andPOP » nintendo ds

“Join The Band” and Take Centre Stage with Band Hero!

Elliott Rudner — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:05:11 +0000

Band Hero™ invites music and video game fans of all ages to log onto BandHero.com and immortalize themselves and/or their band within a mosaic tribute to the newest game in the Guitar Hero® family. Submitted photos will populate the mosaic and enter the individual’s or group’s names into a weekly contest where randomly selected winners will score a Band Hero band kit for the platform of their choice and a Nintendo DS Lite band kit. Head over to BandHero.com to learn more.

This November, Guitar Hero will be entering a game into the E10+ market this game is called Band Hero. Featuring chart-topping hits from favourite acts such as: No Doubt, Lily Allen, The All-American Rejects, Snow Patrol and Jackson 5 coupled with some of the biggest names in music as in-game artists and playable characters.

Band Hero seems to offer all of the features of Guitar Hero 5 but for a more casual audience- a game the whole family can enjoy! Whether the songs from this game will export into Guitar Hero 5 is unknown at this time unfortunately which causes some less than desirable commentary from the rhythm game community.

Will Band Hero be able to go up against the strong brand recognition of Lego: Rock Band? I guess we’ll find out in November.

Known Track list:

1.)All-American Rejects – “Dirty Little Secret”
2.)Culture Club
3.)Fall Out Boy
4.)Jackson 5 – “ABC”
5.)Janet Jackson
6.)Jesse McCartney
7.)Lily Allen – “Take What You Take”
8.)Marvin Gaye
9.)Maroon 5
10.)No Doubt – “Just A Girl”
11.)Snow Patrol
12.)Taylor Swift – “Picture To Burn”
13.)The Go-Go’s
14.)The Killers
15.)The Turtles

Want to see the first reveal trailer for Band Hero? Click Here

andPOP At E3 North With Nintendo

Josh Salem — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:42:17 +0000

Jenn and Josh take a romantic visit to E3 North where they learn about the next latest and greatest from Nintendo. They have a look at 4 player Mario, New DS games, Wii Sport Resort and more!

MySims Go Undercover

Carys Mills — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:36:55 +0000

MySims Agents was announced by EA today.

The game, for Wii and Nintendo DS, makes players the heroic agents called upon to stop a plot threatening an entire city.

“It’s mystery-meets-adventure theme allows players to hone their problem-solving skills while still enjoying all of the beloved MySims charm, characters, customization and humour.”

The game will be available in the fall and is yet to be rated.

Game Review: Pokemon Platinum

Josh Salem — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:58:28 +0000

I was the very best, like no one ever was. I caught them all, as my real test, I trained them as my cause. I had travelled across the land, I searched far and wide. Each Pokémon I did understand, the power that’s inside. The question is, since I already did this with Pokémon Red, Pokémon Gold, and Pokémon Diamond, is it really worth it to go another round with Pokémon Platinum? As it turns out, maybe not as much as I think. If you were to compare this newest addition to the over 5 series of Pokémon titles out there, Pokémon Diamond to Pokémon Platinum would be the same comparison to Pokémon Red to Pokémon Yellow. What I mean by this is that it is the same game, same characters, and same story line but with a few new additions and changes. For this reason I won’t go too deep into the game but rather discuss all there is to do (and believe me, there is A LOT to do) and the new additions to this title.

Developed by Game Freaks and published by Nintendo, you play the role of a young boy or girl (with different clothing than in Pokémon Diamond) in the world of Sinnoh, you and your friend decide to go get some Pokémon (which by the way are a variety of almost 500 little monsters you capture, befriend and train to battle for you), when you are stopped by a Pokémon researcher, he gives both of you a choice of three starting Pokémon and your off on your very own adventure of growth and life lessons.

As I mentioned before, this game is big, aside from the actual story, there is so much to do from collecting all the Pokémon (some which only come out at night, some only on certain days, some only when you cover a tree in honey, trade with another player, trade with another player while your Pokémon holds a specific item, while fishing, while running through a forest, underground, by hatching eggs, and so on…) to cooking to breeding. Utilizing your Pokémon’s specific attack set, and type, players compete in this strategy / RPG video games.

Graphically the game looks like a cleaned up super Nintendo title, with small pixilated images that move and higher quality statics graphics during battles and ‘cut-scenes’. Essentially the graphics haven’t changed all that drastically since the first Pokémon title on the original game boy. Audio-wise we’re looking at the same deal. With the catchy (but sometimes annoying) Pokémon jingle, different sounds for each Pokémon (to simulate their communication skills) and sounds for each action, it can again be considered only a slight improvement over the original.

