Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (Nintendo DS)
Customer Review: Deceptively simple, addictive puzzler
This is best described as turn based Bejewelled/Zoo Keeper, with an RPG story wrapped round it.
A fairly run-of-the-mill fantasy story has the player choosing a character class, with different spells and abilities, based on earth, air, fire and water. The idea is to explore a world map battling opponents on the way, as random encounters, or as part of a task to complete.
The battles takes place via the usual Bejwelled/Zoo Keeper grid, but not all jewels are equal. Matching red/yellow/green/blue gems bestows mana/energy of that colour/element, different combinations and quantities being required to fuel spell casting or abilities. Stars give experience, gold is self explanetory. Skulls damage opponents, who have the usual hit points.
Each player takes turns, with the caveat that 4 or more matched gives another turn. The different opponents are distinguished with varying AI, easy ones make mistakes, high level monsters are a pain, as well as all having differing abilities (in a nod to Dungeons and Dragons, trolls regenerate). Upon the defeat of a monster (reducing hit points to zero), experience and sometimes gold is awarded.
Experience allows levelling up, different spells, oft encountered creatures can be captured (by clearing a puzzle scenario), as long as your citidel has the requisite upgrade, abilities buffed, items/runes researched, towns laid siege, all based on variations on the puzzle theme, not dissimilar to the puzzle quest mode on Zoo Keeper.
It’s all been quite well thought out, and variations on the theme covered comprehensively, wherein lies the main problem of repetition.
It’s addictive if you like that sort of thing, but if you dislike ZooKeeper or Bejwelled, stay away.
The story isn’t very good, but the ins and outs of different tasks/puzzle variations built around the RPG framework does make for a title with long term appeal. It’s also a title that is suitable for a quick 5-10 minutes on the train, which is useful if you’re trying to finish the quest, unlike the main play modes on Zoo Keeper based on time or levels (those 20 levels in ZooKeeper take a little while to complete). The sound, however, is very annoying, and turning it off was the first thing I did.
In summary, I’m hooked, until someone resurrects a proper turrn-based strategy title like Laser Squad or X-Com for the DS.
Customer Review: Avoid like the plague!
This abismal attempt at a game is a cross between final fantasy and columns, however does neither very well. Only a mindless simpleton would find this game entertaining after the first couple of hours (if you can last that long with out throwing it out the window) The graphics are poor and the gameplay is worse, i can’t emphasise enough how bad this game is.
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The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS) The epic story of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker continues as Link finds himself lost and alone in unknown seas in a new adventure. Featuring intuitive touch-screen controls and innovative puzzles, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass offers new challenges for fans of the series and an easy-to-grasp introduction for gamers new to The Legend of Zelda. But time grows short, and only the Phantom Hourglass can buy Link the minutes he?ll need to survive. Many months have passed since the events of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Link, Tetra and Tetra?s band of pirates have set sail in search of new lands. They come across a patch of ocean covered in a dense fog, in which they discover an abandoned ship. Tetra falls into danger when she explores the ship alone, and Link falls into the ocean when he attempts to rescue her. When he washes up unconscious on the shores of a mysterious island, he is awakened by the sound of a fairy?s voice. With the aid of this fairy, he sets off to find Tetra ? and his way back to the seas he once knew. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is controlled almost entirely by the stylus. Using the touch screen, players direct Link?s movements and attacks: A sweeping motion triggers Link?s spin attack and tapping characters makes Link speak with them. The stylus controls offer a more intuitive means of playing the game and open up new possibilities for puzzle solving. The game action takes place primarily on the touch screen, with a map on the top screen. However, the player can inspect the map on the touch screen and make notes using the stylus. The notes on these maps are saved for review on the top screen during game play. Players use the map to chart courses for their ships, too. Using the stylus to draw a path through the islands, players set their ships? courses. Then, as the ships automatically follow the paths drawn, players can control their ships? cannons to target oncoming enemies. In dun
Customer Review: Best DS game yet!!!
