Baby sitting device? There's nothing wrong with that. I'm also cool with education software for DS out there. Pokemon is pretty addictive, no matter what the age.
Sony's OtherOS Removal, Rootkit hacking? Need I say more? I'm still boycotting Sony over that.
@theblackdragon Yes, you have to keep track of your [sleeping/working/spending/exercise/gaming] habits precisely. If all you need is your head, then a lot more people would be slimmer, healthier, richer, and the whole fitness industry would collapse.
Quality of sleep is not Quantity of sleep, but you actually need to go to a sleep expert to check Quality (i.e. sleep apnea sufferer). No simple questionaire or apps is going to be able to make that judgement. Quantity is the next best thing.
PS: Not everybody has steady sleep cycle. This app may be niche, but for those who need it, this is great.
"The visual and audio presentation in Castle Conqueror is simple and utterly adorable. Big-headed and big-eyed chibi characters are often displayed during dialogue on the top screen, and even more litter the lower screen in the form of attacking troops."
Ummm... There is dialogue?
I hate this kind of game because they cheat at the end, throwing huge numbers of troops against you, while leaving you with relatively few troops. Without power-ups, may as well forget it. With, then it becomes too easy, hence the troop flood.
Those 50 levels may be replayable, but there is only one strategy for me: Capture as many neutral castles as quickly as possible, and siege continuously. Outcome is pretty clear within 30 seconds. It's rare that you can hold out.
Comparing this to absolute chess, then I'd say this game is not only blitzkrieg, but also handicaps you with a missing rook, but that's okay because the AI is so poor, you'll win anyway!
Not my greatest pleasure. And the fact that the game froze on me didn't help. I had to just let the battery run down because the power button didn't work, and I'm not about to unscrew the battery from the device. Music still plays, though. Weird, huh?
Artwork may be cute, but I can't help but think that maybe Chibi Gophers would be way cuter!
I think a killer app would sell better. 3D is nice, but an interactive VRML viewer would sell better. Oh, and some kind of BASIC would be nice. Hey, if it works with AppleII and a whole lot of low powered computers in the 80s, then I think a modern day Family BASIC would be nice.
That being said, Pokemon 3DS will sell a lot of units, especially with Wifi video chat!
"As with Absolute Chess, there's a strange assortment of pointless anime characters to choose from,"
I think that from certain point of otaku view, the inclusion of school girl, sexy girl, maid, and sultry girl can never be considered pointless.
I don't see move list, "wait" undo, that are present in Absolute Chess. Still no timer or music that can be turned off, too. Are they in there? I haven't downloaded this one, so I don't know. Thanks for the AI line, BTW.
There are only 2 different pictures? Must they be presented 5 times? Just curious as to whether this has winning/losing pose as well. Thx.
Just a quick 15 min impression: 1. Toolbar does not stay hidden when flipping pages 2. This makes turning pages slower than necessary 3. No double tap on next page, like there is on skip 10 pages. 4. No multiple page turning when holding down button. 5. Did fix the music bug. Thanks! 6. Saved page when exiting via pressing the power button. Great! 7. Don't know why only one shoulder button will hide/show toolbar. No reason why both can't be active? Only one function, right? 8. Still have to turn device over to write alternate page. 9. Like the extra pages. That means skipping pages is fine, with so much capacity. 10. The loading/saving on every page turning does make it slow. 11. Vertical line on the side is too close to the edge to be useful. Maybe skipping it altogether is better. Is that one of the unlockable design? 12. I wish there is an option to skip 40 pages w/ double tap, though. It is a chore to get to the later pages. 13. Love the new export command. Thanks. JPEG artifact is there, but not a problem. 14. No tapping to quickly clear the "new unlockable" notice screen. 15. Last page location is accessible via the START button. Nice. 16. I wonder what would happen if I press the power button when data is loading at the start? It isn't doing any saving, right? So, should be no problem? 17. Did fix the perpetual gray box. Thanks. 18. Toolbar options are not saved. Pen/color settings are reset upon exit.
Bottom line: Much better than the original. Still too slow in turning the pages, even with double tap skip 10 option. Good effort, but can be better. Skip the near unusable original, and go with the new one instead.
Ah, that means there's still flipping the device over to turn the pages. I'll download the new version, then, and check it out. Yes, there are volume sliders for each on the old version, but when I turned it all the way to off, the music still plays. It didn't take. There's a bug in there.
I did an extended review on my ramstong blogspot Nov 26 2009, if you're interested. I'll review the new version as well. Thank you for replying.
I see from the video that gray box is still there. Why cover the whole screen with it? Can I hide the box and see the page? Is there an option to just go to the next page WITHOUT FLIPPING THE DEVICE? Also, the on the original, there was a bug that does not allow the music to be turned off. I hope you fixed it on this version.
