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Five gifts that PAL gamers should import this Christmas
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Five_gifts_that_PAL_gamers_should_import_this_Christmas'; Gaming sites are inundated with holiday gift guides at the end of the year, listing the best and most popular games that everyone pretty much already has (or knows about). Well, we're not going in for that this year. Our gift guide will help you find the best gifts in categories the other sites won't cover -- because we just made them up. Nintendo's indifference towards PAL regions is infamous, but there's arguably less room for complaining when it comes to the DS. See, the DS is (and we do not use this phrase lightly) an importer's dream. It doesn't faff around with region-specific software, there's a huge library of diverse and interesting NTSC-only titles, and the games themselves are cheap. As in, cheaper than they'll be when they arrive in the UK/Europe/Australia six months from now. Frankly, we can't think of a good reason for you not to import. Which brings us to our latest anti-guide, featuring the five DS-related gifts that PAL regions won't be seeing until 2008 at the earliest -- if ever. All deserve to be imported without hesitation, so read on fellow PAL folk, and prep that credit card!
DS Fanboy Review: Dementium: The Ward
If there's one thing Dementium: The Ward delivers on, it's atmosphere. From the audio -- which is truly something special in the DS library -- to the overall mystery of the story of Redmoor Hospital, Dementium provides exactly what it promises: a survival horror/FPS fusion that you can take with you.What it's not is perfect. Of course, no game is, but Dementium is peppered with a few looming frustrations that bring down the game experience. It is developer Renegade Kid's first effort, and at times it shows, and it's a somewhat clichéd game from a genre built on the power of cliché. The good news is that none of those frustrations are terribly huge. The bad news, however, is that some of those flaws may be just the sort that keep certain types of gamers away. %Gallery-4929%
TRU just says no to Dementium
Looks like Target isn't the only one turning down titles lately -- Toys 'R' Us is getting into the game as well by not carrying either Manhunt 2 ... or Dementium! We're terribly disappointed in the retailer, but we could understand the motivation -- after all, if any store was ever aimed at children, it's TRU, and Dementium is a mature title.However, it's not that simple. Word around the campfire is that the TRU folks made the decision not because of the game's rating, but because they didn't think it would be very popular and they didn't want to waste the space. Now, we're not sure what the gaming section is like at your local Toys 'R' Us, but we've seen some pretty questionable shovelware gracing the shelves down here. Is it an excuse to avoid any controversy, or is the retail giant planning to focus future shelf space only on release they feel are more likely to sell?Regardless of the reason, while we can again understand a retailer aimed at children skipping mature titles (if they were consistent about it, that is), but randomly deciding what will and will not be popular is pretty lame. We remember another little game that got such treatment at first ....
DS Fanswag: And Dementium goes to ...
Another DS Fanboy contest has come to an end, and our copy of Dementium is wrapped up and ready for ... HellsHammer! The winning comment was left on the very first day of the contest, and read:28. Wow, I can't believe it's not been listed already...Clock Tower for PS1 was the scariest game ever. I was like 12 or 13 and I spent the night at my friend's house. His dad had just gotten a playstation and Clock Tower and we stayed up until about 3 am. The first time I saw that scissor man start opening closet doors to find (and stab) me, I called my mom to come bring me home. Needless to say, she wasn't exactly happy to pick me up, in a terrified state no less, at 3 am.-Also, I'd like to see a dsfanboy review on The Ward.Posted at 1:38PM on Oct 30th 2007 by HellsHammerDon't worry -- we'll have a review for you soon enough. For now, enjoy your free game, on us ... and watch this space for the next contest!
DS Fanswag: Don't forget, Dementium up for grabs
Sunday is the last day to throw your name in the hat for the free copy of Dementium: The Ward, so get over there and leave a comment! Since you can only enter once per day, you've got two more chances to get in there for consideration. You want free stuff, don't you?
