PING: Sterlingice

[Philliesfan980]

Hey, just got a Nintendo DS (its under the tree right now!) What games should I get in the upcoming months (or right now). Wife got me the $150 bundle that comes with Mario Kart DS! How's the WIFI (if you played it).

[stevew]

Im gettting this, and hopefully animal crossing. You can come and visit my town, if you get it as well.

[Philliesfan980]

Im gettting this, and hopefully animal crossing. You can come and visit my town, if you get it as well.


Cool will do. I'll have to read up about some of the offerings that DS has. I've just kinda had a change of philsophy about gaming recently, really got tired of all the cookie cutter shootem ups/fps type games. Sure, Nintendo games and consoles in general may lack the horsepower that PS2/PS3/XBOX 360/Xbox have, but they really have some great original titles that can't be found anywhere else.

I've also come to the conclusion that no console sports game will ever be able to satisfy me. As long as you're controlling that runner/batter/pitcher, they'll play like you would and not how they would in real life. There's really absolutely nothing that can be done about this either. Text sims going forward for sports / Nintendo for reflexes :).

[sterlingice]

I'm getting my DS either on the 26th or 27th and the first thing I'm getting is Animal Crossing, as well :D

Unfortunately, I need to stop posting on FOFC fairly soon and get on the Christmas cards and present wrapping that was on tap for today but if you can hold out for a day- I can give some suggestions. I don't have much firsthand experience tho I have played quite a few demos, but I've read up a lot and have quite a few opinions :)

SI

[Philliesfan980]

I'm getting my DS either on the 26th or 27th and the first thing I'm getting is Animal Crossing, as well :D

Unfortunately, I need to stop posting on FOFC fairly soon and get on the Christmas cards and present wrapping that was on tap for today but if you can hold out for a day- I can give some suggestions. I don't have much firsthand experience tho I have played quite a few demos, but I've read up a lot and have quite a few opinions :)

SI

Sure, sounds good! Take your time, but I'll be eagerly waiting for your trusted opinion.

[sterlingice]

Almost always, my first question is "what genres you really like" but mentioning which ones you aren't that thrilled as you did with works pretty well, too. Plus there are a lot of genre inspecific (is that a word) games for the DS.

SI

[Philliesfan980]

Almost always, my first question is "what genres you really like" but mentioning which ones you aren't that thrilled as you did with works pretty well, too. Plus there are a lot of genre inspecific (is that a word) games for the DS.

SI

Yeah, I think thats a word!

Basically, I'm just fed-up with the way current video games are in general. I long for the days where I could just fire up Mario 3 (top 5 of all time!) and have a blast. FPS games, except in rare occassions, don't do it for me.

[stevew]

I saw that there is a game called New Super Mario Brothers coming out, which i believe is a remake of the original game with some twists. Also there is a Super Princess Peach game coming out which looks to be another mario world type of game for starters.

Also there is a mario 3 on 3 basketball which might be cool.

[Philliesfan980]

Thanks for the input Steve.

I'll have to give some of those games a shot. I guess since DS supports GBA games also, I'll also ask if there are any GBA games that are worth getting?

[SackAttack]

You cannot go Mario on the DS without paying significant homage to Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

[terpkristin]

Dammit!
SA beat me to it.
Kart DS is AWESOME and Mario & Luigi is a GREAT game.

If you can find it, the Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga (GBA game) is great.

Actually there are a lot of quality games for GBA (and getting to be more for DS). What kind of games are you into?

/tk

[Philliesfan980]

Dammit!
SA beat me to it.
Kart DS is AWESOME and Mario & Luigi is a GREAT game.

If you can find it, the Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga (GBA game) is great.

Actually there are a lot of quality games for GBA (and getting to be more for DS). What kind of games are you into?

