.Knight, but I just copped it from the Pirates Bay. But I'm sure it will help others. :^_^:

[Hakushi]

Here are the links to a rapidshare/Megaupload download if you want:

http://rapidshare.com/files/124914292/_NDS_Final_Fantasy_Tactics_A2_Grimoire_of_the_Rift _USA__ESPALNDS.com_.zip
http://www.megaupload.com/es/?d=OIB0R5W1

Thank You.

[Shadowless]

Let me know how FFTA2 fares compared to FFTA and FFT. Or maybe it belongs in the FFT thread? All I know is I'm really interested, because I loved FFT and hope springs eternal (didn't like FFTA).

Now back to E-Train Odyssey 2!!!

I haven't found the prices to be restrictive. I think they could be, but basically only if you're trying to get through the game faster than I am. I've got several characters that I don't use much, but occasionally taking them in with a couple high-level guys to take/chop/mine is enough to keep me in the money. Also, I don't immediately upgrade to the best equipment - sometimes I'll skip an upgrade, sometimes I wait to see if I can find one in a chest or win one from a quest.

If you don't do those things, you could be short on cash. But it doesn't seem like a big deal, because the only items you really need are two warp wires (three to be safe) with you at all times.

If you don't take/chop/mine, you'll be making significantly less money on each trip into the labyrinth. In addition to that, you'll probably make slightly longer trips, because your characters will be stronger (no skill points into t/c/m). And on top of that, you're not going to unlock all of the items available in the shop, because they're based on what you sell to the shopkeeper.

In short: Take/Chop/Mine don't seem very useful, but they can pay off. You're recommended to put at least one point into each for the party you actually use. You don't have to. But less than that -> You'll probably be low on cash for what's "expected," and you will have to make occasional special trips with alt. characters to unlock items when necessary. More than that -> you'll probably have more cash than most for where you are in the game.

[D.Knight]

^What he said= True.

I have like 1 point in each for my main party, just so that when i happen to find a materials spot i don't feel like i have to go back for the other guys, also i just made it to floor 5 and my main party is around lvl 15, i don't know if i said it before but depending on how you kill certain monsters is what you get from them, for instance the Red horns in floor 3 give you a red shard but if you kill them with a fire skill (i use orochi with my ronin, 1 hit kill :D) they give you a Red horn, not only does it nets you more money but also opens items at the shop. At the bestiary at the duke's castle you can see if they give another kind of item ???? but i haven't seen if it hints as to what element or skill to use.

[Shadowless]

I don't think there are any real hints in the game as to how to get conditional item drops.

There seems to be a complete (?) list of them on the Gamefaqs board, but I haven't looked at it.

[Nezumiiro]

Izuna 2 drops on 07/22/2008. Order it through amazon, and you get a freebie 'Izuna's tits in the tub' miniposter. I ain't kidding.

http://www.pictureposter.allbrand.nu/pictures/nezumiiro/1_2.jpg

[Hakushi]

Izuna seems a bit...young.

[SL¥DE]

Izuna seems a bit...young.

The law may say she's too young, but those titties ain't too young!

[bungiefan]

R4 here, btw. It comes in handy at times.

Anyway, just in case more people read this thread than the other one I put up: Bangai-O Spirits (http://highervoltage.net/mb/showthread.php?t=12945). No, seriously, try it.

I'm very close to becoming annoying about this. I wish for it to become known THAT MUCH.

I popped it in and tried it because I heard it was good, but I honestly have no idea what I'm doing in the game short of dashing through walls and ramming enemies. I've not even been killed once. I heard it was a shmup, but it doesn't seem like one.

[bungiefan]

Yes, nightblade though I can't imagine how the SD card adapter can fit/connect with the computer.

If your computer has a full-size SD drive, you use the adapter to make it fit, just like you use the adapter to fit that micro-SD card in the Wii's full-size SD slot.

[Utils]

NitroTracker v0.4

You can get it from MY STADY (http://www.mystady.com/2008/07/nitrotracker-v04.html) or the NitroTracker (http://nitrotracker.tobw.net) homepage.

[VeggieH8R]

Hot diggity!

[Shadowless]

Seriously! Space Invaders Extreme.

I know you didn't try it last time I said you should, but get on it.

It's even got pretty good wi-fi competitive play! It's really, really good.

[SL¥DE]

FF4 DS roms flooding the net.

Metal Slug 7 too.

Both can be easily found on pirate bay.

[Shadowless]

Yes, FF4 DS, Metal Slug 7, Trauma Center 2, and I've been meaning to check out Draglade 2 and Jig-Battle Heroes, although I expect them to be disappointing. Oh, and Izuna 2, if you guys are into dungeon-diving (as opposed to Etrian Odyssey II's dungeon-CRAWLING).

But seriously! Don't write off Space Invaders Extreme! It's perfect for pick up and play, with an arcade mode that you can play start to finish in half an hour, but with continue points at every level, which makes for an even smoother experience.

It has the 'normal' mode as well as 'extreme' versions of each level that add difficulty and craziness. It has selectable paths for increased difficulty. It has local multiplayer as well as wi-fi multiplayer and a wi-fi world score ranking.

The basic gameplay has a lot of new additions, too - there's a simple Rez-like thing with shots, where the sound effects play in time to the music. There are bonuses for chaining enemies of the same color or shape, which can be significant, and lend a puzzler-type atmosphere to an otherwise fast-paced game.

It's just good.

[Top Tier Neckbreaker!]

Just started playing Metal Slug. Seems to be on MS3 levels of difficulty, which is something I like.

[Minx]

You rock hard man, you.

[Shadowless]

Here's a trailer for Space Invaders Extreme, although it's not as much fun to just watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UfB1_Jznvg

[Hakushi]

Downloaded Space Invaders. I'll let you know if I like it.

[bananayonkers]

Thinking about picking up FFIV DS. I couldn't get through FFIII DS though, should I even bother? I hear IV is better but bleh, III was pretty unappealing.

[Redux]

Space Invaders Extreme is nice. I love the music and the fancy effects in it.

Metal Slug 7 is entertaining and it plays pretty well. Too bad it's missing a 2 player mode.

Anyone tried Soul Bubbles? It's a nice innovative puzzle game, which uses both the d-pad and the stylus in a well thought (and userfriendly) way. The graphics look lovely and the gameplay is pretty addictive and fun.

[Shadowless]

I really like the Space Invaders effects, too.
If, however, they are too obnoxious for you, they can be turned off.

[Viewtiful]

I played Space Invaders whenever it was released in Japan, and I thought it was a great update to the old franchise. I too got a Rez-like vibe from it.

[Shadowless]

Whaaaat? How the fuck could you tell what was happening when it's all in moonspeak/!?

[EvilNeil]

Are we thinking of the same game? I don't remember seeing any text in the first place.

[Shadowless]

Oh nevermind I was thinking of novella invaders.

[VeggieH8R]

Rhythm Tengoku Gold is out. And it's AWESOME.

[Shadowless]

Haven't tried it yet, but I plan to.

Also out is PRINCESS STEAL, which I know nothing about, except that the cover art looks like the guy who did Valkyrie Profile. So, I'll probably try it out. (Here of new images of Steal Princess, this play of adventure developed by Climax, the studio responsible for certain LandStalker. With the program, a scenario mild nutter stretching himself on approximately 140 levels to survey, whip in hand. Exit envisaged on July 31 in Japan, exclusively on Nintendo DS. ) http://www.wikio.com/video/282261 Muh. I dunno. Guess I'll have to try it.

And DOKI DOKI MAJO SHINPAN 2, which I assume all the perverts are quite familiar with. Go get it!

I've been trying to play DRAGLADE 2 a little. It's okay! Maybe? Seems to be aimed at children, I'm sorry to say. But might still be fun.