I think all these are easily implemented. Putting an option on the configuration screen isn't that hard, right? It's just a question of design?
I knew Nintendo DSi is a great platform, but this is the first game in ages, where I actually actively hunts other people to play a game with me! Imagine me, talking to strangers, asking them whether or not they play video games! Yes, it is that good. The more the merrier! For 200 points, it is a must buy. Games like this are what sells computers of the old. Great fun, great price, great buy! Highly recommended!
"...meaning no ability to layer voices in one recording"
True, but you can play the keyboard during playback for 2 tones performance, albeit not recorded. I like the retro better. Better voice samples to my ear. Then again, I like GBA sound option on HeartGold better.
I like Korg Plus better for making real music, so I won't be downloading Rytmik anytime soon.
"The challenge mode is not very long, but the ridiculous difficulty curve might make it almost impossible for some players to get past level three."
I guess it may be just me, but I do not find the challenges to be hard. If you play a defensive game, the computer WILL make a mistake that you can capitalize on. Also, since pawns count as "pieces", that makes it easy. I laugh at the comment mistaking bishop for a queen, but I understand the motivation. It is THAT one other chess program.
Yes, the lack of timers does make it annoying. But this chess program isn't built for long sittings. It's for blitzkrieg players. Chess as an action game, so to speak.
For those interested in more details, I did an entry Aug 17, on my ramstrong blogspot. There's a sample game in there.
And if it's not asking too much, the next time you review a chess program, please indicate the strength of the chess engine. Actually, a discussion of AI on all applicable reviews will be appreciated. I am interested in GAMES instead of pretty pictures.
I don't care so much, price-wise. Nintendo did make that downward adjustment regarding size/price. Can't blame Nnooo for that. I welcome the export and blank page. It would be really nice to have import as well, even if it is of limited color.
But my main criticism still remains: Can you get rid of the grey box on the left side? It is obstructing the view. Also, can you flip pages, WITHOUT HAVING TO FLIP THE DEVICE OVER? I think it is very annoying. The small size of pages means that I have to write many pages for a lot of materials, and having to flip the device over is extremely annoying. The result is that I use Flipnotebook more than myNotebook for notetaking. I think the comments so far supports my contention. People like Notebook program. But it hardly ever get used due to lousy interface.
And the unlockable theme? If you can create your own customized theme AND share it via wireless, then it would be brilliant!
Nice to see Takahashi Meijin got mentioned, but how about those finger vibrators? Or use a vibrating ruler.
I won't get this one. But I think this beats-per-minute measuring device is useful for a quick heartbeat check when exercising. With a little more options, though, it can also be useful as a counter. Imagine if you can count indefinitely. You can count visitors to a park, passengers to a bus, and so on. Makes a dandy ranger beads replacement. In fact, they used to sell such a device, and I saw them being used.
Or maybe (with target bpm) just a steady meditation aid device. A simple device, for sure, but it can be much more useful had the design be expanded just a bit.
I prefer training my fingers with a typewriter. Best one would be a manual typewriter to train those little pinkies to break watermelon.
No review of the slot machine? That could be fun, and may tip other people to spring for this one. Think of it: Portable dice! I think that can be very useful. It's not fair if such a useful feature did not get reviewed, even if you need to unlock it. Who knows? It could bump the score to 3.
Regarding the waiting period: Sometimes there isn't one. I've played a game where the whole game has no waiting period. OTOH, the moves I was making were unnatural moves only idiots would make. So, it seems to me, that the chess program is geared toward novices. Expert play will leave the computer dumbfounded and will have to calculate. Also, the wait is simply that the computer has no opening book! Not that I can tell, anyway.
I've never found a 10 minutes game too long to play. So maybe just unfulfilled instant gratification mode of the reviewer? Also, Novice mode a challenge? I just checked it again. It makes blunder left and right. What a joke. Then again, even the hardest mode isn't too good. I'm guessing 1200 level or below. I'm surprised that the ELO rating starts from zero. Usually, provisional rating starts around 1400. I noticed it increased immediately when I start winning games. Can it be that the reviewer was losing a lot of games in the beginning?
Agree about lack of good graphic. The bishop graphic problem did annoy me. I solved it by doing semi-blindfold chess where I remember where the bishops are. I guess not many people can do that.
Chessmaster DS doesn't play too good, but it still plays much better than this one. Also, on chessmaster, one can download play so 2 player games can be done with just 1 copy. Not on this chess challenge, and there's no reason for it, other than bad design.
Bad chess engine, rather unpolished presentation, and lack-luster options means that unless you absolutely must have a chess program at all time in your DSi (like, uh, me), then you're better off getting that old Chessmaster DS Art of Learning w/ Josh Waitzkin.
