diff --git a/_includes/navdsi.html b/_includes/navdsi.html index 3c838f6..dd65599 100644 --- a/_includes/navdsi.html +++ b/_includes/navdsi.html @@ -202,8 +202,9 @@ body {
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  • diff --git a/_layouts/dsipage.html b/_layouts/dsipage.html index 6f73344..cd9c41b 100644 --- a/_layouts/dsipage.html +++ b/_layouts/dsipage.html @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ layout: dsiware

    {{ page.title }}

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    Review published {{ page.date | date: "%Y-%m-%d" }}

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    Article published {{ page.date | date: "%Y-%m-%d" }}

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    diff --git a/_posts/2022-01-18-poor_poor_3ds.html b/_posts/2022-01-18-poor_poor_3ds.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c60ac22 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2022-01-18-poor_poor_3ds.html @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +--- +tag: stuff +title: Poor, poor 3DS +desc: Fixing a 3DS, part 1 of 4. +layout: dsipage +alt: https://gbatemp.net/blogs/poor-poor-3ds.18690/ +--- +Today a friend gave my his 3DS to fix. He had bricked it back in 2018, and had no idea what to do.
    Note: the hinge is purely cosmetic. His friend dropped it a bit before it got bricked +

    I took the 3DS and looked it over. I felt sorry for that thing. The top screen was barely connected (it was hanging from the top screen's cables), it wouldn't charge, and it wouldn't turn on. He said he bricked it with a flashcart, but he only has an R4. I heard that you can't brick a 3DS with an R4, so I have no clue what happened. Anyways, I took it apart and tried to first see why it wouldn't charge. The board was in surprisingly good condition.

    +I flipped the board over and checked the fuses, but those weren't the issue. I noticed the charging port was very wobbly and I took a closer look. The thing was barely soldered onto the board. Only one pin was still soldered to the board, and the rest were barely making contact. I asked and he said that he had work done on it before. Whoever replaced/fixed it before really didn't do a good job. That, or the solder they used was horrible and came off long after.

    +I've still got to put it back on (and do it properly unlike that person) and test it out. Then I'll need to figure out how to fix the brick, if it is actually bricked (it probably is. It sounded exactly like when I broke my 3DS's NAND). Stay tuned for part 2 of me trying to fix a 3DS. diff --git a/_posts/2022-01-19-1-less_poor_3ds.html b/_posts/2022-01-19-1-less_poor_3ds.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c52220e --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2022-01-19-1-less_poor_3ds.html @@ -0,0 +1,14 @@ +--- +tag: stuff +title: Less poor 3DS +desc: Fixing a 3DS, part 2 of 4. +layout: dsipage +alt: https://gbatemp.net/blogs/less-poor-3ds.18692/ +--- + +Sorry if I keep on putting out blogs and annoy everyone, but IT WORKS IT WORKS IT WORKS!
    +Look! I swapped batteries (the original one was completely dead) and it worked! +

    But wait... didn't he say it was bricked? That really doesn't look like a brick to me. Unless brick = working perfectly.

    All it was was the battery. Waaaaaay simpler than I had expected. But, sadly, the bottom screen isn't displaying anything. It reads my inputs and it glows slightly, but it doesn't show much. I'll ask some people in a sever I'm a part of for any ideas. See you then!

    ---Fancy transition---

    +I'm back. I checked the ribbon cables and one of them was slightly loose. I put it in properly this time.

    (decided to try my flashcart, cause I haven't used it in a while and wanted to see if it worked. It does! Maybe I can do ntrboot with it) +

    +I'm nearly done. I still have to fix the charging port, the case, and hack the console. This supposedly "already hacked" 3DS doesn't appear to be hacked. It might have been, but I'm doubtful.

