Filed under: DS Daily

Joyswag: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story prize pack [update]

by David Hinkle { 1 month ago }

Update: Contest is closed! Keep an eye on your email to see if you won! Thanks for playing!

Don't let the horrible snapshot above (sorry!) fool you: This edition of Joyswag features quite the prize pack. One lucky reader will receive not only a copy of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, but also a pair of cute little plushie dolls and a backpack to hide them from whomever would be embarrassed to know you had such things.

Leave a comment telling us what you think is inside of Bowser (our guess: cotton candy)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
Limit 1 entry per person per day
This entry period ends at 3:00PM ET on Thursday, October 1
At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story ($35 ARV), a plushie Mario ($20 ARV) and Bowser ($20 ARV), and one Bowser's Inside Story backpack ($20 ARV)
For a list of complete rules, click here

DS Daily: Moved by Moving Memo Pad?

by JC Fletcher { 9 months ago }

Of all the games and minigames released as part of Nintendo's early DSiWare lineup in Japan, the star is an unlikely little program called Ugoku Memo-chou, or Moving Memo Pad. The cute drawing program allows users to create animations and add sound -- and, most importantly, to put those animations on the Internet to share with their friends and the community at large.

Does the idea of (basically) a hand-drawn YouTube appeal to you? We've sort of gauged your relative interest in the DSi hardware previously, but what do you think about this program? Useless fluff or a genuine killer app? Or just fun?

Gallery: Nintendo DSi

DS Daily: World mapping

by JC Fletcher { 9 months ago }

Rockstar revealed a small, but really cool-sounding detail of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars' Wi-Fi play: collaborative map marking. Players can connect via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and share waypoints on one another's maps, marking mission locations, hidden items, awesome jumps, or whatever. The game even draws a path to those locations!

While this may seem like a minor tweak to GTA's gameplay, it certainly streamlines the experience of finding stuff in a large city -- and it could even encourage friends to explore different areas of the city and share their discoveries. Does the inclusion of new, unexpectedly well-thought-out collaborative features like this affect what you think about Chinatown Wars? Does it make you feel like the game may be more than an attempt to shoehorn GTA into the DS?

Gallery: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

DS Daily: First Emblem

by JC Fletcher { 9 months ago }

Fire Emblem's Western debut on the GBA was actually kind of a big deal, becoming one of the emblematic series of the platform. Since the series had never come out outside Japan, the GBA games were many people's introduction to Intelligent Systems' strategy series.

The DS is an even more popular system with a more diverse install base, so the imminent Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon could end up being the first Fire Emblem for many more gamers. Will Shadow Dragon be your first foray into the non-Smashing life of Marth? Or, if you're in Europe, was it? If you're planning to jump into the series now, what attracted your interest?

Gallery: Fire Emblem DS

DS Daily: Will you wait?

by Alisha Karabinus { 9 months ago }

While the DSi's April release hasn't been confirmed, we know that timeframe is at least likely, and that means the time is approaching for you to make a decision. Are you going to buy one right away? Will you wait? Or, since we know a few of you are out there, did you buy one already, thus making this a moot question?

If you're on the side of waiting, we've got more questions for you. Are you waiting to save money, or because you're not yet sold on the system? And an even more interesting question, perhaps: which model do you have now? The original or the Lite?

DS Daily: Keeping it pricey

by Chris Greenhough { 9 months ago }

We're always talking about bargains, and with good reason, but today we want to discuss the other end of the scale: your most outrageous, costly gaming buys.

We're talking about the $980 you dropped for that rare Hot Summer Phat, or the $90+ you put on your flatmate's credit card for Electroplankton. Obviously, it'd be nice if you could keep this DS-related, but you're welcome to mention non-DS rarities you forked out for.

DS Daily: Where in the World ...

by Chris Greenhough { 9 months ago }

... has your DS been?

Your DS likes to travel, you know! It enjoys seeing new cultures, and meeting new people. We know because it told us.

So today's question: where in the World have you taken your DS? Has anybody's handheld travelled with them to all seven continents? Well, okay, Antarctica is probably a tricky one, but ... has your portable seen the other six? If so, it's seen more of this planet than us!

