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The 10 Worst Games Made For The PSP and DS

Posted by Zonk on from the get-thee-from-my-sight-for-you-offend-me dept.

VonSnouty writes "With the DS and PSP now out of their 'early years', handheld specialist Pocket Gamer has taken the innovative approach of warning readers off of the 10 worst games for the PSP released so far, as well as the and 10 worst games for the DS. The latter piece notes that: 'The DS has suffered from as many bad games as its Sony rival. Indeed, according to this unbiased evaluation of the PSP and DS game reviews on MetaCritic, DS has played host to even more dreadful, money-sucking stinkers. The reason? Probably the same things we love the DS for — its unique features, such as the dual-screens and the stylus. A lazy PlayStation 2 port might at least result in a mediocre game on PSP, but DS games done on the cheap are likely to be pure evil.'"

82 comments

  1. Game library size by Sciros · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think the DS also has a more extensive library of games. This almost guarantees that there will be more poorly designed/developed games available for it than for the PSP. It's the same as with the PS2 -- that console has *a lot* of games out for it, so it's much easier (and funnier) to put together a "worst PS2 games" list than a "worst Gamecube games" list or whatever.

    --
    I like basketball!!1!
    1. Re:Game library size by Purity+Of+Essence · · Score: 1
      I think the DS also has a more extensive library of games. This almost guarantees that there will be more poorly designed/developed games available for it than for the PSP.

      I thought so too, but then I had to ask, how come the DS doesn't have a higher number of highly rated games than PSP?
      --
      +0 Meh
    2. Re:Game library size by Sciros · · Score: 1

      Well, for one you have to look at the people giving out the ratings, and see what their relative standards are. A game that scores a 9/10 on PSP might only warrant a 7/10 on the DS if compared to some game that isn't available for PSP (for instance).

      Also, there are only so many good developers out there. Far fewer than there are poor developers.

      But my personal take on it is that in fact, the DS does have more good games than the PSP. I mean, if the PSP has a library to match Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros, Animal Crossing DS, the two Castlevania titles, Wario Ware, Nintendogs, and Metroid Prime Hunters, then I have made a big mistake not getting a PSP ^_^

      --
      I like basketball!!1!
    3. Re:Game library size by dangitman · · Score: 1

      so it's much easier (and funnier) to put together a "worst PS2 games" list

      Link?

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
    4. Re:Game library size by ThePhilips · · Score: 1

      Probably because Sony forced PSP-owners to wait longer for good games? [/sarcasm]

      Most reviews for PSP I have seen - they are all made as if the game in question was for real console. DS is really more portable one. IMHO DS is much more portable than PSP. In some sense, PSP and DS are incomparable.

      My friends have PSP and I have DS. Most PSP games are very spectacular - but do not have that much of "portable" aspect. Most DS games are easy and often fit to fill a 5/10/15 minute gap one might happened to have - regardless of where you are. Pausing game on DS is as easy as closing lid - PSP's "hold" takes more effort. After closing lid, you can put DS in pocket and forget it - that's also plus. By contrast, PSP needs to be put in protective case since its screen is open.

      PSP/its games are cooler. That's for sure. You can play them instead of PC/console-based ones. But I will not give up on my standard Tetris/Meteos/BrainAge/MarioCarts inroad game pack anytime soon. And I do not know any games (and my friends do not have such games) one can easily play underway. Tetris isn't available on PSP for sure - and that's sucks. (In fact for me Tetris was decisive factor in favor of DS.)

      P.S. Also, battery life of PSP suck. My DS is easily pulling 10+ hours. PSP - is 4-6 hours. That again hurts portability. I think Sony made mistake by going with disk media instead of cartridge.

      P.P.S. And DS' touch-screen rules. Brain Age' hand writing stuff rules. Typing WEP128 key into PSP takes lots of patience - on DS' touch screen that just ... easy.

      --
      All hope abandon ye who enter here.
    5. Re:Game library size by ZakuSage · · Score: 1

      PSP actually has a larger game library than DS.

    6. Re:Game library size by creepynut · · Score: 1

      Yes, but the DS also has the entire Game Boy Advance library at it's disposal.

    7. Re:Game library size by 3on3 · · Score: 1

      Because the psp standards are lower.

    8. Re:Game library size by walnutmon · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      I mean, if the PSP has a library to match Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros, Animal Crossing DS, the two Castlevania titles, Wario Ware, Nintendogs, and Metroid Prime Hunters, then I have made a big mistake not getting a PSP ^_^

      I have a DS and not a PSP... Animal crossing and nintendogs? You can continue to weed your village and raise money doing one of the not quite superfluous... uh... three ways of making money in the over-rated Animal Crossing... I haven't played nintendogs, but I am pretty sure that Tomagotchi was mainly played by my female friends when I was in middle school. Sorry, but not EVERY game that gets good reviews is actually good. I just don't think of those games as quality games, as much as I consider them nitch Japanese gayness.

      Please don't quote sales either. I know, they are popular. So were New Kids on the Block.

