The Gamer's Quarter

[Ethoscapade]

there's a powerpc version of x11 and darwine, right? give that a shot.

[Six]

[ApM]

[dmauro]

[dessgeega]

everlasting love is a platformer with a rhythm element: you play a monkey (from yoshi's island, who looks right at home in greyscale super mario land world) who manuevers by jumping, and the closer to the beat (the song is the titular "everlasting love" from the we <3 katamari soundtrack) you press the jump button, the further your monkey goes.

where it falls down is when the jumps get so complicated that the rhythm element no longer even figures in. it doesn't help that some of these jumps span both screens, and there's a dead space between the screens that is hard to gauge. and obstacles that force you to repeat the whole sequence when touched.

the developers are working on a bunch of games that use rhythm or the dual screens in interesting ways, and which borrow and mix sprites with a kind of kleptones-like savvy(!).
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[Cycle]

I've been reading Pocket Gamer lately, and they actually have a monthly DS homebrew article. There have only been three so far, but they have been interesting and include a few things I haven't seen mentioned here. Unfortunately, I can't test any of them yet because I left my SD Card reader at someones house.

First edition
Second edition
Third edition
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[dmauro]

does anyone know what settings will get Everlasting Love working with an M3 Lite? I'm not having any luck.

[Six]

I generally don't use the M3 manager for homebrew. Try copying it directly to your card.

Also, I'm pretty sure selecting a file with Start opens it with a different method or initializes it differently than when you use the A button. It seems to work with homebrew a lot more.

[Cycle]

Yeah, using Start usually gets better results.
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[dmauro]

Interesting, thanks for the tips. (edit: pressing start instead of a worked)

[Ethoscapade]

http://www.superpanic.com/wordup_download.html

i'm not sure if this is good; it doesn't look bad!

[Six]

It's certainly polished, it's just not especially interesting. A big part of the problem is that there's no apparent progression in difficulty: tiles seem to drop faster once in a while, but otherwise you just keep going until you lose or get bored.

It also doesn't seem to be very well thought-out for a word-making game - small but annoying details (Q not being Qu, etc.) aside, letter distribution seems to be a little off (if I had to guess, I'd say the creator used something like Scrabble as a guide, which doesn't quite work since you can't rearrange tiles in this game. We're basically talking arcade Boggle here.)

Impressive homebrew, I guess, but not a great game.

[Mycroft]

I see from the discussion that you are also fans of Crawl.

On my DS Lite I have the following roguelikes (http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org) :

• POWDER - Actively being developed & supported; there is a DS version as well as the original GBA version (it is an original roguelike developed for the GBA, not a port, but since it was originally developed for the GBA the DS version is new and, while I prefer it to the GBA version, it does not yet have all the DS support features that DSCrawl does); DLDI support; http://www.zincland.com/powder/; I recommend giving it a look

• DSCrawl - Port of Linley's Dungeon Crawl; DS support; I don't believe it is actively being supported and as you've discussed I also doubt it has DLDI compiled in; it is well done and a favorite of mine; http://www.nightmode.org/dscrawl/

• NetHack for the DS - Actively being supported, latest version is from March 17, 2007 with DLDI support. Unfortunately, I find the text for NetHack for the DS is too small to be useful for me, alas http://stuartp.commixus.com/nhds/

• AGB_Rogue - The classic ported to the GBA, http://www.freewebs.com/drussell/Download.htm#GameBoyAdvance

• AGB_Hack - Another classic ported to the GBA, http://www.freewebs.com/drussell/Download.htm#GameBoyAdvance

I was using the M3 mini SD flash cart (Slot 2), but wanted one that was flush with my DS Lite. As you've discussed, I was concerned that without DLDI compiled in that I would not get DSCrawl running in a Slot 1 device, so I went with the M3 Lite (micro SD) for Slot 2. (Plus it can run the GBA stuff out of Slot 2.)

If you've not tinkered with POWDER, I recommend giving it a look. It and DSCrawl are by far my primary DS games that I spend time with. I find DSCrawl to be excellent, but since DSCrawl seems to require more "attention" from me, I've gravitated towards POWDER when I'm looking for a "coffee break" roguelike experience (not that POWDER is simple, I've yet to Ascend in POWDER). I find the two of them to both be worthy of gaming time.

[Ethoscapade]

dess:

http://www.playeradvance.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6699

[dessgeega]

[Shapermc]

How's the micro going over the test of time?
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“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

[dessgeega]

i think it has a dead pixel.

other than that it's pretty great.
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[Shapermc]

[dessgeega]

these people just released a gba motocross game for free after their publisher backed out.

what's more important, though, is that there's now a gba port of 3d-sfcave. i'd have liked if it were more colorful but i'm pretty sure this is still the most entrancing game in the world.

and yes, it was a rogue speck of dust beneath the faceplate! incidentally, it's remarkably easy to get specks of dust on the faceplate while attempting to clean specks of dust off the faceplate!
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[Shapermc]

[dessgeega]

ds port of marshmallow duel, designed for two players on the same ds - one using the d-pad and left shoulder button, the other using the face buttons and right shoulder. amazingly, this game will save to my m3 simply, but half of player 2's buttons inexplicably do not work.
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[ApM]

I just fired up this port of Descent on the bus to work today, and it is excellent. I recommend playing without touchscreen, mapping bank/strafe to L/R, forward/back to X/B, and the shooty buttons to A and Y.

