Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Valve Shows Off Steam Machines at CES

"Alienware and Valve, the developers of the world's largest online gaming platform and the creators of the Half-Life franchise, have been collaborating on designing the first dedicated Alienware Steam Machine gaming console."

Valve is showing off the Steam Machines that will release in 2014 right now at CES. As it turns out, Alienware is one such brand to enter the Steam Machine mix and I am really happy about this. Dell's Alienware might be a bit on the expensive end but it provides a pretty great value for your gaming dollar. Alienware has said it's Steam Machine will feature an Intel CPU and Nvida chip but not much more as they plan to talk more about it in detail... Read All

I Made it into the Dungeon in Terraria

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/terraria_gamepedia/b/b1/BiomeBannerDungeon.png?version=1cd7eeaee3e49ff5a92c084c83aebe3a

Having a gaming blog is now my new "thing." I've always considered myself a writer and one of the things I want to do with my gaming blog is to write about my experiences in the games I play. That said, you can expect to see lots about Terraria as I've been playing it lately. I also intend to write about Pokemon X, which I've been playing and enjoying as well.

So, during my visits to the Underworld, I noticed Shadow Chests, which require a key to open. I looked on the wiki and found out that those keys are in the Dungeon. I tried to get into the Dungeon, but was killed by the Dungeon Guardian. I, again, looked on the wiki and found out that you have to speak to the Old... Read All Having a gaming blog is now my new "thing." I've always considered myself a writer and one of the things I want to do with my gaming blog is to write about my experiences in the games I play. That said, you can expect to see lots about Terraria as I've been playing it lately. I also intend to write about Pokemon X, which I've been playing and enjoying as well.

So, during my visits to the Underworld, I noticed Shadow Chests, which require a key to open. I looked on the wiki and found out that those keys are in the Dungeon. I tried to get into the Dungeon, but was killed by the Dungeon Guardian. I, again, looked on the wiki and found out that you have to speak to the Old Man at the entrance at night about his curse and defeat him once he turns into Skeletron. So, I decided to do that today.

Skeletron was easy! Maybe it's because I'm using Molten Armor and a Firery Great Sword, but I didn't have any trouble defeating him. However, once I got into the Dungeon, things quickly changed. The Dungeon is crawling with enemies, traps, and spikes! If you go deep enough, the rate at which monsters spawn will increase. The Dungeon has lots of chests, some of which require a key to open. Shadow Keys are used for Shadow Chests located in the Underworld. One Shadow Key will open all Shadow Chests. However, Golden Keys can only unlock one Golden Chest. These keys are dropped by some of the monsters.

I found out on the wiki that the Dungeon is created to the far left or right of the world that was created, opposite of the Jungle. Apparently the color of the interior is random. I'm happy because my dungeon is made of blue bricks. Blue is my favorite color, I may have to steal some!

I finally have an avatar! I signed up with Word Press and created a Gravatar. I took a screen shot of my character, Blue. It looks like he's standing on water. See this link: http://imgur.com/ipJvTAN

A couple of notes...I haven't found the Goblin Tinkerer yet since the first time when I met him and he died in lava. In the Dungeon, I found a Mechanic (and wish I bought the Wire Cutters from him), but he didn't survive very long. Yesterday, I counted my NPCs and chairs and tables and I should have one or two openings. I'm not sure why those two NPCs have not yet respawned in my house. I may add more to my house to make sure that they come back, eventually I suppose. I'm thinking that in order to get the Goblin Tinkerer back, I'm going to have to defeat the Goblin Army again. They have not shown up for a second time yet, but today I did run into a Goblin Scout.

