Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection

It was a chore even finding this title in the wild.  Greasy Long Mane over at Scabies Games told me that it just came the other day but then why has it been for sale on Amazon for the last few weeks.  Whatev.  When I finally found this on the shelf I grabbed it without thinking.  Imagine my surprise to find it's a bargain proposition at $19.99!  Bonus.  I was ready to pay FIFTY BUCKS!

Long story short, the hype around this game is all deserved.  It really is like you're standing in front of these old machines in a pizza parlor in the 80s drinking RC, listening to Rush and trying to beat ACE's high score.

The tables have been recreated perfectly.  At least as far as I can tell.  My memory's a little shady in this area and I've read that a couple of tables are missing ball locks or something.  Dunno.  What I do know is that if you like pinball you'll love the controls for this game.  With your Remote in one hand and Nunchuk in the other you can almost feel your hands wrapping around an old school table.  Shake either controller and you can shake the table and maybe save a drained ball or too.

Great stuff and the price makes this a buy.

CrossworDS

Thanks to the new Nintendo Channel I was able to download a demo of CrossworDS onto my DS before trying.  I played through a couple of puzzles and I was hooked.  I purchased it the next day. I've previously played the New York Times Crosswords cart for the DS and although I found the puzzles of a very high quality I wasn't a fan of the clunky interface.   That's not to say New York Times Crosswords isn't worth it; it is and I highly recommend it at a $19.99 price point.

Between the two crossword titles however I prefer CrossworDS.  The only flaw with the game is the impossible to google title.

The fit and finish of this game is what you'd expect from a Touch Generations tite (yes I wrote "tite"):  gold of the purest percentage.  The input system is very good and will seldom make a mistake once you learn its quirks (enter a lowercase i instead of an uppercase I for better results for example).  If you're riding a shaky bus it is difficult to enter text without errors. The game uses the "hold like book" orientation of the DS that feels great for a text game like this.  There are 1000 puzzles here that gradually ramp up in difficulty.

As a bonus two other games are included: Anagrams and Word Search.  To be honest, I've been hooked on the Anagrams lately and haven't done a crossword in the last couple of days.  The two extra modes don't feel like add ons at all but something I'd have paid for separately.

The best part of the whole deal is the price point: $19.99.  You simply can't miss with this title.

The demo is still available through your Wii if you're still on the fence but if you have even a passing interest in word games and especially crossword puzzles this title must find a space on your shelf as soon as possible.

 Strong buy.

Grand Theft Kart

An immigrant coming from Europe to find the American Dream.  His heavy accent and blue collar stylings mean the only job he can find is as a manual laborer fixing people's pipes.  Looking to make his fortune he gives it all up for the rush of street racing.  With his heavily modified muscle car he has no compunction in running people off the road or even shooting at them.  Shells litter the roadway.

Grant Theft Auto?  No.  Mario Kart Wii.

This game is pure badass.  Haters need not read on.

Easily the best Kart since . . . Kart; the original SNES version of course.

The game is deep.  Tons of characters, more carts and bikes than you can shake a stick at, control options out the ying-yang, playing modes that'll make your head spin; all squeezed onto one disc of pure Shiggy Fan Love.

The addition of bikes is far and away the best add on to the game in years.  The bikes look and handle great.  Pulling a wheelie not only looks super cool but gives you a little speed boost when you most need one.  Of course, it's not all wine and roses because when you're up on one wheel you can't steer worth junk.  It just goes to demonstrate the perfect balance in the game.  I run a Standard Bike L almost exclusively.

Having the option to run bikes is fantastic but a close second has to be the new option to race as your Mii.  I don't think I've ever seen anything as wonderful as ME racing alongside Mario riding dirtbikes.

The online options are as smooth as silk!  No lag, no drop outs, 12 players from around the world at a time and you'll think you're playing in the same room.  

The single player modes are so deep that if you live in a cave without internet you'll still need this game.   Trying to come up with your best times on each track will take you hours alone.

Outstanding.  This is a must buy.

Professor Layton: Playing through

Professor Layton and the Curious Village was released on February 10th.