And I'm up to a 7000 ranking on Space Invaders Extreme VS. play. IN CASE YOU CARE.

[Top Tier Neckbreaker!]

except that the cover art looks like the guy who did Valkyrie Profile.

I'm 100% sure that's Junny (Tekken 5, that detective game for the DS, porn).

[Shadowless]

I see that you're right! http://junny.sakura.ne.jp/index.html

I guess he didn't do VP, either. Most of his stuff doesn't look that similar, anyway. Whoops. NOW I DON"T KNOW IF I WANT TO PLAY STEAL PRINCESS.

[Frankie Foster]

And DOKI DOKI MAJO SHINPAN 2, which I assume all the perverts are quite familiar with. Go get it!

No. Too much focus on boobs :mad:

[VeggieH8R]

PRINCESS STEAL

Ladystalker: the return!

[Shadowless]

Doesn't Majo 2 have butt-rubbing, or something?

I don't know man, I don't really keep up.

EDIT: And crotch-scratching, I guess. :(
Man, I had to go and look it up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u18_pk-muPY

[Shadowless]

Yeah! I kinda... remember.... Ladystalker? Maybe?
Um. Was it a Japanese-only game on the SNES? I mighta played it... a little...

Anyway, is it good?
Better yet, go play Steal Princess for me. Is it good? How good?

My Space Invaders Extreme rank online is now at 7,994 points.

Jib-Battle Heroes is a simple game, and aimed at younger kids, but it's fairly well polished, and it's by NIS. It actually might be fun against other people! But playing against the computer is just too easy, in my opinion, and you're basically always doing the same things over and over again. Art is good, though, and so are the voices. Story is sometimes funny, but not that funny. 'Sfer the kids, see?

[The Million Dollar Street Fighter Fan]

So guys, I feel like dipping into the seedy world of DS Emulation. Without going through the entire thread, you guys have any recommendations for a good DS Emu? I'm asking this cause I want to play the Final Fantasy DS Remake since I personally do not own a DS.

Help an idiot out!

[SL¥DE]

So guys, I feel like dipping into the seedy world of DS Emulation. Without going through the entire thread, you guys have any recommendations for a good DS Emu? I'm asking this cause I want to play the Final Fantasy DS Remake since I personally do not own a DS.

Help an idiot out!

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?download=1722

[Top Tier Neckbreaker!]

Get 2.6a, it's much better for 3D.

[The Million Dollar Street Fighter Fan]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'm playing the Final Fantasy IV DS Remake as we speak! my computer runs it perfectly!

BTW, is there emulation problems with running the Guitar Hero game on Emus?

[Shadowless]

Oh, man, you don't want to do that.

If you want to play Guitar Hero on your computer, get Frets on Fire or something. Or I don't know, StepMania.

I have not heard good things about Guitar Hero on DS, and it's very doubtful that emulators would play it, seeing as it requires (I thought) a special hardware attachment.

[SL¥DE]

Get 2.6a, it's much better for 3D.

^This^


I was just going nuts looking for the poorly categorized listing on GBAtemp.

[Shadowless]

Now out:
Sigma Harmonics (J)?
THE Shouboutai (J) (The Firefighters) (might be good?)
Bangaio (ENGLISH! HOW? BUT OK!)
Summon Night 2 (J)
Fire Emblem (J)
Sangokushi Taisen Ten (J)
Windy x Windam (J) <- Fighter! Is it good? Haven't tried it yet!
Rune Factory 2 (J)

So Japan gets all the games. But Bangaio in English is cool, because that game is surprisingly hard to figure out without the tutorial, and reading is optional in fighters. Plus some of these are bound to trickle down to us in a month or two. I've been on GGPO and 2DF these days, mostly. Losing at Super Turbo and calling other people 'gay' all day.

[Viewtiful]

Windy x Windam sucks IMO

its the only fighting game I've ever played where hitting someone doesn't feel like hitting someone.

[bustaWOLF]

Windy x Windam sucks IMO

its the only fighting game I've ever played where hitting someone doesn't feel like hitting someone.

Air juggling is way to damn easy...

Also, some of the characters seem like guilty gear rip-offs, there's a slayer, potemkin, bridget...The rest are just incredibly uninspired.

Metal Slug 7, Bangai-o Spirits, Space Invaders Extreme, Contra 4, DS has good shit U WILL PLAY IT.
Also, I can't figure out why I like Card Fighters DS so much, the running around as the stupid school kid saving people from the evil computer aspect makes me want to kill myself.

Waiting for Castlevania....

[Shadowless]

Yes. New CastleVania DS looks very good. Do want.

Card Fighters DS kinda makes me want to puke. I think I wrote up a two-page thing on why I hated it so much. So much promise, and so disappointing. And then there's the whole 'we never actually tested it on a DS' quality thing, which doesn't really speak well. Blah. The NGPC games I really wanted to like, and found to be very flawed, as well.

If you're looking for good DS games, just go back a few pages, a few of us put together some lists. The other castlevanias are pretty decent, too.

My drunk girlfriend wants your name to be pastaWOLF, btw. Get on that.

[SL¥DE]

Commando Steel Disaster.


You need it.


EDIT: in other news: I managed to fill a 4GB card with nds roms...after trimming.

[Viewtiful]

Commando Steel Disaster.


You need it.


EDIT: in other news: I managed to fill a 4GB card with nds roms...after trimming.

you mean Metal Slug 7.5

[SL¥DE]

you mean Metal Slug 7.5

Does that make it any less awesome?

[VeggieH8R]

Does that make it any less awesome?

It's not that great. I was annoyed by the same two death cries about three minutes in.

[SL¥DE]

Eh. I find it fun. Not as polished as Metal Slug, to be sure, but it shows a lot of promise.

[VeggieH8R]

Manly men play Air Traffic Controller.

[Frankie Foster]

Manly men play Contra 4 on Hard.

...so I guess I'm not one :\

[Kyori Kusagami]

If anybody enjoyed EVO: Search for Eden on SNES, they will most likely love Spore Creatures.

[NightBlade]

Are you serious?
I was gonna pass it up, but I LOVED EVO.
I mean, that is the awesomest underappreciated game evar.

[Nezumiiro]

Holy cow, I was literally playing it (EVO) while you posted that!

[SL¥DE]

Now Available for all your piracy needs:

Kirby- Super Star Ultra

Disgaea DS

And others I forgot cuz my brain is fried.

May I suggest Dropcast, if only for the phat beats it lays out.

EDIT: Lego Batman too


PS: I do share all of the roms I've downloaded in my hub share, just in case anybody wants to get them from there.

[Fithos]

How are those games? I'm curious in picking them up.

[D.Knight]

There is a Disgaea for the DS? O_o!!!??? how did that one sliped past my radar???

[Jigsaw]

So guys, what's a good place to buy one of them there flash cart thingamajigs? I happen to have some spare cash and I'm dying to get into DS homebrew. I've had my eyes on the CycloDS Evolution, or whatever it's called; it seems to have the most/best features yet still affordable.

Feel free to provide any kind of info or recommendations.

[VeggieH8R]

They're all pretty much clones. Some have additional abilities built in (like say media players) but you'll never really use them. The old standard was the R4 but it's rarely supported nowadays, probably because it's perfect. The new standard is currently the M3 or G6. They're both the same card, the difference being the M3 uses micro SD cards and the G6 has either 1 or 2 GB of internal flash storage. But CycloDS is a good card too and shares most of the features of the M3/G6. So really the only consideration when buying a flashcart is which packaging you like the best (and price I guess).

[SL¥DE]

How are those games? I'm curious in picking them up.

Kirby is Kirby.

