Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Nintendo

How to make the NDSlite display PDFs

lizbunny — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:33:53 -0800

Google-fu failed, has anyone found a PDF reader for the NDSlite for use with an R4 card? My uncle's been adoring the DSlite and the R4 card I hooked him up with a while ago. He's gotten decently tech-savvy with the R4 card (even got his movies to play on it), but he can't find a PDF reader for it and wants one badly. I no longer have a DS or an R4 card, and so can't do this search and testing by trial-and-error myself for the results that HAVE turned up. None specify if they're for the R4 system either... I sincerely hope there are mefites out there who have sought and found an answer! Many, many thanks in advance!

I just want to play UNIRACERS!

Bageena — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:20:30 -0800

Argh. I've installed the drivers, I've searched high and low online, nothing is helping, so I'm coming to ya'll: how can I get my Xbox 360 wireless controller (connected to my PC via the charge and play kit via a USB port) to work on my computer? Specifically, I want to play ROMs with it. ZSNES and project 64 are the two emulators I'm trying to puzzle out right now. I've installed the 360 drivers (I'm running a 64 bit copy of Windows Vista Home Premium), it shows up in my Device Manager under 'Microsoft Common Controller for Windows Class' as 'Xbox 360 Wireless Controller via Play & Charge Kit' and says it's there and fine.
HOWEVER... under Control Panel - Game Controllers, there's nothing. I open it up, there's no controllers on the list. I click advanced, I go to choose my preferred device, again - nothing. Not on the list. When I plug the controller in, the computer makes a noise and the light on the charge part of the controller shows it's plugged in, but the controller doesn't turn on (not sure if it's supposed to actually) and it certainly doesn't seem to be working with my ROMs.

Help Mefi, help! Pretty please?

I just want to download some Professor Layton puzzles!

Lucinda — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:34:37 -0800

Where can I find a Nintendo DS wifi hotspot in Rochester, NY that works? The "hotspot" located on the Nintendo website is out of date (places are no longer in business, or the connection doesn't work) and I don't really want to drive around the county to every place listed just to find out it doesn't work.

(I can't use the USB connector thing because from what I understand it's PC only.)

Gaming in Foreign

mippy — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:14:53 -0800

Help me identify these Japanese Gameboy Advance games. I bought a box of GBA games from a local charity shop for £1.50 yesterday as it had Yoshi's Island - they were in Japanese, but I figured that would be easy enough without translation. However, there were three other games in there I don't recognise. One of them is an RPG and quite text heavy. The second has some kind of tilt mechanism where I need to tilt the console to get things to line up (but as it's Japanese I can't work out what or why). The third (the cart only) seems to involve a boy going to school and talking to his friends about a PET. I have no idea what these are or whether they are unusual - I've told a friend I know who writes for ONM to head down there to get some games, but I wonder if these are well known at all. If you can read Japanese and can at least tell me the names that might help!

Nintendo Sound Effects

DMan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:50:26 -0800

Nintendo sound effects: How did Nintendo get the sounds for some of the characters in Mario Kart Wii? Is there a person out there who sounds like Yoshi? As I was playing Mario Kart Wii tonight, I realized that some of the characters are relatively normal...Mario and Luigi could easily just be regular people with a few vocal effects, and I'm sure we all know someone who sounds like Donkey Kong. But some of them are really weird--like King Boo...obviously that isn't a human, but is it just some kind of digital effect or an object in the real world? I'm especially interested in Yoshi because that one is right on the edge of it being plausible that it's a person.

I'm aware of Foley Artists and the idea that most sound effects are really just mundane objects being manipulated and recorded on tape. Is something similar at play here, or do real people voice cartoonish video game characters?

Cubello strategy?

Matt Arnold — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:33:38 -0800

Tips for Nintendo Wii Ware's Cubello? When it comes to strategy guides for Art Style: Cubello, the web has failed me for the first time.

Is Bonus Time truly random, or can you influence it by clearing larger clumps of blocks? Do the slot machine symbols give me any information I can use?

