The One/Only Nintendo DS Discussion Thread Part III: Smaller & Brighter
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#76
Fodder1976 , 04-15-06 10:31 PM
Member
Jet speed is good, but its not the fastest ranking! 
It took me a while before I got something faster than jetspeed.
It took me a while before I got something faster than jetspeed.
#77
I have a $10 off $50 coupon for Lik-Sang that I won't be using. If anyone wants it to import a DS Lite or if they just want to pick something up from Lik-Sang, let me know.
#78
I picked up my copy of Brain Age today. Its pretty cool! The voice recognition is much better than the demo (which was still damn impressive to begin with), I'm guessing they fine tuned it after releasing the demo and hearing feedback. So far I've unlocked Low to High (which wasn't in the demo), it can get a little very tricky very fast but fun My starting Brain Age is 49 years old lol 
. What am I going to do! ahhh! Better excercise it . How old is everyone elses brain?
My starting Brain Age is 49 years old lol . What am I going to do! ahhh! Better excercise it . How old is everyone elses brain?
#79
I'm pretty pissed at the speech recognition. I feel I speak pretty clearly and without any harsh accent in my voice, but I still can't get it to recognize the freaking work blue. The color test is completely inaccurate since it can't recognize me saying the word. I tried the boo thing, but even that is hit and miss.
While a fun time killer I really question the basis in real science of this game. My brain age is 49, but is that based on anything other than the fact the voice and text recognition is mediocre.
While a fun time killer I really question the basis in real science of this game. My brain age is 49, but is that based on anything other than the fact the voice and text recognition is mediocre.
#80
jeffdsmith , 04-17-06 10:10 PM
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Quote:
Well since you can't spell "word" correctly, I doubt you can speak clearly either; clearly this is a problem with you.Originally Posted by darkside
I'm pretty pissed at the speech recognition. I feel I speak pretty clearly and without any harsh accent in my voice, but I still can't get it to recognize the freaking work blue. The color test is completely inaccurate since it can't recognize me saying the word. I tried the boo thing, but even that is hit and miss.
#81
Fodder1976 , 04-17-06 11:11 PM
Member
I managed to get a 20 a week or so ago. It really just depends on a bunch of different factors, primarily which three little games they test you with. You'll all find that you'll be down in the mid 20's once you get the game figured out, and I'm sure after a while you'll get a 20. Its not too tough.
For those of you unhappy with the speech recognition, just tell the game that you are not in a place where you can speak when it asks you. The color game is the only one that requires voice recognition. If you say no, it simply wont make you do that one.
For those of you unhappy with the speech recognition, just tell the game that you are not in a place where you can speak when it asks you. The color game is the only one that requires voice recognition. If you say no, it simply wont make you do that one.
#82
lol!
Well it is a simple test, and no test is going to be 100% accurate, especially since you really need to do a more comprehensive test if you measuring the function of the brain. I'm guessing the "mental age" is calculated based on your age and comparing how you do based on all the previous results they'ved gotten. Who knows if its really accurate, all these tests I always take with a grain of salt (though I could definitely tell I'm in need of improvement in some of the tasks). I was curious too to see if he was the real deal too so I did some research awhile ago, Dr. Kawashima has authored tons of papers and written two books on the neurosciences, I've actually read a few of his papers on alzheimer's research and functional brain imaging with vocal speech, its really interesting. I noticed he has quite a few articles in NeuroImage, which is a very difficult journal to get your paper published in.
This fairly recent paper might actually be where the idea of where Brain Age came from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum
More here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...arch&DB=pubmed
Well it is a simple test, and no test is going to be 100% accurate, especially since you really need to do a more comprehensive test if you measuring the function of the brain. I'm guessing the "mental age" is calculated based on your age and comparing how you do based on all the previous results they'ved gotten. Who knows if its really accurate, all these tests I always take with a grain of salt (though I could definitely tell I'm in need of improvement in some of the tasks). I was curious too to see if he was the real deal too so I did some research awhile ago, Dr. Kawashima has authored tons of papers and written two books on the neurosciences, I've actually read a few of his papers on alzheimer's research and functional brain imaging with vocal speech, its really interesting. I noticed he has quite a few articles in NeuroImage, which is a very difficult journal to get your paper published in.
