DS Innovation

[Overgauss]

This is why I love the DS.

Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06

Videos at above link.

Below from 1up

DS Guitar Software Coming to Japan
Even better than the real thing?
by Jonathan Lumb, 11/08/2006

Plato, the brains behind Nintendo's English Training software, Eigo Zuke, are bringing a virtual guitar to the DS. The software, called Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06 (or just M-06, for short), allows anyone to strum out a few pleasant sounds, while proper guitar players can also feel at home with the ability to control the sound like a real guitar. 120 chords are built in, with three plucking variations of each. These are navigated with the d-pad, while the pen is brushed across the touch screen to strum. It might sound a bit limited, but in a demonstration from Plato, a professional guitarist got a kick out of it. In particular its compact form, compared to a real guitar, was appealing. Twenty songs are built into the software, for you to strum along with, and there are 18 songs in print form, bundled with the software.

Why the name? According to General Manager, Eriko Kitahara, it's just an initial, combined with "06" to commemorate its year of release, though it sounds kind of like a guitar product number too. Neat. Plato intends to sell the software first through Amazon, from December 21 in Japan, with a general release early next year on February 1. The price is a modest 3800 yen

Edit: Faster youtube here.

[Ham n Cheese]

Honestly I can't stand the touch screen on the DS. The only game I actually use it for is Kirby because I have to. It's always quicker and more comfortable for me to use the buttons. This idea looks neat, but it also looks boring.

[Zarcath]

Taiko Drummer please.

[Overgauss]

We're going to have a Taiko Drummer booth at our Sakura Festival next spring. Should be quite own.

I told a classmate about m-06 and his eyes instantly got the meh-glaze going on, so I can see how uninterested people can be in it.

This is more like an application however, which of course can be boring, but it is like saying a guitar looks boring. Not to say that still can't be true.

The only games that I thought really benefited from touch screen functionality were games where you had to pick or select things like Lost Magic (an RTS), Clubhouse games (because using a dpad to pick cards, throw darts, bowl etc. would suck), Brain Age, Big Brain Academy, etc. I have no experience with Magical Starsign or FF3 atm but I think too much stylus use can easily give one a case of the cramped claw. I need to check out Deep Labyrinth to see how the stylus works with that game.

Touch screen use needs to be a natural function of the gameplay itself and not shlemped in there just to say you have it.

Speaking of innovation, Europe is getting the Opera web browser before us. I guess they have to spread the love.

[Maut]

The mini-games included in the New Super Mario Bros. make extensive use of the touch stylus, and about half of them are really fun, if a bit simple. The only other game I've played that leveraged the touchpad is Trauma Center. Nintendogs also seems to make good use of it, if you're into virtual pet games.

[Szlia]

Elite Beat Agent that is all. Go buy it right now providing it's even half as marvellous as the japanese original OSU! TATAKAE! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUENDAN!

[frott]

I really get spitting mad at ellite beat agents for two reasons:

1. the patterns you play are random. sometimes they follow the vocals, other times the songs, othertimes they act as accents. Imagine if in Guitar heroes you play an invented line over a song that does this. Annoying!

2. most every single hit you do sounds like a snare + crash. it covers the songs and when you are doing the hard, fast songs it is a train wreck of sound -- good luck hearing what's going on underneath of *CRASH CRASH, CRASH CRASH CRASH, CRASH CRASH CRASH CRASH CLAP CLAP*. The best song (i've only unlocked one due to rank) so far is the one story with the "ghost dad" (probably far too eerie and creepy, strange "merry christmas" board in the middle of the game) simply because the sounds as you press them becomes synths, an oasis indeed.


The foundation is there - concentric rings closing in on the circle beat buttons give you an idea of when you should press. The buttons light up to show you which is next and are numbered as well.



The sounds you make and the patterns you play are simply horrid the vast majority of the time. Trampling "Let's Dance" by Bowie with horrible crashes and claps all over the song is ridiculous at best.

[Ham n Cheese]

plus they have stupid fucking songs like sk8r boi, i just can't support that game due to that

[Overgauss]

Ok, I know I am out there, but dammit I want that M-06.

Another vid here

I like that you can see what chord you are in because I am a guitar newb. Chord screenshots via Amazon. It seems it would be easier to associate a key/chord with its nomenclature and then develope an ear for such stuff.

If you don't think you are musically inclined you can see if you are tone deaf here via a simple flash test. This test is "purposefully made very hard, so excellent musicians rarely score above 80% correct".

For those interested there is another video added at the developer's site.

Sugoi desuyo!

Oh for anime/beat em up freaks, Jump! Ultimate Stars just came out(link is 20min utoob overview/preview). Supports wifi battles too. No forced touch screen usage as far as I can tell.

Edit:
Speaking of innovation, or plain 'out there' software...
How about a Stock Buying and Selling Guidebook? Again Screenies via Amazon so mouse over them.

More touch screen usage...

Project Hacker will give you an OS (not an actual one, just for the game) wherein most of your communications and gameplay will happen. As a member of GIS, you are given an OS with access to almost anything. You have a web browser where you can store bookmarks of sites that contain clues. You also have a mail client that lets you check your mail from your friends.


