Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nintendods

Help save the princess!

Jaltcoh — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:17:31 -0800

Why does our Nintendo DS keep deleting our saved progress in Super Mario World? We recently bought a used copy of "Super Mario World," which is a Game Boy Advance game that we play on a Nintendo DS Lite. We've gotten through the first couple map screens and have, as expected, been prompted a few times to choose "continue" or "continue and save." We generally select "continue and save." (If we've ever selected just plain "continue," it was by accident since it's the first option.) When we quit and start the game again, sometimes the first of three games will have our saved progress, but sometimes they'll all be "new" games.

We clearly did it the right way at some point or else we never would have been able to start over with our progress saved. We can't think of anything we've done differently to lead to these different results.

This is frustrating since we won't make much progress in the game if it keeps up like this. We played "New Super Mario Bros." a lot and never had this problem. I've Googled around but haven't found any reference to this issue.

Has anyone else experienced this with "Super Mario World" or other GBA games played on a DS? Any ideas how to fix it?

Video game suggestions for a preschooler who loves Braid

nanojath — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:16:09 -0800

Beautiful, open world platformers for the pre-school set? Does such a thing exist? Also open to general video game recommendations for the 5-7 age range. My 5 year old son spotted me playing Braid and was immediately drawn into the world of this game. He has a budget of "screen time" with various elements of reward and negotiation but I like him to have a decent amount of control over how he spends that time as long as he stays within our set boundaries of content. He's wanted to play Braid a lot but he's pretty much wrung all the pleasure he can out of it.

The thing is, what he seems to like best about Braid is the art, exploring the worlds, and the characters that pop up. Though he took to the platformer mechanics very naturally, he can't negotiate difficult jumps and such, too much enemy danger frustrates him, and of course the time manipulation puzzles are beyond him. Since the focus in Braid is the puzzles rather than the worlds themselves there is not much to explore: the worlds are pretty small and brief.

It made me wish there could be a more open-world sort of platformer game that was focused on exploration and discovery rather than stomping enemies and making tricky jumps. Natural as this sounds to me it seems to be a tall order of the game design world but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

I'm generally finding it tough to find good games for him at this age. He is becoming bored with the super-simple point and click and scroller fodder we've found at websites like PBS Kids or for his increasingly dust-gathering Leapster 2 handheld. Too-high difficulty curves and too violent content are my main problems with the next level up. I don't mind a game requiring my assistance (reading, explaining, helping on difficult moments) but he gets satisfaction out of self-motivated success and when the game is too difficult, confusing or text heavy it tends to end up with him sitting in my lap watching me play. I'd really like things with a fair bit of content that aren't so crush-enemies or get-to-the-end-goal-oriented.

In addition to the Leapster 2 (which I've been kind of underwhelmed by the software for, which tends to combine too-easy and somewhat buggy games with too-advanced and pasted-on-feeling educational content) we have a newer iMac, a Wii and a Nintendo DS (which I plan to give him when I upgrade to the DSi by and by). I don't want to buy any more platforms or computers. Suggestions of good games for the younger player on these platforms are welcome.

More expensive Nintendo DSi or cheaper DSlite for a child? And why?

monster max — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:43:17 -0800

Kind and generous relatives have offered to buy our children (8 + 5) Nintendo DS's for Christmas. They've seen a special offer on (unused) DS-lites but I'm wondering whether to suggest that we pay part of it so they can get (the newer and more expensive) DSi's instead. Would greatly appreciate advice from gamers and parents of child gamers out there - thank you! (We're in the UK, if that makes any difference.)

From what my google-fu has been able to tell me, there's not much difference between the DS-lite and DSi. The consensus seemed to be that if you had the old one, there was no point getting the newer one. Doesn't quite help here, though.

My inclination would be to get the newer one simply because it's the newer one and there's the possibility that in the future new games won't run on the old one. But something a bit more concrete would be helpful!

Particular issues -

1. I think all games at the moment cam play on both consoles. Are new (children's) titles coming out in the next 6 months or so likely to remain that way, or will we start to see DSi-only games? Particularly wondering about things like erm the Lego Harry Potter game due out in the spring (they're addicted to (a) Lego and (b) Harry Potter so would be really sad if they couldn't play it.)

2. I heard the newer ones have wifi, which would be fun at home - what cane they actually do on the internet with their little screens?

3. Are the newer models less sturdy or is there not much in it? (Neither child is particularly clumsy).

Quirky Japanese DS Games

Caravantea — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:02:14 -0800

What are some fun, unusual Japanese-only DS games? My coworker is headed back to Japan on vacation and has offered to pick up some things for me while he's there. My Japanese is fairly good, though not nearly native. Last time I picked out a Cooking Master game(しゃべる！DSお料理ナビ), which I loved, and a Kanji practice game which I have mostly ignored. I'd like to get something fun and quirky. Like Face Training or the Sommelier game. Any suggestions?

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?