As a fan of Zelda games, and of the DS, I was really excited about the Phantom Hourglass… and I wasn’t one bit disappointed! The game carries on the great Zelda tradition for anyone familiar with it, and it is a direct follow-on to the Gamecube Zelda and the Wind Waker - it starts where the Wind Waker finished off. A must for Zelda fans!! But even if you haven’t played other Zelda games, you are given a full story and will enjoy it as a standalone game. The story is great, funny in parts and with a main story and side-quests to keep you occupied for ages. The thing I really loved about this Zelda was the touch screen. This game really uses the touch screen functions, from running and using your sword, to more fun things like deciding what direction your boomerang goes in, mapping out your sea journey on your sea-chart, calling through the microphone to get a character’s attention or to blow on lanterns and dusty maps, and the most useful thing of all: writing notes on your map or circling where a trap is, for example. Sooo handy, you’ll wonder how you ever went through a dungeon in a game without it! There’s lots more the DS functions are used for, but I think you get the general idea that it’s really well used! I’ll stop now, but basically I’d really recommend this game to everybody who likes DS games where the touch screen is used, likes role-playing or action type games, and who wants something that will keep them entertained for a good while! Suitable for any age or gender (I’m a 20 year old female). Buy it now!!!:)
Customer Review: great fun
After seeing my sister playing an old zelda game on the gameboy years ago, i thought id give this new one ago on the ds. I originally thought that this game would be mega easy and really simple. I was happy to be proven wrong. Its very easy game play, but some of the tasks can be challenging, which i was pleasantly suprised at as i thought this game was for the younger crowd. The story line is good, although i find not as addictive as others, but then its easy to retrun to as it isnt as complicated as some rpg’s.
A great game to play if you cant dedicate hours on end to and can only spare 30 mins here and 10 mins there.
Goldfish skin for Nintendo DS Lite
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NINTENDO DS NDS CHROME METAL STYLUS x 2
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MySims (Nintendo DS)
The Sims 2: Pets has already appeared on the Wii, but it was just a simple port of the PlayStation 2 version with little real use made of the Wii remote. This though is a complete reimagining of the whole The Sims concept made exclusively for Nintendo’s consoles. The concept is largely the same as always as you take control of the lives of your own fictional family in what’s a cross between a video game and an interactive version of Big Brother. The graphics have been completely revamped, moving away from the pseudo realism of the older games and using a much cuter, cartoon style that’s somewhere between Playmobil and Animal Crossing (they’re actually modelled after a Japanese toy line called Pinky Street).
Naturally the game makes full use of the Wii’s controls with the remote used to pick up, rotate and drop objects and buildings with refreshing ease, while the nunchuck is used simply to move around. This is all in the aid of making the game as customisable as possible, from the characters themselves to their homes and furniture. Previously The Sims games let you build your own house or swimming pool but here you can design your own fridge if you want or bed, sofa or any other item of furniture. This feeds into the concept of having to do up your house and turn your virtual ghost town into a thriving village full of oddball characters. With Animal Crossing still some way off this could be the next big casual game on the Wii.
Harrison Dent List Price: ?29.99 Amazon Price: ?24.98 Used Price: ?20.25 Customer Review: Not bad at all LOL
This game is very similar to animal crossing, however i sold animal crossing as i didnt like it but this is a keeper. it may be similar but its alot more interesting !!! Unlike other sims games you dont have to keep motives up, the only downside is its easy to complete (got to 5 stars in 3days) but we cant have it all now can we LOL Sims Urbz is still my overall FAV !! 5 outta 5 though so def a great buy, happy gaming to all xxxxx
Customer Review: Bit disappointing…
MySims seems to address some of the problems that cropped up in Sims2 for the DS… but not very successfully. One of the main problems with Sims2 was the lack of mini-games (almost nothing to do), while another was the lack of locations in the game (aside from the town or the desert, there was nowhere to go). The overly-basic method of communicating with other Sims was also an issue (very repetitive). MySims, on the other hand, has lots of minigames. In fact, In MySims, the majority of action and excitement in the game is down to minigames (paragliding, making lei, casino games), rather than events. In fact, the minigames become separated from the events/story of the game… making them seem quite pointless after a while. Maybe the main problem is that the biggest incentive for playing a minigame is to earn some Simoleans. And the only thing you can do with Simoleans is buy some flowers or furniture for your house(s). That starts to feel pointless too (especially when the furniture is largely non-interactive, and can only be looked at). The key would be to relate the minigames to your actual progress in the game’s story. Maybe instead of just paragliding to gain money, you could paraglide against another character who is trying to buy the town’s Mountain for himself, etc. Connecting the minigame more closely to the story-line is important. In terms of locations, there are quite a few in MySims (forest, port, mountain, etc). It takes too long to travel from one to another, even when using the bus, making it a bit off-putting to travel around from location to location. Maybe some earnable method for quick movement around the town would have been a good idea. As for communication, it’s pretty tedious. Walking around comforting angry tourists all day gets quite boring. I started avoiding it after a while, but still managed to do well in the game. Unfortunately, another major problem with Sims2 occurs again in MySims - i.e. the shortness of the game. I’m not generally a fast gamer… but I finished the main goal of this game (reaching 5 stars) within 4 days. Overall, a bit disappointing. I still believe that the Urbz is the best Sims game for the Nintendo DS. Great story-line, good mini-games, plenty of locations, plenty of stuff to do, and motivation to do it.