I didn't follow my own advice: I didn't pre-order. Fortunately though I did manage to snag a copy on Sunday fresh from the box. Unfortunately, I found I had paid $5 too much and returned it. Come on, five bucks is five bucks. I'd rather the game and a pizza instead of just the game. Am I right? I bought it the next day at another store. My point here is that it was a circuitous route that I took to get my game but get it I did.

Was it worth it? Yes, but the game isn't without a couple of flaws.

The game is perfect from an artistic viewpoint: the 2D cell-shaded figures are eye candy and hurdy-gurdy music creates the perfect atmosphere. The presentation is very cinematic and you'll feel like you're watching an anime during the cutscenes. And the localization team did a remarkable job. Almost too good; no engrish here. Charming describes this title perfectly. Beautiful looking game from top to bottom.

The meat of the game is the puzzles. How are those?

Most of the puzzles I've found are very interesting and really got me thinking. I love digging up new ones. A couple of the puzzles I've encountered so far have some problems. For example, a matchstick puzzle that I found fairly straightforward would not accept my correct answer because the matchsticks were not placed exactly where the computer was expecting them. At that point I have to spend hint coins trying to figure out how I can better place the matchsticks so I can salvage some Picarats. Some of the puzzles I've found too easy and some are near impossible without a math degree. The game does allow you to use the touchscreen as a scratch pad on most (but not all) puzzles. And the background art on the bottom screen makes it hard to see what you're writing. An option for a blank slate would have been welcome for some of the puzzles where I need to use a little algebra.

The problems though are small and I found myself overlooking them.

What we have is very original game that looks great, plays great, and has one or two minor flaws.I stand by the strong buy rating on this game. Grab a copy now if you haven't already so you'll know what the rest of us are talking about. Buy.

Get your pre-orders in for Professor Layton

Hey Nintendophiles! Five day warning: Professor Layton and the Curious Village drops on February 10th. If you don't have your pre-order in already then get yourself down to your local gaming shop. This one is a guaranteed buy! You heard it from me so you know it's gotta be true!

Geometry Wars: Galaxies

Didn't I just review this? Surely I did. Oh, that was for the DS version of course. This is a review for the Wii game. I just grabbed this one for under $30 and I wanted to assure fans of this title on the DS that the Wii game is well worth adding to your library too.

In fact, I prefer it. If you read my DS review you'll see that I felt the controls were lacking a bit. With the Wii you can now plug in a Classic Controller and use the dual analog sticks for the full experience. Also this version includes the space warping effects that were left out of the DS cart. Even better, I can connect my DS to my Wii and unlock that last DS level and I can play two player; versus or co-op.

I played it on a 70" television and the experience was mind blowing.

This definitely rates a buy. If you can only afford one version of Galaxies grab the Wii one. It offers better value for your money and it's worth it just for the smoother control scheme.

(I just want to remind everyone that this is Geometry Wars: Galaxies. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was the title of the original XBLA game and it's included as a bonus on this disc. Galaxies is an entirely new title. It includes levels organized by galaxy and planet, an upgradeable drone, and geom collection. Whereas Retro Evolved was a little $5 game, Galaxies is a fully-featured and deep SHMUP well worth its list price.)

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

Did you know that the "D" in "D-Day" stood for "Day?" It did. And the "H" of "H-Hour" stood for "Hour." It's a popular myth that D-Day was a shortening of Doomsday.

I bring this up because today is D-Day in two senses: Today is the Day that Advance Wars dropped and the game begins with a depiction of Doomsday.

It was safe to say that I was going to be picking up this title regardless of outside influences. Firstly, now that I'm reviewing games myself I find that I don't read other reviews as much as I did because I don't want to be swayed by them. Secondly, I like Advance Wars: Dual Strike so much that I felt that I owed the developer's a free shot at my wallet on the next title.

So I picked up my pre-order today and I've only just started playing it but I felt that I should post something as soon as I could to assist readers in deciding whether or not to pick this up. I hope to follow up with a more detailed posting but as of right now this game rates a strong buy. The art and music are sublime. I've already been drawn into the post-apocalyptic scenario. The new COs are very exciting and the controls are spot-on. All in all, so far so great and I don't foresee any changing of my initial assessment. I haven't even taken a crack at the Wi-Fi game yet. As far as I can tell there is no risk in picking this up right away.

Grab it today because tomorrow you might be hit by a bus.