State of Japanese Kanji Learning Apps, 2009

Vorteks — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:36:35 -0800

Of all the web applications, Nintendo DS games, iphone/ipod touch apps, and other technology-based methods available for learning Japanese Kanji, what do you recommend? I have been searching for a long time for a "killer app" for learning Japanese Kanji. There are a number of different software options out there, but none of them have hit the "sweet spot" for me. What I'm looking for, in order of priority, is this:

A good automated review system. The software should keep track of how well you know each kanji, and periodically show you kanji that you've seen before. The more often you answer questions related to a certain kanji correctly, the less often it will show up. (Leitner system, or anything similar is fine)

Effective teaching of the WRITING of the characters, including stroke order. Animations or writing exercises strongly prefered.

Effective teaching of the MEANING of the characters.

Effective teaching of the READING (onyomi/kunyomi) of the characters.

Portability.

Example vocabulary a plus, but not essential.

Following the Heisig order would be a nice bonus, but I don't expect it.

Now, here's what I've tried so far:

http://kanji.koohi.com - This web app has a GREAT review system, and follows the Heisig order. It's my favorite app to date. But the downside is, it isn't portable, doesn't teach you much by itself (it's more for reviewing what you've learned in Heisig's book on your own), and doesn't show stroke order animations. Also it doesn't seem to be working right now.

Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshu DS - This Nintendo DS game is GREAT for handwriting practice, using the stylus to trace the characters. However, there's no built-in-review process. Once you move on, characters will never be shown to you again unless you deliberately go back and review them manually. Also, the game doesn't teach the meaning of the characters, and assumes a considerable mastery of Japanese from the get-go

Tadashii Kakitori-kun DS, other DS games - Not as good as the one above, and has the same limitations.

Declan Software's Japanese Flash Cards - A good attempt, but the lack of a review system really kills it for me. Once the software decides that you've "learned" a kanji, it never shows it to you again, and even manually reviewing things is very tedious

Price is not an issue

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?

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?

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.

Nintendo DS games for a 7 year old boy.

dpx.mfx — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:35:21 -0800

I'm in need of Nintendo DS recommendations for a 7 year old boy. I'm quite removed from all things video games. He's soon to be seven. He is getting a DS for his birthday. I have seen him playing his brother's copy of New Super Mario Bros (at least, I think it's that one) and he seems to get frustrated by it. He likes to draw and color and I know he has Webkinz. Sports games are probably not a good idea. Any suggestions?? Help make me a cool aunt!

Help me find some Japanese stuff.

santojulieta — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:09:38 -0800

Where can I buy Japanese products (specifically Japanese DS games) in Chicago? I stumbled upon Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights a few years ago and thought it was fantastic. We stopped by today and it seems like all the electronics booths are gone.

Anyone know where I could buy Japanese DS games in Chicago (bricks and mortar, please)? If you know of other interesting Japanese shops, I'd love to know about those as well.

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's a good portable console to burn my public transportation hours with?

chrisbucks — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:30:51 -0800

Recommend me a (cheap) handheld gaming console! I currently spend up to 2 hours a day in public transport and my job involves sitting unsupervised waiting for the phone to ring (and sometimes I only rings about maybe once an hour).

So I want to get into some hand held gaming. Since I don't make a whole heap of cash currently a PSP is largely out of the question.

What I've had in mind was something along the lines of a Gameboy Colour, the retro (fan boy) aesthetic is highly appealing, and it's still playable after playing HL2 all weekend, since it's not entirely monochrome. But how does the Gameboy Advance stack up though? Or perhaps Nintendo DS? The appeal of the original gameboy format is there's probably a very large library of very cheap games floating around which I could play, heck even Pokemon would help me survive the weekend shift.

Preferably the games would be more engrossing and possibly even mentally exercising than playing tetris style games on my mobile.

Game system for a Puzzle Gal?

beautifulcheese — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:19:36 -0800

I've been enjoying Brain Challenge on my cell phone and am thinking of purchasing a hand held system. I'm unsure whether it would be better to buy a GameBoy Advanced or a Nintendo DS. Also which is more kid friendly. I looked here http://ask.metafilter.com/26681/Should-I-buy-a-Game-Boy-Micro
but that thread is two years old and I'm hoping for more current experience. I do own a Playstation One and did somewhat enjoy Final Fantasy VII but really only dedicatedly played Crash Bandicoot. Games like Resident Evil and Tomb Raider were vaguely appealing but only for the puzzle like aspects. I'm looking to play Brain-type games with the odd adventure story. Which system is more weighted to those type games? Is there something else out on the market that would fit my needs? Bonus points for games that could be played with my 6 year old nephew who gets mad at dying in games and a 3 year old niece who insists on having her turn and is afraid of bad guys.

Talismania or Pipe Dream clone for the DS?

sarahnade — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:31:03 -0800

I enjoy playing Talismania, which is kind of a takeoff on the old Pipe Dream or Pipe Mania games. Is there a type of game like this available for the Nintendo DS or GBA? I also like Rocketmania, but I really like the geometry-like puzzle play of Talismania better. Also, I seem to be really good at it, and I like the way the game play progresses each level on Talismania.