      --
      You take it, I don't want it...
    9. Re:Game library size by AlexanderDitto · · Score: 1

      Just because a game isn't for you doesn't mean it isn't good. Or, just because you don't like a game doesn't mean it's terrible. In fact, that's the great thing about the DS. There are a LOT of great games for virtually anyone's tastes. I don't think you could say the same thing about the PSP. Don't like FPS games? There are RPGs. Don't like those? How about platformers? Educational games? Racing games? Mini games? Rhythm games?

      You obviously don't like games that require constant care or are centered around the sort of "live in" mentality. That's fine. Doesn't mean there aren't people who do. The only reason I'm not playing Animal Crossing right now is because I know if I did, I probably wouldn't stop for several months, and you'd end up finding me dead on the floor somewhere in a pool of my own feces.

      Of course, there are more games you could add to that list he posted. I'm sure he just typed what came to mind. Most of those are older titles. There are LOTS of great new titles out.

      I think you need to look at these sort of things in percentages. Sure, there are probably more really terrible games out for the DS than the PSP, but what's that percentage compared to really great games? I'd wager it's a much smaller percentage. There are lots of games that are "good" for their niche (though not everyone may like them).

      --
      No, Mr. Green. Communism is just a red herring.
    10. Re:Game library size by walnutmon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      While I accept anyones opinion, the one voice about Animal Crossing, is just wrong.

      You seriously are left in a state of perpetual rent paying, and collecting things through VERY linear means. There is fishing, digging, and catching bugs. You can also plant things. That's it!

      I'm sorry, but the amount of intellect it takes to draw pleasure from such narrow activities, which are all incredibly boring to actually do, is low.

      Want to fish? Click in the water near a fish that will almost always come and bite. Then when the bobber goes down. CLICK AGAIN! You got a boot! A sunfish! A crab!

      It really should say, "you have just wasted your time doing one of the 4 activities of Animal Crossing, please prepare to do the same thing over and over again". And don't give me that "LOL, but every game is the same thing!". No, there are generally the same types of thigns, but different strategies associated with them.

      Your assumption that I don't like the "live in" style of game is so false it is rediculous! I LOVE those kinds of games, that is the number one reason that I hate Animal Crossing! I thought it was going to be a really cool sandbox game, which is exactly the kind of game that I want for the DS. However, to make these simulation "live in" games good, you need depth, and a LOT of it, to make it fun. Depth isn't an endless assortment of fossils or fish, that is something that should be added to the already existing depth of a game, not as the basis for one.

      You took my post as a troll to piss off Animal Crossing fans... My post is not a troll, it is pure objective dislike of a game and all the mindless lemmings who piss away hours of their life enjoying it. Not because I absolutely oppose pissing away hours of life, but because I oppose it when there are so many better options. The DS has good games, Animal Crossing is not one of them.

      Now if you disagree, please, explain to me WHY it is fun, and then maybe I can enjoy it. Wait... You haven't even played it?! I have it sitting right here, and IT SUCKS.

      --
      You take it, I don't want it...
    11. Re:Game library size by hexix · · Score: 1

      I don't know man. I like Animal Crossing. The entire point of the game is just to collect weird things and find rare items. There's no end goal, it's just a nice relaxing game I can play for 10-20 minutes and then put it back down. Having the local animals come up to me and say ridiculous things, or buying some crazy item like a pimp's hat at the store is all I really need to laugh and have a good time during my short play session.

      But yeah, it's not for everyone. People at my work definitely think I'm on crack when I show them Animal Crossing.

      You're correct that the game is pretty simple -- which I enjoy. However, there are some methods to making money or finding rare items that seem to be a pain in the ass to me, but might be enjoyable to someone like yourself. One example is the turnip market. You can buy turnips from a character that only appears every Sunday (I think), and then you can ask Tom Nook (at the town store) every day how much he is buying turnips for. The price will fluctuate, but you can't hold on to your turnips for too long or they'll go bad and be worthless. That's just an example, there's plenty of other things like that which you can read about online. That's actually the stuff that my girlfriend loves to do, so she gets me all the cool shit while I just do the mind-numbingly dull stuff that you mentioned.

      I look forward to you calling me an idiot.

      --
      FiGZ.COM - A waste of perfectly good web space
    12. Re:Game library size by aikouka · · Score: 1

      My friends have PSP and I have DS. Most PSP games are very spectacular - but do not have that much of "portable" aspect. Most DS games are easy and often fit to fill a 5/10/15 minute gap one might happened to have - regardless of where you are. Pausing game on DS is as easy as closing lid - PSP's "hold" takes more effort. After closing lid, you can put DS in pocket and forget it - that's also plus. By contrast, PSP needs to be put in protective case since its screen is open. I can agree that some PSP games are not designed well enough to be portable. Lumines is a great example of this. It's a very good PSP game (the first one, not the second one... stupid hyped up MTV TRL trash), but a single run through on challenge mode (where you unlock a good majority of the skins) can take 40-60 minutes for a decent player! Great for long trips... bad for short trips.