Buy.

Gamecube is alive and well and living in the Persian Gulf

Right now is tough time to be a Nintendo fan. Tough on the wallet that is. If you find your gaming dollar stretched as thin as Uncle Scrooge's boxer shorts then I've got a hot tip for you: the Gamecube section of your local gaming shop holds a loadful of treasures for you. Right now is the time to stock up on any Gamecube titles you may have missed the first time around. If you're new to the Nintendo universe you may not even be aware that the Wii is backward compatible with the Gamecube. Just slip any 'Cube title into your Wii and you're ready to play. If you didn't have a 'Cube you're going to need to pick up a controller for the system but you'll be able to find one in the used bin for just a few dollars.

I've compiled a list of bargain 'Cube titles that you'll want to keep an eye open for.

1. Resident Evil 4. Hailed as the best horror survival game ever made and only for Gamecube. Just spotted this one for $19.99
2. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. Currently available for around $25
3. Beyond Good and Evil. Hard to find and you might end up paying a little more than you would have at launch because of its popularity among those in the know. If you do see one at a junk or thrift shop grab it!
4. Animal Crossing. Chances are slim you'll find one complete with the AC themed memory card but that's okay. You don't need it to play the game and this is another title I've found for only $19.99
5. Soulcalibur II. A common find in the used section and an incredible value for a fighting game.
6. Tony Hawk's Underground. Stacks of these available for less than $15.
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour. 2003 was the best year for this title and I found it for under $10!
8. NHL 2006. I found a copy for under $5 at a used record store. Great title at a great price.
9. Crazy Taxi. Super fun for about a sawbuck.
10. Metroid Prime. If you missed out on this or Echoes now is the time to buy. Piles of them for around $20 out there.

So hit your used record shops and check the used section at your game shop and pick up some great 'Cube bargains before they're gone.

Help! Where should I put my money?

The whole idea behind this site is that Jimmy, Vanilla Assassin and me, Von Kaiser, the German Steel Machine, help you the reader decide where to put your money. That's why our rating system is based on the same rating system that brokers use to rate stocks.

We just got through a couple of months of absolute diarrhea titles but this is a fresh year and the new releases are going to start pouring in. The danger is that Nintenders are so starving for new titles that they'll grab whatever is put in front of them. I know I'm getting the itch to buy something, anything for DS. The good news is that the new release schedule is going to include a lot of greatness too. So you can tell the monkeys from the elephants I've composed a little list of what to watch for this quarter.

1. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (January 21) DS
   
2. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (January 22) DS
   
3. Bomberman Land Touch 2 (January 29) DS
4. Bomberman Land (January 29) Wii
   
5. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (February 10) DS
   
6. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (February 12) DS
   
7. Nanostray 2 (February 12) DS
   
8. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (February 26)
   
9. Super Dodgeball Brawlers (March 3) DS
10. Super Smash Brothers Brawl (March 9) Wii
    
11. Don't forget to save a few bucks for at least 2 Virtual Console titles too.
    

Watch for this feature each new quarter.

Daigasso! Band Brothers

One of the first 50 games ever released for the DS you may wonder why I'm only reviewing this now. This is a new site and I've only just now managed to get my hands on this title. And if you've been sitting on the fence then a review like this one for a Japanese import can never really be "late."

Yes, the menus are in Japanese. Yes, it will frustrate you until you figure out what the heck is going on. Yes, it is worth it.

Normally when I get frustrated by a game for any reason I drop it like it's hot and move on to the next one. After all, there are hundreds of DS titles to get to so why waste any more than a few minutes on a stinker? Daigasso! Band Brothers frustrated me. Navigating the menus was like trying to get across the Atlantic with a New York subway map and a broken compass. But I saw something underneath the murk; underneath the haze. Something grabbed me and pulled me in wanting to play more. I stuck it out and now that I have half a clue of what's happening on the dual screens I'm hooked.

Daigasso! Band Brothers is a rhythm game that can be compared to Rock Band but with some key differences. It was released four years prior to Rock Band, costs a lot less, fits in your pocket, supports more players and more instruments, and allows users to compose their own tunes to play with their bandmates. Don't have any friends? Don't worry because the single player campaign is every bit as addictive.

