Nintendo DS system owners take note – the next game to engage your brain has arrived: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.

A unique strategy adventure, the game grants players full control over a powerful fighting force in a captivating fantasy setting, putting virtual tacticians to the test as they implement creative battle strategies, improve the skills of their warriors and outthink their opponents on the way to glory and victory.

 The Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon video game lets players alternate turns with opponents, moving their units to attack enemies on the battlefield and advance to more advantageous locations. There are dozens of units with different… (more…)

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Designed after the famous KORG MS-10 music synthesizer, KORG DS-10 is a music-creation program for professional and aspiring musicians alike. The sound sources in the KORG DS-10 come from KORG, one of the world’s top musical instrument producers, and no effort was spared in the replication of creating high-quality sounds. The Nintendo DS’s touch-screen controls are utilized to the fullest to provide an authentic feel and operability across a dual-screen layout that is unsurpassed in portable music creation. A 6-track/16-step sequencer enables precise control and provides a wide range of musical possibilities, and up to eight units can be linked via wireless connection to play together or to exchange sounds and songs.

KORG DS-10 Synthesizer offers two dual oscillator synth parts and four synth/drum parts to accommodate your hit. Sculpt your own sounds with expansive on-screen controls, or start from a preset template and get straight to writing. Create synth and drum lines using (more…)

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Opera Software has released the first Internet Browser for the Nintendo DS. The Browser comes packaged as a cartridge for $35 and provides a customized web experience utilizing the handheld’s dual screens. Users can streamline their experience, enabling or disabling images to determine how quickly web pages load and altering on-screen presentation to preserve the original page’s layout or to maximize the screen space and readability on the DS screens. The Nintendo DS Browser uses the DS’s Wi-Fi connection to take users online through their wireless home internet connections or through any supported hot-spot access point.

“With the DS Browser, Nintendo continues to expand the possibilities for users of this tremendously popular game platform,” said Scott Hedrick, EVP of marketing for Opera Software.

Unfortunately, the browser does not support Flash or Java.

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Recently I discovered a very fun game for the Nintendo DS - Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. This clever game takes concepts from the popular “match-3″ style casual games like Bejeweled - where you have a board of items and you need to match at least three of a kind in different combinations in order to clear the board and move to the next level.

It then wraps these in an engaging role playing game where you get to create your own character - a Wizard, Warrior, Druid, etc. and then go on a series of quests.

The match three puzzles become the battles in the game, and as you get the different colored gems, you do damage to your opponent, and collect “mana” that you need to cast your spells to assist you in the battle.

As you progress through the battles you gain experience, level up your character, gain new spells and magical items. All this turns into a very addictive game play experience.

I started playing it last week while waiting at the airport, and couldn’t put it down. Usually I get bored with the “match-3″ style games pretty quickly, but this one is much more than that. I’ve been playing it with my 8-year old daughter and she loves this game.

It’s not exactly an educational game, but it does require some learning and thinking skills to determine how to build your character, how to win the battles, which quests to take, etc. And in my opinion it is safe for children 7 years old and up to play because there is no graphic violence - the battles are really just puzzle games.

We’ve been having so much fun with this game that I had to write about it. It is also available on the PSP, and coming soon to XBox Live Arcade.

If you haven’t tried this one yet - check it out, and have fun!

(screen shots for the upcoming XBox 360 version and are courtesy of Gamespot - I could not get the screen captures off my Nintendo DS!)

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Following up on yesterday’s “Console Wars“; Here is a short profile and buyer’s guide for each of the video game systems available today.

Consoles:
The term video game console is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games.