      Also, the hold feature works just fine, but I'm a bit spoiled, because I have a case that my PSP goes into and I can play it in that case (some Mad Catz travel case thing). It makes the system a bit more bulky, but my screen is in perfect condition.

      One thing about the DS, there are touch games that do not cater well toward using a stylus and I do not like touching my screen. This makes me wish Nintendo would've included some screen protectors with the console... at least for the touch screen :). One example of a game like this is Jump Superstars, which was listed in one of the linked articles.

      PSP/its games are cooler. That's for sure. You can play them instead of PC/console-based ones. But I will not give up on my standard Tetris/Meteos/BrainAge/MarioCarts inroad game pack anytime soon. And I do not know any games (and my friends do not have such games) one can easily play underway. Tetris isn't available on PSP for sure - and that's sucks. (In fact for me Tetris was decisive factor in favor of DS.) One thing you get with a PSP is a nice homebrew scene. You can play PS1 games on a PSP or almost any other pre-N64 console with ease. It's actually quite a versatile little system once you get around Sony's manhandling of it ;).

      P.S. Also, battery life of PSP suck. My DS is easily pulling 10+ hours. PSP - is 4-6 hours. That again hurts portability. I think Sony made mistake by going with disk media instead of cartridge. It's really a difficult thing to look back and say it was bad. It really depends on how well they used the disc storage space on the UMD vs how expensive it would've been to manufacture SS devices to hold that same amount of data.

      P.P.S. And DS' touch-screen rules. Brain Age' hand writing stuff rules. Typing WEP128 key into PSP takes lots of patience - on DS' touch screen that just ... easy. I have to admit, Brain Age's writing is the one thing I loved about it. I won't play any other Sudoku game on the DS that doesn't have a proper writing system implemented. Oddly enough, out of all the available games, Brain Age is the only one that has a proper implementation. I remember trying to play one of them (I think Sudoku Mania!) and the game would not recognize a '5' at all. I tried writing '5', 'S', etc and nothing worked.

      Also, you'd only need to use WPA if you didn't have a DS :P. Nintendo dropped the ball on wireless encryption support in that case and made people have to stick with the very insecure WEP protocol. Albeit, it'd still be easier typing in a WPA key on a DS, but let me tell you... it's much easier typing in a passcode on a PSP than 32 hex characters :P.

      Also, I wonder why they included Jump Superstars in that originality article but left out the Japanese PSP Brain Trainer game? It's by the same people that made Brain Age and (just like Jump Superstars) is only available in Japan. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I'd like to :).
    13. Re:Game library size by LKM · · Score: 1

      To you, it sucks. My girlfriend loves it, and I used to play it regularly, too. There's no grand goal (just some smaller things you can achieve). That doesn't bother me. I just liked to "hang out" and relax. Write letters and see how the animals react, try to breed fruit, search for paintings, make clothes, collect music, make stars... There's a lot to do. It did get boring after a few months, but it actually held up longer than most other games I own.

      I missed the Cube's NES games, though.

    14. Re:Game library size by ZakuSage · · Score: 1

      That really has nothing to do with what the grandparent was getting a. If you want to get technical, I can play all Atari 2600 - 7800, Intelivision, Colecovision, NES, Master System, Genesis, SNES, Neo Geo, PS1, Gameboy [Color], Gamegear, Gameboy Advance and more games on my PSP... doesn't really change the fact that left alone the PSP's library is significantly larger than DS', and continuing to grow more rapidly than DS'.

    15. Re:Game library size by trdrstv · · Score: 1
      PSP actually has a larger game library than DS.

      In America, yes. In Japan, no.

    16. Re:Game library size by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And half the DS games in the Japanese market are the different varieties of Nintendogs.

    17. Re:Game library size by yanos · · Score: 1

      I don't think you should say that people are 'pissing away hours of life'. You don't like the game, it's your opinion and, like you, I accept anyones opinion. What makes us 'ticks' is not as easy to explain as you seem to think. I really, really like katamari damacy. I don't know why, it's pure brainless fun. They're ain't no strategy either and it's arguably even more brainless than animal crossing. You just roll your ball of things everywhere. I'm not sure why I like katamary or animal crossing so much (I found it to be the perfect DS game, of all things), but I don't feel like I'm wasting my time playing it. Or not more than when I play video games, in general.

    18. Re:Game library size by ThePhilips · · Score: 1
      One thing you get with a PSP is a nice homebrew scene. You can play PS1 games on a PSP or almost any other pre-N64 console with ease. It's actually quite a versatile little system once you get around Sony's manhandling of it ;).

      Sony politicizing of PSP is one of its biggest minuses. I didn't wanted to end-up with locked down device like their Mylo - potentially powerful, but by Sony's corporate will turned into calculator.

      On other side, DS has no additional capabilities - IOW, nothing Nintendo can be political about. Check the option to automatically load game after power on - and one would never suspect existence of something else on DS (e.g. Picochat - which is funnily enough works. (I used to PC M$-ware with promotional features which stop working next day after launch - so I was really surprised to find inside DS something working w/o game cartridge)).

