Yes, terrorists. That according to Yukata Kubota, the current head of the Copyright Association for Computer Software in Japan in an interview he did with Famitsu:

The fact is that you can download any Nintendo DS game as much as you want, so there’s no way to even calculate the damage. This is an issue that affects our national interests, and personally, I see it as a form of information terrorism that is crushing Japan’s industry.
. . .
it is not explicitly against the law” in Japan presently for individuals to buy a flash-ROM cart and download commercial DS software for it. However, a revised copyright bill currently working its way through legislation in Japan would make it an express offense to download unauthorized, copyrighted audiovisual content, as opposed to offering it for sale.

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While most of you probably don’t need another twitter platform, there are likely a few of you out there who spend more time using the Nintendo DS than you do on a personal computer. And if that’s the case DS Twitter might be for you. And now is as good a time as any to try it out, because this new version has significantly improved data download times in comparison to the previous version. Read the rest of this entry »

Many nefarious gamers out there were saddened to see that R4 cards and DSONE Supercards would not work on the upgraded DS. We here at DS Ninja are usually not in favor of giving tips to pirates, because as many of you know pirates are our sworn enemy in recent years. But today I’m going to throw them a bone.



The new DSONEi Supercard will allow pirates to download ROMs and play them on a Nintendo DSi. Of course, I discourage that any of our readers become pirates by doing so. My hope is that most of you will use these cards for homebrew games and applications, which of course is a perfectly legal way to use them.

My girlfriend and I had a fight this morning, and I left her in tears. It was over the DS. “You’ve got the Wii to play on!” I shouted in defence. We’re going to have to workout some kind of shared custody, if one of us doesn’t complete Picross soon. I get day times, and she gets nights maybe.

Picross 3D, or Rittai Pikurossu in Japanese, might be described at first glance as a 3D version of Sudoku, which is more or less absolutely wrong. It’s a number puzzle game, but it’s so much more – thankfully, because I hate puzzle games as a general rule, and especially ones involving numbers. The core mechanic is: you start with a giant block of cubes, and using the number clues which indicate how many on that particular line should be kept, you gradually whittle the giant block down to a smaller block that apparently resembles something, though more often than not in doesn’t. Then when you’ve finished the puzzle the shape animates itself, in that typically cute Japanese way. So it’s more like a Lego number-puzzle game for visual people.

Every addictive game needs some kind of reward mechanism, and I’m pleased to report in Picross it’s the satisfying explosion of smashing away blocks you don’t want, that really keeps you coming back for more. Let me tell you, the cubicle partition they built around my desk really helps my productivity. Why, today alone I’ve spent 4 hours of my working day playing this damn thing, and it isn’t even lunchtime yet. I really want to eat lunch.

You can also make your own puzzles, and download new puzzle packs every month via your WiFi. Good thing I don’t have WiFi.


Just. One. More.


Get this game, I promise you will not be disappointed. I make no similar promises about how your real life relationships may turn out though, and you may end up losing your job too, but whatever – you have been warned.

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This particular ninja is falling on times hard times here in Japan, and would really appreicate it if you would considering importing this amazing game from PlayAsia, or purchasing from 立体ピクロスAmazon Japan.

Old-timers like myself might remember back to the days of the Commodore 64 computer that used to run GEOS (Graphic Environment Operating System). Well it looks like someone has figured out how to run GEOS on a Nintendo DS. Check out the video, and if you feel like giving it a try yourself drop on over to c64.org to download the zip file. Read the rest of this entry »

Time to ‘fess up – I used to be a DS hater. I first bought my DS about two years ago, and frankly the games selection bored me silly. There’s only so much brain training a man can do before wanting to torture small puppies. Thankfully, things have moved on a bit since then and I’ve discovered there are some good games – well, about 4 anyway. GTA Chinatown Wars is the first DS game I’ve ever had the motivation to actually keep playing and even finish, which is saying something for me.Luckily, we just had cubicles installed at work, so I managed to get about 4 hours a day of good solid game play for a few weeks.



I guess I was a little shocked when I heard GTA was coming to the DS. I thought it might be some kind of April fools joke in mid-August, but that would be pretty lame. Having played every GTA since the original top down PC version, I was a bit worried that the franchise might be let down by some dodgy toned-down DS family-friendly version that quickly got written off as the worst GTA in history, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only have the developers managed to keep the traditional GTA feeling in it’s entirety despite being on a dual screen portable touch thing, but they’ve added a whole bunch of new game play features that really add something.

Core Mechanics

While the usual fare of cruising around killing people for money is ever present, Chinatown Wars introduces drug dealing. It feels so perfectly natural in a GTA game, I’m wondering why the hell it’s never been done before. Following the tip-offs from dealer friends is a sure fire way to make a ton of cash by buying cheap and selling to junkies desperate for a fix. If you don’t want to buy, you can always chase down a rivals truck and hijack it.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do?

