Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with ds

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 The "hotspot" located on the Nintendo website is out of date (places are no longer in business, or the connection doesn't work) and I don't really want to drive around the county to every place listed just to find out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

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 I am getting myself a DSi and most of the games I like are originally made in Japanese.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.

DS, iTouch, or Kindle?

backseatpilot — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:18:20 -0800

I'm thinking about getting a Personal Entertainment Device of some sort or other, and I'm looking for some anecdotal experience, pro/cons, etc. from people. I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, and it doesn't show any signs of letting up - I need something to occupy myself on flights and in hotels. I have a laptop, an older iPod, and books, but I found myself watching Gran Torino three times in a row on my last transoceanic voyage after I read all my books and my batteries died.

Couple the above with a sudden gadget lust, and I've got three devices in mind: Nintendo DS, iPod Touch, or Kindle. I realize that they're all aimed at different markets/demographics, so I'm looking for any empirical evidence for or against each device, especially with regards to travel usage - cramped quarters, limited/no wifi connectivity, lack of available power outlets. Also, some specific questions:

-As an adult, "serious" gamer, am I going to be really disappointed with the games on the DS? (I do enjoy "casual" games, but I don't think I could spend seven hours on an airplane playing Peggle.)
-I see tech blogs nerdgasming over the iPhone all the time, but what about the Touch? Are there apps and "things to do" on the Touch that won't be diminished by lack of wifi?
-Are either the Touch or the Kindle really worth the price tag? I realize this is incredibly difficult to answer.
-The major pro I can see for the Kindle is not having to carry tons of books with me, but is that the only advantage? Is it going to give me eye strain like reading on a computer monitor will?

I guess the ultimate question would be - which of those three devices would you pick and why? Or is there something else out there that I'm overlooking?

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?

How do I live without you?

bookwo3107 — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:13:00 -0800

My DS Lite is acting funky - Can I fix this? Okay, before I get into what it's doing - I bought the system at launch and it's way way out of warrantee by now, also, I plan on getting a DSi when it comes out so I consider my Lite totally fair game to crack open and destroy further (if that is indeed what I end up doing), but I would like to get it working if at all possible, because god knows I'll miss my gba slot.

On to the symptoms:

The battery charges fine, but when I turn the system on, it only stays on for a short amount of time before it decides to turn itself off. The time changes - sometimes it's 15 minutes, sometimes it's fifteen seconds, but it never just stays on through a normal play session. Further, when I get frustrated with it and close the lid, it will turn itself on and off by its own volition (as far as I can tell) until the battery runs out.

I have no idea what's causing it, and after some extensive google-fuing the closest thing I can come up with is maybe a blown fuse, but people who report having had blown fuses say it turns on and then off immediately, and nothing about it turning itself back on when the lid's closed. There was one report of somebody with the same problem but it was a fairly useless "Somebody took it apart and put it back together and it worked".

I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to fiddling with electronics, but I do have some friends that eat this stuff up, so if anybody can point me in the right direction, it'd be much appreciated. Thanks!

A question about d/s in a long distance relationship.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:46:12 -0800

Long-time pervert, first-time top, in love with a wonderful submissive girl who lives halfway across the country. We're looking for ways to satisfy our particular combination of kinks when we can't be together in person. NSFW details inside. Yeah, I know, phone sex and video chat. We're up to speed there. But there's a particular combination of tastes that we can't figure out how to satisfy. See...

...what I enjoy about topping is getting a reaction that shows me what she's feeling. It's not the spanking I like, it's the yelp. So my first impulse, when it comes to phone or video sex, is to be all "talk to me, tell me how it feels, tell me what you're thinking, call me Sir, blah blah blah." But...

...the more submissive she's feeling, and the more she's turned on, the less verbal she gets. In person, that's fine, because I can still get the feedback I enjoy from her body language. Over the phone, it makes things pretty one-sided, and even by video I find her body language harder to read somehow. So, okay, that leaves me to talk dirty to her, or to give her orders. But...

...the other catch is, she's not at all into humiliation. All the dominant-sounding dirty talk I can think of is humiliating one way or another: bitch this and slut that and filthy whore and, you know, we really just don't want to go there.

So far, my repertoire as a phone sex top is pretty much limited to "good girl" — and she says she likes that a lot, and it really seems to capture the dynamic we're both looking for, but it sure does get repetitive.

So we've been talking about this. I'd like to have more I can say to her to put her in a submissive state of mind, but I'm not sure what. She says she'd like to have things she can do to show her submission that don't require her to talk, but she's not sure what.