@zkaplan: "What's more likely, of course, is that the game is simply programmed to pause for a variable amount of time between each move."
LOL. Sorry, but I have yet to see a chess program that is programmed to do nothing. Most likely, this is a very simplistic chess engine that does not have opening book, hash table, persistent memory, or even good evaluation function. The pruning seems to be rather aggresive, perhaps to accomodate novice players AND make the program calculate FASTER.
Ummm... How is this better than Photo-Graffiti? For any other source, I'd just snap it with DSi camera. Low resolution, sure, but so what? I'd like to review this, but I fear that I will simply say use Photo-Graffiti, so I won't do the review. How about doing one of those 3D camera thingy? Pretty simple to do, don't you think? You can use the dual screen to show right-left images, and use 3D cross eye projection.
I actually got this, and I like it! I do have a "real" tuner in my violin case, but this DSiWare version will sure come in handy. If you have guitar and violin, and other string instruments, then it will save you some money. However, I do have some complaints.
There is no setting to lock the frequency. Due to the software algorithm, recognizing the correct tone is dicey if the frequency is way off. This is no fault of the algorithm, as it is common failing. I think it's due to the fact that real instruments have "textures" in their frequency. In other words, what makes a trumpet sounds like a trumpet, and a string sounds like a string, even though they're at the same frequency. The problem is that you need to know exactly the frequency rate, instead of a letter. What if it's off by one octave? If you can tune by ear, then no problem, but then you probably be using tuning fork, instead of this digital tuner. So, being able to lock the detector to a single frequency would be useful.
A second feature that is missing, also related to the sound texture issue, is that there is no waveform graph. Sound Recorder on Windows has it, and it has been helpful with my violin learning. So, I would like to have that here, also. It's very useful to identify sympathetic harmonic quality that cause brilliant sound to emanates from the violin. So, I'd like to have that also,
And finally, although the game is very nice, I'd rather have a 3 octave keyboard I can play with. Similar to Photo Graffiti Music mode, except this one features real piano keys. I would love to just jam with it. Extra points would be for composition/recording ability, but I understand that it won't be a 200 point program anymore. The way it is right now, I'm sorely missing that extra DO key at the end. Come on! Even Easy Piano has that key! Can't you tell you need it?
Bonus points if the program has quick settings for guitar, bass, violin, cello, and other tunable instruments.
I suppose there's nothing wrong with it. The graphics are nice, and mini games are decent. However, I was hoping that there'd be more educational content. The risk management doesn't show itself well, so you don't know whether you did it by skill or by luck. I think a more transparent evaluation function would be better.
Also, there's not enough trivia screens to my liking. I enjoyed reading about life in the past, but there are only a few screens that repeats.
The difficulty setting is unlockable. Why is that? Also, the game doesn't change all that much from one level to another, although calamity means there's a good chance you'll lose party member.
800 points is on the high side. Now, if we're talking The Art of War, that's different.
Is this Enid Blyton of the "Famous Five" fame? I should've downloaded this one instead of the ghoul one. My research on the Internet hints that the contemporary version has been changed from the old classic for better fit of the "political correctness."
I don't see how it's mildly disappointing to see a different branch of story. If you like the ghoul story so much, you'd already gone and bought the whole thing on cartridge! I actually want to try out a different story, so to me, a change of series is something to savor.
411 pages? My copy is only 397 pages! I also cannot find any trivia at the end of the chapters. Do you think the missing pages are the trivia questions?
There's not enough here for 500 points to be better than the actual book. However, this is a good way to try out the interface, which seems fine, except that multiple page flipping is too fast.
Boring story? It's not Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, granted, but I think there's enough meat in there for it to be "not boring". The page count is deceptive since the pages on the screen is quite small, each page containing a couple paragraphs. I wonder how Moby Dick will read in there.
I expected a more detailed explanation about gameplay. There's hardly in there about AI, except that it will pose challenge to seasoned players. That's putting it mildly. The different play styles with Hudson is stunning. I can play rock with Hudson. EA version forces me to bluff and take risk, early and often, thus pushing the luck factor much higher here. You can't set the ante level, and a bad run of cards will ruin you. Although the game lets you keep certain amount of money after completing each level, it isn't a good feeling having to lose at tournament just because I have a bad run of cards, combined with high ante structure means the ante ate up half my stakes.
The AI are merciless. There's absolutely no beginner mode here. The playstyle is cutthroats. Bluffing is a major tactics. The game plays hard and fast. I keep feeling that the game was tuned by arcade twitchers instead of normal board game designers. I was hoping that different casinos location will give a wider range of skill accomodation.
It's nice to have an advisor there, telling you how to play your hand. But like all computer advisor, you can do better by thinking.
It's also nice that the game does save somewhat, so you can resume interrupted session. I do wish there's an option to make that explicit, though. Just good user experience design.