Disgaea DS is a port of the PS2 version.

And Lego Batman is basically a brawler...with Lego Batman.

EDIT: Almost forgot, Rhapsody - A Musical Adventure has been ported to the DS and the US version is up for download now.


@ Jigsaw: http://www.dealextreme.com/

[SL¥DE]

They're all pretty much clones. Some have additional abilities built in (like say media players) but you'll never really use them. The old standard was the R4 but it's rarely supported nowadays, probably because it's perfect. The new standard is currently the M3 or G6. They're both the same card, the difference being the M3 uses micro SD cards and the G6 has either 1 or 2 GB of internal flash storage. But CycloDS is a good card too and shares most of the features of the M3/G6. So really the only consideration when buying a flashcart is which packaging you like the best (and price I guess).

Not entirely.

You'll probably want something that supports SDHC cards (meaning anything that's over 2GB) and hopefully something with automatic DLDI patching (I know the DS Toptoy does this, as does the R4 and some of it's clones. It's mostly for convenience, so you can just drag and drop your stuff.).

The CycloDS (If I remember this right) is so far one of the only (if not the only) cards to support Wii/DS connectivety in games that use it, but I hear that it's function with Nintendo's Wii games is either iffy or non-exsistant, seeing as Nintendo uses a special protection for their games, but I dunno too much about that.

For better advice go here (http://www.gbatemp.net/index.php?act=idx).

[VeggieH8R]

You'll probably want something that supports SDHC cards (meaning anything that's over 2GB) and hopefully something with automatic DLDI patching (I know the DS Toptoy does this, as does the R4 and some of it's clones. It's mostly for convenience, so you can just drag and drop your stuff.).[/URL].

You're out of date. Those features are come standard on new cards and have been implemented through firmware updates on old ones.

[SL¥DE]

You're out of date. Those features are come standard on new cards and have been implemented through firmware updates on old ones.

Oh well that's good. :)

I guess it's down to just superfluous features then.

[Shadowless]

I haven't been DSing much, but there have been some interesting looking games released.

Simple DS Series 44: THE GAL MAH-JONG. I can't stand mah-jong, but if you want some girly mahjong, there you go.

Disgaea DS: It's Disgaea. It's been released, what, four times now?

Princess Maker 4: "Quite the maniac's technique." Probably only interesting for hardcore otaku types, but PM seems to be a well-regarded sim game.

Ayanami Ikusei Keikaku & Asuka Hokan Keikaku: Haha, Gainax. Is this more otaku-kusai or less otaku-kusai than PM4?

U-Can Pen-Ji Training: If you're interested in learning Japanese, this might actually be simple enough to be useful for a foreigner. But it's probably garbage. I dunno.

Time Hollow looks like a linear adventure game? Might be crap, but I might try it anyway. Haha, if I had time.

Knights in the Nightmare: This game looks awesome. JP only for now. Real-time SRPG? Very interesting. Haven't played it, but it seems cool.

World Destruction: Another JP only (for now) RPG. Screens don't look as stand-out as KitN, but could still be very good. Somebody check it out and report back.

Dropcast, Sim City Creator, and Kirby Super Star Ultra all got US releases recently. I bet most of us would find at least one of those fun.

Dragon Quest IV DS is out (JP, EUR, ?). Quiz Magic Academy, also (Unforgiving JP).

Spore Creatures was mentioned above. Looks good.

Defendin' De Penguin and Lock's Quest. The former looks like it might be too kiddy to be much fun for the older set, but Lock's Quest might be very good. Both seem like RPGs based around a 'tower defense' sort of mechanic, but with some twists.

Mazes of Fate: Could it be as good as/better than Etrian Odyssey? Looks kind of similar in a dungeon-crawling way. I'm just guessing that EO2 is better, but hey.

[D.Knight]

I have been playing mazes of fate, and is a nice game is simple and easy to play and the battles aren't as hard as the ones in EO2 also the NPC interaction is quite good as you can actually screw things up with your answers.

[NightBlade]

Played a bit of the new Sonic RPG, and it's got some pretty good concepts on it, although some stuff like timed hits on your specials and having to chase some of your enemies (or else they run away, and you can lose HP by running into boxes) gets old and annoying quick.
Also, I like the fact that you can choose what you say from a small pool of questions/answers (no more than 4), and there's always this "answer like a fucking asshole" choice. :P I don't see it changing the outcome of the story, but annoying that stupid pink bitch can be nice.

[Shadowless]

Holy - wait, is Rhapsody good? It looks like it might be good!

[NightBlade]

So, I've been playing around with my new EZ-Flash V Plus (I didn't even have time to comment on it since it arrived so damn fast!) and it's pretty awesome! I love drop & dragging games :P (bear in mind my old card is a Supercard MiniSD). I had to buy this one so as not to feel like I bought a useless microSDHC card (I had no idea what HC meant when I bought it; I just liked the fact that it was cheap, 4gb capacity and had a SD and miniSD adapter), since the SDHC card works with few other things as of now. Working wonders so far.

[VeggieH8R]

Lock's Quest, people. Anyone who liked Rampart should play this.

[SL¥DE]

Holy - wait, is Rhapsody good? It looks like it might be good!

It's a bit different from its PSX incarnation.

The songs are in Japanese.

And the battle system is different.

Other than that, I dunno, as I haven't spent too much time with it.

[Falconer]

IMO, Rhapsody is the PSX (and now DS) version of a 'Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest' type of RPG. Good to great music depending on your tastes, criminally easy to get through, and with a plot that is laughable. Basically, if you ever wondered what it'd be like to play a RPG with the plot of a cheesy after-school musical, you'll want to play Rhapsody. Otherwise, you'd likely be better off ignoring it entirely.

If you do want to try it though, there are apparently two versions of the ROM. One is a direct port of the cartridge with Japanese singing, and the other is a hack where someone replaced the Japanese singing with the English singing from the PSX version.

[Redux]

Claymore Ds:
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/3918/739210200810061733280bife2.th.jpg (http://img411.imageshack.us/my.php?image=739210200810061733280bife2.jpg)http://img411.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)
:)

[D.Knight]

Claymore? i'll be honest when i say i know nothing about that game, what is it about?

[NightBlade]

Don't know about it either. Looks fun tho. More explanation needed.

[Shadowless]

So I guess DSi games are region-locked.

Fucking bullshit.

[Hakushi]

so then...DS > DSi

[NightBlade]

Wow, so much fail.

[SL¥DE]

If you do want to try it though, there are apparently two versions of the ROM. One is a direct port of the cartridge with Japanese singing, and the other is a hack where someone replaced the Japanese singing with the English singing from the PSX version.

Yeah, the hack replaces the J singing with E, but at a higher quality, greatly bloating the ROM size (as it is hacked, I didn't try trimming, it, as that has proven problematic in the past with hacked roms).

EDIT: the hack application in this case is annoying too. Instead of a simple ips patch, you must use an outdated program to unpack the rom, replace a DIR in the rom's file structure, then repack the rom. It went painlessly, but was still annoying.

[D.Knight]

So I guess DSi games are region-locked.

Fucking bullshit.What you talking about? so there are gonna be DSi EXCLUSIVE games now? cause the DS and the DSi are the same shit after all, so making that move doesn't make any sense, even for Sony :smalltran

[SL¥DE]

What you talking about? so there are gonna be DSi EXCLUSIVE games now? cause the DS and the DSi are the same shit after all, so making that move doesn't make any sense, even for Sony :smalltran

Probably games that use the camera and other DSi exclusive features.