So if this is a redux of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, then what’s new? Essentially a new dimension has appeared, the mysterious new Distortion World (no saving for creativity in the name). Within this Distortion World new forms of Pokémon ‘beyond time and space’ exist, most notably Giratina Origin Forme (that weird spider looking monster on the cover). As well, three new online Wi-Fi minigames and an up to 20-person Wi-Fi plaza to take part in parades and see fireworks shows. New additions such as a vs. recorder also allow players to show off their victories, or rub it in their friends faces again and again, as well as connectivity with older Pokémon titles all the way down to Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. The most notable and useful addition however are the new characters and story tweaks to keep collectors that have played Diamond and Pearl interested.

All in all, if you’re a Pokefreak that has to collect them all, or just a fan and wanting to relive the Pokémon feeling again, I suggest picking up Platinum to hold and enjoy as your very own. Otherwise the similarities between this and the last set don’t necessarily warrant a new purchase. If you haven’t picked up the title since Red Blue or Yellow, you might want to see how widely the galaxy of Pokémon has expanded. But be warned, it may seem a little overwhelming comparative to what you first knew of Pokémon.

Gameplay: 4/5

Graphics: 3/5

Sound: 3/5

Replay Value: 3/5

Game Review: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

Josh Salem — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:00:16 +0000

The Nintendo DS with two screens and stylus touch option seems like it was almost made for the purpose of strategy gaming. Using one screen to plan and one screen to execute commands, and commander in training can get an overall feel for the battlefield easily and comfortably. This is why I have been waiting for a Fire Emblem title to hit the DS for some time now and why I am pleased to review Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (FESD) for the Nintendo DS.

Released February 17^th developed by intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is more of a remake than a sequel. Yes, that is correct; through FESD you can relive the legend of Prince Marth (I only know of him through Super Smash Brothers titles) over and over again with updated graphics, two screens and online play. Actually this is the SECOND remake of the first Fire Emblem title. The overall story surrounds Marth having his family and kingdom taken from him by the evil Dohlr and backstabbing ex-ally Grust kingdoms, as he escapes with a few soldiers Marth is tasked with increasing his army numbers, gaining magical items, and rescuing villages along the way.

I enjoyed the writing in this title more than I initially thought I would, Intelligent Systems goes pretty heavy into the mentality of soldiers as you try to win them over to their side, sometimes even questioning their own existence and choosing death over abandonment of their kingdom. Pretty deep stuff… Otherwise there are childish comic relief characters who think it appropriate to tease someone about their name in the middle of a battle.

FESD is a top down strategy game where you have a set amount of soldier types (such as cavaliers, archers, mages, ballista, and more) which can level up and be upgraded or change their classes to different types and you lay them out trying to get Marth to the castle gate most of the time. Opposing you are rival soldiers of various classes and you take turns moving and attacking. There are also stores, villages, houses and arenas to visit along the way. What I like most about FESD is that other than Marth, when one of your characters die in battle, they’re gone for good adding a sliver of realism to this fantasy title, as well there is a small hierarchical chain within the game; axes are strong against spears, spears are strong against swords and swords are strong against axes. Adding onto this we have archers strong against flying soldiers, hammers strong against armored soldiers and so on, and finally there are specific weapons that are strong against specific soldiers (such as the Ridersbane spear being strong against soldiers on horses). With all these strategic elements thrown into the fray, players must plan carefully before each move.

Probably my favourite aspect of FESD is the controls. In so many Nintendo titles, players lack a choice in manipulation, not in Fire Emblem! You can use your stylus to move characters see the battlefield, what other enemies can do and plan accordingly without the touch of a single button. You also have the option of using only buttons for times when the precision of a stylus is hard to control (I call this subway mode). The best aspect of this is that it is not by choice through an option, you can mix and match your button choices as you play, switching from stylus to button control at your whim. The game is turn based so there are no problems in terms of confusion of control or lack of speed / hand cramps, and with a select or cancel majority of choices, the controls are pretty hard to mess up.

Graphically the game isn’t much more than their last Game Boy advanced rendition. Smooth 2D animations on the battlefield with slightly updated mediocre 3D models show executing minimal movement in two second battle scenes. Using hand drawn art and text during cut-scenes, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon lacks anything overly spectacular compared to their earlier titles, not that it needed it. As well the game sounds similar to past titles, medieval epic overtones, simple action music, and the clash of weapons round out the generic audio experience. We can’t forget about the character screams during deaths of course.

Length wise this game lasts about 25 missions which last on average a half hour each depending on how intensely you take your strategizing. With dozens of recruitable soldiers, the challenge of playing through without anyone dying and acquiring all soldiers and weapons, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon will last you hours of commanding fun. As an added bonus, two players can battle locally or through Wi-Fi using five of your best combatants into a battle to the death. Online stores and voice support are also very much appreciated bonuses in this title.

