Battles of Prince of Persia Comments by John Walker

What a shame :(

I know this game was shit .... Ubi shouldnt have done that to the prince ... :(

So many shit DS games recently, King Kong, Burnout etc all from the 3rd parties, while the decent ones are surprise surprise from Nintendo, I knew that would happen and I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens with the Rev.

Don't be a tosser. There are many brilliant games from 3rd parties. It's christmas time so, surprise, surprise, there's loads of crap games released in the hope that some parent buys it on the off chance. It's happenend on every format ever and will happen until gaming disappears up it's on arse.

Good 3rd party games?

Sonic Rush, Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, Viewtiful Joe Double Trouble, Pheonix Wright, Trauma Center and Castlevania to name but a few.

I'm a tosser right because I've said that the 3rd parties are being crap on the DS? Well look I can only comment on the games that i've played, so out of your list I've only played Sonic and Castlevania both which I found dissapointing. And all I was trying to point out is that the most of the crap games on the DS are from the 3rd parties while the good ones are from Nintendo, you know the ones that actually use the features well rather then having 'Touch the screen to start'

The excuse of it's xmas so let's put any old crap out 'cos it'll sell, is true, but the DS seems to be suffering heavily as a result, more so then any other format.

The truth is very few 3rd party devs don't have a clue on how to use the DS properly, so far only Nintendo just about seem to, it's all very good and well all these 3rd parties annoucing support but if these games are nearly all crap then why bother?

"...but they can never hold a candle to Anna Lawrence."

We demand pictures!

:P

Well most crap games on any console come from 3rd parties, so what's you point?

Of course Nintendo are producing good games for the console they produced. They want people to buy the console so, to stimulate demand, they spend a lot of time and energy creating good games.

But your post says that 3rd parties aren't creating good games for the DS which just isn't true.

The ratio of good-bad games on any format, always weighs in favour on the bad side. Look at the PS2 or the GBA platforms more games then you actually need but most of them are crap mainly from the 3rd parties, that's always going to be the case for a number of reasons, the obvious one being 3rd parties outnumber 1st parties so thier collective output is higher so will the collective output of shit games.

But despite this I've found many great 3rd party games on all my platforms, PS2/GC/GBA/XBOX in fact the majority of games I have for my Cube are 3rd parties aside from MP2/TLOZTWW and this is a format which I've been told should only be used for exclusives from Nintendo or shock horror the 3rd parties i.e. Resi.

My point is with the DS I've yet to see the killer 3rd party app that makes me want to buy the console (if I didn't already own one) I like to play 3rd party games as well, not just Ninty ones, the DS just seems to lack any killer ones at the moment, which is dissapointing.

Nintendo will always make great games on any of thier platforms granted, that's because they know thier own hardware well, is it to much to ask that 3rd parties care about the quailty of thier games as much as Ninty do?

So many shit DS games recently

Strange, i've yet to see a single decent psp game.

Nintendo will always make great games on any of thier platforms granted

That's because nintendo are the best games developers in the world. There cant be many who make games who cant claim they havent learned something from nintendo.

One of the reasons people dont make games for nintendo platforms is they know they cant compete with nintendos high quality. Who's going to try to release a karting game for the ds now, for example?

One good reason for the DS having such a solid start is that all the shite-meisters stayed away, thinking the DS was going to be a dud and the PSP a sure-fire cash-in. This simply left all the good stuff to stand out. Now that the DS is a success, the shite-meisters are steaming in with their poo-ware in order to grab what cash they missed out on. I wonder how many pet games we can expect within 6 months.

Anyway - the muck/brass ration on the DS is simply being restored, so azmol01 is correct. I would think that if you were to broadly label games for every platform as either muck or brass and plot a graph, it would appear the same on every console after enough time.

So many shit DS games recently

Strange, i've yet to see a single decent psp game.


Strange, I didn't mention PSP ;)

But you probably have got a point, the PSP line up so far is pretty lacklustre, aside from Lumines there's not much else that interests me on the platform, still the new year should hopefully bring new and exciting games for all platforms:)

Oh and I wasn't doubting Nintendo's credibilty as a developer, they are so far untouchable by anyone else at the moment, thier own output has been mostly outstanding. I would say other developers this gen that have come close to Nintendo's quality would be the ICO team and Capcom Production Studio 4, RE4, VJ, Killer 7, the quality dosn't seem to show any signs of letting up.

Looks like Repton...

It might be fun for the aspergers syndrome sufferers

Charming.

As to MKDS, I found the single player mode reasonably challenging, especially as I advanced to the higher levels. The mission mode is especially tricky on the later levels, and there's a lot of replay to be had trying to improve your ratings to unlock the seventh set of missions.

The online play is relatively basic, but a solid addition to the series and a great first effort from Nintendo. Exactly what further "interaction" did you want? Certainly, you don't get the kind of banter you get with friends gathered round playing wireless, but I can certainly live without that for worldwide play - especially considering the kind of inane and plain offensive stuff that gets spouted by other anonymous gamers in many online titles.