I prefer the button interface to stylus, and it's great that they have it, but sometimes, I pushed the buttons too many times, and select the wrong thing. The way they set it up is fine, there's nothing wrong with it. However, I feel that it can be improved to minimize errors by button mashers like me.
The fact that there is a practice mode with selectable levels of difficulty means that I can customize my experience for gameplay. A big plus here. Thank you EA, for putting that in.
I actually find this Photo Clock a very useful application. I use it a lot. The alarm sound is really loud, and I can actually hear it. The fact that you can use your own sound is great, because you can set soothing music when you go to sleep, and loud alarm when you wake up.
The fact that you can set relative time with ease, means that it is also useful as a timer. And I love showcasing my Art Academy paintings on it, although if you have your own pictures, snapping them with the built-in camera isn't a big deal.
The review has a mistake there. The top screen WILL turn off. You don't have to plug it in. There are times, even, when I had the unit closed, and the program still runs. I can hear the alarm when it went off in my pocket. The battery last a really long time. It will run for days! It really is a great alarm/photo display program.
And if you like Animal Crossing, just take pictures of them and display them screen saver like. The custom music on Animal Crossing is pretty useless.
Where's the review? I have this game and I find the pace to be scary fast. Ever play poker where the ante is 10% of stakes? A bad run of cards will certainly ruin your day, and if that happens to be a tournament...well, you'll lose. The ante began low enough, but it got ramped up rather quick. Definitely not for turtles.
I like the variety of AI personalities, as well as different locations, but the game is definitely geared toward action-oriented crowds. No leisurely playing rock like Hudson's, to be sure. I feel that good as they are, the AI could have more variety. Those AI played like well seasoned pros. Better sharpen you bluffing skill a lot, buddy. You're going to need it!
Oh, and it does save game midway, should your game be interrupted, even though there was no message saying so. The game does have pizzaz presentation, if you're the kind of player who needs graphics more than gameplay. Music is really personal preference, but you can turn it off independently of sound effect. I really like that.
In all, a good computer game. Good polish on it, too. Less of a poker simulation, more of a game. If you like excitement, this will be right up your alley. Just don't complain that the AI are merciless. They are, and will bankrupt you every chance they get, just like good poker player should. And if the 4 to 1 odds against doesn't faze you, then you'll be having a jolly good time!
I actually like this game a lot. There are bad points, sure. Annoying music you can't turn off. It also keep tracks hands dealt in real time, but win/loss ratio is only recorded when you win or went bankrupt. The AI is decent, albeit with loopholes I can take advantage of. This is a great way to learn Texas Holdem (arguably the best poker play there is). I disagree that real-life is better. Well, depends on your circle of friends, . There's no feature that is missing. I really like the fact that it keeps statistics automatically. Like I said, great for LEARNING Texas Holdem.
Does anybody feel up to it to review EA version? I find EA version to be geared toward action-oriented crowd. Better AI personalities, sure, but it seems they ramp up the action a lot. And if that's not fast enough, it also up the ante quite high (in a long game) so that you're forced to gamble and bluff a lot. And should you happen to have bad run of cards, may as well kiss your money goodbye. I also do not like the fact that you can raise after checks. EA's version is definitely geared more toward luck, rather than Hudson's skill.
Having completed all 50 stages multiple times, I can vouch that none of the puzzles are really hard. Certainly, it is hard if you don't know what you're doing. However, each advance stage have a key idea that you have to discover. None of the stage takes more than 100 steps. I have a walkthrough as well as par score on my blog: ramstrong.blogspot.com on Feb 2, 2010 entry.
Comments 178
Re: DSiWare Users Going Back to BASIC with PetitComputer
Hurry it up and release it for the US!!!
Re: Sony CEO Refers to Nintendo Handhelds as "Babysitting Tools"
Baby sitting device? There's nothing wrong with that. I'm also cool with education software for DS out there. Pokemon is pretty addictive, no matter what the age.
Sony's OtherOS Removal, Rootkit hacking? Need I say more? I'm still boycotting Sony over that.
Re: Review: Sleep Clock: Record and Analyse Your Sleep Patterns (DSiWare)
@theblackdragon
Yes, you have to keep track of your [sleeping/working/spending/exercise/gaming] habits precisely. If all you need is your head, then a lot more people would be slimmer, healthier, richer, and the whole fitness industry would collapse.
Quality of sleep is not Quantity of sleep, but you actually need to go to a sleep expert to check Quality (i.e. sleep apnea sufferer). No simple questionaire or apps is going to be able to make that judgement. Quantity is the next best thing.
PS: Not everybody has steady sleep cycle. This app may be niche, but for those who need it, this is great.
