Loads to get through this week, racers, shooters, classic ports, (kind-of) twin-stick shooters, and (sort-of-but-not-really) tower defence games. So let's get on with it.
Quick recap: To facilitate this exercise I played every game made available on the DSiWare service and, once I weeded out the shovelware, I have divided the remainder into four categories:
Hidden Gems: Games you've probably never heard of that are utterly brilliant
Well Known & Wonderful: Still gems, still potentially brilliant, but perhaps not quite so 'hidden'
Honourable Mentions: Those games that are good, but lack the real spark required to fit into one of the top two categories
Also Rans: Not bad enough to be completely ignored, but probably not quite good enough to warrant higher status
Two caveats: Firstly, I don't enjoy RPGs. Like, at all. So you won't see any of those at any point. And secondly it's very hard to define 'Hidden Gem' on DSiWare, as the service itself was never hugely popular, so please excuse a potential few miss-categorisations along the way!
Hidden Gems
No matter what iteration of Nintendo DS you have, there is an astonishing dearth of 'proper' driving games.
Yes, there's a good version of the ubiquitous Ridge Racer on each, and Codemasters made a good fist of bringing their 'Race Driver' series to the system with some added touch-screen benefits, but by-and-large there are very slim pickings for petrol heads on the dual screens.
Which is not to damn Drift Street International with faint praise. This is by no means a 'best of a bad bunch' recommendation. Tantalus, more used to porting various licenced games to handheld systems, have squeezed a full on street racer onto the DSiWare format and, while this means there are understandable limitations (Just 9 tracks, for example), it is a joy to play while it lasts.
On the down side the 'nighttime, every time' races mean it's occasionally difficult to see where the track is going. This can be mitigated with the brightest turned up to full whack and ensuring you take the occasional glance at the map on the lower screen. Do this and you'll soon be drifting majestically through the sweeping turns and the alternate routes offered by the nicely designed course layouts.
A real stand-out aspect of this game is the sound. The polygon car models are nice enough and the track layouts are varied, but the engine noises on offer here are on a different level. It's an unusual thing for me to notice in a game, so hopefully that says something about how good it is. The cars positively roar around the courses and it adds a tangible layer of quality to proceedings.
Importantly, the game is no easy ride either. So despite the limited content (compared to what you may find in a full price racer) the challenge presented means that progression takes skill and practice to achieve. This little game is big on style, big on fun, and big on reward.
Well Known & Wonderful
Where Drift City International was one of the more expensive offerings on DSiWare, and offered a level of polish to match it's relatively premium price point, the opposite is true of Dark Spirits.
This is worth keeping in mind if you're inclined to judge a game by it's visuals first and foremost. This is a horizontal shoot-em-up with but a single scrolling background image and a catalogue of enemies that, while quite nicely drawn, aren't going to blow your mind with their originality or animations.
I've played a great many shmups in my time. I enjoy the genre as much as the next person, but wouldn't call myself an aficionado by any means. However, a previous blog where I played every game on MAME to unearth genuinely hidden gems saw to it that I was exposed to dozens and dozens of vertical and horizontal shooters.
What I learnt from that experience is that the essence of a good shmup is often it's power-up system - and it's here where Dark Spirits really shines.
Your humanoid avatar has four familiars, these float around him in one of 3 configurations and provide the firepower. In a brilliantly intuitive control scheme the formation they take, and therefore the direction in which they fire, correlates to the DSi's four face buttons. Press 'A' and they'll fire to the right in the usual way. Press 'Y', however, and they'll move to the rear and fire behind you, while pressing 'Y' will position them to fire in a broad 'spread' pattern.
This is satisfying enough as it is, but in addition the game also has power-ups that function in the usual way - but they only affect the familiar that made contact with them. In this way you can have 4 different fire effects in action at the same time.
But even this isn't all. You can also stack the power-ups to create RPG style upgrades; by collecting the same power-up on the same familiar you raise it's level, and thus can have a team of ultra powerful bodyguards at your disposal.
It would be remiss of me to claim that this is a perfect game. Beyond the sometimes workmanlike graphics the sound effects and music are nothing to write home about, and learning the position of the tiny hit-box on your massive varpiresque character takes some work. But this is nevertheless a fine example of a horizontal shooter. It may be plain where others are flashy but it has creativity and bombast where it really matters.
If you're even the slightest fan of the genre then I insist you give this a go.
There aren't exactly an abundance of reviews for this game around the internet, but those that there are all refer to it, directly or otherwise, as a tower defence game.
There's every chance that this is a genre to which you have a negative reaction; a genre that was ubiquitous in the extreme on every platform a few years ago, and one for which the few genuinely good examples were drowned out by those with better (or bigger budget) marketing campaigns.