How do you avoid getting stuck with a color that is only on the other side of the Cubello? Rather than to add a block you can't match and will have to clear, is it wiser to wait and let the Cubello hit you, to get rid of the block?

In the endgame, is it better to clear any set of four that you can (ignoring a lone outlier of the same color)? Or instead set up to try to clear 100% of a color's remaining blocks in one hit?

Fix my DS hinge, please?!

deezil — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:49:50 -0800

I've dropped my original model Nintendo DS, and the hinge is now cracked, where would be best to send it to get it repaired? So, stupid me, carrying too much crap in the house one night, my DS was on the top of the pile, and it promptly fell off and went flying. My hinge was broken in the process (all other bits left fully functional and unharmed), and now while everything still works, I'm afraid I'm going to bump it in its fragile state and really frak it up. What I'm soliciting here today is suggestions about where to send it that would repair it and get it back to me in better shape than what I sent it in. I'm in the USA, and have a few dollars to spend on getting it repaired, but I'd rather not spend half of what it costs to get the DS Lite, which is my other alternative. So metafilter, I bring it to you. Where have you sent your DSes to get repaired?

WTB Mr.Roboto, will robot boogie for pay.

jstarlee — Sun, 24 May 2009 09:18:56 -0800

I would like to purchase the Japanese version of some DS games. eBay, trouble friends/families in Japan/southeast Asia, or just bite the bullet and buy US versions? I am getting myself a DSi and most of the games I like are originally made in Japanese. Games like Professor Leyton series, Square-Enix games (Final Fantasy, Front Mission, Dragon Quest), Zelda : The Phantom Hourglass and etc. Since I can read Japanese to a certain level I find it more fun to play the Japanese version. It is a way to keep my Japanese fresh as I will have to look up words/phrases I have forgotten or don't know at all. I am aware that getting the JP version may mean no interaction with other game owners. I would like to know if anyone here has obtained imported games and what was your experience like?

Possible Options:
1) Ebay- games run from $40~$80 from reliable vendors (not pirated version from HK/China). Fast but expensive as used games of English version are half the price if not less.

2) Have friend/family purchase them in JP/Southeast Asia - I have a couple friends living in JP and families in southeast Asia. The price on the games would be much lower but I have no idea how much the shipping will cost. The prices I've looked up on Amazon.jp for used games in decent condition are usually around $15~$25. This will take a long time and I have no idea how to transfer funds to my Japanese friends or how much trouble it will cause them.

3) Just bite the bullet and get US versions?

If you have any recommendation about games that are originally made in English I would love to hear them (or ones that language does not really matter.) I realize this question may be very specific but any comment, suggestion, or recommendation is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Where can I get NES carts in NYC?

Damn That Television — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:58:13 -0800

Where can I buy original working Nintendo (NES) cartridges in NYC?

Jumpman? Who the F@&% is Jumpman!?!

SinisterPurpose — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:15:37 -0800

If you're old enough to remember NES and SEGA, What words do you think of when you reflect on your youthful gaming? I'm trying to collect a vocabulary of early gaming. What words do you associate with those early days of ooey gooey 8-bit goodness?

Search your memories for these words which will forever be ingrained into your gaming DNA. I very much appreciate the participation of all.

*No points for up up down down left left right right A B A B Select Start.*

What to do with a broken DS Lite?

oulipian — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:26:53 -0800

I thought I was the luckiest thrift-store shopper ever when I found a Nintendo DS Lite at Value Village for $10, complete with box, instruction manuals, and spare battery. Of course, it doesn't work.... The DS Lite appears to be borked. When I plug in the AC adapter, the yellow indicator light comes on and the unit appears to be charging, but the DS will not power on. Nothing appears on the screen, and no sounds come from the unit at all.

The warranty on the unit has expired, and my understanding is that Factory Service from Nintendo will cost $75, which is more than I am willing to pay to get this working. I am in Canada.

Does this sound fix-able? If not, what should I do with my DS?