      Also, you'd only need to use WPA if you didn't have a DS :P. Nintendo dropped the ball on wireless encryption support in that case and made people have to stick with the very insecure WEP protocol. Albeit, it'd still be easier typing in a WPA key on a DS, but let me tell you... it's much easier typing in a passcode on a PSP than 32 hex characters :P.

      But if you happen to have access point which is somehow incompatible with PSP - WPA does not work. That's the case of my friends and their NetGear. WEP sucks - but they were forced to downgrade (and reconfigure everything) to WEP for PSP to connect to internet at all. Update to 2.82/3.0 didn't helped.

      [ Though I liked that games requiring particular firmware version actually had the firmware on UMD bundled. So in a way, WiFi is optional. ]

      I remember trying to play one of them (I think Sudoku Mania!) and the game would not recognize a '5' at all.

      Sudoku Mania didn't made into worst games list just because it sucks so much that nobody recognizes it as a game. More or less everybody who tried it rated it as "unplayable".

      Anyway, I want Sony to allow (probably DRMed) games from MemoryStick (or even to "cache" game on stick) and to have touch screen. With the two, I think PSP would be bearable. And hell, Sony shall go and license Tetris after all. Then I would consider PSP. (Admittedly, even with current feature set, PSP is well worth more than its price - it's just doesn't fit me (and my decade old Tetris addiction) well.)

      P.S. "Lumines". WOW. So PSP has after all normal puzzle games?! I honestly digging thru IGN/GameSpot/GameSpy got tired of all the hyped up 3D crap games with no single decent *user* review. Now, "Lumines" look very interesting to me - but I haven't seen it before, though I have studies complete list of top rated games for PSP. (Actually I know less DS games, for I have stopped right after I have found Tetris.) Thanks for recommendation.

      --
      All hope abandon ye who enter here.
  2. WRONG by Rendo · · Score: 0

    The picture of the DS bleeding is inaccurate. The DS prints money so it bleeds coins. GOD, GET IT RIGHT.

  3. Subjective by pieisgood · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As much as I would like to trust reviews and what people say about games. I can't anymore. Especially since Dark Messiah. 4/10 by some gaming site. I played it my self. It was amazing! Just don't believe what you read, try the games first.

    --
    Eat sleep die
    1. Re:Subjective by rootofevil · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Just don't believe what you read, try the games first.

      doesnt that defeat the purpose of review sites/magazines?

      --
      turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
    2. Re:Subjective by steveo777 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      doesnt that defeat the purpose of review sites/magazines? Exactly.

      You can't read an unbiased opinion in the media these days. The best you will get is to find an editor or two who share your opinion and stick with them. But good luck because it's going to cost you hundreds to find out if you're right. And at $50+ a pop, it's not worth it. The only thing they're good for is showing screen shots or in-game footage. On occasion you can rely on them to tell you how well a game controls.

      The only way to know how well a game will entertain you.. is to play it. So it's borrowing from a friend or renting it before you buy it if you're into that sort of thing. It sucks, but I can't afford to buy more than 3-4 games a year at full price, so if I can't borrow it or at least just know it's going to be good, I probably won't pick it up.

      --
      This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
    3. Re:Subjective by mrmcwn · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Twin brothers, one which always tells the truth and one which always lies.

      One gives the game 4/10 (gaming site) and one gives an 'Amazing' (random slashdot review - no more or less biased at any rate...).

      What one yes-no question could you ask to either one of the brothers to figure out whether or not to play the game?

      I'll be playing backgammon while you ponder that one...

    4. Re:Subjective by stevenvi · · Score: 1

      I wish I had mod points to second that notion.

      My experience was with Jet Moto 3. I absolutely loved the first one, and the second one only made it better. So naturally I assumed the third one must be excellent. Instead it was completely different, and quite stupid. It was made by a different developer than the first two, same route that Guitar Hero seems to be taking...

    5. Re:Subjective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      That's why you read reviews that contain detailed writeups and not just the number. But if everyone is giving it low numbers, then maybe there's just something to it. Even IGN only gave it a 7.

      I played a demo and thought the designers fell so much in love with the Havok physics engine that they forgot to make the actual combat interesting -- even Oblivion's slashfest seems more interesting. And what was it with the spikes everywhere? These evil henchmen need to sic OSHA on their overlord's ass.

    6. Re:Subjective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      but I can't afford to buy more than 3-4 games a year at full price

      Who pays full price for games? Hell, I have to really want a game to even pay $20 for it. Do some research and be creative. Take advantage of clearances and trade-in bonuses. You won't get the absolute newest games, but I have a dozen 360 games and I just got the system in November. My total expenditure in cash on the system was about $150, and another $150 for the games. I also spent another $100 to get enough credit for a Wii and I'm just waiting for the store to have it in stock. Cheapass Gamer is your best friend.

    7. Re:Subjective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's no such thing as an unbiased opinion; those terms are contradictory.

    8. Re:Subjective by Total_Wimp · · Score: 1

      Not necessarily. They can be good entertainment.