    I also found more issues with it. The cartridge and SD slots are disgusting, some of the screw holes are stripped (same goes for the screws), the R button's ribbon cable has been cut, and the wireless slider isn't working (should be easy enough to fix, I think it is just loose). He wants me to go out and buy a new battery (and probably a new R button), so I guess I'll do that sometime soon. He's paying for it, and I'm getting some flashcarts, so I guess it's worth the time. But, as Mr. DeadSkullzJr said,

    I'll see you in part 3. diff --git a/_posts/2022-01-19-2-hacked_poor_3ds.html b/_posts/2022-01-19-2-hacked_poor_3ds.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..859d49f --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2022-01-19-2-hacked_poor_3ds.html @@ -0,0 +1,15 @@ +--- +tag: stuff +title: Hacked poor 3DS +desc: Fixing a 3DS, part 3 of 4. +layout: dsipage +--- + +I played around with the 3D effects for a bit (I've only ever had a 2DS, so it was neat to see), then set up my flashcart. I flashed ntrboot, looked for a magnet, held some buttons, and I was on the b9s installer.
    +
    Did some more boring stuff like backing up the NAND, then I installed Luma3DS. I did it! I hacked that sad little console. There was one problem though... I was wrong about two things. The trigger button with the broken ribbon cable was actually the left one (so no rosalina menu 'cause you need L+down+select), and the right trigger button was broken for some other reason. So yeah, both of those are gone. I'll send an email to the store, and hopefully they'll have a scrap 3DS. I need those parts!

    +I was told that I could just change the menu combo, so I did. It works perfectly. +

    (I can't stop laughing from seeing that)

    +Now I've got to focus on that charging port. I'm heating up the soldering gun right now. +

    ---More cool transitions---

    +I'm back. I was afraid I'd break something, but I didn't mess up!
    +
    The first two pins have too much solder, but at least it's better than no solder at all (which is how it was when I found it). Anyways, it charges! All I need now are the two new buttons, and a new battery. I'm going to try cleaning the housing and the board a bit more, then I'll get back to setting up all the apps (FBI, Universal Updater, etc). I think that'll be it. That, and trying to figure out how to rescue that shell, if possible. I'll try superglue tomorrow, and if that doesn't work, I'll send another email asking about shells.

    I'm happy with my progress. I started this at 4:15 PM yesterday, and it's 7:33 PM as of writing this.

    Alright, I'll see you in the next entry. Hopefully by then I'll hear back about the parts. Bye!

    (also the thing feels like it'll just fall apart in my hands. Very creaky. At least I can't say that was my fault) diff --git a/_posts/2022-08-26-101-minigolf-world.html b/_posts/2022-08-26-101-minigolf-world.html deleted file mode 100644 index fef3810..0000000 --- a/_posts/2022-08-26-101-minigolf-world.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,20 +0,0 @@ ---- -tag: dsiware -title: 101 Mini Golf World - Another bland DSiWare -titleshort: 101 MiniGolf World -author: Teyon -layout: dsipage -icon: data:image/gif;base64,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 ---- - -

    101 MiniGolf World by Teyon is a golf game for the DSi. It's nothing special as far as DSiWare goes. -

    -The game starts up with a nice tutorial on how to play. It goes over all the controls in about 20 seconds and doesn't leave you confused. -
    -The controls are very straightforward, and I have no complaints in that regard. Use the touch screen to move the camera, and hit the ball icon when you're ready to shoot. To shoot, you slide the stylus against the touchscreen. Sliding faster makes the ball go further, and vice versa. -

    -The gameplay itself is what you'd expect from a cheap DSi golf game. There are many obstacles that can make things a bit interesting, however they usually don't add any challenge as you can go around them in a single swing. And don't worry about wasting your swings. The game sets a really high par limit, which you will almost never fail to end within. The unchallenging gameplay makes the game get stale pretty quickly. -

    -The visuals are average, with some very basic 3D models. If the models obstruct your view while playing, they'll fade out. However, some small objects such as grass or flowers will not fade away, and can sometimes make it hard to see your ball. -

    -In the end, this game was one of the more forgettable ones. It was kinda fun for a little bit, but didn't have anything challenging or interesting to offer. I'd give this a 6/10.