But never fear, D-Tank isn't a tower defence game in any way that you would recognise. There is no placing of static turrets, no upgrading or repair, and no channels through which to funnel your enemies.
Yes there is a tower to defend, but you do so by driving your little tank around the screen picking up power-ups and blowing the bad guys to hell in a fashion that has far more in common with twin-stick shooters than that which you might expect from that other genre.
This is a fun and, thanks to an infinite supply of tanks, very accessible action game that breezes along for a few short hours until you reach the end. Any extra longevity will depend on how concerned you are by high score chasing because, although those lost tanks are replaced instantly, they don't come for free. The cost is a withering comment from your CO and a fair chunk of points. So if you want to get to the top of that leaderboard you're going to have to be on your toes and use your lives very sparingly.
If you're not into scores then this is still well worth a few hours of play. When you get the hang of the controls, the blast effects, and the power-ups the game really clicks. It's not long before you really begin to feel like a little tank-ninja as you weave between the enemies dropping mines while blasting in every direction. Who wouldn't love that?
Oh, Dark Void, what went wrong? You were supposed to be a fun new franchise of steampunk jetpacks and covershooting adventures, but instead you were a bland nothing of a game, entirely devoid of interest or invention... Oh well, at least we got Dark Void Zero, an early example of an ongoing trend for de-making games in the style of the 8 and 16 bit adventures of yesteryear.
If you've ever hit 'Select' to view the instructions on a DSiWare game you'll know that you get the same bland, white, tabbed set of details for every game. Dark Void Zero has this same layout, but it livens up the delivery with the inclusion of a revisionist-history for the game that frames it as a 'lost project' from the 80's. This, like the gimmick of blowing into the console's microphone to 'clean the cartridge' before playing, are neat little touches that show a genuine love for the 8 bit era.
This continues into the game, where a two button control system is used and the pixel graphics are a great representation of those from the 80's - unlike any number of faux-old school games I could mention - and the music is similarly authentic, if perhaps a little more 16bit than 8.
Gameplay is pretty simple; you have to run/fly around levels collecting keys to open doors to other parts of the level until you reach the exit. There are secondary goals too and an abundance of enemies to keep you on your toes. There are also, pleasingly, a number of excellent power-ups to keep things interesting, and a boss battle at the end of each of the game's three levels.
Yes. Just three levels. Dark Void Zero is ostensibly a very short game, but it's not an easy one. Although it can be beaten in about an hour, you certainly won't be doing so on your first, or even your first dozen, tries. In true retro style there are three difficulty levels to extend your time with the game should you desire, with the hardest one providing a significant challenge to even the most seasoned player.
Dark Void Zero is everything Dark Void wasn't; fun, clever, and inventive. It's been one of the high points of this project so far, and is a game I have no hesitation in recommending.
Oh, one last point. The Steam reviews for the game don't look great, but this is due to some DRM issues with that version and no reflection on the game itself.
Honourable Mentions
Datamine
Not for the first time in the relatively short running of this series we have a game clearly influenced by the arcade classic Pang!
In case you're somehow unfamiliar; the Pang! style of play involves a single screen playfield filled with large bubbles. The player runs along the bottom of the screen firing directly upwards to pop the bubbles or split them in two (depending on the size).
In this clearly low-budget effort from 'Enjoy', however, you are not limited to shooting from the ground.
Datamine plays across both of the DSi's screens but the projectiles fired by your little uni-wheeled robot avatar only reach the top of the lower one.
Luckily our little Pang-bot has a very sticky tire and can roll up the side of the screen and shoot horizontally allowing the sphere's in the top display to be attacked.
As far as gameplay innovations go this isn't exactly huge. But the Pang! mechanics have stood the test of time with good reason and this tweak certainly takes nothing away from that.
Pang! clone it undoubtedly is, but it's just enough fun in it's own right to get away with it.
DoDoGo! & DoDoGo! Challenge
With Gen 7 digital gaming really arrived on home consoles, and in it's wake followed the widespread death of the video game manual.
It's a sad loss for collectors of gaming ephemera, but has also meant that most games today spend the first half-hour or so of a player's time in tutorials.
In DoDoGo! it, unfortunately, feels like a lot longer than this. Level after level at the beginning of the game you have to sit through long videos explaining the game's many mechanics - and it's this slog through the early stages that stop this game from earning itself 'Hidden Gem' Status.
The game plays in the vein of Lemmings and others in the 'guide little characters to the exit' sub-genre of puzzle games. Player input takes the form of directional control of several little DoDo eggs, patching them up after falls, mood manipulation, and platform building. There's a lot to get to grips with but luckily, the game makes great use of touch screen swipes and gestures to slicken up the experience.
