getfreaky / Member

Forum Posts Following Followers
199 195 43

getfreaky Blog

Did you know? DS facts for the DS know-it-all..

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

If you have a DS, chances are you love it and play it to death. You know it can play GBA games, and you know it has two screens, Wi-Fi capabilities, touch screen input support, and many good games for all sorts of genres. However, that you might not know a thing or two about the system. I've put together a list of cool and interesting DS facts that is sure to entertain you; use it well and you will be known as the 'DS Master' at school, work, or the local Starbucks.

1. Although everyone knows it as the Nintendo DS, at one time the system was code-named "Nitro". The name was later changed back to Nintendo DS.

2. The Nintendo DS was Nintendo's first gaming system to be released in North America prior to Japan

3. Each DS screen has a resolution of 256 x 192 pixels.

4. The DS has two processors, 4MB of RAM, and 256 KB of flash memory.

5. The DS was Nintendo's first handheld device with stereo sound without the use of headphones.

6. By September 2007, the DS had sold 50 million units worldwide, making it the fastest-selling handheld gaming device to date. As of writing, the system has sold over 65 million units around the world.

7. The Nintendo DS is available in China and is known as the iQue DS, which features a larger firmware to accommodate Chinese character glyph images.

8. Nintendo DS systems can play any DS game except iQue DS games. However, the iQue DS can play any DS game.

9. Actionloop, the European version of the DS puzzler Magnetica, is bundled with a DS Rumble Pack.

10. DS game cards can hold up to 128 MB (1 Gigabit) of data, with the rare exception of the game ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat, which features a 256 MB card. The standard 128 MB DS card has twice the capacity of the largest Nintendo 64 titles.

11. The 'virtual gap' between the system's screens equates to about 92 hidden lines of pixels.

12. The system is designed to render 3D graphics to one a screen at a time, making two-screened 3D graphics difficult to achieve.

13. Up to 16 people can connect to an specific room in PictoChat.

14. There are over 500 unique DS games in North America alone.

Cool stuff, eh?

Nokia N-Gage 2

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

After Nokia announced that they were reviving the N-Gage brand in the form of a new mobile gaming service, I know that we were all counting the days until it was supposed to be released… in November. What´s that? You didn´t know that the new N-gage system was due out two months ago? According to a reuters press release, the Nokia gaming platform is now expected to appear sometime in 2008, once some last-minute software bug testing is completed.

Truthfully, we all want this service to be good. For too long, mobile games have occupied a sorry position on the ´fun´meter, right below those LCD toys that come for free in cereal boxes. At least those games have workable controls. So far the major weakness with mobile games, apart from the fact that they generally suck, is that they are really, really hard to control with normal cellphone buttons. Hopefully Nokia´s new line of phones will feature buttons that complement the games they plan to release on the machine. The launch titles curently slated to release with the system include Fifa 2008, Crash Bandicoot, Tetris and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. But, does anybody really care?

Upcoming DS games for February 2008

Another month, another set of DS titles to look forward to. February will be a good month for fans of the adventure genre; Professor Layton, a quirky story-driven, brain-teasing title, starts the journey, and Apollo Justice finishes it with a bang, as a new attorney is set to conquer the courtroom. There are also a few other DS titles that could be worth a look. Not only that, but February 10 marks the release of the Cobalt / Black DS Lite, perfect for your brand-new copy of Professor Layton. These are some of the note-worthy DS releases for February:

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

Blue / black DS Lite is set to be up for sale alongside the release of Professor Layton and the Curious Village.


Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles – February 5: Many were expecting a mini-game collection or a card battler, but Assassin's Creed for DS is far from that. A direct prequel to the popular console title, AC:AC stays as faithful to the original as possible, with a semi-3D world and non-stop action as you explore ancient cities and perform acrobatic maneuvers and combos to fight enemies.

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

Assasin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles


Professor Layton and the Curious Village – February 10: Layton is a mix of adventure, puzzle, and role-playing game elements. The main story is intricate and mysterious, and you progress through it by solving logic puzzles and graphic riddles. You can interact with townsfolk in St. Mystere and unlock a few side-quests as well. A colorful and unique art ****and impressive animations top off the game perfectly.