Outrunning the police seems a little easier this time around due a new system of lowering your wanted level if you can force enough pursuing cop cars to crash. The tend to drive fast and make ballsy overtaking attempts, so it’s not too hard to nudge them off the side of the road and into a conveniently placed tree. And they make a rather satisfying yet strangely cute little dying siren sound. The actual driving isn’t half bad – driving assist is on by default, which means you only need to nudge the D-pad when taking over or changing lanes, and the gamestraightens you up automatically. Die hard fans can turn that off, but don’t expect this to be a racing simulation.

Missions

It certainly feels a lot more mission focused than other games, but it could just be that the missions were so fun I felt no desire to go random killing or play the “how many wanted stars can I get” game…Not wanting to give too much away, I will just say that one of my favorite moments had me disguise myself as a Chinese dragon and dance my way out of a bank robbery without drawing too much attention to the fact that I was seriously sucking at the dancing. Let’s just say the mission are a lot more random in this game and will really surprise you.

GFX

Chinatown Wars feels like a throwback to the original GTA 1 and 2in graphical style, but that’s no bad thing. In fact, it’s beautiful -easily the best graphical interface of any DS game, ever. It’s all 3Drendered underneath the hood, but from a top-down perspective that suits the DS and gives it a retro feel.

Story

The storyline is as good as any GTA so I’m sure there will be mixed opinions on that, but the cut-scene text dialog is a no-holds barred festival of profanity that I found quite refreshing. You will remember the day you first saw the f-word on your little Nintendo handheld. The self-mocking black humor will have you rolling around on more than one occasion, I promise you.

I Want… Guns

The only thing that was a little annoying was not being able to buy new guns. Ammunation is ever present, but only in the form of armored trucks which are altogether rather too dangerous to try to hijack since the drivers carry shotguns. I tried a few times, but ended up splattered on the sidewalk. Luckily, missions usually supply you withall the firepower you need, and you can always try to win a gun or some armor by buying special Ammunation scratch cards~ Your fists are actually quite lethal too, and a quick tap of A and B lands a nice flying kick on your target that knocks them out for a bit too.

BEST. GAME. EVER.

The last place I would have expected Rockstar to test the bounds with new adult-oriented content is on the Nintendo DS – but that’s exactly what they did. One can only imagine why Nintendo let this monster loose on their family fun-for-all device, but I’m sure glad they have. I really wonder how this made it past the censors though, and I can only imagine the uproar this is going to cause if some retarded American journalists get their hands onthe game. Has Nintendo forever sullied their little dual screen money-making love child with this dirty drug-dealing cop-killing swearfest? I doubt it. Will the American media rip into this game like always? Very likely. I however, couldn’t care less, as even having completed the main story-arc I’m still running around Chinatown enjoying the hell out of this game.

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We Ninjas are invincible, and do not require support from anyone except our mothers. However, our IT guys assistants next-door neighbors uncles wifes child does need to eat this month. So consider buying Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars through our Amazon Affiliates Link..

So Ubisoft has picked up Minna no Curling DS. This is a niche game if I ever saw one. I’m finding it really hard to let my distaste for one of the most ridiculous sports ever not color my impressions of Curling DS. Here goes nothing…

Good fit with the DS Hardware?

You would expect that the rectangular shape of the DS’s dual screens would be perfect for displaying a 2D curling rink. And it would be, if there was not a big plastic hinge between them. As you watch the rocks scroll down the screen, it really messes with your timing when you see a stone jump that gap instantly. Eventually you do get a little better at it. But it is terribly annoying.

That said, it is really fun to sweep with the stylus. I mean, that’s the real attraction to curling right? The sweeping.

Simple Gameplay, Complex Rules

Throwing and controlling the stones is surprisingly simple. Before every shot you must choose a target point, then select stone speed, and then opt for left or right spin. Controlling the stones does take some getting used to, but you’ll come to enjoy it once you get the hang of it. Assuming that the complex rules don’t get the best of you first… The inexplicable fouls had me jumping over to wikipedia pretty quick.



If you’re a curling fan you’ll probably enjoy the bejeesis out of this game. If you don’t understand what curling is about, you’d best let this one pass you by.

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We Ninjas are invincible, and do not require support from anyone. However, our IT guy Clyde does need to be paid. So consider buying Curling DS
through our affiliates link. Do it for Clyde. He is weak.

EA has announced a new original Ninja game called ‘Shonen Kininden Tsumuji.’ And nobody is more excited than DSNinja.com. Sadly, those M’er F’ers at EA haven’t told us jack squat about this game aside for a few measley details and one lousy screenshot. Apparently the story will be about a Ninja boy who lives peacefully in a Ninja village with his Ninja family. That is, until Bert Racoon wakes up his village is attacked, and he has to fight back. Check out the screenshot below. You’re going to have to rely on your imagination for now. C’mon EA, give us something!