Doesn't matter to me since I'm not weeaboo enough to play J games. :smalltran

[D.Knight]

I don't know, i don't think there are gonna be a lot of those, not even 5 DSi Exclusive titles, i think there could be DS games that use the camera for a little gimmicky thing like putting your face in a character or something like that, but no much more than that, and of course those games wouldn't be DSi exclusive. Well just a metter of seeing what happens in the next years, but my position stays the same, until i don't see an awesome aplication for those things i'll keep my lite :)

[Shadowless]

It's a good question - how many DSi exclusive games will there be? It depends on several factors. I haven't heard whether games will be able to use DSi features without being DSi exclusive, yet - it's possible that they won't. That's a possibility if Nintendo wants to apply some pressure to get people to upgrade, or if DSi features require some extra hardware access that DS games simply aren't able to use for hardware reasons.

Or if you guys have heard that it will be possible, that's good news.

It's worth pointing out what was said before: DS games are not region locked, and can be played on DSi's of any region.

Nintendo's reasons for why they are doing region-locking of DSi units all sound totally hollow to me, by the way. Nigga, please.

[ninjuichi]

There will be no retail DSi exclusive games (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20518)

Of course, the DSware stuff will be exclusive because the DS can't download games.

[D.Knight]

There will be no retail DSi exclusive games (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20518)

Of course, the DSware stuff will be exclusive because the DS can't download games.Well this makes the hell a lot more of sense. On another note i hope Sony follows the suggestions there of lowering the price for xmas couse i would like to give myself a PS3........or maybe a non burning X360 damn i still don't know.

[Shadowless]

WTF?

In that article, Dunaway also "indicated that the DSi is unlikely to be region-locked."

And what I've been hearing is that yes, it definitely is.

So if he says that there won't be any retail, DSi-only games, then... do I believe him?

[SL¥DE]

Sup dawgs?

New releases:

2751 - Unsolved Crimes - 1rst person crime solving game, like Pheonix Write, only on the Cop side.

2761 - Bleach: Dark Souls - Sequel (?) to the other DS Bleach Fighter.

[Shadowless]

Whoah, fuck that shit! it's all about teh TETSUDOU MUSUME!!! (Railway Maidens)
http://www.inside-games.jp/news/295/29513.html
Check out those screenshots motherfuckers. ALl day.

[SL¥DE]

Whoah, fuck that shit! it's all about teh TETSUDOU MUSUME!!! (Railway Maidens)
http://www.inside-games.jp/news/295/29513.html
Check out those screenshots motherfuckers. ALl day.

LOL

[SL¥DE]

OK.

Bleach DS 2nd - Dark Souls (US) has a KNOWN and widespread problem running on almost all forms of DS card.

The problem is that every time you try to reload your save data, it says it's corrupted and you start from square one. Over and over.

There is a fix.

You'll need untrimmed roms of both the American and Japanese roms.

Use a NDS Rom unpacking tool (like DSBuff) to unpack both roms.

Take the Header.bin from the Japanese ROM DIR and replace the Header.bin in the US rom dir, then repack the US rom.

Should work after that.

(And before anyone bitches about double posts, this post is way after the last one.)

[NightBlade]

Funny, I didn't have any issues with it...

[D.Knight]

>:( Double po BANG!

[SL¥DE]

Funny, I didn't have any issues with it...

Yeah there were like one or two card types that ran it fine, you might have one. But I know mine had this issue, so I looked on the GBAtemp forums and saw that there were alot of other's who were havin the exact issue.

But good on you if it works off the bat. :)

[Shadowless]

Double posts

[Shadowless]

are awesome.

[bungiefan]

They're all pretty much clones. Some have additional abilities built in (like say media players) but you'll never really use them. The old standard was the R4 but it's rarely supported nowadays, probably because it's perfect. The new standard is currently the M3 or G6. They're both the same card, the difference being the M3 uses micro SD cards and the G6 has either 1 or 2 GB of internal flash storage. But CycloDS is a good card too and shares most of the features of the M3/G6. So really the only consideration when buying a flashcart is which packaging you like the best (and price I guess).

R4's site was shut down and there are no more firmware updates to fix compatability problems. There's also no SDHC support, and it's starting to get hard to find 2 GB SD cards anymore where I live.

Consensus on the download forums I use seem to say go for AceKard or CycloDS for features and compatability, while being likely of future support.

I'm not up on the compatability rate with R4 lately after my DS got bricked in June, apparently after putting a trimmed (by me with NDS Tokyo Trim) Summon Night on my SD card. It now won't charge or turn on, and I need to attempt a soldering job and a hookup to my PC's parallel port to fix it, or spend for a new DS (and I really don't want a Lite).

[Shadowless]

Lites are awesome?

I'm still using an old slot-2 M3...

But if I got something now, I'd probably get the Cyclo. Download play would be a big win, as would not having dumb patching software.

[Furix]

Anyone here know how to undub NDS roms?

EDIT: Nevermind, I found out how. If anyone wishes to know it was Dragon Ball Origins. Alslo, if anyone wants it I can upload it. (Just tell me a good site to upload to)

[Harken]

I'll take a copy Furix. Try megaupload.com

[Furix]

I didn't exactly mean megaupload by "good upload site", but sure why not here you go. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZHUBJ0A4

[Harken]

Thanks much!

[SL¥DE]

Chrono Trigger DS is out, English text on English language DSes. The game has some beef with some cards, though. But it's free so what've you got to lose?

[Furix]

Yeah I heard the Japanese rom had english language too, right?

But, I also heard it froze right after you jumped on your first time portal.

[Spiral Viper]

Chrono Trigger DS suffers from George Lucas syndrome. The new ending has to be one of the dumbest add ons I've seen. Just remake Chrono Cross into something that doesn't suck already.

[Furix]

Eh, I would think it was the same ending as the PSX version, unless it got changed again. Don't tell me though, i'll find out myself... As soon as the rom starts working on my CycloDS.

[Spiral Viper]

There's a significant change, so it has the PSX stuff but it also has this new ending. I'll let you find out for yourself, but it'll definitely at least be a surprise.

Still getting the game here, but I just think the new ending is stupid.

[Furix]

Oh, did you actually play through the game? I was only able to play through a little before the game froze after I jumped on my first time portal. :/

[Spiral Viper]

Friend, Japanese copy. Technically, he played through it and I just snuck in to see the ending.

[Furix]

I see. Hopefully the american version doesn't freeze like the japanese one did. I highly doubt it though, I am beginning to think it was done on purpose. :o

[Spiral Viper]

Square stated their expecting "heavy losses" due to the whole piracy thing. I'm getting it, but I don't know what a statement like that is supposed to mean given how terrible the DS is as far as avoiding piracy is concerned.

[Furix]

Wait, Square is saying they are expecting heavy losses on their sales? Or heavy losses for the players that decide to download this game instead?

I am still downloading this game, I don't think I want to pay for any other DS game ever again.

[Spiral Viper]

Sales due to piracy, the DS and PSP are piracy havens basically. I mean, there we are.

[SL¥DE]

If you update your Action Replay code database on your card with the appropriate file from here (http://cheats.gbatemp.net/). There will be an option in your Chrono Trigger cheats section to bypass the piracy protection. Keep in mind, you need to activate the code before you create your save file (not ingame save, the .sav file itself, or your card's equivalent), or at least that's how I got it to work on my DSTT. All I know is it won't work on pre-existing saves.

[Furix]

I see, I'll be trying that out then. So it was a piracy protection after all, huh?

EDIT: Exactly which file do I need?

EDIT2: NVM, I think I got it. I've never used cheats on my CycloDS before.

[SL¥DE]

I see, I'll be trying that out then. So it was a piracy protection after all, huh?

EDIT: Exactly which file do I need?

EDIT2: NVM, I think I got it. I've never used cheats on my CycloDS before.

Look for one of those files on your card's file tree, then just replace accordingly.