Gameplay: 4/5

Graphics: 4/5

Sound: 4/5

Replay Value: 4/5

Game Review: Guitar Hero: Decades

andPOP Staff — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:18:44 +0000

Guitar Hero: Decades is the second release from Activision for the distribution of portable guitar rocking goodness on the Nintendo DS. I wouldn’t really call this a sequel, but rather, an expansion to Guitar Hero: On Tour as some small aspects were improved, but really, it’s the exact same as On Tour with a new set list. The guitar grip that comes with Decades is the same as On Tour, the plectrum stylus is similar (longer touching point on the Decades one but doesn’t fit into grip container as well) and the layout is very similar to On Tour. All these aside, I felt Decades had a much stronger ‘story’ to it than any other past Guitar Hero title (aside from Guitar Hero: Aerosmith). Another extra added to Decades is the ability to play wirelessly with someone that has On Tour, allowing them to try the new songs as well as you to play the old songs.

For those that haven’t had a chance to check out the Guitar Hero: On Tour review on andPOP.com, the game plays the same as Activision’s past title, plug in the custom guitar grip into the GBA slot of your DS (with an expander if you’re using an older DS), strap it to your hand and play the keys using this grip while you strum and fiddle with the whammy bar on the touch screen and yell into the microphone to activate star power. Now, in On Tour, this sounded good on paper, but in practice, it never really worked out. The grip never felt right, the four buttons were too close together and didn’t line up with my fingers, the grip would constantly fall out of the DS (making you restart the entire system) and strumming isn’t always as precise as I would like. All these issues are still present in Decades as it seems they didn’t change their controls and peripherals at all.

The graphics are exactly the same as Guitar Hero: On Tour, decent for a DS, but not worth paying attention to.

Now onto the sound, the backbone of any music game. This game sounds fantastic, decent through the speakers, and amazing through a nice set of headphones. The set list is broken down into decades (hence the name) starting with the modern music set down to the groovy 70’s each set takes influential tracks (all original, no covers) from those sets of 10 years. My favourite part of this game is that because the game takes songs from different years, it ensures a variety of music types for all music fans.

Decades still has the same career mode feel (although with more of a story and character development than On Tour) and the ever fun duel mode but other than that, the only real addition was the dull rhythm/bass career mode option. Unlockables give players something to strive for, new venues, costumes, and guitars keep completionists busy but in the end this is still just a track pack. If you were a fan of the last Guitar Hero for the DS (which only came out less than half a year ago) go check Decades out, if you couldn’t handle the strain and pain of the first one, this is more of the same. Great set list for the most part as well.

Graphics: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 3.0/5
Sound: 4.0/5
Replay Value: 3.0/5

Review: Lock’s Quest

andPOP Staff — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:50:32 +0000

For those that say original ideas are dead in the world of video games, guess again as a new spin on an old aspect can revive an entire genre. Lock’s Quest, developed by 5th Cell and published by Play THQ (THQ’s new casual gaming label) is the next release from the creator (and first DS project) of the innovative and unique RPG, “Drawn to Life”. This yet again innovative Nintendo DS title was released September 8th, 2008 and promises more unique gameplay not found anywhere else. That being said, it seems a little odd that I tout it’s uniqueness, yet mention that it’s a take on an old feature, what I mean by this, is that Lock’s Quest reminded me a lot of the mini-game where you must defend the egg at fort Condor in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7.

Lock’s Quest begins by explaining archineers (architects / engineers), source (the resources used to build), and clockwork (evil soulless robots fighting for a period of time using source). You are told the tale of an epic past battle of good vs. evil, a good archineer king defending his kingdom against an evil force using clockworks to take over the world, an explosion occurs and everyone assumes the evil force is gone. If that were the case, would we be playing this game now? Of course you’re a young reckless farm boy with little archineer experience and just by chance you come across an archineer commander wounded in battle. Turns out the clockwork are back and heading right for your town! You send your little sister (which by the way, is an orphan being raised by your wise, strong grandfather just like you of course) to get help only to find out she was kidnapped by the evil forces and you must get her back. The game begins.

The game plays in certain stages, you’re given a grid, your battle field, sometimes you must defend a specific location from the oncoming forces and all you have to defend yourself are your fists and your archineering ability. Each round starts off with a build period in which you use source to build walls, traps, and turrets (which can be fortified with walls), each item costs a certain amount of source. The next stage is when you are being attacked by wave after wave of clockwork (soldiers, archers, berserkers, etc), as this happens you use your stylus to run around attacking the clockwork using special combo attacks, or running to your damaged defenses to repair them before they are destroyed. Every once in a while you find some scraps from fallen clockwork and use them to build new defenses, as well, every clockwork drops some source. Once the timer runs out, all the clockwork drop and you repeat the process until a storyline event happens.