Oh! Last night I found out that Minecraft is now on the PS3! I downloaded and played the (timed) demo. Unfortunately, one of my biggest gripes about the game, Creepers blowing up structures and other useful things such as farms, happened again. I was delighted that the game contains the same music as the PC version (I really love the music of Minecraft). As for the controls, I think it would just take a little time to get used to, but I think they're ok, maybe even better than the controls for the console version of Terraria. I'm not sure if I will buy the game as I can play it for free on the PC and I think I prefer the controls (for both games) on the PC. If you're a fan of the game, I recommend watching the documentary, which is almost two hours long. I watched it last night. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySRgVo1X_18

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/07/2014 at 12:53am

The Goblin Army showed up again and was abruptly defeated! Now I'm on the hunt for the Goblin Tinkerer again. I upgraded my house with a new floor and 3 tables and 3 chairs. Since then, a new NPC has moved in. I should have enough room for the Mechanic (that I found trapped in the Dungeon) and Goblin Tinkerer to move in. I feel like I've pretty thoroughly explored the Dungeon. I know there are some chests left that I have yet to find a key to open.

Speaking of keys, I was hoping I'd find a Jungle key, so I can access the temple, but it seems (according to the Wiki) that I can't access it until I meet (or defeat) the Golem, which is only in Hardmode. That's a bummer.

I've opened some Shadow chests, but since I'm decked out in Molten armor and have a Fiery Greatsword, I'm not sure what else the game can give me that's better than the equipment I already have.

Another thought: Since I have an Underground Crimson environment, I was wondering if to destroy it or prevent its spread, if I have to destroy all of the Demon Hearts. I might give that a try, knowing doing so will also spawn the Brain of Cthulhu.

Speaking of the Goblin Army, I found another Goblin Scout today, which makes me think the Goblin Army will be back again soon. I look forward to defeating them again!

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/07/2014 at 12:55am

After looking at the Wiki, it seems the Goblin Scout does not mean that there will soon be a Goblin invasion. It is just a rare spawn, which I have seen two or three times now. Ok, I'm off to find the Goblin Tinkerer!

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/07/2014 at 02:34am

Awesome. Love reading this.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/07/2014 at 08:48am

Thanks! I wish I could find that Goblin Tinkerer! I have no idea where it is.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/08/2014 at 09:05am

I just figured out what my issue was with the Goblin Tinkerer, I didn't create my rooms properly. After building a couple of levels onto my house, I noticed a new NPC spawned on each floor, even though I had put three tables and chairs on one floor. After a look at the Wiki, I realized that I needed to create rooms instead of just floors. Once I did that, the Goblin Tinkerer arrived (and spawned nearby). I had to help him make his way up to the house as he couldn't seem to jump the few blocks up. I'm hoping that the Mechanic will respawn as well.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/08/2014 at 08:03pm

Yeah, good catch. Totally be odd to have explored the whole world and no Tinkerer!

When the next patch comes out for the new end boss I'll do another server so we can take him on. That or rent one, Travis had some info on that.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/08/2014 at 09:26pm

Cool!

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An Upcoming Zelda Game on the Wii U: Hyrule Warriors

Nintendo dropped a new trailer for the upcoming Zelda game Hyrule Warriors recently. Not a lot is known about the game but we can glean a few things from the video. First off it looks like you can swing your sword at bad guys. Secondly, it looks like you can attack many bad guys at once.

Seriously though, the game play does look great and I imagine because of the increased horse power of the Wii U they can make a Zelda game with a ton more enemies on the screen.

What do you think of Hyrule Warriors? With every new game it seems the reason to pickup a Wii U is more compelling as Nintendo is really hitting a segment of gaming that is very unique and interesting.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/06/2014 at 01:54am

An important note about this game-- it isn't exactly a Zelda game. It's a Dynasty Warriors game set in Hyrule. It's one of an increasingly long list of spinoffs to the juggernaut of a series. Tecmo Koei, the team behind the Dynasty Warriors series, is handling the development of this with models and such provided by Nintendo.

See this video for Dynasty Warriors 8 to see what I mean. The gameplay is very similar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2p5aQIuvuI

Wikipedia has more info about the series if you're interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynasty_Warriors

All that said, this looks so incredibly fun. There's something about the Dynasty Warriors formula with the cartoonish Zelda graphics that's incredibly appealing to me.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/06/2014 at 03:50am

Sweet! Now that will be my reason to get a Wii U. I wanted one when I first saw things about it before it was out. However, my desire for one slipped (I couldn't afford one anyway until recently). Thanks for the post!