I've lumped the game's sequel 'DoDoGo! Challenge' in with the first game as it feels very much like a level-pack style expansion rather than a game in it's own right.
And once you get past those super-slow opening tutorial levels I think you'll be glad that there are more stages available, because this is a fun and nicely designed game with a good level of challenge - it just takes a while to get there.
Dr Mario Express
Never my favourite contemporary of Tetris, Dr Mario was given the 'Express' treatment early in the life of DSiWare.
In this example, the 'Express' basically means 'no multiplayer' which, given the ageing nature of this hardware, is not really a loss any more.
Dr Mario, in case you are somehow unaware, plays very much like Tetris 'B' mode; in that you always have a screen of clutter to clear.
In place of different shapes you have the far less interesting different coloured pills to rotate and slot into place to achieve this.
Honestly, if you're a fan of Dr Mario then this is more Dr Mario, if you're not then this won't win you over. If you've somehow never played a game in this spin-off franchise then Dr Mario Express could well have been a very good place to start - were it not for the less than ideal presentation.
Why this game doesn't make use of 'book mode' is beyond me. As it is, the play area takes up about half of a single screen which makes it squint-inducingly small.
In the end though, this is another of those games where you know exactly what you're getting, so you'll know if you'll like it (or not) before you've played it.
Divergent Shift
It’s the sad truth of all models of the DS (and latterly the Wii-U) that the second screen is far too often not given anything of note to do. If it weren’t for inventories or navigation there are hundreds upon hundreds of games that wouldn’t use it at all. Which makes it all the more of a shame when a game tries to do something different and doesn’t quite pull it off.
Perhaps sadder still is that what Divergent Shift fails at has already been brilliantly achieved by Chronos Twin, leaving it to feel a bit like a pale imitation of that game.
Which is a little harsh really, as Divergent Shift does have a personality of its own and offers a few things to differentiate itself.
There are two modes of play, for example. Reflection is all platforming, all the time, with your character on the top screen exactly replicated, albeit upside down, on the one below. The levels they’re traversing are different, however, meaning that hitting an invisible dead end on one screen might be because there’s a wall or tree in the way on the other.
Shadow mode offers a slightly more puzzle focused experience as you control the avatar on both screens independently, each manipulating elements to aid the others passage.
Together these aspects are just enough to earn the game a hesitant recommendation. It’s not as good as Chronos Twin, but it’s different enough to be worth a play.
One last word of warning; the visuals are beyond basic. And while the music is pretty effective, the sound effects are on a par with the sub-game-maker level graphics.
Dracula Undead Awakening
Skirting the border of 'Also Ran' territory this grimy twin stick shooter was previously released on iPhone and WiiWare before turning up on DSiWare.
It's saved from a lower status by simply being pretty good fun to play. This genre is understandably sparse on the decidedly one-stick DS, but using the face button as a d-pad works pretty well and the weaponry on offer is really satisfying to unleash on the otherworldly foes.
It won't change your life, or even your afternoon, but as this kind of diversions goes, it's good fun for a while.
Dragon's Lair 1 + 2
I'm not going to waste the skin on my two precious typing fingers with descriptions of the most famous interactive cartoons ever made - but if you've never played them, or if you're a fan and wanted to own these on yet another console, you should know that these are perfectly serviceable ports that, despite a fairly low resolution, play pretty much identically to the arcade original.
Personally, I I think Space Ace is a better game (which we'll come to in a few weeks) but that might be due to my preference for red-heads over blondes.
Also Rans
Similar to tangram puzzles, this game has the neat idea of using the stylus to 'colour in' Tetris style blocks to fit a template. Sadly it's not enough to save this puzzler from the repetition and boredom caused by its fundamental simplicity.
DoDoGo! Robo
A pale imitation of the first 2 games (reviewed above), this sequel is far too light on the challenge, complexity, and charm that elevated the originals.
Delbo
Played in book mode, Delbo is a game that will immediately put you in mind of Puzzle Bobble… Actually, that’s not strictly true. Because when Delbo starts up you’re greeted by the most annoying harpsichord music ever recorded and a scrolling text relaying a story about a girl who has to smash coloured orbs to rescue her lover from hell… I’m not even exaggerating. So before you’re put in mind of Puzzle Bobble you’ll be put in mind of some kind of baroque ball-pit inspired nightmare.
However, Debo was saved from the pit of shame known as ‘not even mentioned’ and hauled into the relative glory of ‘Also ran’ by virtue of it’s one original mechanic. The orbs in Delbo are arranged in a grid and rather than just fling other orbs at the mass and make chains (although you absolutely do that) here you are able to pull single rows of orbs towards you to create better combo opportunities. It’s a neat idea but the game’s production values let it down on all other fronts.
Drilling Attack (G.G. Series)
Drift Circuit
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