Re: Feast Your Eyes on 3DS's Launch Line Up in Japan
Oooh. SSFIV3D. It must be mine! Zelda, PilotWings, RidgeRacer, Samurai Warriors look good, too. I should start saving my quarters now.
Re: Review: Castle Conqueror (DSiWare)
"The visual and audio presentation in Castle Conqueror is simple and utterly adorable. Big-headed and big-eyed chibi characters are often displayed during dialogue on the top screen, and even more litter the lower screen in the form of attacking troops."
Ummm... There is dialogue?
I hate this kind of game because they cheat at the end, throwing huge numbers of troops against you, while leaving you with relatively few troops. Without power-ups, may as well forget it. With, then it becomes too easy, hence the troop flood.
Those 50 levels may be replayable, but there is only one strategy for me: Capture as many neutral castles as quickly as possible, and siege continuously. Outcome is pretty clear within 30 seconds. It's rare that you can hold out.
Comparing this to absolute chess, then I'd say this game is not only blitzkrieg, but also handicaps you with a missing rook, but that's okay because the AI is so poor, you'll win anyway!
Not my greatest pleasure. And the fact that the game froze on me didn't help. I had to just let the battery run down because the power button didn't work, and I'm not about to unscrew the battery from the device. Music still plays, though. Weird, huh?
Artwork may be cute, but I can't help but think that maybe Chibi Gophers would be way cuter!
Re: Strum Along with Music On: Acoustic Guitar Next Week
Another neat app to get! I hope they include an option for left-hander!
Re: Inchworm Animation Could Beat Flipnote at its Own Game
Deluxe Paint III for DSi? All right! Will definitely get.
Re: Nintendo Admits Advertising for 3DS Will be Tricky
I think a killer app would sell better. 3D is nice, but an interactive VRML viewer would sell better. Oh, and some kind of BASIC would be nice. Hey, if it works with AppleII and a whole lot of low powered computers in the 80s, then I think a modern day Family BASIC would be nice.
That being said, Pokemon 3DS will sell a lot of units, especially with Wifi video chat!
just my 2 cents.
Re: Review: Absolute Reversi (DSiWare)
"As with Absolute Chess, there's a strange assortment of pointless anime characters to choose from,"
I think that from certain point of otaku view, the inclusion of school girl, sexy girl, maid, and sultry girl can never be considered pointless.
I don't see move list, "wait" undo, that are present in Absolute Chess. Still no timer or music that can be turned off, too. Are they in there? I haven't downloaded this one, so I don't know. Thanks for the AI line, BTW.
There are only 2 different pictures? Must they be presented 5 times? Just curious as to whether this has winning/losing pose as well. Thx.
Re: Review: myNotebook: Carbon, Pearl and Tan (DSiWare)
Just a quick 15 min impression:
1. Toolbar does not stay hidden when flipping pages
2. This makes turning pages slower than necessary
3. No double tap on next page, like there is on skip 10 pages.
4. No multiple page turning when holding down button.
5. Did fix the music bug. Thanks!
6. Saved page when exiting via pressing the power button. Great!
7. Don't know why only one shoulder button will hide/show toolbar. No reason why both can't be active? Only one function, right?
8. Still have to turn device over to write alternate page.
9. Like the extra pages. That means skipping pages is fine, with so much capacity.
10. The loading/saving on every page turning does make it slow.
11. Vertical line on the side is too close to the edge to be useful. Maybe skipping it altogether is better. Is that one of the unlockable design?
12. I wish there is an option to skip 40 pages w/ double tap, though. It is a chore to get to the later pages.
13. Love the new export command. Thanks. JPEG artifact is there, but not a problem.
14. No tapping to quickly clear the "new unlockable" notice screen.
15. Last page location is accessible via the START button. Nice.
16. I wonder what would happen if I press the power button when data is loading at the start? It isn't doing any saving, right? So, should be no problem?
17. Did fix the perpetual gray box. Thanks.
18. Toolbar options are not saved. Pen/color settings are reset upon exit.
Bottom line: Much better than the original. Still too slow in turning the pages, even with double tap skip 10 option. Good effort, but can be better. Skip the near unusable original, and go with the new one instead.
Re: Review: myNotebook: Carbon, Pearl and Tan (DSiWare)
Ah, that means there's still flipping the device over to turn the pages. I'll download the new version, then, and check it out. Yes, there are volume sliders for each on the old version, but when I turned it all the way to off, the music still plays. It didn't take. There's a bug in there.
I did an extended review on my ramstong blogspot Nov 26 2009, if you're interested. I'll review the new version as well. Thank you for replying.
Re: Review: myNotebook: Carbon, Pearl and Tan (DSiWare)
I see from the video that gray box is still there. Why cover the whole screen with it? Can I hide the box and see the page? Is there an option to just go to the next page WITHOUT FLIPPING THE DEVICE? Also, the on the original, there was a bug that does not allow the music to be turned off. I hope you fixed it on this version.