You choose your song, choose your instrument (some songs feature 8 different tracks) and then it's your standard "hit the button when we say" rhythm game. The fun is in learning all the different instrument parts which all have their own difficulty ratings. Then you've got to unlock all three difficulty levels. When you start you've only got to worry about hitting D-Pad or ABXY; it doesn't matter which direction on the D-Pad or which button you hit as long as you differentiate between control cross and buttons. The higher levels indicate exactly which buttons to hit and then level three has you concerned with sharps and flats using the triggers.

The one downside may be that many of the songs are not going to be instantly recognized by your average North American. Didn't bother me any and, as mentioned, if you're handy with the composer you can edit in any song you like. New songs are available in Japan as downloads. But really it's all about the gameplay so don't worry about the J-Pop and Japanese television themes. Smoke on the Water is included so there's at least one you'll know.

Really makes you wonder why Nintendo decided to skip their plans to bring this to America as Jam with the Band. Maybe current successes like Guitar Hero and Rock Band will change some minds at NOA HQ. Please?

However, don't risk waiting too long for a release stateside. Import this one now so you'll have it.

Strong buy.

My Spanish Coach

Uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinqo, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez, once, doce, trece, catorce, quince.

(i hope that was correct)

How did i do? Did i spell them correctly? Less than half an hour ago if somebody said those words to me i would respond by praying that their condition is not contagious and i'd be out the door. BUT, less than half an hour ago or there abouts, i opened up the seal on "My Spanish Coach" for the DS and powered that sucker up. I always wanted to learn Spanish, but, there was never a book that would hold my interest long enough for me to get anything out of it.

Recently i found out that the newest contributor to this site,"Jimmy" sang the praises of "My French Coach" (which he will probably write about soon, i hope) so i crossed my fingers and gripped my teeth and avoided black cats and didn't walk under ladders and hoped that "My Spanish Coach" would be just as awesome to me as the French version is to Jimmy.

Now, because of the power of the Nintendo DS, i can count to BLOODY 15 in Spanish! I sware i wrote that list at the top by not looking at my DS.

The cart teaches you a certain amount of words and only when you master a certain amount of words can you unlock the next phase. If you don't master each section within a phase you have to retry. But, you know what? I love retrying. The games being used to teach you each word or number totally writes the book on kickassness when it comes to language learning games. Not like i played many, but you know what i mean.

There's even a dictionary in the cart, a list of phrases. Hell, now with my Nintendo DS there is no way i can go to Spain fearing to ask somebody where the nearest pisspot or bathroom is. Say you run into Sanchez, and you don't know how to actually pronounce a phrase properly, the chick in the game pronounces alot of important phrases and words and numbers. There's also a scribble pad you can draw funny Spanish doodles onto with your stylus, or scribble something onto. It's like a piece of paper. A vital tool when travelling.

Anybody out there wanting to learn Spanish and has had a difficult time learning through books, PURCHASE THIS CART! Schools wanting to teach Spanish, burn your old Spanish teaching tools and purchase a Nintendo DS with this cart for each one of your pupils! This game rocks more than Bree and Tabby trying to do a "dance-off" in Animal Crossing. This game has all the tools you need to confidently travel Spain.

Purchase this game NOW!

WordJong

Seems like we're being overwhelmed by a tidal wave of crap lately but that's to be expected around this time of year. Companies shovel out the garbage before Christmas in an effort to capture a piece of retail's hot game-on-game action. It's also the nature of the beast. The DS is the most popular system in history and its library of games seems to expand at the same rate as the universe so you're bound to get a lot of stuff that ain't worth playing. Don't despair though because the DS is still home to hundreds of remarkable titles for you to enjoy. When browsing Gamestop's shelves you might get lucky or you might not so instead leave the luck to us so you know which is which.

Soon enough the good stuff is going to start right back up. Not soon enough you say? Here's a title that isn't absolutely terrible and, in fact, is pretty darn good: WordJong.

What if Scrabble and Mahjong hugged real close and made a little baby? That baby might very well be christened WordJong.

If you haven't played Mahjong (and unless you're a wrinkled old bat you probably haven't) the idea is you match up tiles in an attempt to clear them all. Tiles that are covering other tiles can be matched but not ones that are covered. WordJong gets rid of the obscure Chinese pictograms and instead uses good old American lettered tiles. A matching set won't help you here; you'll need to come up with a word instead and the longer the better.

