nongame
Latest
DS Daily: Missing out
Time and time again, we feel the need to remind you that there are tons of training games for the DS. We're not complaining, we're just in awe.The sad thing? Most of these nongames only come out in Japan. Sure, we can improve our brains or the brains of our fake pets. Soon our DS will even teach us yoga. But, as life dictates, we always want what we can't have. So, which Japanese training game do you wish you could play?
Paint by DS in preview
Picross not enough to fulfill your painting obsession? Fear not, for Paint by DS is on the way. But this is not your math-friendly grid environment; this is a full-fledged painting sim that challenges you to recreate the works of the masters. What seems like a simple title -- there are fifteen different paintings, as well as a few minigames that offer players a break from the painting grind -- shows some surprising depth when we take a closer look. Before undertaking a project, you're challenged with a choice of materials, from paint to canvas or paper, just as you would be with a real painting. You can also mix your own colors and save them for later ... and if you mess up, that's just too bad. There's no neat, clean "undo" function, but you can utilize realistic techniques to clean up your work as you go.For hardcore artists, Paint by DS may be too simple, but for those just embarking on an artistic hobby, or those who like to play around with paint without the mess, this one sounds like it might be worth looking into. Between this, Picross, and Drawn to Life, it looks like DS developers are finally utilizing the stylus in a very obvious way -- and we can only hope for more!
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Codemasters wants you to read books on your DS
Templar Publishing and Codemasters have struck a deal to release some games based on the Ology series of books. Due to hit the DS and Wii late next year, first three books in the series, Dragonology, Wizardology and Pirateology, are going to be the first of the titles to grace the systems.The difference in the DS and Wii versions of the games are supposedly going to be fairly vast, with the DS versions offering more of an interactive book experience. While we might have seen this idea as a little odd following the launch of the DS, for how many other non-games the system has, we're sure these interactive books will find their audience.
TGS07: Konami moves beyond yoga
We've been interested in Konami's yoga trainer, but is the handheld ready to move beyond the mat? Apparently someone thinks so, because the company is planning several new similar titles. One is another yoga trainer, but there's also a Pilates trainer and a title focused around skin care. Doko Demo Yoga, Doko Demo Pilates, and Beauty Navigation: Dream Skincare are currently in the planning stages, but at the pre-TGS press conference, Konami reps also spoke about their plans to remake DS owners from the ground up with their Entertainment, Exercise, and Self-Management series. While the combination of skin care and the DS seems like a stretch for us (without protection, anyway), bringing Pilates to the handheld may be even more lucrative for the company than yoga. Pilates training can be notoriously expensive, and depending on the depth of the software, this could really offer a lot of options for people looking to add the method to their exercise regimen without emptying their wallets.
New non-game to ignore: Doing My Best Family Finance Diary
The non-game avalanche continues in merry old Japan, this time with a digital check register for the DS called Ganbaru Watshi no Kakei Diary, or "Doing My Best Family Finance Diary". The app lets you input all your expenses (food, bills, gambling debts to the mafia) and helps track your spending with several different types of graphs. After a month's worth of spending, cute fuzzy animals help you reach your spending goals. If that doesn't get your accounting cells are getting all hot and bothered, we're not sure what will.[Via Infendo]
Forever Blue Japanese box revealed
The official box art for the Japanese release of Forever Blue has just been unveiled. A few vague details were leaked earlier this month confirming the non-game will be exploration-based as you swim the ocean cataloging and photographing the sea life you encounter. With the little blue Wi-Fi logo, the box also confirms online multiplayer exploration. Although a North American or European release has not been mentioned, we're still filing this one under the "Japan gets all the cool boxes" category.%Gallery-4554%
New Forever Blue (Wii) screenshots
New media has finally surfaced for the underwater Wii title Forever Blue, a still-mysterious game developed by Arika studios (creator of Everblue for the PS2). Little information has been released about the game, but according to an unconfirmed translation, it will be an exploration-based "non-game" where you play with and study sea creatures, hunt for treasure, take pictures, and -- the real kicker -- hunt for underwater sea ruins with a friend via wi-fi. We're thinking Pokemon Snap with whales. Forever Blue is set for release next month in Japan, but no North American date has been announced.[Via NeoGAF]%Gallery-4554%
Conjecture Countdown: 8 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.Rumor: The third Train Your Brain installment, Brain Age: With a Vengeance, will be announced for a late 2007 release. To keep the non-game series fresh, this third episode will come packed with popular gimmicks like customizable outfits, alternate endings, and a new, sinister villain -- Dark Dr. Kawashima!