    diff --git a/_posts/2022-08-26-101-pinball-world.html b/_posts/2022-08-26-101-pinball-world.html deleted file mode 100644 index 0b2b2dd..0000000 --- a/_posts/2022-08-26-101-pinball-world.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19 +0,0 @@ ---- -tag: dsiware -title: 101 Pinball World - The worst pinball game -titleshort: 101 Pinball World -author: Teyon -layout: dsipage -icon: data:image/gif;base64,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 ---- - -101 Pinball World, released by Tenyon, is the worst pinball game imaginable for DSi. It looks, feels, and sounds like a cheap and rushed piece of crap... probably because it is. -

    -This game has 4 "different" worlds (each themed after halloween, space, wizards, and pirates), with each 34 levels each. Each level was sloppily put together with repetitive graphics and game breaking object placement. All levels in one world are the exact same as all levels in the other worlds, just with a the textures changed. Most of those levels play okay, but some are god awful. There are many times that the bumpers are placed so that if a side spring saves your ball, the bumper will send it right back down. Or so that when you first launch your ball, the bumpers will send it back to the start. Or so that when a ball comes out of a chute, the bumpers will send it right down the middle and through your paddles. You get the idea. -

    -If you somehow manage to ignore the horrible level design and look, you'll notice a lot of other things wrong with this game. The ball jerkily jumps around the screen. Sometimes it just stops for half a second and then appears halfway across the screen. When it continues moving, it can suddenly appear right by your paddles, giving you no time to react.
    -The ball will also get stuck over and over. It will wedge itself into corners and you can't free it. You can shake the table as many times as you want, but it'll just sit there doing absolutely nothing. -

    -Lastly, the music. Well no, it's not really music. It's just noise. Everything (with the exception of the title screen) is completely out of tune. I really don't know what to say other than it's bad. Just listen for yourself here. -

    -Overall, this game is awful. Poor graphics, sound, level design, gameplay, and it's full of bugs. There's nothing that makes this game good or enjoyable. 1/10. Don't play it. diff --git a/_posts/2022-08-26-airacetunnel.html b/_posts/2022-08-26-airacetunnel.html deleted file mode 100644 index c42e1d3..0000000 --- a/_posts/2022-08-26-airacetunnel.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19 +0,0 @@ ---- -tag: dsiware -title: AiRace Tunnel - Great time waster -titleshort: AiRace Tunnel -author: QubicGames -layout: dsipage -icon: data:image/gif;base64,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 ---- -If you haven't played AiRace Tunnel from QubicGames, you're missing out. -

    -AiRace Tunnel is a fairly straightforward game. The goal is to fly a plane through a series of tunnels, while avoiding obstacles within them. There are 6 tunnels of varying degrees of difficulty, 2 of which are infinite. -

    -Normally a game like this might get boring after a while, but this one manages to stay fun. As you play, your plane moves faster and faster, and the obstacles become harder to avoid. At first it is fairly easy, but it will suddenly take a lot of concentration, and even the slightest wrong movement could make you crash. -

    -Controls in this game are really well done. You've got touchscreen or button controls, both of which feel very responsive, and you can switch between left or right handed mode.
    As a lefty, I love not having to hold the stylus in my jittery right hand and having to waste my good hand on hitting a few buttons. So many games have this issue, and as a result are hard for me to play. Thanks for fixing that, AiRace Tunnel! -

    -The graphics in this game are fairly good. The tunnels are highly detailed 3d models and look awesome. The UI, however, leaves much to be desired. It gives off a very flat and cheap feel. Because of this, at a first glance this game looked like another piece of crap DSi shovelware to me. -

    -Overall, this game is really good. Great gameplay, it looks fine, and controls amazing. But due to the UI looking like crap, I'll have to take a point off and give this one a 9/10. diff --git a/_posts/2022-11-22-finished_poor_3ds.html b/_posts/2022-11-22-finished_poor_3ds.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..20e9fe2 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2022-11-22-finished_poor_3ds.html @@ -0,0 +1,14 @@ +--- +tag: stuff +title: Finished poor 3DS +desc: Fixing a 3DS, part 4 of 4. +layout: dsipage +alt: https://gbatemp.net/blogs/finished-poor-3ds.19154/ +--- + +This is the final entry (or so I hope) of the "poor 3DS" series. Enjoy.