My biggest surprise with this game was how complete the dictionary seemed to be. One of my problems with playing computer Scrabble for example is the limits of each dictionary: SOWPODS, TWL, OSPD. So far WordJong hasn't rejected a word that I've played and knew to be valid which impressed me. Good stuff.

Best part of the whole deal is you can try it free right now from the WordJong website. Now that might be a deal breaker for some who don't see the need to pay for something they can have for free but I'd say this cart packs enough value to justify its $19.99 pricepoint. Shoot, the ability to play anytime anywhere is enough of a deal maker.

The game features a calming soundtrack and some real head-scratching gameplay that should occupy you until the next round of quality releases.

I'm going out on a limb here and rating WordJong a buy.

DS Review Grab Bag

I'll take a break from playing Animal Crossing to catch up on a few reviews. This time of the year is traditionally slow in terms of releases so let's backtrack a little before we get cooking again with the new stuff.

Solitaire Overload

This game would win an award in the category of "Most Accurate Title." Truly I was overloaded by the amount of solitaire contained in this cart. With over 100 versions of solitaire broken down into families you'd have to love solitaire a whole lot to consider this one. I had no idea that many solo card games even existed. If your goal in life is to enter and win the World Solitaire Championships then better grab this cart today and start training. It'll also help if your life is already all about solitaire because the instructions are pretty light for each individual game.

I've got to give this one at least a hold because you get exactly what the box describes. If you really like solitaire then this has to be a buy.

Jenga World Tour

I'll admit it: I started thinking up mean stuff to say about this title before I even powered up my DS. I mean come on a video game version of Jenga? How could this possibly turn out? I couldn't believe how surprised I was to find out that this game was even worse than I could have ever imagined. There is a special place in Hell reserved for this game. I can't figure who makes up the market for this game. I'm guessing it's three year olds who can read and spend time with Grandma in EB: "'Gramma! JENGA!' 'That's right honey! Jenga. Let's see I did say you could have one thing today. Do you want Jenga?'" Honestly, it's the only scenario I can think of that would result in a sale of this title. I'm not even going to explain how you use the stylus to take a block from the middle and put it on top. One thing I can say though; just as I was about to turn this steaming pile off I was told my next challenger was an alien from an intergalactic race obsessed with Jenga. For whatever reason I waited to see who this alien might be and what he looked like. But now that I've admitted that I hate this game even more.

Sell. And then burn the money you got for it.

Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

It's a kids sure but does that mean it has to be so very bad? Kids deserve a lot better than this. Why even bother making a Christmas game at all? Who's going to be playing this in July? Worse, I'd hate to meet the kid who's all "Mommy! It's November! Almost time to get out How the Grinch Stole Christmas for DS!" Goodness. I was almost going to be swayed on this game when I realized it was sort of a stealth game. You have to maneuver the Grinch around and steal presents without anyone seeing you do it. Sounds promising but then the goofballs wore off. Look, I acknowledge a kid might like this and the presentation isn't the worst I've seen but my point is that you can do a lot better with your DS dollar by closing your eyes and feeling around the rack at Gamestop.

I'll sum this one up with a quote from Professor Julius Sumner Miller addressing critics who thought his lectures might prove too difficult for children: "The best must be made to reach and it will serve them all their lives."

Sell.

Left or Right: Ambidextrous Challenge

Played through the evaluation round and was surprised to learn that I "favor" my "right" "hand" over my "left" hand and that I'm not alone and that most people seem to "favor" a hand! Stunned I played on in an effort to correct this apparent disability but then I came to my senses and snapped this cart in half; using my dominant right hand. A disaster. I think Nintendo needs to start issuing licenses to companies looking to publish "training" games to cut back on some of this junk. Shovelware in that I want to hit this thing with a shovel.

Sell this can of garbage. Don't peel off that plastic; you'll be sorry.

Math Play

This game isn't in the same league as Brain Training in terms of quality of gameplay and training value. I will say though that parents who subscribe to Highlights Magazine for their children will probably see some value in this title. Cute little animals and fairly challenging math questions for children to chew on are the reason this game was a hit in Japan. The biggest problem is there is only one mode of gameplay: equation making. Over and over with the equation making. I bet Japanese mothers drool at the thought of having junior grinding his way through this and that's exactly what'll it be for most kids: a grind.

