Deal Or No Deal (Nintendo DS)

January 7, 2008 | By Doug In DS |

Deal Or No Deal (Nintendo DS)
Customer Review: Repetitive and shallow gaming experience
I like Deal or No Deal a lot as a show, but essentially it is a fairly slim concept. You open boxes, the banker makes you an offer and you accept or reject. It can be really gripping television but sadly this attempt at making it into a game falls flat.

The Nintendo DS version has three options - the regular game, playing as the banker or a forfeits version. There is also a mini-game that crops up once a game and will soon become grating as you have to follow a moving box and correctly identify it. Whilst the makers clearly want to add some variety to the game, by only having one such challenge it quickly becomes a chore. It would have been better to have a number of assorted tasks that can be completed. Variable difficulty levels might have made it more entertaining too - I certainly never had any problem following the boxes.

The option to play as the banker is certainly an interesting twist (though the moving boxes mini-game makes an unwelcome appearance) though the novelty wears out fairly quickly.

The biggest problem with this title is repetition. You’ll see the same tired old banker comments repeat each game, the musical score is bland and you will come to dread the appearance of the mini game.

Then again, it was a near-impossible task for the game’s makers - without the tension in the studio the atmosphere of the show never really comes to life. Whilst it is fun to see a digital version of Noel Edmonds (and a number of interesting looking individuals holding boxes), the novelty quickly wears off.

Customer Review: i’m ready for the question…
i love the show so much and watch it every day. this arrival of this game means that i can play it all day and night. it’s so realistic as well - noel looks great and the other contestants look realistic. the game is set out just like in real life which makes the experience so much better than your bog standard other type of game. keep up the good work guys.

Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? (Nintendo DS) In a nutshell:
The portable phenomenon that has taken Japan by storm finally hits the UK. Part puzzle game, part self improvement tool this is the only game that’s both lots of fun and good for you - and that’s before you even start on Sudoku!

The lowdown:
Nothing about this game is ordinary, from the price to the way you hold the DS while playing it (vertically, as if you were reading a book). The basic idea is that you play through a series of puzzles each day, for about 10 minutes, and at the end of each session the “age” of your brain is calculated. The puzzles themselves range from simple maths questions to spot the difference, memorisation and comprehension. All of the answers are inputted either by drawing the answer on the touchscreen or speaking it into the DS’s in-built microphone. There’s also a multiplayer mode for up to 15 people where you can try and compete to record the youngest brain age.

Most exciting moment:
A brand new addition to the game, not included in the Japanese version, is a special DS version of Sudoku. This works great on the DS’s touch screen and is worth the already low price of admission on its own.

Since you ask:
A sister title to Brain Training, named Big Brain Academy, is due for release in July and offers to “weigh” your brain and improve specific skills such as memorisation and analysis. A direct sequel to Brain Training has also been released in Japan but is not yet scheduled for released in the UK.

The bottom line:
The only game that really is for the whole family - from kids to OAPs.
Harrison Dent
Customer Review: Its true - using your brain can be fun.
There should be an award dedicated to a game that is both addictive and makes you think. Brain Training has made me realise that since finishing compulsory education I have stopped using my brain in the ways that I am supposed to and have allowed it to become lazy. The mathematical puzzles really did show such; things that I probably could have done a few years ago have now really made me pause. The sign of hope is that this is a “game” that will teach you to start using your brain again, simply by performing simple mathematical and logic tasks for a few minutes every day. Since having bought the game I have noticed a significant difference in my concentration and mathematical proficiency, which is quite a stunning thing to admit. What is best about this game is that it doesn’t make it seem like it is a job that you are doing but that you are actually playing a game, and in all honesty as somebody who hated maths in school I now cannot stop playing on the number puzzles.
Customer Review: Very good game
I really enjoy this game and i love to beat my other score all the time! great game!

Hamsterz (Nintendo DS)
List Price: ?29.99
Amazon Price: ?14.47
Used Price: ?14.00
Customer Review: THIS IS A BRILL GAME !!!
Hi, I would say this is a great game you get to 1 pick your Hamster 2 name it 3 play mini games 4 feed your hamster 5 let it out of its cage 6 connect with your friends And lots more I would buy this game.
Customer Review: Excellent - for very very young children
This is a very simple game. My child is 4 and a half years old and really really enjoys looking after the hamsters. Initially I thought she would get bored very quickly as she has nintendogs (and can play this well) which I think has a lot more to offer in terms of what you can do with your dog. However, surprisingly, she loves this simple game. This is definitely not suitable for the older child or adult who would get bored after learning how to use it (which doesn’t take long). THIS GAME IS MOST DEFINITELY FOR THE VERY VERY YOUNG CHILD AS ONE OF THEIR FIRST NINTENDO GAMES.

Official Lite Protective Filter (Nintendo DS)
List Price: ?5.99
Amazon Price: ?4.98
Used Price: ?14.99
Customer Review: Good quality, Well worth it.
Not much to really comment on. Excellent quality screen protection, easy to apply and well documented. These are also officially licensed by Nintendo and quite rightfully so, they are probably the best on the market. Excellent double layered system for application leads to zero air bubbles if applied correctly. Save your screen, It’s well worth it!
Customer Review: The Best
Does exactly what is says on the box. Easy to apply, great protection and excellent price from Amazon. Agree with everything said by other reviewers. Had these filters on for nearly a month now and very happy. Just come back to order some for partner’s DS lite because he bought cheap filters and has had nothing but trouble with the touch screen since. Don’t make his mistake - buy these.