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

Professor Layton and the Curious Village


Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of the Ancient Arts – February 12: Long in the making, this is a sequel to the TurboGrafx Dungeon Explorer. Available for both DS and PSP, DE offers unique stories and worlds for each version, with similar dungeon-crawling gameplay. The DS version of the game is somewhat lacking, with fewer character ****s to choose from, but you can buy and fight alongside robots not present in the PSP version.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney – February 19: The DS is due back in court soon, as Apollo Justice takes over the defense attorney tasks previously performed by Phoenix Wright. Multiple elaborate cases have you questioning witnesses, exploring crime scenes, and debating the law in court as you attempt to defend your clients. Wacky characters and well-written dialogue will surely make this game just as good as the previous series, with balanced drama and comedic scenes throughout the game.

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney


Nanostray 2 is also set to be released sometime this month, after its recent delay. These titles should keep us busy through this leap-year month!

[Thanks to: sergioalb64]:D

Microsoft Handheld Console - Is it possible??

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

Holy photoshopped prototype, Batman!(Thanks to PVG.com)

Last 2 years there was rabid speculation, fueled by Dean Takahashi's insider muckraking, that Microsoft was busy at work on a competitor to Sony and Nintendo in the handheld gaming space. Given the source of the speculation, the news seemed logical — after all, what were so many idle Xbox 360 engineers supposed to do with themselves after the launch of their precious console? Later in 2006, representatives from Microsoft came out and killed the rumors, revealing the uninspiring Zune music player to the world instead.

1. So Lonely

We already have stunning 3D graphics and multimedia on the PSP and innovative causal games from Nintendo to pick up on the go. However, if there is one thing that portable game consoles have not yet perfected, it is the online multiplayer experience. Crippled by short battery life, lack of developer enthusiasm, and cumbersome friend codes, the current handheld offerings leave us wanting more in the realm of multiplayer gaming. A handheld device that could connect me with my social network and let me play cooperative arcade matches with my friends would rock my world. Especially if it cost less than $200.:D

2. Cross-Platform Compatibility with Live Arcade

Does anybody remember the Turbo Express? This piece of gaming history was arguably way ahead of its time. Sporting a massive black plastic case and a price tag higher than a modern Sony console, the Turbo Express was the cadillac of mid-1990s handheld gaming. Its large and bright color screen was enough to put even Atari Lynx owners into a jealous rage. Despite its inevitable commercial failure at the hands of the technologically inferior Gameboy, the Turbo Express did a number of things right. The first was that it implemented a TV tuner add-on which was like having Wi-Fi in the days before Al Gore invented the Internet. The other thing it did correctly was allow players to use the same Turbo Graphx 16 cartridges that they already owned for their home console. I'm sure that for the 12 or so people in North America who owned a Turbo Grafx 16, this was a sweet prospect, and one that almost justified the $250 price tag of the portable device.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and we can easily envision a Microsoft gaming platform that leverages the XBLA experience by allowing users to freely transfer and play XBLA titles that they already own for the 360. No need for messy optical drives or expensive cartridge-based media, just a USB cable and a couple of gigs of flash storage.

3. A growing stable of software titles that demand portable spin-offs

Some of us have been eagerly following the homebrew Halo side-scroller project. How about a Viva Pinata Card Fighter? Or a top-down Fable RPG? The developers of Blue Dragon were so pumped to make a portable version of the game that they decided to put it on the DS, for lack of a competing device from Microsoft. With such high-quality IPs already in place, it makes good business sense to leverage them on all possible platforms. And no, that does not include the woefully underpowered Zune.

4. Lessons Learned

Sometimes being in third place can be advantageous. In the current home console race, Nintendo has shown that dismissing the underdog can be a risky proposition, not least because they are often better positioned to take creative risks. The DS and the PSP have both staked a claim to very specific portions of the gaming market, and this leaves room for Microsoft to innovate and fill in the gaps. Microsoft can also learn from and improve upon the decisions made by their competitors. How hard could it be to include two analogue sticks on the device, for example? How about a slightly higher-capactiy battery than the PSP? How about a friend code system that actually works across all of your games? These simple changes alone could make a big impact on the handheld gaming market.