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS) The epic story of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker continues as Link finds himself lost and alone in unknown seas in a new adventure. Featuring intuitive touch-screen controls and innovative puzzles, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass offers new challenges for fans of the series and an easy-to-grasp introduction for gamers new to The Legend of Zelda. But time grows short, and only the Phantom Hourglass can buy Link the minutes he?ll need to survive. Many months have passed since the events of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Link, Tetra and Tetra?s band of pirates have set sail in search of new lands. They come across a patch of ocean covered in a dense fog, in which they discover an abandoned ship. Tetra falls into danger when she explores the ship alone, and Link falls into the ocean when he attempts to rescue her. When he washes up unconscious on the shores of a mysterious island, he is awakened by the sound of a fairy?s voice. With the aid of this fairy, he sets off to find Tetra ? and his way back to the seas he once knew. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is controlled almost entirely by the stylus. Using the touch screen, players direct Link?s movements and attacks: A sweeping motion triggers Link?s spin attack and tapping characters makes Link speak with them. The stylus controls offer a more intuitive means of playing the game and open up new possibilities for puzzle solving. The game action takes place primarily on the touch screen, with a map on the top screen. However, the player can inspect the map on the touch screen and make notes using the stylus. The notes on these maps are saved for review on the top screen during game play. Players use the map to chart courses for their ships, too. Using the stylus to draw a path through the islands, players set their ships? courses. Then, as the ships automatically follow the paths drawn, players can control their ships? cannons to target oncoming enemies. In dun
Customer Review: Best DS game yet!!!
As a fan of Zelda games, and of the DS, I was really excited about the Phantom Hourglass… and I wasn’t one bit disappointed! The game carries on the great Zelda tradition for anyone familiar with it, and it is a direct follow-on to the Gamecube Zelda and the Wind Waker - it starts where the Wind Waker finished off. A must for Zelda fans!! But even if you haven’t played other Zelda games, you are given a full story and will enjoy it as a standalone game. The story is great, funny in parts and with a main story and side-quests to keep you occupied for ages. The thing I really loved about this Zelda was the touch screen. This game really uses the touch screen functions, from running and using your sword, to more fun things like deciding what direction your boomerang goes in, mapping out your sea journey on your sea-chart, calling through the microphone to get a character’s attention or to blow on lanterns and dusty maps, and the most useful thing of all: writing notes on your map or circling where a trap is, for example. Sooo handy, you’ll wonder how you ever went through a dungeon in a game without it! There’s lots more the DS functions are used for, but I think you get the general idea that it’s really well used! I’ll stop now, but basically I’d really recommend this game to everybody who likes DS games where the touch screen is used, likes role-playing or action type games, and who wants something that will keep them entertained for a good while! Suitable for any age or gender (I’m a 20 year old female). Buy it now!!!:)
Customer Review: great fun
After seeing my sister playing an old zelda game on the gameboy years ago, i thought id give this new one ago on the ds. I originally thought that this game would be mega easy and really simple. I was happy to be proven wrong. Its very easy game play, but some of the tasks can be challenging, which i was pleasantly suprised at as i thought this game was for the younger crowd. The story line is good, although i find not as addictive as others, but then its easy to retrun to as it isnt as complicated as some rpg’s.
A great game to play if you cant dedicate hours on end to and can only spare 30 mins here and 10 mins there.
Be a Guitar Hero on the iPhone For Real
MobileMag - It’s more like Jam Sessions for the Nintendo DS. Installing PocketGuitar on your iPhone or iPod touch looks to be a pretty easy process — just launch the installer, choose sources, and add http://podmap.net/apps to your repositories — so there’s no
Australia enjoys record games growth
gamesindustry.biz - Sales figures also indicate a resurging popularity in handheld consoles with 2.3 million units of software for the Nintendo DS system purchased last year compared to the 840,000 purchased in 2006.” He also revealed that the videogames market in
PR Newswire Photo Advisory for Tuesday, January 22, 1 p.m. EST
StreetInsider.com - Curious consumers and veteran players gathered at the Jan. 20, 2008, event for a first look at the highly anticipated new game for Nintendo DS. (PRNewsFoto/Nintendo) http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080122/LATU071-b 01/22/2008 RAYTHEON COMPANY OIL
NINTENDO DS NDS CARRY CASE (Various Colours) 
Amazon Price: ?7.99 
Nintendo DS Lite Carrying Case. Colour: Blue
DS LEATHER CASE c/w SHOULDER S TRAP.WRISTE STRAP & BELT LOOP SUITABLE FOR NINTENDO DS
Dress up your DS Lite with one of our fabulous skins. Skins are made from high quality adhesive material made to fit the exact shape of your console and designed to stick on and peel off easily without leaving a mark.