Suggestions?

FWIW, here are some things we really like when we get to play in person: spanking and other kinds of impact play, bondage, obedience-type d/s — including a certain amount of the whole be-a-brat-and-get-punished thing. Things we really don't like at all: humiliation, "roleplaying" (I'm not Lord Zarquon of Gor, I'm not a Nazi pirate captain moonlighting as a boarding school headmaster, I'm her boyfriend), chastity/orgasm denial (why would I want her to get off less?), the usual scat-blood-and-animals trifecta.

The things we Ask MeFi for our kids...

Andrhia — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:32:42 -0800

How do you get garnets in the TinkerBell DS game? My daughter is stuck on the game before her first winter. Bring garnets, says the Minister of Autumn. But... we can't find garnets. I've looked around for a walkthrough and found a helpful guide at GameFAQs, but it doesn't actually seem to help in our situation.

We can't jewel hunt with Iridessa -- she won't do anything but chat with us (even after several days since playing last). We haven't yet brought in our first winter so we don't have Vidia to race; and we don't have Fairy Mary to hand out darts, either.

Are we missing something really obvious? I mean, this is supposed to be a game a 6-year-old could manage on her own, right?

This is so embarrassing.

Former Dom of sub friend or foe?

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:51:44 -0800

D/s filter: Should I be concerned that my sub still keeps close contact with her former Dom? I'm a newbie-ish Dom (mid-30s male) with a couple of short-lived D/s relationships under my belt, and am currently involved with a 23-year-old submissive female of 2 months. This is her first r/l relationship, but she carried on a 7-month relationship with an online Dom (50+ year-old male) when she was 18 years old. The problem is, she still chats with him on a near everyday basis, and claims that he is now a "good friend" with whom she can share her new experiences and ask for advice.

On the one hand, as I'm her current Dom, any contact with her former Dom seems unacceptable. On the other hand, if he has now become her confidante, I don't want to cut her off from perhaps her only (other) outlet for questions, doubts and fears.

Of course, I understand that *I* should be her primary source for any questions or doubts she may have, but I also want to make sure she has a third-party friend who can help her by offering an outside perspective.

Some details:

-We recently went on an overnight trip, and I took some photos of her. When I sent her the pics, she immediately showed them to her former Dom without telling me.
-They have never met face-to-face though he's asked to meet her many times since they ended their D/s relationship.
-He has made it clear to her that he would still like to have sex with her, and she has in turn made it clear that this won't happen.
-The reason why their relationship ended was that he was found out by his wife. It is unclear whether the wife is aware that they are still carrying on a "friendship".
-She has told me that if I wish for her to cut him out of her life, she would, but that this would make her very unhappy as she would lose a very good friend.

Question: Should I allow this to continue? Am I being hyper-sensitive by being worried at all? Do I have any cause to be concerned?

I have not expressed any outward concern to my sub. I am pondering my next move.

What can I do with my new DS/ what games should I get

ShawnString — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:34:50 -0800

OK, so me and MrsShawnString bought a DS finally. What cool stuff can I do with it (besides playing games) and what are the MUST HAVE games to have? Pretty much any genre game is ok We also have a wii and I had fun playing DS demos with so that as cool.

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.

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?

What's the best DS homebrew hardware?

Grither — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:23:52 -0800

What is the easiest and best homebrew hardware for the Nintendo DS? I am looking to start playing some games (Monkey Island on the DS?! Awesome!) and use some other homebrew apps (colors sounds cool, and maybe ebooks if that's possible?) and was wondering what is the best way to go about it. Cost is not an issue, so do I go with: R4DS, G6, DS-Xtreme or something else that I'm missing? I've seen this, this, and this previously, but I'm looking for updated suggestions and recommendations for my homebrewing experience. Oh, I've also checked out this forum, but didn't find too much there. Thanks in advance for your help!

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.

Buying a Nintendo DS. Or am I?

Solomon — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:48:04 -0800

I'm thinking about buying a Nintendo DS. The last games console like this that I purchased was one of the original Gameboys. Please educate me on what's what. My questions are as follows:

I've seen reference to the "DS" and the "DS Lite" on various websites. What's the difference? Which one should I buy? Given that it's only going to be used for playing Dr Kawashima's Brain Training.
How long do the batteries, etc last, and can I buy spares?
Is the Brain Training game really all that? As in, is it a fun, enjoyable way to do various different types of puzzles?
I'm buying this as a present for 2 relatives, both of whom are over 50. Will they be able to work out what to do with it (specifically with the Brain Training game) quite easily?