Nintendo Wii

Simply put, the Wii is fun — really fun. It’s not what you traditionally think of when you think of video games. It’s a parents’ dream in that it gets kids off the couch and may even induce sweating. But it’s also a gamer’s dream due to its fun gameplay and the possibilities for the future. A great choice for anyone. Pros: Price ($249 MSRP). Very compact and light design. Plays all your old GameCube games. If you’re playing a tennis or baseball game, you can swing the Wii controller like a tennis racket or like a bat. How cool is that?! The Wii Remote controller also includes a speaker, rumble feature and expansion port. Cons: Small internal memory 512k, The graphics are not at the level of PS3 or Xbox 360. Does not play DVD’s. Games: Age 6+ Cooking Mama, Age 10+ WarioWare, Age 12+ Zelda

Microsoft Xbox360

Microsoft’s year head start has led to an impressive lineup of games and downloadable content on Xbox Live. This machine is a great all-around value and a comparable alternative to the PlayStation 3. Don’t get suckered into buying the Core System though. The hard drive is key, and that plus the included wireless controller is worth the extra money. Pros: The Premium version of Xbox 360 sells for $399, which is $200 less than the PS3’s top shelf offering. Xbox Live offers online multiplayer gaming in a hassle-free a child-safe manner (if parental controls are activated). Good selection of diverse games. Cons: No HD-DVD player, external HD-DVD Player is available for $199 MSRP. Games: Age 6+ Viva Pinata, Age 10+ Lego Star Wars II, Age 12+ Madden’07

Sony PlayStation 3

This system is really built for hardcore gamers and technophiles and the $600 + cost of entry should deter anyone who isn’t — at least at this early stage. However, Sony’s PlayStation 3 is currently one of the cheapest Blue-Ray DVD Players on the market. Pros: Computing Powerhouse, Integrated Blue-Ray DVD Player. Cons: Price ($600 MSRP). Lacks children friendly games. Games: Age 6+ N/A, Age 10+ MotorStorm, Age 12+ NBA Homestreet Court.

Sony PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 may not have the allure of next-generation video game consoles like the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360, but it’s significantly cheaper and has a huge library of games to choose from. This is a great choice for casual gamers and those looking to save a few dollars on a new system. Pros: Price ($129 MSRP). Exceptionally large variety of games. Cons: Developers will stop making new PS2 games. Games: Age 3+ Dora, Age 10+ Sims, Age 12+ GuitarHero II

Handhelds:
A Handheld device (or simply handheld) is a pocket-sized gaming device, utilizing a small visual display screen for user output.

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is a very kid friendly handheld gaming system. It’s good for adults, but the goofiness of some of the games may turn some off. Nintendo is very committed to their handheld business and you can be sure there are many exciting new features and attachments on the way for this very pocket-friendly distant cousin to the Game Boy. Pros: Backwards compatible, plays Gameboy Advance Games, Touch Screen input, Large variety of games. Cons: Screen can be difficult to see outside or from an angle. Games: Age 6+ Nintendogs, Age 10+ Pokemon Pearl, Age 12+ Final Fantasy III

Sony PSP

Though the PlayStation Portable is a little large for a pocket and UMDs can be a pain to carry around, there’s no better looking handheld in terms of graphics and screen quality. A healthy offering of great games and the ability to play back video, music and photos make the PSP a great buy for teens. Pros: Plays music and movie’s. Cons: UMDs (Universal Media Disc) can be scratched and/or broken; Many PSP games are for older gamers. Games: Age 6+ Scooby Doo, Age 10+ FIFA, Age 12+ Ratchet & Clank

Personal Computer:
Personal computers are also known as home computers. Sometimes the term “Personal Computer” is used exclusively for computers running a Microsoft Windows/Vista operating system, but this is erroneous. For example, a Macintosh running Mac OS, or an IBM compatible PC running Linux, are also personal computers.

Windows/Mac

Getting into PC gaming can be expensive if you don’t already own the equipment, but if you do it’s a no-brainer. Your computer is capable of playing some of the best games out there and with a new graphics card every couple of years, you can stay on the cutting edge. Pros: Can be used for other things besides gaming. Easy to upgrade. Cons: Ease of use for children. Games: Age 6+ I Spy, Age 10+ Zoo Tycoon II, Age 12+ The Sims II

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