EDIT Oh yeah, DO NOT go for the patcher for CT, it's nothing but trouble.

[Furix]

Look for one of those files on your card's file tree, then just replace accordingly.

EDIT Oh yeah, DO NOT go for the patcher for CT, it's nothing but trouble.

Yeah I heard about the patches, I decided not to bother with it. I am currently playing it with the codes instead. It's pretty much flawless right now. :)

[SL¥DE]

Yeah I heard about the patches, I decided not to bother with it. I am currently playing it with the codes instead. It's pretty much flawless right now. :)

Once you get past the first time portal (Millennial Fair, in the beginning), you're golden.

[Furix]

Yeah right now I am in the future and no errors so far. I haven't played much just have like 2 hours in the game.

[Kaz]

Is anyone using YSMenu on the R4? I've followed the guide on GBATemp to getting it to work to absolutely no avail.

[SL¥DE]

Is anyone using YSMenu on the R4? I've followed the guide on GBATemp to getting it to work to absolutely no avail.

Hmmm I dunno bout the R4, I'm using it on a DSTT. :\

What problem are you having exactly?

[Shadowless]

7th Dragon! Looks good!
I still haven't beaten Etrian II, though. :(
http://www.ds-scene.net/?s=viewtopic&nid=6699

[Shadowless]

Beat CastleVania: Cult of Ecclesia. It's good! The ending was kinda dumb, though. Schlocky, tacked-on, typical CRAZY TWISTS that are dumb and hollow and which I do not care about. Ah, well. I guess there are new game + options, and an Albacore Mode. Maybe I'll do them! ...Or not.

Chrono Trigger DS! Has a new dungeon with shawcking revelations, new quests, and monster battling. I never actually beat the SNES game, even though I got pretty far. Maybe now is the time! I will never beat Etrian Odyssey II at this rate.

Speaking of classics I never beat - Fire Emblem DS released in Europe! It's a remake of the first NES game, so maybe this is a good one to get in on. Wi-fi player vs. player battling, a first for the series, and some kind of online shop?

Metal Slug 7 - US release.
Rune Factory 2 - US release.
Luminous Arc 2 - US release.
And that pretty much brings us back to Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ, or wherever we were. There's tons to look forward to, also - Valkyrie Profile, more Professor Layton, I can't even keep track.

[Shadowless]

PLAY SOME MOTHERFUCKING DS

[Hakushi]

Some thoughts:

I just finished Layton with some walkthrough help and playing through was just a great experience.

I'm working through Pokemon Blue Rescue Team even after "finishing the game"because I find it to be a fun game.

Wario:Master of Disguise...is really an under appreciated game, I realize after starting to re-play the game.

MarioKart: Rainbow Road @ 100CC seems to be a challenge with the lighter karts and I haven't found the right kart to use for that road.

[Furix]

I am still playing Chrono Trigger, just doing the extras and stuff.

Looking into trying Luminous Arc 2, but have never played 1. Anyone know of these games are good?

[SL¥DE]

I am still playing Chrono Trigger, just doing the extras and stuff.

Looking into trying Luminous Arc 2, but have never played 1. Anyone know of these games are good?

Do you like FF Tactics?

They're just like FF Tactics.

[Furix]

Exactly like FFT? I mean I've played a loooot of SRPGs. But, if it's exactly like FFT maybe I'll give it a spin.

[bananayonkers]

There's no job switching. But there is Polygamy with hot witches.

[SL¥DE]

There's no job switching. But there is Polygamy with hot witches.

Basically yeah.

[Furix]

i love polygamy, ithink i am in.

[bananayonkers]

But holy fuck the final boss is cheap.

[SL¥DE]

But holy fuck the final boss is cheap.

Yeah wasn't it "INFINITE RANGE BEEEEEMZ" while you approached him.

[Shadowless]

Playing Phantasy Star Zero. It's pretty good! It's pretty much like the Dreamcast version, on a DS. 3D is good for the DS. Grinding and loot, whee.

[Fithos]

Playing Phantasy Star Zero. It's pretty good! It's pretty much like the Dreamcast version, on a DS. 3D is good for the DS. Grinding and loot, whee.
What, it's out!? Oh man, oh man oh man!

[bananayonkers]

I can't get this sucker to load on my M3. Just starts up with a white screen. I downloaded the latest cheat file but when I highlight the game, no "Push Y for cheats" option shows. How'd you guys get it working?

[Serp]

Square stated their expecting "heavy losses" due to the whole piracy thing. I'm getting it, but I don't know what a statement like that is supposed to mean given how terrible the DS is as far as avoiding piracy is concerned.

How can they have losses on a game that is essentially a port and that has huge nostalgia value? I don't really buy that.

The DS is pirated in general, but the games are cheap to make and are profitable anyway. If they weren't, nobody would make them anymore.

I'm getting some more endings again, beat the game twice and have now maxed everyone out and gotten all the equipment I want. I didn't really see the point grinding the game repeatedly for magic capsules and a few sets of the new armor for the girls, so I just wound up cheating after beating it the second play through. I already got everything and had already maxed out back on the SNES.

[Spiral Viper]

How can they have losses on a game that is essentially a port and that has huge nostalgia value? I don't really buy that.

The current President of Square-Enix released some press statement a while back stating that original IPs would be coming out in a lower frequency in order to allow S-E to regain some financial bearing after subpar game sales and big losses. I don't know the numbers, so you'd be going on my word there as far as gauging what that might actually mean.


I'm getting some more endings again, beat the game twice and have now maxed everyone out and gotten all the equipment I want. I didn't really see the point grinding the game repeatedly for magic capsules and a few sets of the new armor for the girls, so I just wound up cheating after beating it the second play through. I already got everything and had already maxed out back on the SNES.

The new translation certainly makes things easier to understand this time around. A lot of elements in the plot that were muddy or non-existent are actually present and make the story a lot better for it. Most of the bonus dungeons are still gay as hell, but it does basically turn Lucca into a broken machine if you pick up the Spellslinger.

It's less of a hassle than Crisis Arm + Rapid-Fire Fist/Uzi-Punch in the long run, since she'll eventually critical with 9999.

[Serp]

The new translation certainly makes things easier to understand this time around. A lot of elements in the plot that were muddy or non-existent are actually present and make the story a lot better for it. Most of the bonus dungeons are still gay as hell, but it does basically turn Lucca into a broken machine if you pick up the Spellslinger.

It's less of a hassle than Crisis Arm + Rapid-Fire Fist/Uzi-Punch in the long run, since she'll eventually critical with 9999.

I don't really see what is better about the story this time. It seems exactly the same to me. I'm not about to play the SNES version again either just to see.

Lucca never got 9999 for me. She crits for about 4k for me, and that's with a Prism Specs. Unless those are not crits and I've never gotten a crit for her, are you sure she eventually gets it? I'm not sure if I got her accuracy maxed, afaik the only way to do that would be to run the dimensional vortex repeatedly after roughly, I don't know, 14 or so playthroughs.

I don't think I'll ever do dimensional vortex again. It was fun playing this game again, and I loved the frozen mountain theme which wasn't used in the original, but it's still an RPG and it still gets boring after awhile. I may play it again months from now, but I'm basically bored of it again at this point. I will be looking for the OST though, mostly for that new theme.

[Spiral Viper]

It's just small touches I see as an enthusiast. Magus' dialogue no longer reads like a Saturday morning cartoon villain. The "Entity" is clearly said to be the Earth. You get a much better feel for "Earth vs Lavos", and how Humans might indirectly be a product of Lavos and also the cause of his destruction.

I also liked Lucca's line when Robo gets trashed in the Factory Ruins. "No, it looks like the intruders are going to eliminate you." As far as Lucca's damage goes, what level are you at? Level factors into the damage multiplier with Spellslinger.

