The Nintendo DS Thread (NDS) - THE LIST

[null1024]

Is the Sonic Collection for DS recommended? I heard emulation isn't perfect, but it sounds much better than that terrible GBA port. I also heard it's DSi enhanced and runs better on DSi and 3DS.

Sound emulation is ass IIRC, and it runs like ass on a normal DS. Fares a bit better on a DSi/3DS. Also, screen res is cut [there are certain unscaled elements though, like the HUD]. It's emulation and not a port though, so it's not like fucking Sonic Genesis on the GBA.

[Moniker]

Is the Sonic Collection for DS recommended? I heard emulation isn't perfect, but it sounds much better than that terrible GBA port. I also heard it's DSi enhanced and runs better on DSi and 3DS.

Sound emulation is ass IIRC, and it runs like ass on a normal DS. Fares a bit better on a DSi/3DS. Also, screen res is cut [there are certain unscaled elements though, like the HUD]. It's emulation and not a port though, so it's not like fucking Sonic Genesis on the GBA.

Yeah the Sonic Collection DS is trash. Aspect ratio is different too, so there's a sort of view-panning going on. Stay away.

Unless you want to buy my copy.

[EmperorIng]

A few that haven't been mentioned:

Yoshi's Island 2
Zelda: Spirit Tracks

There's a reason these two weren't mentioned.

Yoshi's Island 2 is so horrendously boring - it's a complete disservice to the original SNES classic.
And I never liked either DS Zelda; I should clarify: I beat them both once, and never had a desire to play through them again.

Knights in the Nightmare though - that was a really cool game. I had to restart it three times before I knew what the fuck I was doing, and I had to read the manual for almost an hour to figure shit out, but it was ultimately a rewarding experience. It's probably ass-expensive now, but it's one of those titles that really could have only (originally) come out of the DS environment.

[Friendly]

Knights in the Nightmare though - that was a really cool game.

That one is better on PSP (controls/graphics).

Ketsui Death Label is nice to have. It's only a boss rush game, but quite enjoyable for a quick blast on the go.

[Moniker]

A few that haven't been mentioned:

Yoshi's Island 2
Zelda: Spirit Tracks

There's a reason these two weren't mentioned.

Yoshi's Island 2 is so horrendously boring - it's a complete disservice to the original SNES classic.
And I never liked either DS Zelda; I should clarify: I beat them both once, and never had a desire to play through them again.

I confess I haven't played YI2, but my cousin whose gaming sense I generally trust recommended it. Been meaning to give it a spin.

As for Zelda:ST, I'll admit to a streak of Nintendo fanboyism, at least when it comes to Mario, and, to a lesser extent, Zelda & Metroid. If you liked the absolute basics of Phantom Hourglass, but were put off by its critical failings (inaccurate stylus control, endless replay of the central temple, lousy overworld system, eg), then you'll probably like Spirit Tracks. It unleashed my inner child in a way few games ever have. There's a certain ineffable joy of barreling down the tracks whilst blowing the steam whistle that warms the soul. The stylus control is also quite good. Now that I'm recalling it in detail, I might have to play it again.

Anyway. Forgot to mention the Bleach FTG, which as far as I know is the only FTG on the system. I'm not a good enough fighter to judge its merits, however.


@Skykid - you would be my hero if you would compile the recommendations in the first post as a reference.

[TLB]

Anyway. Forgot to mention the Bleach FTG, which as far as I know is the only FTG on the system.

Oh yeah, baby. Like beating up anime characters and using ridiculous special moves on [touch screen] command for massive damage? It can be yours for a mere $6.50!




There was also a sequel.

[BrianC]

Knights in the Nightmare though - that was a really cool game.

That one is better on PSP (controls/graphics).

Still an excellent game on DS and I read most of the additions are minor.

I'm probably in the minority here, but I liked Phantom Hourglass, Yoshi's Island DS, and Spirit Tracks.

[guigui]

I just bought BIT TRIP SAGA for less than $10.
All six games are still that good on the DS (controls for Runner seem to have improved, now I can jump regularly in this !). Give it a try if you like simple, scoring, addictive, games.

[Moniker]

I just bought BIT TRIP SAGA for less than $10.
All six games are still that good on the DS (controls for Runner seem to have improved, now I can jump regularly in this !). Give it a try if you like simple, scoring, addictive, games.

