Playing on the Go

Remember around a year ago when Nintendo imported and translated Brain Age, which consequently triggered the “games for everyone” mantra? A game as revolutionary as that one will hit here once again at the end of next month. It’s called Piccross and it could be the next big thing.

Picross is sort of a puzzle game, but very different from the sort of brain busters that you are used to from Brain Age and its ripoffs. Basically, the player uses different logic skills to eliminate squares on the playing board, revealing a picture underneath. Sounds simple, but so did Brain Age and Wii Sports, didn’t they? It’s in fact much deeper than it may sound like at the surface. Once the game is out, you’ll be able to do just about anything you’d like with the game via Nintendo WiFi, including sending your own created puzzles and competing in timed competitions with friends.

Picross will hit stores, your brain, and your wallet on July 30th.

nintendods, piccross

Of course, the most constant complaint about the Wii side of Nintendo WiFi is that of the prospect of individual friend codes for each game. For DS owners, this system is not entirely new whatsoever, as it has been in place since the service kicked off in 2005. Personally, I’ve never really been bothered by the system. If there’s a friend I’d like to play a game with, offline or online, it’s simple enough to get their code and enter it in on my friend list within each game.

It’s a hassle, but it’s only one that happens one time which only takes a few minutes. If I’d ever like to play with a random person it’s simple enough as Nintendo WiFi is pretty good about matching you up with a player of similar skill. However, I can see where complains would be valid. Comparable to systems which are of easier usability such as XBox Live or the online capability of the PSP, Nintendo WiFi is a hassle. Let’s face it, while Nintendo may claim that they have been the innovators of online play as far back as the SNES days, they just aren’t the best at it.

But let’s hear from you. Is the friend code system really that much of a problem? Does it really even inhibit your online play? Or is it just a rare annoyance? Let me know in the comments section.

The summit, held earlier this week and also held under media embargo until today, featured a ton of new games for DS. And as you would expect from the “new” Nintendo, most of them are pretty quirky. The above shot is from Planet Puzzle League, which is sort of a hybrid of Bejeweled and Tetris. Also on hand was Brain Age 2, the highlight of which for me is what seems to be a mind squashing game of “guess the tune”. Lastly is Drawn To Life, a hugely interesting game which features the ability to draw your own character within sort of a side scroller. Even more interesting is the fact that you can swap the drawn characters with friends via a WiFi Connection.

No mention yet of any playable demos of Phantom Hourglass. Check back with us throughout the Memorial Day weekend as more info of that particular game should seep out of the press embargo.

nintendods, nintendomediasummit

You’d think that given the popularity of the DS, people would be at least a little familiar with what the device is and isn’t capable of.

At a recent preview screening of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, a reporter was asked to not bring in their Nintendo DS for fear of the device being able to record the film. Which I suppose was a, um, piracy concern, appropriately enough. If there is some bizarro world where the DS is actually capable of recording video, I’d like to know about it. That would certainly be a cool little feature.

The reporter goes on in an interview to explain further inconsistencies in this policy..

“Weirdly, they did allow non-camera-equipped cell phones in - which I discovered during my lengthy argument with the security guy - meaning I could have brought my DS if I said it was a cell phone. Unfortunately this didn’t occur to me until I was hunched over my Subaru’s passenger window, waving goodbye to my little patience-maker as I abandoned it to the 300 degree heat of my car interior. (I have no games on my cell phone because I’m a snob who can’t stand dumbed-down mobile games).”

“Anyway, once I was finally granted admission to the theater - I couldn’t resist muttering I hope this movie gets pirated’ as I walked in..”

And no, that doesn’t mean that you can’t pick up At World’s End for your DS or PSP, as it’s available on pretty much every platform known to man.

potc, nintendods

What you see above may seem like an ordinary screen shot of Mario Kart DS, but seasoned veterans of the game will easily realize what the player of this paticular game is setting up to do. He or she is setting up to “snake“. This was usually referred to as “powersliding” back in my day of Mario Kart 64, but apparently the vocabulary has changed in around ten years.

If you aren’t familiar with the term, it is a method of getting a very quick speed boost in which the player slides back and forth before triggering the maneuver. It’s a trick of moderate difficulty that yields moderate results. However, many players that play the game over Nintendo WiFi seem wont to do this trick for the entirety of each track. In the opinion of this blogger, it’s incessant and annoying.