Help me get my wii online before I buy another router!

samuel1613 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:03:16 -0800

Help me get my wii online with a WRTP54G wireless modem. I have tried everything, read every googled post on this issue, reset my router to factory settings, tried automatic and manual settings on the wii internet connection, put my wii in the DMZ (and learned what that even means). I arranged port forwarding of every port to my wii. I have set my mtu to 0 and 1500, I have changed my channel from 6 to 1 to 11, nothing works. The manufacturer (linksys) doesn't even offer updated firmware for this router! I called nintendo themselves, and customer service told me to buy a new modem, which I will do...unless one of you has any alternatives...

My Wii Fit talks too much!

leahwrenn — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:26:20 -0800

How can I make my Wii Fit less chatty? So, I bought a Wii Fit, and I really like it...except for the fact that it takes about a minute of chattiness for each "fit credit" minute. Is there any way to cut down on the downtime? E.g., no scrolling through the records, no chat after the exercise, etc.? Cheat codes? New version? Anything?

If I could keep it from hassling me after it discovers that I've gained 3 pounds in the five days since I last exercised [mind you, I'm underweight, here, so it was even more appalling!], that would be nice too.

What was that side-scrolling spaceship game?

brassafrax — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:39:21 -0800

Trying to identify a side-scrolling spaceship shoot-em-up console game from the early '90s. (Hopelessly?) vague description inside. I played this game once in the early-mid '90s. I don't remember what system it was on -- best guess is SNES or Sega Genesis.

The game was a standard-issue side-scroller, but it had impressive (at the time) graphics. The powerups quickly provided huge, devastating weapons that would fill the screen. I specifically remember big laser beams.

I don't think it was Phalanx, but the powerups may have had a similar letter-in-a-square look. I remember the game having more of a "space" look to it than Phalanx, and having more visually impressive weaponry.

Thanks for any suggestions!

2up?

1f2frfbf — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:11:06 -0800

Recommend me some good head to head games for the NES (aka: Famicom or old-skool nintendo). My friends and I have had fun playing Dr. Mario head to head, and are looking for other games that let two players play at once, either in competition or cooperation. I like sports games okay, but some friends prefer otherwise, so help me build my library to keep everyone happy.

Kind of previously.

We want a Wii and we want it now.

msbrauer — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:05:14 -0800

What are the consequences/difficulties in the US of running a modded Wii purchased in China? I'm in China, and buying an unmodded Wii is just about impossible. If I buy a Wii here, will I be able to use it in the US? Furthermore, will there be any hiccups in trying to use the online features of the Wii (such as buying and playing some of the classic games). I've heard about some problems people encountered with buying an Xbox360 in China and being unable to play the games online, but perhaps that's a problem with pirated games and not a modchip. Also, it seems that many of the Wii's here are Japanese, which will provide a language barrier.

So, are there dvd-like region restrictions on Wii consoles? Will a modded Wii have any problems with legitimately purchase games or online content when I return to the US? And will I be able to load English as the default language of the system?

Game Cube recommendations similar to Resident Evil 4

snap_dragon — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 12:17:43 -0800

I have a gamecube but the only game I have enjoyed immensely is Resident Evil 4. Didn't like the other Resident Evil games' controls and such. Any other games for the 'cube that you can recommend that are first person shooter, whether it be horror/sci-fi like Resiident Evil 4 or maybe a crime game? (Kinda over the WW2 games)...Man, I am a cynical gamecuber, ay...thanks for you thoughts and suggestions. I really appreciate it as I try to get as much use out of this cube as I can.

RPG's for the SNES?

Solomon — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:36:28 -0800

I loved Legend of Zelda on the SNES. I loved Secret of Mana on the SNES. What other RPG's for the SNES might I like? I like: getting power ups, new weapons (especially magic), a nice long game/quest to go on.

I dislike: games where it isn't obvious what you need to do next & war type games that involve lots of battling and little questing.

Any ideas?

Awesome tetris and dr mario game that isn't on a computer? Like on a TV?

Nighthawk3729 — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:16:46 -0800

Awesome tetris and dr mario game that isn't on a computer? Like on a TV? I tried to hook up 3 nintendo's to my mom's tv, but I can't get it to work! Tried everything, want to get something for christmas for her, any ideas?