I thought that was 3DS only? If not I need to gemme sum!

[Jonathan Ingram]

Still an excellent game on DS and I read most of the additions are minor.

Well, it does make more sense to play it on the PSP if you are interested in the series this game belongs to. Knights in the Nightmare is part of Sting`s Dept. Heaven series which comprises seven games:

Riviera: The Promised Land
Yggdra Union
Yggdra Unison
Blaze Union
Gloria Union
Knights in the Nightmare
Gungnir

Six out of the above are available on the PSP. The DS only has two of which only one is exclusive to it(Yggdra Unison).

[ZellSF]

Tom Clancy's Endwar (think Military Madness/Nectaris)
Umihara Kawase DS

Well, it does make more sense to play it on the PSP if you are interested in the series this game belongs to. Knights in the Nightmare is part of Sting`s Dept. Heaven series which comprises seven games:

Riviera: The Promised Land
Yggdra Union
Yggdra Unison
Blaze Union
Gloria Union
Knights in the Nightmare
Gungnir

Six out of the above are available on the PSP. The DS only has two of which only one is exclusive to it(Yggdra Unison).

Not quite correct, only Gungnir, Knights in the Nightmare, Riviera and Yggdra Union are Dept. Heaven. The rest are spinoffs. Tragically untranslated spinoffs

Edit: Speaking of better on PSP games, I would definitely skip playing Metal Slug 7 on a DS. And Tom Clancy's EndWar

[BrianC]

Still an excellent game on DS and I read most of the additions are minor.

Well, it does make more sense to play it on the PSP if you are interested in the series this game belongs to. Knights in the Nightmare is part of Sting`s Dept. Heaven series which comprises seven games:

Riviera: The Promised Land
Yggdra Union
Yggdra Unison
Blaze Union
Gloria Union
Knights in the Nightmare
Gungnir

Six out of the above are available on the PSP. The DS only has two of which only one is exclusive to it(Yggdra Unison).

Two of those games are on GBA, which can be played on earlier models of the DS (though I play Yggdra on GBA due to a glitch). I also disagree here. The PSP versions don't make me want to buy a PSP just to play them when I already have the original versions, the original versions play well, and the extras are minor (though Knights in the Nightmare, at least is cheaper, so I'll probably get that when or if I get a PSP). Riviera is censored on PSP and I heard mixed things about Gungnir (though it could be just because it's a polarizing game like other Sting games).

Bit Trip Saga is 3DS, not DS. I also heard the games have issues with slowdown and music timing. I heard Bit Tip Complete on Wii is better and has extras.

Are there any good DS Racing Games aside from the awesome Mario Kart DS? I heard Ridge Racer DS botched the controls compared to its N64 counterpart and lacks the options to use the handling from the earlier RR games (though I heard the handling still differed a bit).

[ZellSF]

Still an excellent game on DS and I read most of the additions are minor.

Well, it does make more sense to play it on the PSP if you are interested in the series this game belongs to. Knights in the Nightmare is part of Sting`s Dept. Heaven series which comprises seven games:

Riviera: The Promised Land
Yggdra Union
Yggdra Unison
Blaze Union
Gloria Union
Knights in the Nightmare
Gungnir

Six out of the above are available on the PSP. The DS only has two of which only one is exclusive to it(Yggdra Unison).

Two of those games are on GBA, which can be played on earlier models on the DS (though I play Yggdra on GBA due to a glitch). I also disagree here. The PSP versions don't make me want to buy a PSP just to play them when I already have the original versions, the original versions play well, and the extras are minor (though Knights in the Nightmare, at least is cheaper, so I'll probably get that when or if I get a PSP). Riviera is censored on PSP and I heard mixed things about Gungnir (though it could be just because it's a polarizing game like other Sting games).

He didn't say you should buy a PSP to play them. If you have a PSP however, they are much better versions of the games (especially Yggdra Union). I have no idea how you can possibly say the improvements in Yggdra Union are minor.

[BrianC]

He didn't say you should buy a PSP to play them. If you have a PSP however, they are much better versions of the games (especially Yggdra Union). I have no idea how you can possibly say the improvements in Yggdra Union are minor.

