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Japanese DS Game Substantially Different Than US?

Posted by Zonk on from the betting-on-american-consumerism dept.

Eurogamer has the story that the Nintendo DS title Mr. Driller may have a very different feature set in the US and Japan. From the article: "According to widespread reports - which we've been unable to confirm as we haven't got a copy of either version - the Japanese version allows players to engage in various multiplayer battles in groups of up to four players using just one of the DS's game cards, whereas the US version requires multiple copies to achieve the same result." Interesting, if cynical, decision.

64 comments

  1. Why? by Worminater · · Score: 1

    Would this be based on comparison of economies int he wto countries? I know that I would be slightly annoyed if it was available in japan and not here as a feature, as thats a pretty darn cool feature...

    1. Re:Why? by antifoidulus · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The games don't have region codes, so provided you can locate an import copy and don't mind reading Japanese, you can do this as well.

      --
      Monstar L
    2. Re:Why? by Jahf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It wouldn't be the first time and I don't think it is a decision based on the economies of the 2 regions (as in one country not being able to afford as many games). I do think that you are close in that this is likely a socio-economic decions (as in the social norms of each country determining which policy is more economically sound).

      In Japan people are more social players ... in other words, it isn't going to look "weird" to see a number of young adults playing together on DS systems in a public gathering place. Therefore the inclusion of a mode where you only need 1 cartridge to play will drive sales of the base unit.

      In the U.S. we have far less focus on social gaming and are willing toi pay out the nose for games ... therefore there is little if any advantage to "giving away" the multi-player game since someone who wants to play a GBDS game will likely already have a GBDS. In other words, the impetus to buy the system in Japan is driven by a social desire while in the U.S. it appears to be a more -antisocial- behaviour since we in the U.S. often use such devices to exclude ourselves and "create space". I know I use it that way on a plane as do many others (though if I could wirelessly game on a plane with the kid a few rows up without us both having to own the cart, I would be quite likely too ... I think the U.S. antisocial playing style is often because vendors assume we aren't social players).

      Note that I am not saying -no one- plays multiplayer games ... my wife and I have GBAs to play multiplayer and having to buy 2 games usually keeps us from doing so. That's a lot of dough in the end when we could just buy 2 different carts and swap them.

      And for those U.S. players who say "hey! I play socially" / "I wish I could play socially, it's not my fault" ... I agree with you ... but looking at the styles of multiplayer gaming here compared to Asia it doesn't change the fact that it is less of a culture here.

      However, as others mentioned there is apparently a missing game -mode- in the U.S. version ... if this were true I would think that to be a bad decision since the U.S. version is obviously willing to pay a premium to get multiplayer.

      I am making a guess here ... purely a guess ... but is it possible that the ratio of the price of the console to the price of game carts is higher in Japan than the U.S.? I am talking about the ratio of console:carts not the direct price of the console in Yen to the price of the console in U.$. If not, then I assume that the Japanese market must by a lot more games in total than the U.S. market does (# of carts, not cost of carts).

      --
      It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
    3. Re:Why? by Mr.+Hankey · · Score: 1

      From what I've seen in general, consoles tend to cost about the same amount and the games seem to cost a bit more in Japan. Japanese kids don't seem to be that much different when it comes to playing games either, if my nephews are any indication. The difference seems to be in how much return a gaming company expects out of a given market.

      Japanese gaming companies seem to treat their home country as a sort of testing grounds for products before they get shipped off to other countries. Some of the games will obviously never make it over here. One example from a Japanese arcade which stuck out particularly to me: A dog-walking game consisting of a treadmill and a screen showing the dog running around in front of you. Quite humorous to watch someone play, and possibly interesting for those who don't have the space to keep a dog. Not likely to get much interest in the US though.

      --
      GPL: Free as in will
  2. oh geez by Naikrovek · · Score: 1, Informative

    that's not a DS thing, that's a game thing.

    I have a DS, and YES it is capable of playing four player games with just one gamecard. if its not available in the US version, that's the game publisher's intention, its not a DS difference.

    all DSs can play 4 player games with one game card, if the game supports it.

    1. Re:oh geez by nukem1999 · · Score: 1

      You may want to re-read that headline.
      Japanese DS Game Substantially Different Than US?

    2. Re:oh geez by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which Game are they referring to?

      Or is that to read Games.

      I wonder.

