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Kingdom Heart 358/2 Days confirmed for North America

Posted Dec 2nd 2008 6:27PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News


Fans of both kingdoms and hearts, know that Square Enix has gone ahead and done what we were all hoping they would do: confirm Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days will release outside of Japan. While there is little actual info on the game out there right now, the series' first entry on the DS is still likely to bring a few smiles to some faces in North America.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days follows the exploits of one Roxas, former Organization XIII member who was featured in the prologue for Kingdom Hearts 2. It is the first in the series to feature a multiplayer gameplay mode that allows "players to control their favorite Organization XIII members!"

Spring is the season for Gardening Mama in North America

Posted Dec 2nd 2008 4:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News

We didn't think Majesco would find any reason not to pick this up, but we're glad to see an official announcement. The company will publish Cooking Mama Ltd.'s latest, Gardening Mama, in North America, with a scheduled spring 2009 release.

According to the press release, Gardening Mama features not only planting and maintaining crops, but also segments in which players use those crops after harvesting -- including examples like making strawberry jam and carving pumpkins. Gardening Mama also features four-player multiplayer gardening, and the ability to share the products of your labor with other players online.

Gallery: Gardening Mama


DSi gives Nintendo 535,379 reasons to smile

Posted Dec 2nd 2008 2:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News, Imports, Sales


The Nintendo DSi has completed its first full month on Japanese stores shelves, and guess what? It sold a lot! No, really! Enterbrain says 535,379 units were snapped up during November -- a figure that only just failed to match the Lite's opening month of around 550,000 sales. Nintendo probably isn't too devastated by that.

Furthermore, DSi sales have boosted the DS platform's total sales to 24,239,590 units in Japan. In a country of 127.4m, some form of the DS will soon be owned by one in five people (okay, so some will have purchased more than one DS model, but let's not nitpick)! Anyway, as we're writing about the DSi being ridiculously popular again, now feels like a good time to examine the latest import costs:

Gallery: Nintendo DSi Unboxing

Special deliveryAwesome, packing peanuts! (and a DSi)'Girl, you look good, won't you back that box up'The cat is jealousManual overload

Show and Tell: And buttons for all

Posted Dec 2nd 2008 12:00PM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: Show and Tell

Buttons are important to gamers. Usually, they're our primary method of input, and while some systems (why hello, Nintendo) may be moving us away from that tradition, we'll always have a soft spot for those little buttons.

But we're not talking about those sorts of buttons today. We just like 'em. No, we're taking a look at the other sort today, the kind you wear. Badges. Pins. Sometimes, they can be just as important as the buttons on our handhelds and controllers -- if you want to display your likes and dislikes, anyway. And badge-making has long been quite the thing among the crafty gaming contingent. Take the guided tour of our selection of game-related buttons here, or dip into the gallery below wherever you'd like. You might be surprised at what you find.

Gallery: Show and Tell: Buttons!

Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts.Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.

Acekard produces first DSi flash cart

Posted Dec 2nd 2008 11:00AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: Homebrew, Imports

Well, that was a scary month. Acekard Team has released a new version of their excellent flash cart that works on the Nintendo DSi. The Acekard 2i retains all the functionality of earlier flash carts, including the ability to run homebrew and backups, as well as store save files and use Action Replay codes. The new card is even compatible with earlier versions of the DS in addition to the DSi.

After releasing a video of an early success, which seemed to work only in conjunction with some kind of hardware hacking, it's no surprise that Acekard Team is the first to reach this milestone. We have no idea how the 2i differs from previous flash carts -- it may be a new hardware revision or it may even be custom firmware! The point is that it works, at least until Nintendo releases the eventual update for the DSi firmware.

The Acekard 2i has yet to be stocked in any of the listed resellers, but that may be because it was just announced. Acekard Team promises that the new card "will come up in a very short time." You can see the Acekard 2i in action in this video, which does unfortunately include footage of swashbuckling-related activities.

See also: DSi hacked already?