Travis Admin wrote on 01/06/2014 at 04:03am

So far there aren't enough games to warrant it for me. I'll get one when it's $100 or something.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/07/2014 at 02:31am

That's a great price point for sure, i'd have few reservations to pick it up for that.

I frequent stores where the Wii U is front and center and the games look much more compelling to me than the XBone & PS4 Basketball/Shooter grind.

That said, who knows when i'll get one :D

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Game/Show: Most Exciting Games of 2014

Game/Show is back in 2014 with a list of games they are excited about seeing this year. I am curious to see how Jonathan Blow's The Witness will be as well as the new Thief game.

That said, the video is missing any kind of video game clips and I wonder if this has to do with YouTube's new policy in regard to Let's Plays and reviews? I hope not as this episode, while good, lacks the fast pacing the entire first season had.

Come See Our Booth At The NWCGE Video Game Swap Meet

"PRGE is proud to present the Northwest Classic Games Enthusiasts video game swap meet at the Portland Doubletree Hotel on January 18, 2014. We are taking it old-school...back when it was all about getting buyers and sellers together to help build buyers collections and help sellers find good homes for their extras while preserving the cultural and historical aspects of videogames. Nothing fancy - just games, games and more games.

Doors open at 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM. Admission is $5.00 at the door. The event is child-friendly so bring the entire family"

Cheerful Ghost will have a booth at this years Northwest Classic Games Enthusiasts Swap Meet in Portland. Since... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 01/05/2014 at 04:51am

Pick me up a copy of Actraiser while you're there! ;)

Travis Admin wrote on 01/05/2014 at 04:56am

Also seeing that rack of games has me drooling a bit.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/05/2014 at 06:42am

I'll take more pictures this year than I did at PRGE 2013. I also need to come up with a few things I want to nab. Maybe some old Mario comics, Nintendo trading cards and some old Nintendo Power magazines.

dynamicInception wrote on 01/22/2014 at 12:53am

I haven't signed in here since the Retro Game Con and can't believe I just missed this by a couple days! Going to have to keep a closer eye out from now on. Anyone know of any other gaming events in the Portland area that I should know about?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/22/2014 at 01:44am

I'll be posting about the events that Cheerful Ghost has a booth at OR I attend as a "regular person" for sure. The next event I am going to and trying to get a booth at is Gamestorm 2014. It's a pretty awesome event if you love board & card games or LLARP's.

http://www.gamestorm.org/

dynamicInception wrote on 01/22/2014 at 06:14am

Awesome, thank you! Gamestorm looks pretty cool actually - I've only just recently started getting into more tabletop gaming so I might have to give it a try, though it's been kind of an intimidating world to get into so far. Would you say that PGRE and the game swap are the main events around as far as video games are concerned?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/22/2014 at 06:33am

Game events in Portland? Yeah, I'd say so. There are PIGSquad game jams and such, but those are for people wanting to make games.

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A story of loots lost, strife, and a crappy alpha.

http://image1.frequency.com/uri/w354_h200_ctrim_ll/_/item/1/0/2/7/Jesters_Play_Rust_102778091_thumbnail.jpg

If you're Garry (of Garry's Mod fame...) and you like DayZ, but hate a few key points about the game, what do you do? Well, the logical answer to that question is "Make your own Zombie Survival, Sandbox, PVP game with a healthy dose of Minecraft" and that's exactly what he did.

Rust throws you into a very familiar environment in terms of "EVERYTHING CAN AND WILL KILL YOU, OH MY GOD." For the moment, there are zombies (these are apparently getting pulled out at some point...), animals, and the most terrifying of all: other players.