    3. Re:oh geez by gl4ss · · Score: 4, Funny

      for having so low uid you're certainly fast to complain about something that was not even implied in the writeup.

      it says pretty clear that it seems like that particular _game_(not console) is missing that functionality in it's us released form.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    4. Re:oh geez by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd say RTFA, but you don't even have to do that. Read the topic, it's all presented in clear english.

    5. Re:oh geez by jpatters · · Score: 1

      what makes you think that a low uid makes one less likely to jump to wrong conclusions?

      --
      "Remember, there never were pineapple-almond cookies here."
    6. Re:oh geez by Dizzle · · Score: 1

      Wisdom, oh wise low uid. Wisdom.

      --
      -Dizzle
      "I most likely AM so interested in myself."
    7. Re:oh geez by koi88 · · Score: 1


      what makes you think that a low uid makes one less likely to jump to wrong conclusions?

      Is that you, grampa?

      --

      I don't need a signature.
    8. Re:oh geez by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously, do you guys have bots that constantly trawl Slashdot looking for references to low uids that you can reply to?

    9. Re:oh geez by jpatters · · Score: 1

      No, nothing as kiborific as that. I just stumbled on it, really.

      --
      "Remember, there never were pineapple-almond cookies here."
  3. It's True by vitaflo · · Score: 4, Informative

    In the Japanese version there is "download play" with a single cart (so only one person needs to have the game and the rest of the people download a copy to their DS to play along in multi-play). Whereas with the US version each player needs their own copy of the game to join into a multi-play session.

    The Japanese version also includes Dristone Mode, which isn't in the US version either (it's a modified version of single player with slightly different rules). Given that DS games are region-free, if anyone is seriously interested in the game, it might be better to import it.

    1. Re:It's True by Have+Blue · · Score: 1

      Download mode is *supported* in the US version- I see it in the main menu when I turn on the DS. It really is up to the individual games, not the DS itself.

    2. Re:It's True by n0wak · · Score: 1

      Missing the point. It's HARDWARE supported, but it's dependent on the software to use it. The Japanese Mr. Driller game SOFTWARE supports the HARDWARE by allowing download play off of ONE CART, but the N.American release doesn't, requiring multi-cart link play. It's a software decisions -- and a stupid one -- not a hardware problem. Geez.

  4. Good thing the NDS is region free! by Wyrmw00d · · Score: 2, Informative

    But a bad thing I don't read Japanese. I'll own both so that i can have the US version on standby for translation and everyone else can crowd over it so we know what's going on... Or maybe I'll just skip Mr. Driller for the likes of Metroid Prime:First Hunt.

  5. bull-ony by usernotfound · · Score: 0

    sounds like more crap we're giving ourselves about "fair use" and whatnot.

    if you want to feel really cheated, there are MANY different examples of the japs have 3x better technology in the commonplace than us. i read something about a year ago about how almost all cellphones in japan are color screen and camera built in. at that time we had them as an option, but it was like 15% of our market, wheras b/c they are 95% over there, it's much cheaper for them. and oh yes, minidisc actually caught on over there...*knocks stack of MD's off desk*

    --
    You call it excessive, I call it ambitious.
    1. Re:bull-ony by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

      Damn this is no surprise. U.S have always lagged behind. Look at gran turismo all the cars are in Japanese names. So many Japanese version of the games are better than the American counterparts with more secrets etc. They got cooler stereo parts, cars, cellphones. I heard some part of Japan even have fibre-channel connections at home.

      This is what happens in a country where we spend all our money on ludicrous taxes, mortgages, insurance bills. We're left to buy everything we need at walmart.

    2. Re:bull-ony by NotAPirate · · Score: 1
      We're left to buy everything we need at walmart.
      Stop taking 3 baskets at a time. It makes my job harder, damnit.
    3. Re:bull-ony by DAldredge · · Score: 1

      Please look up what fibre-channel is before you post again

    4. Re:bull-ony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Haha! That is funny DAldredge telling people to look something up before they post again. Damn, DAldredge, you spew more BS than everyone else on this site combined! You really shouldn't be one to talk.

    5. Re:bull-ony by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

      Is this a real post or an advertisement for slashdotemail@gmail.com?

    6. Re:bull-ony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can always tell a hick from his usage of the word "Jap."

      That, and the missing teeth.

    7. Re:bull-ony by Dwedit · · Score: 2, Interesting

      There have been a couple times where US and Europe get a superior game while Japan gets shafted with an inferior version. See Maniac Mansion and Battletoads.