This fairly recent paper might actually be where the idea of where Brain Age came from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum
More here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...arch&DB=pubmed
#83
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffdsmith
Well since you can't spell "word" correctly, I doubt you can speak clearly either; clearly this is a problem with you.
Guess my brain age is right.
#84
PixyJunket , 04-18-06 09:20 AM
DVD Talk Legend
So, I've been playing Princess Peach. It's a lot of fun but it's very easy (as I had expected).
#85
Yep, Peach is a blast, but super easy. Never gets challenging. I'm, I think, at world 5 on my second time through, opening up the extra stages and getting the extra hidden stuff.
#86
Ralph Wiggum , 04-18-06 09:30 PM
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I like Brain Age. Well worth $20.
#87
With the exception of the color test and my mush mouth ruining it I am enjoying it as well. Did the multiplayer math battle yesterday and it's fun. Especially when you get that brain freeze up on 8X7 and stand there like a moron trying to remember something that basic.
#88
PixyJunket , 04-19-06 07:35 AM
DVD Talk Legend
Brain Age has multi-player? Oh hell yes. This ought to be good.
#89
Ralph Wiggum , 04-19-06 08:06 PM
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Blue.
Blue?
Blue!
BLUE!
BUUULLLLLOOOOOO!
FUUUUUCKYOOOOU!
Blue?
Blue!
BLUE!
BUUULLLLLOOOOOO!
FUUUUUCKYOOOOU!
#90
My age went from 45 to 32 to 24 today. Its much easier when you just hold select and pick the stuff you are good at for the brain age test.
#91
PixyJunket , 04-20-06 11:17 AM
DVD Talk Legend
I'm seeing a lot of complaints on Brain Age not picking up the word "Blue." I had this issue with the demo, but finally got around it.. you really have to hit the BL sound hard, like you're saying "Black." Kind of a bummer if this is still in the retail version as it seems to be flawless at picking up the other words. Since it's just one of many exercises though I'll still be picking it up (probably tonight).. and it looks like you can exclude it from your list if you can't get it to recognize the word.
#92
grim_tales , 04-21-06 05:44 AM
DVD Talk Special Edition
Quote:
Blue?
Blue!
BLUE!
BUUULLLLLOOOOOO!
FUUUUUCKYOOOOU!
Originally Posted by Ralph Wiggum
Blue.Blue?
Blue!
BLUE!
BUUULLLLLOOOOOO!
FUUUUUCKYOOOOU!
Sorry but that's funny.
If I ever get this, God knows how it'll cope with me, I have a slight stutter
#93
PixyJunket , 04-21-06 07:35 AM
DVD Talk Legend
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is in the newest Nintendo Power. So far it looks like it continues the shitty anime art-style that Dawn of Sorrow had, will still be 2D and will feature two characters who you have to switch back and forth between to advance levels, solve puzzles, etc.
#94
PixyJunket , 04-21-06 08:41 AM
DVD Talk Legend
Hmm.. the extra levels in Princess Peach are kind of lame. 
#96
Quote:
Yep, I've noticed that as well. They tend to be short, and whatever is "hidden" in it is usually right in the main path.Originally Posted by PixyJunket
Hmm.. the extra levels in Princess Peach are kind of lame.
#97
Gallant Pig , 04-21-06 01:13 PM
Mod Emeritus
I finally sold my DS in anticipation for the next version. Didn't get much for it, seems the PSP is hotter on the Ebay market right now to me.