    Spring, 2022: 

    Damn this console's owner. I got the shoulder buttons and battery. He wanted me to install them in the park outside of his house. Yes that's right, he wanted me to take apart and put back together a whole fucking 3DS in the middle of a park. I insisted inside would be better but he refused. I gave up, fixed it in a couple minutes, gave him his console, and prayed he'd never asked me to touch it again.

    I thought it was the end. I thought I'd never have to touch this poor console again. I was wrong.

    October, 2022: 

    It was early october and I was eating lunch with friends in the school hallways. I was having a good day... until he arrived. Out of nowhere the 3DS abuser appeared. After months of silence, he came back to complain that he yet again broke his console. He dropped it on the table, said nothing more than "please fix it", and left. +

    +When I got home I immediately turned it on. And then I immediately started screaming and hitting my wall because WHY, WHY COULD HE NOT JUST BUY A NEW FUCKING 3DS!? The top screen was disconnected, the wireless button was jammed, the console was even more rough, and a whole new layer of grime coated it's surface. I had enough. I just wanted to get it over with. +
    I fixed it in a night, and told him for the 20th time that he needs to get a new shell. "Why can't you just use some glue?", he asked. I was about to cry. It was not a clean break. It was not going to hold! I tried gluing it before and it just broke again! But no... he didn't think it was that bad. Just slather a glue stick on and it's all good. Please spare me this torture. PLEASE. +

    +Anyways, he forced me to take it back. I tried multiple different glues with no luck. I spent a couple weeks trying to figure out any way to get it to stay. Eventually I went with a cheap as fuck super glue and it seemed to hold. I left it over night, closed the hinge and SNAP. It came undone. Again. I was done. I was done before, and I was more than done after. I actually don't know what I was. I was beyond frustrated at this 3DS owner and his dumb requests.

    I was so frustrated that I forced the break to close with super glue again. And I layered the super glue. One coat after another, that stupid case wouldn't be able to break after that. I let it sit for a whole week. And you know what? It worked. It actually sealed the case.

    It doesn't look nice but at this point I don't care. In another couple months he's going to ask me to fix it again. I know that all of this is pointless. I fix it, he breaks it. And endless cycle of pain.

    Tomorrow he gets his console back. He doesn't deserve it. I don't want to give it to him. In fact I'm going to try to get him to give it to me. I will pay him $20, scrap the shell, spread the parts out, stick it in a shadow box, and run the DSi XL Demo Video roms on it. At least there it will be safe, have some use, and it'll be an interesting piece to show to visitors.

    I just hope I never have to deal with this again lol diff --git a/_posts/2022-12-19-cleaning_poor_ds_lite.html b/_posts/2022-12-19-cleaning_poor_ds_lite.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c400c68 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2022-12-19-cleaning_poor_ds_lite.html @@ -0,0 +1,48 @@ +--- +tag: stuff +title: Cleaning poor DS lite +desc: Restoring a DS lite in poor condition +layout: dsipage +alt: https://gbatemp.net/blogs/cleaning-poor-ds-lite.19190/ +--- +I did it again... I bought another DS console, bringing my collection to 2 DSi XLs, 1 DSi, 1 2DS, and 2 DS lites. I know I need to stop, but I couldn't help it when I saw this $20 DS lite. +
    + + +
    +Sure, it may have had years of grime and a nasty crust all over it, but I thought it was cleanable. It looked much more yellow in real life, but these photos were the best I could do. +I started cleaning by completely taking the DS lite apart. (btw like my workstation? Just a wooden board on a floor with parts all over. Totally a great way not to loose all my screws) +
    + +
    +It smelled awful. It was like old food had been left inside to rot, and perfume was added to make the smell go away. Yuck! The individual parts reflected the smell quite well. +
    + + + + +
    +Absolutely disgusting. How do these consoles fall into this state? Oh well, at least it's in good hands now. +I started my cleaning with the DS stylus thing. It appeared like there was a bug living in there at one point. Pulling the web like substance out was not very pleasant. Thankfully it wasn't hard to remove, and all the grime came off with a single swab of alcohol. +