5. Market Dominance

Microsoft might be considered the underdog in the mobile device market, but they are anything but in the console and software fields. Microsoft has been gobbling up small developers left and right, while bragging that the Xbox 360 has finally achieved profitability. Very few companies possess the resources and in-house design chops to successfully pull off a portable gaming device (only Apple comes to mind here, perhaps they deserve their own speculative editorial). Maybe more importantly, Microsoft has become a household name in console gaming, and their brand name alone would ensure that they are taken seriously by consumers. The Gizmondo, on the other hand, not so much.


In conclusion, there are reasons why Microsoft wouldn't strongly consider releasing a portable game system. They are well-positioned to do so, and they have enough experience with multiplayer gaming on consoles to come up with a serious contender. The inclusion of XBLA cross-compatibility would be a killer feature, but it would also demand hefty processing power. That may be one reason why Microsoft has been quiet about a handheld — maybe they are simply waiting for the appropriate technology to be affordable enough for a low-cost device. I love the idea of a Microsoft portable so much that i'm going to go ahead and give it a name: The Xbox 180. As in, "Aww, it's a little 180 — isn't it adorable?".

Thanks: [PVG.com]

New PSP Memory Stick Announced, more expensive than your PSP

The PSP is already coming up on its 3rd anniversary, and what better way to celebrate this momentous event than to release a new upgrade for it? Over these past three years the PSP has gained quite a following of devoted gamers, but within that following is a minority who have been using the PSP for its multimedia capabilities. Sony's new 16 Gig memory card will probably bring a sigh of relief, then, to those who use their PSP as their main source of entertainment on the go. For those who have not been keeping track, the PSP can currently be used as an music player, a movie player, a camera, an internet browser, a GPS unit, a telephone, an instant messenging device, and has video chat capabilities (take that iPhone!).

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

For those of you who are looking to double your PSP's storage, those who would like to use an HD camera, and especially for those who use Skype a lot, this upgrade should come as no surprise. What should come as a surprise, however, is the price. At a whopping $300.00 you're paying more for this memory stick than you did for your PSP, so I don't think it'll be long before 3rd party offerings start competing for your hard-earned dollars. The new Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo is also compatible with Sony digital cameras, VAIO Computers, PDAs, the PS3, and cell phones. Look for these mighty little cards at a retailer near you in March!

Thanks: [PVG.com]

Analysts talk PSP: Crossover device or DS whipping boy?

Market analysts are a little bit like Paris Hilton and the Anna Nicole Smith story — the mainstream media just can't seem to get enough of them. Whenever a new product or pricing scheme is announced, reporters rush to gather the opinions of what I can only imagine are corporate suits who wouldn't know a fun game if it rolled over their city and absorbed them into its mass. Wedbush Morgan's video game industry analyst Michael Patcher weighed in this week on the future prosepcts for the (now cheaper) Sony PSP, and he had some supportive comments for the beleaguered company. We already know that the DS is dominating every market in which the PSP is a competitor, leading many to conclude that the PSP has been a "failed" experiment. Patcher takes a different view, arguing that the PSP is not really in direct competition with the DS at all:

"I don't think Sony will "beat" the DS, nor do I think that they aspire to do so. Nintendo has something different to offer with its touch screen and deep library of first party titles, and Sony is not in a position to compete with that offering. Rather, the DS is like a souped-up GBA, while the PSP is like a miniature PS2. Games for the two devices are different, and the gaming experience is quite different. I think that the only people who care about the DS-PSP sales battle are the media."

Meanwhile, Billy Pidgeon from IDC argues that the PSP is a success because it is helping "hardcore" Ps2 players get more comfortable with the idea of handheld gaming:

"I don't see the PSP as competing with the DS so much as bringing in the core console demographic to handhelds, and the PSP has convergent value as a multimedia player that appeals to that group."

While the PSP certainly offers different kinds of gaming experiences and is geared toward a potentially different audience, our recently gathered data from readers of PVG suggests that most consumers are likely to choose one or the other console, but not necesarily both. If this doesn't sound like competition, I am not sure what does.

What do you think? Is the PSP really so different from the DS in terms of its offerings that the two devices can't be said to be competing?