I would prefer a game that can be played longer and adds something new each level, however I don't mind mini-games if that's all that's available. Any suggestions?

Baseball game for the DS?

drezdn — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 07:40:59 -0800

Baseball game suggestions for the Gameboy DS, Advance or the PS2? Lately, I've been playing RBI Baseball 3 far too often on my computer. So, I'm looking to get a baseball game that will play on either my DS or PS2 (I'd prefer it to work on my DS).

I'm looking for the following features
-It doesn't have to have MLB teams, but if it does, it needs to have all of them.
-I'm looking for more RBI Baseball style hitting (or at least a level that allows RBI style hitting), so I don't have to perfectly aim my bat, so much as hit a button at the right time
-A season mode
-The ability to make trades would be great
-The more stats, the better, especially if they update with each game

One thing that would be awesome, but I'm not getting my hopes up, would be if you could edit players... ie. Create your own team like you can with the RBI Baseball ROM editor. Classic baseball teams would be cool too.

Nintendo DS news into my Bloglines, please.

Ufez Jones — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:25:53 -0800

Searching through the tags, I don't think this has been asked before. I'm looking for feeds that I can slap into my Bloglines that will keep me updated on Nintendo DS releases and reviews. I don't have the time or commitment to go all around the various gaming sites on a week-by-week basis to keep abreast of all the new releases and/or new games that the DS'ers at large deem worthy of checking out. However, I'm interested in keeping an eye out for titles that I may (eventually) want to pick up.

Feeds need not be DS-exclusive (I can ignore other platform releases and reviews), but I'd like to be able to keep up on what's what regarding DS titles and the simplest way for me to do this is with my feedreader. Anyone have any suggestions?

Nintendo DS Opera?

517 — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:04:59 -0800

Does anyone have a Nintendo DS Opera webrowser thing? I've seen some reviews and they mention that it is a little slow when loading pages and doesn't have Flash. I am wondering if it's worth buying in spite of these things?

What's au courant in DS homebrew in June 2007?

blueshammer — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:45:49 -0800

I'm interested in homebrew for the Nintendo DS. I've seen the threads here and here but am interested in the June 2007 hotness. What should I get? I have an original (phat) DS, although I bought it only a year ago, so I'm sure it has fairly recent firmware. I'm also a Mac user, so if there's a system that requires specific compiling software or whatever that's PC only, I'd like to steer clear of it. I'm told the Max Media Dock is on clearance at Wal-Marts across the country; I'm told the R4DS is the bee's knees ... I just want to be able to download homebrew apps (not necessarily ROMs, although I'd love to get the LucasArts stuff) and run them optimally. I'll pay more for low power usage; I don't mind clunkiness so much. I'm not going to be using it much for music and movies, I don't think.

Last time we were in the UK we blew the hotel up with a hair dryer.

skrike — Thu, 10 May 2007 10:34:10 -0800

I have a friend visiting me from the UK that is looking to buy a Nintendo DS while he is here to bring back home. Does he need to buy a converter to use with the included power adaptor, or does he need to buy a 240 charger back home? Will the US adaptor work with UK outlets? We're both clueless about all this electricity stuff, we just want to avoid him getting it home and blowing up his fancy new toy.

Thanks for the help!

Help me find a portable Disgaea

nakedsushi — Thu, 25 May 2006 13:40:31 -0800

What's a Disgaea-like game for the GBA/Nintendo DS? I enjoy almost all the Nippon Ichi games on PS2 and currently my favorite is Disgaea. Is there a game like Disgaea but for the GBA or DS?

Things I like about Disgaea and would love to see in a game:
- complete control over a character's stats and equipment
- anime inspiried character designs
- silly story-telling

I know there are a couple of strategy-rpgs out there for GBA, but I haven't really found one that I like as much as Disgaea. So far, I've played and not really liked:

- Advance Wars: too little control over your character/commander's stats
- Fire Emblem: It seemed like Advance Wars, but with people.

The only game I've played that comes close is Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and I did like that, but after beating it, I don't feel the urge to play it again.

Help me turn my DS into a video iPod.

MadamM — Wed, 03 May 2006 16:45:06 -0800

I have a Nintendo DS. I want to be able to watch videos on it. What is the easiest and cheapest way to do this? I've recently started to covet a video iPod, but I already have a perfectly functional older iPod. I do, however, have a DS. I've seen adapters to allow the DS to play videos off of an SD card. However, these seem to mostly have complicated interfaces, require proprietary software and must be imported, which tends to make them expensive. What are the most used and most reliable devices like this out there? I don't really want to spend more than 30 or 40 bucks on something like this (I know the SD cards will also cost). Are there places I can buy them in the US? Alternatively, are there other options out there? If Nintendo is planning to release something like this soon themselves, I'd just as soon pass on the third party option.