I think all these are easily implemented. Putting an option on the configuration screen isn't that hard, right? It's just a question of design?
Re: Review: Pop Island: Paperfield (DSiWare)
I knew Nintendo DSi is a great platform, but this is the first game in ages, where I actually actively hunts other people to play a game with me! Imagine me, talking to strangers, asking them whether or not they play video games! Yes, it is that good. The more the merrier! For 200 points, it is a must buy. Games like this are what sells computers of the old. Great fun, great price, great buy! Highly recommended!
Re: Review: Music On: Retro Keyboard (DSiWare)
"...meaning no ability to layer voices in one recording"
True, but you can play the keyboard during playback for 2 tones performance, albeit not recorded. I like the retro better. Better voice samples to my ear. Then again, I like GBA sound option on HeartGold better.
I like Korg Plus better for making real music, so I won't be downloading Rytmik anytime soon.
Re: Review: Absolute Chess (DSiWare)
"The challenge mode is not very long, but the ridiculous difficulty curve might make it almost impossible for some players to get past level three."
I guess it may be just me, but I do not find the challenges to be hard. If you play a defensive game, the computer WILL make a mistake that you can capitalize on. Also, since pawns count as "pieces", that makes it easy. I laugh at the comment mistaking bishop for a queen, but I understand the motivation. It is THAT one other chess program.
Yes, the lack of timers does make it annoying. But this chess program isn't built for long sittings. It's for blitzkrieg players. Chess as an action game, so to speak.
For those interested in more details, I did an entry Aug 17, on my ramstrong blogspot. There's a sample game in there.
And if it's not asking too much, the next time you review a chess program, please indicate the strength of the chess engine. Actually, a discussion of AI on all applicable reviews will be appreciated. I am interested in GAMES instead of pretty pictures.
Re: myNotebook Carbon, Tan, and Pearl Trailer Released
I don't care so much, price-wise. Nintendo did make that downward adjustment regarding size/price. Can't blame Nnooo for that. I welcome the export and blank page. It would be really nice to have import as well, even if it is of limited color.
But my main criticism still remains: Can you get rid of the grey box on the left side? It is obstructing the view. Also, can you flip pages, WITHOUT HAVING TO FLIP THE DEVICE OVER? I think it is very annoying. The small size of pages means that I have to write many pages for a lot of materials, and having to flip the device over is extremely annoying. The result is that I use Flipnotebook more than myNotebook for notetaking. I think the comments so far supports my contention. People like Notebook program. But it hardly ever get used due to lousy interface.
And the unlockable theme? If you can create your own customized theme AND share it via wireless, then it would be brilliant!
Re: Review: 16 Shot! Shooting Watch (DSiWare)
Nice to see Takahashi Meijin got mentioned, but how about those finger vibrators? Or use a vibrating ruler.
I won't get this one. But I think this beats-per-minute measuring device is useful for a quick heartbeat check when exercising. With a little more options, though, it can also be useful as a counter. Imagine if you can count indefinitely. You can count visitors to a park, passengers to a bus, and so on. Makes a dandy ranger beads replacement. In fact, they used to sell such a device, and I saw them being used.
Or maybe (with target bpm) just a steady meditation aid device. A simple device, for sure, but it can be much more useful had the design be expanded just a bit.
I prefer training my fingers with a typewriter. Best one would be a manual typewriter to train those little pinkies to break watermelon.
No review of the slot machine? That could be fun, and may tip other people to spring for this one. Think of it: Portable dice! I think that can be very useful. It's not fair if such a useful feature did not get reviewed, even if you need to unlock it. Who knows? It could bump the score to 3.
Re: Review: Chess Challenge! (DSiWare)
Regarding the waiting period: Sometimes there isn't one. I've played a game where the whole game has no waiting period. OTOH, the moves I was making were unnatural moves only idiots would make. So, it seems to me, that the chess program is geared toward novices. Expert play will leave the computer dumbfounded and will have to calculate. Also, the wait is simply that the computer has no opening book! Not that I can tell, anyway.
I've never found a 10 minutes game too long to play. So maybe just unfulfilled instant gratification mode of the reviewer? Also, Novice mode a challenge? I just checked it again. It makes blunder left and right. What a joke. Then again, even the hardest mode isn't too good. I'm guessing 1200 level or below. I'm surprised that the ELO rating starts from zero. Usually, provisional rating starts around 1400. I noticed it increased immediately when I start winning games. Can it be that the reviewer was losing a lot of games in the beginning?
Agree about lack of good graphic. The bishop graphic problem did annoy me. I solved it by doing semi-blindfold chess where I remember where the bishops are. I guess not many people can do that.