In theory, the Nintendo WiFi system pairs players together of equal skill, but it still does not seem to separate the snakers and the non-snakers. Frankly, it’s a problem that heavily segments the MKDS population into two, making the online experience pretty much unplayable for the latter half of those who partake in it. You are either a compulsive and obsessive gamer who chooses to snake the entire time, or you casually play as ideally normal. In my experience, this is a problem that presents itself in all of its hideousness nearly two thirds of the time when connecting to Nintendo WiFi. It also rears another problem. Many players, after realizing they’ve matched up with a snaker, drop out of the contest. Which of course usually leaves the snaker unable to complete the game since they are at it alone.

The point of this rant is this… We’d all do better for each other and would make the online experience worlds better if we would all practice a little more etiquette in online gameplay. There’s never a need to “own” all of the other platers because they can’t keep up with you, nor is it polite to drop out of a match that you’ve already committed to by joining. Both practices are very rude, and would make for a much more enjoyable experience for everyone if they were avoided at all costs.

mariokartds, nintendods, snaking

The initial track list for Guitar Hero III is looking mighty fine. Check it out below.

* Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
* Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
* Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
* The Metal (by Tenacious D)
* My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
* Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
* Rock And Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
* School’s Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
* Slow Ride (as made famous by Fog Hat)
* Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
* Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)

But what does this have to do with this site, you may ask? Guitar Hero III has also previously been announced for the DS. That version shouldn’t hit until a little later, most likely early Spring of ‘08, but it’s safe to assume that the majority of this track list should land on that version as well. What’s probably not safe to assume is that there would be a wireless guitar accessory for the DS, which would just be a little, well you know, too much. Expect to try to do your best Joe Perry via the stylus and the touch screen.

The console version of GHIII hits this Fall, including on the Wii!

nintendods, guitarhero

The DS Browser will be hitting U.S. shelves pretty soon. June 4th, to be exact. The below video is a slightly older demo of the Japanese version that has been out for some time, but it’s very safe to assume that much of the functionality will remain the same.

From the looks of it, the software will probably look best with sites specially formatted for cell phone browsers. However, not unlike the Wii Internet Channel, some sites have jumped the curve and have already begun to offer content specially designed for the DS Browser. One of my favorites is dssites.com, which offers a ton of links to sites formatted in the bare bones style.

Know any other sites that would be good for the DS Browser? Leave a comment!

ds, dsbrowser

Like I said the other day, it seems as if there’s no end to the Final Fantasy. Even on handhelds. Two new installments will soon be on the PSP. One, a “sequel” of sorts within the Final Fantasty VII world, and another new one entitled Final Fantasy Dissidia. No, I’m not really sure what that means either. Screenshots from Famitsu are below if you wanna check it out.

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core | Final Fantasy Dissidia

finalfantasy, psp, ffvii

It’s got more horsepower to work with, but Chains of Olympus admittedly outshines the Ninja Gaiden video posted previously.

The upcoming game supposedly is a prequel, predating both of the God of War games already available for PS2. Speaking of PS2, the visuals here arguably look as good as for that system. While no launch date has been announced, I’d be shocked if it didn’t arrive prior to the Holiday rush this Fall / Winter.

godofwar, psp

They weren’t exactly dropping the bomb, but Nintendo announced a ton of release dates for upcoming games while we were all sleeping. The most notable titles are dated later rather than sooner, with Sim City DS landing in July, Brain Age 2 in August, and Phoenix Wright 3 in September.

Also of note to Nintendo junkies is the official announcement of Metroid Prime 3 for Wii, out on August 20. No mention of Smash Bros. Brawl or Zelda: Twilight Princess yet, but those are three pretty big DS announcements that should hold us over.

ds, nintendo, dates

This Fall is going to be pretty big. Lots of big games are to be released over that period, portables and consoles. Adding to this is Ninja Gaiden DS. Which looks ‘friggin awesome.

As you can tell, you hold the DS sideways as you would with Brain Age. Controls are mixed between traditional buttons and the stylus, but with touch controls mainly controlling Ryu. As for the visuals, it’s pretty clear that the characters and some elements are 3D while much of the background is pre-rendered. Much like old school Resident Evil games. However, whatever way it’s done, it’s done right. No way around it, that there’s some incredible graphics for the little portable that could.

ninjagaiden, ds

Whoa, wait a second. That couldn’t be right. Could it?