The controls are pretty simple yet intuitive, you can use your stylus to do everything from moving around to setting up your to attacking. Tap on a clockwork to attack them and (initially) a set of numbers (in a random order) appear at the bottom of the screen, click them in the right order and you do extra damage. Tap on a damaged turret and a little wrench appears at the bottom, turn it back and forth the correct amount of times (there will be a number on the wrench) and you repair quicker. Simple and innovative controls to keep the action fast and stress-free.

Music within the game is orchestrated and epic feeling to the extent a DS game can please our ears. It’s not really anything exciting but you at least get a feel for the sense of urgency based on the type of music being played. Not really much else to discuss here, sound effects of clanks and whacks sound similar to that of Drawn to Life (5th Cell’s first DS game)

The graphics seem geared (pun intended) towards a younger audience but don’t let that sway your decision, simple animations and cartoon style still frames (during character interactions) may make some gamers decide against picking this title up, but I feel the simplicity of graphics in this title allowed the developer to focus on gameplay and depth. There is also a pretty sweet animated intro to the game that got me excited to play!

Once the story is over you can read the ten page mini-comic that came in the game case, OR you can check out the multiplayer option. Here two players (each with their own game cartridge) can play wirelessly in which they battle head on with a specific amount of source to spend both on offensive clockworks and defensive structures.

In the end, this game was a fun title to pick up and play on the subway or bus, allowing players to create their scenarios and use a little planning in the process, but a couple of little things annoyed me. First is the layout of menus, you aren’t given a main menu off the bat and only two save files to work with, both of which rotate auto-saves and I haven’t noticed an option to turn off, small little annoyances like this here and there. Secondly is the story, or holes within the story at least. An example of what I mean is you send your sister for help at the beginning, she just had to run one screen over to the village, but she never makes it, you tell your grandpa you have to go look for her, he says instead that you should stay and fight the army (without any training) while everyone runs away. Now don’t get me wrong, but if you have a village filled with experienced, strong men, why send a weak kid to the front line while everyone runs away? That’s just bad parenting. Another point in the story that annoyed me was also near the beginning. You’re walking with your new archineer friend you just saved and your grandfather when you spot your missing sister’s teddy bear (which she wasn’t carrying before). You see this bear and immediately assume she was kidnapped by the bad guys, even though right beside the bear is a friendly army fortress… it just doesn’t make sense to me.

Gripes aside, this unique yet simple game was quite fun if you take it with a grain of salt. Let your planning skills guide you and save the world while your at it. Grab a buddy that has this game as well and see who the better archineer is. P.S. Lock also has super powers.

Enjoy

Gameplay: 4.5/5
Graphics: 3.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Replay Value: 3.5/5

Math Blaster Game Releases for Nintendo DS

andPOP Staff — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:09:20 +0000

Majesco Entertainment Company announced yesterday the release of Math Blaster in the Prime Adventure for Nintendo DS. The game, developed by Knowledge Adventure and inspired by the original PC game, features a variety of adventure-based learning games with mathematics problems.

In the game, players armed with an experimental spaceship must use their math smarts to blast through space to defeat robots that have come to control the galaxy. Players must solve problems using addition, subtraction and multiplication. The game features a Four Player Battle Mode, a Challenge and Adventure modes in three levels of difficulty.

Math Blaster in the Prime Adventure for Nintendo DS is expected to be released this fall.

Nintendo Releases New Metallic Silver DS

andPOP Staff — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:13:56 +0000

On September 7, Nintendo will release a new colour to their line popular line of portable gaming consoles, the Nintendo DS. The new Metallic Silver version of the Nintendo DS will be featured in the new upcoming Nintendo DS print ad featuring actress Liv Tyler.

Ignition Entertainment Releases Demo for B-Boy Break Dancing Game

andPOP Staff — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:35:03 +0000

Ignition Entertainment, a UTV Enterprise and worldwide publisher and developer of videogames, announced today the launch of the official game demo for the upcoming puzzle-strategy title Red Bull BC One for Nintendo DS™.

The Red Bull BC One is the most important B-Boy competitions in the world, and hosts 16 of the world’s best B-Boys in a series of one-on-one battles to determine the winner (The One). The Red Bull One allows players to control the fate of their B-Boy character by solving puzzling breaking combos under increasingly difficult time limits. Once a player achieves a high enough score, they will advance onto the next round. The game features 35 original musical racks, a variety of mini-games, 3D backgrounds and a wireless multiplayer mode. Red Bull DC One will be in stores on September 16, 2008