Anyway, I don't think Chrono Trigger holds up well after continuous play throughs. It's far too easy. I do wish that certain design considerations were taken from it more often, because it gets so much right. The game is not absolute perfection, but it comes close enough in regard to certain elements. Boss fights, pacing, and characterization. Long term enjoyment, to me, isn't one of those things.

[Fithos]

Magus' dialogue no longer reads like a Saturday morning cartoon villain.
The new dialogue is fucking awesome. Magus and Frog have become my favourite characters in Chrono Trigger thanks to it.

[Vincent]

So I might be buying a DS Lite soon (probably along with Contra 4 & Castlevania:OoE). Obviously I'm going to pirate, so I found an R4DS + 2GB microSD Bundle (http://www.realhotstuff.com/r4ds-microsd-bundle-p-184.html) to do that with. But I'm not quite ready to buy that yet.

Taking into account ease of use, game compatibility, features, and up-to-date functionality; what device would be the best overall choice?

[Serp]

It's just small touches I see as an enthusiast. Magus' dialogue no longer reads like a Saturday morning cartoon villain. The "Entity" is clearly said to be the Earth. You get a much better feel for "Earth vs Lavos", and how Humans might indirectly be a product of Lavos and also the cause of his destruction.

I also liked Lucca's line when Robo gets trashed in the Factory Ruins. "No, it looks like the intruders are going to eliminate you." As far as Lucca's damage goes, what level are you at? Level factors into the damage multiplier with Spellslinger.

Anyway, I don't think Chrono Trigger holds up well after continuous play throughs. It's far too easy. I do wish that certain design considerations were taken from it more often, because it gets so much right. The game is not absolute perfection, but it comes close enough in regard to certain elements. Boss fights, pacing, and characterization. Long term enjoyment, to me, isn't one of those things.

I got everyone to ** level. The Red Ghaj gives about 2500 a pop and the trigger is fast, so you can just go off screen and on repeatedly. I did that for awhile, killed some Wonder Rocks, and that pretty much did it. I think perhaps I've never critted with Lucca.

I noticed some translation differences in the "Oath" ending. I remember in the SNES version Frog says something like "Who cares?" when Magus tells him the battle is for the world, on the DS, he says something like "This is about vengeance!" which makes sense because of Cyrus and all. Also, I don't remember Marle being so supportive of Crono before, she gets pretty angry at Lucca for trying to wake Crono up in that ending as well, and throughout the game she just seems nicer than before, although I might just not be remembering it correctly.

But I guess it could be that it's been so long since I last played it.

[bananayonkers]

Magus' dialogue no longer reads like a Saturday morning cartoon villain.

For the most part I agree that the dialogue is much improved, but there are two lines that I miss from the original.

When you approach Magus at the End of Time:
Magus: You got whacked cuz you're weak.
(If you refuse to let him join your party)
Magus: The weak only strive to be weaker.

When Marle compliments Lucca for her Gate Key:
Marle: Lucca you're amazing!
Lucca: (Victory Pose) Ain't it the truth.

These are probably two of the most out of place lines in the game due to the colloquialisms, but damnit I thought they were good characterization. For me, the most memorable lines were oftentimes the ones that were the strangest.

I'll never really understand why people used to say the big flaw of Chrono Trigger was a lackluster final boss. I mean sure, he doesn't pontificate, but the entire game revolves around him. He's got his finger in everyone's pie.


I do wish that certain design considerations were taken from it more often, because it gets so much right.
Agreed. I like the fact that there are no silly fetch quests. Hell, the end game fetch quests were actually enjoyable, so I played them despite them being optional.

[Spiral Viper]

the most memorable lines were oftentimes the ones that were the strangest.

I have a soft spot for those odd lines, such as the old "Game Over"

... But the future refused to change.

And there's the old enertron line of "But you're still hungry."

I'll never really understand why people used to say the big flaw of Chrono Trigger was a lackluster final boss. I mean sure, he doesn't pontificate, but the entire game revolves around him. He's got his finger in everyone's pie.

I think the only flaw I find in Chrono Trigger's story was Marle, specifically her relationship with Crono. It felt so forced, it's part of why I thought Kid's relationship with Serge was just as ridiculous in Chrono Cross. What makes it stick out like a sore thumb to me was how Lucca's relationship with Robo was there to completely embarrass it. The premise and interaction are just so spot on, whereas Marle feels like she's there to fulfill some arbitrary role as "love interest."

Err, getting back to Lavos. I think he's a great villain for the story. The scale of Planet vs Lavos works because these are forces of nature at work. Lavos' actions are merely part of its programming for survival, and I like that humans are just a product for crippling the Planet's ability to resist. In the end, it's the Planet's appeal to life and the living that causes it to be saved, so the whole message there about how life is precious really shines through.

Anyone who thinks Lavos is a crappy antagonist completely missed the point.

Agreed. I like the fact that there are no silly fetch quests. Hell, the end game fetch quests were actually enjoyable, so I played them despite them being optional.

Are you referring to the new ones? I can stand the old ones because they were all quick and painless... the new ones though? Bleh.

Re: Lucca and the Spellslinger 9999 damage

That was my fuck up, Serp. I'll admit I have a problem being scatterbrained, but I'll own up to it. I've gotten about 4000, and I uttered the 9999 haphazardly on an assumption earlier. It hasn't happened in my game, and my imagination ran away with me on that one.

[Shadowless]

Okay, more about Phantasy Star Zero!!! I was totally going to play through Chrono Trigger DS, but Phantasy Star has derailed that plan completely. Being able to save almost anywhere, being able to play online with other people, graphics, combat, looting & grinding... it's just hard to go back. 5 years (it's basically PSO), but what a jump.

Bad news is: Story is perfunctory at best. I got sick of reading that insipid trash almost immediately, and just held down the skip button for almost all of it. Even then, what I could glean of the story is terrible.

Bosses and levels are basically random. Beasts and dragons, then robots, then wiggly stuff. Whatever.

Friend codes are the same old bullshitty bullshit.

Good news: It's actually pretty playable without being able to read/speak Japanese. Most things are accompanied with icons, etc. Pictochat is amazing, and really adds a lot to online play - even compared with the DC version.

Bad parts, like story and talking, are fairly limited. It really just puts you right into the grinding and looting. Combat is okay, so... it will be pretty clear if you like the game with just a little playing. If you like it, there's not much to get in your way.

I got through normal mode the other day, now I've unlocked hard and some extra shops. I got some help leveling a couple times, which really helped me make progress. I don't know how long I'll want to play, but so far, I'm actually still interested in playing, even though there might not be much that's totally 'new.'

It's all client-side, so if you make a backup of your save file, you can duplicate items via trading. There are rare items ("material") that boost a stat by a single point so... that could be abused.

[Utils]

I wanted to call special attention to this in case you haven't read about it yet.

NDS Homebrew Dev Can't Leave Solitary Confinement Until Nintendo Sells Him the Nitro SDK (http://www.mystady.com/2008/12/nds-homebrew-dev-cant-leave-solitary.html)

[Shadowless]

Please rewrite that link title to say "NDS Homebrew Dev Won't Leave..."

:C

I mean, they should sell him the SDK. But it's not like he's in jail.

Phantasy Star Zero is still entertaining.

Any word on Riz-Zoawd? An RPG based on The Wizard of OZ... could be good! Or not. I don't have any time for RPGs, anyways. :C

[Utils]

I intentially worded it that way to make it sound like it's being done against his will.

Sensationalism is fun!

[Utils]

And "won't" sounds like a child throwing a tantrum at the supermarket.

I spent half an hour going back and forth on that headline before I submitted.

