Topic: Am I the only one?

Wow, I didn't even know that 100 Book Collection existed. It looks really cool, actually. I've read a great deal of those, but it might be worth getting for trips and stuff. (I always pack a book I've already read anyway, so that I don't need to go out of my way to finish it.) It's got a little too much Austen and Bronte (I think one book from each of them is more than enough) but there are some awesome choices there. Lord Jim ftw!

Wow, I never heard of that game... does anyone know a reasonable place to go for importing it? I feel like having all that Shakespeare on my DSi would come in handy, believe it or not.

Correct me if I'm wrong, ww (or anyone, actually), but doesn't the DSi lock out import cartridges by region?

It's a shame...I would buy this happily. Are there any other similar cartridges out there? The only precedent that comes to mind is that Bible cartridge released for the Game Boy.

According to Wikipedia (emphasis mine): "Nintendo has reported that the DSi uses region locking for DSi-specific software, since the handheld provides Internet services tailored individually for each region, and uses rating-based parental controls which differ by country. However, elements such as Internet browsing, photo sharing, and Nintendo DS software are region-free."

The only precedent that comes to mind is that Bible cartridge released for the Game Boy.

That's exactly what kids want on their Game Boy.

Ooh, thanks WW. Looks like I'm going to research the book lists available and import me 100 novels!

I never owned that Bible cart, but I do remember it being advertised in Nintendo Power when I was a kid. There was also a cart of dayplanner/scheduling stuff for the businessman on the go. Somehow I don't think any early 90s power-execs were whipping out Game Boys in board meetings to key in deadlines, but I've been wrong before.

Let me know if you find a reasonable deal on importing that, so that I can be lazy for now and hopefully use the fruits of your efforts.

Does it have audio readings? That's the only way I would see it being worthwhile. Books are cheap, portable, and easier to read, but audio books are super expensive.

In general I would agree with you, but the odd thing is that I was just speaking with an old friend this morning about how I I'd like to reread some particular passages or sections in Shakespeare, and how the one annoyance is that I don't want to go out and buy individual versions of all these plays, and the complete compilations are always so massive and unwieldy. The other advantage is for browsing--there are a few classics on that list that I've never read and haven't had enough inclination to seek out, but if I can just pull one up randomly on the DSi as I'm going to sleep and read the opening chapter, I'll know I'll get sucked into some of these.

I think that there's a DSi version that has 20 books. It came out February in Japan.

Oh, definitely, I just meant worth it to me, personally. I still have my giant Shakespeare anthology from college, and while it is unwieldy, it's also not something I read often (and the school is to cheap to give me almost anything if I sold it back to the bookstore, anyway, despite the arm and two legs they'd charge for it).

I wish you were the only one who uses the DS mostly for shoddy language teaching tools, apps that make you pay for books that have no copyright and are thus free online and on many handheld apps, overpriced cook books, and fad IQ-boosting tools.

I have Brain Age (1 and 2) and I've DS downloaded some edu-gamation games. But, I also play some fun games.

Well, the thing is that if I take a trip, I'll bring my DSi anyway, and in addition to that, I'll dig out some book I've been meaning to re-read. With this, I would only have to take the DSi, not have to go digging for books, and would have the bonus of 60 something books I haven't read yet just as easily accessible.

Different strokes and all that, but for the convenience of having 100 on a single cart, I think it's probably worth it.

Price will dictate that, actually...but in theory, I really like it. One less thing to dig out, one less thing to have to decide on before I leave.

I remember reading that edu-gamation games were sucky on the NES and the SNES, and almost everything in between.

I also have BB Academy. I'm at a B+/A-. 1500 points total. I used to, anyway....

Yea, Chicken, as I just said, I only meant it wouldn't be worth it for me. I realize the very obvious worth it has to others. That's a lot of books in one. Sure, they're available free online, but unless you are very fast at stealing wifi from each house you pass, you probably don't have internet access in your car.

@clickityclick

I wish you were the only one who uses the DS mostly for shoddy language teaching tools, apps that make you pay for books that have no copyright and are thus free online and on many handheld apps, overpriced cook books, and fad IQ-boosting tools. Apps make me cry.

• shoddy language teaching tools - agreed, I was given the French one by a family member, and it's pretty terrible. The DS could be a great platform for a language learning tool, if the software were designed well, but unfortunately that one was pretty bad.
• apps that make you pay for books that have no copyright and are thus free online - they are free online, but there's nothing wrong with gathering them together in a nice package, so that it's adds a little incentive to browse around in them on your portable device, and hopefully end up reading something you'd never just pull up on a web site directly to read. What are you, against giving people a little push to try some books they'll probably ignore otherwise?
• overpriced cook books - I haven't tried one of these DS cooking things before, but I can see how it might add a little fun to the cooking process for some people to have some sort of DS app with interactive features and built-in searching of recipes, etc. Again, perhaps a little cheap interactivity and accessibility can encourage a person to try something new they would otherwise not bother with, be it a certain recipe or a novel, and there's nothing wrong with that.
• fad IQ-boosting tools - I can't vouch for the brain games currently on DSiWare, as I haven't downloaded them, but the original Brain Age games were actually pretty enjoyable and addictive, and I had fun getting some family members to play it who otherwise would never enjoy a handheld game (a brother-in-law surprised me with his speed on some of the difficult games, and my sister wouldn't relinquish it once she experienced how smooth her beloved Sudoku can be in digital form). I particularly enjoyed the word games, and would happily buy a DSiWare release in the future if it focuses on that category (I do enjoy math challenges, but mere calculation gets boring... DECODE is a much better math game than the Brain Age ones, IMO).

Anyhow, those apps aren't hurting anyone.

You will buy it and you will like it. End of.

But I don't like most "canonical" literature.

I've got to agree with Clickety's assessment of the brain training software though. I've tried both Brain Ages, and within a few tries I was getting the perfect brain age every time. Of course, it is also well known that I am a super genius.

The actual testing of your "age" on that game is the most minor feature of all, IMO. It's all about playing the individual games you can unlock, and trying to best your previous scores (or, in my case, competing with my then-girlfriend to stay on top of each leaderboard). The age test is a pointless little exercise that wasn't in any way necessary.

Well, it is the titular exercise, so that carries a lot of expectations right there. Some of the other exercises aren't bad, but I didn't know anyone else nerdy enough to have it, so I never knew the competition side of it. If the express versions weren't $8, I'd probably get the math one, but like you said, Decode is better anyway. I just finished Zerosum the other day and am just playing infinite mode now. I have never enjoyed set-piece puzzles, so I barely touched that mode.