Hold I guess.

Back to Animal Crossing. Wake me when Advance Wars: Days of Ruin comes out.

Von Kaiser's Best of the DS 2007

The year is fast approaching its wrap party. A tsunami of titles overwhelmed the little village DS but thankfully I have a bucket and sponge and can help clean up the overflow. Let's reminisce...

The best of the best of 2007:

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

A strange hybrid of puzzle game and RPG that somehow works out perfectly. The kind of title that is so good that a sequel would be a disservice to the original. One of kind; let's hope it stays that way. Puzzle Quest: You are victorious!

The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass

A gimme. Come on, when would a Zelda release not make a list of the best releases of the year? The ignorami complain that Nintendo recycles titles like Zelda every couple of years but if they continue to make games this great then who cares? I'm astonished that a title based on a twenty year old franchise still manages to be fresh and fun. You have to give credit where credit is due. Phantom Hourglass picks up where Wind Waker left off and offers a brand new control scheme that is touch screen only. Easy pick for Game of the Year.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies

A port that turned a five dollar download into a full-featured time sucker. It'll leave you wanting to dust off that time machine you have out in the garage in an attempt to kill off Euclid before he can unleash the horrible destructive might of geometry.

Picross DS

A puzzler that has probably ridden more public transit than a welfare bum with a subsidized bus pass. Great fun and a relief from all the Sudoku titles pouring in.

Master of Illusion

The biggest surprise this year. A fun little gem of a game that uses the DS as your magic hat as you perform illusions for your friends and family. You'll be the hit of the party with this title in your DS. Guaranteed to make Zombie Houdini crap his pants with wonder and whimsy.

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl

The kind of game that you don't want to play too much in one sitting because then it'll be over too soon. Comfortable as a warm boot, Pokemon is your best friend on the subway from the job you hate back to your apartment on W63rd. "My Pokeymans; let me show you them." has turned into something of a gentle mock but it'll become your catchphrase in all sincerity after capturing a few Pokemon and stuffing them into their Pokeballs.

Contra 4

The Return of a Legend. I'm not going to write any more on this. Don't be dumb. It's Contra. 4.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215

This one squeaked in with a January release date. Hotel Dusk is one of the most stylish adventure games I've ever played. Beautiful pencil sketch graphics paired with an atmospheric soundtrack captures a pulp novel from the 40s but is, for whatever reason, set in the 70s. Gorgeous. If Geometry Wars is the girl you want to date, Hotel Dusk is the woman you want to marry.

Panzer Tactics DS

An impressive WWII strategy title with over 150 units and a depth of gameplay that will make you think even the bottomless pit can't be this deep. Some might compare this title to Advance Wars: Dual Strike. Not me though. Dual Strike is the better game overall and one of the best franchises Nintendo holds. Still lots of room for Panzer Tactics however. Can I just say again that Advance Wars is the best? I only wish it was a 2007 release so I could write more about Advance Wars: Dual Strike. Unfortunately it was an '05 release so I'll just have to leave it at buy Advance Wars: Dual Strike right now. Even if you already own it.

Biggest Disappointment

Spelling Challenges and More! Absolute garbage. I wish I knew that the "and More" referred to a bowlful of cold diarrhea before I laid out 30 clams on this title that can most charitably be called "broken."

Runner-up: Having no luck when it came to setting up SvSIP Such a tantalizing proposition; use your DS as a telephone. Why won't you work for me?

Best Homebrew

Colors! It'll hold you nicely until Bob Ross' Joy of Painting is released in 2008.

Best Accessory

Nintendo Headset

No longer do I have to shout "BLUE" into my DS's built in mic when playing Brain Age. Nice design too.

Memories

Finally, an emotional goodbye to my original DS; a piano black unit I bought used at 1UP in March. After 240 consecutive days and 1000 hours of playtime its trigger were broken and the touchscreen felt like a sandbox under my stylus. I traded it in for $75 and used that towards a brand new polar white unit. I'll miss you John M! You served me well.