So what makes Rust stand out from DayZ? Largely the minecraft piece makes it really enjoyable to play. In DayZ, if you died... that was it,... Read All

OpenEmu, or why I'll never need an emulator on PC again

I've had a clear separation for a while now: Windows is for gaming, Mac is for everything else.* Well, in about an hour of testing I've determined that emulation of older consoles has a permanent home on my Mac. I hate the word "game-changer" but it's hard not to use it when talking about OpenEmu.

OpenEmu is essentially a front-end for other emulators, but no other manual downloads are required. Upon the first run, it asks you which systems you want to emulate and downloads the cores for them. On many systems, you can even dig into the settings and choose which core you want to use. Some people prefer ZSNES to SNES9x for example, and this is an easy configuration... Read All

I Beat the Brain of Cthulhu in Terraria

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/terraria_gamepedia/0/04/BiomeBannerCrimson.png?version=34bb7af2ae3292eecb06fe6a06389838

Recently, I successfully beat The Brain of Cthulhu after making Crimson Armor (https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Crimson_armor) and a Blade of Grass (http://terraria.gamepedia.com/Blade_of_Grass). It was a tough battle. I've only beaten this boss once and I stopped trying once I did. I fought it probably three or four times in total. I was afraid that I'd end up destroying all the Demon Hearts and wouldn't be able to summon it again, but luckily there are still some left. In the battled I used an Eggnog (to boost all stats) and a Thorns potion (because it runs into you).

After that battle, I thought "what next," and it was suggested that I get Molten Armor (... Read All Recently, I successfully beat The Brain of Cthulhu after making Crimson Armor (https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Crimson_armor) and a Blade of Grass (http://terraria.gamepedia.com/Blade_of_Grass). It was a tough battle. I've only beaten this boss once and I stopped trying once I did. I fought it probably three or four times in total. I was afraid that I'd end up destroying all the Demon Hearts and wouldn't be able to summon it again, but luckily there are still some left. In the battled I used an Eggnog (to boost all stats) and a Thorns potion (because it runs into you).

After that battle, I thought "what next," and it was suggested that I get Molten Armor (http://terraria.gamepedia.com/Molten_armor). It was easy to mine the needed Obsidian as I found some lava hiding under some water. The obsidian was in between the two and every time I mined some Obsidian, some more was created. The Hellstone that was required was much more difficult to obtain. I went back to the Underworld, where I previously had trouble surviving. This time, however, it wasn't that difficult. I did find it humorous that I was defeating fire enemies, such as Hellbats, with a Blade of Grass. You would think such enemies would be immune to a sword made of jungle grass or that the sword would catch on fire.

Luckily, I was able to mine the amount of Hellstone I needed, but I found a tip to share. It is a good idea, when mining Hellstone, to have something else in between your character and the Hellstone. It's also a good idea to have an Obsidian Skull as well. But, while mining the Hellstone, I found out that lava comes out of it, so I almost always made sure there was dirt or something between me and the Hellstone. Of course, I didn't always follow that tip as I have an item that gives me 7 seconds of protection from lava.

Not only was I able to make a set of Molten Armor, but I also made a Flamarang (http://terraria.gamepedia.com/Flamarang) and finally a Firey Greatsword (http://terraria.gamepedia.com/Fiery_Greatsword). I have not yet used the sword I made, but it was nice to upgrade the Zealous Enchanted Boomerang to a Flamarang. I did not sell my Crimson armor, I put it in a chest, but I'm tempted to use it again because even though it does not provide as much defense as the Molten armor, the set bonus is faster health regeneration. Still, one thing I wish the set of Molten armor would provide is immunity to lava, that would have been sweet.

I'm still hoping to find something that provides me complete immunity to lava. I'm also still hoping that I find a key to those chests I found in the Underworld. I also need to talk to the Old Man near the Dungeon so I can check that out. Also, I defeated the Goblin Army that arrived and I met the Goblin Tinkerer, but he ended up falling in lava and dying. I'm hoping he's respawned some where so I can find him again, but if he hasn't, I'm ready to defeat the Goblin Army once again (that would be for a second time).