#98
PixyJunket , 04-21-06 01:28 PM
DVD Talk Legend
I'd imagine anticipation of the Lite is affecting the resale price more than anything.
#99
BeanDip0001 , 04-21-06 01:34 PM
DVD Talk Special Edition
Quote:
that is because everyone is selling their psp to get a new ds because they know how much cooler the ds is. okay well maybe not, but i'm sure a lot of those people selling their stuff now are trying to get cash for a ps3, so when they get one five years from now when sony launches i hope they have fun with it.Originally Posted by Gallant Pig
I finally sold my DS in anticipation for the next version. Didn't get much for it, seems the PSP is hotter on the Ebay market right now to me.
#100
Lost Magic sounds kind of interesting, though I've never cared much for strategy RPGs.
Quote:
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3149690&did=1
by Mike Nelson 04/15/2006
With role-playing games, just about every idea has been thought up involving a young boy/man/princess, a mysterious past/future/father and worlds of forests/swamps/mountains. The something different you will find in Ubisoft's Lost Magic is the blending of RTS elements into the RPG (and it uses the stylus as a wand -- brilliant!). This is the first game for the DS which blends the two genres, and before you make comparisons to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, read on.
The basics of the story are as follows: You control a young boy named Isaac, who has been entrusted with the Wand of Light, given to him by his father, The Bishop of the White Night. You meet Isaac's father during a two-minute introduction sequence in which he loses a fight to the (nomination for best bad guy name of 2006) Diva of the Twilight. Soon enough, she begins to unleash evil upon the land and the only hope to save the world rests within young Isaac. So, pick up your wand...err...I mean your stylus, Harry Potter lovers. It's time to fend off evil and restore the 1,000 year old peace that existed before you purchased this game.
Combat works in two ways. First there is the casting of spells, known as Runes. You implement this by holding down the left trigger to pull up the Magic Symbol, and using your stylus to draw patterns and unleash a specific type of earth based magic, say fire or ice, then selecting the enemy you want to send the shot of magic at to incur damage points. There are also healing Runes you can use on yourself or your party. Using each of these Runes takes away a little bit of your MP (Magic Points). The trick is to fire off the magic and kill the nasty monsters before they start chipping away at your HP (Hit Points).
Duo Runes are, you guessed it, multiple castings of spells (i.e. drawing the fire Rune twice unleashes fire magic, which is twice as strong and takes twice as much MP). According to Ubisoft, there are over 350 types of spells you can cast. So far we've unlocked close to 25 Runes, but sticking with the fire and heal runes seems to work just fine. 350 spells makes us wary because a majority of the unlockable spells could be useless and/or mediocre. But for right now, it's good to know we'll have options.
The second realm of attack is melee. Melee attacks work by controlling a group of captured monsters (which you obtain by using your Capture Rune) to aide you in your quest. You can select the monsters as a group, by using your stylus to draw a circle around them, or touching the individual creatures to send them to their appointed destination. However, be careful sending them out to the far corners of the map, because the AI's pathfinding could use a little bit of tweaking (your units manage to get stuck behind trees, logs, small rocks...yes, even rocks can thwart monsters under your control). But if you can keep an eye on your monster crew, and where they're going, you'll be able to help them over any pathfinding hurdles they might discover. There is no de-selecting option for moving the units, however, which proves tedious in the later levels, having to select the same unit multiple times just to steer them clear of a log.
The different map layouts for each level are varied enough to make it seems like you're truly exploring strange new lands, but the objectives for each of the maps do not have much variation. You'll be tasked with killing all the monsters on the map, killing all the monsters before they kill the villagers, killing all the monsters then killing the boss of the chapter before they kill the villagers...you get the idea. Occasionally, a time limit might appear on some levels to add a little spice to your Sage magic-casting monster-hunting lifestyle.
There are multiplayer modes, but we only have the lone copy of the game and have not been able to try them out. The "dueling mode" sounds fun, however -- getting together with a friend to unleash some magic mayhem on each other, if implemented right, could be great.
