[Foozwah]

Originally Posted by Mikekelly

... PC gaming in general is WAY DOWN from what it once was. I myself - out of the last 38 adventure games I have bought, only 4 of them were on the PC.

The other 34 were on the Nintendo DS. And yes, they are very good too. Adventure games on the DS in Japan have been known to sell millions of copies too.

So, will PC gaming disappear, no - not at all -- but it has shrunk in recent years - and there are advantages to consoles - the games always boot up - and I can't say the same for PC games. Compatability has always been iffy on the PC.

I'm definitely adventuring far more on my DS than on any other platform nowadays.

It's not just the convenience (playing anywhere, e.g. when my g/f is watching tv, or during my twice-daily 40 minute train commute), but also, and I think this was mentioned by someone else in another thread at some stage, because (despite the fact that there are most definitely some dud games out there) people seem to be much more excited, or simply happy, about adventure (and adventure-ish) games on DS.

It's a broad (and probably incorrect! ) generalisation, but it feels to me like the most prevalent emotion in connection with PC adventure fandom these days is one of moaning, regularly dashed hopes and constant yearning for the "good old days", when LucasArts and Sierra ruled the earth.

Which is probably quite valid, and I'd tend to broadly agree, if I could be bothered, but at the same time, it doesn't seem like much fun as a way to spend my time...

Contrast that with the general vibe around DS adventures, or at least the good ones (Ace Attorney series, Hotel Dusk, etc.) where the prevalent emotions seem to be a healthy dose of good old-fashioned joy and enthusiasm about games, both playing and discussing them, and I know what I'd rather spend my adventure gaming time on.

A rose-coloured view of things? Perhaps, and I'd be a fool to deny that there are DS games which are needlessly frustrating (Touch Detective series, which I have a love/hate relationship with...) and just plain bad (Myst on DS - how is it possible to get a conversion SO wrong?!?), but in general the positivity and non-gaming-ghetto atmosphere around DS adventures (and adventure-ish games of the Professor Layton variety, for example) reminds me more of the "good old days" than I suspect PC-based adventuring is likely to enjoy again.

I'd like to be proved wrong in the long-term, of course, because more good adventures on all platforms can only be a positive, but in the meantime I've got no shortage of decent, innovative and just plain strange (thank you, Japan!) DS adventures to play.

[pointandcliklover]

i was just wondering if like the japanese version of phoenix wright 3 that english sub-titles would e provided on the japanese only adventures, as i would love to play these.

[noknowncure]

Originally Posted by Foozwah

Lots of stuff I agree with.

Your post summed up how I feel about DS games. When I buy a new game for the DS, I don't seem to have to make the many allowances that I do for PC titles.

They're presented in attractive and inventive ways that make the most of the medium. There's always a certain level of quality that so many PC games tend to lack.

The graphics aren't competing with that of modern console titles. Whenever I play PC adventures, I find it hard to shake the fact that many of them don't even stand up against last generation console titles - Basically, if you can't do attractive 3D characters and backgrounds, find another way around it. The presentation of, say, the Phoenix Wright games are timeless and crisp in their simplicity.

They don't suffer from embarrassing voice acting and - usually - the translations seem to have more effort put into them.

They feel faster than PC games. If you need to return to a previous screen, it doesn't feel like a chore to get there. There's no laborious animation of someone sauntering to the next screen, or a bizarrely time consuming animation every time the character tells you 'That doesn't work'. Load times are minimal.

Plus, they're almost guaranteed to work. There's no irritating search to find out which anti-virus program is stopping the game from loading up properly. You don't have to muck about discovering which graphical setting is preventing the backgrounds from appearing.

Obviously there will be exceptions to all of these factors, but it's usually clearer which the bad titles are. When I read a DS game review, it's obvious whether it's good or bad - see the Myst port - as the problems are usually directly to do with poor implementation or a bad story.

I'm never totally sure about PC games anymore. There are so many variables that might not annoy reviewers but will irritate me.

Of the 10 DS titles I own, there's only one I haven't enjoyed - funnily enough, it was Touch Detective, too - All the others have been fantastic.

I'd be ashamed to introduce my none-Adventure-Game-fan friends* to many PC titles I've played recently, as I can already see the flaws that they'd immediately pick up on - I only tolerate them because I'm a diehard fan of the genre - but the DS titles easily stand up to criticism.

*There's got to be a better way to say that.

[Trickless]

Originally Posted by pointandcliklover

i was just wondering if like the japanese version of phoenix wright 3 that english sub-titles would e provided on the japanese only adventures, as i would love to play these.

The only Japanese DS adventure games that have an English option are the first 3 Ace Attorney games . Those games were already released for the GBA, so when they decided to release the series for the DS the script was already available for translation. Hence why the Japanese version of Ace Attorney 4 did not have an English option, since that was DS exclusive.