No-one had even mentioned the psp until that point, as it was entirely irrelevant

/me desperately... tries... not to make... obvious... joke...

;-)

"I found Mario Kart DS far too easy in single player"

Have you tried getting 3 star ratings on all cups/missions? What about beating the staff ghosts in time trial? The single player mode is far from over when you beat all the cups. For me it is also one of the best handhed games ever, and the best racer regardless of platform.

best since Tetris?

it's not even the best game on the DS.
Electroplankton or Meteos out do it by miles.

Electroplankton is a wonderful application, but comparing it to MKDS - or any other DS game - isn't really comparing like with like & does both titles a disservice.

Meteos is a great puzzle game, but it's not in my personal set of top titles for the DS - MKDS, Nintendogs, Advance Wars DS, Canvas Curse & Trauma Centre are all better games, IMO.

Still, both are excellent pieces of software.

Good for you.

My point is with the DS I've yet to see the killer 3rd party app that makes me want to buy the console (if I didn't already own one) I like to play 3rd party games as well, not just Ninty ones, the DS just seems to lack any killer ones at the moment, which is dissapointing.

Well that's more like it! A logical and reasoned statement explaining your thinking. Just to remind you that this all began with your opening gambit of:

So many shit DS games recently, King Kong, Burnout etc all from the 3rd parties, while the decent ones are surprise surprise from Nintendo...

I was just pointing out that there are many recent, decent games from 3rd parties.

Nintendo will always make great games on any of thier platforms granted, that's because they know thier own hardware well, is it to much to ask that 3rd parties care about the quailty of thier games as much as Ninty do?

The best games on a Nintendo console are always from Nintendo. It's been that way since the NES. But 3rd parties DO make great games for the DS. Despite your not liking Castlevania, it's been one of the best recieved DS games since the consoles launch. Sonic Rush, Pheonix Wright, Trauma Center, Meteos and Tony Hawks are all scoring 80%+ on meta-review sites. All this games are 3rd party, all show a great deal of quality and all are great fun.

I think you are looking for a problem that just doesn't really exist. Yes there's some crap being released now but, as it's been pointed out before, that happens on every platfrom all the time.

I agree, the review WAS brilliant and funny!

Heh :-)

Oh yeah... erm... great review.

Sorry!

/gets goat

'The best games on a Nintendo console are always from Nintendo. It's been that way since the NES.'

Until the Cube and Resi 4 arrived:)

But why does it have to be like this? There are people out there who want decent 3rd party games as well not just 1st party. I know quite a few people who bought Cubes on the strength of its 3rd party games e.g. TOS/Resi etc. These people however wouldn't have touched a Ninty console had it not been for these games as the 1st party games just don't appeal to them, they are also staying
away from the DS for the same reasons.

All I want is a console with a balance of great 1st/3rd party games, the DS leans way to much in the favour of 1st party games, which just isn't enough.

And I said it before and I'll say it again, the games you mentioned in your list I haven't played aside for Castlevania and Sonic Rush which I found dissapointing, I'll wait for the others e.g. Phoenix Wright/Trauma Center when and if they get UK release dates. Tony Hawks however just ain't my thing.

As for looking for a problem that doesn't exist, I'm afraid it does, the DS has been out for over a year now and still the 3rd party games lack quailty. And at the moment all I seem to see is crap 3rd party DS games followed by another one.

Azmol --

The third-party games lack quality in your opinion. As someone upthread pointed out, the third-party titles available for the DS have been getting very good reviews across the board. Off the top of my head, the DS has a pretty good lineup of (generally well-regarded) third-party offerings at the moment:

Another Code
Castlevania DS
Meteos
Nanostray
Phoenix Wright
Sonic Rush
Tony Hawk: American Sk8land
Trauma Centre
Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble

...plus, of course, a raft of decent third-party games - Polarium, Lost in Blue, Pac 'n Roll, Project Rub, Bomberman DS etc. - that bulk out the DS catalogue. If you're prepared to explore Japanese import titles, the third-party catalogue expands even further.

If those don't appeal to you, fine. That doesn't mean, however, that the DS lacks good third-party offerings, just that it doesn't yet have many that appeal to your tastes. That's obviously a problem for you personally, but it doesn't mean that there's some kind of crisis when it comes to third-party support on the machine.

Now if it *was* Repton, I'd buy it :)

Hmmm. Some deliberate attempt to make the DS look bad?

Then again, Ubi have also chosen to port Warrior Within to the PSP - the Prince of Persia game that everybody slagged off.

Ubi's handheld gaming decisions seem rather spurious here.

Has anybody played this?