Anyway, that's my latest Terraria update. I thought I'd write a new post about it instead of just commenting on my original post. Hopefully soon, I'll take a screenshot of my character to use as my avatar. I'm thinking I might use one without his armor (because I want to show off all the blue I put in him). I may also take an updated screenshot of my house, since I've added one or two floors since I took the last one.

Your comments are always appreciated and I also greatly appreciate the help and suggestions you have given me (with regards to Terraria and CheerfulGhost). I really do enjoy the game and this website.

Nick_Donahoo wrote on 01/03/2014 at 08:37am

The brain killed me more times than I care to admit. I found what worked best was to create an 'arena' for him, which consisted of a big open space and like eight rows of wooden platforms. I grabbed my shotgun and jumped around like a trigger-happy psycho path. The trick seems to be getting a decent area to move freely, as the brain is what really hurts you, not all of his minions.

Personally, I just created my second world, and so far corruption seems more interesting than crimson. Wait till you meet the Eater of Worlds. Now that was a fun boss.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/03/2014 at 02:08pm

That's cool, Nick! I read about creating an arena on the wiki, but didn't do it. Since the Brain keeps running into you, I decided to use a Thorns potion. I'm still on my first World and it is small. I believe I've found the left-side edge of my world as well. One time I found it while in my Underground Jungle and the last time I found it while in the Underworld.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 01/03/2014 at 07:05pm

Setting up an arena is a huge help when you're fighting bosses. Stick a camp fire and a heart lamp around the arena and you'll also have faster health regen through-out the fight. You can even get fancy and set up heart statues that spew out hearts every few seconds too. (On a side note, you should see the arena Travis set up on our CG server, it's pretty awesome.)

Once you've found the Goblin NPC he will move into your village/house/castle/whatever. All he needs is a suitable living space. If he's not re-spawning then that means you need more rooms/houses. An NPC needs a comfort item (like a chair) a light source, and a surface (table or work bench). And of course, the house needs walls, a background, and a door. :) Detailed housing info can be found here: http://terraria.wikia.com/wiki/Home

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/04/2014 at 06:17am

Thanks for the tips! I met him, but right after was when he died. He didn't get a chance to move in. I'm pretty sure I have room for him, I could be wrong though, maybe I'll make more room for him.

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Returning to the Mojave

A few years ago, I stepped into the shoes of the Courier, and ventured into the Mojave Wasteland. I made friends, made even more enemies, and brought peace to the New Vegas strip. For me, this as continuing a long tradition of traversing the wastes. I grew up with Fallout, even going so far as to play that atrocious Xbox game 'Brotherhood of Steel' that came out years back. For me, the wastelands has long since been home.

My wife, on the other hand, is a recent convert. Not just to the wastelands, but to a lot of gaming in general. I Introduced her some months ago to Skyrim, and a few hundred hours of game-time later, I think it's safe to say it's been a hit.... Read All A few years ago, I stepped into the shoes of the Courier, and ventured into the Mojave Wasteland. I made friends, made even more enemies, and brought peace to the New Vegas strip. For me, this as continuing a long tradition of traversing the wastes. I grew up with Fallout, even going so far as to play that atrocious Xbox game 'Brotherhood of Steel' that came out years back. For me, the wastelands has long since been home.

My wife, on the other hand, is a recent convert. Not just to the wastelands, but to a lot of gaming in general. I Introduced her some months ago to Skyrim, and a few hundred hours of game-time later, I think it's safe to say it's been a hit. Eventually, though, Alduin had fallen, the civil war was over, Lord Harkon was slain, and Miraak was put in his place. Mods can only get you so far for adding to the game, and eventually, you just, well, run out of game to play.

