The Video Game Revue

Nintendo WiFi

I had my first taste of Nintendo WiFi with Mario Kart DS. I was impressed with how painless it was to use with my wireless router, and Tycho was dead-on when he mentioned how much easier it is to punch in something like a WEP key using the touch-screen interface versus using the standard 4-way directional keypad. I didn't have to mess with my router's config, open up any ports, or so anything of that nature--it was strictly plug and play. And I managed to finish 2nd in my first online Mario Kart DS match ever. :)

I haven't played much Mario Kart DS yet, but so far it strikes me as a first-class title all of the way. It certainly lives up to all of the expectations that I'd built up about it, and I'll chip in that it may very well be the best Mario Kart game yet made. I've played them all, of course. The controls are smooth, the graphics are great (by Nintendo DS standards), and the wide selection of courses is simply fantastic. I'm in Mario Kart heaven. Sunny is probably going to hog the Nintendo DS, though--she's using it to burn time while waiting in the queue for Arathi Basin (World of WarCraft.)

I also popped in Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne after work today figuring that I'd just watch the first 15 minutes or so. I only intended to satisfy my curiosity about it, especially since I'd already seen some of the game months ago when Fritzkrieg kindly showcased it for me. Instead, I ended up playing for a full hour and only stopped reluctantly. The first half-hour of the game, which is all story and no action, was killer; I was completely drawn in.

My initial impression is that SMT: Nocturne is a more interesting game than SMT: Digital Devil Saga, but there's still a lot of Nocturne for me to see and I haven't factored DDS2 into the equation yet. My view is also slanted because having played DDS first has familiarized me with the SMT battle system, so the combat in Nocturne made sense to me immediately. I certainly think that playing both DDS and Nocturne is beneficial in that the two games make each other look and feel better. Still, for reasons that are still fuzzy at this point, I find myself thinking that Nocturne is a stronger game overall.

I also rapped through a couple of songs in Parappa 2. Playing it really makes me wish that I had copies of Parappa the Rapper and even Um-Jammer Lammy, because I don't. Shameful, isn't it? Sony, get off of your ass an republish those games! Sheesh.

Anyway, I'll see some of you suckers online via Nintendo WiFi. >:)

posted by Parappa @ 10:00 PM