Dementium: Sneaky Torsos, Vomiting Maws, and some simple strategy
Facing off against terrifying, ungodly beasts can be a little traumatic, but not knowing how to defend yourself against those abominations is even more frightening. When you tear open your copy of Dementium (perhaps obtained gratis from us), how will you proceed? DS Fanboy is here to help. This guide should be just what you need to gain a slight edge in learning how to deal with some of the more unpleasant residents of The Ward in a quick and painless (well, at least for you) manner. Of course, nothing beats experience -- but for now, settle back for a little spooky Halloween strategizing. %Gallery-4929%
DS Fanswag: Check into The Ward
We've been talking about it forever, and now you've got a chance to win it -- a copy of Dementium: The Ward, valued at $29.99, will land in the lap of one lucky reader. Want it? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post talking about the scariest moment you've ever had playing a horror game. Did someone happen to slip up behind you while you were sneaking past Bad Things? We want to hear about it. Never been scared? Flex your anti-horror muscles all you want. Just leave a comment -- and remember, you can only enter once per day -- between now and Sunday, November 4, because at 11:59 EST, we'll be closing down the contest. Monday, November 5, we'll toss everyone into the random drawing and choose one winner, who'll receive a spankin' new copy of the game. There are, of course, a few caveats. Winners must be both U.S. citizens and over the age of 18. You can check out the full official rules here.
Renegade Kid on Dementium and the limits of the DS
Last week, we spoke with Renegade Kid's Creative Director, Jools Watsham, about some of the more general challenges the fledgling developer faced when bringing survival horror to the handheld, and today we'd like to get a little more specific. Good survival horror on a handheld? Sounds like quite an undertaking, and from some of what Watsham told us, a lot of effort went into bringing a traditionally home-based experience to a portable format. From the look of horror to the sound of fear, Renegade Kid had their work cut out for them with Dementium: The Ward.%Gallery-4929%
Joystiq interview: Dementium's Renegade Kid
You may not recognize the name Renegade Kid, but chances are you're familiar with some of the more than twenty titles this tiny three-person development team in Austin has jointly had a hand in creating, including games such as XS Games' The Red Star, Aspyr's Stubbs the Zombie, and Namco's Sigma Star Saga. Now working as an independent developer under the Gamecock umbrella, Renegade Kid will soon launch its first title this Halloween with Dementium: The Ward, a first-person survival horror game for the Nintendo DS.We recently had a chance to gab some time with two members of Renegade Kid, co-owner and creative director Jools Watsham and fellow co-owner and art director Gregg Hargrove, and we spoke to them about what it's like to work under their Gamecock overlords (did I say overlords? I meant protectors), as well as as just how crazy they must be to attempt a game as ambitious as Dementium on the DS as their freshman effort. Read on.%Gallery-3636%
Renegade Kid talks challenges with Dementium
After Fountainhead's Anna Kang spoke about the "younger audience" the DS commands this week, it's refreshing to see someone taking the opposite position. Jools Watsham, Creative Director at Renegade Kid, the team behind Dementium, has a lot to say about M-rated games on the DS, a system that commands an audience of, well, pretty much everyone. While some companies may be worried about sales numbers before plotting out a game, the good folks at Renegade Kid were more interested in finding ways around those barriers, and Watsham was happy to tell us all about it."When I think about it now, there I was trying to convince publishers to pick up our game while putting up every red flag there is. They must have all thought we were crazy! Our hope was that publishers would think our game was good. And thankfully they did. Gamecock didn't want changes or anything watered down. They just told us to go for it," Watsham said, and we're glad to hear about Gamecock's faith in the new developer. With no other titles behind them and without an established franchise to lean on, as with some of the system's other mature fare, Watsham knew they were going to face challenges with Dementium: The Ward.%Gallery-4929%
Friday Video: Putting your game face on
We just can't resist these Dementium trailers. They're fresh and different, which definitely grabs our attention, but they seem to demonstrate a great spirit as well -- a blend of comedy, "mature" content, and gameplay that we wish showed up in more trailers and commercials.Though we'll say one thing: if blood ever splashed up from our DS while we were playing a game, we think we'd be asking for a refund. After we stopped uncontrollably freaking out, anyway.