/tk

I'm into a lot of different types of games. Like I said earlier in my post, I'm starting to go away from console/handheld sports games (unless stuff like Mario Golf/Tennis, where the objective is fun and not realism). Also stuff like GTA doesn't really do much for me anymore. I'm more into the exclusive stuff. Platform games are also fun. Are there any RPG games out there for the GBA/DS, ie Zelda? I know Zelda's been done about 100 times since its original start on the NES, and some of them haven't been great. Any DS/GBA flavors?

[twothree]

If your looking for a list of games by game system and genre, I like to use

http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/simpleratings.asp

If your looking for RPGs in particular you might try

http://www.rpgamer.com <-- Web pages here are very slow to load (at least for me).

[terpkristin]

I gotta admit, there aren't too many "good" games for the DS yet. As a matter of fact, until I got Kart DS, I was playing the DS mostly for GBA games or playing the PSP. In addition to Kart and M&L (already mentioned), I also have Lunar: Dragon Song, which is an RPG, but has some truly annoying quirks in how the game goes. Kirby: Canvas Curse is supposedly a fairly addictive little platformer, but I've never played it (SackAttack has). I'm still looking in to more DS games, but most of them are kind of weak.
As far as the GBA...
Well, I do recommend Mario Golf Advance Tour for the GBA. Also, they re-did the old SNES Zelda game, A Link to the Past for GBA, and also released TLoZ: Minish Cap. As much of a fan of Zelda as I am, Minish Cap irritated the hell out of me. It was way too damn repetitive in terms of having to do the exact same thing over and over, and when it came to the final boss, I got bored with killing him (I literally "killed" him like 4 times doing the exact same thing over and over and then had to do it some more) so I quit playing. It was the first Zelda game I've ever sold back. As funny as it might seem (and I know SI will agree), the Pokemon games are actually pretty good RPG's. For a "kids" game, they are pretty darn deep and quite good. If you plan on trying to collect an entire set of Pokemon (in the game), though, you're better off finding a GBA to play that series on...
As I mentioned a little earlier, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, if you can find it, is a nifty GBA game. I had a copy and haven't been able to find it since I moved, and I'm quite a bit upset by that fact. If you enjoyed Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, the DK games are fun on the GBA. I've also got the Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls game for the GBA. I enjoyed playing those classics again, and the extra part at the end of FFII. Speaking of the FF series, is FFIV (the newly released GBA game) the same game as the US version of FFII? Or is it the same one as in FFI & II? The FF games are starting to blur a little bit for me, so trying to figure out which it is.

I know some people for GBA will recommend Advance Wars (and there is a DS version of it, though I know nothing about it). IIRC, it's a turn-based strategy game. I personally also strongly recommend Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, which is a SPIFFY turn-based strategy game set in the world of Final Fantasy. It actually appears as though the upcoming PS2/3 game, Final Fantasy XII, will be similar to Final Fantasy Tactics (PSOne game) and FFTA.

Ok, this is long enough and has hopefully gotten you a good list to get started on. :)

I'm sure others will chime in. :D

/tk

[Philliesfan980]

Bump... waiting for SI's suggestions..

[sterlingice]

Don't worry- I haven't forgotten, but I had to finish off my SGS story today (among other things). I'm hoping to have my list done tomorrow.

SI

[stevew]

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?start=0&catid=18&threadid=559733

Maybe a big sale tomorrow at ToysRus Brick and mortar?

Possibly worth looking into, but didnt read the thread at fat wallet in completion.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Don't worry- I haven't forgotten, but I had to finish off my SGS story today (among other things). I'm hoping to have my list done tomorrow.

SI
Dude, seriously. It's been almost three days. Don't leave a brother hanging. Give the man your suggestions!

[sterlingice]

From what has been said over at CheapAssGamer (which is where FW stole it from), it seems pretty likely. That said, I think some of the CAG folks are screwing with FW since everyone knows that once a deal hits FW, it's dead for any normal people as hoarders go nuts. From the CAG thread, it sounds like stuff's actually been pretty picked over already because at TRU, you can price match up to 14 days so people will go and buy ahead of time. Some really nice stuff in this sale, provided it's true.