Origami on your DS
TDK is tossing their entry into the tsunami of training games for the Nintendo DS. DS Origami sits comfortably alongside other non-games that teach gardening, skin care, yoga, and language skills. The top screen shows users where to make folds while a controllable video plays on the bottom screen. Over 100 different origami projects are included from hamsters to wedding dresses to the famous crane. This begs the question: do we need a game that teaches origami, or would a book or website suffice?[Via Siliconera]
The newest DS accessory: squares of paper
Here's a training game we'd totally spring for: Minagara Oreru DS Origami (Fold While Watching DS Origami). Just like you'd expect, this nongame shows tutorials of origami patterns and invites players to fold along. You can watch the steps as a slideshow with variable speed, or you can manually step through the diagram.The game contains 100 patterns, and has voice controls so you can page through the tutorials while your hands are full! Unfortunately, it costs 3900 yen ($31) which is a little over our origami aid budget. Guess we'll have to stick to folding and unfolding the DS over and over again.
Non-Game Boy: Serious games before they were cool
Since the release of Brain Age in Japan, Nintendo has turned their attention toward casual, nontraditional fare for adult audiences. Much of it, like Brain Age, is casual game material with a slight educational slant, but other successful DS releases, like Cooking Navi and Eigo Zuke, are not games at all, but rather educational aids and tools designed to use the DS's unique interface. They're all doing massive business, which makes it difficult to laugh at them no matter how silly they are. But Nintendo was not the first company to attempt to sell application software on a gaming system, however. That distinction probably falls on BASIC Programming for the Atari 2600. Nintendo wasn't even the first company to sell application software on a Nintendo handheld. In fact, Game Boy non-games appeared in 1991. They didn't change the face of gaming. But they make for an interesting historical footnote now, and isn't that better than selling millions of copies? It is for us!
Friday Video: Konami Say Relax
We were unable to embed this week's video for you, but we just ... can't seem to get too upset about it. It must be all the inner peace we're feeling. We suggest you head over to Konami's Dokodemo Yoga page and watch the introductory video for yourself. It's hard to miss-- just click "play movie."Let the soothing music wash over you. It's no problem if you don't know Japanese. The narration will just be relaxing white noise for you. Just let the week's stresses dissipate. Maybe have some tea. Not being yoga practitioners ourselves, we have no idea if it's actually calming, but the video sure is.
Bug-hunting game set to creep out Japanese DS gamers
The market for non-games on the DS is getting a bit too weird. We have gardening and yoga titles coming from Square-Enix, an interactive haiku-based novel, and numerous dictionaries and language-learning programs already on store shelves. What next, a kleptomania sim starring cute smiling animals?The latest quirky non-game in Japan is Quiz & Touch Kensaku Mushi Sukan (Quiz & Touch Insect Encyclopedia). This edutainment title aims to teach players about the six-legged creepy crawlies. Test your knowledge of both the appearance and sounds of many bug species through a series of quizzes and minigames. Kind of makes bird watching seem exciting, doesn't it?[Via DS Fanboy]
Bug-hunting game looks like edutainment done right
Insects are huge in Japan. We don't mean in the Mothra kaiju sense, but in that they're very popular. Kids like to collect and battle stag beetles (sound like another popular Japanese form of entertainment?) Therefore, a bug reference guide on the DS seems like a pretty good decision.Quiz & Touch Kensaku Mushi Sukan (Quiz & Touch Insect Encyclopedia) is our kind of non-game: not only does it provide visual and sound information about many species of bugs, but it also has quizzes and minigames about the bugs, including games based on identifying particular insects by sound and color. Librarians and those training to be librarians will probably agree: more reference books should have games in them.%Gallery-3479%
The Narrow Way to the Dual Screens