The relatives in question spend literally hours playing Sudoku, doing crosswords, doing wordsearches, etc, already. One of them uses the computer, but complains she can't sit at it for too long. Is she liable to be OK with using the DS?

Is there kinkdar?

svolix — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:31:56 -0800

Kinkdar. Can you guess bedroom preferences from normal everyday behavior? A friend of mine says he has kinkdar: soon after meeting someone, he thinks he knows whether that person is a top or a bottom, dominant or submissive, sadism or masochism, into ropes, choking, hitting, etc. For example, he might point out one of our louder friends who likes to set the topics of conversations and say "she's a dom."

I think he's jumping to conclusions. Not only do I think that people are more complicated than they seem, but that their sexual preferences can run counter to how they act normally, since the bedroom is a place to explore different aspects of your personality.

Is there kinkdar? Are there signs that we unconsciously broadcast to the world about what we like?

Fun DS/Wii games for a couple

baphomet — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:20:16 -0800

What are some good cooperative or "soft competition" games for the DS/Wii? My wife and I are looking for some console games to play together. We currently own a Wii and are looking into also getting a pair of DS systems. We enjoy all sorts of games but are specifically looking for strategy/action oriented games that feature either cooperative play or soft competition (games that have you competing to accomplish an objective, but not necessarily head-to-head FPS-type stuff). Some games that have piqued our interest along these lines are Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates on the cooperative side and 1701 AD: Dawn of Discovery for soft competition.

For the Wii, most of our multi-player games are more along the party game style (Wario Ware and MP8) which are great in a group setting but aren't really engaging for 2. We're definitely getting Mario Kart Wii when it comes out, but are there any games that fall into the categories above for the Wii (we have Marvel: Ultimate Alliance but the control system is a bit clunky and for that kind of game X-Men Legends 2 for PS2 was really superior).

Dress code for male Doms?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:21:47 -0800

What is the minimum acceptable dress code for male Doms who want to go public? There's been a lot of D/s questions on AskMe lately and it's drawing out all the kinksters, old and new alike. Awesome!

My question is this: having just recently self-identified as a straight male Dom, I've yet to mould myself to the 'scene', and am doubtful if I ever will (i.e., it will most likely remain a private indulgence, though not necessarily closeted).

However, I'm interested in attending clubs and fet-friendly gatherings- not for public play (necessarily), but simply to meet more people in the scene and just generally soak up the atmosphere.

Problem: most clubs require a strict dress code, and even public events encourage it. I'm NOT into dressing up (e.g., leather, PVC, goth, punk, TV, nude, etc.), but at the same time I want to show that I've made an effort (and actually be allowed in).

What can I possibly wear??? I can look good in a suit, and don't mind shelling out for a new outfit, but how would that go over? Tuxes seem a bit overdone, and costume?? Like... army & navy stuff? This could work, but, again, it's not my style, so I'd risk looking idiotic or phony.

Help this newbie out, please! If it helps in any way, I'm slim, 5'8", and dress 'street casual' in my vanilla life.

iTunes->DS?

Citizen Premier — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:06:51 -0800

1. How do I get my music off of iTunes and into a usable (DS-friendly) format? 2. Is there any good software for making a DS into an mp3 player? I don't care about ratings or album covers, but playlists are nice. I've lost my iPod. My music is on (fucking) iTunes, but most of it was copied and imported from my iPod and therefore is encoded in that annoying 4-letter form (e.g. MQRF). How do I get my artist and song name data back? Thanks in advance and sorry for bringing another iPod question to Metafilter.

Bueller?

trig — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:21:52 -0800

Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten, a DS lite "game," is apparently really useful for learning kanji. So much so that people in this thread recommended it over dedicated electronic dictionaries. Any other DS software you'd consider that useful? At first I was thinking about things like educational software, flash card programs that let you make your own cards, &c. But really I'd like to know about any DS programs that are so useful you'd recommend them hands-down above other resources. Doesn't matter what they're useful for.*

* except time-wasting please, unless your software cures it.

D/s: Help me be a good dominant

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:47:00 -0800

D/s: Help me be a good dominant. I only recently discovered this part of myself (never knew how far I leaned in this direction until I met someone who's probably just as submissive). So far I think I've done well going by instincts and imagination - she is very turned on, and I'm enjoying myself. But we're still learning about ourselves, and while I'd like very much to lead, I confess I don't really know that much.

