Price and Info

800 Points (~$8.00) in the DSiWare shop.

About the Game

A 2D adventure/puzzle game where you have to get to a gate while flipping the level between dimensions.

Playability

Button based. No use for the stylus at all, except to touch start at the begining of the game. Easy to control, but levels are a pain.

Sound

Nothing spectacular. Not bad, but nothing special.

Graphics

Cartoon based graphics. 2D game. Levels are quite small, but colorful.

Features

There are a lot of levels to play and you have to earn medals on them to clear more. Each level is a harder challenge.

Overall

It is ok. Not the best game in the world, but very original.

Price and Info

500 Points (~$5.00) in the DSiWare shop.

About the Game

A game where you pop bubbles.

Playability

Stylus based. Very easy to control.

Sound

The music is nice and there are different tracks that play as you get higher in levels. Bubbles have a unique popping sound and shuffling sound when you shake them.

Graphics

Colorful and different backgrounds for every level. Bubbles are clear (in more than one way, ).

Features

There are different modes and some boss levels that you can play on. Modes are earned throughout the game. It is a bubble popping game, so you pretty much are tapping as fast as you can. You can also shake bubbles to make them explode. There are also different bubbles that do various things like doubling your score or even dropping your score.

Overall

A fun game if you are bored and want something to do. Simple and easy to play.

Price and Info

500 Points (~$5.00) in the DSiWare shop.

About the Game

A game where you run around and try to defeat other players using bombs and without hurting yourself with your own bombs.

Playability

Controls are button based with little use of the stylus. Very easy to control.

Sound

The music is nice and the bombs also make clear sounds.

Graphics

Colorful and cartoon like. Very detailed levels. Overhead 2D camera, like the other games.

Features

There are 4 modes to play on, the first is a training which is self explanitory. There is also a single player mode where you can set up to 8 CPU’s on different difficulties and you can set different handicaps to everyone. There are 10 levels to play on, which are all avaliable online and off. The multiplayer requires another person to have the game. There are different items that make your bombs stronger, or make you stronger. You can also set different modes to play with, like revenge. There isn’t a story though…

Overall

Quite addictive on the go. It is a good game and a must get if you liked the previous versions of Bomberman.

Price and Info

500 Points (~$5.00) in the DSiWare shop.

About the Game

A matching game where you spin jewels to try to get 3 or more in a row.

Playability

Controls can be either via the stylus or control pad. Very easy to control.

Sound

Music is nice and the signature robotic voice is also included.

Graphics

Very colorful and clear. Looks a bit better than the flash version. Mobi Clip is also behind the graphics, making nice 3D effects.

Features

3 files are avaliable so others can play. There is a multiplayer mode but it requires the other player to have the game. There are a bunch of special jewels that have different effects to make the game more enjoyable and easier. Unlike the original version, there is no time limit, but there are certain jewels that have turn limits on them.

Overall

If you are a Bejeweled fan or just a fan of puzzle games, this is a must get. Though, if you can find it, get the game pack version.

Price and Info

500 Points (~$5.00) in the DSiWare shop.

About the Game

A balloon popping game with tons of levels.

Playability

Controls can be either by the stylus or control pad. Easy to control.

Sound

The music is um… different. It is like Chinese music. Popping is also clear.

Graphics

Decent, but could have been better. It isn’t like the flash version. Though, it still is nice.

Features

There are a bunch of levels and there is a level creator if you get past the included levels. There is also an unlimited arrows mode, but you can’t advance through the game with it.

Overall

If you like the flash version of bloons, this is a good version for portable. Not really a must get, but it can be addictive.

Price and Info

500 Points (~$5.00) in the DSi Ware shop.

About the Game

A tower defense game with a variety of towers, enemies, and maps.

Playability

Very easy to control. The game is mostly stylus controlled except for the controller pad moving the camera and L for zooming in.

Sound

The music is clear but not worthy of being hooked into a big speaker system. (It lacks bass if you try.) The enemies make little sounds when they die off which is cool.

Graphics

Cartoon like graphics. Very colorful. The towers are very detailed and so are the enemies. Attacks also are very nice, like the fire looks “cartoon real.” (As real as can be without crossing the borderline of reality and cartoon.)

Features

There are 5 maps in the start. You start with one map and one mode with 3 difficulties and you have to earn the other maps and modes. There are 3 modes per map; Classic has 4 towers to use and 100 waves of enemies. The second mode includes more towers and 100 waves of enemies, with fast forward avaliable the whole time. The third mode is an endless version of Extended.

Overall

If you like tower defense and you want something that lasts a long time and still puts up a challenge, get it. It is a great game at a cheap price.

Price and Info

$34.99 MSRP

About the Game

This is the story of Roxas during his days in Organization XIII, a life he was never meant to have. He lives the life of a Nobody.

Playability

Movement is done with the control pad. It is fairly easy to get used to and performs well. The game has 3 modes, Beginner, Standard, and Proud. If you have played action games before, you could start off with Standard and beat the game while still having a challenge.

Sound

The music is awesome. Best played on a DSi and plugged into an entertainment center. There are some scenes with voices, but most of it is text bubbles.