Wii Dual Charge Station AC

Wii fans, here’s some advice from good old Vanilla Assassin. Instead of going out and purchasing rechargeable batteries for your Wii Remotes, go out and buy yourself the Wii Dual Charge Station.
The difference in price is only about five or six dollars but with the station you not only get the two batteries but also the charging station.
I found that the WDCS juices up my Wii remotes quite quickly and the red and blue light indicators make it look a lot more fun.

This is a definite BUY.

Animal Crossing Wild World Nintendo DS

Hey there, Vanilla Assassin here,

I know, many of you have already played this game but there are many of those who havn't.

I have always meant to pickup "Animal Crossing Wild World" for the DS but i never got around to it.

I finally gave in on the weekend and picked up a copy.

What do i think of this game? I think that it's one of the best damn games i have ever played. Not since the hay day of Civilization have i been so addicted to a game.

The premise is simple. You arrive at your town via a taxi cab and are shown to your home, owned by the sneaky shop keeper, Tom Nook. You must pay a mortgage to Tom. That’s really about it. Basically, it's a life simulation game.
To make money you can do things like collect items such as sea shells or oranges or go fishing and catch fish etc and sell these items to Tom Nook. You can also do jobs for the villagers.

During the game you can buy accessories and decorate your house or design your own clothing.
You can also leave your town and visit your friend’s towns via wireless. The game uses your DS's onboard clock to keep track of real time. Therefore if it's december 1, 2007 2:02pm in real life then it's December 1, 2007 2:02pm in the game.

Although the game sounds simple. There are so many different things you can do that will keep you coming back for more.

This game is highly addictive. I’ve been playing it non stop. If you’re looking for a totally fun game for your DS, don’t hesitate to Buy Animal Crossing Wild World.

Move over archaic idea of virtual reality. Animal Crossing is here!
Buy Buy Buy!

NBA Live 08

Hello all.
For the last few years I’ve had to listen to how awesome Xbox is and how awesome Play Station is.

Let me tell you something Jr. Watching a realistic drop of sweat roll down an athlete’s face in a video game, doesn’t make those systems awesome. Fine, a realistic droplet of sweat might be good as a pop for a few moments, but not for the long term.
I find that when “Nintendo-ITES” back an Xbox slave or a play station drone into a corner they try defending their system by saying how great the graphics are. Let me learn you something, Jack….graphics ain’t shit if the whole package isn’t there. You don‘t hook up with someone long term solely on good looks. If you do, you’re probably a shallow person.
NBA 08 for the Wii has good graphics. They may not be super duper but they are good. They are advanced enough. Mix in the “funness” that the Wii controls bring to this game and you have a Wii version of NBA 08 that’s great. I’m not a huge basketball fan but I found myself playing this game all night and I would have loved to play more if my eyes weren’t tired as hell. The soundtrack which includes Timbaland’s “The way I are” fits great. The game is pure fun. Passing, dunks..fun. Especially when you have a buddy playing with you.
If you own a Wii, and are a basketball fan, or if you like sports games in general grab this game.

BUY

Tingle's Rosy Rupee Land

If you want to play Tingle's Rosy Rupee Land you're going to have to pony up the bucks to import it. You're never going to see a North American release for this title. Nintendo felt that the foppish Tingle was too "dandy" for North American fans. Their loss. There's the Japanese version and, thankfully, a Euro release that includes English menus and dialogue.

The best thing about this game is it teaches kids that money equals life. You don't have any cash, you die. Seriously, you life bar is the same as your rupee balance. You can imagine how crazy this makes game play. When you need something, like a map, or a bodyguard (Tingle can't punch his way out of a paper bag) you need to spend your VERY SOUL to get it. Worse, the prices are all negotiated! You may offer some cash and if it's not enough, not only do you not get what you need but you lose the cash you offered too! So if I want to buy an apple the storekeeper will ask "What do you think an apple is worth?" If you offer 20 rupees dude might say "That's not nearly enough." and you're out of luck and, ultimately, life points. It's pretty stressful. Some townspeople won't even talk to you without greasing their palms.