Gallery: Nintendo DSi

DS Daily: Right price point?

Posted Dec 2nd 2008 9:00AM by David Hinkle
Filed under: DS Daily

We've asked this question a long ways back before, but with the busy shopping season on us, and the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shenanigans coming to a close, we felt it was appropriate to ask again. What's the right price for you? Do you pick up games when they first release because you absolutely have to have them, or are you a patient consumer, waiting for that certain title to fall in price before snatching it up. What do you think is the proper entry price point for DS games? We know Square Enix likes to toss that $39.99 price tag on their new games (boo!), but usually it's $30 for non-Nintendo games. Is this the sweet spot?

Atlus grabs Steal Princess, mystery RPG

Posted Dec 1st 2008 6:00PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News

Atlus is no longer content with just producing the games we want. With recent releases like Ontamarama and Draglade and new announcements like Ys I & II, Trackmania DS, and the perplexing My World, My Way, the company has turned their attention toward localizing other companies' games we want. We appreciate the personal service.

According to the ESRB, the company has picked up at least one more of our fascinations: Marvelous' Steal Princess, a nice-looking ARPG with a map editor. They're also planning to release some kind of dungeon RPG called The Dark Spire, whose origin is currently unknown. Based on Atlus's longstanding Success connection, a Siliconera reader has posited (as we did when we saw the description) that this might be Success's Genmu no To to Tsurugi no Okite, the first-person dungeon RPG which allows players to switch between a gorgeous retro line-art mode and a gorgeous black-light-poster-esque mode. At least, we hope that's what it is!

Maybe you can identify Dark Spire based on the ESRB's description, which we've reproduced after the break.

Gallery: Steal Princess


Gallery: Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite

Continue reading Atlus grabs Steal Princess, mystery RPG

DS releases for the week of December 1st

Posted Dec 1st 2008 4:00PM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: News

The holiday march continues, bringing with it legions of new games. Well, not quite legions. A solid unit, perhaps. Half a unit? Okay, Slingo Quest and some mushrooms that specialize in pummeling animals while wearing big, puffy gloves. It's better than Elf Bowling, at least.
  • Animal Boxing
  • Dreamer: Puppy Trainer
  • Emma at the Farm
  • Emma in the Mountains
  • Happy Cooking
  • M&Ms Adventure
  • Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi
  • My Fun Facts Coach
  • Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
  • Slingo Quest
  • The Tale of Despereaux
  • Wordfish

Continue reading DS releases for the week of December 1st

$99 DS Lite kicks off Amazon's Cyber Monday

Posted Dec 1st 2008 2:36PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Sales


Remember that Pink Ribbon DS Lite that Nintendo unveiled a few months back? Well, Amazon is offering that DS Lite model for the reduced price of $99.95, as part of its Cyber Monday sales event. It's like Black Friday, except you can shop without your pants on.

What else is up for grabs? Nothing really for the DS lovers out there, but if you are looking to upgrade to a DS Lite or introduce someone else to the wonders of Nintendo's handheld, there are plenty of other deals going on around the net. We suggest you hit up Joystiq's deal guide right here.

Gaming to Go: Picross DS

Posted Dec 1st 2008 1:00PM by Matthew Madeiro



Math is fun! Or something. Normal people likely don't put much stock in the words, but every now and then a complex equation or three can be a great way to get the mathy part of your brain up and going. You could also just play Picross DS, an interesting take on the puzzle genre that emphasizes numbers and clever calculations over explosions and unbridled quirkiness. That probably paints Picross in one of the least interesting ways possible, but, uh, just run with it, okay?

Picross is fun. I didn't fully expect it to be the first time I fired it up, but wonders never cease when a refreshingly different kind of puzzle and the charm of Nintendo's Touch Generation series unite in nerdy, digital glory. With a ton of puzzles to conquer and numerous different modes of play, Picross certainly has a bevy of content to work with, transforming it into a title definitely worth snagging for your daily commute. Sure, some of those later puzzles might take longer than your lunch break, but Picross DS is still a supremely portable title, and one definitely suited for this week's edition of Gaming to Go. Want to hear more? Click that big button there and start believing in the power of numbers.