SI

[Philliesfan980]

Bump :)

[sterlingice]

Well, just spent the last, hm... wow, I guess, 6 hours finishing this up. Keep in mind, this is a draft- I haven't spell checked it or reread it for grammar and style yet. That's tomorrow's (today's) job as it's a bit late for those things now. Also, if I waited for it to get posted on Gamenikki, it'd take even longer. I will warn that I've only played a handful of these, mostly demos, but I have read up on all of them. Unfortunately, I won't be getting my DS until the 26th or 27. At that point, I'll at least have <em>Animal Crossing</em> and <em>Mario Kart</em> and hopefully <em>Phoenix Wright</em>. However, every game in the top two categories is on my list to get at some point. This is basically what the article going to be but I definitely want to run it past a couple of people to make sure I captured the correct "feel" for some of the games. And now it's definitely sleepy time as tomorrow (today) is getaway day for vacation.

<b>DS Holiday Buyer's Guide</b>

I know, I know, our DS coverage is a little lacking. A lot of Nintendo's handheld stuff is published by Nintendo, which is great. However, Nintendo never sends us stuff to fully review. Here's a quick primer if you have a DS or are expecting the jolly plump red guy to get you one for Christmas. Unlike some other systems *ahem* who have to tout their sports games as strong points, this guide is for people who want more meat with their games. For a system that's barely been out a year, it has a lot to offer.



<b>Top Tier</b> - These are pretty much all A+ titles. Only avoid these if you have aversions to the genres they are in. For example, if you're one of those people who just doesn't like RPGs or turn-based strat or non-competitive games, then avoid those specific games listed below.

<b><i>Mario Kart</i></b> - The single biggest "must have" game fo the Nintendo DS. By now, pretty much everyone knows of the <em>Mario Kart</em> franchise. This offering's gameplay is as good as ever and you can play online with friends around the country and world. While it has 16 new tracks, it also has 16 retro tracks, 4 each from the SNES, N64, GBA, and Gamecube versions. This game is the total package and will still be one of the best years from now.

<b><i>Animal Crossing: Wild World</i></b> - The Gamecube <em>Animal Crossing</em> was begging for online play and now it has it. As it's not a graphics intensive game, it's perfect for handheld play. For those unfamilar with the original, it's like <em>The Sims</em>, except fun-- er.. Nintendo'ized. Yeah, that's the kind way to say it. Fish, plant, collect, design, and decorate just as you did on the Gamecube but with new game elements and a better interface. It's not linear or competitive at all but it has tremendous replay value.

<b><i>Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time</i></b> - <em>Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga</em> may have been the most underappreciated game on the GBA. The story is great and entertaining, the sound and graphics are very good, it's fun to play, and fairly long. This role playing game, starring Nintendo's main mascots, is as good as <em>M&L:SS</em> and then some.

<b><i>Advance Wars: Dual Strike</i></b> - Maybe the best franchise from the GBA. The turn-based strategy franchise makes an impressive debut on the DS. It brings the same awesome gameplay that was the trademark of the previous versions but also throws in some new wrinkles. As with the previous outings, the CO's ooze character which makes the plot fun and the gameplay is as addictive as ever. Hopefully the next version will include WiFi play as this has <em>Starcraft</em> potential.

<b><i>Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow</i></b> - <em>Castlevania</em> gives Advance Wars a run for that "Best GBA Franchise" mantle as it has really found a home on the handhelds. Another great platformer in the mold of the original <em>Castlevania</em> games with the new polished gameplay that the handheld series has given the franchise. This is one of the DS games that doesn't make much use of the new DS features such as the touch screen and microphone, but it still delivers solid play on the system.

