When I was reading up on some DSiWare games I was pleased in a way that IGN are treating the platform seriously. I still haven't actually purchased a download game yet, but I have been getting tempted. Here is what they wrote Go to Source :
US, February 1, 2010 - The Nintendo DSi is quickly becoming a platform of its own. The system, released in April 2009, isn't much more than upgraded Nintendo DS technology, but its built-in cameras and its incorporated data storage give developers more to work with. And the DSi Shop can be a virtual sandbox for game creators to incorporate the DSi capabilities into downloadable titles. Or it's just an easy way to get simple DS ideas into gamers' hands without going the much more expensive retail route.
Get It! -- This is one of the great games on the DSi Shop channel, and you can be sure that you'll have a good time with it.
Skip It! -- Pretty much a waste of time or a waste of cash. We can appreciate all sorts of DSi games, but there are those you can be comfortable just leaving alone.
There will also be the occasional downloadable game that really knocks our socks off. For the absolute cream of the crop, something that just can't be missed, we'll note it with a Love It!!! seal of approval.
At least we have a site treating it properly, giving us, the readers some valuable insight. Of course, what we want is another thing. I like there 3 simple reviews though as scores are so arbitrary. I will probably do these things on a regular basis for those of us interested enough to have a conversation about it. Here are the reviews:
DSiWare Releases: Week of February 1, 2010
True Swing Golf Express
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
The original True Swing Golf hit the Nintendo DS several years ago, so it's not surprising to find out that the cartridge is on the "hard to find" list of first-party DS titles. It was a great, solid golf title on the Nintendo handheld, and if you were one of the fortunate ones that picked it up in its cart run, consider yourself very fortunate.
The downloadable version features four unlockable courses using the same exact graphics and gameplay engine established in the 2005 release. The touch screen controls still work well, even when compared to the stylus input options that were built into the (in my opinion) superior Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2008 on the Nintendo DS. The addition of precision shots and challenges add another angle to the standard golf gameplay.
What's missing, though, is multiplayer. It's completely stripped out of the Express version. You can't connect with friends in any way. You're the lone man out on the fairway shooting for the lowest score -- if you're comfortable being out there all by yourself, then by all means this is a great and recommended golf game on the Nintendo DSi because there's a load of single player challenges to keep you occupied.
Legends of Exidia
Publisher: Gameloft Developer: Gameloft Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Though it's freshly arrived on the DSi and its name is all-new, Gameloft's Legends of Exidia isn't entirely a new experience -- because it first appeared on mobile phones asHeroes of Might and Magic II. That was a few years ago, though, and Gameloft's taken that cell phone foundation and built on it to create this new DSiWare edition. And don't let the loss of the Might and Magic license in the meanwhile worry you, because Legends of Exidia would still be a slick experience no matter what its name was.
This game is an action/RPG on speed. You're thrust into the role of a young, adventurous warrior, living in a quaint little village at the start of the story -- standard RPG stuff. But totally unstandard is how quickly everything begins to move, immediately after you get going. You get a quest, you complete it in seconds. You talk to a guy, he gives you another mission, and less than a minute later that one's done too. It's like World of Warcraft stuck on fast-forward -- and it works. You're moving so quickly through environments killing foes, finding treasure and leveling up that it triggers an adrenaline rush, and you just don't want to stop playing.
It helps, too, that the combat is slick and well-realized, the item and weapon menus are streamlined and even the puzzle-solving has all fluff knocked out of it -- you never feel like you're brought to a standstill, at any moment. Exidia's also gained some extra functionality in the move to DSi, as the system's microphone is pressed into service for some puzzles and you can take pictures of yourself to integrate into the gameworld -- that, and the fact that the graphics have been redone to perfectly fit the system's two-screen format and resolutions, show that this isn't a quick cash-in by Gameloft on a game they already had finished. If you think a fast-paced, streamlined-to-the-core action/RPG sounds like your style, drop 800 Points on this one.
Downtown Texas Hold'Em
Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Electronic Arts Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
It's not the first Texas Hold'em game on the portable system, but it's the first Texas Hold'em game that's downloadable on the Nintendo DSi. And you can be sure that it's not going to be the last.
This Electronic Arts-produced card game is surprisingly well developed. It's clearly built around a single player component as the computer AI is strong and the tournament structure deep -- it's always tough to figure out drone "tells" in game versions of poker so don't expect a deep insight into character personality here.
Even with the single player focus there's certainly the capability for multiplayer Texas Hold'em here, though it's rooted in local area wireless, and each player will need to buy their own copy of the game to take part in any tables going on. There's no reason why this couldn't have supported DS Download Play -- online, I can sort of understand why it's not here, but single copy multiplayer -- at least in a limited capacity -- is pretty much expected in these types of portable games.
Still, the production is high and the price is right for this EA download, so it's a recommended purchase.
Move Your Brain Rollway Express
Publisher: Assoria Developer: Assoria Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
This Kirby Tilt 'n Tumble-style game from the unfortunate-named publisher Assoria (seriously guys, rethink that brand) is a better tech demo than it is a final product. The Nintendo DSi doesn't have any sort of tilt-sensing accelerometer technology, but Assoria (really, guys, please change your name) is the first DSi developer to implement tilt motion through the front-facing camera of the system.
It's a technique that works, mostly. It's looking at the position of your face and moving that to analog tilting control, but it continuously gets thrown out of calibration if you move your head or the background. Just standing still for a couple of seconds will force the game to reset its "zero point" but you'll find yourself pausing your ball's rolling just to get the maze to flatten out for more accurate rolling.
The gameplay is a bunch of switch-tripping, zip-strip launching mazes using a rough (but smooth) 3D engine, but the developer throws in some cool "multi-angle" effects to show where the exit is. There's not much to the game other than rolling around and collecting coins in a slightly flawed control scheme. I liked it, though, which is why I'm telling you to...
5 in 1 Solitaire
Publisher: Digital Leisure Developer: Digital Leisure Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
You shouldn't expect much out of a download that costs 200 points in the DSi Shop (or 500 points on WiiWare), and this Digital Leisure-published compilation of single player card games looks just as budget as its price tag.
You're really going to buy a Solitaire download for what's known as Klondike Solitaire, and with Nintendo's own version hitting DSiWare just a few short weeks ago, Digital Leisure already has an uphill climb. This version has an incredibly poor interface: rushed programmer art makes everything look sloppy, and on the DSi the point and click control requires too much precision when dropping cards on top of each other. It also suffers from the Solitaire no-no: you can't pull cards off the Ace stacks once you drop them there, which kills half the strategy of Solitaire.
Granted on the DSi version you're getting five Solitaire over Nintendo's two for the same price -- and on WiiWare there isn't much in the way of competition for Solitaire at all. But it's a sloppy production clearly rushed through development, and you're better off putting the money towards a couple decks of cards instead.
So there you have it. I for one am not inclined to want to download parts of games that were a full retail game release, so Touch Golf isn't for me. If I wanted it bad enough (and I didn't), I would have got it a long time ago. As for card games, they are done very well in Clubhouse Games (which really is a must own DS game), so more of the same won't interest me.
The one I am interested in is the RPG, Legend of Exidia, but I saw another review which hated it (2.5/10), so it goes into the ? basket for the moment.
Anyone downloading any of these games soon?
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