Puzzle games for the DS Lite?

deeper red — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:59:24 -0800

Last Xmas I bought my sister a DS Lite. She got it mostly for Brain Training and loves puzzle games, but hates all others (she gave away the platform games I got her her). Any personal recommendations for a nice game I can get her this year that isn't Brain Training 2? Maybe a compilation of good high quality puzzles? If it helps, she's 40 yo, so not a kid.

Gaming for the new oldbie

vizsla — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:39:28 -0800

I'm 40ish. I know nothing about modern gaming. I used to love adventure games back in the 80s like Zak McKraken, KGB and Thermonuclear Wargames. I have some time on my hands and want to take the plunge into the modern world of gaming. Where do I start? I had a look at those role-playing multi-user games like Second Life and I just don't see the point. Maybe I'm missing something. I like games that involve some (if not, a lot of) thinking. I guess I used to enjoy SOME games that involved a lot of manual dexterity - I did play Wolfenstein 3D when it first came out. I am not a huge science fiction fan. I like games that teach you something maybe. But again, I shouldn't put too many restrictions down - I might surprise myself. So I guess I'm looking for ideas for games and platforms to play them on. Again, I know nothing - never owned any gaming equipment before so please don't assume I actually do know what I'm looking for!

What brain training games for PC can you recommend?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:44:02 -0800

I like Brain Age (aka "Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training") for Nintendo DS. What similar, Windows-compatible game would you recommend my mother? This has been asked before, but it hasn't received any useful answers beyond "get a DS", IMO.

I'm trying to find a good brain training game for my mother, and I just don't think I could convince her to carry a DS around even if I gave her one.

So, not be rude -- but simply for the sake of clarity: DS recommendations are out of the question.

I've played Kawashima / Brain Age a number of times and I think it would suit her well. She's in her late fifties, of good physical and mental health, and, I should add, fluent in English.

(A Dutch-language version of any game would be a bonus.)

What would you recommend for PC/Windows?

Thanks in advance, you crazy beautiful kids.

Wii Won't Work

ColdChef — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:39:02 -0800

I think Hurricane Gustav killed my Wii. I lost power during the storm for five days and now the Wii won't come on. The "standby" light doesn't even glow. I've moved it to different plugs. I don't THINK that it took a lightning hit, since there wasn't any lightning during the storm and nothing else on the power strip seems to be acting wonky.

Okay...even queerer. As I was typing this post, I ran across the street to my cousin's house to see if I could borrow HIS Wii power cable. And HIS Wii is dead, too. And his wife said that the same thing happened to my other cousin after the last storm...when the lights came back on, the Wii didn't work. She said that that one started working about a week later, though.

Any ideas? Also, does anyone know if I can get federal compensation for all the lost Wii Fit credits I earned? :)

Feel like a kid again.

Christ, what an asshole — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:55:10 -0800

I own a Nintendo DS. What are some great, unheralded games I should probably know about?

I want to turn my DS into an FX processor. How?

lekvar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:33:58 -0800

My Nintendo DS has a mic-in and headphone jack. I want to be able to send a signal from my amp/mixer/etc. to the DS for processing in the DS audio homebrew I've downloaded and send the processed signal out to the mixer/amp/etc. Short version:
I want to turn my DS into an FX processor. How?

Long Version:
Part 1:
I've got a DS and I've got the headset. I plan on re-wiring the mic from the headset to a 1/8" or 1/4" jack so I can run a signal from my other noise toys into ProteinDS, Nitrotracker and other homebrew audio fun. I'm fairly certain that the signal from an amp, mixer or synth is going to be too hot, and I'm unwilling to burn something out by overloading the circuit. How do I calm the signal down from line-in to mic-in? Would wiring a potentiometer do the trick? If so, what kind?

Part 2:
I've wired the headphone wires from the headset to a 1/4" jack. I thought that it would be a foolproof way to send an audio signal from the DS to my mixer or amplifier but the signal is coming out very, very quiet.
Like "barely-audible" quiet. Have I done something wrong? Is my theory unsound? Any ideas how to fix it?

Any hints, tips, critiques, advice, etc. gladly accepted.