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Modojo Special Report: The State of DS Homebrew
Written by Cody Musser on Friday, August 11, 2006
We take an in-depth look at what's hot in Nintendo DS emulators, indie games, and custom applications...
...Continued From Page 3 Any emulator or port can get old after a while, as many of these aren't supporting the hardware to its fullest, and offer games that just aren't as interesting as new and impressive titles. The DS is no exception to this rule, and luckily, developers are embracing the many features of the DS and creating impressive new titles within the homebrew scene.
Homebrew independent development is one of the best reasons to finally make the leap in to the homebrew scene, and there are many reasons why. Indie developers are often making their first games, trying to break out into the gaming world, and supporting the little guy is always fun. Developers for the DS have also quickly taken hold of many of the systems ideals and are offering titles than not only make full use of the DS' features, but are as unique and original as the DS titles we've grown to love. A system like the DS can truly flourish with indie development. As often as you can think of a new and wonderful idea for a creative use of the DS, someone out there will likely be already developing it. Some of the many titles being developed include:
Touch Me (I'm Famous)
Touch Me (I'm Famous) is a combination of a shooting and rhythm game that includes some dreamy 2D graphics and enemies a certain plumber in red has grown very familiar with. The game is played while holding the DS vertically, similar to Brain Age and players tap enemies with the stylus according to the beat of the background music.
Explosive Gas
Explosive Gas is what Bomberman DS should have been. Players circle around an arena dropping flaming bottles of alcohol to set their opponents ablaze. The size and number of your Molotov cocktails can grow by picking up the power-ups scattered throughout the arena. The game offers WiFi support to take the battles online.
MegaETK DS
MegaETK is a title still early in development, but the creator is putting a lot of effort into squashing all the bugs that appear. Expect MegaETK to offer some interesting 2D gameplay in the same vein as Megaman. Now that I say it, they look kind of similar.
A Touch of War
A Touch of War is a real-time strategy game being developed for the DS by the same developer as Explosive Gas. Throughout the development features including improved 2D graphics, WiFi support, microphone support, and a new soundtrack have all been added. Not to mention it's been given the Neil Millstone seal of approval!
No Place to Hide!
My personal favorite of all the independent games I encountered is definitely No Place to Hide! The game is a collection of ten mini-games varying from a Zelda clone to a Dance Dance Revolution style game featuring none other than Jesus himself. With many other creative games and WiFi support that showcases the games high scores on the developer's website, this title is as impressive as anything I've seen on the DS, and as outrageously creative to boot.
These are just a few of the independent titles for the DS, and many more can be found by a quick search. The variety of indie titles is truly staggering, and there are even titles similar to Brain Age being developed. Nintendo's Touch Generations line-up could finally have some competition. The only negative aspect to independent titles is waiting for a release that isn't filled with bugs. These games are often being developed by a small team, or even just one person, and the work can be slow and difficult. If you're going to enjoy homebrew titles such as these make sure to have an open mind, and embrace the good, while not condemning them for the bad.
posted August 12, 2006