      About the DS Version of King Kong:
      A murky horrible mess, imagine if a 50-foot high monkey sat on you and by some quirk you found yourself up his ass. Yes, you'd be lucky you hadn't be killed. But would you call yourself lucky, really? You're up a monkey's ass, man!>

      That's pure magic (sniff).

      But about the ratings. They're useless unless you know something about the reviewer. If you don't know I love FPSs, don't like long storylines, and go gaga over anything "clever", you wouldn't know why I rated anything the way I did. Don't put me down in front of a Final Fantasy title. No matter how much I may try to be objective, I'll ferret out every minor issue and play it up like the game was made by Satan himself. Put me in front of an FPS and I'm likely to give it two thumbs up no matter how boring and repetitive everyone else said it was.

      Every reviewer is like that. They're people. They have likes and dislikes. Start putting some well known names behind the reviews then get to know the reviewer and all of a sudden you'll find there's not such a big problem. It doesn't matter if you think my game taste is idiotic, all that matters is that you know what kinds of things I'm likely to enjoy or hate. If you love Final Fantasy, you will be wary of my RPG reviews. IF you have only a limited tolerance to FPSs, when I gush about that new one you should take it with a grain of salt. Either way, it's a hell of a lot better than seeing 4 out of 10 when you have no idea if the problem was the game or the reviewer.

      TW

    9. Re:Subjective by CheechWizz · · Score: 1

      Maybe the review took into account the horrible bugs it had when shipped. I couldn't play it at an acceptible frame rate till it was patched and to this day I havent been able to get the multiplayer portion of the game working. My machine should be able to handle this game no problems but it still doesn't run as smoothly as any other source title even with all features turned off or low. And I'm not the only one who has had problems with the game, the publishers forums were littered with complaints the day it was released. I do agree with you that the game is great once you finally get it to run decently but I do think reviews should reflect technical difficulties such as these as well.

    10. Re:Subjective by Inner_Child · · Score: 1

      "Which of you would *you* say wrote the 4/10 review?"

      If he always lies, he'll tell the truth, because he will be lying about lying, and if he always tells the truth, then he's telling the truth. Either way, you know which is which now.

      --
      Today is red jello day - all workers must eat all of their red jello. Failure to comply will result in five demerits.
    11. Re:Subjective by Inner_Child · · Score: 1

      Scratch that. Try "Would you say that you wrote the 4/10 review?" If he wrote it, and is telling the truth, he would say yes. If he wrote it, and lies, he would normally say no (a lie), but asking if he would say he wrote it, he would say yes. If he didn't write it, and tells the truth, he would say no. If he didn't write it, and my head hurts now... Thanks a lot.

      --
      Today is red jello day - all workers must eat all of their red jello. Failure to comply will result in five demerits.
    12. Re:Subjective by Vacardo · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't jump in with 2 feet - I also wouldn't go off 'one gaming site' that gives a low score.
       
      It's better in my opinion to go a site like metacritic to get a wider range of reviews and see what pros and cons are consistant between each review.

    13. Re:Subjective by Emetophobe · · Score: 1

      I use http://www.gamerankings.com/ they're way better than those annoying review sites like IGN or Gamespy. They compile the scores from all the various review websites (like IGN or Gamespy) in an easily readable format. It's by far the best site for game reviews, you can see what all the different review sites are saying in one place, and find user reviews, etc..

      See the gamerankings page for Dark Messiah

      Avg Ratio: 74%
          Based On 43 Media Outlets

    14. Re:Subjective by xtracto · · Score: 1

      The best you will get is to find an editor or two who share your opinion and stick with them.

      Nah, the best you can do is to go to one of those review aggregate sites an look at the overall score (like metacritic.com or gamerankings.com ).

      Of course sometimes I just do not understand why people like some kind of games... I got Wario Ware for GBA because It was supposed to be gggrrreat but I really dislike it, I find it to be a half assed game which *I* cold have done using BASICA...

      And now with the wii you have WarioWare smooth moves which has also a really good score and I am sure is as stupid as the other...

      Of course that could be the games that americans play... similarly as the games British play (who the heck likes a "virtual football manager" game? or a "who wants to be a millionarie" game?... well here in britain people buy them like hot cakes)

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    15. Re:Subjective by hexix · · Score: 1

      WarioWare Smooth Moves is definitely just as stupid as the others.

      I really enjoy it.

      --
      FiGZ.COM - A waste of perfectly good web space
    16. Re:Subjective by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      I understand what you're saying, but it depends on how you're defining bias.

      In context, an unbiased opinion is an opinion formed without any external factors influencing the decision beyond the facts. For example, if someone looks at two political candidates, determines that person A is more in tune with their views than person B, and so choses person A their opinion is unbiased, because even though there's a subjective element, their decision making has been made on the basis of the facts available pertinent to the question. If, on the other hand, they pick A because A gave them a bribe, then their choice has nothing to do with the question, and so is biased.