I bought it on Saturday (even with the poor reviews that were out) and haven't stopped playing it since. Then again, i'm a strategy nut (Master Of Magic, Nippon Itchi (sp?) stuff, Mtgo etc) and not a fan of the original PoP games (never got on too well with 3rd person stuff), and i find the options in Advance Wars a bit limiting (but i still enjoy it).

I see Battles Of PoP as a game that is a lot like the very old 'Encyclopedia of Ancient Battles' on my mate's Spectrum many many years ago. It's all about formations, flanking manouvers (ooer) and knowing when to use the right spell/effect card.

Of course, it is presented pretty badly (although the music is nice), but then again, us strategy nuts couldn't care less about presentation. The main point i agree with the review is that the enemy AI isn't really top notch, but it ramps up the difficulty as you progress and there is a lot of gameplay. As to the 'random unfair battles', i totally disagree, every battle it explains whether you will probably win or lose and there is a margin of error either way, i haven't been surprised by a single result yet, so i guess the review didn't get all the nuances.

Anyway, if you don't like strategy games, a 4/10 is fair, if you don't care about gfx, and just want a good think, i'd give it 7/10.

Over and out.

Another Code and Polarium are Nintendo titles, Another Code is crap, Polarium is limited and doesn't come anywhere near Meteos. Pac 'n' Roll and Project Rub are tech demos and nothing more.

Anyway I thought I made it obvious that in my opinion the 3rd party stuff is poor on the DS. As for importing that's fine if you want to go down that route to get your games, but I'd rather buy it from a store over here and the majority of people don't import, so they face an uncertain wait of 'will they won't they release it over here'

If those games metioned are really that good (Phoenix Wright, Trauma Center etc) Then Nintendo best get thier arse into gear and start getting UK release dates for these games or otherwise the DS userbase will just be left with countless EA games when we were all promised true innovation, not just chav racer #453.

w00t! MtG got a mention!

Stop arguing about petty things and focus on the stuff that matters!

... namely that boths systems have good games and if it weren't for the lack of a £100 price drop on the PSP's part I'd be owning both handhelds.

azmol01, I think you really a blinkered or some sort of troll.

We've already explained that it's just in your limited opinion that there are no good 3rd party games. Review sites and user comments here suggest that these 3rd party titles are widely regarded as top notch.

You say that "If those games metioned are really that good (Phoenix Wright, Trauma Center etc) Then Nintendo best get thier arse into gear and start getting UK release dates for these game..." but Nintendo don't set the release dates for games they don't publish they are 3rd party titles, the very thing we've been discussing.

Nintendo are, however, responsible for their games and, with the recently released Mario Kart DS plus in the next few months Mario & Luigi Partners in Time, Metroid Prime Pinball, Animal Crossing: Wild World, Brain Training and Metroid Prime Hunters, you can't really justify the comment "the DS userbase will just be left with countless EA games..."

Rather than adopting a 'will they, won't they' approach to forthcoming titles you are interested in why not use the internet to visit, say, Amazon or Play or Eurogamer's very own DS release date list to find out when they are out?

Frankly if you aren't at least vaguely interested in any of the upcoming 3rd party titles such as Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble, The Rub Rabbits, Rainbow Islands Revolution, Harvest Moon DS, Black & White Creatures, Super Monkey Ball or the afore mentioned Trauma Center and Pheonix Wright then I'm not sure what 3rd party title would interest you.

You're bargaining now - "oh, but, I'm not allowing imports".

This is controversial stuff, but there are good and bad Nintendo DS games, both from Nintendo and third party developers.

Of course, your argument fell over getting its skirt over its head when you said that Pac n Roll was a tech demo and "nothing more". I've seen this rather lame "tech demo" claim thrown around in error rather a lot lately. The *horrible* Yoshi game was the closest so far to a "tech demo". Pac n Roll was an inventive and interesting platformer. I'd wager you've yet to play it.

And Phoenix Wright is flipping wonderful, which rather puts pay to the whole debate.

Nintendo don't set the release dates for games they don't publish they are 3rd party titles

While that is entirely true - and I do wish more people would realise it - I believe that Nintendo are going to be publishing Phoenix Wright and a couple of other third-party titles in Europe. Exactly why they've chosen to do this is unclear - perhaps no other publisher was prepared to take the risk on those titles (if so, it's a sad comment on the European market) or perhaps they had the extra clout to get the games published quickly and distributed well.

Thanks MrChuckles.

It's funny that this is supposed to be about BoPop and it just ends up as a general DS vs PSP fued or just off topic.

Ho hum. I'll keep checking to see if somebody has anything to say about this game.

Trying to debate with fanboys is too much like hard work, azmol01 out.

Got it. Played it. What the hell is John Walker talking about. Seems he was doing something else when he reviewed this. Or maybe I had another version of the game?

Not great but it's a good game. If you like turn based stratergy games go for it.

4 out of 10 ????? No way. More like 7. Look it up on Metacritic. There's reviews there from people who have played it