<b><i>Meteos</i></b> - Every handheld needs a good puzzle game and that's what <em>Meteos</em> is for the DS. While you can control with the d-pad, the stylus works a lot better and there's even a multiplayer mode. However, the most mileage you'll put on this addictive puzzle game is in time-killing sessions.



<b>Almost as Good</b> - As the title suggests, these are almost as good as the previous half dozen, just a step below. A lot of unique and fun games, most of which really take advantage of the new features of the DS. The lineup for the second half of this year has been simply amazing as the only one of these first two sets of games from before June was <em>Mario 64</em>.

<b><i>Nintendogs</i></b> - It's one of the best sellers for the DS and really expanded the market when it and <em>Advance Wars</em> came out in August. Ever since then, there's been a non-spot flow of quality games leading up until Christmas and the system has been flying off the shelves. I can't really explain the appeal, you just have to play it. It's a souped up version of Tamagotchi- you adopt a dog, care for it, talk to it, play with it using the stylus, enter it in contests, etc. This is a particularly good choice if you're trying to get a game for a non-gamer and it is one of a few games that appeals more to girls than guys.

<b><i>Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney</i></b> - Ever played a lawyer RPG? Well, you can now. This is the first game in this anime-styled Japanese series to make it stateside. As the title character, you need to be able to both collect evidence at the scene and present it in court. The game is very story driven and has a great translation. This one is becoming hard to track down in stores as it didn't sell very well.

<b><i>Kirby Canvas Curse</i></b> - Kirby has done pretty much everything on Nintendo's handhelds from the standard platformer to pinball to the motion-sensing <em>Kirby's Tilt n Tumble</em> where you had to move the Gameboy Color to make him move. Now you draw rainbows for him to roll along, avoiding the usual assortment of traps such as spikes and pits. It's an innovative way to use the DS touch screen.

<b><i>Sonic Rush</i></b> - Sonic is another franchise which really did well on the GBA. <em>Sonic Rush</em> may be the best yet. The "limitations" of a handheld allowed the games to remain true to their frantically paced side-scroller roots. The formula works even better when there are two screens for Sonic to race around on.

<b><i>Tony Hawk's American Sk8land</i></b> - It holds the distinction of being the first non-first party online game. It plays great for the fans of this classic extreme sport franchise. The game also sports a new cel-shaded look for the DS. This is as close as we get to a sports title on the list.

<b><i>Mario 64 DS</i></b> - This was one of the best games ever on it's original system, the N64. This remake of the classic was one of the launch games for the DS and includes a few new tricks like multi-player mode. Sure, it's not entirely new, but it's such a good game that even a remake is worthy of being on the list.



<b>Take a Flier</b> - These are a little more off the wall and specialized. Like <em>Phoenix Wright</em>, most these are going to be a bit harder to find as they are niche games. That said, they still have quite a bit to offer.

<b><i>Lost in Blue</i></b> - Did you ever have to read <em>Robinson Crusoe</em> in school? This is a lot like that. There's some boredom and tedium in the game but there's also a lot of interesting stuff that happens. If you can look past the micromanaging, there's a lot of fun to be had in trying to survive on and escape from an island where you and another character are stranded.

<b><i>Metroid Prime Pinball</i></b> - On the way to what sounded like a really dumb marketing gimmick with Nintendo was squeezing every last dollar out of a popular franchise, a good game popped out. This is a deceptively good pinball game and any pinball or <em>Metroid</em> fans should certainly check this out. It's not deep but another good time waster.

<b><i>Trace Memory</i></b> - A heavily plot-driven and immersive adventure centered around a girl's mysterious identity. It has quite a few fun and unique puzzles. However, the game is over all too quickly as it can be beaten in a few hours. If you can find this one for cheap, it's worth the time to play through it.

<b><i>Lunar: Dragon Song</i></b> - <em>Lunar</em> is an old RPG franchise which isn't that well known except in the RPG community. It didn't get the greatest treatment on the DS but <em>Dragon Song</em> is still imminently playable despite some flaws. Probably the best (only?) of the "old school" RPGs to hit the system so far but patience is required to wade through the game.