All the right elements are in place to make this a solid game. You get to make good use of your stylus, you get to go on adventures across a strange new world, and the art design is great with a bit of an anime flair. With a little bit of tweaking of the AI, and some more variety in the combat, Lost Magic could set the new standard in the RTS/RPG genre for the handheld market.
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3149690&did=1
by Mike Nelson 04/15/2006
With role-playing games, just about every idea has been thought up involving a young boy/man/princess, a mysterious past/future/father and worlds of forests/swamps/mountains. The something different you will find in Ubisoft's Lost Magic is the blending of RTS elements into the RPG (and it uses the stylus as a wand -- brilliant!). This is the first game for the DS which blends the two genres, and before you make comparisons to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, read on.
The basics of the story are as follows: You control a young boy named Isaac, who has been entrusted with the Wand of Light, given to him by his father, The Bishop of the White Night. You meet Isaac's father during a two-minute introduction sequence in which he loses a fight to the (nomination for best bad guy name of 2006) Diva of the Twilight. Soon enough, she begins to unleash evil upon the land and the only hope to save the world rests within young Isaac. So, pick up your wand...err...I mean your stylus, Harry Potter lovers. It's time to fend off evil and restore the 1,000 year old peace that existed before you purchased this game.
Combat works in two ways. First there is the casting of spells, known as Runes. You implement this by holding down the left trigger to pull up the Magic Symbol, and using your stylus to draw patterns and unleash a specific type of earth based magic, say fire or ice, then selecting the enemy you want to send the shot of magic at to incur damage points. There are also healing Runes you can use on yourself or your party. Using each of these Runes takes away a little bit of your MP (Magic Points). The trick is to fire off the magic and kill the nasty monsters before they start chipping away at your HP (Hit Points).
Duo Runes are, you guessed it, multiple castings of spells (i.e. drawing the fire Rune twice unleashes fire magic, which is twice as strong and takes twice as much MP). According to Ubisoft, there are over 350 types of spells you can cast. So far we've unlocked close to 25 Runes, but sticking with the fire and heal runes seems to work just fine. 350 spells makes us wary because a majority of the unlockable spells could be useless and/or mediocre. But for right now, it's good to know we'll have options.
The second realm of attack is melee. Melee attacks work by controlling a group of captured monsters (which you obtain by using your Capture Rune) to aide you in your quest. You can select the monsters as a group, by using your stylus to draw a circle around them, or touching the individual creatures to send them to their appointed destination. However, be careful sending them out to the far corners of the map, because the AI's pathfinding could use a little bit of tweaking (your units manage to get stuck behind trees, logs, small rocks...yes, even rocks can thwart monsters under your control). But if you can keep an eye on your monster crew, and where they're going, you'll be able to help them over any pathfinding hurdles they might discover. There is no de-selecting option for moving the units, however, which proves tedious in the later levels, having to select the same unit multiple times just to steer them clear of a log.
The different map layouts for each level are varied enough to make it seems like you're truly exploring strange new lands, but the objectives for each of the maps do not have much variation. You'll be tasked with killing all the monsters on the map, killing all the monsters before they kill the villagers, killing all the monsters then killing the boss of the chapter before they kill the villagers...you get the idea. Occasionally, a time limit might appear on some levels to add a little spice to your Sage magic-casting monster-hunting lifestyle.
There are multiplayer modes, but we only have the lone copy of the game and have not been able to try them out. The "dueling mode" sounds fun, however -- getting together with a friend to unleash some magic mayhem on each other, if implemented right, could be great.
All the right elements are in place to make this a solid game. You get to make good use of your stylus, you get to go on adventures across a strange new world, and the art design is great with a bit of an anime flair. With a little bit of tweaking of the AI, and some more variety in the combat, Lost Magic could set the new standard in the RTS/RPG genre for the handheld market.