      Bias does not exist without context. In the end, we come down on one side or the other on a variety of issues. Our bias, or ability to withstand it, is determined by how we reached that decision, whether we judged the issue on the basis of the criteria we stated, or whether we judged it on the basis of criteria not relevent to the discussion.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    17. Re:Subjective by steveo777 · · Score: 1
      That's mostly what I was going for with my original comment. It seems like a lot of people will push a game because of how many ads they bought in the current issue of their magazine or on their website. Also, these days great games get crappy reviews and crappy games can get great reviews.

      The thing that really nicks me is that a game can get a bunch of 8's out of 10 for a rating and be absolutely amazing, but just didn't have the media push to give it the 9 it deserved. And 7's and 8's are used far too often. Most likely because editors are afraid of losing status if they give a truly mediocre game the 5 or 6 it deserves.

      --
      This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
  4. DS... by n00854180t · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The DS also has a far greater chance of "bad" games due to improper or poorly thought out use of the touch screen, where as the PSP doesn't need "innovation" or specific concern put to such a feature. Also, games that are classic in style (and thus use the touch screen for maps or something equally lame) might also be judged poorer due to lack of input use of the touch screen.

    1. Re:DS... by ThePhilips · · Score: 2, Informative

      OMG. You do not seem to actually own DS?

      Worst ever feat DS games are trying to pull - is using mic. "Whistle" or even worse "Say that" - followed "try again" hell. By far I found that feature of DS being most terrifying.

      Luckily few games use it by now.

      In contrast, DS touch-screen does miracles. Just check Metroid or Brain Age. E.g. Lost Magic - mage oriented RPG - does uses touch screen for actually drawing a spell on arcane circle to cast it: player really experience all the tire of casting complicated spell ;)

      --
      All hope abandon ye who enter here.
    2. Re:DS... by ucblockhead · · Score: 1

      I don't know that that's entirely true. The PSP suffers a lot from poorly thought out ports from the PS2 that aren't really well designed for the PSP itself.

      --
      The cake is a pie
    3. Re:DS... by n00854180t · · Score: 1

      Yes, I do own a DS (though, not for very long yet). Your mention of the mic is the same exact issue as the one I raised, merely applied to a different piece of the DS "non-standard" (historically, for handheld game systems, at least) hardware. The point is that the fact that the DS has these features at all means that customers will expect games that take advantage of them in interesting ways, and games that don't are given a lesser rating by default.

      Lost Magic is actually quite fun, but it just illustrates my point again. If it instead had used the touch screen merely as a static map, with NO input, the game wouldn't be as well liked/hated (I guess it didn't do as well here due to the requirement of drawing runes quickly in combat, but I think it's excellent).

    4. Re:DS... by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

      Almost no game suffers from a bad control scheme, most games suffer from the cheaply released shovelware syndrome on the DS platform.

  5. No Lunar dragon song by antifoidulus · · Score: 1

    That is the only game for the DS that I just had to put down in disgust. I usually like JRPGs(I bought all the FF remakes for gba and the ds) but it was just so incredibly boring and well stupid. Maybe the game gets more rewarding later on, but I certainly found no value in it.

    --
    Monstar L
    1. Re:No Lunar dragon song by safiel · · Score: 1

      Yea, I second that. I bought the game quite a while ago and hated it so much I sold it on ebay. The whole game was having to put up with one bad thing after another: bad targeting system, loosing life if you ran around on the map. and just when they give you your third character (though they start at level 1) and I start to think the game might pick up they disable your main damage dealer.. that was the final straw for me. Every other game i've picked up for the ds i've liked (though with a few minor complaints here and there), I normally try to do a little bit of research before I buy one, though.

    2. Re:No Lunar dragon song by vertinox · · Score: 1

      Eh. It isn't as much as the game was bad, but the game lasted way too long and was annoying to travel.

      I think I sunk 30 hours in it before I just felt that I really didn't need to spend 10 more to see the ending.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  6. "Best" DS game list by sqlrob · · Score: 1

    The best list for DS linked to from the worse, has one of the worst on it. Children of Mana does not belong on a "best of" list at all, it's repetitive with little depth. I don't know if I'll even bother finishing it.

    1. Re:"Best" DS game list by Rycross · · Score: 1

      Its not worth finishing. I agree with your assessment, its basically repetitive dungeon crawling with a lame plot halfheartedly thrown in there. About the only possible redeeming factor might be the multiplayer, but I haven't had a chance to try that out yet.

    2. Re:"Best" DS game list by rkanodia · · Score: 1

      The multiplayer is absolutely Not Redeeming. Each person needs to have a copy of the game, and then they use a character from one of their own save files. Unless your friend is at approximately the same point in the story that you are, one of you is going to be far more powerful than the other, so one of you will be cowering from all the monsters while the other steamrolls them. So basically you'd need to sit down and just play through the whole damn thing with a friend over the weekend. Renting it from gamefly was a good decision.

      Children of Mana had some cool touches but was ultimately disappointing. Why Square can't just put out a real, honest-to-god sequel to Secret of Mana is beyond me.