    +Next I started the back panel. Dear god. The yellow-orange stuff was sticky and smelly. I don't know what it smelled like but it was just bad. I think that's enough. I doused the plate in more alcohol and eventually it came off... in gross flakes. In the end it looked pretty nice. Well worth the cleaning. +
    + +
    +Next up, the screen. This was awful to clean. The crust came off okay, it was more below the crust that was a problem. The screen must've been covered in grease, because every time I cleaned it and wiped it down I just got shiny streaks all over. I went through 3 or so cotton swabs before it went away. Once clean I had a nice mirror. +
    + +
    +I did some of the other parts and then I finished the top bottom part. This one had dirt/grease/finger juices soaked into it. When I put alcohol on it, it immediately turned a brownish grey color. I had to soak it for a few minutes before it would all come off. Rinsed it off and had another nice part. +
    + +
    +The rest of the console was pretty boring. The hinges had a lot of dust but that came out with some compressed air. I put it back together and... +
    + +
    +Wow that looks nice. The screens are dirty again from me assembling the console, but they'll be good after I wipe them with a cloth. The console has turned from a white-yellow color to a nice warm white. The one hinge part could use some retrobriting, but other than that I'm pretty happy with it. $20 bucks and a couple hours of cleaning got me this beauty. Normally I'd have to pay $60 to $80, so I'd say I got off pretty well. +

    +A new DS lite means a new WiFi card, so I installed the other prototype firmware on my "bad" WiFi card (the proto firmware seems to permanently break wireless communications, so I am only going to use one card for that). I found out that it works, so woohoo. I wrote a guide on installing it and maybe I'll share it in the DS section. Or maybe not in case some idiots try it and brick their consoles. Easy to fix a bad flash, but still upsetting when people mess things up. +

    +Okay, that's all. I should probably stop buying consoles, but it's so fun! There was another bad $20 DS lite and I'm trying my hardest not to save it. Maybe I'll cave and clean that one too lol diff --git a/_posts/2023-02-05-turning_my_nintendo_ds_into_an_ique_ds.html b/_posts/2023-02-05-turning_my_nintendo_ds_into_an_ique_ds.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd63f2f --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2023-02-05-turning_my_nintendo_ds_into_an_ique_ds.html @@ -0,0 +1,45 @@ +--- +tag: stuff +title: Turning my Nintendo DS into an iQue DS +desc: A hardware mod that increases the DS firmware size to support iQue firmware. +layout: dsipage +alt: https://gbatemp.net/blogs/turning-my-nintendo-ds-into-an-ique-ds.19249/ +--- +Recently I've been obsessed with the iQue DSes. It all started during a discussion with my friend @ufo. He was wanting to install iQue firmware on a non-iQue unit, but it wouldn't work. I took a look and noticed that the iQue firmware was 512kb as opposed to the regular 256kb size for other firmwares. +
    @ufo said, "it would be cool to get ique to work on the 256 ones", and that got me thinking... +

    +The 256kb chip on the DS WiFi card that holds the firmware is the exact same as the 256kb save chip on most DS games. You can swap a firmware and save chip around and everything works perfectly- assuming you correctly flashed the firmware to the now-firmware chip. +
    The same likely goes for the iQue, but instead it would just be a 512kb chip that's commonly found in DS games. +
    The iQue also shares all the same hardware with a normal DS, so what if the WiFi boards were the exact same minus the chip capacities? +

    +I decided to start ripping apart a couple shovelware games with 512kb save files in order to identify the chips. This was all so that me and another guy could try making iQue WiFi cards without the guilt of destroying good cartridges. Sadly the chips were privately made and none of us could find the actual part. I figured I'd just go with the cartridges I already disassembled and moved on. +

    +Quickly though I realized I made a huge mistake. I had misread the save chips, and all that shovelware was 512 bytes! My only carts with 512kb save chips were my beloved Pokemon games... I couldn't pop one open, could I? +