Graphics

The graphics are nice, and almost realistic. There are a few video scenes done by Mobi Clip, who makes the best videos on the DS. Characters are all 3D, and drawn well.

Features

You get assigned missions to do that take place in various areas. There is plenty to do that will keep you playing for days. There is even a mission mode where you can play as other characters, or even play multiplater on local wireless.

Overall

This is a must get game. If you have never played any of the Kingdom Hearts series, I suggest you play this one… and then go get KH 1 and 2. There is a lot to do and this game is definitely worth it.

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…

Battlefield 2, like every other game, is based on a number of experiences the designers have planned the player to go through. Multiplayer makes the order and specific circumstances of these less predictable, but the principal is the same. It’s the surprisingly excellent design choices that makes BF2’s memories so alarmingly cinematic. The gap between events chartered by the previous Battlefield game’s intro FMVs, and the interactive version you were about to play, is now bridged seamlessly.

For those who’ve missed out on the highly popular FPS franchise from Dice studios, the difference with the BF games is it’s niche blend of diverse vehicular death, accessible controls, lots of class based players and a degree of semi-realism that works pretty well. The third work of the series follows a rather luke-warm receiving of Battlefield Vietnam, that was criticized for not moving the series forwards enough. Suffice to say that for an EA published game, and for most fans of BF, Two will easily provide a fresh enough experience to warrant the sequel moniker.

Everyone’s bored of multiplayer that feels like offline botmatch. Players run around, shoot at each other, never say please or thank you, team kill, and generally, outside of clan play, act like those kids who hang around the corner, near Budgens. A fundamental new feature of BF2 is the way teams are arranged. Individuals can join or form ’squads’ of up to six friendlies who can then benefit from internal voice comms and the ability to spawn on the squad leader. A leader can issue commands that appear on members’ mini maps, and thanks to an excellent radial voice macro, members can instantly confirm or deny the order, as well as a host of other statements/requests, all of which are useful.

I won’t go into the low-level technicalities, you can read about them anywhere. What’s important is that the system is subtly, eloquently engineered to make team play easy. This is great, because team play is also fun. Inwardly embarrassing, perhaps, to be shouting ‘pull back, artillery coming in! GET DOWN!’ down the mike, as if we were back in the fifth grade playground, ha! Good thing we’re all confident sixth graders. But it’s that you might find it embarrassing that proves how good it is – you care about your situation, your teammates, where you wouldn’t have done in previous games.

This is due in no small part to the invention of persistent stats – a first in mainstream multiplayer FPS. On ranked servers (at time of writing mainly lag festive and full) your scores are recorded in great detail for your perusal on an account page of the main menu. Play long and well enough, and your rank will increase for all your envious teammates to see. Play even better, and class specific weapons can be unlocked for use in any ranked game. Your score gained per match is doubled if your team wins, making the stakes that much higher. Fail, and you are personally responsible for wasting other people’s time. It’s an innovation timely fitting to the genre, removing an element of stand-still pointlessness sometimes argued of multiplayer shooters.

As well as the (rugged, manly) intimacy you quickly come to share with your squad, the single position commander role is another that effects the emotion of every battle. He Who Reigns On High has a number of abilities, governed from an RTS style interface. Artillery barrages, radar scans and supply drops all can have significant bearings on battle, as can the authority to issue orders to squad leaders. It’s in this Godly power that the humanity becomes fierce: squad leaders can choose to reject commands, you can rebuke or commend your (real, human) underlings, they can ask for assets that you can then tactically deny, Machiavelli style. Then the logistics fade away in the overhead 3D view as you watch two six man teams decimated by an M1A1 tank you could have protected them from. Their hot keyed screams of ‘medic!’ and ‘we need reinforcements over here!’ biting at your digital conscience.

Back on the ground, more gushing praise can be sung for the graphical splendour of the game’s Eastern theatre. Enemy black hawks cast down ominous shadows, artillery sends up giant, devastating spews of opaque debris, specularity reflects the evening sun off the runway, and the environmental detail observed from a lonely dam-top watch tower takes the breath away. At maximum detail anyway. Weigh it up – graphics card vs non-essential internal organ.

A 50. cal hole in this review is where criticism should be. The support class is repairing as we speak – there are a couple of issues, most consistent with the failings of the previous games. The server browser is inexplicably rubbish and by all accounts, regardless of machine spec, quite unstable. There’s no ‘favorites’ function, refreshing is slow, and the menu takes three of four seconds to load from in-game. Bot matches are poor, in keeping with BF tradition. Dice say they’ve been improved, but they still obviously run across mapped paths, and will resort to the melee knife a little too readily. If you are on dialup, be advised – offline is not worth buying the game for.

Team play innovations, graphical supremacy and the thundering roar of enemy jets combined with persistent stats all work together to really put you There. There being any one of the varied, immaculately crafted maps, each available in 16, 32 and 64 player sizes. The generous choice of class, vehicle and squad dynamics allow for combinations and emergent tactical options that will keep you playing for weeks. Battlefield 2 is one of the best multiplayer first person shooters ever made, you should probably buy it.