[dessgeega]

lemmings ds.
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[Ethoscapade]

i'd been following that project for quite some time now, and now that it's finally "finished" - by the blast arena advance guy, no less - it might be one of the most well-done pieces of homebrew i've ever seen.

[dessgeega]

grab it before the lawyers do!
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[Cycle]

hey, i finally started getting into some of these!

OPINIONS

SpoutDS - works splendidly, this is a lovely little game. You can change which screen you play on and the second screen can have the score displayed, or you can make it blank and immserse yourself in the spoutiness. Other than that, straight port, no touchyness!

CrawlDS - seems to work splendidly so far, though I haven't figured out the controls yet! I'm going to put the readme on my flashcard so I always have it with me less I forgot what does what. Also, it's the original ASCII grahics, no pretty tiles unfortunately. Use the stylus to click on the minikeyboard and stuff!

EveryExtendDS - works splendidly, action on the bottom, information at the top. Far better than that piece of crap on live arcade!

DooMDS - haven't got it to load my wad file yet, still trying to figure it out.

LemmingsDS - Awesome port! Such care for detail! Every level ever! No passwords! At first I thought it was a bit off because I kept missing lemmings, but then I realized it's how I was holding the stylus and it's all good now, plus you can use the shoulder buttons to freeze the action. The music is random, which I hated at first since I associate certain music with certain levels, but I've grown to love it since hearing entire tracks one after another gives a stronger.. marching feeling, plus it's nice not hearing the same song again and again when you're stuck on a level. ALSO, you can access all levels all the time, which I think is a bit silly, but it tells you which ones you've finished and which ones you haven't, so I suppose that makes up for it. Despite these little niggles, amazing, professional level port. Guy should get a job out of this.

I think that's all I looked at so far!

EDIT: more stuff

DooMDS: Tried the latest version, got slightly further but still doesn't work. Has anyone gotten this to work? I want to play DooM 2 on my DS, damnit.

GianaDS: Exactly what it says - a straight port of the giana sisters to the DS. No reason why it couldn't have been a GBA port, plus the actual port is a bit shitty, mainly when it comes to sound. Also, the game was shit to begin with.

International Karate DS: From the same guy above, except now the lower screen can be used to display all the moves which is cool, but it suffers from the same sound problems as Giana, plus there was that swell official GBA port anyway. This guy also ported a C64 OS to the DS for some reason. You can use the paint program and stuff! Cute, but useless.

Everlasting Love: This is pretty neat, but not THAT neat. I don't think rythem and platform games work together that well, especially with level design like this. I'll probably give it another shot later and see if I think it's any better... actually i just read what dess said and yeah, she's pretty much spot on with what's wrong with this game. Still, interesting. And I like the music.

Mashmellow Dual 2: Sure looks like fun! Too bad I have no one to play it with at the moment All of my buttons work, however, unlike with Dess! Maybe you should try the latest version? Anyway, I like the ideas of two-player games on the one console. I used to play those stupid warioware games on the GBA with my brother.

I also tried a couple GBA games!

Another World: Wow, this really is an awesome port. Perfect as far as I can see so far! Perfect portable game, too. I also like how they still use the passwords, but you can still just pick it up and resume where you left off without one.

Metal Warrior 4: Only played this briefly, but man, this looks like an awesome 2D action adventure! Gonna play it more later.

homebrew is fun.
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[Ethoscapade]

i don't know what it says that everything you listed just there is a port/remake of another title (much like the DS' retail software catalog, eh?), but IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO GBA as well, you'd do well to check out (at least) the another world port, super star shooter, and BLAST ARENA ADVANCE, a violently decent ARCADE GAME (no other genre remotely fits) from the creator of lemmingsDS.

there's also an extremely faithful bust-a-move port which i've always found sort of boring / discouraging for reasons i'm unable to articulate but it's from like 2002 so that's sort of a big deal.

edit: aha, you edited your post.

[Cycle]

this guy has a few interesting projects:

http://sivullinen.fi/nds/projects.php

EDIT:

Ok, I tried some more!

DS:

DSOrganize: couldn't get the damn thing to work, just sits there looking for a supercard or some crap at start-up.

DrugWarsDS: The game that won't die, this is actually a pretty classy port with some fancy art plus some nice options. Could have done with a save system and keep track of your high scores, but hey, the game never lasts long and it's drug wars. Not like score is based on skill or anything. Very polished port, otherwise.

