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Gaming to Go: Exit DS
Sometimes the stylus is a beautiful thing. Such a tiny white stick has infinite potential for interaction, introducing new control schemes and input methods to a industry clinging dearly to its buttons. Nintendo clearly has no qualms taking a risk with its input devices, if that semi-popular magical remote thing is any indication, though its more diminutive sibling demands its own share of the limelight. When it works, it works, and the stylus becomes an indispensable part of the gameplay. Sometimes it doesn't work as well as it could. For exhibit A we have Exit DS, a poster child for the "Buttons are Best!" camp. Call me picky, but the option to select a more traditional button control scheme is Exit's saving grace, since I don't think I would have made it very far in were I forced to wield the mighty stylus through all one hundred and fifty levels. It helps too that there's a pretty interesting game behind it all, one that's easily worth checking out if you don't mind putting up with a few control quirks. That game happens to be very well-suited for Gaming to Go, as you might have guessed. Want to hear more? Hit the A button to advance to the next screen! #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >> %Gallery-6861%
DS Daily: Your favorite game for on-the-go
In the spirit of Gaming to Go, we ask which title (or titles) you find especially good to play while you're on-the-go? We've been talking about our most treasured pick-up-and-play games for travel or those with little time to game for quite some time now, so we figured we'd ask you all some of your favorites. Which games do you find especially good for when you're on-the-go?
Gaming to Go: Electroplankton
"Wha? Who is this impostor in my beloved column," you ask? Well, I kindly asked Matt if I could step in and guest write the column this week. Luckily, Matt is a fan of not working and allowed me to do so. I imagine he's sitting on a beach right now, complaining about the salt in his drink.So, Electroplankton. Many of the longtime readers will know it's one of my favorite DS games. But, what's it all about? Well, it's a pick-up-and-play music game by Toshio Iwai, where you can create a variety of looped tracks for your listening pleasure. And utilizing the headphone jack, you can take your musical creations and export them to your computer or some other device for saving. For those who crave an overall goal or some end to work to, then Electroplankton might not be the game for you. The game may seem a bit shallow to those that aren't intrigued by the prospect of simply making music, but I assure you it's a charming and fun game, and one that is perfect for gaming on the go for any lover of the quirky and unique. If there's one thing you can say about Electroplankton, it's that there isn't any other game on the planet like it. #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >> %Gallery-34381% Tick tock of the clock ringing in your ears? Tell your timepiece to shove it! We live busy lives, but remember this: there's always time to game. Check back with Gaming to Go every week for the latest and greatest titles you should spend your precious few minutes with. And if you're looking for more original content from DS Fanboy (bless your heart), then check out our Point/Counterpoint feature and Bury the Shovelware.
Gaming to Go: Clubhouse Games
Remember checkers? How about chess? And blackjack? What about dominoes? And Shogi and Ludo and Hasami Shogi and Koi-Koi and -- ahem. Don't recognize those last few names? No worries! I didn't know them either. There's still time to learn, however, and this is where Nintendo's Clubhouse Games comes to party. It contains 42 -- yes, 42 -- classic games for your enjoyment, running the gamut from bowling and billiards to Mahjong solitaire and Pig. An incredible amount of variety exists in this tiny DS cart, making Clubhouse Games one of the most involving titles the DS has seen in recent years. The mind-boggling amount of games also makes it ideal for this week's edition of Gaming to Go. Sure, I might not recommend starting up a game of chess on your next lunch break, but why not go for a quick game of Connect Five? Whatever your mood fancies, Clubhouse Games has you covered. Want to hear more? Click that big grey button there to see what you've been missing. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } %Gallery-32851% Tick tock of the clock ringing in your ears? Tell your timepiece to shove it! We live busy lives, but remember this: there's always time to game. Check back with Gaming to Go every week for the latest and greatest titles you should spend your precious few minutes with.
Gaming to Go: Elite Beat Agents
Agents are ... go! Elite Beat Agents built a reputation on many things: colorful characters, marvelous music, and, on later difficulties, the combination of soul-crushing challenge and those godforsaken spin markers. But look beyond that shiny veneer and you'll see above all an incredibly unique game, one that takes advantage of the DS's touch-screen capabilities arguably better than any other title on the system. And it's a hell of a lot of fun. Give the game a spin for just a few minutes and you'll see what I mean, as part of Elite Beat Agents's charm is its bite-sized gameplay. Take one of the many songs for a ride and you'll get a glimpse of nearly everything the game has to offer, with the frantic tapping, circling, and groovy beats the title is known for. It's okay to dance with your DS. I don't judge. Can you feel the music? Come along with this week's edition of Gaming to Go and see why exuberant dancing can solve all of the world's problems. %Gallery-30898%