[Shadowless]

It does sound like a child throwing a tantrum. It is also the appropriate word to use.

[Utils]

LOL I see what you did there.

[Shadowless]

I'm sure you all heard about this one:
http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/131/131454/

[Shadowless]

My top 'must play' DS games list, not in order. Part 1.

Space Invaders Extreme - Great fun, especially considering how easy it is for anyone to pick up and play. Straightforward enough that it's fun without any learning or training beforehand, and deep enough for hardcore gamers. Polished presentation, and a surprising number of little perks to make you want to keep playing.

Phoenix Wright - Music is awesome, writing is high-quality slapstick, graphics are dated, but high-quality Capcom fare. Not hard at all, but great fun. You should probably just play them all.

Hotel Dusk - Not fun for everybody, but a linear 'adventure game' of an older pedigree. Great style, very nice animation. Puzzles will frustrate many.

CastleVania: Cult of Ecclesia - It's the best castlevania since SotN.

Professor Layton - Puzzles. Quite fun.

Phantasy Star Zero - It's really just PSO + pictochat. Still, it's all the looting and grinding you could want on a portable, and no monthly fees. Can be surprisingly addictive... but probably only if you can play via wi-fi.

Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan 1 & 2 - The best music/rhythm game on the DS. Often imitated, never duplicated.

The World Ends With You - Won about a bajillion awards. Bursting with creativity.

Advance Wars DS - If you haven't played Advance Wars, you should. If you have, you know you want it. If bright colors aren't your thing, try Days of Ruin.

BTW, anybody wanna swap PS0 friend codes? :X

[NightBlade]

Is there an english release of PSZ?

[SL¥DE]

Is there an english release of PSZ?

Not yet, but I hear there will be soon.

[VeggieH8R]

Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan 1 & 2 - The best music/rhythm game on the DS. Often imitated, never duplicated.



Rhythm Tengoku Gold?

[Viewtiful]

I think Rhythm Tengoku's more fun to play than Ouendan, if only by a little bit. Still, both are must-plays.

[Shadowless]

Is there an english release of PSZ?

It's all icons, anyways.

I never heard about Rhythm Tengoku. I'll give it a shot. Although the youtube videos I just watched make it seem a little simplistic, it looks like it would at least be fun the first time.

[SL¥DE]

OK. Supposed US release date for PS0 is sometime in fall 2k9.

[Shadowless]

Fall? Wow, bummer.
I don't know if I'll still be playing in, you know, 9 months.

Then again, if anything would make me want to play more, it would be being able to play with Japanese-phobic friends.

[SL¥DE]

Fall? Wow, bummer.
I don't know if I'll still be playing in, you know, 9 months.

Then again, if anything would make me want to play more, it would be being able to play with Japanese-phobic friends.


I'll probably be playing it when it's in English so I know what the hell's going on.

[Shadowless]

Dude, I'll tell you what's going on.

You're skipping the god-damn text because it's bullshit so you can kill some monsters and get the loot. I'm not exaggerating. The choices you get during text are like, "nod clearly" vs. "nod vaguely." That's a real example. Or, "Take him with you" vs. "Let Sarima decide (to take him with you)."

It's absolute garbage, and the saving graces are that a) there is a button to fast-forward the text, and b) you really don't need the story to have fun.

But oh, well. I can still understand why you'd want to wait. It means more english-speaking players to play with, and having a FAQ to consult, and stuff like that. Plus, if you're the story-interested type, you'll be sure that you aren't missing anything.

I'm just telling you, though - if ever there were an (MMO?)RPG you could play without knowing the language, this is it.

[NightBlade]

How about for moving around in the menu, or equipping stuff? I have to know if what I'm equipping is a cool sword or some glorified goblin dildo you know.

[SL¥DE]

How about for moving around in the menu, or equipping stuff? I have to know if what I'm equipping is a cool sword or some glorified goblin dildo you know.


This is my key issue. This is my first PSO game, and I have no idea what any of the stats are on the equipment.

I know there's a faq on it, but I can't remember anything out of it. :S

[Shadowless]

Right, but they have icons to tell you what kind of weapon it is.

And then below that there are numbers that are numbers, and they even turn GREEN if it's higher or RED if it's lower than what you have currently equipped.

There are real reasons to wait for the inevitable english release. I'm just saying that, if you really wanted to, it's probably the easiest RPG to play without reading.

Then again, there's probably like one person every day who posts on GameFaqs saying they deleted their character by mistake. Haha.

[D.Knight]

I wanted to call special attention to this in case you haven't read about it yet.

NDS Homebrew Dev Can't Leave Solitary Confinement Until Nintendo Sells Him the Nitro SDK (http://www.mystady.com/2008/12/nds-homebrew-dev-cant-leave-solitary.html)So the guy just went pycho and trashed his basement, anyway his game looked lame to tell the truth.

[Shadowless]

Octopus tells it like it is.

[Frankie Foster]

I bet there was never even a game in the first place (if there actually is, he never intended to release it anyway) and he's just trolling the entire world.

Not that I care, I don't play RPGs.

[SL¥DE]

Right, but they have icons to tell you what kind of weapon it is.

And then below that there are numbers that are numbers, and they even turn GREEN if it's higher or RED if it's lower than what you have currently equipped.

There are real reasons to wait for the inevitable english release. I'm just saying that, if you really wanted to, it's probably the easiest RPG to play without reading.

Then again, there's probably like one person every day who posts on GameFaqs saying they deleted their character by mistake. Haha.

Well, I want to know what each stat on a weapon is, as there seems to be many, as well as armor, not to mention I don't know where my own stats are or even what they would be should I stumble blindly into the char screen on accident. Nor do I know what the hell that little ball thing that floats behind you is, what it does, or why I need to feed it items to level it up (I'm assuming that what that one menu is for). The Elf Clowns can eat my ass.

I found the quest thing with the robot guys entirely by accident, dunno what the quest is. Still dunno how to get a quest with the Humans (I looked in the same place and it wasn't there. I know I must have missed a step, but how do I know what?)

I don't know what any of the classes do, nor do I know their pros or cons.

You're assuming it's easy to figure out because you're also assuming everyone has played a PSO extensively in the past.

And I know "LOL read a faqs". But I'm lazy, I'm patient, and I have a bad memory.

[VeggieH8R]

MOON actually turned out to be good. 60fps with full textures!

[Shadowless]

Well, I want to know what each stat on a weapon is, as there seems to be many, as well as armor, not to mention I don't know where my own stats are or even what they would be should I stumble blindly into the char screen on accident. Nor do I know what the hell that little ball thing that floats behind you is, what it does, or why I need to feed it items to level it up (I'm assuming that what that one menu is for). The Elf Clowns can eat my ass.

I found the quest thing with the robot guys entirely by accident, dunno what the quest is. Still dunno how to get a quest with the Humans (I looked in the same place and it wasn't there. I know I must have missed a step, but how do I know what?)

I don't know what any of the classes do, nor do I know their pros or cons.

You're assuming it's easy to figure out because you're also assuming everyone has played a PSO extensively in the past.

And I know "LOL read a faqs". But I'm lazy, I'm patient, and I have a bad memory.

http://members.cox.net/thefarce/

Not that anyone cares. I'd say it's worth playing when it comes out in the US nine months from now. It's not like a better PSO-type game is going to come out in the meantime.

[SL¥DE]

http://members.cox.net/thefarce/

Not that anyone cares. I'd say it's worth playing when it comes out in the US nine months from now. It's not like a better PSO-type game is going to come out in the meantime.

Yeah I know about the translation site, but unless it's in the game shitting in my eyes, I'll just forget each listing.

Thanks though.

