First there was Carnival Games for the Wii. It is a collection of games hat is usually found in carnival grounds. Although critics didn’t like the game, it still managed to sell a lot of copies that its makers thought of bringing it to the DS.

Just like the Wii version, Carnival Games for the DS features games such as Skeeball, Whack-a-Mole, Dunking game, and Pop-a-Shot Basketball. With more than a dozen mini-games, Carnival Games for the DS would keep you occupied for long periods of time.

Carnival Games doesn’t bring anything new to the table and the graphics is somewhat lacking. Then there’s no multiplayer mode so you’re left being a loner in your virtual carnival. Maybe the next version would feature a challenge mode. But for now it’s just you and your best scores.

Overall, Carnival Games could give a player a lot of casual gaming fun but after a few hours of playing with it, you’ll be able to unlock everything the game has to offer. It offers a variety of mini-games but it’s replayable appeal is not enough for me to recommend it to my friends.

I didn’t play Animal Crossing on the GameCube but my mother did. Yes, my mom was addicted to it. She was obsessed with it that she practically hogged the GameCube all the time. Not that I complained, I didn’t play enjoyed GameCube games at all. Animal Crossing built a solid casual gaming base.

Nintendo released it for the DS with Animal Crossing: Wild World. The once flat world of Animal Crossing became 3D and you could swap items using the console’s Wi-Fi connectivity. It also features new music and a lot of exploration.

When it was announced that Animal Crossing will be going to the Wii, a lot of them were happy including my mom. I gave my mom a copy of the game and she was excited at first. But after a couple of hours playing it, I asked her about it and she said that she stopped playing it. I was surprised. Coming from a fan of the game I thought she’ll be thrilled by it and would not stopped playing it for months to come. Read more »

Vocabulary junkies have something to rejoice these days. In addition to the barrage of brain games available in the DS, Margot’s Word Brain hopes to capitalize on this growing market. It’s basically a new take on old word games.

Word Brain’s gameplay is much like other brain games such as Brain Age where the timed activities are meant to measure your mental ability rather than your hand-eye coordination. The games are similar to last spring’s Crosswords DS. There are six games to choose from, which are Word Search, Word Mine, Word Run, Word Link, Hyper TXT, and Word Safe.

Among the six, Hyper TXT seems to be the most original game from the pack. Judging from the game’s name, it is based on SMS texting. A word would show in the screen and you have to text them as fast as possible. Now this is a game for the text crazed generation.

The Wii version is a direct port of the DS one. There’s nothing unique with it except for the controls. It looks like the developer rushed into the bandwagon.

Margot’s Word Brain for the Wii and DS is nothing but a bunch of old games repackaged and renamed. If you got the original games already then it is not advisable to get this game. If you’re still thinking of getting the Wii version, it is best to get the DS version instead because playing it on the Wii is unnatural.

The last Bond game I enjoyed was Goldeneye 007 for the Nintendo 64. The next Bond games made after were mediocre compared to the innovative Goldeneye and Quantum of Solace is no different. It’s another hurried game version of a current Bond movie.

Don’t get me wrong. Quantum of Solace is a lot better than other Bond games of late but it doesn’t bring something new in the fray. You know the game is rushed when it had to mash in the story tidbits from Casino Royale. But if you’re a Daniel Craig then you’ll enjoy this game because his face is featured in almost every frame of the game.

Activision actually did a decent job with Quantum of Solace but the action gets old too fast. It features cool weapons and foreign locales. It combines both first and third person views that give it a nice Bond feel.

At the start the game was full of action and it brings to places such as England, Italy, and Austria. The game Quantum of Solace sure felt like a Bond movie with scenes of Bond going through explosions, shooting down bad guys. But right after the crashing in Bolivia, the action goes downhill. It goes into a flashback of Casino Royale. Then when it returns to the present, you find yourself wanting to get some solace from the game.

Quantum of Solace is available for the Wii and the DS. The movie was spectacular but it doesn’t hold true for the game.

The All Play tag is right on target. EA did a good job on making Madden 09 fun for everyone. Now every gamer can enjoy a game of football on the Wii. Madden 09 has a simpler control and user friendly interface that casual gamers would like. Hardcore gamers would be thrilled to know that Madden 09 is fully customizable just like the previous versions.

All Play is an improved version of last year’s Family Play. There’s still the only Wii Remote All Play mode that feels like an interactive manager mode. All you have to worry about is passing and kicking. The rest of the game is computer controlled.

If you want more control of the game, plug in the Nunchuk to control your players. This might sound complicated but surprisingly it’s not. Open receivers and running backs are automatically selected once you’ve chosen the target area of your pass.

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Atlus announced today that the demo for Trauma Center’s sequel for the Nintendo DS is available for download for Wii owners through the intend Channel. The follow up for the smash medical hit is called Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2.

You can try out the demo to decide whether you would like to buy Under the Knife 2 which is already available in the markets today. The full version features new operations and a couple of enhancements like new difficulty levels.

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This is a video review of Guitar Hero on Tour by IGN. They got to play with it three weeks before it officially launches. IGN hire me please!

Judging by the video, Guitar Hero on Tour’s gameplay is exceptionally good. Plus, it is compatible with the old DS version as well.

I know I’ve written about Guitar Hero on Tour before but I think this game is worth every space it occupies. I’ve never been this excited for a game launch since Super Mario 3 and World of Warcraft.

Are you getting Guitar Hero on Tour for the DS?

Ever wonder how it would be like to rule your own kingdom and live like a king? Well, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King lets you feel how it’s like. It’s not your typical Final Fantasy game and is available for Wiiware.

Unlike the other Final Fantasy titles, My Life as a King is not a RPG instead it’s a management/city-building game. Players are the kings in the game and everyone is under his rule. Rewards, gold or resources, depends on who you choose to pick to do certain tasks.

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Final Fantasy is such a successful franchise that it’s not a surprise that every gamer has played a Final Fantasy game in his lifetime. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates for the Nintendo DS is a welcome addition to your game catalog.

With its simple hack-and-slash gameplay, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates is an excellent RPG/dungeon crawler. There are two game modes available for you. In the Story Mode, you get to play as Yuri. With a gripping storyline, you’ll surely be spending a lot of time in this mode.

But when you’re friends are with you, you can play in the Multiplayer mode. Up to 4 players can join up in a single game. There are quests available for your group. Well this is a great feature of the game but there are issues of frame rates while in this mode.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles’ graphics are impressive. Square Enix does a great job 3D rendering the game. Getting lost in this game is the last thing that can happen to you. It features a mini-map of the room you’re currently in.

I don’t want to sound like a fanboy but Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates is by far the best RPG I’ve played on the Nintendo DS. Except for the delay issues during multiplayer play, I have nothing bad to say about this game. Well don’t take me word for it, try it out yourself.

Welcome to Right Brain Research Institute. Brain Assist is said to help exercise the right side of our brains. Just minutes into the game, I got bored and before I knew it, I was asleep. I wish I just got myself the Nintendo DS Brain Age pack.

How can our brains exercise if we get bored by the process? Brain Assist is another title in the ever growing list of brain games. It’s just like the other games in its genre. Brain Assist doesn’t bring anything new in the field.

There is a single game mode wherein you can choose from the 10 mini-games. In this mode you can practice each mini-game and beat your own scores, which by the way is tracked by the game. The objective of the mini-games is to solve as much puzzles in the given time limit.
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