    +Eh, what the hell. I can put it back together later. I flashed the iQue firmware with gm9i and gently opened the cartridge. I made sure I was real careful to cleanly remove the chip so I could put it back later. I was afraid I'd remove a pad on the cartridge but a bit of flux got it off nicely. +
    + + +
    +Next was the WiFi card. The WiFi card gave me a bit of trouble with a small capacitor right beside the chip. I was afraid to break that and ended up marking up the board pretty good. At least it and the chip were intact! +
    + + +
    +Now it was time to put Pokemon's save chip into the WiFi board. Boy, was that hard. My shaky hands kept moving the chip, and in the end it was slightly offset. Thankfully there wasn't any bridging. I decided to put it in the DS lite. +
    + +
    +I eagerly put it in, turned on the power, and... nothing. Black screens. This meant it couldn't read the firmware. I figured maybe I put the chip on backwards. I moved it around and somehow made it look worse. It was no longer offset, but it was very... crusty. As long as it works I'm happy though. +
    + +
    +This time I stuck it in and hit the power. It felt like more than a few seconds before the screens lit up. iQue DS, my console said. I had done it. I had just turned my north american console into an iQue one! +
    + +
    +I'm happy to have done this. I've never been first in anything, so to be the first one to (publicly) make an iQue console from a normal one, I felt proud. I did it. +

    +Hopefully this was mildly interesting. I might make proper guide along with the necessary info on chips/games with good chips to create your own iQue WiFi card. Let me know down below if that's of any interest to you. See y'all later! +

    +(also I promise I'll put the chip back in my Pokemon game) diff --git a/_site/2022/08/26/101-minigolf-world.html b/_site/2022/08/26/101-minigolf-world.html deleted file mode 100644 index 9fd118c..0000000 --- a/_site/2022/08/26/101-minigolf-world.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,336 +0,0 @@ - - - - 101 Mini Golf World - Another bland DSiWare | rmc's site - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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    101 Mini Golf World - Another bland DSiWare

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    Review published 2022-08-26

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    101 MiniGolf World by Teyon is a golf game for the DSi. It's nothing special as far as DSiWare goes. -

    -The game starts up with a nice tutorial on how to play. It goes over all the controls in about 20 seconds and doesn't leave you confused. -
    -The controls are very straightforward, and I have no complaints in that regard. Use the touch screen to move the camera, and hit the ball icon when you're ready to shoot. To shoot, you slide the stylus against the touchscreen. Sliding faster makes the ball go further, and vice versa. -

    -The gameplay itself is what you'd expect from a cheap DSi golf game. There are many obstacles that can make things a bit interesting, however they usually don't add any challenge as you can go around them in a single swing. And don't worry about wasting your swings. The game sets a really high par limit, which you will almost never fail to end within. The unchallenging gameplay makes the game get stale pretty quickly. -

    -The visuals are average, with some very basic 3D models. If the models obstruct your view while playing, they'll fade out. However, some small objects such as grass or flowers will not fade away, and can sometimes make it hard to see your ball. -

    -In the end, this game was one of the more forgettable ones. It was kinda fun for a little bit, but didn't have anything challenging or interesting to offer. I'd give this a 6/10.

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    101 Pinball World - The worst pinball game

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    - 101 Pinball World, released by Tenyon, is the worst pinball game imaginable for DSi. It looks, feels, and sounds like a cheap and rushed piece of crap... probably because it is. -

    -This game has 4 "different" worlds (each themed after halloween, space, wizards, and pirates), with each 34 levels each. Each level was sloppily put together with repetitive graphics and game breaking object placement. All levels in one world are the exact same as all levels in the other worlds, just with a the textures changed. Most of those levels play okay, but some are god awful. There are many times that the bumpers are placed so that if a side spring saves your ball, the bumper will send it right back down. Or so that when you first launch your ball, the bumpers will send it back to the start. Or so that when a ball comes out of a chute, the bumpers will send it right down the middle and through your paddles. You get the idea. -