<b><i>Wario Ware Touched!</i></b> - If you haven't played a <em>Wario Ware</em> game, this is as good a place to start as any. The gameplay of the series consists of staccato bursts of a variety of mini-games which last a few seconds each. <em>Touched</em> expands on older versions by including games which use the touch screen and microphone. It can get old reasonably quick, due to its shallow nature, but initially it has that "just one more turn" feel to it.

<b><i>Trauma Center: Under the Knife</i></b> - If ever there was a board game that would make a seamless conversion to the DS, it'd be Operation. Well, <em>Trauma Center</em> is just that. Basically, you use the stylus as you would in <em>Operation</em> for removing body parts but also for other motions like making incisions. There's even a storyline to follow.



<b>Coming Soon</b> - These are some highly anticipated games that are firmly in the "Coming Soon" column (well, except the last one). The next few months will be a little thinner by comparison but that's how the winter months have always been. After the holiday, it takes a couple of months before games which missed the Christmas deadline and new Japanese translations begin to trickle in again. That said, four of these games are due by the end of March.

<b><i>ElectroPlankton</i></b> - This "game" is more of a musical toy than a game. Ten minutes of Nintendo's E3 keynote was a DJ demo'ing what he had created on this. It hard to explain but involves creating different musical organisms who react to your touch and voice. It's online order only so it will be somewhat rare and hard to come by, particularly if you miss out on the first shipment.

<b><i>Metroid Prime: Hunters</i></b> - <em>Metroid Prime</em>. Handheld. Deathmatch on WiFi. If that doesn't get you excited, then you're just not a gamer. This was supposed to come out last year but went back to the design studio to get WiFi play once Nintendo revealed their online plans. It's going to be the next "must have" game.

<b><i>Resident Evil: Deadly Silence</i></b> - A remake of the original <em>Resident Evil</em> for the Playstation. Maybe with less buttons, it'll be harder to make the controls stink. This remake of a classic game will probably be worth picking up in February.

<b><i>Super Princess Peach</i></b> - Apparently Peach is tired of being saved by an overweight plumber so she strikes out on her own adventure. It's a platformer targeted almost exclusively at girls, starring the Princess and painted in pastel. It's due to arrive in February.

<b><i>Ultimate Brain/Card Games</i></b> - These are the Nintendo DS equivalents of shareware gaming packs. Like the GBA version, <em>Brain</em> version includes multiplayer versions of chess, checkers, connect four, battleship, and four more games. <em>Card</em> contains Hearts, Spades, Bridge, Blackjack, Texas Hold'em, Gin Rummy, and more. These were delayed into 2006 so that Nintendo WiFi Connection support could be built in.

<b><i>Super Mario Bros</i></b> - I would be remiss if I didn't mention this gem. Unlike the others, this is probably quite a ways off, but it's another "big game" on the somewhat distant horizon (along with Q4 2006's <em>Pokemon: Pearl/Diamond</em>). Screenshots look reminiscent of <em>Super Mario 3</em> but is a completely new game designed exclusively for the DS. This one should be huge.

And, there's more on the way including <em>Super Monkey Ball</em>, <em>Harvest Moon</em>, a <em>Mario</em> basketball game, a couple of new ways to play <em>Pokemon</em>, <em>Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles</em>, some quality RPG franchises (<em>Xenosaga</em>, <em>Mana</em>), and more.



<b>"Retro" Gaming</b> - Lastly, don't forget the GBA. For both marketing and technical reasons, you can't play GB or GB Color games on the DS, so no <em>Tetris</em>. However, pretty much every GBA game can be played on the Nintendo DS so don't miss these classics if you haven't played them yet.