Chessmaster DS doesn't play too good, but it still plays much better than this one. Also, on chessmaster, one can download play so 2 player games can be done with just 1 copy. Not on this chess challenge, and there's no reason for it, other than bad design.
Bad chess engine, rather unpolished presentation, and lack-luster options means that unless you absolutely must have a chess program at all time in your DSi (like, uh, me), then you're better off getting that old Chessmaster DS Art of Learning w/ Josh Waitzkin.
@zkaplan: "What's more likely, of course, is that the game is simply programmed to pause for a variable amount of time between each move."
LOL. Sorry, but I have yet to see a chess program that is programmed to do nothing. Most likely, this is a very simplistic chess engine that does not have opening book, hash table, persistent memory, or even good evaluation function. The pruning seems to be rather aggresive, perhaps to accomodate novice players AND make the program calculate FASTER.
Re: Review: myPostcards (DSiWare)
Ummm...
How is this better than Photo-Graffiti? For any other source, I'd just snap it with DSi camera. Low resolution, sure, but so what? I'd like to review this, but I fear that I will simply say use Photo-Graffiti, so I won't do the review. How about doing one of those 3D camera thingy? Pretty simple to do, don't you think? You can use the dual screen to show right-left images, and use 3D cross eye projection.
Re: Review: Nintendo DSi Instrument Tuner (DSiWare)
I actually got this, and I like it! I do have a "real" tuner in my violin case, but this DSiWare version will sure come in handy. If you have guitar and violin, and other string instruments, then it will save you some money. However, I do have some complaints.
There is no setting to lock the frequency. Due to the software algorithm, recognizing the correct tone is dicey if the frequency is way off. This is no fault of the algorithm, as it is common failing. I think it's due to the fact that real instruments have "textures" in their frequency. In other words, what makes a trumpet sounds like a trumpet, and a string sounds like a string, even though they're at the same frequency. The problem is that you need to know exactly the frequency rate, instead of a letter. What if it's off by one octave? If you can tune by ear, then no problem, but then you probably be using tuning fork, instead of this digital tuner. So, being able to lock the detector to a single frequency would be useful.
A second feature that is missing, also related to the sound texture issue, is that there is no waveform graph. Sound Recorder on Windows has it, and it has been helpful with my violin learning. So, I would like to have that here, also. It's very useful to identify sympathetic harmonic quality that cause brilliant sound to emanates from the violin. So, I'd like to have that also,
And finally, although the game is very nice, I'd rather have a 3 octave keyboard I can play with. Similar to Photo Graffiti Music mode, except this one features real piano keys. I would love to just jam with it. Extra points would be for composition/recording ability, but I understand that it won't be a 200 point program anymore. The way it is right now, I'm sorely missing that extra DO key at the end. Come on! Even Easy Piano has that key! Can't you tell you need it?
Bonus points if the program has quick settings for guitar, bass, violin, cello, and other tunable instruments.
Re: Review: The Oregon Trail (DSiWare)
I suppose there's nothing wrong with it. The graphics are nice, and mini games are decent. However, I was hoping that there'd be more educational content. The risk management doesn't show itself well, so you don't know whether you did it by skill or by luck. I think a more transparent evaluation function would be better.
Also, there's not enough trivia screens to my liking. I enjoyed reading about life in the past, but there are only a few screens that repeats.
The difficulty setting is unlockable. Why is that? Also, the game doesn't change all that much from one level to another, although calamity means there's a good chance you'll lose party member.
800 points is on the high side. Now, if we're talking The Art of War, that's different.
Re: Review: Flips: The Enchanted Wood (DSiWare)
Is this Enid Blyton of the "Famous Five" fame? I should've downloaded this one instead of the ghoul one. My research on the Internet hints that the contemporary version has been changed from the old classic for better fit of the "political correctness."
I don't see how it's mildly disappointing to see a different branch of story. If you like the ghoul story so much, you'd already gone and bought the whole thing on cartridge! I actually want to try out a different story, so to me, a change of series is something to savor.
Re: Review: Flips: Terror in Cubicle Four (DSiWare)
411 pages? My copy is only 397 pages! I also cannot find any trivia at the end of the chapters. Do you think the missing pages are the trivia questions?
There's not enough here for 500 points to be better than the actual book. However, this is a good way to try out the interface, which seems fine, except that multiple page flipping is too fast.
Boring story? It's not Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, granted, but I think there's enough meat in there for it to be "not boring". The page count is deceptive since the pages on the screen is quite small, each page containing a couple paragraphs. I wonder how Moby Dick will read in there.