Gallery: Picross



NEXT >>

Character customization and more in Dragon Quest IX

Posted Dec 1st 2008 11:00AM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: News, Screens

I've you've been passing the days wondering just what your main man (or chick) in Dragon Quest IX will look like, well, uh, keep wondering. Unless you already have an image fixed in your mind, we can't help you. But we can point you to Famitsu, where they have a pretty extensive look at the character customization in the latest from the long-running franchise. Bald? No problem. Pigtails? Done. Crazy, coked-up eyeballs? Hey, it's your game. We're just pointing you to the screenshots.

You've gotta wonder if you're stuck with some of these crazier expressions throughout the game. Angry smirking face is less funny in a sad moment. Or is it funnier? That's up to you, too.

DS Daily: Novelty

Posted Dec 1st 2008 9:00AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: DS Daily

Nintendo finally got around to showing off the UK release of their book compilation, now called 100 Classic Book Collection. Some of us are way into it, while others see it as cashing in on the public domain.

If 100 Classic Book Collection hasn't already captured your attention, what features would elevate it in your estimation? Is there a certain function or interface element that would make Book Collection more useful or more tempting? Or is your disinterest simply related to the selections on the cartridge?

If you are eagerly anticipating the collection, what about it attracts you? Specific inclusions in the catalog? Something about the interface? Pure portability?

Gallery: 100 Classic Book Collection

DS Daily: Chrono Glory

Posted Nov 30th 2008 10:30AM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: DS Daily


Yesterday, we lamented with our European readers over the delay for Chrono Trigger, but today, we want to talk to those of you who are playing it. Is it everything you hoped it would be? More? After all, this was the most-wanted game, chosen by DS Fanboy readers, so we expect to hear tears of joy in the comments. If you're not happy with it, please explain -- at length.

Gallery: Chrono Trigger

DS Daily: Chrono Torture

Posted Nov 29th 2008 10:30AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: DS Daily


This one's for our PALs: you've had to wait 13 years for Chrono Trigger. Now it looks like it might finally come out in February. Maybe. Or later. Really, we don't know.

But faced with the tantalizing possibility of finally playing the classic RPG, can you wait? Or have you already broken down and just imported the thing, like Chris did? The temptation must be overwhelming, especially since there's basically no downside. The costs would probably come out about even!

Gallery: Chrono Trigger


[wallpaper available at chronotrigger.jp]

Professor Layton heads for the silver screen

Posted Nov 28th 2008 7:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News, Fan stuff, Imports


Not many DS games could be adapted into watchable films. Can you imagine Spielberg Presents Meteos, a sentimental tale of three little colored rocks who dream only about visiting space one day? Or Nintendogs: The Movie, a three-hour epic of going for walks, finding a new collar, going for walks, chucking a frisbee, and going for walks? See what we mean? Rubbish.

Then again, the Professor Layton series has the potential to be a very fine movie. Level 5 thinks so, anyway, because it plans to release Professor Layton The First Movie. For now, only a Japanese version is planned, with January 2010 being mooted as a possible release window. This makes perfect sense, obviously, because the games themselves are already full of beautifully-animated, Studio Ghibli-esque cut-scenes. And who is currently working with Level 5 on a forthcoming DS game? Exactly.

Plus, this might be the ideal time to get rid of the stomach-churning pipsqueak that is Luke, preferably through very violent means. Maybe he's not even in the movie, and they've axed the little git once and for -- ah, dammit.

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel

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Gaming to Go!

This Month's New Games

Name Date
Neopets Puzzle Adventure
 Nov 25
Chrono Trigger DS
 Nov 25
Ultimate Band
 Nov 25
Personal Trainer: Cooking
 Nov 25
Age of Empires: Mythologies
 Nov 25
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
 Dec 2
Mushroom Men
 Dec 2

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