      The Japanese version of battletoads had the difficulty level toned down by a large factor, while the US version of Maniac Mansion was a superior rewrite.

    8. Re:bull-ony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Both of the games you mention were anomalies, due to the fact that they were both Western-developed. They were then localized for Japan, so the dev stage for the Japanese was longer. That implies that all of the changes were more likely the result of deliberation than time constraints. To think about it going in the reverse direction (as it affects Western gamers), Capcom's Dreamcast fighting games with online vs. mode in the Japanese versions all lacked online vs. mode in the U.S. versions. That decision was deliberate.

      With Drill Spirits, time constraints reportedly forced the release that had to be finalized first (U.S.) to lack features included in the release that had a longer development stage (JP). Was this decision deliberate? Namco Hometek claims that it wasn't, although there are compelling reasons that would explain if it was. I'll leave these reasons as an exercise for the reader.

    9. Re:bull-ony by n0wak · · Score: 1

      Wow. Japanese game has prominently Japanese car licenses? STOP THE PRESSES.

      "ludicrous taxes" ?

      Perhaps you should visit, um, Japan or Canada or pretty much all of Europe.

    10. Re:bull-ony by DAldredge · · Score: 1

      It is a real post. Do you know what fibre channel is and what it is used for?

      Hint - it ain't a last mile solution.

    11. Re:bull-ony by badasscat · · Score: 2, Informative

      Damn this is no surprise. U.S have always lagged behind. Look at gran turismo all the cars are in Japanese names. So many Japanese version of the games are better than the American counterparts with more secrets etc.

      Er... you mean the US lags behind because they drive different cars in Japan or what? The cars in GT have Japanese names generally because they're not available here (the Mazda Demio and Nissan Skyline GTR, for two examples). The game itself is the same as the Japanese release, though.

      Many games these days are actually improved when they're brought over here - a big switch from the old days of just a few years ago. For example, every Final Fantasy game since VII has had extra monsters and side-quests in the US release (the US release then later being re-released in Japan as "FF(n) International").

      Japanese game development in general isn't what it used to be, though, so the days when you'd have all these deserving little niche titles either left in Japan or brought over here in bastardized form are pretty much over. Today, games are usually produced for a worldwide audience and most deserving games are brought over either intact or with new additions and improvements.

      So to me, it seems like this Mr. Driller thing is just an abberation. We'll see if it's some sort of nefarious plot by Nintendo to get Americans to buy more games, but if so they'll be kicking themselves for not region locking the system because it'll turn into an importer's dream. There hasn't been a real major must-import-for system since the Saturn (and to a lesser extent the PS1), but if Nintendo starts pressuring developers to make alterations like this in the name of profits, the DS will become the next importer system pretty quickly.

      This is what happens in a country where we spend all our money on ludicrous taxes, mortgages, insurance bills.

      I don't even know where to start with this one! Taxes are higher in Japan, having a mortage means you're putting money into a home (which is generally a good thing, and btw, they have mortgages in Japan too), and insurance is more expensive in Japan as well. (If you mean health insurance, they pay for it just like we do, the difference is that it's required to have by law and it only covers about 70% of hospital expenses. Imagine if that were true here! Unemployed or poor people do get cheap rates through the government, though.)

      I heard some part of Japan even have fibre-channel connections at home.

      Got it here too.

      Honestly, the weird thing about Japan's internet access is that while they supposedly have this huge broadband penetration, it's tough to find anybody that actually uses it. All the statistics I've seen talk about the number of "lines", not the number of subscribers... I've always wondered if they just call an ADSL-capable phone line a "broadband line" and then count that in to pad the stats. I know probably 30 people over there and not one of them uses broadband - in fact most of them access the net exclusively from their cell phones.

      Anyway, this is all by way of saying that there's this perception of Japan in some parts of the west as this mythical place of Star Trek-like electronic toys that we don't get to have or that cost a lot more here (the opposite is usually true). And this DS story sort of just perpetuates that myth. It's just one game, after all. I mean they get pissed off too that they have to wait a year after our Final Fantasy releases to play the final version of the game. The grass is always greener on the other side.

      (Notwithstanding my sig homage to Puffy...)

    12. Re:bull-ony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your forgetting the box art that they bring over is always wayyyy worse than the japanese box art. Also the soundtracks are changed. Look at Jet Grind Radio for dreamcast. It was originally called jet set radio and had an entirely different cover art that was way better. (Also it didn't have the localized soundtrack featuring such overplayed crap as rob zombie dragula that totally clashed with everything in the game.) This is just one of trillions of examples of how the games are censored, changed and mulilated. Look at metal slug. They use milk instead of blood in the us versions.

