Nintendo DS
Posted on April 7, 2008
I picked this up last week because I didn’t have much to do. It’s a neat little device. I got an iPod White model and a copy of Super Mario 64 DS. A repackaging of the Nintendo64 game, it’s pretty much consumed my free-time for the past few days. In the game you play as Yoshi, Mario, Luigi, and Wario, and the goal is to collect 150 gold stars by solving puzzles and defeating enemies. To put some scale to this task, after playing for nearly a week I’ve collected 24 of those stars. I’ve already had to check GameFAQs’ walkthrough to figure some stuff out.
On top of that, I picked up Brain Age 2 and Assassin’s Creed today. I haven’t tried Assassin’s Creed yet; it’s a spinoff of the very cool looking console game designed for the DS as a prequel. I look forward to trying it. Brain Age is a massively popular game in Japan that is catching on here in the states. Designed by a Japanese neuroscientist to improve mental acumen, the game measures your brain’s ability to think and response using a quotient described as your “brain age”. I’ve already done my first day of Brainaging, and my brain age is a sad 44. However, through the games daily training programs (you start with three and are able to unlock more as you progress) you are supposed to improve that ability. It seems to have some affect at least, after a little bit I did become quicker at the exercises. Maybe it’ll make me smarter or something, we’ll see.
The DS is a neat device, and I think it’s proof that Nintendo remains an innovator in gaming. Sony and Microsoft may have the advantage in pure processing power, but Nintendo is able to explore what’s fun and different in gaming.
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Nice review. I remember playing Super Mario 64 when I first got my N64 so many years ago. I agree with your analysis of Nintendo versus Sony and Microsoft. I like the innovation more than the pure processing power. It started with the N64 which had rumble handles on the gamepad. I never could have imagined back then that I would be play games the way I do with the Wii or the DS.