Then the Steam Winter Sale rears it's head, and Fallout: New Vegas is a whopping $2.49. At that price, I figure I'm not really out anything if she doesn't like it, and, if nothing else, two and a half bucks is a hell of a deal for a nostalgia trip. So, I boot it up for her, put the controller in her hand, and sat back. As the opening cinematic rolled, I looked at Benny like an old friend. A butthole of an old friend, but an old friend nonetheless. I get to watch as she jumps when Benny shoots you, and laugh as Doc Mitchell examined her. I even took the time to install a mod that allows you to answer 'two bears high-fiving' to the last test, because, seriously, it's two bears high-fiving.

It's always an interesting thing to see, watching someone delve into unfamiliar territory. Here was a woman that laughed as she fought two and three dragons at a time suddenly run from anklebiting praying mantises. It's easy to forget sometimes that these kinds of games can go vastly different with the decisions of two different players. I lamented a bit when she decided that Primm was safest in the hands of the NCR, and elated when she welcomed the Legion in Nipton with a shower of dynamite instead of running off to 'spread the word of the glory of the Legion'. I was proud when she sent Jason Bright and his brotherhood to the skies, instead of simply getting rid of the ghoul problem. She even did one better than me, and negotiated a truce in Boulder city, instead of leaving a trail of bodies. With the exception of the Legion, she has not made an enemy of anyone yet, even going so far as to become friends with the Powder Gangers.

I've had to fight the urge to funnel her towards the same conclusions I made, as the beauty of this game is that it is her journey, and not mine. I may disagree with how she handles one situation or another, but, taking the path that she's on, I'm excited to see just how many people answer her call when the Battle of Hoover Dam comes calling. I regret nothing when it came to my time in the Mojave, but, I'll admit, I was pretty lonely come time to face the music. It'll be good to see what it's like when you actually have favors to call in.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/03/2014 at 04:34am

That's awesome! I was new to Fallout with Fallout 3, which I got for the PS3. I was disappointed with the issues I had with the add-ons, some of which I was unable to complete (like Brotherhood of Steel). New Vegas was pretty cool! At first I didn't like that you only got to choose new perks every other level, but in the end I think it worked out for me. I still ran into some issues on the PS3 with some of the add-ons, but those issues weren't as bad as the ones I had with Fallout 3.

It's been some time since I've played that game and can't remember exactly which sides I chose. I think I remember siding with the computers at the end of the game (the main computer being voiced by René Auberjonois, the guy who played Odo, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, was awesome to me). I think Old World Blues was my favorite add-on, I thought it was humorous.

Nick_Donahoo Post Author wrote on 01/03/2014 at 08:48am

Oh, god. One of my favorite things going back through this is just taking in the voice acting. I mean, damn. Every third person in the game is a celebrity of some sort, and so much of it was so well done.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/03/2014 at 06:12pm

Greg, Katie and I just finished Deep Space Nine and I was looking up what I'd seen Odo in before, and it kinda blew my mind that he was Mr. House. Listening to it now, it's obvious, but yeah.

The PS3 versions of games using Bethesda's engines are always worse than the others. The DLC for Skyrim was delayed for months because they couldn't get it working properly.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 01/03/2014 at 06:56pm

Good to see you on the site again Nick. Another great post!

I was new to the Fallout series with Fallout 3 as well but I absolutely love that game (even if I still need to go finish the last mission or two...). I did pick up Fallout 1, 2 and Tactics while GoG was handing them out for free, so I plan to dig a little bit deeper into the franchise at some point. :) Which Fallout game would you say is your favorite? I've also heard that Fallout 1 can be a little rough, and was wondering if I should skip that one and go straight into 2. Thoughts?

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/04/2014 at 04:57am

I _love_ Fallout 3 and a year or so ago got New Vegas in a Bethesda pack in a Steam sale. I tried the game and stopped a bit after starting because I wasn't in love with how the game started. I've heard it really picks up later and in many ways is superior to Fallout 3 and plan on heading back and trying it out.

Thanks for posting this, the game just went a little bit higher on my list :D

jaelte wrote on 01/05/2014 at 06:43am

That reminds me. I still need to finish New Vegas. And Skyrim. And maybe some of the DLC for Fallout 3.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/05/2014 at 06:46am

I have some levels left in PixelJunk Shooter and the Burial at Sea Ep. 1 from BioShock Infinite.