Japanese only games with English options are rare, let alone adventure games. The amount of text involved means it will require a bit of work. The only chance for a game to have English options is if there are already plans for a stateside release.

[Trader]

Dont know if anyone has mentioned that they maybe making The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Track for DS a follow on [I assume] from the Hour Glass story line, cant wait I loved this game.

[Dale Baldwin]

Originally Posted by Trader

Dont know if anyone has mentioned that they maybe making The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Track for DS a follow on [I assume] from the Hour Glass story line, cant wait I loved this game.

Discussion about the new Zelda title doesn't belong in this thread.

[Mikekelly]

"It's a broad (and probably incorrect! ) generalisation, but it feels to me like the most prevalent emotion in connection with PC adventure fandom these days is one of moaning, regularly dashed hopes and constant yearning for the "good old days", when LucasArts and Sierra ruled the earth."

This gets old REAL quick. I used to say I really enoyed a PC Adventure game like "Dreamfall" only to get my teeth kicked in for saying it.

The good news about DS Adventure gaming is this no longer happens to me.

I can post I really enjoyed "Broken Sword DC" on my DS and I get praise for the advice.

I do know that PC gaming will never have huge numbers again and now most adventure games are being released on the DS as well as the PC.

For example, "Secret Files 2" is being released on the PC and the DS at the same time.

And PC converstions are improving - Runaway 2 on the DS is fabulous and is a perfect PC port.

Unique DS only adventures like "Thersia: Dear Emily" are fabulous and well worth playing too.

And the best part? You can take the game anywhere in your jacket pocket!

[Fantasysci5]

Originally Posted by Mikekelly

"It's a broad (and probably incorrect! ) generalisation, but it feels to me like the most prevalent emotion in connection with PC adventure fandom these days is one of moaning, regularly dashed hopes and constant yearning for the "good old days", when LucasArts and Sierra ruled the earth."

This gets old REAL quick. I used to say I really enoyed a PC Adventure game like "Dreamfall" only to get my teeth kicked in for saying it.

I know what you mean about the "good old days" of Sierra. I never really got into those games, and this genre has not died once Sierra stopped producing.

[Trader]

Unsolved Crimes on DS, not sure when it's out.

[Trader]

Originally Posted by Dale Baldwin

Discussion about the new Zelda title doesn't belong in this thread.

I never know if Zelda is an adventure game or an RPG, it's kinda adventurey.

[Hamham Chan]

Been thinking about getting So Blonde for my ds. How is it compared to the pc version?

[giga]

Originally Posted by Hamham Chan

Been thinking about getting So Blonde for my ds. How is it compared to the pc version?

I bought the PC version after I finished the DS version, just because I thought it was so good. Haven't been able to play the PC version however.

[Hamham Chan]

Is the ds version a 3rd person adventure?

[skeeter_93]

I had a lot of trouble with the DS version. I found it hard to see properly, and I gave up playing it. I did play it right after playing the PC one though, so maybe that had something to do with it.

[Origami]

I never know if Zelda is an adventure game or an RPG, it's kinda adventurey.

Zelda is definitely not an RPG. It's an adventure game with a distinctive formula.

[Hamham Chan]

Originally Posted by skeeter_93

I had a lot of trouble with the DS version. I found it hard to see properly, and I gave up playing it. I did play it right after playing the PC one though, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Is the ds version identical to the pc version?
I might not bother buying it if it's a watered down version.

[taterfyrings]

The Zelda-games are really hard to categorize as they use elements from a lot of genres, but I would say that the most important gameplay-elements in a Zelda-game is exploration and puzzle-solving, both important characteristics of the adventure-genre, so I think I agree that it is more adventure game than anything else. However there is (of course) also some action (which is usually really easy except for bosses and mini-bosses), and some rpg-elements like improving you character. Anyways, I guess it is this very original blend of genres that make the games so good.

Anyways, somebody should make a "recommended DS adventures" thread og just update the first post here. I don't have the knowledge to do so myself, but it would be awesome if somebody would.

[Mikekelly]

When the 3DS was released in Japan - Prof Layton was Most Popular Game on the 3DS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profess...ask_of_Miracle

Now I bought a 3DS - but in the US we don't have any games like Layton to buy yet.

Personally, I like the 3DS, the 3D is fun, but I'm keeping my Dsi XL for playing adventure games - like "The Tree of Life" which brand new sold for $14.99.

However, lots of sales of Prof Layton games and similar titles keep this genre alive and going strong.

[skeeter_93]

Originally Posted by Hamham Chan

Is the ds version identical to the pc version?
I might not bother buying it if it's a watered down version.

It's a rethink or something - Sunny lands on the other side of the island. I'm not sure how much is the same, I didn't get very far before i gave up. I wouldn't recommend it, but that's just my personal opinion...

[Hamham Chan]

I might get the game, if i manage to find it.