When I first heard about the hard-to-find Revolution for DS (aka R4)-an unofficial cartridge used for hacking the Nintendo DS handheld game machine-I was intrigued. But I heard all the buzz, too: “It lets you play pirated DS games. Just copy files from a computer to a microSD card, and then pop that into the R4.” I’m no pirate-I support all the guys who make my games! So I was determined to steer clear.
Yet the R4 isn’t just a hot key to pirate booty. The homebrew community has latched on to the elusive, illicit device too. Independent game designers are crafting their own DS software and sharing their work freely with the world. Sudoku puzzles. Adventure titles. Even arcade-worthy shooting games. Heck, folks have made Web browsers, photo viewers, MP3 players, and e-book readers too.
Now I must admit my “dark deed”: I caved and bought an R4. Following is just a small taste of the cool homebrew programs I’ve discovered since then.
Arcade action: Geo Wars is a really fast and addictive free shooting game that has you piloting around an arena, shooting anything that gets in your way. Into racing? Then you need to see Whee DS, a 3D space-racing game that looks like a low-fi take on the classic WipeOut.
Puzzle games: StillAliveDS is a 2D tribute to the popular PC action-puzzle game Portal. It’s fully playable on the DS’s touch screen. If you like old-school puzzles where you push blocks around a room, then Caisses DS has you covered. Do you prefer sudoku? Skinz Sudoku, by Mollusk Games, is a well-polished brain bender.
Adventure games: The old Lone Wolf book series is being converted into DS games, where you have an inventory, roll a die, make choices, and battle enemies. These are amazing-looking, professional efforts. Another freeware choice is ScummVM, which gives you access to some classic PC adventure titles, ported to just about every platform available, including the DS.
Media player: Though Nintendo’s revamped DSi has been out in Japan since November, Americans won’t get to enjoy its new features-including a slimmer profile, a VGA camera, and music playback via internal memory or an SD Card-until well into 2009.
But though we don’t necessarily condone it, the reality is tnat geeky gamers have long enjoyed music playback on the Nintendo DS. One method of doing so is to use MoonShell, a homebrew media player that supports MP3, Ogg Vorbis, and AAC files (the DSi supports only AAC).
So is the R4 a legitimate tool or a violation of Nintendo’s EULA? In late July 2008, Nintendo and 54 other companies sued the cartridge’s maker, demanding that production cease in Japan, under that country’s Unfair Competition Prevention Law. Tom Buscaglia, a lawyer who specializes in video game issues, believes that the R4 will likely end up being blocked in the United States. But the genie is out of the bottle: R4 clones have begun appearing.
I don’t think Nintendo is the bad guy herepiracy is. We just need to find a middle ground that’ll protect intellectual property. Homebrew shouldn’t be a crime. I can only hope that companies relent and that someone, someday will allow for a truly open platform. Oh, wait- we have one already. It’s called a PC. Just Google places such as TIGSource.com and IndieGames.com, and you’re knee-deep in innovative, independent games. No crime, no punishment.
Source: PC World Jan 2009