      Its more of an abberation when the games are improved. When the games are localized here the box art is destroyed the translations are destroyed. In Unjammer Lammy the title character went to hell but that was entirely out of the final american version.

      If I could go further I would conjecture its partially because women of american society look down on anime and videogames and consider it just for kids. Thats why they blame videogames for the Columbine tragedy, instead of bad parenting.

      I don't really blame japan for giving us the shaft. We are an immature country.

      Actually who are mainly to blame are the morons who localize these games to begin with. You know these induhviduals don't give a rats ass about videogames and only care about the bottom line. Blinding them to quality and artistic integrity.

  6. Not only is it missing download play... by Gunsmithy · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...but also, apparently an entire mode.

    Dristone/Drillstone mode is a sort of RPG mode, and I guess the US version doesn't have it--Namco did reply to an inquiry about the exclusion of some features here.

    "We didn't have the time to implement the some elements/features in order to make the DS launch date in North America,"

    Which is kind of funny, as they launched simultaneously.

    --
    Kids these days. They don't know the difference between classic, and just plain old.
    1. Re:Not only is it missing download play... by rhpot1991 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually the NA launch was 2 or so weeks before the Japan launch.

    2. Re:Not only is it missing download play... by Westacular · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But Mr Driller DS was not released at the NA DS launch.

      However, apparently because of mastering/shipping issues, the deadline for Namco to submit a master copy of Mr Driller DS to manufacturing was roughly two weeks earlier for the NA version than it was for the JPN version.

    3. Re:Not only is it missing download play... by rhpot1991 · · Score: 1

      I stand corrected.

    4. Re:Not only is it missing download play... by Gunsmithy · · Score: 1

      That's alright, it's easy to misconstrue. Of course, the idea that they could code in two extra modes in two weeks is sort of ludicrous.

      And what about the fact the "detect other DS's" is taken out of the US DS? :P

      --
      Kids these days. They don't know the difference between classic, and just plain old.
    5. Re:Not only is it missing download play... by rhpot1991 · · Score: 1

      I am willing to bet they figured they could sell more in NA w/ xmas coming up and all and the need for a game for each player would boost sales. The sad part is that most companies will force everyone to own the game in order to play, if I recall correctly there were quite a few gameboy/advanced games that could play multiplayer off of one cart, but those games are nothing compared to the amount of games that requited a cart for each player. Pure and simple more money is made when everyone owns the game. There is also a much better group of launch games to compete with in Japan, compared to the NA launch, they got other games such as Wario Ware (which has been the highest rated launch title for any region)

    6. Re:Not only is it missing download play... by esswedl · · Score: 1

      In the case of the GBA, I believe that part of the reason there are so many more multi-cart multiplayer games than single-cart multiplayer games is a tradeoff with quality. I've played Advance Wars 2 with a single cartridge on two linked GBAs, and the result was less than satisfying--the game was significantly less sophisticated than the single player version, without any of the battle animations, a very limited choice of maps, poor map animation, and a much less complex game (no cities, so no capturing, no producing new units--all units are pre-placed and you don't get any new ones during the course of the game). I'm guessing that the low quality of the single-cart multiplayer was due to the amount of data that the hosting GBA was required to send to the linked GBA through the cable. Sending enough data for the full game experience to the GBA without the game cartridge may take a prohibitive amount of time, so the developers elected for a simpler game.

      I'll bet that if you were to play this game in multi-cart mode, the experience would be vastly improved.

      I'm also sure that part of the reason games require multiple cartridges for multiplayer is to spur sales of cartridges. In the case of the GBA, however, I believe that it is also a technical concern.

      On the DS, though, it might be that the profits aspect is more of an influence than technology limitations.

    7. Re:Not only is it missing download play... by rhpot1991 · · Score: 1

      The DS has a significantly larger amount of ram that the game can be loaded from compared to the gba, which is why you noticed such a difference in quality with the gba. This problem should no longer exist in the DS unless it is a very advanced game as the ds has 4 megs of ram to load the game into via the wireless connection. Being that both games apparently run the same and the hardware(ds) is exactly the same, I can be confident that the gaming quality was not part of the reason to make the games different.

