Price and Info

500 points on the DSiWare shop.

About the Game

You have a set of ships you must defend from waves of enemies using towers in your inventory. You get more towers and power-ups as you go. Pretty much like other tower defenses out there, but with more twists.

Playability

Most of your playtime will be on the touch screen. It is easy enough to get used to, and easy enough to be able to get everything in the level while still building towers. Only hard thing I can find is that some things are really small to hit and if you don’t have your DSi touch screen synced properly, it may be a hassle. Though, I haven’t had any problems myself.

Sound

The sound is clear and doesn’t sound at all scratchy. There are some music tracks you can earn in the game and you can go through them at the map screen. Your companion also has it’s own language and it sounds cool.

Graphics

The graphics look like it is being drawn as you play. They are grid like while playing and might remind you of a light remix to Geometry Wars. (But a completely different concept.). Menu screens come on screen with a sort of animation like a computer HUD. There is even a clock, battery, and sound monitor up in the corner of your top screen!

Features

There are plenty of levels in this game to keep you active, and the first batch are fairly easy to complete, especially if you have played a Tower Defense before. As said above, there are music tracks you can earn and use while playing. There are more towers and upgrades you can get while playing. Each tower has an option of getting a speed, power, or range upgrade during the game. Each level is different, and the enemy’s path changes with every wave, making each wave a challenge. You have to collect little energy spheres to build towers. Collecting them is as easy as drawing a scribble.

Overall

Looks may be deceiving on this game. It plays nicely and is a great for a portable Tower Defense. (In fact, I would rate it higher than some of the Flash Tower Defenses out there.). It is well worth it’s price and if you are a Tower Defense fan, you will love it. If you aren’t, this can be a great way to learn.

Price and Info

Free on the DSiWare Shop.

About the Game

Flipnote Studio is a fun little app where you can draw animations and share them with friends and people online. Hatena (a Japanese web host.) hosts the flipnote sharing and it looks a bit like YouTube in a way.

Playability

Very easy to figure out. Mainly uses the stylus (Drawing.). The only thing hard is drawing straight lines (Which requires you to hold down select or start and draw.)

Sound

Most of the only sound you will hear is recorded from the microphone. You can add whatever sound you like into your flipnotes and you can even mix your own songs.

Graphics

Like those .gif animations you see, they are basically black and white drawings.

Features

There are a lot of tools you can use in your animations, like a paint brush, pen, fill, erase, copy/paste. You can add sound and even add pictures to them. Some people have their animations unlocked and you can go download them onto your DSi and edit them and re-submit them. The online part is the best part of the application. You can go on and share flipnotes with others. There are channels you can go to to find flipnotes. There is even a rating system based on stars. Yellow stars are infinite per person, and you can give out as many as you want. They are basically a way of saying you like that flipnote. Green stars are earned by performing special events. Red and Blue stars are bought.

Overall

This is a good app, and a nice alternative to Youtube. If you have a DSi, you should get it immediately (as it is free.).

Media

Here is a flipnote I made using Flipnote Studio…

Price and Info

It costs 800 points on the DSi Ware shop and takes up about 116 blocks.

About the Game

Same basic idea as the previous games: Donkey Kong kidnaps Pauline at a toy fair and runs off with her and Mario must save her. How does he do it? With the toys! Winding up the toys to get to the end of every level, gradually getting closer to Donkey Kong. The game is set up like a giant puzzle game, with a few twists. There are enemies to destroy and obstacles to get around. In this one, you don’t get to stop your Mario’s once they start. Some of the obstacles in the game include shy guys and switches.

Playability

It plays really well, both left handed and right handed. Makes use of the stylus a lot. You can do a lot with the levels before they start.

Sound

Sound is clean and clear. A mix of Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, and some added music in it. The sound effects are nicely done and the toy Mario’s almost sound living.

Graphics

Graphics are very vibrant and colorful. Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pauline look very realistic, though in the cartoon 3D. The mini Mario’s look almost lifelike, and the levels are set up very nicely.

Features

When you start up, you have the option of playing your own game as the owner or playing as a guest. The guest feature is nice if you have a younger sibling who likes to mysteriously erase your game every time he plays. There are tons of levels to play, and it will keep you playing for quite a while. When you are done, you can make your own levels in the level creator. You can also trade them with others either by DSi to DSi wireless, or by uploading them online. The interface online is nicely done. You can add people as friends for easy search, and search either in Popular, Random, by Template, Latest, or Nintendo’s levels. (Yes, Nintendo has a lot of levels.) All of the levels you make have stats that go with them so you can keep track of how many people downloaded your levels and what the rating is out of 5. There are plenty of things you can do to customize your levels. The online level trading keeps the game alive long after the story is done.

Overall

This is a great game, and a must get for anyone who has a DSi. There are plenty of things to keep you playing the game. It is well worth the points.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks sets hero Link on a daring new adventure. The game provides players with a new story, more puzzles and even a new mode of transportation.

In this game, Link voyages by train, which offers up new possibilities for problem-solving. The game has the same look and feel established in the hit Nintendo DS game The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

Features

Link has a valuable new companion. While navigating dungeons, he’s accompanied by a Phantom, a hulking suit of armor that responds to his commands. Players can tap the Phantom to take command of him, then draw a line on the touch screen to direct him where to go. The stout Phantom can walk through fire or lava, be used as a platform to carry Link above dangers, or even run interference to block Link from harm

When Link conducts the train, players enjoy a satisfying combination of action and real-time puzzle solving as they determine which track to take and how to best manipulate their speed. When on the train, Link must plot the best route to the end of the line around ever-moving obstacles. While en route, Link might need to fire an onboard cannon at enemies who attack the train or sound the whistle to scare animals off the tracks

Link uses a variety of new items and weapons, including the Whirlwind, which players activate by blowing into the microphone of the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system

As with The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, players can draw notes on the in-game maps using the stylus on the touch screen.