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
List Price: ?29.99
Amazon Price: ?24.98
Used Price: ?17.92
Customer Review: A must for DS owners and Zelda fans
Let’s get this out of the way first. Phantom hourglass is the best game available for the DS by a clear mile, and among the best Zelda games of all. Nothing else to my knowledge comes remotely close. It’s also in a completely different league to any previous handheld Zelda game, so if you felt mildly underwhelmed by the likes of `Minish Cap’ on the Game Boy Advance don’t worry because this is a complete departure. Phantom hourglass is a direct sequel to Wind Waker on the Gamecube, though it isn’t necessary to have played that game because the only things that really carry over are the characters and the art design. It really is amazing how faithfully the crisp, cel-shaded graphics that looked so impressive on the Gamecube are translated to the DS, and how well suited they are to this new hardware. What with all the cut scenes, character designs and the huge watery overworld, the amount of eye-watering content crammed onto this cartridge is simply breathtaking. Having said that it resembles Wind Waker visually, the way the game plays is completely new and adapted for the DS and its stylus. You control Link by pointing at the screen, strike at enemies by tapping them and draw quick strokes to perform slashes and the spin attack. It’s all very responsive, though the one move that doesn’t seem to work so well is the forward roll, which is executed by drawing small circles at the edge of the screen (it’s not used very much, however). All the familiar items return, but each and every one has been given a new spin by the touch-screen controls, whether it’s tracing out a path for the boomerang to follow, tapping the screen to throw a bomb to a precise spot, or stringing the hookshot between two posts to make a tightrope. The many puzzles that you encounter feature novel designs as well, and often require you to take notes by drawing on the map. It all sounds incredibly gimmicky, but it isn’t at all - it’s deeply addictive, and a joy to play from beginning to end. There are some criticisms I could level - the game is a bit easy, especially if you’ve played Zelda games before, and a bit short if you aren’t out to collect everything or finish every minigame. The dungeon layout is inventive, but the different dungeons and islands all look more or less the same. But these are very minor quibbles. As you can probably tell by now, I loved this game to pieces, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
Customer Review: Innovative, well crafted, back to the cel-shaded glory!
If you’re looking for Ocarina of Time then you’re going to be disappointed. The Phantom Hourglass compliments the DS in much the same way that The Minish Cap complimented the GBA - it takes its most prominent features and plays to its strengths. Whilst it may not be the most engaging Zelda game ever, the control system takes elements of control innovation from games like Animal Crossing and fleshes them out, making Link a pleasure to control. Whilst I’m a fan of the ‘grown-up’ style in OOT, MM and TP, I’m no obsessive, and understood and appreciated Nintendo’s experimentation of the cel-shaded effect. It’s welcome here, with the DS’s graphical presentation looking beautiful. Link makes all the brilliant little yelps and shouts he always has, and for the most part, the sound is spot on. Few little niggles, like the sound Ciela makes - it’s rehashed from OOT when she’s obviously a new fairy, and the seafaring music can be a little grating, but for the most part it’s all the Zelda staple tunes you know and love remixed and edited to perfection. Also, The Phantom Hourglass uses THE MOST innovative use of the DS’s physical properties to date. Some of the puzzles are so fiendish you’ll be scratching your head for hours when what you must do is so blindingly obvious you’ll feel ashamed for not getting it sooner. You’ll see what I mean. Also, the boss battles are a highlight, much like the Yoshi’s Island DS bosses, encouraging the developers to really strive to be original and unique. The story isn’t the strongest of the series, but does the job and introduces Linebeck, my favourite Zelda character for a very long time! If you’re looking for the depth of GameCube or N64 Zeldas you’ve come to the wrong place, but considering this is on a DS, the scale is impressive. So, to summarise, Phantom Hourglass is one of the best looking, most innovative games to date on the DS. Along with Meteos and Advance Wars DS it falls neatly into my top three so far. Nintendo have always strived to introduced new and exciting aspects to games and here they have come out tops! I hope this review helps and you buy this gem instead of some of the rubbish that third-parties have been releasing recently.

Cooking Mama (Nintendo DS)
Cooking Mama challenges players to use the stylus as a master kitchen tool to cook 76 real world dishes ranging from pepperoni pizza to cabbage meat rolls. Players use the stylus to chop, slice, pan fry, knead, grate, mash, peel and more. Under Mama’s watchful eye, players must first prepare ingredients, then combine, cook and present the final meal all via the touch screen. Players can even cool down dishes by blowing into the DS microphone.
List Price: ?24.99
Amazon Price: ?16.98
Used Price: ?13.00
Customer Review: Boring and Repetitive
This game is totally boring and very repetitive. It is all about chopping, mixing and more chopping and mixing. It is not for anyone over the age of 8.
Customer Review: wow!
when i got this game i wasnt really expecting it to be much good, but i was wrong! this game is great and has all of the fun of the kitchen inside one little ds game card! i really enjoy making rice cakes ect on it and i think that every person who has a DS should definately get cooking mama!!!!

GameFAQs - DS - FAQs, Cheats, Codes, Reviews, Message Boards
DS - GameFAQs Game Guides, Cheat Codes and Walkthroughs for the DS game system. All the DS game help and information you will ever need to succeed in your quest for game domination

Nintendo DS - Nintendo Gal
D3Publisher yesterday released the first trailer for the upcoming Horse Life game for the DS. The game is similar to Nintendogs, but obviously instead of caring for a dog, players

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