After that I was thinking of maybe starting up Earthbound or something else like XCom. But I can't plan that too far ahead, if I do, more often that not it won't happen :D

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My review of the Gamboy 2DS and Help me pick out games!

So one of the things I got for Christmas was this shiny new 2DS. I've spend about a dozen hours with the thing and wanted to share my thoughts on it. I also need to start getting some games for it and would like the input of my fellow CG users!

First up, my review.

When the 2DS was first announced many of us thought it looked big, ugly, and a little unwieldy (you can see the original discussion here: http://cheerfulghost.com/WhiteboySlim/posts/1567). I'm happy to report that, although it's still a little ugly, it is much easier to hold to and play than I had originally thought. Having used an iPad before I would say I have a much easier time with the 2DS than I do the... Read All So one of the things I got for Christmas was this shiny new 2DS. I've spend about a dozen hours with the thing and wanted to share my thoughts on it. I also need to start getting some games for it and would like the input of my fellow CG users!

First up, my review.

When the 2DS was first announced many of us thought it looked big, ugly, and a little unwieldy (you can see the original discussion here: http://cheerfulghost.com/WhiteboySlim/posts/1567). I'm happy to report that, although it's still a little ugly, it is much easier to hold to and play than I had originally thought. Having used an iPad before I would say I have a much easier time with the 2DS than I do the iPad. It definitely has a certain heft to it, but it's not too bad. The longest stretch of time I've gotten with it was between 1 and a half to two hours and I didn't really get tired of holding it. I don't own a 3DS, so I can't show you a comparison between the two. Here are a couple photos showing the 2DS next to a DS though:

Next to the DS (w/DS open): http://i.imgur.com/pFbyDWy.jpg
Next to the DS (w/DS closed): http://i.imgur.com/F19XIr2.jpg

As you can see, it's slightly smaller than the DS when open, but considerably larger than the DS when closed.
(On a side note, that is my daughter's gameboy, thus the bedazzled Princess Peach and blue crayon mark on the screen.)

My only real complaint about the system is that it is just slightly too big to really be that portable. I can't fit it into my pocket, which makes my chances of bumping into the people via Street pass pretty low. The one time I did take it out with me I stuck it in my wife's purse. :P

The buttons feel good and the control stick is light-years ahead of the one my PSP has even thought they're roughly the same design. And I say this as someone who actually really loved the PSP. Where the PSP control stick felt stiff the 2DS is nice and smooth but still snaps back into the neutral position when you want it to. It is also slightly textured and your thumb sticks to it nicely.

It's hard to comment on the screen because I only have one 3DS game so far (Pokemon Y) and the graphics on it are pretty cartoony. But for what it's worth Pokemon looks really, really good.

Over all I really enjoy my 2DS. It's turned out to be a much better system than I was originally expecting and I'm looking forward to expanding my game library and spending more time with it.

Speaking of which... I need some suggestions on what games to get! As I mentioned before I currently have Pokemon Y and I've ordered Fire Emblem Awakening on Amazon but have yet to receive it. Leave your suggestions in the comments! (I'm mostly interested in 3DS games but feel free to suggest some stellar DS games too!)

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/01/2014 at 09:35pm

The only other game i'd think to play on the 2DS(i'll admit I don't know about most of the games it has) would be the new Zelda Link Between Worlds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_A_Link_Between_Worlds

Apparently it's a sort of sequel to Link to the Past, which is pretty interesting.

That said, I want to get a gaming handheld, but as I was explaining to Adym today as we were talking about this post, I don't want to buy another closed piece of hardware. On one hand I totally want to buy new games from Nintendo, like Pokemon X/Y and the new Zelda game. I also want to play my old NES games and don't want to pay Nintendo yet again for the same games on every new system. That said, maybe some day it will be trivial to hack or something? I hope so because i'd love a modern Nintendo system.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/02/2014 at 03:02am

I always said it would never happen to me, but it has. I can't really see a point for a handheld console when my phone does mobile gaming.

