A box arrived yesterday for me from National Console Support containing the first of this summer's imports: Daigasso! Band Brothers DX.
What can I say about it? It's the same game, really; there have been some tweaks here and there (for the better), a karaoke mode has been added, and of course there's the much-vaunted downloadable content. I muddled my way through the list of songs and picked out a few titles, mostly familiar tunes with origins in the English-speaking world.
The notable improvements include a better challenge mode; you can play this endlessly, taking on song after song tailored to your current ranking, and the results figuring into whether your ranking rises or falls. Multiplayer, one of the most fun things to do with the game (though sadly I don't have much opportunity), added a couple neat features as well: you can finally hear the song in the song selection menu, making it easier for those of us who don't speak Japanese. Download players can also practice any part of the song you've been playing in MP after you disconnect.
I also grabbed one of Taito's paddle controllers, which Taito is sadly not bringing stateside with Arkanoid DS—which is a real shame, as I understand it, because it apparently makes that game. It also works with my other current DS addiction, Space Invaders Extreme, and playing that game with it is just something else.
It took me some time to figure out how to hold the DS properly; I settled for resting the paddle controller in my left palm, turning the paddle small movements of my thumb, and wrapping my right hand around the DS like usual. The thing feels ridiculously solid—amusing, in contrast with the less-so DS Lite—and literally changes the game. I'm not just sliding left and right anymore; I can whip back and forth across the screen. It made some enemies and moves easier; others harder (at least at first). I can see why it's banned in online play.
Between these two acquisitions, and what's coming down the pipe, I don't expect I'll be putting down the DS for some time.
What can I say about it? It's the same game, really; there have been some tweaks here and there (for the better), a karaoke mode has been added, and of course there's the much-vaunted downloadable content. I muddled my way through the list of songs and picked out a few titles, mostly familiar tunes with origins in the English-speaking world.
The notable improvements include a better challenge mode; you can play this endlessly, taking on song after song tailored to your current ranking, and the results figuring into whether your ranking rises or falls. Multiplayer, one of the most fun things to do with the game (though sadly I don't have much opportunity), added a couple neat features as well: you can finally hear the song in the song selection menu, making it easier for those of us who don't speak Japanese. Download players can also practice any part of the song you've been playing in MP after you disconnect.
I also grabbed one of Taito's paddle controllers, which Taito is sadly not bringing stateside with Arkanoid DS—which is a real shame, as I understand it, because it apparently makes that game. It also works with my other current DS addiction, Space Invaders Extreme, and playing that game with it is just something else.
It took me some time to figure out how to hold the DS properly; I settled for resting the paddle controller in my left palm, turning the paddle small movements of my thumb, and wrapping my right hand around the DS like usual. The thing feels ridiculously solid—amusing, in contrast with the less-so DS Lite—and literally changes the game. I'm not just sliding left and right anymore; I can whip back and forth across the screen. It made some enemies and moves easier; others harder (at least at first). I can see why it's banned in online play.
Between these two acquisitions, and what's coming down the pipe, I don't expect I'll be putting down the DS for some time.