Pokemon: Fire Red/Leaf Green - Remakes of <em>Pokemon: Red/Blue</em> which are perfect for anyone wanting to start the series.
Pokemon: Ruby/Sapphire - The most recent new generation of Pokemon on the GBA.
Advance Wars, Advance Wars 2 - The amazing GBA turn-based strategy games.
Golden Sun, Golden Sun 2 - Two quality original RPGs for the system.
Ultimate Card/Brain Games - The GBA versions of the aforementioned upcoming DS games.
Castlevania: CotM, HoD, AoS - As mentioned above, the <em>Castlevania</em> series has found a great home on Nintendo handhelds.
Sonic Advance 1 thru 3 - Another series which has found a nice home on the GBA.
Mario Kart Super Circuit - Very fun handheld version for the GBA with some courses included in the new DS version.
Metroid Fusion, Metroid: Zero Mission - The former is a completely original game while the latter is an updated remake of the original Metroid.
Super Mario Advance 1 thru 4 - Remakes of SMB2, SMB3, SMW, and Yoshi's Island
Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, The Minish Cap - A remake of the SNES classic and a new adventure.
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga - Excellent RPG starring the Mario brothers.
Final Fantasy I&II, IV, Tactics Advance - Remakes of former Square RPGs from the famous series.
Classic NES Series - Ports of gaming classics such as Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Castlevania, Metroid, and others.

SI

[Philliesfan980]

Wow! Great write up. I'm not a grammer expert by any means, but nothing popped out to me as wrong.

Again, thanks for the time. I'll probably end up giving many of the titles you have on your list a flyer.

[Philliesfan980]

Hey SI, just wanted to let you know that I did indeed get a DS for Christmas, which included Mario Kart. I used to own a PSP and let me tell you this is so much better. Sure I can't play movies or run some of the ports that PSP can, but I'm having a blast. The DS hooked up to my wireless router seamlessly, and I was racing someone (from another country no less) within 10 minutes after I opened the box. I can't express how happy I am with this purchase and can't wait to try some of the games on your list above.

Just wanted to say thanks again for converting me :). I guess we have another nintendo fanboy around here.

[terpkristin]

HAHAHA Phillies.
I have both (well, obviously I have YOUR old PSP and I thought it was obvious I had the DS), and Kart is the first game REALLY worth buying for it. After Kart was released, they released the others (like AC and M&L), but Kart was the first real reason to buy it.

Glad you're enjoying it and let me know when you're up for some online head-to-head. :D

/tk

[sterlingice]

Well, I finally have my DS. It's a shiny blue one. I was a little hesistant with the blue as I've gone with the classic silver (SP) or gray (GBA glacier) to pay homage to the ol' gray brick (original Gameboy). But that's all they had at Best Buy and once I took it out of the package I was in love- it was shinier and darker than I expected and the paint isn't at all cheap so I'm not worried about it chipping off or anything (my SP has a little wear around the hinges but, c'mon, that's hundreds if not thousands of hours of wear and that's the only spot). But I digress- here's the whole story from today.

I start off at Best Buy as I had a couple of Christmas gift cards there. That way I could use the biggest chunk and not have to worry about as much cash being spent as that's in really short supply. They only have 2 blue ones out so I ask the guy to check in the computer. As suspected, the Mario Kart bundle was limited time only for Christmas shoppers so they were out of those. Also, they were out of silver at the moment. As I wanted to play today, I went with the blue.

Then I head to EBGames. We still have a guy at our EBGames who likes games- you know, the old type of EBGames guy who can talk up pretty much any genre and system not someone who just knows that Madden came out last week, or was it this week, or sometime in the near future. I grab a copy of Animal Crossing but he thinks they're out (as it turns out, they actually got one in yesterday used and my friend walks out with it for $25), so I ask about Phoenix Wright, also out. Heck, they aren't expecting any more Animal Crossing shipments in until mid-late January. What's Nintendo thinking? So, I "settle for" Mario Kart, which is my personal third choice (Animal Crossing I've wanted since they announced it a couple of years ago and Phoenix Wright as they actually had one in store last week and wanted to snag it before it was gone again). Tomorrow, formerly referred to friend is heading to Topeka and I asked him to check out a couple of places there for Animal Crossing so hopefully I'll have that in hand tomorrow.