Funnier is when you do right by someone and they offer you a reward. They ask you what you think they should give. (You get that feeling in your gut like when your Grandma asks how much scratch you need for school supplies. You can tell her you need a Benjamin and you're happy to get it but you feel sick because dude, you just ripped off Grandma. ) Bid low and you'll get your cash but you'll be left wondering if you could have gotten more. Bid high and you get a big horse laugh and no money at all. The balance in the gameplay is near perfect as a result.

Controls are slick and make perfect use of the touch screen. Animations, backgrounds, and character design are delightful and really make for a fun experience. Sprites. Nothing wrong with that.

Play-Asia doesn't stock the Euro release so you'll have to try someone like NCX. That's who sold me mine. At around $50 it's a little more but it's definitely worth it to have Tingle in your collection.

Buy like you're underwater and there's a hot dog cart giving out free cans of air with every Looney Dog.

Polarium

Hey, hey Nintendo fans,

What do you get when you give a game a chance because the price is low, low, even though you think there’s a good chance that the game is going to be shite? This was my experience with a certain game for the Nintendo DS. The answer to my question is….you find yourself a hidden gem. In my case this hidden gem was Polarium.
In this game, you use your stylus to make horizontal lines on the touch screen with one clean swoop. You either have to change the white blocks to black or the black blocks to white. Sound easy? Yup, it is, until you realize that there are blocks coming down from the top forcing you to speed up your color changing mission. There’s a head to head mode so that two players can battle it out.
If you’re into puzzle games such as Tetris. This game should fit your fancy.. On the other hand I’m not a huge Tetris fan but I love Polarium.
If you commute to work or school on a bus or sub and have the need to fill time instead of staring at the person across from you, I recommend grabbing up this game. You can find this game with a really cheap price tag slapped to it. But don’t let that fool ya.

Buy!

Dementium: The Ward

First of all I would like to thank the site Leave Luck To Heaven for helping people on their quest to purchasing worthy games. Also, for providing me a platform to share with you, my thoughts on Nintendo DS games. I have been a fan of Nintendo since the early years and I may have been the first person to properly MOD a Super Famicom. I have helped put to rest junky consoles like Sega, Turbo GraphX 16 and Panasonic 3DO. Next hits on my list are Playstation and XBOX. This is my first review for this site and hopefully I’ll be asked back for more. Now let’s get down to business….
I'm a huge fan of being scared. I have always enjoyed my adrenaline working overtime knowing that something is about to jump out at me and try to scare me out of my own skin. Be it through horror movies, games, a sickly dog who's leash is never attached to it's neck or the neighbourhood kid who gets his thrills by jumping out at passer by's from behind a tree. So when I saw the game Dementium The Ward, for the Nintendo DS, sitting on a boutique's third shelf from the top, my heart exploded into many pieces.

Could this be the creepiest game I have ever come across? I thought. Damn straight it can. The box was dark with an image of what seems to me like a face sleeping in that darkness. I guess everyone needs a break from shooting up mutants. How can this game not be creepy.So I took the game home, turned the light off in my room, Jumped onto my bed and began playing.

In the open scene you have no damn clue what's going on. Your ass is being wheeled down a hospital hallway, (in a wheel chair of course) quicker than the Xbox and Playstation 3's popularity going down the toilet.You don't know who is pushing you, I assume some half dead nurse with a bad attitude. As you're speeded down the hall you see blood and gore all over the walls, floor, and ceiling. Some freaky kid disappearing into the darkness and your heart rate meter climbing. All this to the tune of creepy whispers surrounding you until you're tossed into a bedroom.

The creatures in this game are described as grotesque surgical experiments. I don't care if their names are Larry, Mo, and Curly. As long as I can hit the power button if I get too freaked out, I'm happy.

In the game you get to collect things like a flashlight so that you can see what's lurking in the shadows. A pistol so that you can shoot those miserable creeps who love to come running at you with their insides exposed. A notepad so that you can remember things like the combination to a door. There are puzzles that you have to figure out throughout the game and a big-ass creature dawning a butcher knife and dragging a girl who looks ever so scared by the feet and disappearing behind a couple of swinging doors.

You have to use your stylus to look and the crosspad to move. The left trigger is to use your weapons or flashlight. It might just be me, but I have trouble moving and using the weaponry with my left hand. But I can get used to it.

If you're into creepy games, you're sure to like Dementium. Find yourself a dark, quiet place and turn on your DS.

A Definite Buy!