Pocket Gamer, a UK site, is reporting that Phantom Hourglass has been seen on the Nintendo WiFi network over the past few days. Of course, this is probably relevant to the fact that the game will soon release in Japan. June 23, specifically. The site reports that the game had seen well over 100 player log ins over the past few days. They also venture a guess that the reason for this is that Japanese journalists are checking the game out for themselves in order to get review scores in.

If you are catching up and thinking “what online mode”, you are a little late. The new Zelda DS does feature some online connectivity that allows for some “capture / defend the base” modes. Some other functionality, including voice chat, has been tossed around in various rumors as well. We should know a lot more for sure once the game is out in Japan in around a month.

No, it isn’t fair that they are getting it so far ahead of us. Nor is if fair that someone is apparently playing the game right now. But Yanks can just suck it up and wait for our localized release at whatever point later this year.

zelda, nintendods, phantomhourglass

Your PSP can’t repel firepower of that magnitude!

Oh. Um. Maybe it can. Just when we all thought that the Battlefront series was over with until another developer picks it up down the line, Lucas Arts makes a surprise announcement.

Starwars.com offers us the following details:

“Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is the previously untold story of a ragtag ensemble of battle-hardened rogues and scoundrels assembled by Han Solo. Gathered to execute some of the most secretive operations in the Rebel Alliance’s war against the Galactic Empire, the Renegade Squadron participates in battles spanning the galaxy. From the Valley of the Sith on Korriban to a dogfight in space through the remains of Alderaan, Solo directs the team on missions of sabotage, rescue and retrieval.”

So pretty much, what Liberty City Stories is to GTA, this is to Battlefront. Nevertheless, it’s great to see the franchise alive in some shape or form. Personally, I enjoy the Battlefront series more so that it’s blueprint counterpart in the Battlefield series. If you’d like to know more about the game, there’s a pretty cool teaser site already up.

On a related note, Star Wars Celebration IV takes place in Los Angeles over the next weekend. If there are any new announcements to be made concerning the rest of the Star Wars universe, whether it be in the form of a game or the upcoming television series, it’s likely to be made there.

starwars, psp

A while back, IGN had a really nice feature about the future of Wii Channels. One of the things that they mentioned was the possibility of a DS Download Channel. That article was published back in January, and here it is the latter part of May and we’ve yet to hear anything about such a feature.

In fact, we’ve yet to hear anything about any connectivity between the Wii and the DS aside from a few features in Pokemon Battle Revolution. In theory, there should be a lot going on. Both the Wii and the DS are WiFi compatible. And we do know for a fact that they can easily communicate with each other because of the fact that the upcoming Pokemon game is able to do it. Communication transmission can actually run both ways. Players of the new Pokemon games for DS will be able to upload their Pokemon to the DS and be able to use them within the new Wii game.

That capability is out there… But where’s the beef? Surely Nintendo knows that a lot of Wii owners also happen to be DS owners. And I’m sure they’d like to get some demos of DS games in the hands of end users. They’ve already been doing it with DS Download Stations in a ton of stores pretty much everywhere.

It’s probably coming, but it’s more than likely going to be a while. The Gamecube and GBA connectivity didn’t come around until the last third of the life of the Gamecube. Hopefully, with the wireless capabilities and the lessons learned from last time, that connectivity for this generation will come around a little sooner. At least I hope it’s a little sooner. That’s an itch Nintendo needs to scratch pretty soon.

wii, ds, connectivity, wifi

Are you sitting down for this one?

Blizzard, the company that happily takes fifteen bucks a month from many of us, is definitely going mobile in some shape or form.

The company currently has a number of job listings open in that respective section of Blizzard.com that point towards future mobile offerings from the company. Those positions are for a Mobile Producer, a Lead Mobile Software Engineer, and a Lead Mobile UI Designer. Granted, those are only three positions. So it’s probably only likely that Blizzard is in the beginning stages of mobile development. This also doesn’t necessarily indicate that Blizzard is developing for the traditional DS or PSP platforms. It’s entirely possible that it could be for a cheapie cell phone mini-game or something for the upcoming iPhone from Apple.

However, there is hope. Historically, when Blizzard has developed for non-PC platforms, it’s been one with a Nintendo logo on it. Granted, that has only applied to a few comic side scrollers and the long lost Starcraft: Ghost. But hopefully it is an indication that a franchise such as Starcraft or Warcraft may soon appear on the DS. Or the PSP, if you’d like.