As for Mario Kart- man, that's a beautiful game. The gameplay is really refined. I love that they brought back the little shoulder button hop and I love the new drafting. I was getting tired of pressing "Y" to fire an item which seemed really counterintuitive to me. I was wondering why they didn't have a shoulder button to do that since that would have made more sense and if they have a configurable control, I'll just go edit it and-- whoops- it just so happens that you can fire using a shoulder button. Very intuitive with the fire on one side and the hop/slide on the other.

The items standardization is kindof good since some teams were overpowered in Double Dash (see: Toad/Toadette+either Koopa). That said, I'd like to see them try a combo of the two- give individual items but keep the item bars like there are in the DS version so if you have an awesome item, drop the frequency of getting it. So, while Donkey Kong may have had that giant banana that sucked, he would get it every other time while the better items like Koopa's triple red shells would be a lot less frequent.

The level design is pretty good among the new levels, maybe the best yet. I love some of the new levels like Waluigi Pinball, the airship fortress one, and the clock one. Even the seemingly generic ones like Peach Garden have some fun to them. And, probably more, I love the idea of the retro cup, tho I wish they had chosen some better tracks- the GBA selections seem to be the only ones that are really good. Baby Park? C'mon, guys. Kindof a lot of nondescript ones in there. Why not take some of the harder and more colorful courses?

I'm up for some Mario Kart racing with some FOFC'ers, when they want. I tried it out earlier tonight on "worldwide" with a couple of players with Japanese character names. It worked out great (tho I did lose). I'm pretty busy for tomorrow but maybe Friday. That said, just message me on AIM or PM on the board for my friend code. I don't want to post it in the event that there are people who go around harvesting codes just to bug people or something, but I'll certainly pass it around in private. I'll be an easy win for whoever plays me as I'm not that good at it yet- I'm not that good of a reflex gamer as I rely on building muscle memory to carry the day.

Hopefully, by then I'll also be working on an Animal Crossing village to put everyone else's to shame ;)

SI

[MikeVic]

Ok, whoa, wait. You can WiFi with far away people? I thought it was just for close-by people when you're walking by them or something?

[sterlingice]

Well, you can connect two ways with the DS.

I played with aforementioned friend of mine using the proprietary internet connection from Nintendo. He was on the other side of the room and we both played on my copy of Mario Kart (there are some limits to single pack multi-player games like the number of tracks you can play, for instance).

Then there's Nintendo's WiFi that they launched last month (over 250K the last couple of days). You can play with people online, around the country or around the world. Basically, you just need a wireless router that's on the "approved" list. I've had a the standard 802.11G Linksys for over a year now and that was on it- basically all I had to do was enter my WEP key and it was off and running. It pretty much configured itself. Very cool stuff. Nintendo also partnered with Mickey D's- there are hot spots at over 6000 of them across the country that will connect with the Nintendo WiFi network.

EDIT: The second was the one where I got slaughtered by two people who likely live on the other side of the world from me (Japanese characters for their user names)

SI

[sterlingice]

It's mostly the same as what was posted here, but here's the final result posted to Gamenikki:

http://www.gamenikki.com/g3/features/Frank.php?id=1

SI

[Philliesfan980]

Looks good! Thanks for sharing it with us first!'

edit:

Just bought Castlevania on your recommendation!

[sterlingice]

I've got AC and Mario Kart. I have credit towards a 3rd- not quite sure which I'm getting among Meteos or Advance Wars. Nothing against Castlevania, but I'm looking for something that's a bit more segmented. Also a friend of mine got Mario & Luigi so no need to snag that.

SI