    3. Re:"Best" DS game list by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 1

      I'm a mana fan and I'm bored of it by the 4th mission. Square dropped the ball this time that's for sure.

      Basicly it tried to take Dawn of mana amd make it a normal mana game.. instead it became massacres and pinballs.

      I'll finish it for the story but thats about it.

      --
      I like muppets.
    4. Re:"Best" DS game list by PSIRockin · · Score: 1

      Children of Mana is very disappointing, but that's a top ten of 2006- not of all time.

    5. Re:"Best" DS game list by gregtron · · Score: 1

      What, like Tetris?

    6. Re:"Best" DS game list by 7Prime · · Score: 2, Informative

      They did, it's called "Seiken Densetsu 3", only released in Japan... and it is AMAZING. Better than Secret of Mana? Without question. Think Secret of Mana with about 10x the depth, 3 completely different storylines, depending upon who you choose to be in your party, much more flushed-out characters, and a similar, but more in-depth fighting system. I kinda laugh every time I hear about how Secret of Mana is such a classic... sure, it is, but the sequel is so much better, it's bearly even worth talking about. There's fansubs ROMs everywhere, if you want to play a REAL Secret of Mana sequel. Why they haven't released it on the GBA or DS, instead of continually remaking Seiken Densetsu 1 is beyond me.

      --
      Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
    7. Re:"Best" DS game list by sqlrob · · Score: 1

      I've bought more than 10 games this year, and there are easily 10 better than it.

  7. ob by Bastard+of+Subhumani · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    CowboyNeal.

    Whasatyasay? It's not a poll? Like, no way!!!

    --
    Only three things are certain; death, taxes, and apocryphal quotations - Ben Franklin.
  8. hmmm by User+956 · · Score: 1

    The 10 Worst Games Made For The PSP and DS

    Is this roundup accurate? "Daikatana 2: Daikatana Harder, DS Platinum Edition" didn't even make the list.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    1. Re:hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Daikatana 2: Daikatana Harder, DS Platinum Edition"

      Zing. Got any "all your base" jokes to go with that?

      Seriously, John Romero has suffered enough for Daikatana. He's homeless and has contracted Hep-C.

      Wait, what do you mean he hasn't?

    2. Re:hmmm by User+956 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Zing. Got any "all your base" jokes to go with that?

      No. I do have some Duke Nukem Forever jokes, but they're only halfway written. They're sure to be done real soon, though.

      --
      The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    3. Re:hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll bet 3d realms would take argument with that if they weren't so lazy.. Or inefficient, hard to tell which.

  9. The real story: by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Did you look at the ratings they gave these games? There's not a single title with a rating under 2 on either list. The median rating is 4 and the second most common rating is 5. The ten worst games ever made for the PSP and DS put together are typically 40 to 50% good? I think not. If I want inflated ratings, I can just go check out IGNorant.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    1. Re:The real story: by AuMatar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I noticed the same thing. If a game is really one of the 10 worst for a system, it should have a 2 tops. Thats why I don't read gaming mags anymore- the reviews are horrible.

      --
      I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
    2. Re:The real story: by Cornflake917 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I hope this is the last time slashdot posts any articles from this "Pocket Gamer" website. The reviews totally suck ass. If you read the review, they are very unclear about WHY the game sucks. The reviews are all pretty mangled and unorganized. I could write better essays when I was in highschool.

      --
      Abaddon: An Xbox 360 Indie game
    3. Re:The real story: by Wordplay · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think most of these rating systems are from the standpoint that 0% is a total waste of bytes. The thing is that console games don't tend to get published until they're around the 30 or 40% level because of licensing and duplication costs. You see more true stinkers for the PC, where the startup is much lower.

      Same goes for music and movie reviews. By the time you've gone pro, and at least have a professional production job, that's a free 25% or so right there.

    4. Re:The real story: by tepples · · Score: 1

      If a game is really one of the 10 worst for a system, it should have a 2 tops.

      That's true in the PC world. In the console world, it's in the console maker's best interest not to approve titles that make the console look bad.

    5. Re:The real story: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hate to say it but "worst" is relative...your argument that the worst games on the system should not score above a 2 is wrong because the worst game could still be a good game (just not as good as the others).

    6. Re:The real story: by GearType2 · · Score: 1

      I think it was Ebert who had a rant on the star system. But I back him up. Most review sites, and gaming mags only use the number/star system because that's what people expect for quick information and for comparison. For example, maybe all these scores are averaged by judging different areas, maybe's KAzook's sound was entirely bitching, I don't know. But I always read reviews, because generally you can find an *informed* opinion on the game. A good example of this is Gamepro(not their print mag, their online editorals) will give pretty high numbers for some seriously lacking games, but their reviews state otherwise.

  10. How many games have these people played? by Perseid · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A lot of these games aren't that bad. Especially on the DS side. I guess they missed Elf Bowling.

  11. Bad game idea by auroran · · Score: 1

    I can imagine a bad idea for those games. Dance Dance Revolution!
        OOPS.

