SmileMom said:
Thank you, NewEnglandDisney! This is why I love the DIS!
Also, thanks to everyone for the info about saving game info. DDs are each getting a DS Lite (pink, of course), and Nintendogs is a must. I didn't realize separate cartridges for each would be necessary to save individual info until I read it here. Thanks for saving me from receiving the "worst mother of the year award."
LOL NP at all. Minnie gave great answers to your questions, as well. If I can add :
- What do I need to purchase and do so they will be able to use these Christmas morning? Is it ready to use out of the box?
- Does it use batteries or a charger? If a charger, is the charger included with the system and is the system charged when it comes out of the box? How frequently would it need to be charged?
There is a sticker "seal" on the DS case, but other than that you can fully open up the box, take everything out, and then put it all back in before you wrap it and put it under the tree, so if you really want "out of the box" fun on Xmas morning, take it out the week before, charge it up overnight, then repack it back in the box. As Minnie pointed out you can play while charging, but that's just not as much fun as taking it out and getting it all revved up (plus, the first time you are supposed to do an extended charge anyway).
- Other than a variety of games (I have a list), is there anything else I need to get or do to avoid the "awww, mom, we need that, now we have to wait until tomorrow" on Christmas morning.
DISers are the best!
A DS, a game or two, and you're good to go! Glad we could help!
Minnie said:
You have to buy the connector which allows you to play the GBA on the GC. I think it was about $50. Then yes you can have multiple players as long as the game allows it (check on the back of the game).
This is correct. However, I believe it may have been discontinued/have limited availability. You may have the best luck finding one used at a Gamestop, etc. It will only play GBA games, and will only work on the GCN - it will not play DS games, nor will it work with the new Wii. As to multiplayer, I am not sure - no GBA games really allow co-operative play without two GBA's with two identical carts, so unless you hooked up two GCN's and two GBA Adaptors I don't know what multiplayer options you'd find.
vetrik said:
Also thanks for the advice for games for DH - although the DS is technically mine, I'd like to have a few games he'd really like to play too. I had already asked him about Final Fantasy, but he didn't seem that interested. I'll definitely have to check out Dragon Quest - that sounds like something he would be interested in, and Star Fox. I know he used to like to play Star Fox on our Gamecube.
If he enjoyed the GCN version, I bet he'll like the DS one as well. I'd definately give it a try. The controls were a bit tricky at first (you run the game mostly via the stylus and one or two buttons) but once I figured it all out I had a stellar time. One note - when I "finished" the game the first time I was disapointed. I had just started to have fun, and I was like, "That was it?" Then I discovered that there are 100's of paths to take through the game, and that there were many, many missions I had yet to unlock. The FAQ at gamefaqs.com really was helpful with this.
Aneille said:
I've read that Yoshi's Island 2 is very good DS game.
I haven't played it yet but plan too.
Has anyone here played it yet?
It seems like it would be a great alternative to Princess Peach for a young boy that is turned off by the Princess.
Oh boy oh boy oh boy...is it fun! I've been playing it as much as I can since last night. One quick note before I start talking about it - another great alternative platformer for Peach is New Super Mario Brothers, a similar game.
Yoshi's Island DS is hands-down awesome. For those not familiar, it is *not* a sequel to the previous Yoshi DS game, "Touch and Go". That game came out very early in the DS life, and is cute and fun but is all about using the touch screen and shorter mini-levels really. They look similar, but they play completely different.
Yoshi's Island DS is a direct sequel to the original "Yoshi's Island : Super Mario World 2" for the Super Nintendo (SNES). It was later ported to GBA, so many of your kids that have GBA's may have played it. Thankfully, they didn't add any "stylus" games just to make use of it, you play it straight through using the normal buttons.
I've had such a good time with this game, because it plays EXACTLY like the old game, but has tons of new stuff to explore. I was able to pick it up and just start playing. For players that aren't famliar with how it works, along the way are all these little smiley blocks that you can hit and will give you a play tip, helping beginingers (if you buy this for very small kids, you may have to help them read those to learn what to do once or twice, but by and large it's self-explanitory).
What I loved about it was the "twist". In the old game, you were always a Yoshi (different colored ones in each level), and the "baby" you carried on your back was always Mario. Now, the baby switches, and so do your abilities! For example, Princess Peach (YAY! another game where you can play Peach!) can float, so in the first world many of the levels require you to switch back and forth between Peach and Mario to complete the level (you switch by finding "stork" icons in the game).
Anyway, when I really realized how neat it was happened when I got to World 2. In World 1's levels (I believe there are 8?) there were a few vines hanging around the upper parts of the levels that I couldn't figure out how to access with either Peach or Mario. Then, when you get to World 2, you get DONKEY KONG as a playable baby! And he FLIES on those vines...so of course instead of just playing through World 2, I had to go back and replay all those World 1 levels.
I know there are more babies...I know Luigi is one, but right now the "bad guys" have him. This game is just so much fun. I love old-school platformers, and this one is definately one I'm going to be enjoying for a long time. I've seen the original on GBA lately at a decent price - if you like one you'll love both.
Worfiedoodles said:
Hello!
I have a quick question -- ds currently has a GBA, and I bought him a ds lite for Christmas (after reading this thread and realizing it will make his holiday!). I am assuming that he will not want the GBA after he gets the ds lite, and we could pass it along to another child. Is this a valid assumption, or are there reasons why he will still want the GBA so we should hold onto it?
Yup! That would be great to pass it along. Since GBA and DS can't connect to each other in any way, it's not useful for anything other than a spare. So if you don't need one for that, it's great to pay it forward.
Also, I bought him the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue and Dalmation Nintendogs to get him started. Will these probably be interesting enough to hold him until his birthday at the end of January? I like the idea of the TRU after Christmas sale, so I'd like to wait to buy more games until then, and then hold them for a few weeks.
Both are VERY immersive games, and much time can be spent playing them. Nintendogs is so open-ended that you can play with it endlessly, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon goes on and on and on LOL (I don't even know if it does end, or if you can just keep rescuing people forever, since the dungeon maps are random). He'll get a lot of playtime out of both!
However, if you do see a good sale/get a coupon/etc., before Christmas, or when you do get Birthday games consider an action/platformer like Yoshi's Island or New Super Mario Brothers. Or Brain Age - not an action game, but fun for the whole family and I'm seeing it as cheap as $14 some places.
Again, though, those two games are more than sufficent to make it into the new year.
Sorry if these are silly questions. I really know next to nothing about these games!
Not at all! Glad to help!
BTW, do you guys know about DS Download stations in
Best Buy's etc.? You can look it up at Nintendo's website (if anyone has a problem ask me and I'll find a direct link) where you can go to a Best Buy or wherever with your NDS and download a demo of a new game to your DS. It only lasts in your NDS's memory until you totally shut the system off again, but if you just close the cover instead of shutting if off, I've had a demo around for a couple of days before (you can keep charging your DS even - but when you shut it off/put in another game, you do loose it). This can be great for trying before buying!
Contniued good luck everyone!
NED