Re: Review: Downtown Texas Hold 'Em (DSiWare)
I expected a more detailed explanation about gameplay. There's hardly in there about AI, except that it will pose challenge to seasoned players. That's putting it mildly. The different play styles with Hudson is stunning. I can play rock with Hudson. EA version forces me to bluff and take risk, early and often, thus pushing the luck factor much higher here. You can't set the ante level, and a bad run of cards will ruin you. Although the game lets you keep certain amount of money after completing each level, it isn't a good feeling having to lose at tournament just because I have a bad run of cards, combined with high ante structure means the ante ate up half my stakes.
The AI are merciless. There's absolutely no beginner mode here. The playstyle is cutthroats. Bluffing is a major tactics. The game plays hard and fast. I keep feeling that the game was tuned by arcade twitchers instead of normal board game designers. I was hoping that different casinos location will give a wider range of skill accomodation.
It's nice to have an advisor there, telling you how to play your hand. But like all computer advisor, you can do better by thinking.
It's also nice that the game does save somewhat, so you can resume interrupted session. I do wish there's an option to make that explicit, though. Just good user experience design.
I prefer the button interface to stylus, and it's great that they have it, but sometimes, I pushed the buttons too many times, and select the wrong thing. The way they set it up is fine, there's nothing wrong with it. However, I feel that it can be improved to minimize errors by button mashers like me.
The fact that there is a practice mode with selectable levels of difficulty means that I can customize my experience for gameplay. A big plus here. Thank you EA, for putting that in.
Re: Review: Photo Clock (DSiWare)
I actually find this Photo Clock a very useful application. I use it a lot. The alarm sound is really loud, and I can actually hear it. The fact that you can use your own sound is great, because you can set soothing music when you go to sleep, and loud alarm when you wake up.
The fact that you can set relative time with ease, means that it is also useful as a timer. And I love showcasing my Art Academy paintings on it, although if you have your own pictures, snapping them with the built-in camera isn't a big deal.
The review has a mistake there. The top screen WILL turn off. You don't have to plug it in. There are times, even, when I had the unit closed, and the program still runs. I can hear the alarm when it went off in my pocket. The battery last a really long time. It will run for days! It really is a great alarm/photo display program.
And if you like Animal Crossing, just take pictures of them and display them screen saver like. The custom music on Animal Crossing is pretty useless.
Re: Downtown Texas Hold 'Em
Where's the review? I have this game and I find the pace to be scary fast. Ever play poker where the ante is 10% of stakes? A bad run of cards will certainly ruin your day, and if that happens to be a tournament...well, you'll lose. The ante began low enough, but it got ramped up rather quick. Definitely not for turtles.
I like the variety of AI personalities, as well as different locations, but the game is definitely geared toward action-oriented crowds. No leisurely playing rock like Hudson's, to be sure. I feel that good as they are, the AI could have more variety. Those AI played like well seasoned pros. Better sharpen you bluffing skill a lot, buddy. You're going to need it!
Oh, and it does save game midway, should your game be interrupted, even though there was no message saying so. The game does have pizzaz presentation, if you're the kind of player who needs graphics more than gameplay. Music is really personal preference, but you can turn it off independently of sound effect. I really like that.
In all, a good computer game. Good polish on it, too. Less of a poker simulation, more of a game. If you like excitement, this will be right up your alley. Just don't complain that the AI are merciless. They are, and will bankrupt you every chance they get, just like good poker player should. And if the 4 to 1 odds against doesn't faze you, then you'll be having a jolly good time!
Re: Review: High Stakes Texas Hold'em (DSiWare)
I actually like this game a lot. There are bad points, sure. Annoying music you can't turn off. It also keep tracks hands dealt in real time, but win/loss ratio is only recorded when you win or went bankrupt. The AI is decent, albeit with loopholes I can take advantage of. This is a great way to learn Texas Holdem (arguably the best poker play there is). I disagree that real-life is better. Well, depends on your circle of friends, . There's no feature that is missing. I really like the fact that it keeps statistics automatically. Like I said, great for LEARNING Texas Holdem.
Does anybody feel up to it to review EA version? I find EA version to be geared toward action-oriented crowd. Better AI personalities, sure, but it seems they ramp up the action a lot. And if that's not fast enough, it also up the ante quite high (in a long game) so that you're forced to gamble and bluff a lot. And should you happen to have bad run of cards, may as well kiss your money goodbye. I also do not like the fact that you can raise after checks. EA's version is definitely geared more toward luck, rather than Hudson's skill.
Re: Review: Animal Puzzle Adventure (DSiWare)
Having completed all 50 stages multiple times, I can vouch that none of the puzzles are really hard. Certainly, it is hard if you don't know what you're doing. However, each advance stage have a key idea that you have to discover. None of the stage takes more than 100 steps. I have a walkthrough as well as par score on my blog: ramstrong.blogspot.com on Feb 2, 2010 entry.