  12. Lists: The current hot click-generating hype by Kris_J · · Score: 1

    Can we please issue a moratorium on linking to these stupid "Top X" lists? They are simply the current flavour of the moment in pages that get you onto del.icio.us, et al. They are deliberately crap in order to generate controversy.

  13. Where do I sign? by Baikala · · Score: 1

    I agree, this top 10 is for Digg an del.icio.us, Slashdot must differentiate somehow from them, that's what the editors are supposed to be for.

    --
    16,777,216 comments ought to be enough for any forum!
  14. no substance by v1 · · Score: 1

    Although it may be somewhat interesting or entertaining to read those reviews, all they seem to do is trash on the game, insulting it. (you expect the next line to start out something intelligent and informative like "yo momma's so fat that...") Very few details, very shallow on the reasons why we should hate the game. These reviews are more of a rant on how much the author hates the games, rather than why we should feel the same way. Not worth the read unless you are looking for not-so-creative general and unsupported insults.

    --
    I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    1. Re:no substance by Sigma+7 · · Score: 1
      Although it may be somewhat interesting or entertaining to read those reviews, all they seem to do is trash on the game, insulting it. (you expect the next line to start out something intelligent and informative like "yo momma's so fat that...") Very few details, very shallow on the reasons why we should hate the game.


      More often than not, those reviewers are simply looking for the graphics rather than the game.

      If you want to learn how to write or recognize quality reviews for games, you may want to look at the IF Competition. When you read the massive amounts of reviews posted to rec.games.int-fiction, most of them focus on the quality of the writing itself - including missing clues, clues or critical items obscured by excess description, and gameplay bugs.
  15. Burnout Legends was Life-Changing! Sort of. by Vacardo · · Score: 1

    I will admit, buying Burnout: Legends for DS soley on the fact that their home-console predecessors are amazing games, only to get such awful trash, has turned me onto reviewing every single game I wish to buy.

    It really seems like certain game companies are looking to make a quick buck out of the DS and standards of gaming suffer because of that.

  16. No Goldeneye DS? by Glytch · · Score: 1

    It was so bad that I traded it sight-unseen for one of the DS Need for Speed games and didn't regret it.

  17. guilty Gear by Lehk228 · · Score: 1

    pocketgamer can go to hell, Guilty Gear DS is fun, we need more classic style fighter games.

    --
    Snowden and Manning are heroes.
  18. Not just games by Atario · · Score: 1

    I used to have a subscription to some sort of home theater magazine. Their review ratings -- and I am not making this up -- were "on a scale from 75 to 99".

    --
    "A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
  19. Only game I ever returned to the shop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Marvel Nemesis DS.

    Gameplay sample:

    10 punch
    20 goto 10

    After doing this for two hours you might (gasp!) unlock another character to do the exact same thing with.

  20. Tomb Raider DS by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

    I have Tomb Raider DS and I currently play the gamecube version on the wii. The funny thing is I think it is an excellent title on both platforms, the DS version sacrificed the real 3d environments but besides that it is one of the best jump and run titles on the platform, I do not know why everyone hates it. (Probably out of dissapointment due to the alterations) What I really would consider bad on the DS, is the shovelware which has been pushed into the platform mainly the last half year. Basically within half a year you get kiddie franchise game v13 v14 and v15 just to make quick cash. 80% of the titles currently coming out for the DS can be rated into this category, unfortunately, the problem is the cheap production costs basically enforce this situation to a certain degree. Probably the beancounters force some devs to do that within 1-2 months, cheap production, enough idiots buying this stuff (probably for their kids who then do not play it) The shovelware is the biggest problems, not some high profile games which fail sometimes, many of them dont.

  21. Less high-profile 3D games by LKM · · Score: 1

    The DS has less high-profile 3D games. Those are the games that get the good ratings. Fun little time-wasters like Pac Pix, or "non-games" will score lower. It's just a bias which most game reviewers have.

  22. Not every game is for every person by LKM · · Score: 1

    (I own both a DS and a PSP)

    Animal Crossing is one of these love/hate games. Americans mostly seem to hate it, while the Japanese seem to love it. The fact that you don't like it doesn't mean that it's a bad game. Just means that it's not for you.

    Nintendogs is a great game, by the way. I played this for hours a day when it came out. Same applies to Animal Crossing, for that matter. Both very good games, but both not suited for everyone.

  23. ZING! by LKM · · Score: 1

    and I fully agree. The only issue is that multiplayer mode needs to be unlocked. Fortunately, I unlocked it when I quickly wanted to see how the game works, and inadvertently played it for four hours.

  24. I find it kind of funny... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...that for all the talk of innovation on the DS, when pressed for the awesome games of the DS they're almost all straightforward sequels, except for Nintendogs and the Kirby title.

    I own a DS (and a PSP for that matter), but I get sick of the stupid fanboyism that leads to people calling everything released on the PSP "just a port" while they cream their pants over another Mario Kart/SMB/Catlevania with a tacked-on touch interface like it's some new invention. Get over yourself and just enjoy your game system.