    -If you somehow manage to ignore the horrible level design and look, you'll notice a lot of other things wrong with this game. The ball jerkily jumps around the screen. Sometimes it just stops for half a second and then appears halfway across the screen. When it continues moving, it can suddenly appear right by your paddles, giving you no time to react.
    -The ball will also get stuck over and over. It will wedge itself into corners and you can't free it. You can shake the table as many times as you want, but it'll just sit there doing absolutely nothing. -

    -Lastly, the music. Well no, it's not really music. It's just noise. Everything (with the exception of the title screen) is completely out of tune. I really don't know what to say other than it's bad. Just listen for yourself here. -

    -Overall, this game is awful. Poor graphics, sound, level design, gameplay, and it's full of bugs. There's nothing that makes this game good or enjoyable. 1/10. Don't play it. - -
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    AiRace Tunnel - Great time waster

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    - If you haven't played AiRace Tunnel from QubicGames, you're missing out. -

    -AiRace Tunnel is a fairly straightforward game. The goal is to fly a plane through a series of tunnels, while avoiding obstacles within them. There are 6 tunnels of varying degrees of difficulty, 2 of which are infinite. -

    -Normally a game like this might get boring after a while, but this one manages to stay fun. As you play, your plane moves faster and faster, and the obstacles become harder to avoid. At first it is fairly easy, but it will suddenly take a lot of concentration, and even the slightest wrong movement could make you crash. -

    -Controls in this game are really well done. You've got touchscreen or button controls, both of which feel very responsive, and you can switch between left or right handed mode.
    As a lefty, I love not having to hold the stylus in my jittery right hand and having to waste my good hand on hitting a few buttons. So many games have this issue, and as a result are hard for me to play. Thanks for fixing that, AiRace Tunnel! -

    -The graphics in this game are fairly good. The tunnels are highly detailed 3d models and look awesome. The UI, however, leaves much to be desired. It gives off a very flat and cheap feel. Because of this, at a first glance this game looked like another piece of crap DSi shovelware to me. -

    -Overall, this game is really good. Great gameplay, it looks fine, and controls amazing. But due to the UI looking like crap, I'll have to take a point off and give this one a 9/10. - -
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    - - - diff --git a/_site/dsi.html b/_site/dsi.html index 66fcbee..0410bdb 100644 --- a/_site/dsi.html +++ b/_site/dsi.html @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ - DSiWare | rmc's site + Blog | rmc's site @@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ - + - - + + @@ -227,8 +227,9 @@ body {
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    Welcome to the DS part of my site!

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    Right now it's just an online demo of the developer DSi Shop (link in nav bar) and couple DSiWare reviews, but hopefully there will be more content soon. Stuff like info on and links to developer apps (I just feel like the current info could be greatly improved upon).

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    rmc's DSiWare Reviews:

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    I've been going through all the DSiWare and decided I should do reviews on every single game. I've always wanted a fun way to improve my writing, and here it is!
    I hope you can find some new awesome (or awful) DSiWare from this.

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    Welcome to my blog!

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    I post some Nintendo repair and modding stuff sometimes.

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      AiRace Tunnel
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    Turning my Nintendo DS into an iQue DS (alt), A hardware mod that increases the DS firmware size to support iQue firmware.

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    2023/02/05 (Ian Skinner)

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      101 Pinball World
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    Cleaning poor DS lite (alt), Restoring a DS lite in poor condition

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    2022/12/19 (Ian Skinner)

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      101 MiniGolf World
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    Finished poor 3DS (alt), Fixing a 3DS, part 4 of 4.

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    2022/11/22 (Ian Skinner)

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    Hacked poor 3DS (alt), Fixing a 3DS, part 3 of 4.

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    2022/01/19 (Ian Skinner)

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    Less poor 3DS (alt), Fixing a 3DS, part 2 of 4.

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    2022/01/19 (Ian Skinner)

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    Poor, poor 3DS (alt), Fixing a 3DS, part 1 of 4.

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    2022/01/18 (Ian Skinner)

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