Can you give me any tips, advice, wisdom from experience? Recommendations for books and websites to learn from? And, a few questions I have right now:

1) Does being dominant mean you can no longer really show significant weakness or vulnerability to your submissive partner?
2) How do you know if you're a "natural dominant" or if you're just running high on ego from having someone give herself completely to you?
3) Can you give me any ideas as to more games we can play: ways I can tease her, use her, deny her, get her to follow orders, turn her on, push her boundaries (safely)? I love to use my imagination and creativity, and I have been - but would certainly love more ideas to play with.

I'm sure I have more questions, but that's the specific ones I can think of right now. Any help much appreciated!

Not your usual Nintendo DS titles...

krisjohn — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:53:53 -0800

I'm looking for any good Nintendo DS games that are unusual, particularly innovative or just plain weird. In a genre of their own kinds of stuff. I'm dusting off the old DS. It got packed away because I'm not a fan of Mario or Zelda or mindless ports or kids' TV and movie franchise tie-ins. The titles I have for it are:

Bomberman
Bomberman Land Touch
The Opera Browser (which I would have used heaps more if my ISP didn't change their webmail to something incompatible about a week after I bought it.)
Electroplankton
Jam Sessions
Puzzle Quest

Now I'm looking for any interesting new stuff. Do you know of any titles I might be interested in?

Note; I've been to this thread and I'm not interested in anything listed there that I don't already have.

So I got my R4, but now what?

MaHaGoN — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:30:52 -0800

I just got an R4DS, but I am at a loss for what homebrew to look into. What should I be running on my R4? I have seen many recommendations here on Mefi to get an R4DS. I have wanted one for a while, and thankfully I finally got one for Christmas. I just don't really know what homebrew projects are worth looking into.

I am well aware of clean rom dumps, I don't need information on any of those. What I am not aware of is great homebrew games, applications, and emulators which I can run on an R4. I can DLDI patch if necessary, thats not an issue.

I wasn't going to ask this question because I figured google-fu would be more than enough, but I have only really found 2 seemingly good games through that, dicewars and Geowars. What else do I need to have on my DS? What do you have on your R4? Are there any games I just can't pass up a chance at having? I have a 2gb card, so space is not an issue so any recommendations are great.

What sudoku game do I want for my new Nintendo DS Lite?

booksandlibretti — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:32:50 -0800

I got a Nintendo DS for Christmas! Given my logical style of solving sudoku, which of the scores of sudoku titles do I want? I solve sudoku 100% logically, so I definitely don't want a game that includes puzzles that make you guess. If the puzzles can be solved with logic alone, any difficulty level is fine for me. A variety would also be fine.

Because of the style I use to solve sudoku, in each square that winds up containing one number, I need to be able to write nine smaller numbers (or place nine dots, or whatever). For example, Brain Age did this perfectly. This is my main requirement -- it's absolutely crucial for me.

It's also important that the game have a ton of puzzles -- I solved all of Brain Age's sudoku puzzles in a week, when I borrowed my brother's DS after having my wisdom teeth removed. Obviously I won't usually play anywhere near that much (maybe one a day?), but I don't want to run out.

I'm interested in plain vanilla sudoku, and I probably won't be really enthusiastic about playing any variants that are included. Missions would be cool, though. A timer might be nice but isn't crucial -- and if there is one, pausing or saving/resuming should be simple and fast.

It would be nice if the DS were held in its usual orientation, and not like a book -- I've heard the hinge problem blamed on holding the DS book-style and flattening it out.

A DS title would be ideal, since I like the touch screen, but a GBA one would also be fine if it has the features I want. $20 or under would be awesome, but I'll go up to the standard $35 if the title has everything I'd like. As long as it's common enough I won't have trouble buying it, popularity/status/prestige/whatever is totally not a concern.

What Nintendo DS Lite cases are good?

Mikey-San — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 06:51:08 -0800

I really want a case for my DS Lite that can hold a few games and doesn't suck in some silly way. It doesn't need to hold the power adapter, as my main concern is portability. Being able to play the DS while inside the case is also not something I'm interested in at all. It doesn't even have to be a "real" case built for the DS—it could just be something that works well for the job. Do any MeFites have a case for your DS Lite that you're particularly fond of? I searched the Green and only found this thread, which unfortunately wasn't useful. None of my friends were big fans of anything on the market, and I can't say I've seen anything that looks spectacular. But I'm hopeful!