DS Daily: Next for Nintendo

by David Hinkle { 9 months ago }

Nintendo has a lot of franchises to draw from. They're continuing to pump out those Pokemans, gave us a new Zelda game last year and a new Super Mario Bros. game before that. So what's next for them? We think it's high time we got an Elite Beat Agents 2 already, but what about you all? What's the next major Nintendo game you want to hear about?

DS Daily: 2009: The year of the DS (again)?

by JC Fletcher { 9 months ago }

While pretty much everyone expected the DS to have another awesome holiday, it was still a surprise when the NPD Group announced that the aging system had broken an all-time one-month sales record in December, beating (everything else, obviously, and) even the Wii.

The DS will have a killer software lineup in 2009, with awesome third-party games and Nintendo releases like Fire Emblem, Rhythm Heaven, and Pokémon Platinum, and will even see the launch of a new hardware configuration, which should boost sales. Do you think the DS's fifth year will turn out to be as successful as its fourth? And will anything outsell Mario Kart this year?

Gallery: Nintendo DSi Unboxing

'Girl, you look good, won't you back that box up'

DS Daily: Recommend some homebrew apps

by Alisha Karabinus { 9 months ago }

We often talk about the homebrew software we recommend for the DS, so today, we thought it might be nice to turn the tables. What's on your flash cart? Do you prefer homebrew games or applications? What are your favorites? What would you like to see more of?

DS Daily: $179.99

by JC Fletcher { 9 months ago }

IGN recently let slip a rumor that was specific enough to be believable: that the Nintendo DSi would show up in North America on April 4, at a $179.99 price point. For some of us, it's almost a new platform, with neat new (potentially) lifestyle-enhancing features and, of course, downloadable games. And for others, it's the same DS with some attached junk.

But we wonder if the price might be seen as too high for even the biggest future DSiWare fanboys. Is $180 too much for a DS, even when it's a cool new DS? Even if it's a DS that is compatible with the super-sweet Slime DSi case seen here? What's your reaction to the (likely) price?

Gallery: Nintendo DSi

DS Daily: Motion

by Alisha Karabinus { 9 months ago }

If you want motion control on your DS, it's available, and about to be even more available. Between the homebrew solutions, riskier options, and official motion-sensing tech coming down the pipeline, we're about to hit a glut of handheld movement. The question is ... do you want motion controls on your DS? Is it even an issue? Sure, some things might be nice. Feel free to suggest a few! But would you pay for it?

DS Daily: Your maximum playload

by Chris Greenhough { 10 months ago }

Are you the kind of gamer who takes on games one at a time, or can you happily play several titles concurrently?

For what it's worth, this blogger's personal limit appears to be three. Currently, the list includes World of Goo, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (after a decade away), and Fallout 3 (my dirty secret: I also own a Xbox 360). Meanwhile, an imported copy of Chrono Trigger DS is being neglected, simply because I couldn't cope with another game where I need to keep close tabs on the story. Yes, I am ashamed.

What's your maximum playload?

Gallery: Chrono Trigger

DS Daily: When is it enough?

by David Hinkle { 10 months ago }

Since we've got awesome new details on Mario & Luigi 3 to digest on, we've been thinking sequels. They're nothing new and the idea of the sequel isn't going anywhere. But, when does a franchise just overstay its welcome? Any franchises you think need a reboot or should just plain go away? When do you find a series has lost what it so great in the first place? We're looking examples here, people. Oh, and with this being such a broad topic, it's okay if you talk about non-DS games. We'll allow it just this once.

DS Daily: Old reliable

by David Hinkle { 10 months ago }

For us, there are a few select games that never leave the immediate vicinity of our DS. Tetris DS and Space Invaders Extreme can be immediate sources of instant bliss, so we're never without them when out and about in the real world, where the danger of not being able to game can be very real and present. What about you all?

What are those few games that get constant rotation in the cartridge slot of your DS? What game (or games) do you constantly come back to for amusement?