  7. What about the music? by davidbrit2 · · Score: 1

    Does the import Drill Spirits have such abysmal audio, or is this just a really crummy translation/dub? The voice acting is quite bad, and the ending song is an absolute disaster.

    Good thing I've already got Mr. Driller Ace for the GBA, which has Drill Stone ("Wonderful Pacteria" in that version), single cart multiplayer, and not-sucky audio. Heh.

    Don't get me wrong, Drill Sprits isn't a bad game. It's just got a couple flaws that will keep it from being a best-seller.

  8. blech by krudler · · Score: 1, Interesting

    So what's this saying? Americans are suckers and would pay extra for "functionality" while its rubbed in our face that the functionality is not only possible but available to other people.

    I'm sick of getting screwed over for games and technologies. If this is the greatest country in the world, why does our technology suck so hard? Why do we let companies screw us?

    1. Re:blech by TychoCelchuuu · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why do we let companies screw us? Because the rich people don't care and the poor people are stupid. Okay, that's over generalizing. But the majority of game players don't really mind because they don't know what they're missing. Unless a large outcry is raised nobody will ever really know.

      --
      Against stupidity the Gods themselves contend in vain.
    2. Re:blech by servognome · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But the majority of game players don't really mind because they don't know what they're missing. Unless a large outcry is raised nobody will ever really know.
      Why do you think you got "screwed" because the version in a different country has different features? Nintendo didn't advertise the feature and not deliver it. When you buy a product you decide if it has enough features to warrant the price you pay. If you decide yes you buy it, if you decide no you don't.
      This is like the kid whining after he gets a new bike, because the neighbor got a better one.

      --
      D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73
    3. Re:blech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sick of getting screwed over for games and technologies. If this is the greatest country in the world, why does our technology suck so hard? Why do we let companies screw us?

      What makes you assume that this is the greatest country in the world? I was born and raised in the U.S., and have traveled abroad numerous times. Yet I'm not even 100% convinced that the U.S. is the greatest country in North America (though I am biased to think so most of the time).

      "Our technology?" First of all, the Nintendo DS is a Japanese-developed handheld gaming system, and "our technology" has little to do with it. If anything, I am fairly sure that the majority of the components used to develop the Nintendo DS were American in origin.

      Second, the technological advancement of the U.S. and the unavailability of a game feature are totally unrelated. The DS launched here first, and for whatever reason, Namco Hometek (the American subsidiary of Namco that is somewhat disliked by American players of Namco games) didn't implement a game mode and a network feature. So what? They throw up a brick in the first play of the game, and you're ready to blame the coach?

      Since you're likely far removed from the rare cosmopolitan gamer that knows how things actually work, I'll point out that the Japanese almost always receive Japanese games first. (Yes, domestic gamer n00bs, there are exceptions, including occasions when Japanese-made games are never released in Japan.) These first versions, when released abroad (meaning here in the U.S. and other countries) often receive game enhancements. And you know what? That's exactly what's happened here, only it's the Japanese version that's receiving the enhancements, seeing as how the development stage was longer for that version as opposed to the typical reverse scenario.

    4. Re:blech by G-funk · · Score: 1

      This is like the kid whining after he gets a new bike, because the neighbor got a better one.

      That's the american way. It doesn't matter if you got what you paid for, if somebody else gets more, you want more!

      --
      Send lawyers, guns, and money!
    5. Re:blech by OldManScripter · · Score: 1

      I don't think this is simply a case of whining about someone else getting something better. Its more about US players having to spend 4 times as much* in order to play with the same amount of players as in Japan. *(4x is an approximation as I did not check into the prices of either but I'm assuming them to be roughly the same)

    6. Re:blech by gnovos · · Score: 1

      This is like the kid whining after he gets a new bike, because the neighbor got a better one.

      I don't know... If the kid had to pay for the bike, and both of the bikes came from the same guy, and it looked an aweful lot like the guy was taking advantage of you because he knew thinks you are more gullible than the other kid...

      --
      "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
    7. Re:blech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because the US is, in fact, the greatest country in the world.

  9. Perhaps the multiplayer thing is just a hack? by jayhawk88 · · Score: 0

    Nintendo Gameboy titles that allow multiplayer have almost always required all players to have copies of the game to play with each other, haven't they? I find it hard to believe they would change this policy and (In their eyes presumably) cheat themselves out of a lot of cartridge sales, JP or NA.