Seriously, I may not get a hardcore experience, but I can waste time with my phone. I can enjoy Rayman running through the jungle or build some basic Terraria stuff wherever I am in the world. When I want to have a deeper experience I can hit up my PC or a console. I just can't justify a portable purchase until there are a significant number of games I want to play that I can't get anywhere else.

(But if someone wants to get one for me, I'd totally take it.)

Also, [pedantic mode]It hasn't been called Game Boy since the Advance era. It's just Nintendo DS, 3DS, 2DS, etc. these days. But really that's almost like Kleenex at this point. If it's a portable Nintendo console it's a Game Boy.[/pedantic mode]

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/02/2014 at 05:17am

I'd like to do some mobile gaming, I really don't like doing it on my phone. Valve did say they would get into the mobile space so.. Maybe a Steam Boy is in my future?

Ok that sounded odd.

Timogorgon Member Post Author wrote on 01/02/2014 at 07:47pm

As far as hackable systems, I've heard you can hack the DS, although I've never tried it. I did hack my PSP and I had every intention of loading up some NES and SNES emulators on there but, sadly, my PSP is on it's death bed and dying a slow painful death.

I actually don't really use my GAMEBOY 2DS as a portable system much. I didn't with my PSP either. Because they are not tied to a TV and have a sleep function it is pretty much the best gaming option I have open to me as a parent of 3 small children. At least until they go to bed. :P

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/02/2014 at 10:31pm

"I actually don't really use my GAMEBOY 2DS as a portable system much." Good point and really I just want to use mine not connected to the TV at home too :D

Travis Admin wrote on 01/02/2014 at 11:14pm

I haven't used portable systems outside my house in years either. It's just annoying that the screen is so small for home gaming. Like I want to play the new games but I'd prefer to have them on my TV. I might get a Vita TV instead of an actual Vita because of that.

Timogorgon Member Post Author wrote on 01/03/2014 at 12:31am

I'm pretty happy with the size of the screen on the 2DS. Again, I don't know how it compares to the 3DS but the top screen is quite a bit larger than my DS. Plus with having two screens there's a lot of total screen space to make use of.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/03/2014 at 04:04am

I'm glad to see your review of the 2DS, it entices me to write my own review of the 3DSXL (Zelda Edition) that I recently got. I thought the 2DS a bit odd because it doesn't fold like a normal DS. In your review, you said that fact makes it less portable. Now that I remember, I did put my son's 3DSXL into my pocket and it seemed to be a good fit. After a quick look at your image, it looks like the top screen is bigger than the DS, this seems to be a trait it must have gotten from the 3DS as it's top screen is bigger than the bottom. It looks like the bottom screens are the same size, however. Is that a regular DS or a DSXL?

I'm glad you like the new control stick. I remember when that came out as an add-on. I like it, too, actually. Although, while I played Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon, my thumb started to get sore. However, since I started playing Pokemon X today, I'm not noticing that issue. The control stick does feel smooth.

I also liked the PSP. I got all of the Final Fantasy games for it. I think the biggest issue with the PSP was loading time. I have not decided to upgrade to a Vita.

Back to the DS, I've had one since the original model came out (and it's around here still some where, I think, although I also think a hinge is broken). My son and I also have a DS (the 2nd model) and a DSLite each. I think something happened to my DSLite though as the sound seems to be a bit messed up.

I have not yet played The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, but I do have Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Although I have not yet bought Animal Crossing: A New Leaf, I recommend it or Wild World. I was introduced to Animal Crossing on the Gamecube and fell in love with it. I also have the one for the Wii.

Anyway, I'll keep checking out what you review and say about your 2DS and what games you get into. I've also collected almost all of the Final Fantasy handheld games. The only ones I think I'm missing (for handhelds) is Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Oh, one more, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, which I enjoyed, but my son has lost our copy. =(

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