Here's a really cool non-game from Success: it's a DS version of the Basho poetry collection Oku no Hosomichi, (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) in a form where you draw over each character as an actor reads the poem. Enpitsu de Oku no Hosomichi DS is based on a similar book release, which featured the poems in grey print for readers to trace over, thereby forcing them to think about each kanji as they read. It's a beautiful idea for a book release, and equally nice-sounding on the DS.We know that it's basically an attempt to cash in on the non-game craze, but Enpitsu de Oku no Hosomichi DS is such a great idea that we don't care. More importantly, it makes a pretty strong case for the e-book, not only on DS but in general, with features that improve on the traditional print version.[Via Insert Credit]
Non-games selling non-poorly in Japan
It's no secret that Japan has got Brain Age on the brain. Brain Age and its sequel, which was just now (kind of) announced for the US, have broken all kinds of sales records and been pretty much the sole motivator for the insane success of the DS. But what is less well-known is that, in addition to driving the creation of a ton of copycat software, training fever is pervasive enough to drive sales of that stuff. In other words, Brain Age has created a market for non-games, just like Nintendo hoped it would.Gpara compiled a list of 95 DS non-games ordered by Media Create sales numbers, and NeoGAFfer Jonnyram has translated the first ten. These things don't cost much to make, and they are bringing in stacks of money. That's Economics Training at work. Or it would be if that existed. Give it a couple of weeks. Brain Age 2: 4,266,000 Brain Age: 3,403,000 Eigo Zuke (English Training): 1,937,000 Big Brain Academy 1,519,000 General Knowledge Training/Common Sense Training:1,381,000 Cooking Navi: 815,000 Kanji Test: 523,000 Tokoton Kanji Brain: 406, 000 IQ Suppli DS: 219,000 [Via NeoGAF]
Get serious with new DS Style screens
We're expecting a load of news when the Square Enix Party starts. For now, we've got new screens from the DS Style series, which is obviously too serious for parties. Specifically, new screens were released of Flower Blooming DS: Gardening Life, Shall We Listen to Classical Music on the DS?, and three World Walking map programs: Italy, France and Taiwan.We could kind of see picking up a DS map program instead of a guidebook when we go on vacation, since we tend to take the DS with us anyway. We are definitely feeling a strong urge to buy the classical music "game" as well, since it's being developed by iNiS. Smart move, Squeenix.
Virtually Overlooked: Taboo: The Sixth Sense [update 1]
Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative. Rare has been responsible for many of the most beloved games on Nintendo systems throughout the years. RC Pro-Am, Goldeneye 007, and Donkey Kong Country come immediately to mind when thinking about the company and its history of great games. Taboo: The Sixth Sense is not great, or beloved, or even a game. If it were a game, it would be one of the worst ones on the NES. But if something like Taboo can even have a time, then that time has come.
Your Hello Kitty research is about to get a lot easier
Ever been asked a question regarding biographical information about a Sanrio character, but you can't answer because you're too far away from your extensive Hello Kitty database? You're in luck, if you get into that very unlikely situation in the future, and you can read Japanese!Hello Kitty's Fashonable Party contains biographies of 300 Sanrio characters, with info about their birthdays, favorite food, and ... probably other stuff too. The game will quiz you about this stuff, presumably so you can memorize it. Fashionable Party also contains a dress-up mode and, predictably, a spate of minigames as well. In this case, though, the minigames are probably welcome since they bring the only actual gaming to the Party.
Play DS while learning to drive
Vingt-et-Un, the developer responsible for some of the weirder Simple 2000 games like The Zombie vs. Ambulance, have created a new entry in D3 Publisher's Simple DS series. Simple DS Vol. 14: The Driving School is a DS program designed to teach the rules of the road, with text-based quizzes and drills. It also attempts to teach driving skill with "practical" driving-instruction segments. This looks great for us, since we taught ourselves to drive on Spy Hunter anyway. We just need to break our habit of trying to drive into 18-wheelers and we'll have it down. While we're talking about this game, we want to complain about the lack of Simple series games in the US. D3 started a US branch, and they currently publish the Naruto games, but the only games we've seen from their hilarious budget series were Break 'em All and Dino Rider. The Xbox 360 just got Earth Defense Force-- we hope that's the start of a trend.
