Nintendo DS Lite & jRPGs & stuff

[Bartin]

I'm really amazed about the lack of knowledge the rpg-codex-community is showing in this topic, therefore i have to leave my lurking status and give you some advices. My original plan was to improve my english language skills before making an impact on this forum.

If you have one of these R4-Cards you can benefit from homebrew.
There is a very good Nethack-Port which is optimized for ds and gets frequent updates. It comes with a graphical tileset but you can use the classic ascii too. Best thing for me is that you don't have to use the ackward keyboard commands , instead using your stylus to navigate, tap on doors to open etc.
With scummvm 0.12 (beta3 already out) you can play Elvira 1,2 and Waxworks. I had a quick look at this and it seems to run fine, albeit you really need good eyes, it have one of the tiniest fonts i ever seen. You should also expect some slowdowns, especially in animated scenes.
Last program i want to suggest is VGMDS, a RPG maker with Zelda-Gameplay/Engine, where you can develop your own adventures on the go. It is pretty advanced, all main features are in, even gravity. There is some usermade content too(tilesets,sounds,..).

http://frodo.dyn.gno.org/~brettk/NetHackDS
http://forums.scummvm.org/viewtopic.php?t=5025
http://www.globoeil.fr/vgmds/

For commercial games try etrian odyssey. Someone mentioned this already and it is really a nice oldschool rpg. You can and will die frequently, especially in the beginning and you have to make your own map. If you like to die you can also play contra 4, it's not a rpg but death is on every corner and in europe we call this game Probotector.
Phoenix Wright is my favourite but it have zero replay value and you will only like it if you have a heart for sentimental stories. It's like season of sakura but without the sex.
I also play on regular basis panzer tactics (a panzer general/battle isle clone) and Anno 1701 which is much better than the disturbing Settlers version we got (don't buy!).

 

[Müg]

That's true. This is why I am having a lot of fun with Zero Mission. It "feels" right, if you know what I mean.

Say, I haven't played Super Metroid on the SNES in a while - is it just me or is bomb-jumping incredibly easier in Zero Mission? It seems all I need to do is mash the bomb button in a certain rhythm and without fail, I can infinite bomb-jump up everywhere. The move has never beenr required so far, but I still like getting a few super missiles or missiles and especially energy tanks ahead of time. Also, even shinesparking seems much easier in Zero Mission - or I just got good at it overnight. The controls are admirably tight.

I -think- bombjumping is required only in one or two places, and even then they're "long"cuts to get around having to have an item.

You can actually finish the game with only 11%, but the end picture will allow you to have up to 15%.

 

[OSK]

My original plan was to improve my english language skills before making an impact on this forum.

Your English is fine, and there's no better way to improve than to practice!

 

[cutterjohn]

Hey, I've played a little of Metroid Prime Hunters. It's not that bad considering that they're trying to do a FPS like game on a system with intentionally limited 3D processing capabilities.

DQIV Japanese includes nearly full translations for english, french, german, and a couple of other languages which I forget ATM.

Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls (I & II) is pretty good.

FF3 for the DS.

FF4-6 GBA. (A port of 4 should be appearing in NA some time this year, probably near Christmas)

DragonQuest Monster Joker(DS) is sort of fun so far. Turned it into a 3D 3rd person sort of exploration mode

Orcs & Elves(DS) was a simplistic dungeon crawler, maybe being slightly more complex than ... hmmm... what was the old Doom pseduo fantasy shooter game? Heretic? Very short though, finished it in like 4h including the new areas added.

Etrian Odyssey. DS. Nice dungeon crawler, sort of Wizardry like. Anime heavy parts are mainly the stills of the various town locations.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA) is kind of fun, and supposedly so are Fire Emblem and Golden Sun.

Mazes of Fate(GBA) Dungeon crawler kind of similar to Etrian Odyssey.

Riviera and Yygdrasil Union(GBA) are supposed to be good.

Arcomage (DS) homebrew version of the M&M card battling game, not bad, but seems to be a little buggy now and then, as in it seems to randomly crash.

The DS Castlevanias are pretty good.

Megaman Battle Network games(GBA) seem to be ok, sort of along the lines of the Pokemons.

Pokemon Diamond/Pearl(DS) are as entertaining as any of the other version, but getting to be a bit repetitive AFAICS after so many iterations.

Magical Starsign is ok, but I kind of think that publicly most codexer will condemn as being too animeish, furfaggish, and kiddieish...

Picross (DS) puzzle game is pretty good.

Puzzle Quest(DS) puzzle game with quests and some minor RPGlike features is also fun.

Animal Crossing Wild World is strangely addicting, although it will likely give the furfags wet dreams, and problems while playing.

Powder (DS) simplistic roguelike homebrew.

Nethack (DS) port of nethack to the DS, homebrew.

Generally, the DS 3D games weird me out as I'm not at all used to the control schemes for them and it just feel funny to try to controls characters via the D-pad while the touch screen controlled ones just make it awkward to hold the DS and manipulate the touch screen.

The Cyclo DS Evolution slot-1 flash cart has had a MAJOR re-design and should be just as reliable as any other flash cart now. Compared to my Supercard DS One SDHC the UI is also WAY faster, and also loads ROMs/apps much more quickly.

