Ping Pals (Nintendo DS) Preview

By Nick Cheesman 10.03.2005

Ever since this game has been launched, the premise behind it has seemed pretty bizarre. THQ clearly saw the DS' Wi-Fi as great chance to make a chat programme, and well played them for trying something different. Although when Nintendo bundle a free chat programme, for free, with the Nintendo DS console, for free, it does not make a lot of sense why anyone would pay for game that does almost exactly the same thing? Or does it? No it doesn't.

Ping Pals relies solely on the chat room option, and allows you to join or create your own chat rooms; however chatting can only take place if someone else with a DS has a copy of Ping Pals loaded. The bottom screen boasts a keyboard and an area to draw, and meanwhile on the top screen are colorful avatars and the chat room itself.

But the coins earned from these games do have purpose; buying items to make your male or female avatar look as crazy as possible with. Ninja masks are in store now. The various hairstyles, accessories, clothes and facial expressions, can all be altered as can backgrounds and sounds, but the items are the real draw. Although you can only have 300 in your collection, there are loads more than that, which means trading with other owners of the game is the only way to...Ping them all?

The presentation of Ping Pals is a lot more colourful than that of PictoChat's and more personalized, however the avatars do not animate unfortunately, and the background music is pretty much just looped tracks over and over, so no real advantages here.

Final Thoughts

Usually in the conclusion it is the writer's job to say why this game could be good, and not so good, giving a balanced look at the game. But seriously, who cares about this game? Fine it has items and has some advantages over a free chat programme, but when all you want to do is chat, do avatars matter that much? Not at all. I suppose if you are really pedantic and want a chat programme that is a slightly worse version of MSN, then buy Ping Pals. For the rest of us, let's just pretend this game is never going to reach Europe. It is easier that way.

Ping Pals (Nintendo DS)

Developer

THQ

Publisher

THQ

Genre

Party

Players

C3 Score

n/a

Reader Score

5/10 (1 Votes)

Out now

Out now

Out now

Out now

Comments

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howzy22 11.03.2005#1

WTF??? :-o
sharpshot, get some sleep Smilie
i heard the multi-player games were pretty good, but man, your just bringing all this negative energy into my life Smilie

mooojc 11.03.2005#2

This game, from what i heard of is complete crap since its a full price game but its basically picto chat with some additions and from the looks of it here, yes its utter crap.

Robbo 11.03.2005#3

Maybe it'd make a differernce if the DS was online from the start - it gives more individuality to the user. But as pictochat is free with the DS...its a bit pointless for the moment.

Darkflame 11.03.2005#4

Its pointless.
But I feel sorry for them, this was annouced and in development long before Nintendo said picochat was built in.

If they emphasised the Pictionary aspex they might have got a decent product :-/

http://www.fanficmaker.com <-- Tells some truly terrible tales.
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TAG 11.03.2005#5

An online version would be sweet^_^
But otherwise, it's crap.

TAG: That American Guy

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18

Sharpshot 15.03.2005#6

I tried to balance the argument I really did, but come on, do you want it for free, or do you want to pay for it? I mean you should pay for quality, but this ain't it!