[NightBlade]

Same here. The gesture is appreciated tho :D I don't hate japanese games, but if it's not a fighting game, it usually involves some reading, and I do like to have it spot on instead of having to check a chart :(

[GEL]

So I made a PSO thread without noticing there was conversation of it here (What? I don't pirate DS stuff :P Didn't know this had become a general DS discussion thread).

Anyway, since you can only trade items via Friend Code and there's no real in-game economy anyway, duping isn't a big issue. You can play online without Friend Codes via Random matching, but it's Word Select only (though thankfully it's in Japanese and English). Sad to hear the plot is a downer. I know there's supposed to be multiple endings and I definitely know that your Race changes things (Numans start from the crashed escape pod, being woken by the villain, and then they meet Saria in town. Humans go straight to town and meet the guy instead). As a guy that likes to comb over every word of things like PSO maybe I'll find personal meaning in the plot...or something XD (STILL can't get over Gal Griffon being classified as a worm by the people on Pioneer 2!)

But personally it's an upgrade to me. I still actively bust out 4-Player Split-Screen PSO and played PSU so what looks like "same old same old" to me is "MASSIVE AWESOME OVERHAUL". Mostly it is PSO again instead of PSU (which is good), but it does make some good additions like lock-on/sidestep, Dodge Roll, and Photon Arts. By the way, you can buffer the charge on the Photon Arts. I found with my knives, I can start holding the attack button during the last hit of the combo and when the animation finishes, my charge is ready! HUZZAH! To me it's the best fucking thing on DS. Period. But...I have a really bad PSO obsession! XD

[Hakushi]

Playing Castlevania:Order of Ecclesia and it's been a fun challenge. Does anyone know if the other Castlevania game for the DS is as good?

[Cherrn]

There are two; Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin. And neither is, arguably, as good as Ecclesia. They're both worth playing if you like the formula, however.

[GEL]

So I just tried running a DS emulator on my new machine and it runs alright-ish but still rather choppy, depending on the game. Any tips to make it run smoother? (NO$GBA by the way)

EDIT: Ah wait! Stupid me, no sound about does the trick, but any tips for further smoothing the experience is appreciated (like if there's a better 3D renderer or something).

[Vincent]

Playing Castlevania:Order of Ecclesia and it's been a fun challenge. Does anyone know if the other Castlevania game for the DS is as good?
Dawn of Sorrow is a decent followup to Aria of Sorrow. Gaining new weapons through Weapon Synthesis ended up being tedious for me (but rewarding once the heavy-hitters were fused). Any touch-screen related stuff in the game is nothing special -- you'll get tired of the Magic Seal after doing it for about the third time. Still, it's a solid game in the series.

Order of Ecclesia was the most entertaining Metroidvania I've played in a while, mostly due to the higher difficulty level of the game. The non-standard castle run (at least until you rescue all the villagers, eliminate Albus and Barlowe, and unlock Dracula's Castle for play) makes the game fresher than the others. Actually, I'd say it beats out DoS in every aspect.

Shanoa is awesome, BTW.

[Shadowless]

Top DS games, part 2: Obligatory Mentions

Reserved for games that I don't really like all that much, but feel like I should mention just because of how popular they are. First-party titles and names so big you almost certainly know them already. So these are 'top' in the sense that they probably sold a lot, not because I personally recommend them all. Anyways, if you forgot one of them at the time, it might be worth checking out.

Tetris DS: Tetris on the DS. Has a lot of modes. Good, I guess.

Mario Kart DS: Probably the best mario kart so far. It's fun to play against people, it's okay when you're unlocking stuff, I can't imagine playing this by myself otherwise. Pretty good, really.

New Super Mario Brothers: I actually played through this. Has a lot of mini-games, still manages to introduce new abilities to try to keep things fresh. But it was all too simple and easy for me, and I hardly died at all up until the last level or two. Good, I guess.

Metroid Prime Hunters: FPS on the DS! Pretty good effort (I haven't tried Moon yet, though), but it was just frustrating for me. DS is not really suited to FPS gameplay, in my opinion. Meh.

Metroid Prime Pinball: Strangely captivating! My favorite on this list, despite (or maybe because of) the fact that I've never really played pinball games. Pretty good.

Zelda: Phantom Something: It's Zelda, I guess. You probably already know if you want to play it. Counting palm trees just wasn't my thing. Meh.

Mario Hoops: Uh, I never heard much about this game after it actually was out. I suspect people tired of it quickly. Actually seemed pretty deep, though. Good, I guess?

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings: A real-time strategy game that is very polished. Ultimately, it seemed simple, repetitive, and grindy. Also, they totally just stuck some FFXII crap into an unrelated game so that it would sell better. Good, I guess.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Gorgeous graphics and effects. I simply didn't have the time to get very far into it, though. Also, it still has FFTA stuff like judges, which I hated. Pretty good, probably?

Pokemon DS: It was like diamond and pearl, or something? Anyway, it's definitely the best pokemon game so far. Cool wi-fi trading and stuff, restrained 3D graphics. It's, uh, still pokemon, though. Basically the exact same game. If you'd like to do the same stuff you did on a gameboy in nineteen-fucking-ninety eight. Pretty good, probably?

Final Fantasy II & III: The best versions of FF2 and 3, the DS version has new classes, dungeons, whatever. And much better graphics, obviously. If you want to play these games, but don't like the idea of setting aside dozens of hours in front of a NES emulator, here's your chance. Pretty good, probably?

Animal Crossing DS: The best Animal Crossing! You either want it or you don't. Hey did you see that one comic about the mom who played animal crossing? Yeah, I saw that too. ;_; Pretty good, probably?

Mario Party DS: Wasn't there a mario party for DS? I fucking hate mario party. Two thumbs down. Fuck that shit.

[Fithos]

Order of Ecclesia was so good I could barely believe it, I just wish it had more to explore. It felt a bit hollow even after pouring hours into it to max everything out.

[VeggieH8R]

Top DS games

Here's some stuff you should play cause you didn't mention them:

Contra 4
Picross
Air Traffic Chaos
Rondo of Swords
Bangioh Spirits
that new Elebits game is surprisingly good
Fist of the North Star [Hokuto no Ken] (the Oendan-style game not the pachislot crap)
Lock's Quest
Ninjatown (this and LQ are both spins on the tower defense game)
Puzzle Quest

[Hakushi]

Just some riffin:

I was Ninjatown at Gamestop but was turned off by the cute cover so I didn't think it was worth the buy. What about the game was good?

Bought Tecmo Bowl Kickoff because it came with a t-shirt. The gameplay is reminscient of the old tecmo bowl games which now that I think about it, wasn't that great.

Lego Batman was decent though some of the racing scenes made it difficult to know where I could and couldn't go. still a decent game to kill time with.

-Has anyone played The Legend of Kage 2? It was going for about 9.99 and I was wondering if there was anything about the game that caused it to be priced that low.

-Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ...has anyone played this game?

[GEL]

-Has anyone played The Legend of Kage 2? It was going for about 9.99 and I was wondering if there was anything about the game that caused it to be priced that low.

-Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ...has anyone played this game?
Played both.

Zombie BBQ isn't bad, infact it's really impressive for a $20 game, but the early stages are bland and ducking is a bitch. Not bad though.

As for Legend of Kage 2? *shrug* No clue. Probably just that no one is buying it. It was released in America at $20 from the start and I thought it was pretty good. However it was less Legend of Kage and more The Ninja Game. It was like some kind of crazy mish-mash of every ninja game ever. It was the most ninjaful thing ever made! Stages are a little easy/bland I guess with most of the interesting design going to the bosses but overall I thought it was pretty alright.

[Shadowless]

I liked Kage 2. It's a pretty decent platforming action game. I think I talked about it before in here somewhere.