3in1 seems to be the best slot-2 GBA solution, 16MB RAM, 32MB NOR Flash, 256KB SRAM (for saves) used with Rudolph's Expansion Pack Tool if you don't have an EZ-Flash V slot-1 OR an Acekard RPG with Rudolph's custom firmware for it. (The custom firmware is pretty cool as it lets you launch ROMs DIRECTLY from the Acekard's GUI AND it auto-patches ROMs so no more need to pre-patch them, except AFAIK it only patches for save types and not RTC or any of the other things.)

NOTE: For the EZ-Flash V/R4DS/M3 Simply and other older slot-1 and 2 card you WILL NEED to DLDI patch most of those for any of the save stuff to work, and for many of them just to launch at all. All the newer, better slot-1 cards auto-patch DLDI homebrew applications, e.g. SCDS1 series, Cyclo DS Evolution, TopToy DS, Acekard RPG, M3 DS Real, etc.

[EDIT]
Decided to add:
http://gbatemp.net is a good place for it's forums, all about various console hardware, games, and gaming as well as the general site for latest general news, and various game releases. Also, they review just about every flash cart and other hardware out there for Nintendo consoles.
[/EDIT]

 

[cutterjohn]

@jimbob
For some reason I've associated leekspin with you, well, now you can stuff it onto your flash casrt, http://www.ds-scene.net/?s=download&vie ... 9fb3fe9299

 

[obediah]

The Cyclo DS Evolution slot-1 flash cart has had a MAJOR re-design and should be just as reliable as any other flash cart now. Compared to my Supercard DS One SDHC the UI is also WAY faster, and also loads ROMs/apps much more quickly.

3in1 seems to be the best slot-2 GBA solution, 16MB RAM, 32MB NOR Flash, 256KB SRAM (for saves) used with Rudolph's Expansion Pack Tool if you don't have an EZ-Flash V slot-1 OR an Acekard RPG with Rudolph's custom firmware for it. (The custom firmware is pretty cool as it lets you launch ROMs DIRECTLY from the Acekard's GUI AND it auto-patches ROMs so no more need to pre-patch them, except AFAIK it only patches for save types and not RTC or any of the other things.)

NOTE: For the EZ-Flash V/R4DS/M3 Simply and other older slot-1 and 2 card you WILL NEED to DLDI patch most of those for any of the save stuff to work, and for many of them just to launch at all. All the newer, better slot-1 cards auto-patch DLDI homebrew applications, e.g. SCDS1 series, Cyclo DS Evolution, TopToy DS, Acekard RPG, M3 DS Real, etc.

[EDIT]
Decided to add:
http://gbatemp.net is a good place for it's forums, all about various console hardware, games, and gaming as well as the general site for latest general news, and various game releases. Also, they review just about every flash cart and other hardware out there for Nintendo consoles.
[/EDIT]

I used to think i was a smart guy. I would like to be able to download DS Game ROMS ( I don't care about GBA or homebrew), and play them on my DS. But not only am I a dirty pirate, I'm a stupid dirty pirate. Everytime I start reading about slot 1's and 2's and Backups *wink* *nudge*, and cross-over SD upgrade blah blah. Well it becomes clear it is more of a commitment than I'm willing to make.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Buy an R4. Drag and drop rom files. That's all you need to do if you just want DS roms.

 

[obediah]

Buy an R4. Drag and drop rom files. That's all you need to do if you just want DS roms.

Sounds like win! Thanks.

I can finally try out that Anno game before spending $60 to import it.

 

[ecliptic]

Powder is awesome fun

 

[cutterjohn]

@JimBob
Did you ever modchip your Wii? If so, which one did you get?

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

I've never really looked into modchipping, always been slightly wary about it... though, given that Nintendo continues to fuck over Europe with its release dates and there doesn't appear to be a Freeloader-type thing on the horizon yet, it's quite an attractive idea. Know anywhere I can find out about it?

 

[cutterjohn]

@Jimbob
Hmm, I forgot about this for some reason, but I stumbled across something from wlip.es . It's a solderless mod-chip thing. They made a connector that slips of the D2A/B/C chip and is held in place by whats looks to be some sort of sticky substance, this had a lead out to a socket for inserting a PIC chip(the modchip). The only supply the adapter and connector, and you have to find a programmed PIC chip yourself or buy a programmer and make your own.

Looks like a nice clean solution, although they want alot for it at $50 and they're sold out ATM, although over at the teamcyclops official forums someone gave me a lead to a place that still had some in stock and pre-programmed PIC chips, although I think that if I did it, that I'd prefer to get my own programmer and a supply of compatible PIC chips as there are 3 modchip firmware in heavy development all with differing features, although the YAOSM(IIRC) firmware seems to be the best. (Go over to gbatemp.net and look around their Wii modding forum. They'll probably be helpful if you decide to try something.)

[EDIT]
Here's a link to the TC forum thread
http://www.teamcyclops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5160
The D2C one is NOT the solderless type AFAICT, although I'd kind of bet that you got a D2A or maybe a D2B, but you'll have to dig up how to tell w/o opening up the Wii...
[/EDIT]

I sort of lost interest in Wii stuff when I looked at all the games, and saw out of hundreds of games, most was even worse shovelware shit than what shows up for the DS. I found 5 games that even remotely interested me, and only one that I would consider coming even close to making the Wii a buy, that being the Zelda game.

Now Back onto topic Dungeon Explorer came (#2024 IIRC) out Friday. It's most closely related to Diablo, and supports up to 3 people in WiFi co-op play.

Anyone want to try out the co-op play some time? I understand that the co-op mode seems to be INSANELY hard, though.