The Top Five Budget PSP Games

Read on to check out the list of the best and brightest PSP budget titles, all of which can currently be found for $20 or less.:D

1. Wipeout: Pure
The grand-daddy of PSP games, Wipeout Pure showed us all what the system was capable of. The game might be showing some of its age now, almost three years after its initial release, but there is still a lot to recommend it. The level design in Wipeout: Pure was phenomenal. Some of the tracks took ages of practice before they gave up their secrets, while others were instantly fun and remained so throughout the life of the game. The developers of the title, Studio Liverpool, also made pioneering steps by offering downloadable content, much of which has been quite substantial. Newcomers to the game can literally double the amount of content simply by logging on and downloading each of the add-on packs containing new levels, music and cars. You don't have to be a race fanatic to get a lot out of Wipeout: Pure. The art design, dance music and futuristic setting all take the experience to a transcendent plane much higher than your typical video game.

2. Daxter
I will be honest with you, I actually find this genre of game ("darkly" humorous platform adventure) quite irritating. The jokes are rarely funny and the platforming usually boils down to an exercise in easter-egg hunting tedium. Ready at Dawn has served up more of what I hate and I know the rest of you love, but I have to hand it to them for crafting such a well-made piece of software for the PSP. All of the same genre conventions are here, from the mindless collecting to the frustrating timed jumps and cutscenes full of non-sequiturs. What sets this experience apart from the others, however, are its top-notch production values, gorgeous 3D landscapes and rich variety of levels. As far as platformers go, you can't do much better than Daxter on the PSP. And for all you haters out there, remember that this game only has one annoying sidekick instead of the usual two.


3. SSX: On Tour
Electronic Arts have been guilty of shoveling a number of half-baked console ports onto the PSP, without much regard for what makes a successful portable title. However, sometimes they get it right, and SSX: On Tour is perhaps the most under-appreciated EA offering on the PSP. On Tour remixes many of the tracks and moves contained in SSX 3 for the Playstation 2, while adding some new dynamics such as skis and the leaderboard concept. The new additions are largely cosmetic, but the fun gameplay that makes up the core of SSX remains intact here, providing hours of challenge for SSX professionals and initiates alike. The package is rounded out with a great audio and visual presentation, making it hard to believe that all of this was packed onto such a small disk — which is a great feeling to get from any budget game.


4. Burnout Legends
The other Electronic Arts success on the PSP has, of course, been the Burnout series. Most people are too busy playing Dominator to care about the game that brought the destructive race formula to the PSP in the first place, Burnout: Legends. Legends contained a sampling of tracks and cars from all of the previous console Burnout titles, and successfully combined them around a robust World Tour and Crash mode that provided many, many hours of arcade enjoyment on the PSP. Crash Mode in Legends is like a little poem to arcade destruction, pitting the player and their car against more than 30 unique puzzles, in which the goal is to surpass a certain point threshold with only wits, luck, and a little bit of aftertouch. Forget the fact that it has cars in it, this is pure gaming bliss.


5. Popolocrois
Popolocrois makes the list because it is arguably the strongest console RPG to be ported over to the system. That is quite a lofty accomplishment, given the strength of the genre on the PSP so far. While Tales of Eternia and Legend of Heroes were both solid games, niether title resonated with me the way Popolocrois did. A number of things make Popolocrois stand out from the crowd, however. It has a compelling cast of characters brought to life through very fluid and artfully-drawn sprites, as well as a great story which comprises of chapters from all three of the console Popolocrois games. A simple but strategically complex grid-based battle system rounds out a near-perfect retro RPG experience on the PSP. While the game was criticized for being too simplistic and catering to younger players, this is undoubtedly part of its charm, and it is certainly worth a look by gamers of any age.

P/S: Enjoy & Play Till You Bleed

Happy New Year..Welcome 2008... !!

When the clock strikes 12 on December 31st, people all over the world cheer and wish each other a very Happy New Year. For some, this event is no more than a change of a calender. For others, the New Year symbolizes the beginning of a better tomorrow. So, if you look forward to a good year ahead, spread happiness with wonderful New Year Wishes. To all gamespot users and gamers all around the world..

HAPPY NEW YEAR

:D

P/S: To all Malaysian gamers Selamat Tahun Baru...

  • 28 results
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3