Another interesting aspect of the game is that you can write memos within the game. The memo area gives you an opportunity to write down or solve clues for your game. Hence, if you find an interesting clue that will help you in your hack, the memo pad allows you to take note of these clues for the game.

PH commercial

[Ham n Cheese]

After playing guitar hero and teaching my pinky to do shit and my hand/brain to co-exist moving up and down happily I think the next guitar themed game I play will be a 'real' one.

[Zarcath]

Originally Posted by Maut

The mini-games included in the New Super Mario Bros. make extensive use of the touch stylus, and about half of them are really fun, if a bit simple. The only other game I've played that leveraged the touchpad is Trauma Center. Nintendogs also seems to make good use of it, if you're into virtual pet games.

Friend and I played this while we were both drunk, they're pretty entertaining, on the level of Wario Ware. There's a puzzle one where you have to find the "Wanted: Sonandso" and touch screen him, like a where's waldo, can get pretty heated.

[Ham n Cheese]

Originally Posted by Overgauss

Oh for anime/beat em up freaks, Jump! Ultimate Stars just came out(link is 20min utoob overview/preview). Supports wifi battles too. No forced touch screen usage as far as I can tell..

Awesome, going to buy that when it hits the states for sure

[Zefah]

It probably won't ever hit the states because of licensing problems. Thats generally the reason why the Super Robot Taisen games never get released outside of Japan.

[Ham n Cheese]

It's really time I learned Japanese already

[Overgauss]

Yeah the first Jump never came over. I was surprised to see it at my local Frys though.

I might have to check out that New Super Mario Bros the reviews look good and I dig mini-games.

In your opinion is that guitar chick 'cute'. I could see why some would say that she's cute, but she kinda looks I don't know...

This link is for you Ham n Cheese and any other interested party. If you really want to learn Nihongo, it'll give you a decent start.

Edit:

Speaking of touch screen...

Good news to RPG fans! Atlus U.S.A. has just announced that they will be releasing the RPG title Etrian Odyssey for Nintendo DS by early 2007. Etrian Odyssey is actually the English name for the Japanese RPG Sekaiju no Meikyuu, which is due to be released in Japan this October.

Etrian Odyssey is a story that revolves around the once-peaceful town of Etria. One day, a gap that leads to a labyrinth was discovered at the edge of the forest of Etria and soon, young and old dreamed of exploring the labyrinth and discovering its treasures. You will play as one of the hopeful who have just walked through the town's gates.

A good old dungeon-crawling game, this title is expected to receive either an E10+ or T rating from the ESRB.

Other features of this game which have been listed include:

* Make your own maps with the Touch Screen! Plot your progress through the labyrinth, drawing walls and placing icons to note special events, treasure chests, doors, pits, stairs, and landmarks.
* Nine character classes. Create a woodland survivalist, shield-bearing templar, whip-wielding dark hunter, or any of a half-dozen other types. Populate an adventurer’s guild with up to 20 characters.
* Turn-based strategic combat. Acquire and collect more than 20 battle skills for your adventuring party of five characters.
* Beautiful 3D graphics. Say goodbye to the dank, gray corridors of past dungeon RPGs as you step into warm, inviting, forest environments rendered in an original 3D engine.

Directed by Kazuya Niinou (Trauma Center: Under the Knife), with story design by Shigeo Komori (Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner) and sound design by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro (Actraiser, Streets of Rage), Etrian Odyssey is currently scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2007.

DBL Edit:
Tonnes more Japanese tools, translators, firefox plugins, grammar courses, quizzes etc, here. Ok, not tonnes, but still.

Zarcath, no idea on multiplayer or wifi. Well actually it's probably single player with limited wifi capabilities as a guess. More screenies here. Trailer here. Somewhat lacking, but definately has the deep Japanese movie announcer guy voice.
The game was called Yggdrasil Labyrinth in Japan and has been renamed to Sekaiju no Meikyuu there.
I found a July 11th quote

The game uses a party system as well, so up to five characters can venture into the dungeons together at a time. The player is allowed to create a total of twenty different characters to use as he sees fit. The theme of the gameplay is said to be “immersion” as you go deeper into the dungeons and reap the rewards. To this end, the game utilizes both DS screens with a user-friendly map on the touch screen which can be managed and edited by the player to his own preference.

Another interesting system revealed is the f.o.e. system. There are extremely strong enemies that roam the dungeons known as f.o.e. They are not limited to one per floor, and they move as the player moves, step by step. They will react and engage the player’s party based on sight or sound, and the longer you spend on a floor in the dungeon, the higher the chance of being engaged by a f.o.e. I suppose the intention is to keep the player on his toes and to bring back the tension of good old dungeon crawlers.

Aiding the development of the game is what Kazuya calls his “best choice” of main staff. In charge of the story and worldview design is Shigeo Kobayashi, scenario writer of Devil Summoner PS2 and Princess Crown. The character designer is Yuuji Himukai, who handles the character designs and illustrations for the Japanese novel series The Yoshinaga Family Gargoyle. The monster designs are being illustrated by Shin Nagasawa, a freelance artist who previously handled monster designs for Bahamut Lagoon as well as Final Fantasy IX at Squaresoft. Finally taking charge of the musical score of the game will be famed composer Yuzo Koshiro, of Streets of Rage and Ys fame.