    1. Re:Perhaps the multiplayer thing is just a hack? by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 1

      The Gameboy Advance can do one-cart multiplayer (it was a selling point at one point IIRC), but it only has a small amount of memory (128kb IIRC) to store the game, so big games can't use it, unless they cut down features. (Mario Kart only has a few tracks available for example).

      The DS apparently has more RAM to use for one-cart multiplayer, but I'd imagine that could be filled up by games.

      --
      10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
      20 GOTO 10
    2. Re:Perhaps the multiplayer thing is just a hack? by Dwedit · · Score: 1

      The GBA has 256k of EWRAM available for multibooting games. Maybe a game could try to sqeeze a tad more content into the other memory regions, but it's not likely.

    3. Re:Perhaps the multiplayer thing is just a hack? by Asmor · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually, while I was on vacation in Tokyo I picked up Mr. Driller Ace for the GBA (GBA has no territory lock. Yay!) and it allows you to download the game to connected GBAs as well. Several GBA games do this.

  10. There are a few single-pack multiplayer games... by wikthemighty · · Score: 1

    ...for the GBA, even if the gameplay was limited.

    Two examples would be Super Mario Cart (limited set of tracks with one cart) and any of the Super Mario Advance games (Mario Bros. VS single cart, could play it co-op with multiple carts...)

    I was very surprised to see so many of the first wave of DS releases requiring multiple carts, I figured they would have had a few games multi-play with a single cart to entice people to buy into the system early (and to show off the DS's multiplayer capibilities.)

    --
    "There are people who do not love their fellow human being, and I _hate_ people like that!" - Tom Lehrer
  11. No, starting with GBA. by JimTheta · · Score: 4, Informative

    The GBA has a number of titles that can be link-played with only one cartridge. Usually, you can only play mini-games or other small features this way.

    For instance, in my Kirby & the Amazing Mirror game (which rocks by the way), there are 3 mini-games that can be played up to 4 player with only one cart.

    You can also play the main game with 4 players, but for that each player needs a cart, which makes sense, as each player can explore the whole game world simultaneously. The slave GBAs would need to load pretty much the whole game world off of the master, or at least a sub-world at a time.

    I can't think of any other games that can link without more carts, but I know I've read about some in the past. I believe some of the Mario ones, and perhaps the Zelda one.

    -Grant

    --
    My stupid web site
    1. Re:No, starting with GBA. by Randar+the+Lava+Liza · · Score: 1

      one of the best ones you can do it with is Advance Wars 1 & 2. For a great, full list check out IGN's list of Multiboot Games.

      --
      Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. - Anais Nin
  12. Most importantly... by igorthefiend · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does it still go "Mistah Drilah!" when you turn it on like the Dreamcast one did? If not, I'm not buying, whatever region. ;)

    1. Re:Most importantly... by Frizzle+Fry · · Score: 1

      The dreamcast mr. driller was awesome beyond words. The astoundingly large number of hours I spent on that game, which I picked up when it was new for around $25, more than makes up for all the games I've bought that I didn't like and never played.

      --
      I'd rather be lucky than good.
    2. Re:Most importantly... by funkmastermike · · Score: 1

      Seriously. That was the best part of the game. I then shut it off after hearing it.

  13. Scarcity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Also, the initial stock of the mr driller carts for the US version is split between the US and europe. Namco has said that they dont plan on making a second stock if this first English language one runs out.

    sort of a catch-22, limited stock yet more carts are required to play multiplayer. I'm now sold on buying the import version....

  14. Off-topic grammar rant by unitron · · Score: 1
    "Japanese DS Game Substantially Different Than US?"

    Well, no, but it might be substantially different from...

    --

    I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.

    1. Re:Off-topic grammar rant by Haeleth · · Score: 1

      Bad news - "different than" is an acceptable usage in American English. "Different to" has a similar status in British English. "Different from" is required in formal written English, but that's not what Slashdot uses.

      If you want to nitpick the title, try the point that it's fairly obvious that a video game is going to be easily distinguishable from the United States of America. (Adding "Version" to the end of the sentence would resolve that little ambiguity.)

  15. Was there really limited stock? by igorthefiend · · Score: 1

    I had no problem sourcing one from Tronix at the end of last week, while Videogamesplus told me they weren't expecting any. Being in the UK, I don't know - did US people find it hard to get a copy?

  16. Error: Article title too long by tepples · · Score: 1

    Adding "Version" to the end of the sentence would resolve that little ambiguity.

    You have every right to make your own web site where Slashcode is reconfigured to permit longer article titles.