I was mainly talking about the others, but the changes in Yggdra Union do sound more major. I have to play to know if they are actually improvements. I was under the impression that some changes like the added status effects to some cards may not be for the better and that the easy mode was the usual toning down for casual players. What's much better with Riviera? I heard that was inferior in some ways due to the added loading and censorship.

[EmperorIng]

Is Yggdra Union on the PSP actually playable this time around? That would be a real improvement.

Don't know if anyone's mentioned them, but the Trauma Center games are definitely worth looking in to.

[ZellSF]

That very much depends on why you found it unplayable in the first place.

[Jonathan Ingram]

I also disagree here.

Disagree with what? That you won`t be able to play Gungnir, Gloria Union, Blaze Union and Hexyz Force(not part of the Dept. Heaven, but just as unorthodox in its design) unless you have a PSP?

Not quite correct, only Gungnir, Knights in the Nightmare, Riviera and Yggdra Union are Dept. Heaven. The rest are spinoffs. Tragically untranslated spinoffs

That`s semantics. The spin-offs are still part of Dept. Heaven. I`m pretty sure they are listed on the series` official website.

Speaking of better on PSP games, I would definitely skip playing Metal Slug 7 on a DS. And Tom Clancy's EndWar

I`d add Disgaea. No real reason to play the DS version unless you don`t have any other options. But I`d also argue that the first Disgaea is not worth playing at all other than for the story.

[Jonathan Ingram]

That very much depends on why you found it unplayable in the first place.

Some would say all of Sting`s games are unplayable garbage.

[BrianC]

I also disagree here.

Disagree with what?

Disagree that the GBA/DS games make less sense to play just because the games have updated versions on PSP. I wasn't saying the PSP versions shouldn't be played, I just don't like this stuff coming up in a recommendation thread for DS. Anyway, I read about how Knights in the Knightmare controls well with the analog and streamlines the controls, but I didn't have a problem with the touchscreen controls of the DS version. I don't see the point in pointing out the PSP version is better when the DS version is a fine game.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Disagree that the GBA/DS games are worthless just because they games have updated versions on PSP.

That wasn`t implied anywhere in my post. I said that it makes sense to play them on the PSP since it already houses most of the Dept. Heaven games anyway.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Are there any good DS Racing Games aside from the awesome Mario Kart DS? I heard Ridge Racer DS botched the controls compared to its N64 counterpart and lacks the options to use the handling from the earlier RR games (though I heard the handling still differed a bit).

There are some good racing genre based games on the DS including:

Namco's Ridge Racer DS -- you can play with the traditional d-pad setup or use the stylus (for steering purposes) but if you want to do well, the d-pad option is the better choice IMO. The opening intro uses the RR DS in-game engine (without the use of FMV clip magic) but still impressive to watch.

Trackmania Turbo -- crazy & insane super sliky-smooth 60 frames per second framerate presentation with this particular DS racing title but at the expense of having your car with a bit of clipping issues...still fun nevertheless. You can create your own tracks with the built-in TM editor. Has built-in support for the optional DS Rumble pack accessory (in either the full-sized GBA cart sized version of the DS Rumble Pak or the cool smaller sized DS Lite Rumble Pak setup). TM was also released on the Wii platform.

Ferrari Challenge -- is one of those European made racers but with different Ferraris to race. Has built-in Rumble Pak support as well.

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing -- has 24 different tracks to pedal to the metal indeed. Has built-in Rumble Pak support also. Sorta has that SCEI Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 vibe (on the PSX platform) going on but with Sega's signature brand of flavor. It has the usual 30fps framerate spec to contend with.

All of the above listed DS racing titles were distributed stateside at one time or another.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[guigui]

I just bought BIT TRIP SAGA for less than $10.
All six games are still that good on the DS (controls for Runner seem to have improved, now I can jump regularly in this !). Give it a try if you like simple, scoring, addictive, games.

I thought that was 3DS only? If not I need to gemme sum!

3DS only.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The Dragon's Lair port on the DS is cool and doesn't have the LaserDisc search issues that plagued the orignal groundbreaking 1983 arcade LD game classic from StarCom - a joint venture between Rick Dyer/Cinematronics/Don Bluth. You could say that it's the version of DL that should've been shipped back in '83 when LD technology was in it's early years.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[louisg]

OK, so I got to the credits roll on Rhythm Heaven, and I would totally recommend it. I'd recommend the Wii version over this, but the DS version is worth having.