DS Daily: On shooters
Shooters are rare on the DS, but not unheard of, though they often debut to mixed reactions. Metroid Prime Hunters is one of the system's most polarizing titles, and the same seems true of the more recent Touch the Dead. Yesterday's impressions of Dementium: The Ward seemed promising, and of course, IGN's Matt Casamassina continues to insist that someday, we're going to see Halo DS, maybe, kinda, probably -- not really. But do shooters really belong on the system? The touchscreen and other controls manage to do a lot of things really well, including some things that are really off the wall, such as acting as a full-fledged guitar. But is the DS suited to shooters? Considering the smaller screen size, some system limitations, and the unique control system, we can't help but wonder if we really need shooters, or if they're suited to the system.Don't get us wrong -- we love a good FPS. But that doesn't mean we necessarily have to have one on every available system, so we think it's a fair question. On the other hand, is there any reason not to have any FPS titles on the DS? Where do you stand?
Good news from The Ward
Can there ever be good news from the insane asylum? Only if it's coupled with news of a worthwhile gaming experience, and it looks like that just might be the case with Renegade Kid's Dementium: The Ward. Our evil masters at Joystiq got a little facetime with the shooter at E3, and they only had good things to say on the subject. The controls are smooth, says Alexander Silwinski, and certainly reminiscent of Metroid Prime Hunters, but since Dementium's pacing is a little slower, the game is easier to handle. Item selection is apparently a breeze, with the exception of a shortcut to the oft-needed flashlight, and puzzles make sense. The only downside is that the game apparently only takes about seven hours to complete, but maybe the story -- on which we have very few details at this time -- will make up for it.%Gallery-4929%
Full trailer for Dementium: The Ward
We've seen the tiniest of teasers, but now we can enjoy the full trailer for the upcoming title Dementium: The Ward. From this short video, the debut from developer Renegade Kid looks a little like the recent Touch the Dead, but with a few more character models. And should we be surprised? The games have a similar basic premise -- guy awakens in hospital and finds he must fight for his life -- but Dementium is more than just a shooter ... and it seems to have a few more character models to boot. Publisher Gamecock has really been all over the DS lately, and from the looks of these releases, we hope they decide to stay.
Today's most horrifyingly dual-screen video: Dementium trailer
When independent publisher Gamecock announced Dementium: The Ward, from developer Renegade Kid, they promised the game would "set the bar for mature handheld games." If this newly-released trailer is any indication, they're on the right track. Decaying corpses, flashlight exploration, and a hint of gun-play. And the graphics aren't too shabby, either.Dementium: The Ward will be on-hand on Gamecock's EIEIO party during Min-E3. Video, care of Gametrailers, embedded after the break.%Gallery-3636%
GDC 07: ... and that's a wrap!
Well, now that GDC '07 has come to an end, it's time to look back over the DS Fanboy experience. Here, you'll find all of the GDC news and content in one convenient location. Even without a lot of direct information from Nintendo, it was still a great show for DS fans.News:Classic Suda 51 weirdness hitting the DSThe Ward sneaks into the newsMiyamoto keynote reveals design inspirationThe making of Ouendan and Elite Beat AgentsBarnyard Blast: Swine of the NightMakeup and Japanese housewife simsHousewife Superstar: home-ec minigamesSquare Enix demos game development gameHands-on impressions:Phantom Hourglass impressionsPokemon Pearl impressionsPhantom Hourglass multiplayer mode demoedVideo:Phantom Hourglass footageMiscellaneous:Even Reggie's limo driver is famous!DS Fanboy lands at GDC: what to expect
GDC 07:The Ward sneaks into the news
Brand new for GDC week -- The Ward, a horror-themed FPS-plus set in a hospital. Developer Renegade Kid is brand new and looks to be bursting out of the gate with this one. Per their website, the company only received an official stamp of approval last month, and they're already showing off a (very short) teaser for the game. The Ward both sounds and looks interesting, and while the idea of waking up in a world gone wrong isn't particularly new, a game doesn't necessarily have to be the most original idea to be good. If we're to believe the developers, The Ward is an ambitious undertaking. "We're pushing the Nintendo DS to its' limits, with chilling environments, demented enemy characters, and real-world weapons all realized in 3D," says Gregg Hargrove, owner and Art Director at Renegade Kid. The nominal FPS is also set to contain many other gameplay elements, such as touchscreen exploration (a la adventure gaming?), puzzles, and oh, hey ... multiplayer!That's a lot of goodness out of nowhere. Let's hope it delivers! The Ward is set for this fall, if it finds a publisher, and our man on the floor at GDC, Andrew Yoon, is going to see if he can't find these guys for a closer look. After the jump, you can check out the teaser trailer and more screens.