Gioioso: Very professional! But the game isn't too great. For one thing, the music and gameplay feel too seperated (well, the blues one actually works hilariously well) and the core gameplay simply lacks a mechanic to lend the game that addictive quality. Certainly needs a rework, but is interesting nonetheless.

Whee!DS2: a wipeout style game, this is entertaining enough, even features a working online score table! Very basic with only two power-ups and the driving model isn't too exciting, but fun enough to pass some time.

3D World Generator: exactly what it says, still a tech demo right now. It has a random world featuring random towns and dungeons, though they are all empty right now. I hope he makes a game out of this technology eventually!

GBA:

Strip Poker: Man, not only are these women not terribly attractive, they also suck at poker! It's like they're not even trying and WANT me to see them naked! Where's the fun in that!

Mastermind: A basic port of one of my favourite board games (wish this was in Clubhouse Games), the game opens with instructions and the graphics are pleasent, so really, it does the job pretty well!

SFCave: Does the job pretty well! I would have appreciated a title screen and some sound, but mostly the saving of high scores. Apart from that, it's a good port! I don't have a problem with the lack of colour like dess.

Barbarian: Couldn't get it to work.
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[Cycle]

oh hey, i just found this:

http://fromthegutter.org/?page_id=178
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[dessgeega]

i finally figured out how to dldi patch homebrew software for real. i'd been doing it wrong this whole time. so now i have colors, a marvelous little ds art pad, running on my flash card.

i tried to patch dscrawl, though, and the graphics refuse to appear right. i can't see the keyboard at all - the bottom screen appears completely black, though i can enter keys by tapping them. help me make this work, someone.
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[dessgeega]

[squidlarkin]

That's the exact same problem I have. It's been confusing the hell out of me, since every DS with an R4 should run the thing the same, but no one else was complaining about this.

[Ethoscapade]

d'oh. sorry i didn't see this earlier.

what's happening sounds like it can't actually see the files other than the .nds.. i know the DLDI version of dscrawl was hacked after the fact; you're using this release, and putting the included files in \crawl on your flashcart, right?

[Six]

also (and i think this was mentioned before, though i can't remember if the m3 simply has the same quirk, or if this is even necessary with more recent applications) sometimes homebrew only seems to work properly on an m3 if you start it in an alternative mode, by using the start button to launch it instead of A.

[squidlarkin]

[Cycle]

yeah, turns out that was the problem with doomds, too! how irritating! well, i get a messy root, but everything works so it's cool!
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[dessgeega]

[dessgeega]

pocket crawl is the best thing since sliced bread.

hey, now that i can run dldi-patched games, what other keen homebrew software should i flash for my ds?
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[Cycle]

hey, alright!

http://www.dsfanboy.com/2007/05/05/naughtiness-on-the-nintendo-ds/

pr0n! i played the first game on the amiga years ago. the final strip scene is quite a surprise!

TickleGirl looks mighty interesting!

Also, this sounds hilarious and I'm totally checking it out:

http://www.dsfanboy.com/2007/12/31/mammary-memory/
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[Cycle]

Holy crap!

http://www.dsfanboy.com/2008/01/15/the-ds-can-be-a-mac-too/

Gonna try this one tomorrow.

Scarab of Ra on the go? YES PLEASE.
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[dessgeega]

so lone wolf ds is great, partly because it uses the "book" orientation of the ds and partly because its goal is to manage the game functions of the gamebook so you can focus on the book part. which is really what i want whenever i look at a gamebook. it works well because that's what crpgs were designed to do in the first place: take the role of gm in a single-player story.
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[dessgeega]

tyrian on the ds. tyrian is essentially a euroshmup, but it manages to have a lot of charm despite that. most of that charm is preserved in the ds port, including DESTRUCT, the hidden minigame which is the best take on (realtime!) scorched earth anyone ever took, and the jukebox of all the games great tunes.

the other notable thing tyrian does is actually make mouse controls work in a shooter, a feature that is oddly not adequately replicated in the ds version. there are touchscreen controls, but shooting is mapped exclusively to right-hand buttons. if you're left-handed you could probably pull them off, but as a righty i couldn't. the game also crashed on me between stages. but that's no big deal since DESTRUCT seems glitch-free!
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[Cycle]

http://www.geocities.com/quirky_2k1/downloads/index.html

Has a few GBA remakes of PC classics such as Elite.
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[dessgeega]

johnny platform's biscuit romp is basically an alien hominid lcd game that has the courtesy of not being almost unplayably buggy. it uses the two screens super well, and does a great job of making believable environments out of its limited tileset. i havn't finished it yet since the last five levels are a gauntlet.

does anyone know anything about extends? it claims to be a ds gamemaker, and lordy knows i want to make a ds game.
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[ApM]

[David JS]

I've been waiting all day for someone else to drop the bomb here at Gamers Quarter, but... here goes. It's the Neo Geo on your DS:



Compatibility is erratic, but Garou there is running at 50-odd frames a second, with sound. The more serious caveat concerns reports of microSD cards frying from the sheer effort. So back up your stuff first.

http://groups.google.com/group/neods