Also, I should recommend Impossible Mission. Not for the remake mode (they screwed some stuff up), but for the original mode. If you've never played it, it's a completely brilliant and very replayable puzzle-platformer. Think of it as Zillion but with more depth. And, it was first. IMO it's one of the greatest games of the 80s.

[Skykid]

Awesome recommendations here. I actually think Shiren the wanderer is my type of dungeon crawler. Pretty 2D, action based, with plenty of strategy. But, is it a thing with Dungeon Crawlers to be as abstruse and archaic as possible? The shop system is one of the most ridiculous layouts ever. A simple buying and selling menu would have been fine.

Also, Solatorobo is lovely. That's my type of game, off to get a copy now.

@Skykid - you would be my hero if you would compile the recommendations in the first post as a reference.

Soon as I can get to my laptop I'll be happy to.

[Moniker]

Awesome recommendations here. I actually think Shiren the wanderer is my type of dungeon crawler. Pretty 2D, action based, with plenty of strategy. But, is it a thing with Dungeon Crawlers to be as abstruse and archaic as possible? The shop system is one of the most ridiculous layouts ever. A simple buying and selling menu would have been fine.

Shiren's shop system is an artifact from Rogue/Hack. If nothing else, it allows for a bit more mischief than a simple menu would allow. The game's layers are many.

[AweOfShe]

Random question, but would anyone recommend Izuna? I found a copy for $10, and I've been meaning to check out a good rogue-type game.

[Moniker]

As I recall, the chief beef with Izuna is that you don't lose your exp upon death -- just your inventory. Which turns it into something of a grind fest. This is a good in-depth review from John Harris: http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/07/col ... _of_th.php

Shiren still remains king of the commercial roguelikes. I'd suggest POWDER if you're looking for something different in the genre for your DS.

EDIT: Another option is to get a completed save file for one of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeons, so you can play the proper roguelike post-game content. I might just do this myself, now that I think on it.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Awesome recommendations here. I actually think Shiren the wanderer is my type of dungeon crawler. Pretty 2D, action based, with plenty of strategy. But, is it a thing with Dungeon Crawlers to be as abstruse and archaic as possible? The shop system is one of the most ridiculous layouts ever. A simple buying and selling menu would have been fine.

Shiren isn`t action-based. At least not in the sense something like Ys is. There is no separate battle screen in Shiren, but the attacks still happen in turns. Also, keep in mind that Shiren for the DS is a port of the 1995 SNES game. It`s only really worth it if you want to see the series` humble beginnings. The sequels didn`t drastically change the gameplay formula, but I do feel that they improved it considerably.

The DS got three more Shiren games after having received the SNES port - Fuurai no Shiren 2, 4 and 5. The Wii got Fuurai no Shiren 3. The PSP received updated ports of the third and fourth games. And there`s also Fuurai no Shiren Gaiden: Asuka Kenzan! for the Dreamcast and PC(it`s got a female protagonist, so it`s the best in the series ) and Fuurai no Shiren 2: Oni Shurai for the N64.

Oh, and I hope you like your roguelikes in Japanese, because outside of the first game for the DS Shiren 3 for the Wii is the only one that`s available in English. An English patch exists for the PSP version of Shiren 3 based on the official translation, but it had originally been uploaded to Megaupload and after that place went bust it`s become literally impossible to find. There are some pre-patched ISOs floating around though.

[AweOfShe]

As I recall, the chief beef with Izuna is that you don't lose your exp upon death -- just your inventory. Which turns it into something of a grind fest. This is a good in-depth review from John Harris: http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/07/col ... _of_th.php

Shiren still remains king of the commercial roguelikes. I'd suggest POWDER if you're looking for something different in the genre for your DS.

EDIT: Another option is to get a completed save file for one of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeons, so you can play the proper roguelike post-game content. I might just do this myself, now that I think on it.

After reading this one, and a couple of other reviews, it sounds like I could do a lot worse for $10. I shall give it a go. Thanks!

And that mention of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon reminds me, I still haven't given those ones a go yet either.